Initially announced on January 31st, 2020, Niantic announced it would begin testing new types of events during February 2020 – Pokémon Spotlight Hour and Mystery Bonus Hour. After testing and user feedback, Niantic combined both events into one and announced what Pokémon and bonuses would be featured in advance. Now,…
During the Pokémon GO’s Season of Max Out (Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024 to Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024), Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokémon were added to the game. This mechanic is part of Pokémon’s Generation VIII (Pokémon Sword and Shield) where Pokémon transform into “giant” versions of themselves or even new larger…
Split Fiction, the latest co-op multiplayer game by developer Hazelight, launched on March 6th to critical acclaim. Shortly after launch, it was rumored that a movie adaptation was in the works for the game and we’ve now received confirmation on its existence, along with one of the stars as well…
2022 was a year of grand, sweeping games on Nintendo Switch. We had one of the biggest RPGs ever in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, a luscious sci-fi epic in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, a time-spanning remake of the ages in Live A Live. All these and more were up for Game…
Octopath Traveler made a strong impression back when it was first released, introducing the HD-2D style that Square Enix has now made a trademark. Featuring an ensemble cast and plenty of retro sensibilities, it’s only grown in popularity since — enough to secure itself a sequel! While the first game…
Raid Hour (also referred to as Legendary Raid Hour) started as an experiment in March 2019. Initially called Legendary Lunch Hour, Niantic set aside an hour on Wednesdays for Pokémon GO Trainers to find 5-Star (Legendary) Raids easier by increasing the appearance rates. After further testing, Raid Hour was renamed…
New Year’s cards are a widespread tradition, but are particularly elaborate in Japan, where custom designs and messages are issued not just by people but corporations. Famitsu has compiled all the various cards from developers throughout the year, and while many offer simple thanks for playing 2022 titles and some…
The long-awaited sequel to what might be the most beloved Nintendo Switch game is nearly here. After an early reveal and being named 2023’s Most Anticipated Game, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to give fans of Breath of the Wild everything they’ve been craving. Read…
Initially announced on January 31st, 2020, Niantic announced it would begin testing new types of events during February 2020 – Pokémon Spotlight Hour and Mystery Bonus Hour. After testing and user feedback, Niantic combined both events into one and announced what Pokémon and bonuses would be featured in advance. Now,…
Every month, Niantic spotlights a Pokémon for Pokémon GO’s Research Breakthrough encounter. This feature was added to the game in April 2018 as part of the Field Research system. Essentially a quest system, Trainers can acquire Field Research tasks by logging in daily and/or spinning PokéStops (one task per PokéStop…
In modern times, year five of a console’s lifespan is usually around the time things start winding down, to get prepared for year six or seven when the successor officially debuts. The Wii released in 2006, and by 2011 it was winding down with only the occasional blockbuster release. The…
Developer Rooms in video games are an easter egg tradition that goes back decades. From Chrono Trigger to nearly every Pokémon game, you can find little rooms where the game’s makers talk passionately about their work and express thanks. But in recent high-profile indie title Sports Story, the typical Developer…
Have you noticed that most Nintendo Switch games don’t bother with instruction manuals anymore? Even though there are little slots for them in the cases, most devs don’t bother to include little slips or the like. There are silver linings to this (saves paper, and most games include extensive tutorials…
Throughout 2022 Square Enix has been sharing videos of various Final Fantasy piano performances to celebrate the series’ 35th Anniversary. Previously we’ve seen the likes of Chaos Shrine and Searching for Friends but this time it’s a personal favourite – the vocal theme from Final Fantasy IX, Melodies of Life….
It’s hard to believe but Breath of the Wild’s follow-up, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, is just a matter of months away. As is customary for Nintendo’s big releases it seems fairly likely the game will receive a special console edition, and it looks like that might…
