Marvel is diving into the arena with a brand new fighting game which would allow players to choose from their favorite characters from the comics and take on their opponents in a 4v4 high-octane fight. 5g5u54

Arc System Works, responsible for the massively popular Guilty Gear franchise, has ed forces with Marvel Games to bring to life this latest fighting extravaganza. MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls features reimagined characters and stages that fans will no doubt recognize. Playstation.blog claims that the game also promises “a heart-pounding soundtrack, intuitive gameplay mechanics, and jaw-dropping visuals.”

Well that certainly sounds like something worth getting excited about. Last year Marvel Games partnered with NetEase Games and surprised players with its hero shooter, Marvel Rivals. Will lightning strike twice as the comic juggernaut hops on yet another gaming trend? Or will Tōkon: Fighting Souls crash and burn upon release?

The gameplay 4e265m

There’s not a whole load of information about the game available at the moment. Players have been offered a glimpse in the form of a trailer showing the gameplay in motion. It looks similar to plenty of other popular fighting game franchises such as Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Street Fighter and Guilty Gear of course. Of course, this game is different as you’ll get to play as Marvel heroes and villains.

The trailer shows how players can switch out their heroes mid fight and deliver devastating combos. On top of that, the art style is pretty cool, with different character models to Rivals but still a somewhat similar look. 

What are fans saying about Marvel: Tokon Fighting Souls 22s2z

As you’d expect, many were pretty excited at the prospect of the new game. After all, Marvel games rarely disappoint (the opposite can be said of Marvel movies nowadays). One fan wrote, “looks great! I’ll be buying,” another drew attention to the cool-looking character designs with Iron Man’s suit receiving praise in particular.

But not everyone was impressed with the new Marvel game. One person commented, “Am I wrong to think this game might just be Marvel trying to cash in on the fighting game trend?” Meanwhile, another called it a copy of previous fighting games, “2025 and we’re still making copy pastas of mortal kombat.” Then of course there were those who were disappointed that we got a Marvel fighting game and it wasn’t a Marvel vs. Capcom sequel.

Right now it’s very early days of course. We only have one trailer to go off of. The game isn’t even set to be released until some time next year and the specific release date hasn’t even been revealed yet. Let’s wait until we have more info before jumping to conclusions.

It’s Switch 2 launch day and all around the world excited Nintendo fans are unwrapping their shiny new consoles. Top of the agenda is the long-awaited Mario Kart World, but the console is set to deliver years of high-quality Nintendo exclusives, leaving gamers very happy.

Well, most gamers anyway. As reported by @Wario64 on X, a GameStop store in Staten Island needed a way to fix pre-order receipts to the new console box. Glue? Nah, too messy. Sellotape? We don’t have any. Ooh! How about a staple gun! Ka-thonk!

Apparently one GameStop store used a stapler to attach receipts to Switch 2 boxes and the staple ruined the screen…another person commented their unit and others were affected at the same store https://t.co/3eMGSUVnT6 pic.twitter.com/YXvfU9fUq7

— Wario64 (@Wario64) June 5, 2025

Yup, some incompetent employee decided to staple the receipt to the front of every single Switch 2 box on pre-order. As you might predict, the staple pierced the box, the packaging, and, unfortunately, the pristine screen of the new console. Needless to say, those anticipating a fun day of Mario Kart aren’t happy to see that their system was irreparably damaged before they even took it out of the box.

A whole shipment, trashed 31725i

Reports on Reddit indicate that this particular GameStop may have done this to every Switch 2 they had: “Me and my homie here (we never met before) were unfortunately at the same gamestop and this happened to me and another buddy! Think the entire pre order batch is completely f**ked” and that it looks like “over 100 people” may have had the same thing happen.

Unfortunately, even if GameStop accepts liability (and anyone who’s dealt with them knows that’s far from guaranteed), it’s unlikely those with damaged consoles are getting a replacement anytime soon. From the preorder chaos onwards ,it’s clear that, at least in the United States, there are far more people who want Switch 2’s than there are available.

Predictions are that they’ll be waiting 6-8 weeks for a new one, but here’s hoping they’ll get some kind of apology in the form of GameStop store credit. In the meantime, here’s hoping that poor GameStop employee that screwed up is lying low. They’ve no doubt been chewed out ferociously by their boss, are probably already looking for new employment, and now have hundreds of irate Nintendo fans on their trail. Maybe in their next job, they’ll be more careful with the merchandise, so fingers crossed this is a lesson learned!

It’s official: Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is on track to become the most cinematic superhero game ever made. And yes, that includes Spider-Man 2.

Developed by Skydance New Media and led by Uncharted creator Amy Hennig (aka the Spielberg of video games), this isn’t your average spandex beat-em-up. This is Marvel meets HBO prestige drama meets World War II. Early buzz says it might just be worth the wait, even if we’re now waiting until early 2026.

The extra time will allow Skydance to “add more polish” 5d5j5p

That’s right. Rise of Hydra was originally set for a 2025 release. But like any big-budget masterpiece in the works these days, it’s getting a “quality-focused” delay. According to several gaming news outlets, the delay is all about polish and performance. At this point, characters’ pores should look Oscar-worthy in Unreal Engine 5.

Four heroes, one war, zero patience 6o3i6x

Set during WWII, the game stars not one, but four playable characters: young Steve Rogers before the Avengers paycheck, Azzuri (aka Grandpa Black Panther), Gabriel Jones of the Howling Commandos, and Wakandan spy Nanali. This isn’t the glossy MCU you know — it’s darker, dirtier, and more grounded in actual history… well, plus vibranium and Hydra super-weapons.

The preview shown at GDC 2024 was enough to make even cynical gamers drop their jaws. Between photorealistic lighting, flawless motion capture, and moody noir-style set pieces, it looks less like a video game and more like a lost Marvel film directed by Christopher Nolan on a Red Bull binge.

Move over “GTA VI” — You’re not the only (delayed) epic in town e2h6k

In true 2020s fashion, Marvel 1943 isn’t the only highly anticipated game crawling toward the finish line. Grand Theft Auto VI was also bumped to 2026, proving that every studio now lives by the same gospel: rush nothing, blame everything on “scope,” and aim to melt players’ eyeballs with every frame.

But while GTA VI promises sprawling chaos and crime in Vice City 2.0, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is aiming for something more focused and — dare we say it — mature. Less TikTok energy, more Spielberg-meets-Ta-Nehisi-Coates. The comparisons may be inevitable, but tonally, these games couldn’t be more different. Still, both are gunning for the same thing: to blow up the definition of what AAA storytelling in games can be.

The early word? Hype with substance z55w

Initial reactions from insiders and the press are glowing. Polygon praised its ambitious narrative scope, noting that Marvel gave Hennig’s team unusually wide creative latitude — a sign they know they’ve got a hit on their hands. So, final Verdict: Delayed? Yes. Doomed? Absolutely not.

Look, delays are the “new” new release dates. If Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra ends up being even half as cinematic as the early footage suggests, it’ll be worth every agonizing second of the wait. Just don’t be shocked if it ends up stealing 2026’s Game of the Year right out from under Rockstar’s nose.

Until then, mark your calendars, polish your vibranium, and prepare to be emotionally devastated by a Marvel game set in the actual worst war in history. This isn’t the Marvel you’re used to. And that’s a good thing.

The star that burns twice as bright burns half as long. And oh boy, the Sega Dreamcast burned brightly. Sega’s final entry into the console market may have been a sales disaster eclipsed by the all-consuming might of the PlayStation 2, but its small library contains an astonishingly high ratio of classic titles.

Many of those were fighting games. Sega’s NAOMI board was effectively Dreamcast tech in arcade cabinets, enabling perfect home ports. Capcom’s push to bring its classic fighters onto modern hardware has already seen collections featuring Dreamcast classics like Marvel vs Capcom 2 and Street Fighter III: Third Strike. Now, with Capcom Fighting Collection 2, practically every notable Capcom Dreamcast/NAOMI game has returned from the dead.

For fighting game enthusiasts, the marquee title here is Capcom vs. SNK 2: Millionaire Fighting 2001, a bewilderingly comprehensive showdown between the two companies’ characters with a ludicrous amount of mechanical options.

But the rest of the package is no slouch. The unjustly forgotten Power Stone games are back for the first time in decades, the first Capcom vs SNK is here, as is ultra-rare Rival Schools sequel Project Justice. Rounding out the pack are the bizarre curio of Plasma Sword, an arguably unnecessary Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper, and the faintly depressing Capcom Fighting Evolution.

Each is presented in the manner we’ve come to expect from the previous Capcom retro collections: you get a multitude of display and gameplay options for each title, a museum and soundtrack gallery showing off some surprisingly comprehensive development art, and impeccable rollback netcode. Sadly, despite trying, I was unable to find another online player during the review period, but after hours battling other people in last year’s Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection (which runs on the same tech), I’m assuming it’s flawless.

I played each of these games extensively on their original release, so I was expecting few surprises. Even so, there were a few things here I didn’t expect. For example, when I imported Capcom vs SNK 2 for Dreamcast my copy of Capcom vs SNK immediately began gathering dust. On revisiting the two games, it’s clear the sequel is an objectively better fighting game, but the original has better backgrounds, better music, and a more cohesive aesthetic.

Similarly, in conversations about the Power Stone franchise, it’s the sequel that unfairly gobbles up the attention. Sure, Power Stone 2 expands the player count to four and has more dynamic stages, but I had more fun with the original. There’s a purity of focus to Power Stone with its arena-based one-on-one fighting and even so many years later there’s not much else out there like it.

The Capcom vs SNK and Power Stone games in this collection alone make it a must-purchase for fighting fans, but the retro gamer in me is stunned that Plasma Sword and Project Justice have been dredged up from the Capcom back catalogue. Neither of these are landmark titles, though each is brimming with a specifically late 90s/early 00s bravado and creativity that feels like cracking open a time capsule.

You’ve probably sensed by now that I’ve had an amazing time with this collection. However, if the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection was an easy five-star release, this is a minor step down. Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper is a great game, but the arcade original was already released in the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary collection and the two aren’t hugely different. Capcom Fighting Evolution also still feels like what it is: a low-budget asset flip thrown together at the last minute. In addition, these are the arcade versions of these games so don’t include any extra content added for the home releases.

But those are small flies in a generous jar of very high-quality ointment. The Capcom Fighting Collection 2 made me smile from ear to ear, and I’ll be playing it online for months to come. Here’s hoping we get a Capcom Fighting Collection 3 featuring the Street Fighter EX titles and the likes of Rival Schools and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. After all, if Plasma Sword can make a comeback, anything can!

A glance at the news or, heck, even out of your window, will show that humanity is at each other’s throats. Rarely have people been more divided, whether that be politically, economically, or – with firm clampdowns on border travel – geographically. But perhaps there’s a ray of light in the darkness: a path we might walk to stand as one together once more…

After all, if bitter fighting game rivals Capcom and SNK could forces for the Capcom vs SNK games, maybe there’s hope for us yet!

These titles – Capcom vs. SNK and Capcom vs SNK 2 – are the jewels in the crown of the impending Capcom Fighting Collection 2, a killer retro package that also includes both Power Stone games, Rival Schools sequel Project Justice, Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper, and the ugly duckling Capcom Fighting Evolution.

I was lucky enough to be sent a preview copy by Capcom, and this collection has been bringing some serious light into my life over the last week. Anyone who’s dipped into the other recent Capcom fighting game compilations – the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, Capcom Fighting Collection 1, or the truly amazing Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection will know what to expect: beautifully emulated versions of the some of the best fighting games ever made, online play (with rollback netcode), training modes, museum features, and a wealth of small quality-of-life improvements. You get the sense that the developers love these games as much as you do.

In my experience so far, and with the game still set to receive further improvements before launch, this collection isn’t going to let the side down. I am and always will be a Sega Dreamcast cultist, and as all but one of these games appeared on that doomed system, this is like catnip to me. So, let’s dig into a few to get a taste of what’s coming.

Capcom vs SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro 1t1e29

Though a huge deal on its 2000 release for bringing together two sets of beloved characters, the release of its sequel just a year later in 2001 left this in the dust. Capcom vs SNK 2 is inarguably the superior game, though this is no slouch. On returning to it after so long, I loved the slick presentation, killer soundtrack, and impressive backgrounds. Capcom vs SNK 2 will inevitably be more popular in online play, but I hope this garners a mini-community of its own on launch.

Power Stone 2 6t1b3d

Power Stone as a franchise has been unjustly ignored by Capcom. The first two titles in the series were released in arcades and on Dreamcast, and after that only ever made it onto a 2006 PlayStation Portable port. Of the two games Power Stone 2 is undeniably superior, going from two to four player brawling and with dynamic environments.

I’ve been playing this in local multiplayer with my baffled yet entertained girlfriend (sadly during the preview period, I haven’t had an online match). Most of the games in this collection are targeted at hardcore fighting game fans, but Power Stone 2 has genuine mainstream appeal and might finally get the wide audience it deserves for the first time.

Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein u3p6i

Despite owning this on Dreamcast, I never put much time into this odd duck in Capcom’s fighting library. It’s essentially “Capcom does Star Wars” and is the sequel to PSOne title Star Gladiator. I like that it’s included here as it’s a curious little title, but I doubt many 2025 gamers will be sinking hours into mastering it. But hey, who can complain at obscure titles like this being summoned from their graves and pressed back into service?

As practically every title in Capcom’s fighting game back catalogue has now been included in their recent retro ports, the chances of a Capcom Fighting Game Collection 3 seem slim. Perhaps the Street Fighter EX titles could return, along with Star Gladiator, Rival Schools: United by Fate, and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, but few in the FGC community are hankering to replay them in the same way they are the Capcom vs SNK titles.

But if this is the final entry, it looks like Capcom is going out with a bang. Further improvements and tweaks are promised between now and its May 16, 2025 launch, but as it plays right now, this is going to be yet another retro dream for fighting game fans.

A preview copy of the game was provided by Capcom.

In perhaps the best news all year, swathes of gamers have reacted after Elon Musk rage-quit a livestream of the video game Path of Exile 2 in which he was ruthlessly cyberbullied. 

In case you missed it, the billionaire was delivered a welcome helping of just desserts over the weekend, when he launched a livestream of the game on X while onboard his private jet. What began as an attempt to show off the WiFi capabilities of Starlink’s in-flight connection soon descended into a trolling session, as Musk bore the brunt of trolls observing his gameplay on the highest level of difficulty. 

Elon Musk will be testing Starlink streaming again late tonight by playing Path of Exile. pic.twitter.com/KSKDZWpvpK

— SMX (@iam_smx) February 5, 2025

Since hell hath no fury like a gamer scorned, the avalanche of trolls began with one who logged on to the livestream to ask if Musk could “please jerk off mr trump so he dies of a heart attack.” I would advise that to check out *that* AI video if they’re into that sort of thing (at the risk of burning their retinas), but I respect their playground taunt nonetheless. The Daily Beast reports that the trolling only got worse from there. 

Apparently, Musk stared stoney-faced at his screen for the next hour as an influx of s swarmed the livestream bearing names like “ELON_IS_A_PEEDOPHILE” and “ELON_MUSK_IS_PATHETIC”. They reportedly sent chat messages ranging from the extreme (“YOU HAVE NO FRIENDS AND YOU WILL DIE ALONE”) to the downright personal (“YOU WILL ALWAYS FEEL INSECURE AND IT WILL NEVER GO AWAY”). 

What an ego-trip… Elon Musk has been livestreaming himself playing overpowered Path Of Exile 2 character, proudly and seriously pretending that he got there _himself_, and actual POE veterans are laughing their asses off watching and dissecting that charade. Why Elon, why? pic.twitter.com/kAIKYoaEGq

— Alex Alarga (@AlexAlarga) January 9, 2025

While some streamers attempted to help out Musk by teaching him how to mute the chat (you’d think, as the owner of X, he’d be across that), much of the channel was simply a landing page for legions of people who are rightfully ticked off by the billionaire. After co-leading a government department responsible for attacking critical services and more recently attempting to buy his way into a Supreme Court seat, it’s understandable that folks were letting loose. 

Elon Musk wanted to show on live broadcast that he can play Path of Exile 2 well The billionaire lost on the first boss and turned off the stream in shame. pic.twitter.com/KpVB0IN0xA

— EdworldPH (@Edworldph) April 8, 2025

The sentiment online wasn’t any gentler. After getting wind of both the trolls who targeted Musk, and his lack of skills, s flocked to social media to share their (mostly excited) reactions. “[Path of Exile] veterans are laughing their a** off watching and dissecting that charade,” one wrote on X, with another adding that “the billionaire lost on the first boss and turned off the stream in shame.” Elsewhere, s revelled in the fact that “a multi-billionaire [got] bullied on Path of Exile 2,” or sarcastically quipped that “the love in the [chat] is big, but we can do better.” 

in case u have a bad day, here’s a multi-billionaire getting bullied on Path of Exile 2 @elonmusk #Tesla (part one) pic.twitter.com/egLJrVCJos

— HolyErrors (@HolyErrors) April 8, 2025

Elon Musk streamed from his jet while playing Path of Exile.

The love in the comments is big, but we can do better pic.twitter.com/dITauKfBnz

— Professor X (@theDobermaneth) April 8, 2025

“Even the best tech can’t carry you through hardcore mode,” a fifth wrote. Much of the online commentary took aim at the fact that, while he once claimed to be one of the world’s best Path of Exile players, Musk itted to participating in the practice of boosting. For those unaware, that means he paid real (and actually skilled) people to play the game for him, on his , in an effort to boost his stats and make him look far more accomplished than he is. 

Elon Musk in Path of Exile 2: "You have no real friends and will die alone"…

I guess one of the lessons is not to use Starlink for gaming, whether you've paid someone to grind your character or not… pic.twitter.com/6ObNt3wBrA

— Nima (@DrStrangetwit) April 8, 2025

The irony wasn’t lost on gamers that Musk was ruthlessly cyberbullied for his lack of skills on a game he’d paid to be good at, and they responded in tow. “I guess one of the lessons is not to use Starlink for gaming, whether you’ve paid someone to grind your character or not,” one surmised. What all of it amounts to is a level of irony even Larry David couldn’t muster, and I, personally, am loving every minute.

Last week, Nintendo pulled the curtain away from the Switch 2, confirming the release date, launch line-up, hardware specs and revealing a whole bunch of exciting games. They also announced the price: the base Switch 2 would be $449.99, there’s a Mario Kart World bundle at $499.99, and Mario Kart World itself retails at $79.99.

That’s a touch more expensive than most had predicted, and there were immediate calls to lower the cost by about $50. But, even as the cries that it was too expensive were reaching fever pitch, Donald Trump was about to toss a blue shell towards everyone’s carefully laid plans. The tariffs were worse than anyone imagined, with the ludicrous twist that Trump had even targeted innocent penguins.

But it seems nobody at Nintendo was laughing, and emergency meetings no doubt immediately commenced as their business plan went up in smoke. The domestic pre-order scheme was immediately postponed, and American gamers are nervously awaiting further news. So, what’s the damage going to be?

The post-tariff Switch 2 price 63701f

As Trump’s second term began, Nintendo appeared to have made a smart decision by moving Switch production facilities from China to Vietnam. Trump’s economic focus has long been on China, so theoretically, there was a chance that assembling the console in Vietnam would result in lower import costs to the United States.

Then came the bombshell that Trump was not only including Vietnam on his tariffs list, but that this was set at an eye-watering 46%, making it one of the hardest-hit countries in the world. As such, any profit that Nintendo had forecast they’d make on the domestic release of the console would effectively be wiped out. The company has since confirmed that the announced $450 price tag didn’t for any tariffs, making a price increase all but certain:

Nintendo says US tariffs weren't factored into the $450 price tag of the Switch 2

“The [tariff] news is fresh, and like many companies right now, we are actively assessing what the impact may be"

(via @washingtonpost) pic.twitter.com/Wtix2rrjfn

— Culture Crave (@CultureCrave) April 7, 2025

So, what price are we looking at, and how optimistic do you feel? If Nintendo is feeling generous, they’ll absorb some of the Trump tariffs themselves, which could mean a $499 or $549 base Switch.

More realistically, given that Nintendo is a fiercely profit-driven corporation, they’ll simply almost all of that tariff onto the consumer, meaning you’re looking at a $699 or even $749 Switch 2. Add a few games to that, and you’re probably looking at the best part of $1,000 for the console, Mario Kart World, and a second set of Joy-Con 2s.

Ordinarily, that price point would be suicidal for a game console launch (just ask the PlayStation 3), but we don’t live in ordinary times. Fortunately, there may be a slim olive branch of hope for gamers. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has vowed that in exchange for removing or lowering this tariff, his country will buy more American goods and is begging Trump for a delay to negotiate a new deal.

That ongoing negotiation is likely why Nintendo has, so far, not announced when domestic pre-orders will reopen. Even so, if you are planning to pre-order, expect there to be a price increase of some kind, with the best-case scenario a further $50 “Trump tax”.

Nintendo has announced that pre-orders for its highly anticipated Switch 2 console in the United States will be delayed. The reason for this delay is the new tariffs introduced by the Trump istration. This delay is effective immediately and only affects the U.S. market; pre-orders in other regions are still on track.

The official launch date of June 5, 2025, remains unchanged, per IGN. The decision comes due to tariffs imposed on several countries, including Vietnam and Cambodia, which are important manufacturing sites for the Switch 2. These tariffs are quite high, at 46% and 49%, respectively, creating uncertainty about how much the console will cost and how it will be distributed in the U.S.

The Switch 2 is expected to have a hefty price of $449.99 in the U.S., which has already sparked a lot of discussion and criticism online. With the added tariffs, there are worries about how much more consumers might have to pay. There’s speculation that these increased costs could mean an even higher price for the console in the U.S., worsening the negative feelings people already have about its expensive initial cost.

Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders have been paused 2l6vi

Nintendo stated, “Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged.”

The price of games, which is between $70 and $80, is adding to these concerns. Aside from pricing issues, the delay also suggests there might be problems with supply chains. Higher production costs from the tariffs could lead to fewer consoles available for the U.S. market at launch, resulting in less availability and longer wait times for eager buyers.

This potential shortage is a major concern for both Nintendo and consumers in the U.S. This situation highlights the wide-reaching effects of Trump’s recent trade policies. While the gaming industry may not seem like a major player in global trade, it still is impacted. The Switch 2 delay clearly shows how these trade actions can have consequences across various industries, affecting both big and small companies.

The uncertainty regarding future trade relations creates risks and challenges for businesses that rely on global supply chains. The delay isn’t just a minor issue for Nintendo—it poses several hurdles. The negative consumer response to the high price could worsen if further price hikes occur due to tariffs, impacting sales predictions and possibly delaying the profit return for the new console.

Nintendo has just unveiled Mario Kart World, the barnstorming new instalment of the greatest kart racing franchise of all time. All your Nintendo favorites are back behind the wheel, with drivers ranging from mainstays like Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser right the way down to D-listers like Cataquack. Biddybud, Pokey, and Peepa.

But there’s one name not on this list, and fans are dismayed. While Donkey Kong is back in action, his beloved best friend is missing in action. Yup, Diddy Kong, who’s featured in the Donkey Kong Country series, Smash Bros., and multiple Mario Karts is apparently not ing the roster. Nor, it appears, will he be appearing in the Donkey Kong: Bananza.

Now, I’m sure many of you may have already twigged why Nintendo might have put Diddy Kong on the back burner for a while. After all, the real-world headlines are still dominated by the heroic and cheery ape’s hip-hop namesake of the same name, and not for good reasons.

Diddy (the rapper, not the Kong) is currently detained at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting trial for trafficking and racketeering, after horrific allegations of historic abuse and violent behavior finally came to light. Diddy’s trial is set to begin on May 5, and will likely still be dominating headlines a month later, when the game hits shelves.

As this is a family-friendly online game, you can imagine the potential drama if a parent overhears their 8-year-old participating in the Switch 2’s GameChat feature and yelling “Diddy just hit me from behind with a red shell!”.

All of this is extremely unfair to Diddy (the Kong, not the rapper), whose sole crime is sharing the same name as hip-hop’s greatest monster. In fact, the ape even has a better claim to the name Diddy, as he debuted in 1994’s Donkey Kong Country while the rapper didn’t assume the stage name until 2001. And, as such, Diddy (Kong) fans are in uproar:

Nnitendo's PR team when they have to kill Diddy Kong pic.twitter.com/glEJtt8cL8

— Transfem Klonoa of the Wind (@TransfemKlonoa) April 3, 2025

they gotta change his name bro

— lao (@lao140) April 4, 2025

I unironically think they are making him dissapear from public eye because of the unfortunate name

— Mayo neighs (@Venomase1) April 3, 2025

There’s even a #FreeDiddy hashtag that’s been trending ever since the suspicions rose that the baseball cap-wearing simian scamp has been sidelined. While I personally am ive of Diddy (THE KONG), there’s no way I’m going to use that hashtag on my own timeline.

For now, I can understand why Nintendo has sent Diddy Kong to a nice banana farm upstate where he can be at peace. Maybe one day he will return: why not give him a couple of cute ape kids and rebrand him as “Daddy Kong?”. But, for now, he’s way too toxic, so don’t expect to see Diddy hosting any wild banana-fuelled parties in Nintendo games anytime soon.

Video game fans don’t exactly have a reputation as the calmest group of individuals on the planet. Today they’ve got a particularly fierce bee in their bonnet as BAFTA has officially named the most influential game of all time, decided after a global public poll.

There are a lot of potential candidates. DOOM comes to mind for popularizing the now-ubiquitous first-person shooter genre, Grand Theft Auto III brought the crime caper megafranchise into 3D for the first time, PUBG ushered in a wave of battle royales, and heck, what about the ur-games of yore like Pong, Space Invaders, and Pac-Man?

Well, the winner was none of the above. Judging by some of the baffled responses, it’s a game that many modern gamers didn’t even know existed. Top of the charts in what they it is a “surprise number one” is Yu Suzuki’s 1999 Dreamcast cult classic Shenmue.

The Most Influential Video Game Of All Time is… Shenmue

Yu Suzuki's tale of revenge topped our global poll What's your favourite memory of the Shenmue series?

View the full Top 21 list nowhttps://t.co/AVUTJePeEg#BAFTAGamesAwards pic.twitter.com/C3VQwqAmMt

— BAFTA Games (@BAFTAGames) April 2, 2025

BAFTA’s rationale is that the game is in many ways “the original blueprint” for a “living, breathing” virtual world. They have a point, Shenmue painstakingly recreates Yokosuka’s Dobuita Street and the surrounding neighborhoods, delivering a simulated world packed with civilians doing their own thing and presenting an absurdly granular level of detail for the time. Want to peek inside a random drawer? You can!

Sadly, relatively few did want to look inside random drawers. What was, at the time, the most expensive game ever made failed to make any money for Sega, though ittedly being a Dreamcast exclusive reportedly meant every console owner would have had to buy two copies for it to break even.

For Shenmue fans, this is a red letter day, with their fave triumphing over the high-profile likes of Super Mario Bros, Half-Life, Ocarina of Time, and Minecraft. For those bewildered by this creaky curiosity, not so much:

BAFTA have Shenmue as most influential video game ever. So influential I’ve never heard of it.

— Ser Ron of the Blackwater (@Ronald0) April 3, 2025

And other widespread confusion, possibly from younger gamers who have no idea what a “Shenmue” is.

I'm sorry, Shenmue??? What about Persona?? What about Yakuza?? What on earth is this #1 game LOL https://t.co/E9ZpXaGnud

— Junch (@junchgaming) April 3, 2025

Growing up in the 80's through early 2000's, I was a huge Nintendo nerd and played hundreds of games for NES, SNES, and N64, and I dabbled in Genesis, PlayStation, and arcade games as well. I'm embarrassed to it that I have no idea who this character is!

— SaneMJfan (@sanemjfan) April 3, 2025

But I’m with the many cheering fans celebrating this franchise getting a moment in the sun. Last time I visited Japan, I got the train out to Yokosuka and walked around the real-life Dobuita Street, which will be eerily familiar to anyone who’s ever played the game and cements how successfully Yu Suzuki nailed a sense of time and place better than almost any other ’90s developer.

If you’re curious about Shenmue, it’s readily available on most modern platforms, including Steam, PlayStation and Xbox, coming in a retro bundle with its sequel Shenmue II. Don’t go into it expecting a white-knuckle ride, but if you vibe with its chill atmosphere, relaxed pace, and unique gameplay you’ll be a fan for life. And if you need to know where the sailors hang out, drop me a line.

At long last, Nintendo fans finally have something to look forward to again. Yesterday saw the popular game company announce the much anticipated Switch 2 along with a roster of games that are bound to entice gamers from all walks of life. There’s plenty to be excited about when it comes to this new console, but here are some of the things that made us feel positively giddy.

10. The screen size v6156

While some say it doesn’t look too different from the original, the Switch 2 will be a huge upgrade in of both physical size as well as storage capacity. The new screen boasts an additional 1.7 inches in screen size going from 6.2 inches, to 7.9 inches on the Switch 2. Oh and it s 1080p and 120fps meaning the games on the new console are going to look pretty sharp too.

9. Cyberpunk 2077 1s3c1w

Sure the game is over four years old now, but the release was kind of botched by all the bugs and whatnot, nowadays it’s a polished and beloved game. The game’s release on the Switch 2 offers the perfect excuse for old players to delve back into the world of Cyberpunk while new players can experience it for the first time.

8. Deltarune Chapters 1-4 273y24

Everybody loves this indie RPG series from the creator of Undertale. Including this in the roster of titles available upon release shows that the new console will continue to have a variety of games from big-budget AAA to smaller indie titles — this is exactly why the original Switch was so popular.

7. Elden Ring Tarnished Edition 5i3k67

Speaking of big-budget AAA games, one of the most critically acclaimed games of the last few years will also be available on the Switch 2. The Tarnished Edition includes the base game and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion as well as new armor, weapons, and customization options.

6. The built-in GameChat feature 2u30x

Previous Nintendo consoles have not been great for in-game ways of communicating. Don’t get me wrong, I loved PictoChat but to be able to speak to other players in online games would have been fun too. Well Nintendo are finally making that dream a reality with this brand new (to Nintendo) feature.

5. Split Fiction 24352z

There’s no doubt about it, Split Fiction became an instant classic upon its release earlier this year. So it makes sense to release it on the Switch 2 while it’s still fresh in people’s minds — the Switch has always been the kind of console you play with friends anyway so a co-op action adventure game is perfect for the console.

4. New James Bond game 5g1j51

It’s been a while since we had a good James Bond game, but I’m still holding out hope that something will come along that brings bad the vibes GoldenEye brought to the Nintendo 64 back in the day. Could this new Bond game finally be the one to do it?

3. GameCube games 5q341m

It’s one of the most underrated Nintendo consoles but it had some of the best games. Wind Waker, Luigi’s Mansion, Pikmin, these are just a few of the many great games that were released on the GameCube, and now they’ll be available to play once more on the new console.

2. Mario Kart World 4v6z6i

We’d almost lost hope that we’d ever see another Mario Kart game ever again, Mario Kart 8 released in 2014, that’s over ten years, almost as long as the wait between GTA V and GTA VI. But the wait is almost over as Mario Kart World will be a launch title on the Switch 2.

1. The release date 5s521k

The most exciting news is the release date and that’s because we don’t have long to wait at all. Nintendo announced that the Switch 2 will launch on June 5th, a little over two months from today. The fact that we’re so close to a new Nintendo console release is by far the most exciting news I’ve heard all year!

Nintendo is about to pull the veil away from the biggest release in gaming in years. The Switch 2 is poised to follow the world-conquering success of the Switch, with today’s hour-long Nintendo Direct broadcast at 9 am EDT / 6 am PDT likely to confirm the price, release date, and (hopefully) give us a peek at the launch line-up.

The Switch 2 is guaranteed to sell out on launch, meaning anyone who wants one right away is going to have to pre-order, which may begin immediately after the broadcast ends. Analysts predict a base price of $449 (with some talk of a $499 package bundled with the new Mario Kart) and a June launch.

So, what happens when the pre-orders go live, and how can you beat the rush to find one? As you’d expect, all the major electronics retailers will open pre-orders in which you’ll reserve a console and then be charged when it’s dispatched. Large quantities of Switch 2s will be allocated to major online retailers like Amazon, and ordinarily, they’d be a safe bet.

However, in this instance, I sound a note of caution about ordering online. The 2020 launch of the PlayStation 5 saw many consoles stolen during transit, with unfortunate gamers tearing open their packages to find cans of cat food or rocks in place of their new console. The Switch 2 box will be smaller, the hype will be enormous, and the stock limited, so the chances of theft in transit will be much higher.

I’m not saying it’s objectively unsafe to order online, but it’s certainly risky. To avoid this, I’m choosing to pre-order from a physical retailer and collect in person on launch day. As disreputable and generally depressing a company as GameStop is these days, if you pre-order in person and collect on launch day, they will fulfill that order. A peek at social media reveals some fans will be even be waiting outside their local game stores this afternoon so they can snag a pre-order the minute they go live.

Another plan that’ll be familiar to veterans of high-profile console launches is to pre-order from more general retailers like Macy’s, Walmart, or Target, or to check out chain toy stores, which often have small video game sections inside. These retailers aren’t the obvious choice for gamers and receive less stock, but the fact that they fly under people’s radars as places to get a new console can mean you strike paydirt.

But make no mistake, there will be way more people who want Switch 2s than there will be Switch 2s to buy, so if you snag a confirmed pre-order, consider yourself lucky. Just to explore all options and, if at all possible, get the console handed to you in person rather than have it delivered.