As part of the Batman Day celebrations last year, Sega announced a special collaboration with DC Comics, where the blue blur and friends would be teaming up with the Dark Knight and other legendary superheroes from the DC universe.
Now, in a new update, we’ve got a look at the cover of the very first issue of this unique crossover including a variant cover. As you can see, both feature Sonic’s gang and the DC crew including characters like Wonder Woman and The Flash. The first issue will be launching on 19th March 2025 with the main cover art by Pablo M. Collar (DC, Marvel) and the variant ‘B’ cover by Ethan Young (Marvel, Transformers, TMNT).
Following its January release, the dark fantasy Metroidvania Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist has now received another game update.
This one bumps the title up to Version 1.0.4 and comes with some gameplay adjustments and bug fixes. Here’s the full rundown, courtesy of the official Steam game page:
The weekend is officially here, and we’ve rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for Saturday, February 15, below:
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven for $38.23
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is arguably the best entry point into the SaGa series at this time, and you can score a PS5 copy for a new all-time low of $38.23. Acting as a full 3D remake of the 1993 release, this game features English and Japanese voiceovers, rearranged music, retooled gameplay, and more. If you’re still unsure about Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, you can check out the free demo across all platforms!
LEGO Roses for $10.79
Who doesn’t need a pair of LEGO Roses in their life? If you’re searching for a late Valentine’s Day gift, this pair of LEGO Roses can be a great option. It’s the perfect gift to build with that special someone.
Preorder Elden Ring: Nightreign at Best Buy, Get $10 Gift Card
Elden Ring Nightreign, a new multiplayer game from FromSoftware, is set to release for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on May 30. You can explore the world and take on bosses with two other friends, making for a unique experience that’s sure to stay engaging. Best Buy has opened pre-orders for Elden Ring Nightreign, and you can score a free $10 Best Buy gift card with any pre-order for a limited time.
Fantasian Neo Dimension for $39.99
Fantasian Neo Dimension is on sale for the first time since launch! Both the PS5 and Switch versions are available for $39.99, and this is one of the best turn-based RPGs you can buy right now. With a story by Hironobu Sakaguchi and music by Nobuo Uematsu, this is one experience any RPG fan does not want to miss.
LEGO Infinity Gauntlet for $51.19
The Infinity Gauntlet is one of the most recognizable items from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and you can take it home in LEGO form at a discount this weekend! This 590 piece set includes a stand to hold up and display the Infinity Gauntlet, with each of the six Infinity Stones on display. Don’t miss out on your chance to save on this LEGO set!
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection for $39.99
The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection has hit a new all-time low at Woot, priced at just $39.99. The first six Final Fantasy titles paved the way for the series as we see it today. Many fans still regard both Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI as some of the best that Final Fantasy has to offer, with gripping narratives and engaging gameplay. This package includes all six Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, which feature updated graphics, soundtracks, font, and more.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble for $19.99
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is the return to form many Monkey Ball fans have waited years for. You’ve got over 200 courses, tons of guest characters, and all sorts of modes—what’s not to love? In our 8/10 review, we wrote, “Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is a brilliant return to form. Monkey Ball has finally found its way home again with a set of 200 fantastic courses that range from delightfully charming to devilishly challenging, backed up by tight mechanics and predictable physics that put me in total control of my monkey’s fate.”
LEGO Star Wars Mos ESPA Podrace Set for $54.39
The Mos Espa Podrace scene in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is one of the most iconic in all of Star Wars, and we’ve seen it recreated in multiple LEGO Star Wars games ever since. As part of the 25th Anniversary celebration for The Phantom Menace, LEGO released this diorama set of the Mos Espa Podrace scene. This set includes both Anakin Skywalker’s Podracer and Sebulba’s Podracer.
Apple AirPods 4 for $99.99
Amazon has the Apple AirPods 4 on sale for $99.99 today. These earbuds feature Spatial Audio, up to five hours of listening time per charge, and so much more. Apple AirPods 5 likely won’t be out for a good bit, so now is the perfect time to pick up a pair of new AirPods if your old ones are giving out.
A year removed from its 20th anniversary, Capcom’s monster-hunting franchise returns in 2025 with Monster Hunter Wilds. The prolific series has lived through several generations of home and portable consoles, reaching new peaks with 2018’s Monster Hunter World and 2021’s Monster Hunter Rise — the series’ best-selling games to date and Capcom’s two best-selling games of all time.
With Monster Hunter Wilds out on February 28, we’re looking back on the franchise’s history with a list of the series’ most important games, ordered chronologically by release date.
How Many Monster Hunter Games Are There?
There are upwards of 25 Monster Hunter games when considering all base games, spinoffs, mobile entries, and enhanced versions. However, for this list, we’ve compiled the 12 most relevant Monster Hunter games. Our list excludes mobile- and arcade-exclusive games (Monster Hunter i, Monster Hunter Spirits, etc.); previously shuttered MMOs (Monster Hunter Frontier, Monster Hunter Online); and the FromSoftware-developed, Japan-exclusive, Animal Crossing-like game Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village.
Which Monster Hunter Game Should You Play First?
There is no continuous story throughout the Monster Hunter franchise, so you can take your pick of which game to start with. If you’re jumping into the world of Monster Hunter in 2025, you might want to wait and and see reactions to the latest game, Monster Hunter Wilds, which will be released on February 28. If you’re eager to try the series before investing in Wilds, we recommend Monster Hunter World or Monster Hunter Rise. World should appeal more to those who value exploration and immersion; Rise is better suited for those who put a higher value on speed and fluidity.
Every Monster Hunter Game in Release Order
Monster Hunter (2004)
Monster Hunter, alongside Auto Modellista and Resident Evil: Outbreak, was developed as part of a three-game plan to explore the market potential of the PS2’s online network, Capcom’s Ryozo Tsujimoto told Eurogamer in 2014.
The first Monster Hunter laid the foundation for the franchise, introducing many of the series’ defining systems. Players, on their own or with others online, are given quests to hunt monsters, after which they use materials harvested from the world and the monster’s remains to craft and upgrade weapons and armor before embarking to fight, well, stronger monsters.
An expanded version called Monster Hunter G was released exclusively in Japan the following year.
Monster Hunter Freedom (2005)
The series found its home on portable consoles in 2005 with Monster Hunter Freedom, an enhanced port of Monster Hunter G tuned for single-player play on the PSP. This first portable entry in the franchise sold over a million copies, according to Capcom, beginning a trend in which Monster Hunter’s portable versions handily outsold its home console counterparts — a trend that held until the breakout success of Monster Hunter World in 2018.
Monster Hunter 2 (2006)
Capcom returned to home console for the series’ second proper entry, Monster Hunter 2 (aka Monster Hunter Dos). It was released exclusively in Japan for PS2. Monster Hunter 2 introduced a day-night cycle and gems, further enhancing your opportunities for weapons and armor customization.
Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (2007)
The second handheld game in the series, Monster Hunter Freedom 2 again took the core of its home console counterpart (MH2) and built upon it with new content and a single-player focus. The game was expanded further in 2008’s Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, which added new monsters, missions, maps, and the ability to have a Felyne fighter join the player in battle.
Monster Hunter 3 (2009)
Monster Hunter 3 (aka Monster Hunter Tri) debuted in Japan in 2009, before being released internationally in 2010. The third mainline MH game was initially in development for the PS3, though it would eventually be released as a Wii exclusive. In addition to new monsters, weapons, and locations, Monster Hunter 3 introduced the series’ short-lived underwater combat.
It later came to Wii U and 3DS as Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate with new monsters, a reworked single-player experience, updated graphics, and a new multiplayer area.
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (2010)
Like the two mainline entries before it, Monster Hunter 3 was tweaked and ported to PSP as Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. Unlike the two portable versions before it, this game also got a console release on PS3 as Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD Ver.
Despite never being released in the West, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd is the best-selling game among Capcom’s handheld-exclusive Monster Hunters with 4.9 million copies sold.
Monster Hunter 4 (2013)
Monster Hunter 4 was originally released exclusively for 3DS, exclusively in Japan. Only the enhanced edition, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (Monster Hunter 4G in Japan), was released globally as a launch game for New Nintendo 3DS. This generation of Monster Hunter games most notably improved traversal by pairing increased verticality with more fluid player movement. It also improved the single-player experience with a deeper story and more NPCs.
Monster Hunter Generations (2015)
Capcom followed up MH4 with Monster Hunter Generations (Monster Hunter X in Japan), another installment released exclusively for 3DS. Generations had, as our review stated, “the appeal of a greatest hits album,” blending old and (at the time) new mechanics from the series’ then-10-year history. Most notably, Generations featured new wrinkles to customization and combat through Hunting Styles and Arts.
Generations later received an enhanced edition, known as Monster Hunter Generations XX in Japan and Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate internationally. It was the first Monster Hunter game released on Nintendo Switch.
Monster Hunter Stories (2016)
Monster Hunter Stories is a spinoff that takes the action series into the world of RPGs. True to the genre, Stories trades in the real-time action of the mainline games for a turn-based combat system and puts more emphasis on story and exploration.
It was originally released for 3DS, though it’s since come to PS4, Switch, PC, and mobile.
Monster Hunter World (2018)
Monster Hunter World is, to date, the series’ high point from both a critical and commercial perspective. With 27 million copies sold, it’s the series’ (and Capcom’s) best-selling game, and with a Metascore of 90, it’s also the series’ best-reviewed game.
With World, Capcom moved the primary development of Monster Hunter back to home consoles, specifically PS4 and Xbox One. For the first time, it made a concerted effort to reach a wider Western audience by moving to a more seamless open-world design, reducing the learning curve of the series’ intricate systems, fully supporting online play with global servers, and releasing simultaneously across all regions.
A massive expansion, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, was released the following year. Similar to the Ultimate versions of past games, Iceborne added new monsters and mechanics to the base game, as well as an all-new story that rivals the size of the campaign in World.
Monster Hunter Rise (2021)
Monster Hunter Rise is the series’ second best-performing game, ranking only behind World in terms of sales and Metascore. As the subtitle ‘World’ denotes the previous game’s more global approach, ‘Rise’ indicates a greater focus on verticality, a design decision supported by the introduction of the Wirebug, a new mechanic that enabled wall-climbing and overall more fluid traversal.
Rise builds off of the previous Switch entry, Generations Ultimate, as much as it does World, given World and Rise were, for a time, being developed in tandem. As stated in our review, “much of the streamlining World did has been carried forward” in Rise, while “other things like separate Village and Hub questlines for single- and multiplayer and the ability to tweak a weapon’s playstyle a bit return from older Monster Hunter games.”
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak was released the following year. The expansion includes a new storyline, monsters, and locations.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (2021)
Capcom followed Rise with Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, a sequel to the 2016 RPG. Co-developed by Marvelous Inc. (Story of Seasons), Wings of Ruin leans into tried-and-true JRPG systems like turn-based combat, character customization, and an emphasis on story. Stories 2 again lets you fight alongside monsters (aka Monsties) instead of strictly hunting them, creating a party system that should be familiar to anyone who’s played a Pokemon RPG.
Monster Hunter Wilds (2025)
Monster Hunter Wilds will be the latest game in the series when it’s released on February 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Wilds is a mainline Monster Hunter game that builds on the design principles of World and Rise. It boasts “dynamic, ever-changing environments” and the series’ “most evolved action and improved immersion,” according to Capcom.
As noted in our 2024 Monster Hunter Wilds preview, it’s shaping up to be “a Monster Hunter that embraces the parts of Rise that made it so much more inviting but also doesn’t shy away from the larger scale and spectacle that helped make World the more enduring entry.”
Upcoming Monster Hunter Games
Next up for the franchise is the aforementioned Monster Hunter Wilds, due out February 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. You can read up on all we know about Wilds through our extensive IGN First coverage:
Capcom is also working alongside TiMi Studio Group (Call of Duty Mobile, Pokemon Unite) on Monster Hunter Outlanders, a free-to-play mobile game with multiplayer hunters and “a massive open world.” A release window for Outlanders has not yet been announced.
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
There’s no question that Nintendo makes some of the best video games in the world thanks to its incredibly skilled and passionate in-house and partner developers. But how often does the company let those developers speak freely about the games they make?
Last year we got the opportunity to chat with the legendary artist Takaya Imamura, famous for Star Fox, Captain Falcon and the many machines in F-Zero, and even Majora’s Mask itself. He was with Nintendo for over 30 years working on countless games until leaving the company in 2021 to pursue something different. So, naturally, we said ‘Yes!’ and flew thousands of miles to sit down with the man himself.
It’s the weekend folks, so hopefully you’re already putting your feet up, sipping on a nice cup of tea, and enjoying a bit of down time with some games.
This week in the world of Nintendo, a new placeholder listing at a retailer may (or may not) hint towards a cheaper-than-expected price for the Nintendo Switch 2. Meanwhile, a new patent has been made public that heavily hints towards ‘reversible’ Joy-Con functionality; effectively letting you flip the Switch 2 upside down.
It’s working on dev kits and is “open” to a Switch 2 release.
The popular team-based hero title Marvel Rivals has experienced an incredibly successful launch and as it continues to grow developer NetEase Games is looking at new ways to expand the experience. While it’s reportedly ruled out a release on the original Switch, it seems there’s a real chance of the game coming to the Switch 2.
Speaking to IGN at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, Marvel Rivals producer Weicong Wu mentioned how the team was “already in contact with Nintendo” and was apparently “working on some development kits”, so the decision will come down to how the game performs on the system:
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time has just locked in a May release date and although the West reportedly is not getting a physical version, fans aren’t completely out of luck.
Though Marvel Rivals is still a relatively new game, players are already dreaming of big additions. Recently, rumors have spread of a potential PvE boss fight, leading some to speculate that a PvE mode is right around the corner. Unfortunately, NetEase recently clarified that it doesn’t have plans for such a mode…yet.
We spoke to Marvel Rivals producer Weicong Wu at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas this week, and asked him about any plans for a PvE mode. This was his response:
“For now we don’t have any kind of a PvE plan, but our development team is continuously experimenting with new game play modes. So if we found that a new specific game mode is entertaining enough, fun enough, we would of course bring it to our audience.”
After he said this, Marvel Games executive producer Danny Koo hopped in to ask if I wanted a PvE mode in Marvel Rivals, and I told him I did. Wu continued:
“Yeah, we believe there are some of our audience that would like the PvE mode. But also, you can see that if we come up with a hardcore PvE experience, that will be totally a different distinctive experience from what we have right now. So our development team has been continuously experimenting with different approaches to achieve that goal, maybe a lighter mode, in a lighter sense of that, and to see what would work best for our game.”
So for now, it sounds like there are no concrete plans for PvE, but Wu does seem to be suggesting that NetEase is playing around with ideas for a “lighter” game mode of some kind, perhaps like a one-off event or something similar. For now, NetEase isn’t saying much more.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Marvel Rivals dataminers think the developers are trolling them with lists of potential future characters hidden in the game’s code. But NetEase and Marvel say they have better things to do…like actually make the game.
Last month, dataminers began sharing names of potential future heroes hidden in the code of Marvel Rivals, a few of whom seemed to be confirmed pretty quickly as real when the Fantastic Four were officially announced. However, as the list of datamined heroes grew, a different rumor began to circulate in the community: some of the names were fake, planted there by developers to mislead dataminers.
Even now, there’s disagreement in the community as to which, if any of the datamined characters are really being seriously considered for the game.
We recently had the opportunity to directly ask Marvel Rivals producer Weicong Wu and Marvel Games executive producer Danny Koo if they’re secretly performing an elaborate troll. And while it sounds like there are no pranks being pulled here, we should still take all the names being found in the code with a grain of salt. Here’s what Wu had to say:
“So firstly we want to say that we don’t recommend anybody to make adjustments to the files [of the game],” he began. “Also, you can see that for each character’s design actually we come through a very complicated process and we make a lot of concepts, trials, prototypes, development, et cetera. So there could be some information left in the code, and it might mean that we have tried those directions and they may appear or may not appear in our future plans. And whether or not they will appear in our future pipeline is highly depending on what kind of gameplay experience our players would expect in our game.”
Koo added, “If I could have a ten-year plan, it’d be great. But the team experimented with a lot of play styles, heroes. It was like there’s someone doing scratch paperwork and then just left a notebook there, and someone [a dataminer] decided to open it with no context.”
I pushed a little, asking them point-blank if they were deliberately trolling people. Koo replied, “No. We would rather spend our time developing the actual game.”
In the same conversation, we also discussed how a character gets chosen to be added into Marvel Rivals in the first place. The two told me that the team plans updates roughly a year in advance, and is committed to keeping its current pace of adding new characters every month and a half. For each update, NetEase first looks at what type of character and skillset is needed to balance out the rest of the game and add variety to the roster, and come up with a list of several different possible additions. Wu told me that part of NetEase’s strategy for achieving game balance is to focus less on aggressively tweaking existing characters to be perfectly fine-tuned, and more on adding new characters and experiences to keep things fresh, fill gaps, support characters that are a bit weak with new team abilities, or counter characters that might be a little too strong.
Once they have a list of possibilities, NetEase then takes these suggestions to Marvel Games, and begin working on initial designs. From there, they look at what the community is currently excited about, as well as what’s planned a year in advance in other Marvel divisions, such as if a big film or comic arc is coming that they can tie a character in with. That helps them come to a final decision on who’s going in. All this explains why there might be a lot of different heroes listed in the code – NetEase just has a lot of ideas it’s tossing around all the time.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
