While supplies last, Woot! (which is owned by Amazon) is offering the excellent Super Mario RPG remake for Nintendo Switch for only $31.99 when you apply $5 off coupon code “MARIO“. That’s 36% off the original $60 MSRP and the best price we’ve ever seen. Even better, this game is a physical copy. Note that Amazon Prime members get free shipping (the rest of us pay $5).
Super Mario RPG for $31.99
Super Mario RPG is a remake of the 1996 SNES classic. It was one of the best games to grace the console back then amidst a sea of other incredible titles, and Nintendo did a great job of staying faithful to the game’s charm and fun factor. A whole slew of improvements have been implemented to bring this game up to modern day standards, including updated visuals, music, gameplay mechanics, and several small yet welcome quality-of-life UI improvements. Check out our Super Mario RPG review for a detailed rundown of all of the the changes and our official impressions of the game. Still, it’s understandably difficult to pay $60 for a remake no matter how good it is, so a deal like this is certainly welcome.
All games and trailers from the August 27th double presentation.
The August 2024 Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase and Indie World Showcase was a 42-minute double presentation of games from third parties and independent developers coming to Switch in 2024 and 2025.
The last Indie World was back in April and there was a Partner Showcase in February, but this combined presentation — the first of its kind Nintendo has ever broadcast — featured plenty of juicy reveals and date announcements, large and small, with nearly 50 game announcements included across the two showcases.
Castlevania’s Dracula and Trevor Belmont Come to Dead by Daylight
Mitch Findlay, Senior Copywriter, Dead By Daylight
Feel the scarlet eyes upon you, accursed and ravenous. Dead by Daylight: Castlevaniais here, bringing Dracula and Trevor Belmont into The Fog.
Embody The Night
Dracula is the first shapeshifting Killer in Dead by Daylight, with 3 unique forms that offer distinct gameplay experiences: Vampire, Wolf, and Bat.
Vampire form is a base form of sorts, with the ability to fire a Flame Pillar that can traverse through objects like Windows and Pallets. The Wolf excels at hunting and can easily detect and down Survivors. The Bat is quick and quiet with a deadly teleport ability, though it lacks the ability to see Survivors.
The design intent behind the multiple forms – beyond immersing players in the ultimate gothic power fantasy – was to provide a variety of fun and engaging gameplay options. While the Wolf and Bat form can be cycled situationally, players can engage with them as often as they like.
The Dark Lord arrives with three Perks, well suited to exploiting the misguided hubris humans are so accustomed to feeling.
Hex: Wretched Fate afflicts one Survivor – the Obsession – with an impeding curse, rendering their Repair speed to a sluggish state. While this Hex is active, Dracula players can rest assured that their Obsession will not be efficiently contributing to their Objective, granting space to pursue different alternative targets.
For added pressure, consider pairing Hex: Wretched Fate with additional Hex support Perks, to ensure it remains in play for as long as possible.
Human Greed shall be their downfall, and Dracula will be quick to capitalize on it with this anti-resource Perk. Over the course of a Trial, Survivors may be keen on seeking out Chests to replenish on their Items. This Perk allows you to oversee all unopened Chests on the Map, revealing the Aura of any Survivor that approaches one.
If you manage to interrupt them while they’re rummaging, Human Greed grants you the ability to slam the Chest shut and force them to restart the process entirely.
Continuing the anti-resource streak is Dominance, which calls upon The Entity to temporarily block Survivors from interacting with Chests and Totems. This pairs quite nicely with Draculas’ own Hex: Wretched Fate, which automatically ensures that Wretched Fate will remain in play for a little longer.
As any Killer player who’s seen a pre-game lobby screen knows, Survivors love their Items. Use that to your advantage and make them rue the day.
The Belmont Legacy
Trevor Belmont is no stranger to the supernatural, and his latest dance with the Dark Lord will be unlike any he’s ever faced. His abilities manifest through 3 unique character Perks, which can grant him a valuable edge in the darkest hour.
The things he’s seen will not soon be forgotten. The Eyes of Belmont are no stranger to evil, but Trevor is not one to blink in its presence. Once a Generator is completed, the Killer’s Aura will be briefly revealed. Beyond that, any other Perk that reveals the Killer’s Aura will extend the reveal time.
Only a Belmont can find Exultation in the face of horror. While pursued with an Item in hand, Pallet stunning a Killer will instantly upgrade that Item to the next Tier. Players would be wise to plunder through Chests to keep their Item supply replenished.
Moment of Glory is another Item-centered Perk, activating after rummaging through several Chests. Once the required number has been reached, Players will gain the ability to become Broken instead of Injured. Should they manage to Survive for a duration, they will be instantly healed.
While risky, this can be immensely valuable in an extensive chase, especially if the Killer does not expect it. Consider this with any Perk that might give your looping skills an edge, buying you extra time to wait out the clock.
It’s always exciting when legendary horror gaming characters come to The Fog, and Dead by Daylight: Castlevania delivers two of the most iconic. Experience it now on Xbox.
Ever wished to play as one of the characters from your favorite horror movies? Dead by Daylight is a 1v4 multiplayer game that draws from all corners of the horror world from a powerful slasher to a terrifying paranormal entity.
Choose between playing an unstoppable Killer and one of 4 Survivors trying to evade a gruesome death. Each character has their own deep progression system and plenty of unlockables that can be customized to fit your personal strategy. Work together to escape, or stalk and sacrifice every Survivor.
This Edition of Dead by Daylight gives you access to a roster of 7 Killers (The Trapper, The Hillbilly, The Wraith, The Nurse, The Hag, The Huntress and The Doctor) and 9 Survivors (Meg Thomas, Claudette Morel, Jake Park, Dwight Fairfield, Ace Visconti, Nea Karlsson, Bill Overbeck, Feng Min and David King). It also includes two cosmetic add-ons packed with outfits for various characters.
Looking to upgrade the storage capacity of your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or ASUS ROG Ally? Right now there are some great deals on two Samsung memory cards with different capacities. Amazon has a 1TB Samsung Evo Select Micro SDXC card for only $79.99 and Best Buy has a 512GB Samsung Evo Plus Micro SDXC card for only $29.99. Samsung is one of the most highly recommended memory card brands and these are both guaranteed to work with your handheld gaming console.
Samsung Memory Cards Are on Sale Today
If you’ve started compiling a collection of digital games, you probably already know just how limited the Switch’s base storage capacity is. The Switch and Switch OLED have 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, respectively, some of it reserved for the OS. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom uses up 16GB and Breath of the Wild about 13.5GB. If bought digitally, those two games alone would take up all of your internal storage on the OG Switch console. There’s only one expansion slot in the Switch console so you want to make sure you get the biggest card you can afford, although very few people will need more than 1TB of storage.
The Samsung EVO series of Micro SDXC cards are compatible with virtually any device that accepts the Micro SDXC card standard. That includes the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and the ASUS ROG Ally. Both the Evo Select and Evo Plus are rated at U3 A2 V30 speeds. The Evo Select boasts read speeds of up to 160MB/s compared to the Evo Plus write speed of 130MB/s. An SD card adapter is also included in the packaging for devices that don’t accept the smaller Micro SDXC standard.
“What we’re releasing on Switch really represents our full vision”.
Whether you’re an environmentally conscious sort or you find compulsive cleaning relaxing, you’ll probably be happy to hear that Loddlenaut, which launched on Steam last November to Overwhelmingly Positive reviews, is coming to Switch on 19th September.
Dubbed “PowerWash SWIMulator” — a groan-worthy pun of the variety we’d be proud had we come up with it — this new version of indie dev Moon Lagoon’s ocean-cleanup game will come with “a major new free update” integrated (which will be launching on PC), and with influences as wide-ranging as the gorgeous Abzu and the Chao Garden from Sonic Adventure 2, it grabbed our attention despite the waves of cosy, cutesy games crashing onto Switch every week.
NBA 2K25 launches September 4 and packs in enhancements and features aimed at both seasoned hoop gamers and rookies alike. To prepare for tip-off I got some hands-on time with the new Learn 2K mode, which is perfect for newcomers like myself. The beginner-friendly mode teaches mechanics like Rhythm Shooting and Signature Go-To Shots, and the practice boosted my confidence to hold my own on the court.
Master the fundamentals
As the NBA great Larry Bird once said, “First, master the fundamentals.” With the hands-on event being hosted at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame I decided to do as the greats do, kicking off the experience with a deep dive into basics in the new Learn 2K mode.
Though tutorial modes are present in some past NBA 2K games, Learn 2K is a comprehensive tutorial into nearly every facet of the game from shooting to off-the-ball movement and defense. This year’s tutorial mode breaks each category of gameplay down into three difficulty levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced, giving the player full control over how deep they want their arsenal of moves to be. While getting my practice reps in, I learned how precise directional analog stick movement must be to execute these effortless-looking moves on the court.
Back to the playground
In addition to the Freestyle, Scrimmage, and Practice Plays modes typically grouped into tutorials, NBA 2K25 adds a fresh way to test your fundamentals with the new Mini-Games mode. Practicing your skills competitively while under less pressure makes Mini-Games a novel addition.
The Shooting Frenzy mini-game gives you an open court to freely practice your jump shot to rack up points. The Knockout mini-game took me back to my playground hooping days, adding a bit more pressure to make three-pointers on the first try. Fail, and you’re “knocked out” by the player behind you if they make their shot first.
One of the most challenging but rewarding mini-games was Dribble Speedrun, where you play as De’Aaron Fox with the goal of sprinting while performing dribble moves on command. The mini-game’s difficulty made for a tense but amusing time, and finally nailing Fox’s tight handles on cue is truly satisfying.
Rhythm of the game
I finished the hands-on experience with QuickPlay. I set up a battle of the California coast with the Golden State Warriors vs. the LA Lakers. The opening animations and gameplay depict the player’s faces and movements faithfully, with Pro Play using real-life game footage to translate into the game. In-game, some of the new mechanics I learned made my game feel formidable.
The new Rhythm Shooting mechanic is stimulating. Hopping into an actual game made me realize the need to learn the rhythm of each player’s shot to be successful. Once getting used to the quick release of Steph Curry, the tempo-based mechanic became intuitive and made me comfortable firing off shots from any range.
Signature Go-To Shots are another new mechanic that gives beginners a fluid way to put dribbling combos and shots together. By holding the right analog stick up, each player performs their unique dribble move that transitions into a jump shot. As a 2K rookie this feature let me easily mix up my offensive tactics, making me harder to guard. Before long I was seamlessly blending up opponents to put points on the board.
NBA 2K25 goes deep for basketball strategists but gives entry points for newcomers to work on their game. After nearly six hours of playtime, the new Learn 2K mode and gameplay mechanics made greatness feel graspable. Mastering the fundamentals is key, and you’ll have your chance when NBA 2K25 launches September 4 on PS5 and PS4.
Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 developer Saber Interactive has finally confirmed what fans can expect from its seasonal post-launch content model.
The hotly anticipated action game launches in September, and during that time Saber plans to release various patches aimed at fixing issues players report.
After that, Season Pass owners can expect a drip-feed of content and cosmetics based on specific Space Marine chapters. “The Season Pass has been envisioned as a way to enhance your customisation for your character,” Saber stressed. “All the gameplay additions listed here in the roadmap (including weapons, game modes, and maps) are intended to arrive in free game patches and will be accessible to everyone.”
Season 2 runs from October until the end of 2024, and includes a new Operations map, a new enemy, a harder difficulty level, a new weapon, and various other improvements, Saber said.
Season Pass owners get new cosmetics based on the Dark Angels chapter: color schemes, heraldry, a weapon skin, and a Champion skin: a unique full armor set for the Bulwark class.
Saber said to expect “much more” content added throughout 2025, including new Operations, PvP maps, and game modes like Horde mode, all for free. Elsewhere, Season Pass owners will get more cosmetic items based on iconic chapters.
The Year One Battle Plan, outlined in the image above, confirms plans for at least four seasons of post-launch support. Season 3 adds a Battle Barge expansion (the Battle Barge is your spaceship hub). Season 4 lists the aforementioned Horde Mode.
Space Marine 2 sees Titus of the Ultramarines go up against the Tyranid horde as well as Chaos Marines in a sequel that arrives 13 years after its predecessor. It includes a campaign that can be played co-op, co-op focused Operations, and a PvP mode.
Meanwhile, a new animation based on Space Marine 2 is set to appear as part of Amazon’s recently announced Secret Level anthology series.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Nintendo Direct brings us a gift, and one in the form of exciting news about history’s most squirrel stuffed RPGs. Can you really claim 108 characters when five of them are flying squirrels with different colour capes? Never mind all that. Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars has a new release date: March 6, 2025.
I’ll get into details in a minute, but since it came up in Slack chat earlier, I’d first like to share with you the differences between the 1995 JRPG’s EU PS1 one cover art:
In a blink-and-you’ll miss it reveal during today’s Nintendo Direct, Nihon Falcom announced a brand-new Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky remake for the Nintendo Switch.
Fans were stunned by the brief glimpse of the remake, titled Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st which appeared briefly during a sizzle reel during today’s Direct. It was so quick that many fans questioned what they were seeing.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st remake full Japanese trailer.
One fans wrote on X/Twitter, “What is happening??? Trails in the Sky remake hidden in a montage???”
Another wrote, “They are remaking one of the greatest games of all time and it only got a brief spot in a sizzle reel.”
A longer reveal took place during the Japanese Nintendo Direct stream, featuring a closer look at gameplay. It looks, in a word, fantastic.
A classic RPG finally gets its due
The remake is a massive deal for fans of the sprawling RPG series, who have been waiting for a Trails in the Sky release on Switch for years now. Indeed, the Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky trilogy was basically where it all began, originally releasing on PC before launching on PSP in North America in 2011. The series is available on Steam, but otherwise it’s relatively hard to find.
“The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is the first in what promises to be a strong, entertaining trilogy,” we wrote in our original review. “Although this first chapter is not the most original ever made, like any good JRPG it offers amusing writing, dynamic combat, interesting tasks, an absorbing narrative, and hours upon hours of gameplay. And while the game’s 50/50 balance between combat and story may not be to everyone’s taste, its charm and overall entertainment value make it well worth the investment.”
Trails in the Sky earned a cult audience with its fantastic worldbuilding, memorable protagonists, and dense battle system, spawning a franchise encompassing numerous entries over multiple arcs. The most recent entry was Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak, which released earlier this year.
Outside of Trails of the Sky, there were several other announcements during today’s Direct, including a new Castlevania collection and more. You read everything announced right here. The Trails in the Sky remake is set to release sometime in 2025.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
I find it bizarre that people still really like Crash Bandicoot games in this, the year 2024, two decades after the decline of the platform mascot warz. I have ample nostalgia for the old marsupial myself, with his second Naughty Dog-developed outing being a particular obsession, but come now, we’re all about deckbuilders, soulsliking and battle royale nowadays, right?
Still, I’ll admit to a twinge of disappointment after reading that a Crash Bandicoot 5 was once in development at Crash 4: It’s About Time developers Toys For Bob, and might have featured an interdimensional team-up with one of Crash’s old rivals. No, not Mario.
