Mortal Kombat 1 developer NetherRealm has released a gameplay trailer for final Year 1 DLC character Takeda ahead of his July 23 release date alongside Kameo character Ferra.
Takeda is one of the so-called Kombat Kids alongside Cassie Cage, Kung Jin, and Jacqui Briggs. The gameplay video, below, shows off a number of Takeda’s moves and combos, which revolve around his trademark bladed whips, as well as pre-fight interactions (Johnny Cage, for example, wants him to star in a superteam action movie).
It ends with a look at his fatality, which, as you’d expect from Mortal Kombat, is not for the faint of heart. Here Takeda wraps his hapless victim tightly in his bladed whips before slowly retracting them. Now that’s got to hurt.
Takeda is the last of the six Kombat Pack 1 DLC characters to come out, and joins Omni-Man from Invincible, Quan Chi, Peacemaker from the DCU, Ermac, and Homelander from The Boys. Dataminers have already unearthed evidence to suggest the next six DLC characters coming to the gory fighting game as part of Kombat Pack 2.
The gameplay video does not feature Ferra, however. Ferra is the small fighter who sat atop the hulking Torr as part of the combined Ferra & Torr character from Mortal Kombat X, and was set to hit Mortal Kombat 1 in Kameo form in June but was delayed to launch alongside Takeda on July 23.
Speaking of Kombat Pack 2, NetherRealm has confirmed plans to reveal the future of Mortal Kombat 1 during San Diego Comic-Con 2024, in a panel set for 2pm Pacific / 5pm Eastern / 10pm UK on Friday, July 26. Year 2 plans may include what Boon has already teased is set for Mortal Kombat 1, such as story DLC and “a big surprise after that.” Meanwhile, the Mortal Kombat 2 movie is due out October 24, 2025.
Takeda is available from July 23 to Mortal Kombat 1 Premium Edition or Kombat Pack 1 owners. The character is then available to buy a week later.
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.
“We are no longer moving forward with our partnership with Binge for a Driver series,” a Ubisoft spokesperson said. “We are actively working on other exciting projects related to the franchise and can’t wait to share more information in the future.”
We are actively working on other exciting projects related to the franchise.
Ubisoft hasn’t been particularly kind to the Driver franchise recently, having not released a mainline game since 2011’s Driver: San Francisco and Driver: Renegade 3D. A mobile game called Driver: Speedboat Paradise was released in 2014, but the franchise hasn’t made a peep since.
Fans were therefore surprised by the 2021 announcement of a Driver TV show that would “focus on undercover agent and ex-racecar driver John Tanner as he tries to take down a crime syndicate.”
No word on a franchise reboot came alongside it though, and Ubisoft’s latest comment that “exciting projects related to the franchise” still leaves all things Driver up in the air. The fact Ubisoft is still thinking about Driver may be enough for some fans, however.
In our 8/10 review of the last game, IGN said: “Driver: San Francisco has one game-changing, eyebrow-raising idea and it pulls it off with aplomb, infusing the OTT arcade racing with unparalleled variety and a ridiculous supernatural twist whilst staying true to its Seventies chase-movie roots.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
An image of the next mainline BioShock has reportedly leaked online, although it reveals next to nothing about the game.
MP1ST published an image it had unearthed from the showreel of a visual effects artist who works for publisher 2K. IGN has asked 2K for comment.
According to the site, the image is taken from a 2021 showreel that depicts an early demo build of the game, so it’s already years out of date and probably doesn’t reflect what fans can expect to play when the next BioShock eventually comes out.
It includes the expected first-person shooter perspective from the previous BioShock games, as well as a basic user interface and what’s called a ‘Ricochet Shotgun.’ We see what looks like BioShock-style plasmid powers in icon form, triggered by controller bumper button presses. It’s hard to tell what these are meant to indicate, but one looks like an electricity bolt, which would be very BioShock. Another looks like a stopwatch, so perhaps there were, and still are, plans to be able to pause time during gameplay.
The character is facing what looks like a burning orb set atop a pedestal of some kind. Of note: the codename Parkside is displayed on the image, which tallies with a 2019 Kotaku report that revealed the same codename, and a recent Epic Game Store leak of video game codenames.
2K announced the upcoming BioShock sequel in 2019. It’s in development at 2K studio Cloud Chamber after initially being outsourced to Halo support studio Certain Affinity. 2K is yet to call the game BioShock 4, so it remains unclear whether it will be a sequel, a prequel, or something separate to what’s come before.
But we do know it’s set in what 2K has called a “new and fantastical world”, so don’t expect a return to Rapture or Columbia, the settings of BioShock 1 and 2, and Bioshock Infinite, respectively.
Original BioShock development chief Ken Levine is not involved. After Levine left Irrational Games and the studio was shut down he set up a new developer called Campfire Games, later named Ghost Story Games, to work on Judas.
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.
The reveal of upcoming Nintendo Switch exclusive The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom caught the eye because it features Zelda as the protagonist — a first for the series. But according to an age-rating for the game Link is playable, too.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) published its listing for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and it mentions that players can control Link to defeat enemies using his famous sword and arrow attacks. Zelda is also mentioned in the description as using a magic wand to summon creatures for battle, as revealed in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s debut trailer, below.
Here’s the The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom rating summary, still live at the time of this article’s publication, in full:
This is an adventure game in which players assume the role of Zelda as she attempts to dispel rifts throughout Hyrule and rescue Link. From a ¾-overhead perspective, players explore various environments while fighting stylized enemies (e.g., humans, creatures). As Link, players use a sword and arrows to defeat enemies; Zelda can use a magic wand to summon creatures (e.g., wind-up knights, pig soldiers, slime) for battle. Some enemies can be defeated by being set on fire; other creatures dissolve into mist when defeated. Battle sequences are somewhat frenetic, with several enemies attacking/fighting at once.
So, how might Link be playable in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom? Fans already have plenty of theories, the most common of which is that the game starts with a prologue in which a fully kitted out Link is playable before he is spirited away and replaced with a playable Zelda for the remainder of the game.
Indeed, the The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom debut trailer teases such a setup, with an opening fight between Link and franchise villain Ganon that perhaps is actual gameplay rather than a cutscene as most had assumed it to be. The question now is whether Link will also be playable in any other section of the game, or whether it’s Zelda only from then on out.
Upon its reveal, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom sparked all sorts of fan theories, including where and when it takes place in the Zelda timeline. Some have suggested that the Hyrule we see in the trailer lines up with the map from A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds, although many dispute this.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom launches on Nintendo Switch on September 26, 2024.
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.
Ahead of Prime Day on Tuesday, now is the time to cash in on some sweet discounts. In particular, some of the biggest games of 2024 are now available at a discount, which makes today a perfect time to pick up a new title you’ve been holding out on. The best deals for Sunday, July 14, include SMT V: Vengeance, Final Fantasy XVI, Tekken 8, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and more.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance for $39.99
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is now on sale for the first time since launch! SMT V: Vengeance is an enhanced version of the former Nintendo Switch exclusive SMT V, launched in 2019. The biggest feature available in this upgraded re-release is the all new Canon of Vengeance route, which is essentially 40 hours of new story content. At $39.99, this is a steal for what will likely end up being one of the most popular RPGs of the year.
Final Fantasy XVI for $29.99
Final Fantasy XVI for PlayStation 5 has hit a new all time low at Amazon at $29.99. As one of the biggest titles of 2024, FFXVI brings a wide variety of new systems and elements to the world of Final Fantasy. You play as Clive Rosfield on a mission to track down the one who killed your brother as a child. You can expect larger-than-life setpieces, mesmerizing boss battles, and a memorable soundtrack from Masayoshi Soken.
HyperX CloudX Headset for $29.99
The CloudX is officially licensed for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, so you can play worry-free knowing you’re getting a reliable headset. HyperX prioritized sound with this headset, with enhanced bass reproduction and clear highs, lows, and mids for all-around immersion. It’s worth noting that the CloudX can be used on PC, but you’ll need a splitter to get both microphone input and audio output due to the design of this headset.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for $54.99
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is on sale for $54.99. This sequel to 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake brings Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret, and Red XIII outside of Midgar for the very first time, with Sephiroth looming and moving in on his goals. This experience offers well over 100 hours of content, with 36 sidequests and a main story over 40 hours long. If you haven’t played Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, now is the time to score one of the best 2024 titles out there at a discount.
Tekken 8 for $34.99
Walmart currently has Tekken 8 at $34.99, which matches the previous all-time low. Tekken 8 is the latest major fighting game to be released for the current generation of consoles. Over 32 characters are already playable, far surpassing titles like Street Fighter 6 or Mortal Kombat 1. The online modes far surpass their predecessors, with good netcode and many different ways to play.
Sonic Superstars for $24.99
Sonic Superstars is available for just $24.99 this weekend at Amazon, making today a great time to pick up a copy. This title is the latest 2D Sonic entry, with new multiplayer features like never before. Now, you can play with up to three friends and traverse through the story mode together as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R for $29.99
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is an HD-2.5D remake from Square Enix. Taking the HD-2D sprite style found in titles like Octopath Traveler II, this game adds a 3D camera and 3D environments. There are a total of 99 different endings for you to discover, which makes this adventure one that can last for dozens of hours! Explore the world with fantastic quality-of-life updates, new battle mechanics, and more in this gorgeous remake of Star Ocean 2.
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- Sweep the Board! for $29.99
Sweep the Board! is the latest game from Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba-, focusing on a fun, party-like title that is extremely similar to Mario Party. You play as Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and the rest of the Demon Slayer cast as they traverse through multiple party boards and complete minigames against each other.
Neon Genesis Evangelion Complete Blu-ray for $30.66
It’s no secret that Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most beloved anime of all time. The series has inspired countless creators across every industry imaginable, and it still holds strong today with its storytelling, themes, and messages. You can score this Blu-ray for just $30.66, which includes the complete 26 episode TV series, the Evangelion: Death (True)2 recap movie, and The End of Evangelion film.
This weekend is kicking off with plenty of deals, especially for Nintendo Switch owners. The Target Circle promotion is still ongoing, with loads of discounts that you can still take advantage of. Ahead of Prime Day this week, now is the time to cash in on some sweet discounts. The best deals for Saturday, July 13, include Super Mario RPG, Splatoon 3, Pikmin 4, Super Mario Odyssey, and more.
Super Mario RPG for $39.75
The remake of Super Mario RPG is $39.75 at Amazon right now, which is the lowest we’ve seen this classic title. If you’ve yet to either play the original or check out the remake, this is the perfect time to do so. Composer Yoko Shimimura returned to compose the remake’s original soundtrack, and each boss and environment has been expertly recrafted for the Nintendo Switch. It’s the perfect Mario title to check out if you’re looking for a fun title while awaiting Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door next week!
Super Mario Odyssey for $34.99
Super Mario Odyssey is still one of the best games available on Nintendo Switch. From the stunning Kingdoms to the numerous new gameplay elements, this is a title any Switch owner should have in their collection. Odyssey is best known for its Capture mechanic, which allows Mario to use Cappy and take over different enemies and objects in the environment. This title doesn’t go on sale too often, so pick up a physical copy at a discount this week!
Tekken 8 for $34.99
Walmart currently has Tekken 8 at $34.99, which matches the previous all-time low. Tekken 8 is the latest major fighting game to be released for the current generation of consoles. Over 32 characters are already playable, far surpassing titles like Street Fighter 6 or Mortal Kombat 1. The online modes far surpass their predecessors, with good netcode and many different ways to play.
Pikmin 4 for $34.99
This week at Target, you can save on Pikmin 4, with copies available for just $34.99. As the latest title in the Pikmin series, Pikmin 4 brings loads of new features for fans, new and old alike, to discover. In our 9/10 review, we stated, “Pikmin 4 adds variety to the series’ traditional gameplay by offering options other than the grab-and-throw formula of the past, and brings an extra helping of top-tier levels after the credits roll.”
Splatoon 3 for $39.99
Splatoon 3 is available right now for just $34.99! If you have yet to pick up a Splatoon game, Splatoon 3 is a perfect starting point. As it is still the latest game in the series, content updates are still releasing alongside Splatfests. You can also play through the Side Order DLC, offering a fun new campaign!
HyperX CloudX Headset for $29.99
The CloudX is officially licensed for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, so you can play worry-free knowing you’re getting a reliable headset. HyperX prioritized sound with this headset, with enhanced bass reproduction and clear highs, lows, and mids for all-around immersion. It’s worth noting that the CloudX can be used on PC, but you’ll need a splitter to get both microphone input and audio output due to the design of this headset.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for $34.99
Arguably one of the best platformers available on Nintendo Switch, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a must play for the platform. Created by Retro Studios, there are six different worlds you can traverse through as you fight against Lord Fredrik and his army of Snowmads. You can play with a friend and choose between Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, Cranky Kong, and even Funky Kong!
Sonic Superstars for $24.99
Sonic Superstars is available for just $24.99 this weekend at Amazon, making today a great time to pick up a copy. This title is the latest 2D Sonic entry, with new multiplayer features like never before. Now, you can play with up to three friends and traverse through the story mode together as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy.
Forgotten Gems is a regular column about notable games that have moved out of the public eye and may not be easily accessible anymore. To see all the other games I’ve covered so far, be sure to check out the 12 previous issues of Forgotten Gems in our Columns section.
In an alternate universe, HAL and Nintendo’s beloved Kirby series never made it out of Japan. As the pink puffball conquered one platform after the other with his adorable pals, the Kirby games slowly emerged as the more forgiving, kid-friendly alternatives to Mario. If Mario missed a jump, he was a goner. Kirby? Just pump the button to float and you’ll get another chance at redemption. Kids had no problems jumping into Kirby games and completing the main campaigns – but older players looking for a little more also found some surprisingly devious challenges on the path to 100% completion.
But in our timeline, Kirby’s Dream Land hit Game Boy in the US and Europe a mere months after Hoshi no Kirby debuted in Japan in 1992. While the original game was a huge sales success that subsequent releases couldn’t quite replicate, Nintendo stuck with Kirby. The faith it placed in the franchise designer Masahiro Sakurai (of Smash Bros. fame) built paid off. A full 30 years later, Kirby Star Allies and then Kirby and the Forgotten Land blew up on Switch, selling almost 12 million copies between them.
The Legend of Starfy: The Diminished Chap
Which brings us to The Legendary Starfy. The series shares more than a passing resemblance to Kirby’s. Its cute, starfish-like hero looks like he’s ripped straight out of a Kirby or Mario game. The developer, Tose – like Kirby’s creators at HAL – appear to share rights to the character and games. And Starfy games are very easy to get into and easy to complete. But unlike Kirby, Starfy has been one of those Nintendo franchises mostly released and promoted in the Japanese market.
My first experience with Starfy goes back all the way to the year 2000. At Nintendo’s annual Space World expo, also known as Shoshinkai, the publisher showed a playable demo of a game named “Densetsu no Stafy” for Game Boy Color. I recall playing it briefly at the time, of course unaware that that game would never see the light of day. With the release of its next handheld hardware a mere year away, the developers retooled the game for release on GBA instead.
Starfy may have the shape of a Luma, the face of Kirby, and the color of Pikachu, but you may have spotted him before via his cameos in Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga, Super Mario Maker, and Super Princess Peach. But he’s likely most familiar to many a Nintendo fan thanks to his appearance as an Assist Trophy in the Super Smash Bros. games. The entry reads: “Starfy is the absentminded prince of the Pufftop Kingdom, and the hero of The Legendary Starfy. Is he a star? A starfish? His commitment to helping you when summoned is obvious, even if his species isn’t. He’ll use a Star Spin attack, which isn’t all that powerful. It’s the thought that counts!”
Developer Tose (“toh-seh”), headquartered in Kyoto not far away from Nintendo’s own HQ, has been around for more than 40 years. IGN’s database lists more than a hundred titles across a dozen platforms that Tose has worked on, from wrestling games to anime-licenses, to titles Nintendo fans will instantly recognize, like Game & Watch Gallery and Super Princess Peach. Many publishers, such as Square, enlisted Tose’s help during the GBA and DS eras to help port their classics to the handhelds, including Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Front Mission, and Dragon Quest.
But the real tally of games Tose has worked on is likely much higher. Tose is one of a few Japanese development studios that have signed away their development credit on games it’s worked on – a practice that essentially obfuscates the real authors of games in favor of pushing the publisher brand. See also my piece on Sky Odyssey, a game that was in greater parts made by phantom devs CAProduction and Future Creates. This sometimes leads to awkward gameography entries on their Japanese corporate pages, listing their past works as “action game for major publisher” or “game design for PlayStation 4 game”.
This is all to say, Tose may not be a household name, but it’s an experienced team with more than four decades of experience designing games or working on adapting and converting games. That experience shows in the Starfy games. They feel and look like Nintendo games – or, more accurately, a mixture of HAL games and Capcom’s SNES platformers. If you haven’t played one of them yet (which, you likely haven’t – this is Forgotten Gems, after all), you’ll notice how much Starfy looks like Kirby’s brother from another bubblegum mother.
Yellow Submarine
Instead of relying on the ability to float, Starfy’s adventures are mostly aquatic. You pump the A-button to swim faster underwater, use spins to destroy blocks, and you can of course dash upwards to catch some air and soar above the waves as well. What starts with simple block-pushing and platforming puzzle challenges eventually gets more complex, with Breakout-style mini-games, auto-scrolling stages, and even vehicles. You’d be hard-pressed to call the first Starfy game – Densetsu no Starfy (or Stafy, see sidebar), a top-tier platformer in Nintendo’s overall library, but it’s competently made and enjoyable.
Densetsu no Starfy was successful enough in Japan to get a sequel. And another one. And another one. Despite not seeing a release in the west, Starfy gained some appreciation from import gamers, with the third GBA game in particular turning heads and leading to questions why the series continued to be landlocked in Japan despite the popularity of platform games on Nintendo’s handhelds and consoles. With Densetsu no Starfy 3 in 2004, Tose had seemingly perfected its formula. Although developed in record time in just a year, Starfy 3 feels like something HAL would’ve made – from the clever puzzles and adorable characters (Starfy’s sister is playable in this one – and looks even more like Kirby!) to mini-game multiplayer challenges and even Wario appearing and giving Starfy quests. There’s no doubt that Starfy 3 would’ve released to positive reviews in the west, but Nintendo made us wait another four years for his stateside debut.
Stafy Becomes Starfy
Starfy – and the confirmation that, yes, there’s an “r” in his name – started his world tour in earnest in 2009 with The Legendary Starfy for Nintendo DS. Despite the title being a literal translation of the first game’s name, it is not a remake. First released in 2008 in Japan, The Legendary Starfy for DS is an all-new quest that uses the dual screen setup for tutorial and character interactions on the bottom screen as well as for expanded playfields during mini-games, but other than that, it’s vintage Starfy gameplay. Our reviewer loved it when he first played it and said that it unified the “best elements from games like Kirby, Donkey Kong Country, Little Nemo, and Mario himself”. But there were already signs that Nintendo hadn’t forgotten about Starfy when the little yellow star made his debut as assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Despite the positive reviews, Starfy did not ascend to become a mainstream hit on Nintendo’s DS. In Japan, it sold fewer copies than its predecessors – perhaps a sign that interest in lesser-known, traditional platformers was waning in favor of new, touch-screen-centric experiments. Or perhaps the mascot platformer genre was just too crowded on Nintendo’s handhelds. Whatever the reason, instead of being the start of a beautiful friendship, the Legendary Starfy ended up becoming the last bow for the series.
The surprise is that all three also got added to the US and European GBA collections on Nintendo Switch.
But don’t count a good platformer out. This week, Nintendo surprisingly added the first three GBA Starfy games to its Nintendo Online with Expansion Pack tier. The surprise isn’t that these games returned to the spotlight in Japan – after all, nostalgia is fueling an ongoing barrage of rereleases, remasters, and remakes the world over.
The surprise is that all three also got added to the US and European GBA collections on Nintendo Switch.
Where can you play it now?
As of July 11, 2024, Densetsu no Starfy is back in active distribution after more than two decades. Pour one out for game preservation, folks! Physical copies of the five existing Starfy games are not hard to find via auction services on eBay, but with the exception of the 2008 Nintendo DS release, you should know that they’re all in Japanese and do contain quite a bit of Japanese text. Now, the Nintendo Switch Online releases aren’t localized, either. Nintendo is expecting players to put up with quite a lot of expository text from NPCs in Japanese, but the core game is easy to grasp even if you don’t read kana. So this is definitely an instance of not looking at the proverbial gift horse’s teeth too closely. And if you’re looking to learn Japanese, know that the language used in the games is simple: you don’t need to learn kanji to be able to read what is being said.
Giving Starfy wider exposure is a wonderful thing to see. I wish it was a more concerted and serious effort – surely, localization of games without voice acting and cartridge space constraints isn’t all that expensive. Plus, dropping three very similar games at once isn’t exactly a carefully curated introduction to an unknown franchise. But as a lover of the obscure and forgotten, I’m excited to see Nintendo experimenting with its back catalog more and daring to bring back the stuff of even the tiniest legends.
Peer Schneider heads up IGN’s Guides, Tools, and Map Genie teams and is excited about Nintendo’s recent additions to Nintendo Online. Not every game’s a gem, but preserving games, even by adding them to subscription services, is a welcome trend.
Forgotten Gems is a regular column about notable games that have moved out of the public eye and may not be easily accessible anymore. To see all the other games I’ve covered so far, be sure to check out the 12 previous issues of Forgotten Gems in our Columns section.
In an alternate universe, HAL and Nintendo’s beloved Kirby series never made it out of Japan. As the pink puffball conquered one platform after the other with his adorable pals, the Kirby games slowly emerged as the more forgiving, kid-friendly alternatives to Mario. If Mario missed a jump, he was a goner. Kirby? Just pump the button to float and you’ll get another chance at redemption. Kids had no problems jumping into Kirby games and completing the main campaigns – but older players looking for a little more also found some surprisingly devious challenges on the path to 100% completion.
But in our timeline, Kirby’s Dream Land hit Game Boy in the US and Europe a mere months after Hoshi no Kirby debuted in Japan in 1992. While the original game was a huge sales success that subsequent releases couldn’t quite replicate, Nintendo stuck with Kirby. The faith it placed in the franchise designer Masahiro Sakurai (of Smash Bros. fame) built paid off. A full 30 years later, Kirby Star Allies and then Kirby and the Forgotten Land blew up on Switch, selling almost 12 million copies between them.
The Legend of Starfy: The Diminished Chap
Which brings us to The Legendary Starfy. The series shares more than a passing resemblance to Kirby’s. Its cute, starfish-like hero looks like he’s ripped straight out of a Kirby or Mario game. The developer, Tose – like Kirby’s creators at HAL – appear to share rights to the character and games. And Starfy games are very easy to get into and easy to complete. But unlike Kirby, Starfy has been one of those Nintendo franchises mostly released and promoted in the Japanese market.
My first experience with Starfy goes back all the way to the year 2000. At Nintendo’s annual Space World expo, also known as Shoshinkai, the publisher showed a playable demo of a game named “Densetsu no Stafy” for Game Boy Color. I recall playing it briefly at the time, of course unaware that that game would never see the light of day. With the release of its next handheld hardware a mere year away, the developers retooled the game for release on GBA instead.
Starfy may have the shape of a Luma, the face of Kirby, and the color of Pikachu, but you may have spotted him before via his cameos in Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga, Super Mario Maker, and Super Princess Peach. But he’s likely most familiar to many a Nintendo fan thanks to his appearance as an Assist Trophy in the Super Smash Bros. games. The entry reads: “Starfy is the absentminded prince of the Pufftop Kingdom, and the hero of The Legendary Starfy. Is he a star? A starfish? His commitment to helping you when summoned is obvious, even if his species isn’t. He’ll use a Star Spin attack, which isn’t all that powerful. It’s the thought that counts!”
Developer Tose (“toh-seh”), headquartered in Kyoto not far away from Nintendo’s own HQ, has been around for more than 40 years. IGN’s database lists more than a hundred titles across a dozen platforms that Tose has worked on, from wrestling games to anime-licenses, to titles Nintendo fans will instantly recognize, like Game & Watch Gallery and Super Princess Peach. Many publishers, such as Square, enlisted Tose’s help during the GBA and DS eras to help port their classics to the handhelds, including Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Front Mission, and Dragon Quest.
But the real tally of games Tose has worked on is likely much higher. Tose is one of a few Japanese development studios that have signed away their development credit on games it’s worked on – a practice that essentially obfuscates the real authors of games in favor of pushing the publisher brand. See also my piece on Sky Odyssey, a game that was in greater parts made by phantom devs CAProduction and Future Creates. This sometimes leads to awkward gameography entries on their Japanese corporate pages, listing their past works as “action game for major publisher” or “game design for PlayStation 4 game”.
This is all to say, Tose may not be a household name, but it’s an experienced team with more than four decades of experience designing games or working on adapting and converting games. That experience shows in the Starfy games. They feel and look like Nintendo games – or, more accurately, a mixture of HAL games and Capcom’s SNES platformers. If you haven’t played one of them yet (which, you likely haven’t – this is Forgotten Gems, after all), you’ll notice how much Starfy looks like Kirby’s brother from another bubblegum mother.
Yellow Submarine
Instead of relying on the ability to float, Starfy’s adventures are mostly aquatic. You pump the A-button to swim faster underwater, use spins to destroy blocks, and you can of course dash upwards to catch some air and soar above the waves as well. What starts with simple block-pushing and platforming puzzle challenges eventually gets more complex, with Breakout-style mini-games, auto-scrolling stages, and even vehicles. You’d be hard-pressed to call the first Starfy game – Densetsu no Starfy (or Stafy, see sidebar), a top-tier platformer in Nintendo’s overall library, but it’s competently made and enjoyable.
Densetsu no Starfy was successful enough in Japan to get a sequel. And another one. And another one. Despite not seeing a release in the west, Starfy gained some appreciation from import gamers, with the third GBA game in particular turning heads and leading to questions why the series continued to be landlocked in Japan despite the popularity of platform games on Nintendo’s handhelds and consoles. With Densetsu no Starfy 3 in 2004, Tose had seemingly perfected its formula. Although developed in record time in just a year, Starfy 3 feels like something HAL would’ve made – from the clever puzzles and adorable characters (Starfy’s sister is playable in this one – and looks even more like Kirby!) to mini-game multiplayer challenges and even Wario appearing and giving Starfy quests. There’s no doubt that Starfy 3 would’ve released to positive reviews in the west, but Nintendo made us wait another four years for his stateside debut.
Stafy Becomes Starfy
Starfy – and the confirmation that, yes, there’s an “r” in his name – started his world tour in earnest in 2009 with The Legendary Starfy for Nintendo DS. Despite the title being a literal translation of the first game’s name, it is not a remake. First released in 2008 in Japan, The Legendary Starfy for DS is an all-new quest that uses the dual screen setup for tutorial and character interactions on the bottom screen as well as for expanded playfields during mini-games, but other than that, it’s vintage Starfy gameplay. Our reviewer loved it when he first played it and said that it unified the “best elements from games like Kirby, Donkey Kong Country, Little Nemo, and Mario himself”. But there were already signs that Nintendo hadn’t forgotten about Starfy when the little yellow star made his debut as assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Despite the positive reviews, Starfy did not ascend to become a mainstream hit on Nintendo’s DS. In Japan, it sold fewer copies than its predecessors – perhaps a sign that interest in lesser-known, traditional platformers was waning in favor of new, touch-screen-centric experiments. Or perhaps the mascot platformer genre was just too crowded on Nintendo’s handhelds. Whatever the reason, instead of being the start of a beautiful friendship, the Legendary Starfy ended up becoming the last bow for the series.
The surprise is that all three also got added to the US and European GBA collections on Nintendo Switch.
But don’t count a good platformer out. This week, Nintendo surprisingly added the first three GBA Starfy games to its Nintendo Online with Expansion Pack tier. The surprise isn’t that these games returned to the spotlight in Japan – after all, nostalgia is fueling an ongoing barrage of rereleases, remasters, and remakes the world over.
The surprise is that all three also got added to the US and European GBA collections on Nintendo Switch.
Where can you play it now?
As of July 11, 2024, Densetsu no Starfy is back in active distribution after more than two decades. Pour one out for game preservation, folks! Physical copies of the five existing Starfy games are not hard to find via auction services on eBay, but with the exception of the 2008 Nintendo DS release, you should know that they’re all in Japanese and do contain quite a bit of Japanese text. Now, the Nintendo Switch Online releases aren’t localized, either. Nintendo is expecting players to put up with quite a lot of expository text from NPCs in Japanese, but the core game is easy to grasp even if you don’t read kana. So this is definitely an instance of not looking at the proverbial gift horse’s teeth too closely. And if you’re looking to learn Japanese, know that the language used in the games is simple: you don’t need to learn kanji to be able to read what is being said.
Giving Starfy wider exposure is a wonderful thing to see. I wish it was a more concerted and serious effort – surely, localization of text-only games isn’t all that expensive. Plus, dropping three very similar games at once isn’t exactly a carefully curated introduction to an unknown franchise, but as a lover of the obscure and forgotten, I’m excited to see Nintendo experimenting with its back catalog more and daring to bring back the stuff of legends.
Peer Schneider heads up IGN’s Guides, Tools, and Map Genie teams and is excited about Nintendo’s recent additions to Nintendo Online. Not every game’s a gem, but preserving games, even by adding them to subscription services, is a welcome trend.
Official Nintendo Switch Joy Cons aren’t discounted very often, but Walmart is bucking that trend. Walmart is offering the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons Bundled with Super Mario Party for only $69. This bundle usually retails for $99, and the cost goes up even more if you were to purchase each item separately. It was originally part of Walmart’s larger sale that competed with Amazon Prime Day. That sale has now ended, but this deal is one of few that are still avaialble. We are pretty certain that Amazon will not match or beat this deal on Prime Day proper.
Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons + Super Mario Party for $69
This bundle includes a pair of Nintendo Joy-Con controllers and the Super Mario Party game. The Nintendo Joy-Con controllers are functionally identical to the ones that came with your Switch console. A nice bonus is that the Joy-Cons are decked out in a colorway that’s exclusive to this bundle; there isn’t any other easy way to secure a pair of Mario Red and Mario Blue controllers.
Anyone who owns a Nintendo Switch console should be familiar with the Joy-Con controllers. The Joy-Cons are unlike any other controller on the market. There are three ways to use them; connected to the Switch console, separated with each Joy-Con as its own controller, and combined into a gamepad with the Joy-Con grip that came with your console. They have a lot of fun features like a built-in accelerometer, gyro sensor, independent motion controls,. HD rumble, and NFC touchpoint for amiibo compatibility. Most 3rd party controllers don’t support amiibos at all.
The included Super Mario Party game is the definitive party choice for the Nintendo Switch, with up to 80 mini games that take full advantage of the quirky tech of the Switch controllers to keep things feeling fresh. The game supports up to four players, and in most cases a single Joy-Con controller is needed for each player. That means, alongside your original Joy-Con controllers, this bundle is all you need to max out the player count in Super Mario Party.
Other Nintendo Switch related sales and news that might interest you:
In a brief teaser today, the official Call of Duty account revealed both the crossover and the release date for Season 5, but stopped short of showing exactly what the crossover entails.
At the very end of the teaser, we see silouettes of what appear to be multiple wrestlers, though it’s unclear exactly who. But a lack of details hasn’t stopped fans from speculating. The community is throwing out their guesses: could we be getting skins for wrestlers like Roman Reigns? Cody Rhodes? Seth Rollins? Rhea Ripley? John Cena? There are tons of exciting possibilities here. And it’s not clear just yet if the wrestling ring in the teaser will make an appearance or, if so, how.
