The IGN UK Podcast is here to guide you on a tour of historical violence (and occasional diplomacy). Jesse and Jen have spent far too long in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Civilization 7 respectively, whereas Cardy has dabbled in both but is mainly here to promote new crisps he’s found on adventures to Lidl, before bringing the mood down with mini-reviews of new movies Nickel Boys and September 5.
Remember to send us your thoughts about all the new games, TV shows, and films you’re enjoying or looking forward to: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com.
“The misguided Wario is back, and this time he’s in search of riches,” reads the synopsis. “Ignoring all warning signs, Wario decides to enter a cursed pyramid that’s rumored to house a bunch of gold and jewels. Our anti-hero quickly learns that the curse is now a joke, realizing that he’ll be lucky to escape alive.
“There are 20 massive stages to conquer in this adventure, and you can use all of the gold and treasure you find to purchase bonus items after each stage. You can even take a breather and play any of the title’s delightful mini games.”
The game was very well received upon its release in 2001, earning a 9/10 in IGN’s review. “There’s a lot of variety in the game design and it’s more challenging than the usual side-scrolling fare due to its focus on making players figure out how to get to certain locations in the level,” we said.
Wario Land 4 is the 24th Game Boy Advance game added to the library, joining the likes of Mario Kart: Super Circuit, The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team, and more.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has re-posted the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct date and time announcement with a single sound of excitement and fans are freaking out about it teasing a new entry in the beloved brawler series.
As reported by Automaton, Sakurai shared the Japanese version of Nintendo’s announcement that it will fully unveil the Nintendo Switch 2 on April 2. “Ooh!” he said in the post, and while this could just be his own excitement, fans are hoping it means a new Super Smash Bros. game is coming to the next-generation hardware.
Nothing has been announced regarding a new Super Smash Bros. game, however, and Sakurai said previously he doesn’t know how the franchise can get any bigger or better than the Switch entry, which even includes characters from beyond Nintendo like Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7, Sora from Kingdom Hearts, Joker from Persona 5, Steve and Alex from Minecraft, and many more.
But it seems likely there will be a new Super Smash Bros. game for Switch 2, given the incredible sales success of Ultimate (35.88 million and counting). And it’s worth remembering Nintendo has released a new Super Smash Bros. game for each of its consoles ever since the launch of the original Super Smash Bros. for N64 in 1999.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Civilization 7 is out, and while the game has launched to a ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam, the boss of parent company Take-Two believes hardcore fans of the series will eventually come to love it.
Firaxis’ 4X strategy sequel is currently available to those who pay more for advanced access, typically more hardcore fans of Civilization. And they’re certainly letting their voices be known in Steam user reviews, highlighting issues with the user interface, a lack of map variety, and a feeling that the game has launched without a number of features fans have come to expect.
Firaxis has responded to this feedback, promising improvements to the UI, the addition of teams to multiplayer games so people can play co-operatively, and a wider variety of map types, among other things.
In an interview with IGN ahead of the release of third quarter financial results, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged that Civilization 7 had received some negative reviews from press and players, namechecking Eurogamer’s 2/5 review, but insisted that the “legacy Civ audience” will come around the more they play, and called Civilization 7’s early performance “very encouraging.”
“The Metacritic reviews are at 81, which is really solid,” Zelnick said. “We have more than 20 press reviews with a score over 90. We have some negative outliers as well, including a 40 from Eurogamer.
“We think that as people play the game longer, the sentiment improves because with every launch of a new Civ, the team pushes the envelope a little bit and our legacy Civ audience is a little bit nervous about what they initially see and then they realize, wow, this is actually really incredible, and they dive in.
“So we feel really, really good about it. We know we have a couple of issues. We have a bit of an issue with the UI, for example. We’ll address that. So I wouldn’t say the early access release is perfect in every way. I think it’s very, very encouraging and I think the areas that are concerning are areas that we can and will address, and as you can tell, we’re quite mindful of them.”
Zelnick’s mention of hardcore Civ players being a little nervous about Civ 7 at launch is no-doubt a reference to some of the dramatic changes Firaxis has made to the game.
A full campaign in Civilization 7 is one that goes through all three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Once the Age is completed, all players (and any AI opponents) experience an Age Transition simultaneously. During an Age Transition, three things happen: you select a new civilization from the new Age to represent your empire, you choose which Legacies you want to retain in the new Age, and the game world evolves. The Civilization games have never had such a system. Clearly, Zelnick believes Civ fans will come to love it over time.
In the shorter term, Firaxis has work to do turning sentiment around, particularly on Steam. A game’s Steam user review rating is crucial for its success on Valve’s platform. Not only is it a very public indication of what a player base thinks of a game, but it affects visibility on Steam itself.
Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
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.
For a limited time, Amazon has brought back one of its best power bank deals from Black Friday. The Anker Zolo 10,000mAh 30W USB Power Bank is back down to only $12.94 after you clip a 17% off coupon on the product page. This is an excellent deal for an Anker-branded 10,000mAh power bank that can fast charge a Nintendo Switch console at its maximum rate. The Zolo is compact, can completely recharge a Switch console more than once, and has a couple of unique nifty features, like a built-in USB cable and a discrete digital display. Plus, it’s decked out in pleasant pastel blue, pink, and white color schemes.
Anker Zolo 10,000mAh USB Power Bank for $12.94
There are two reasons why this power bank is a great battery backup for your Nintendo Switch console: capacity and charging rate. A 10,000mAh (37Whr) power bank can charge a Nintendo Switch OLED from completely empty to full about 1.9 times. Provided you fully charge your Switch from the get-go, that nearly triples your total playtime. At the same time, a 10,000mAh power bank still maintains a pretty small footprint; for example, this particular model is about the size of an iPhone and weighs under 8oz. The Anker Zolo power bank also boasts a 30W charging output over USB Type-C. The Nintendo Switch console accepts a maximum charging rate of 18W. That means this power bank will be able to charge your Switch at the same rate as the official Nintendo charger.
The Zolo has a built-in USB cable, however it’s not retractable. Instead, you plug it into itself so that it forms a secure loop that’s strong enough to be used like a lanyard. I have this power bank myself and I can tell you the loop is quite sturdy. There’s also a separate USB Type-C port that be used for either input or output. Finally, there’s a simple digital display that shows you the remaining battery charge as a percentage.
TSA-Approved
Note that the TSA requires all power banks to be brought in carry-on bags; power banks are not allowed in check-in regardless of capacity. The Anker power bank’s 10,000mAh capacity is well below TSA’s 27,000mAh carry-on limit, so it can be brought onto planes. It’s also low-profile enough that no one will take notice in the first place. If a TSA official actually does take the initiative to test the wattage on your power bank, you’re well in the clear.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Hasbro has announced it will work to bring Magic: The Gathering to screens everywhere.
The Hollywood Reporter says Hasbro is working with Legendary Entertainment to create a shared Magic: The Gathering universe that will include both movies and TV shows, with the movie the first priority.
“We pride ourselves on being thoughtful caretakers of singular, beloved IP, and no property better fits that description than Magic: The Gathering,” says Legendary’s chairman of worldwide production. The studio is behind such films as Dune and the western Godzilla movies like Godzilla vs Kong, and Detective Pikachu.
While it’s not totally clear, based on the report it sounds like the movie and TV adaptations at Legendary are going to be unrelated to the Magic: The Gathering animated series announced for Netflix. Though it could also mean that plans have changed and the animated series is now part of this larger shared universe.
Magic: The Gathering is a card game created by Wizards of the Coast in 1993 and has since grown to become one of the most popular trading card games in the world. Wizards of the Coast was acquired by Hasbro in 1999.
Hasbro is no stranger to creating movie adaptations of its products, which range from G.I. Joe, Transformers, and Dungeons and Dragons. The company has several projects already in the works including new G.I. Joe movies, a new Power Rangers film, and even a Beyblade movie.
Here’s your chance to get one of the best OLED TVs on the market at an amazing price. Right now, Woot! is offering a massive 2024 model 83″ Samsung S90D 4K OLED Smart TV for only $2,499.99. This TV currently sells for $3,300 everywhere else, including Best Buy, Amazon, and Samsung. This is an excellent TV to pair up with your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. In fact, this TV could even be a better gaming TV than the LG C4. Although we haven’t personally tested it, RTINGS says that the S90D is brighter, has a wider color gamut, better color volume, wider viewing angle, and better HDR gradient handling.
Woot! is owned by Amazon, so Amazon Prime members get free shipping on this order. If you’re not a Prime member, don’t fret, because the shipping cost should only be $6. This is a brand new unit with a full 1-year Samsung warranty.
83″ Samsung S90D 4K OLED Smart TV for $2,499.99
The Samsung S90D is the current 2024 model and is considered to be one of the best OLED TVs on the market, superior to even the LG C4. The S90C uses Samsung’s proprietary quantum dot (QD) OLED panel. QD OLED panels are brighter than traditional OLED panels without losing the color accuracy, range, and wide-viewing angles that OLEDs are known for. Compared to a traditional LED LCD TV, an OLED TV offers superior image quality, near-infinite blacks, near-infinite contrast ratio, and near-instantaneous response times.
OLED technology aside, the Samsung S90D also has all the features you’d want in a gaming TV. It has a native 120Hz panel that can be pushed to as high as 144Hz as well as four total HDMI 2.1 ports for running 4K at 120Hz on a PS5 or Xbox Series X. The S90D also supports variable refresh rate and auto low latency mode. This is an especially good complement to the Playstation 5 Pro console that was just released.
Holding Out for 2025 OLED TVs? Here’s What’s New
Samsung showcased several of their top models during CES 2025. Here’s a quick rundown of the biggest highlights. At the moment, exact pricing for each model is unknown.
The new OLED TVs – the S95F, S90F, and S85F – feature several incremental upgrades over its predecessors. The S95F, Samsung’s flagship model, boasts a new NQ4 AI Gen 3 processor, a faster 165Hz refresh rate, an improved anti-glare coating, and an upgraded QD OLED panel that promises up to 2,000 nits of brightness. The S90F will also feature the Gen 3 processor, 144Hz refresh rate with VRR, and a QD OLED panel with up to 1,300nits of brightness (for TV models 55″ and up). The S85F remains the “budget” OLED TV with a Gen 2 processor.
AI and Anti-Glare Tech Are the Highlights for Samsung
Like just about everyone else in the industry, Samsung is going all in on AI. Samsung’s new tech for 2025 is their “Vision AI”, which can recognize the content you’re watching, including specifics like the actors or setting, and display relevant personalized commentary in real-time. In addition, more TV models this year will be equipped with AI Upscaling Pro and AI Motion Enhancer Pro which work in tandem to optimize image quality on the fly. Other features include Active Voice Amplier Pro, which uses AI to isolate and enhance voices, AI Optimization, and AI Energy Mode.
Samsung is also decisively moving many of their TV panels to the matte-like anti-glare coating we saw on the S95D in 2024. This anti-glare anti-reflective tech doesn’t desaturate like we typically see with anti-glare coatings from other brands, and yet reflections are minimized to the point that you’ll never notice them.
For more options, check out our picks for the best gaming TVs. The LG C-series OLED TVs are very good alternatives to this TV and they’re usually more affordable (except for this particular example). The LG G-series TVs are even better, but they command a huge price premium.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is still set for release in fall 2025, parent company Take-Two has insisted.
Reporting its third quarter ending December 31, 2024 financial results, the Rockstar owner listed GTA 6 for fall 2025 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. It means that for now at least, GTA 6 is still on track for its previously announced release window and has not been delayed.
Speaking to IGN ahead of the release of its financial report, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said that while “there’s always a risk of slippage,” the company “feel really good about it [fall 2025].”
“Look, there’s always a risk of slippage and I think as soon as you say words like absolutely, you jinx things,” Zelnick responded when IGN asked how confident he was that Rockstar will hit fall 2025 for GTA 6. “So we feel really good about it.”
When asked for an update on how development on GTA 6 is going, Zelnick kept his cards close to his chest.
“Look, I think the game is eagerly anticipated both internally and externally,” he said. “We know that Rockstar seeks perfection. I never claim success before it occurs. I’m fond of saying arrogance is the enemy of continued success, so we’re all running scared and looking over our shoulders and we know that the competition is not asleep. Our whole organization is super excited.”
The GTA 6 release date is one of the hottest topics in all of entertainment, with rival publishers waiting with bated breath for Rockstar to make its announcement. Earlier this week, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said he was willing to delay the new Battlefield out of the next fiscal year depending on the release timing of its competitors’ games, a thinly veiled nod to the behemoth that is GTA 6.
Speaking generally about Rockstar, Take-Two said Grand Theft Auto 5 has now sold-in an incredible 210 million units worldwide. GTA Online had a “strong” quarter, led by the Agents of Sabotage update. GTA+ memberships increased 10% year-over-year in the quarter.
Red Dead Redemption 2, meanwhile, has sold-in more than 70 million copies. Take-Two noted it is currently seeing its highest level of concurrent players on Steam.
“We are exceedingly optimistic about the commercial potential of our titles and believe that they will have a transformative effect on our business – and our industry – over the long term,” Take-Two said, before adding it remains “highly confident” it will achieve “sequential increases in, and record levels of, net bookings in fiscal 2026 and 2027.”
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.
After five years away from the role, Tom Cruise retuned as special agent Ethan Hunt for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. As Paramount gears up to release The Final Reckoning later this year, now is the perfect time to watch or rewatch the spy movie saga so far.
Scroll down for our quick guide on how you can watch all of the previous Mission Impossible movies online right now in 2025.
Where to Stream the Mission Impossible Movies Online
The first seven Mission Impossible movies are available on Paramount+, while Dead Reckoning Part One is streaming on Prime Video. If you don’t have that subscription service, each movie can be rented or purchased through Amazon or YouTube.
Here’s our full breakdown of how to watch Mission Impossible online in 2025 with links to where you can stream each movie:
Mission Impossible Movies on Blu-ray
Every film in the Mission Impossible franchise has gotten a physical release, with your options including a 25th Anniversary steelbook of the original and a 4K collection of the first six movies. If you’re hankering for more physical media to add to your collection, you can also check out our full list of upcoming Blu-rays.
What’s the Best Order to Watch the Mission Impossible Movies?
The Mission Impossible chronology does follow its release order, making a chronological binge as easy as watching the movies in the order they’re listed above. If you want to be sure about where to begin, our how to watch the Mission Impossible movies in order explainer can help.
Upcoming Mission Impossible Movies
If you’re wondering when the eighth movie in the Mission Impossible franchise is coming to theaters, you won’t have to wait much longer: Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning will be released on May 23, 2025. We don’t yet know when the film will be coming to a streaming service.
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford has said Troy Baker playing the beloved character in video game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is proof “you don’t need artificial intelligence to steal my soul.”
Ford discussed alleviating control of Indy with The Wall Street Journal Magazine, saying he was very happy with the performance of The Last of Us actor Baker.
“You don’t need artificial intelligence to steal my soul,” Ford said. “You can already do it for nickels and dimes with good ideas and talent. He did a brilliant job, and it didn’t take AI to do it.”
