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In typical Nintendo fashion, multiple first-party games updated around midnight, Eastern time, yesterday.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate got Min Min and a new balance patch, and Pokemon Home/Pokemon Sword and Shield got their own updates as well. But while Smash fans were able to get in smoothly and try out the new character, Pokemon fans were greeted with error screens.

The update was small, but impactful. That Shiny Zeraora everyone wanted? It was finally available for every eligible player. The problem is that it crashed the servers to Home because so many people were trying to redeem it at once, but things have since been fixed: if you're just waking up, congrats! You shouldn't have any problems getting in.

In case you're totally lost, you can find full instructions below on how to nab that new legendary.

Fortnite: Save the World hasn't felt like a typical Early Access game for a long time, but now it's official: Epic Games is stripping the kinda silly Early Access label from the premium game and slowing its pipeline of new content. "The legacy Early Access label will also be removed from Battle Royale and Creative game modes, a holdover from our initial Save the World launch," Epic said today.

To be clear, the free-to-play battle royale game – Fortnite as the majority of players know it – will continue uninterrupted. It's business as usual. On the other hand, Fortnite: Save the World – the co-op PvE campaign from 2017 – is shifting to a seasonal rotation for existing content with "a handful of new quests and Heroes coming in at a slower pace." Surprisingly, it will "remain a premium experience."

In 2020, Epic is hoping to give Fortnite: Save the World longer legs with Ventures. They're pitched as seasonal excursions with "continued progression," "levels to climb," and "unique modifiers to tackle."

"Conquering the challenges in Ventures will earn you seasonal experience which impacts the level of difficulty you encounter, weapons you find, and the seasonal rewards that you earn," the developer said in a blog post. "Reaching higher seasonal Ventures levels unlocks Supercharger materials that can raise the level of items in your main collection – beyond their current cap."

Further out, Fortnite: Save the World "will no longer be able to support all upcoming Fortnite Battle Royale cosmetic purchases," which tells you everything you need to know about the game's future and Epic's priorities. For what it's worth, Save the World was supported far longer than I had expected.

Sega has released details regarding the next classic title headed to Nintendo Switch as part of its "Sega Ages" retro range. This time, the publisher is taking a break from its iconic run of arcade actioners and platformers, with the release of Technosoft's tactical warmonger Herzog Zwei.

Originally released for the Sega Mega Drive in 1989, Herzog Zwei is an early entry in the real-time strategy genre, even predating Westwood Studios' legendary Dune II by several years. Herzog Zwei tasks players with micro-managing a battlefield in a futuristic universe, purchasing ground units and building attack formations, while portioning out finite amounts of fuel and ammunition in order to keep your mech army active and alert. Ensuring careful placement of units, issuing smart orders, capturing outposts for resources and ensuring the reparation of damaged troops, players can win the day for either the Government or the Revolution - Herzog Zwei's endlessly warring factions.

You can check out the original release below, courtesy of YouTuber 10min Gameplay.

When Magic: The Gathering Arena ushers in a new set, generally the powers that be provide a promo code that you can redeem for three packs of said set. The new code is actually already live now (PlayM21), but a few are cycling out as of today (the end of June 30).

For reference, those three codes are "PlayRavnica," "Play Allegiance" and "PlayWarSpark," which will net you packs of Guilds of Ravnica, Ravnica Allegiance and War of the Spark respectively. "PlayM20," "PlayEldraine," "PlayTheros" and "PlayIkoria" are also still available to claim, and will be for some time.

As a reminder, all three of those sets will rotate out of standard (the main form of competitive play) in the fourth quarter, in addition to Core Set 2020. Instead, Throne of Eldraine, Theros: Beyond Death, Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, Core Set 2021 and Zendikar Rising (due in September) will remain active going forward.

July 22 is bound to be the biggest day of the year for Dreams since launch. That's when Media Molecule is releasing a free update to add PlayStation VR support including "tutorials, how-tos, and kits to get you started when creating with the PS VR system plus new content to play." The wait was worth it.

The studio says that creating with PlayStation Move controllers will feel like an immersive, "very one-to-one experience" in VR – but creators don't need to be in virtual reality to make VR content in Dreams.

In terms of discoverability and searches, the game's "creative community will be able to specify if their content is playable in VR or not, and [user-generated content] in Dreams will ask for a comfort rating from players, so you'll be able to see what games are the best experience in VR."

The July 22 update also promises "a full slate of accessibility features including comfort mode, vignette strength, static sky, and more to make the experience of playing and creating as great as possible."

I can't stress enough how exciting this is as a PlayStation VR-owning Dreams player. The possibilities are staggering, and while PS VR is still getting notable new games in 2020, Dreams will have legs.

I'm ready to paint some happy little clouds.

PS VR support comes to Dreams on July 22 [PlayStation Blog]

Last week saw the release of GungHo Online's cheerful arena shooter Ninjala. Launching on June 25 for Nintendo Switch, Ninjala hopes to capture some of the "all-ages" popularity seen by similar multiplayer titles such as Splatoon - and it seems that things are off to a pretty good start for the free-to-play title.

As noted by the developer on its official Twitter, Ninjala's downloads now total two million in just five days, half of which were amassed in the first 48 hours of release. Now of course, as a free-to-play game, the true test will be how many of these two million downloads convert into long-term regular players, but this amazing number is still a serious sign of public interest. Clearly Ninjala is a title that has marketed itself successfully.

We've seen Zelda: Breath of the Wild "out of the map" glitches before, but not like this.

You see, past methods have generally been shoddy at best. Although they get the job done, they often bug out the game, or don't allow you to save at certain points. Gaming Reinvented says they're past that now: they're post buggy-bugs.

In the below seven-minute video, Gaming Reinvented walks you through the process. You need to head to the Gerudo Canyon Stable, then grab your horse. Turn around and ride down the ravine path roughly 45 seconds into the video. Then save, and fast travel to any apparatus shrine: accessing its storage within. Reload the save, then head to a shrine "far away from the area" (the example is a northeast location).

Voilà: your character will fall off the map and then part of the process is complete. From there you need to compete in an archery game, moon jump, land on a wild horse, then moon jump across the entire map.

It's anything but "easy," as the video describes, but it's allowed folks to explore the world in a new way and break the "you can't go any farther" boundaries.

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Last week, the first episode of "Night City Wire" offered up a fresh new trailer for the incoming Cyberpunk 2077. One noticeable factor about this preview was that it was very action-oriented, filled with blazing barrels, squealing wheels, drive-by gun fights and even a spot of fisticuffs, emphasising that life in Night City is far from dull, or safe for that matter.

Despite this explosive preview, CD Projekt RED has noted that its tech-noir RPG has far more to offer than an excess of Hollywood action, specifically stating that while wanton mayhem is a viable option, the developer thinks it's more likely that players will find themselves attuning to the exploration, conversation, and interpersonal relationships on offer over the non-stop lock 'n' load of most open-world crime titles.

In true Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fashion: shortly after the new fighter reveal, they're available in-game.

Although Min Min was just confirmed last week, she's now fully available in Ultimate, alongside of the new patch 8.0.0 update that alters a bunch of fighters and adds new Miis and spirits into the mix. In addition to the new Min Min character, stage and music, countless fighters have been altered in subtle or not so subtle ways.

Isabelle for example got buffs across the board with enhanced attack speed and launch distances for several moves, as well as strict buffs for Piranha Plant, Corrin, Wii Fit Trainer, Villager, Pit/Dark Pit, Mewtwo, Marth, Falco, Captain Falcon, Kirby and Incineroar. 

You can find the full patch notes below: it's a surprising overall power increase for a lot of fighters!

Version 8.0.0 [Nintendo]

I'm not usually in the market for Limited Run Games' physical releases, but I enjoy seeing what they put together for older games I have a history with. What can I say? I'm a perpetual window shopper.

Star Wars Episode I: Racer is getting a trio of physical copies from Limited Run in July, from the most basic boxed copy on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch to the decked-out, goodie-filled collector's edition. The middle of the pack – the $59.99 classic edition of Episode I: Racer – hits the sweet spot.

_{The standard physical edition of Star Wars Episode I: Racer for folks who resisted the digital version last week.}

_{The classic edition comes with a ridiculous (yet fitting) metallic cartridge. I'm having Pokémon card flashbacks.}

_{The premium collector's edition of Episode I: Racer won't be as easy to pick up.}

So how about those Nintendo Directs, eh?

Although we got a "Mini" Direct semi-recently, Nintendo has been mum on when the next real presentation will be, even quietly bowing out of the "E3" season entirely this year. So what's happening with Directs? A recent statement made by the company's president during a shareholder meeting may shed some light on this development.

Speaking to investors (as translated by VGC), president Shintaro Furukawa explained that although Nintendo still feels like Directs are "an incredibly effective way to present information," it might be time for something new. Furukawa is a bit vague here, but states: "Inversely, times change and so does the most effective way to promote products, so there is a chance that a new, better way to present this information comes about. So we always like to examine all of the possible ways to communicate this information to customers."

Reading between the lines a bit here, having watched every single Direct to date (and witnessed several live at E3), I can see what Furukawa is talking about here. The "Direct" format felt like a living breathing entity when the "whole crew" (Satoru Iwata, Reggie Fils-Aimé,  Shigeru Miyamoto) was together. They were a huge part of what made the Directs special, and with Iwata gone and Reggie's departure from Nintendo, they effectively have no presenter.

Monster Hunter: World has been out for over two years. I can't believe it! It feels like I just started that adventure the other day, but we're already knee deep in Iceborne, the late 2019 expansion. The question is, will it ever come to Switch? Probably not. But there might be something else in the works.

Speaking at their latest shareholder meeting, Capcom flat out denies that there is a Monster Hunter: World Switch port in the works. However, when asked whether or not the publisher is working on a Monster Hunter for "junior and senior high school students" (read: a younger audience), we get a bit more info. Capcom explains that they are in fact planning on developing a game that "can be enjoyed" by that age group, and will share developments at a future date. This screams "Monster Hunter Stories" type Switch project to me, but it could mean anything.

In other Capcom news, the company reports that digital sales account for "around 80%" of their business, and they are striving to go for 90%. "Worldwide sales opportunities" are stated as a big reason for the expansion. So, a digital Switch Monster Hunter eh? It's probably going to happen at some point.

41st Annual General Meeting of Shareholders [Capcom via Hachima Kikou]

Capcom has announced that the next major update for Monster Hunter World: Iceborne will go live on all platforms July 9. "Title Update 4" was originally scheduled to arrive back in late May, but was pushed back due to development issues pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, the publisher is keeping the details regarding Title Update 4's cool new quests, features, and events under wraps, but will reveal all in a new developer diary on July 3. You can check out an advert for this reveal below, and you might want to hold on until the very end for a tease of a familiar - and frightening - face. It looks like recent rumours were true...

Karma, a pro Rocket League player and the first woman to compete in RLCS, is shaken but ultimately okay after a scary incident last night. While streaming commentary for a match in the 1v1 Salt Mine II tournament (and not playing), she was shocked through her controller after a lightning strike hit her neighbor's house. Nature can be freaky and terrifying.

Here's video of the event. There's no camera footage of it happening, only audio of her reacting. Be warned that Karma's in obvious distress and some people may find it disturbing:

With tonight's Season Four update going live at 11:00 p.m. Pacific, Call of Duty: Warzone is somehow squeezing 50 more players into Verdansk, bumping the player count for Battle Royale Quads up to 200.

(That's your cue to make your best-worded joke about Modern Warfare's file size.)

According to Activision, Warzone's Season Four update will be around 22GB to 36GB for Modern Warfare players (with a 3.5GB "secondary download" on consoles), while standalone Warzone players are looking at a 22GB to 30GB download before they can contribute to the 200-person chaos.

Season Four also includes a multi-use Spotter Scope for discreet enemy scanning, the .50 caliber Rytec AMR, and a Juggernaut Royale mode that drops game-changing care packages with mini-guns and Juggernaut suits from the sky. "Once a Juggernaut is sent to the Gulag, a new Juggernaut care package will drop on the map, so do your best to capture the suit and take on any squad that stands in your way."

Another new thing to look out for: Supply Run contracts. After you find and initiate one of these contracts, you'll need to rush to your closest Buy Station to get a discount before the timer runs out.

In a silly video uploaded today, GungHo Online teased "a new title" from the team behind Let it Die.

Uncle Death, the game's mascot, recently went missing. The team tracked him down to "some creepy basement" only to find him sitting beside a little shrine to director Hideyuki Shin, surrounded by cardboard. They informed him that Let it Die passed the six-million-download mark across PS4 and PC.

He seemed shocked. Uncle Death said he was "living it up like a king" when the free-to-play game first took off, but then the "royalty payments started drying up," and the debt collectors began calling. "Think about it, if we have six million downloads, shouldn't I be getting a bit more money?"

The skateboarding reaper also claimed he "heard a rumor that the staff who created Let it Die have gathered to create a new title." The developers didn't divulge anything to him (or us), but they closed out the video by saying they're "now accepting messages of encouragement for Uncle Death."

Hang in there, boss. You can't live off white bread and single-serving sake cups forever.

@LetItDieTheGame [Twitter]

It may not be the gift you were hoping for, but you know what they say: Never look a gift Beelzebub in the mouth.

Today is the 20th anniversary of Diablo II, one of the most influential and beloved PC games of all time. It seems like a good day for Blizzard to reveal the long-rumored and longer-pined-for Diablo II remaster. That didn't happen.

Instead, Blizzard gave us a pair of gruesome spindly wings in Diablo III. Just log into Diablo III sometime soon and you'll unlock the Prime Evil Wings. Here's what they look like:

City Connection continues on its quest to bring a selection of iconic Psikyo shmups to the Steam platform. The publisher has revealed that July 13 will see the arrival of the strange and ethereal Samurai Aces III: Sengoku Cannon.

Originally released in Japan in 2005 (under its original title Sengoku Cannon: Sengoku Ace Episode III), Samurai Aces III is the third and final entry in the eccentric trilogy, featuring typically frantic shmup action with a feudal Japan setting. Players choose from one of six unique characters and take the skies to battle waves of enemies and huge boss characters. Samurai Aces III blends 2D sprites with 3D character models and rudimentary 3D backgrounds, which admittedly makes for a jarring aesthetic.

Check out the action below, courtesy of YouTuber GameBurst:

After surfacing in October 2018 with promising yet far-from-finished leaked footage, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment's open-world Harry Potter RPG has stayed out of sight. The publisher still hasn't announced the game (due to E3's cancellation), but that doesn't mean it was scrapped or put on hold. The current plan is a late 2021 launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, according to Bloomberg.

Sources noted that the original video leak was legitimate, most of the follow-up rumors were not, and the Harry Potter project is on track at former Disney Infinity powerhouse Avalanche Software.

When will we get to see it in an official capacity? Assuming WBIE's plans don't shift – and they could if author J.K. Rowling continues to make provocative, transphobic remarks – then the next-gen Harry Potter game should be revealed sometime after DC's FanDome event in August. (That's where we're expecting to see teasers for WB Games Montréal's Gotham Knights and Rocksteady's Suicide Squad.)

SNK has partnered with Tencent subsidiary TiMi Studios to create a new entry in the legendary Metal Slug series. Currently running with the temporary title of Metal Slug Code: J, this latest entry in the run 'n' gun franchise is now in development for iOS and Android devices.

A teaser trailer, which you can check out below, depicts recognisable Metal Slug gameplay, albeit with 3D-modelled characters, rather than the series' traditional 2D sprites. The action itself seems snug though, with frantic eight-way gun-play, explosive vehicles, and swarms of enemy soldiers being disintegrated. We also see Metal Slug roster regulars Marco, Fio, Tarma and Eri - although the latter appears to have gone through a bit of a Hollywood redesign.

The worst-kept secret this morning is Ubisoft's new free-to-play battle royale Hyper Scape. But, it's unclear if it's even meant to be a secret any longer. The tease might've crossed the threshold into reveal. It's all too haphazard to tell.

Here's the story thus far, which Eurogamer has done a good job to wrangle together. Rod Breslau, an esports insider, tweeted that Ubisoft Montreal is working on this first-person shooter battle royale:

In a very odd turn of events, Square Enix 2015 RPG Bravely Second: End Layer has rocketed back up the UK Charts, slamming into the number two spot some five years after its original release.

This bizarre feat was achieved due a huge sell-off of stock at UK retailer Argos, who were offering the Nintendo 3DS title for a pithy £2.49 (roughly five bucks). An understandable slew of sales then saw the title jam back into the Top 40. Had it not been for the might of current number one - Sony's The Last of Us Part II - then the dramatic anime adventure might have actually found itself at number one in the Year of our Lord 2020. Wild.

Speaking of The Last of Us, the incredible success of the sequel has seen the original game also re-enter the Top Ten at number nine. This is quite a feat given that TLOU has not only been a PlayStation Plus title, but is frequently available at low prices. THQ Nordic's SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated had a comfortable physical launch, debuting at number three. Of note, Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare left the Top Ten for the first time since its release back in October 2019.

Maybe it's just that I have the attention span of a goldfish, but the Crysis remaster completely fell off my Nanosuit's radar. It was announced in mid-April and then radio silence. That's kind of unusual for a game that's due to release within a month or two.

The cloaking device will be deactivated on Wednesday, as Crytek gives us an updated look at island life. The first Crysis Remastered gameplay trailer is coming July 1 at 9am Pacific. Will it be hot? In my experience, it's not so much the heat as it is the gosh darn humidity.

But it might be the heat! Crysis Remastered is slated for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. If the remaster approaches the original's level of performance notoriety, Switches will melt and people will die.

We'll find out sometime soon because Crysis Remastered is currently scheduled to release this summer, and there's only about two months of the season left. We'll find out what it all looks like even sooner. Set your alarm clock for Wednesday morning. Your Nanosuit has all those nifty gadgets, it's gotta have an alarm clock tucked away somewhere.

Fire Emblem Heroes' flourishing roster of warriors grows ever larger tomorrow, with the arrival of a new Legendary Hero. As revealed in a new trailer from Nintendo, Seliph: The Scion Light will be added to the mobile battler's megamix of sword-swingers.

Seliph is the protagonist of 1996 SNES adventure Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. A young prince in exile, Seliph is hidden away as a child in order to protect him from the dark forces sweeping across his homeland of Agustria. Once coming of age, and learning of his true heritage, Seliph heads out on an epic journey across the continent of Jugdral, freeing the people and banishing evil en route to claiming his rightful place on the throne.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps and the original Ori are fantastic games to play in rapid succession.

While that's entirely possible on the PC and Xbox One platforms, you'll have to adjust a bit if you played the first game on Switch: currently, the sequel is not available on Nintendo's platform. While that could change, developer Moon Studios has nothing to confirm at this time: in fact, they think it'll be downright difficult to get it up and running on Switch.

Speaking to fans via a Reddit AMA, Gennadiy Korol, co-founder of the studio and current lead engineer, noted that they still "love the Switch" (a go-to answer for studios these days), but "don't have anything to share" on a Switch port of the sequel. Korol possible portended how long a theoretical Switch Edition would take though, further explaining that it would be an "extremely difficult port" to run at 60FPS.

Never say never. Plus, if Nintendo ever does announce that long gestating "Switch Pro" project (my money is on next E3 after the PS5 and Series X have been around a bit), it should be a lot easier to manage (unless this is all just a ruse to back up Microsoft's prior statements of cooling off on Switch ports).

Moon Studios AMA [Reddit]

The cancellation of E3, (along with numerous other industry events), certainly put a big ol' wrench in the plans of multiple publishers, who have since taken to holding their own shows and presentations in order to present their upcoming wares to the public.

One such publisher is Square Enix, who had several big titles lined up for E3 this year and, as such, continue to remain under wraps. Not for much longer, however, as the publisher has revealed in a recent interview that it plans to unveil these titles over the July-August period.

"We would normally announce new games at E3," said Square in an interview with No Investment, No Life. "We had planned to have a press conference as a replacement event, but were unable to do so since assets were not complete... We'll be announcing new titles individually as the timing permits. Several will debut around July to August."

Obviously one of Square's E3 reveals was intended to be rhythm-action spin-off Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, which was rush-announced the day after its logo was leaked. As for what else Square Enix has prepared for the rest of 2020 and beyond, we'll just have to wait and see.

Square Enix to announce games meant for E3 2020 around July to August [Gematsu]

Recently, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night's development team released a "2020 roadmap" that gave us some semblance of what's to come down the road.

First up is a boss revenge mode and a chroma wheel, followed by chaos mode, versus mode, a "special crossover" and classic mode in the third quarter, with another crossover and the third playable character in quarter four. The former duo of DLC was due up recently: June 23, in fact, but that day came and went without a peep of the content.

Thanks to a tweet from the game's official account, we now know what's happening. Like pretty much every facet of this project it's been delayed due to a "last minute chroma wheel display issue." Now it's going to come sometime this week with details arriving soon. Confusingly, a tweet on June 27 noted that the DLC was coming on "June 25-26," which seems to imply an actual new "July 25-26" date. We've reached out for full clarification on the matter.

Presumably, the Switch update will still be coming later than the rest, as more polish is needed.

Bloodstained [Twitter]

The PlayStation Plus service turns 10 years old next month. That's 10 years of great (and occasionally not-so-great) titles for those signed up to the service. I can't deny it's done my library the world of good, even if the chance of me getting round even half of the games themselves is a bit optimistic.

July will see three more games added to the ever-mounting backlog. First up is 2K Games' notoriously lootbox-heavy basketball sim NBA 2K20, which first launched in September 2019. Featuring Career, GM, League and multiplayer modes, NBA 2K20 hopes to keep court fans happy while they wait for the real-world NBA to make its grand return on July 30.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has released an exciting and dramatic trailer for its upcoming tale of blood and bravery, Ghost of Tsushima, which will finally make its debut on PS4 next month.

The stylish one-minute preview sees Jin Sakai, one of the last surviving members of his clan, take the fight to the Mongol army across a variety of changing battlegrounds. Without his brethren to fall back on, against seemingly insurmountable odds, Sakai must rely on his few remaining allies and honed skills to see off the invaders of Tsushima Island.

But swift swordplay and expert martial arts ability will not be enough to defeat and army and free the land and its people. In order to truly conquer his numerous foes, Sakai must look to new teachings and tactics, finding a fight inside him as yet undiscovered. Sakai must become more than man, he must become the Ghost of Tsushima.

Ghost of Tsushima launches on PS4 July 17.

As mobile devices continue to approach console-level quality, more and more developers are trying their hand at expansive and visually impressive open worlds. Archosaur Games' (Zulong Entertainment) Noah's Heart, which runs on Unreal Engine 4, is the latest step in that process.

Announced by way of the most recent Tencent Games festival, Noah's Heart allows players to "set out on grand adventures, fight for a better world or live a simple domestic life." Oddly enough there's a Sword Art Online feel to it all, with a virtual realm called "Noah" hosting humankind, built by something called "The Cube."

The studio calls it an "ever-branching story," with a huge emphasis on exploration. So long as that vision is actually realized (and the world itself is captivating enough to warrant that hype), it could be interesting (and likely filled with Tencent microtransactions). You can watch the English trailer below to get a feel for the world: or, the much-lighter-touch-Japanese-voiceover.

It'll arrive sometime in 2021 on "mobile devices."

In the two weeks since its hugely successful launch, many players have already crept, crawled, and head-caved their way through Naughty Dog's gripping adventure title The Last of Us Part II. But while some may already be eager to continue their grim journey, it seems that any further misadventures will have to wait for another day.

Speaking on the Kinda Funny podcast, creative director Neil Druckmann plainly stated that Naughty Dog had "no plans" to produce any story-expanding DLC. This may come as a surprise to TLOU fans, given the hugely positive reception for Left Behind, the DLC that launched for the original game back in 2014. Of course, epilogues are not mandatory, and if TLOU II feels "complete" dramatically, then a developer shouldn't press themselves to expand upon its narrative simply because the option is there.

Elsewhere on the podcast, Druckmann was pressed on TLOU2's previously announced "additional mode" - one that is said to have since grown so large in scale and scope that it was likely to become a standalone title. Druckmann teased that work was continuing on the project, but ultimately offered no further information on this mystery endeavour.

The Last of Us Part II is available now on PS4.

"There's no plans" for The Last of Us 2 DLC [GamesRadar]

Last week, Cyberpunk 2077 developers CD Projekt Red aired their first Night City Wire segment, acting as a replacement for the lack of an E3 appearance this year. To coincide with the segment airing, outlets were given hands-on demos of the game for impressions. IGN was one such outlet and, while you could read through Miranda Sanchez's impressions in full, I can give you the juiciest piece of information that she uncovered:

We can pet the cats.

Let me say that again.

We can pet the cats!

I was already excited about this game, but now? I'm over the moon. It only makes the recent two-month delay that much more bittersweet. I will now assume that the delay was specifically caused by them adding more cats, and I won't be swayed otherwise.

What I found exploring Night City [IGN]

We're nearing the home stretch for the Borderlands 3 season pass; which I don't believe for a second is the end of Borderlands 3's DLC run, so long as Gearbox has anything to say about it.

We've raided a casino and united two lovers: now it's time to kick back in the old west with Bounty of Blood. Just don't get too comfortable.

Like Brett, I was obsessed with the Goosebumps books as a kid. Growing up, that obsession pretty much never died.

I've caught most of the TV shows (even Haunting Hour), the two recent Jack Black feature films and pretty much everything in-between. But even as a Goosebumps diehard, you'll want to skip the hastily adapted Dead of Night.

Among Trees has some of the prettiest sunrises and sunsets I've ever seen in a video game.

I'm not sure how in the mood everyone is for another Early Access survival game right now, especially one as unfinished as Among Trees, but it clicked with me. Its vibrant art direction is so endearing – so visually arresting – that I didn't even mind the sparse mechanics, limited content, and occasional bugs.

This one's a simple pleasure through and through. Every unscripted moment could be a wallpaper.

Cblogs Recaps: Week 26

-Nior goes back to looking at Brazil's culture of gaming with this look at a Brazil-made indie platformer.

-Lord Spencer reviews Wild 9 as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.

-Lord Spencer writes a report on Retro Sanctuary's Top 100-91 games as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.

-Flegma does a quick impression on Bridge Strike on the Switch.

-Shoggoth2588 responds to this month's Band of Bloggers prompt regarding advertisement in games with this look at Death Stranding.

-STUNAD looks at the cosmetics market in Valorant.

-Black Red Gaming continues his coverage of this year's online E3 events with this look at this IGN-centric event.

-Exber does a gaming report on the second (COVID-affected) quarter of 2020.

-Nior thinks that Devil Engine is the greatest Shmup you shouldn't play yet.

-Flegma shares his thoughts regarding the 1993 game, Iron Helix.

-Black Red Gaming writes about the disconnect between critics and the public through a look at The Last of Us Part II.

I didn't expect to be playing Torchlight III so soon, and definitely not in Early Access, but here we are. Well, here some of us are. After a surprise release over the weekend, the dust has settled. It's playable.

One glance at the Steam user reviews paints a grim picture; that's what happens when a (currently) online-only sequel to a popular series comes out of the gate with server issues. For my part, I didn't start playing Torchlight III until Monday – by that point, at least for me, the connection issues weren't as prevalent – but I still faced a few way-too-long loading screens that kicked me back to the menu.

The thing is, it's not just disconnects. While I initially thought people were being too hard on the game (and some of the knee-jerk reactions undoubtedly were), there are also fundamental design concerns.

Is Torchlight III worth playing yet? For most people – even longtime fans – probably not.

This week's Arcade Archives release has me stumped, as Seibu Kaihatsu's Wiz - now available to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch - is one of the few games to grace Hamster's retro range that I've never encountered once in my extended life of coin-op classics.

Released back in 1985, Wiz is a side-scrolling adventure which sees players put on their wizard's cloak and hat in order to journey through a selection of realms on a quest to face off against a ferocious dragon. Our little sorcerer will travel through deep forests, underground caverns, and into the clouds themselves on his quest, battling baddies with a selection of magical skills such as a fireball, a protective barrier and... erm... "Hitting".

You can check out the action in this video, courtesy of YouTuber Replay Burners.

It's an interesting choice for THQ Nordic to pick the remastered treatment for SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom rather than a full remake. A remake would give the developers the chance to smooth out the experience.

Most licensed 3D platformers of the era were rough around the edges with poor puzzle concepts, boring levels, and other design issues the genre has more or less corrected over time. But with a remaster, or at least with this remaster, there isn't the opportunity to fix what didn't work or rethink the concept. With this remaster, it's simply the old game freshened up with a new coat of paint.

But oh, what a coat of paint it is.