Following numerous Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch Pro rumors, the Big N finally revealed the next step for its hybrid console with the OLED model. Announced earlier this month, the specs weren't exactly what Nintendo fans were expecting, but there are still upgrades to be found. Oddly enough, the Switch OLED model also gives the platform direct ethernet connectivity, which is a first for the platform. Interested? Pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch OLED system are set to go live today.
Nintendo tweeted out the confirmation that pre-orders will be going live on July 15, 2021, at the retailers that fans can find the new units at. Pre-orders aren't live yet, but they are going to be available at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET. You can chose the white set or the neon blue/red set that Switch players are already familiar with. Retailers that will be offering the new systems include stores like Best Buy, Target, GameStop, Walmart, Nintendo, Amazon, and more. Basically, all major retailers, which hopefully makes the purchasing process smooth for gamers looking to score the OLED.
For those interested, the Nintendo Switch OLED model comes equipped with a 7-inch screen, a wired LAN port, a stand for tabletop play, audio improvements, and internal storage of up to 64GB. It runs at 720p (1080p docked) and is releasing later this year on October 8, 2021, for $350. If you missed out on the original reveal trailer, check it out in the video at the top of the article. You can also learn more about the features we wish it would have come with in our breakdown below:
Click here to watch embedded mediaWhat are your thoughts on the Nintendo Switch OLED? Disappointed when contrasted against the rumors, or are you excited to have the upgrades that it will provide? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below!
Niantic's annual Pokémon Go Fest kicks off on Saturday and runs through the weekend, giving trainers two full days of questing and catching. Similar to last year's Pokémon Go Fest, this one is worldwide – meaning you can be a part of it from anywhere. The fun begins at 10 a.m. in whatever timezone you are in and runs until 6 p.m. each evening.
You'll need to purchase a ticket to enter the event, take on its new quests, and catch the rare Pokémon that are around for just two days. Tickets are usually $14.99 but have been slashed down to $4.99 this year. You can get your ticket from Pokémon Go's shop.
Niantic says trainers will be able to catch over 75 species of Pokémon. Most will be found in the wild and will appear within their appropriate habitats that cycle every hour. The habitats featured this year are jungle, desert, mountain, ocean beach, and cave. In the jungle, you'll find Pokémon like Scyther and Froakie, whereas the cave will hold Deino and Roggenrola. Shiny Pokémon will also be in great abundance, and a special research task concludes with an encounter against a mythical Pokémon, which will likely be making its debut in Go. Some of the shiny Pokémon you should be on the lookout for are Unown F, Sawk, Audino, and Tympole.
The second day of the fest puts more focus on raiding. You'll earn 10,000 additional XP when you complete raid battles, and raid passes are everywhere. Spin gyms to get 10 raid passes (for in-person battling), complete timed research to get eight remote raid passes, and you can also get three more remote passes free in the shop starting Sunday at 10 a.m.
The raids also rotate on the hour, giving you battles against Pokémon falling into the categories of wind, lava, frost, and thunder.
Here are the Pokémon you can battle:
We recommend turning on your game's music this year to hear new tracks from legendary Pokémon music producer Junichi Masuda. The musical focus also transitions to two new Pikachu variations (which you can see pictured above).
Niantic is setting up photo opportunities at various locations for trainers to interact with if you live in specific cities. In the United States, the cities are San Francisco, Denver, Atlanta, Chicago, Indianapolis, New York City, Nashville, Austin, Seattle, and Washington D.C. Make sure you check out Niantic's official details for the photo opp locations. This link also provides locations for Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Several Game Informer staffers (myself included) will be playing on both days, hoping to get a haul of shiny Pokémon and at least a Sawk. We hope to see you out and about, and as always, do your best to social distance. Have fun, trainers! Make sure you stock up on balls before the weekend!
Lo-fi isn't really new, but it has seen a surge in popularity over the past year. This genre of music is one designed to make you relax and chill out, which is great because life is hard and things are chaotic. Like, all of the time. Certain Lo-fi tracks are even designed to help you focus. Whether during work or getting some studying time in, this particular musical style is a godsend. Since we're Game Informer and we like to inform you about games, we decided to inform you about some game Lo-fi tracks this time to offer up a little peace to share with our community.
So, without further ado, here are the 5 best video game Lo-fi channels to listen to for ultimate relaxation that I use on the regular.
Since it's Game Informer's week to celebrate all things The Legend of Zelda, I figured I'd start with a Zelda-inspired channel to kick things off. It's not dangerous to go alone with these tunes. From the YouTube channel 'chill place' comes a Zelda and Lo-fi track that includes various remixes of Zelda music and other music simply reminccent of the game. This is one of my go-to videos when I'm at work and I feel on edge, this helps bring me back down to early immediately. Or, brings me back to Hyrule. Either/or.
The entire Final Fantasy franchise already has an incredible soundtrack, with many of those songs already quite relaxing. There are a few Lo-fi channels that are perfect for Final Fantasy fans, which is the perfect way to pass the time while we await more VII Remake Part 2 news.
The above video is by YouTuber Lzls and focuses on the music of Final Fantasy 9, whereas the below video focuses on Final Fantasy 7 from the channel Cozy:
This one is a bit of a cheat, but BioWare put the entire Mass Effect trilogy soundtrack up on YouTube with accompanying animated art that is designed in Lo-fi fashion. The studio even included a brand new song specific to the Legendary Edition.
The Mass Effect soundtrack is one of the best out there, and I'm not even saying that as a fan of the series. There are so many different tracks that paint a picture of what's going on in-game perfectly, something we've talked about extensively with composer Jack Wall. Many of the tracks already sound in-line with Lo-fi sounds as well, so I couldn't leave this one off of the list:
Whether you're making plans to befriend the Brute dubbed Craig or just going out of your mind waiting for Halo Infinite, this Halo Lo-fi channel is perfect. With accompanying Brute art by Reddit user u/BFAnim, the below tracks from YouTuber Miinoy are the perfect way to unwind with the iconic Xbox shooter.
And yes, I know how weird it is to say a shooter is relaxing, but you get what I mean:
When you think Silent Hill, the last thing that comes to mind is "relaxing." Yet, somehow YouTuber Aidan Wigger managed to do just that. This is my go-to when I'm trying to fall asleep or if I'm doing any sort of meditation. The sounds of Silent Hill are already magnificent, but this Lo-fi spin takes that auditory experience to an entirely different level.
You won't regret it, check it out below:
There are so many amazing gaming Lo-fi tracks out there, including another go-to for me and my honorable mention with the Animal Crossing station from YouTuber Thaehan. If that sounds more like your fancy, you can check that track list right here. You can also check out the one that I created myself over here!
And there you have it! Those are my Lo-fi gaming channels that I follow to help bring a little more quiet and relaxation into my life. I hope these help you the way they've helped me! enjoy!
God of War (2018’s) star, Christopher Judge, is back for more video game shenanigans, except this time he won’t be bellowing “BOY!” from the top of his lungs over and over again. This time Kratos’ phenomenal voice actor will be bringing his talents to Marvel’s Avengers as the King of Wakanda in the game’s upcoming summer DLC package. However, in a short interview with Entertainment Weekly, Judge talked about how his version of Black Panther will be respectfully different from the late Chadwick Boseman’s everlasting portrayal.
"I turned it down straight away," Judge said. "There's many Black Panthers, but I really didn't believe that anyone should ever do T'Challa again. The actual talks proceeded and, basically, I wound up doing it because my mother and my children said if I didn't do it, they would disown me." In a similar vein, narrative consultant Even Narcisse and narrative lead Hannah MacLeod doubled down on Judge’s sentiments; Black Panther, as a character, is also in a completely different headspace from the depiction that we’ve become accustomed to in the movie and the Rise of the Black Panther comic.
MacLeod states, “[Black Panther’s] older and a little bit more wisened. We're not coming into T'Challa's story at the beginning. He hasn't just lost his father. He hasn't just become king. He's been in this role for a while." Narcisse continues, “Chadwick's performance was somebody who had more questions about how to perform the role of Black Panther and king. This version doesn't have those questions. He already thinks he has all the answers. I think one of the cool things in this expansion is there's tension between him and Shuri like we haven't seen before about how best to move Wakanda forward."
Characters like Shuri and the Dora Milaje debut in the Wakanda Expansion which looks to put the King against Klaue. Klaue is collaborating with AIM to nab the country’s massive vibranium stores. He’ll use any method to achieve his goal including all-out, explosive carnage and activating giant sentry weapons. War for Wakanda’s is slated for launch at some point next month.
Do you think Christopher Judge has what it takes to star as King T’Challa? Sound off in the comments section with your opinions on the matter!
[Source: Entertainment Weekly]
Now that the beta periods are all a wrap, Pokémon Unite finally has a release date alongside new details about how to obtain Zeraora and a new trailer. The MOBA take on the Pokémon universe is a different sort of pivot, and now players interested can mark their calendars to check it out, because Pokémon Unite arrives on July 21 on Nintendo Switch
Following adventures like Pokémon Cafe' Mix and Pokémon Smile, Pokémon Unite continues to steer the "catch 'em all" franchise into unique directions, this time bringing some of the most iconic characters in Pokémon into a world not unlike other big MOBAs out there like League of Legends and DOTA 2. The latest trailer offers a closer look at what the game will have to offer, as well as when the cut-off is for snagging Unite license for Zeraora. Zeraora can close the distance between opponents at a drop of a hat to deal massive amounts of damage simultaneously. To get Zeraora, simply log into the Nintendo Switch version of Pokémon Unite before August 31. You'll want to grab it because its Unite move is Plasma Gale, which is basically a ginormous blast of lightning that can create a field of plasma that provides an impressive amount of AoE.
Click here to watch embedded mediaAs mentioned, Pokémon Unite is a MOBA strategy game, but one that is a little more simplified than what you'd see in something like League of Legends. Unite has also removed class counters, meaning you won't be penalized for your pocket monster of choice when going up against another like Charizard. Players will take part in a 5v5 battle to defeat wild Pokémon and to level up their own roster. Earn more points than the opposing team during a certain timeframe, and you can take the W for the entire match.
TiMi Studios, the company behind Pokémon Unite, says that the game is free to start but will offer optional in-game purchases.
Pokémon Unite arrives on Nintendo Switch on July 21, with a mobile release slated for sometime this September. You can also check out our recent New Gameplay Live in the video below to hear our thoughts on the upcoming PvP game.
Click here to watch embedded mediaAre you going to be diving into the Pokémon MOBA experience? Thoughts on Pokémon Unite so far? Shout 'em out loud and proud in the comment section below!