Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting Mario themed items in celebration of the mascot's 35th anniversary (which was last year, but we’re not complaining). In the next couple of weeks, players can dress their villagers up like Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Wario and unlock new items to turn their tropical island into their own personal Mushroom Kingdom. 

The update comes with several Mario themed furniture and decorative items, including question blocks, flag poles, thwomps, coins, and invincibility stars. Players can also place two warp pipes at different points on their island to instantly teleport between the two; it seems like a much faster, more fun way to get around than climbing a ladder and I expect those to be a huge hit regardless if the player likes Mario or not.

To access the items, players must first download a free update that goes live on February 25. Then, on March 1, players will be able to purchase the Mario items in the Nook Shopping terminal. 

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is wrapping up its big Valentine’s Day and Festivale events in the past few days, it’s nice to already have yet another big update to look forward to. What do you think of the new items? Let us know down in the comments! And for some more Animal Crossing goodness, check out this line of makeup inspired by the series as well as this villager inspired mod for Monster Hunter World.

During February's Nintendo Direct, the Big N shared our first look at The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for the Switch. To sweeten the deal, the company also shared our first look at a special edition set of new Joy-Cons fashioned after the iconic Zelda entry. 

The newest style of Joy-Cons represents the famous Hyrulean sword and shield with two shades of blue, the instantly recognizable symbols emblazed on the bottom of each controller and etched with a gold overlay. With a cerulean blue and a rich sky blue, the latest Joy-Cons are a stunning way to celebrate The Legend of Zelda series. 

Pictured above, you can see the details on the new Joy-Cons up close and personal. The newest peripherals are a perfect addition to the Switch's already impressive lineup. Still, I'm little sad not to see Wind Waker before Skyward, but we all win with Zelda, regardless. 

As for the Skyward Sword HD port to the Switch, the control scheme for the game has been remade specifically to be enhanced by how the handheld platform operates. Given that the original was motion-based, seeing the changes to the controls, as detailed by producer Eiji Aonuma, the Joy-Cons aim to take the previous motion controls and make them even better and "more intuitive" than the original. Also included in the HD Switch port is the ability to play docked or as in the handheld position, which is another exciting way to see the different ways the Switch gives players a fun and engaging gaming experience. 

The new Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Joy-Cons will arrive when the game itself does on July 16 for Nintendo Switch. 

What do you think about the special-edition Skyward Sword Joy-Cons? Were you hoping for a different Zelda experience to be announced? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity told a story about battles that preceded the fall of Hyrule in the Breath of the Wild storyline. While we didn't love everything about the game when it launched last year, it was unique to go back in time and see what was happening around Hyrule in the lead up to the era of Calamity Ganon. 

It seems our adventures in that pre-apocalyptic version of Hyrule are far from over, as Nintendo has announced an Expansion Pass for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Those who pick up the Expansion Pass are treated to two full waves of content, plus two bonus items, over the course of 2021.

The first wave is available in June and promises to expand the roster in addition to new weapon types, new challenges in the Royal Ancient Lab, and newly added challenging enemies. The second wave, available in November, adds new character vignettes, new stages, new additions to the roster, and new battle skills for existing characters. Anyone who purchases the Expansion Pass for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity also receives a new weapon and costume for Link beginning on May 28.

The Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Expansion Pass costs $20.