Free Games with Prime: the free PC games on Twitch Prime in June 2018

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey leaks: is this the sequel to Origins?

The best Nintendo Switch bundles and deals in May 2018

Nintendo Switch bundle deals have stepped up a gear now and we've seen huge numbers of them selling in recent months as retailers have put together packages with extra games, controllers or accessories. Stock levels are so much better now compared to last year too.

Bundles in the US are in seriously short supply this week. Whereas in the UK you can find plenty with the best Nintendo Switch games like Super Mario Odyssey, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe and more all with a decent discount too.

You'll find all the best Nintendo Switch bundles from reliable retailers below. We've also rounded up the best prices for extra Joy-Con controllers, Pro controllers and even some cheap Nintendo Switch memory cards.

If you're waiting for more games to arrive first, get your Ninty dose fixed with a cheap 3DS deal. We have a dedicated page of Switch deals for our Australian readers too.

The latest Nintendo Switch deals

Want to know where to buy a Nintendo Switch? Check out our comparison chart below for the latest Nintendo Switch prices. Below that you'll find the best value Nintendo Switch bundles with games/accessories. Don't forget, if you're buying the console on its own, the RRP is $299/£279, so you don't want to pay more than that unless you're getting some extras.

Note: US stock can be a bit hit and miss, but if you're struggling and don't want to wait, there are lots of Nintendo Switch deals on eBay.

Nintendo Switch bundles (USA)

We've highlighted our picks of the best Nintendo Switch bundles below. Just be aware that the game bundles don't really offer much of a discount over buying the items separately. We'll steer you clear of console bundles that actively charge you more than the regular combined RRP (not cool, guys!). There seems to be a genuine shortage of US Switch bundles at the moment, so you might be better off picking up a console on its own for now.

Nintendo Switch bundles (UK)

The UK scene for discounted Nintendo Switch deals is very competitive thanks to the large number of retailers trying to get your business. We usually find a strong selection of bundles every week nowadays, even in those quieter times of year not particularly known for sales. So take a look below for discounts on packages with games, hardware and accessories.

Nintendo Switch Q&A

As with any new console we imagine you're wanting to know a bit more about the console before you put any money down. So in addition to finding the best Nintendo Switch deals, we're going to help bring in answers to the burning questions.

What are the Joy-Con controllers?

The Joy-Con controller is actually a pair of controllers that attach to the sides the the Nintendo Switch when not in use or when playing in tablet form away from the TV. When playing the Nintendo Switch on the TV, you can remove them and play with one in each hand. The left hand gets a controller with an analogue stick and d-pad, the right hand handles the one with a second analogue and the usual A, B, X and Y face buttons. Or you and a friend can use one each in multiplayer games with the d-pad doubling up as impromptu face buttons. 

You get a pair with the console, but you might want to buy more to allow extra players to get involved in games like Mario Kart 8, FIFA 18 and many more. Or maybe you just fancy some different colors for your own use.

Extra Joy-Con deals

What's the Joy-Con Grip controller?

The Joy-Con Grip is an additional accessory that joins the two Joy-Con controllers together, forming something something a bit more solid for you to hold thanks to the extended handles and plastic block between the two sides. The square dimension form-factor may remind older gamers of the Dreamcast controller, while everyone else will mainly be thinking how it resembles an odd-looking dog face. Nintendo is providing one in the box with the Nintendo Switch, so you won't have to buy one separately. This won't charge your controller though and doesn't have a battery pack.

Nintendo Switch Pro controller deals

Yes and it doesn't come with the console. But you won't actually need one to play any games, so don't feel pressured in to buying one. The Nintendo Switch Pro controller is a more traditional-style pad and launched alongside the Nintendo Switch. Prices aren't cheap though, starting around $69.99/£64.99. There's currently no sign of a Nintendo Switch Premium Edition console with one included.

Do I need to buy extra controllers for multiplayer on Nintendo Switch?

Possibly not! Remember how the Joy-Con controller splits in two? Turn them sideways and you get two basic controllers, each with their own analogue stick and face buttons - the d-pad acts as face functions on the left controller. So far we've seen 2K's NBA series, Snipper Clips and Mario Kart being used this way for local multiplayer in both docked and tablet modes. So you get multiplayer functionality straight out of the box with no additional purchase required.

However, if you want to play four-player games, then you're going to need to invest in an extra pair of Joy-Con controllers or some Pro controllers. We'd buy the Joy-Cons as a pair (see our comparison chart above) as you'll save a bit of cash over buying them separately. Better yet, if your friends own a Switch, ask them to bring their controllers to the party!

Super Mario Odyssey deals

This has been one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch so far and an absolute must for Mario and platforming fans. Like Zelda below though, this being a first-party Nintendo title, it's taking forever to go down in price. It's slowly happening though, so we've rounded up the cheapest Super Mario Odyssey prices for you below. If you're not getting this game in a bundle, we'd strongly advise picking it up separately as soon as possible.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild deals

The reviews have heaped huge praise upon this eagerly awaited launch title, making it an essential purchase for any Nintendo Switch buyer. As with any new console, the prices of the big games can be more expensive than usual. We've shopped around for you though and have found the best prices for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Nintendo Switch. Take a look below.

Nintendo Switch Micro SD memory card deals

With only 32GB of internal storage, you'll be wanting to pick up a cheap memory card or two for your new Nintendo Switch for any digital purchases or the inevitable game-fixing patches. Don't fret though, they're actually surprisingly cheap, with even 64GB ones coming in at under £20/$25.

What memory cards does the Nintendo Switch need? Those will be Micro SD cards also known as, depending on their size, as MicroSDHC (up to 32GB) or MicroSDXC (up to a huge 2TB soon). Nintendo will be releasing their own branded cards, but you'll be paying more, just for a label. So for now, we'd take a look at this range of cheap MicroSDXC Nintendo Switch-friendly cards.

May 31, 2018 at 10:40PM
Brendan Griffiths

Roccat reveals Titan Switch Tactile, its own mechanical keyboard switch

If you want to be taken seriously in the PC gaming accessory space these days, you apparently need to develop your own mechanical key switch, as Roccat has with the Titan Switch Tactile.

The German maker of PC gaming headsets, keyboards, mice and more revealed the Titan Switch Tactile in a press release ahead of Computex 2018 set to kick off in Taipei, Taiwan next week at the time of writing.

Today, Roccat joins the likes of Creative, Logitech, Razer and more in having developed its very own mechanical key switches.

Developed in collaboration with mechanical keyboard switch maker TTC, the goal of the Titan Switch Tactile is to create a faster and more responsive switch than what’s available today. To that end, the actuation point of the keys was reduced from Roccat’s norm of 2mm to 1.8mm.

The duo has also reduced the time it takes for its switch to bounce back to its ready position by 20% from previous designs. According to Roccat, this was a matter of optimizing the Roccat firmware in conjunction with the new components, securing the stability of the switch.

Topping it all off are transparent keycaps that give users a peek into the mechanics of Roccat’s brand new switch as they’re using said keyboard. However, this design choice also allows for an even stronger keyboard backlighting system powered by Roccat’s AIMO software, which each switch containing its own LED capable of displaying 16.8 million different colors.

So, which keyboard will contain Roccat’s shiny new switches? The company plans to reveal that during Computex 2018 on June 5, so stay tuned for the latest on this and much more from the show.

• These are the best gaming keyboards we’ve tested this past year

May 31, 2018 at 10:29PM
Joe Osborne

The best Pokemon games: ranking from Gold to Go

Like that one person in your office that is always bouncing around energetically, Pokémon has been around for more than 20 years – since 1996 to be exact.

[Update: Nintendo has announced some new Pokemon games for Nintendo Switch that might eventually make their way to this list: Pokemon Let's Go Eevee and Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu. These games will be released on November 16 2018 and we can't wait to see how they stack up against the rest of the spin-off titles in this list.]

This evergreen franchise goes across seven generations, each of which stands on its own, but also improves on the last. The best Pokémon games will bring in new Pokémon, stories, villains, heroes and exciting new lands for players to explore and immerse themselves in. Now, 22 years after the series showed up on the Game Boy, there are around 27 mainline titles in the series – and it doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down any time soon, especially after the runaway success of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, not to mention the rumors swirling around about a mainline Pokémon entry, Pokémon Stars, on the Nintendo Switch.

In order to help keep everyone up to date with where the series is, has been, and is potentially headed, we here on the TechRadar editorial staff have compiled this list of the best Pokémon games that you can buy in 2018. We’ve also taken the liberty of ranking them from best to worst. That’s right, we make the calls here.

This is certainly going to be at least a little divisive, but we want to make ourselves clear: we really don’t think there’s a single bad Pokémon game. (It’s kind of hard to make a bad game when you basically stick to one proven formula)

But, unfortunately, we can’t avoid that some of the new regions and new Pokémon additions stand out more than others, and it's a given that some of the generations saw more significant and rewarding changes than others, and that’s really what we’re going to explore here.

Generation I may have been what introduced us to the wondrous world of Pokémon, but it’s in Generation II where Game Freak really got into a rhythm and brought the world to life.

In Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal we saw the implementation of a day-to-night cycle, days of the week and breeding. These features brought an exciting new depth to catching and battling Pokémon, and made it worth exploring at all times of day, especially as certain Pokémon could only be encountered at night. Increasing the number of Pokémon to 251 was a good move too, especially as one of them was Cyndaquil. No bias here.

Apart from these interesting and game-changing new additions, Generation II allowed you to explore the new region of Johto as well as Kanto from Generation I, which was not just a great gift to fans of Red and Blue, but made the game feel like it had a really big world. 

Gold and Silver released at the same time, as is tradition with Pokemon games, between 1999 and 2001, depending on which region you lived in. Later, though, Crystal released and managed to improve on Gold and Silver in major ways by adding a new subplot, the ability to choose your gender, and the Battle Tower which allowed players to try and fight as many battles as they could before taking a loss. 

HeartGold and SoulSilver were enhanced remakes of Gold and Silver released in 2010 that also included all of the the changes made in Crystal. If you ever get the chance to pick up these versions you definitely should, because even though they’re essentially remakes they are better than the originals, making it possible for Pokémon to visibly follow your character as Pikachu does in Pokémon Yellow. 

There are many other improvements introduced in HeartGold and SoulSilver which, combined with the power of nostalgia, make these two of the most exciting games in the series.

Nintendo also released ports of Gold and Silver on the 3DS virtual console on September 22, 2017, as part of their 20th anniversary celebration. 

Game Freak was hustling across Generations II and III of the Pokémon series, as Generation III saw the introduction of more interesting and necessitated changes. Continuing from Gold, Silver, and Crystal, Ruby and Sapphire gave us better animations, double battles, contests, secret bases and (to the relief of everyone) the ability to run.

At the time, a decent amount of these changes were divisive, and Ruby and Sapphire aren’t really the most beloved Pokémon games. Still, many of the new features, including secret bases and individual Pokémon natures, had a very positive influence on the direction that future games would take. Contests also added a new competitive dynamic that wasn’t entirely focused on battling. 

The music in Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald was amazing, and the Hoenn region felt like a really dramatic change for the series, bringing in a lot more water to the map. 

There were quite a few problems with these games, though, including the confusing change to the day and night cycle after it had worked so well in Gold and Silver, not to mention the frequently odd new Pokémon designs.

One of the biggest reasons that Generation III is so high on this list, is the release of the remakes Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire back in 2014. These remakes were great, not because they drastically changed the story, but because they added some new features and quality of life improvements that were successful in X and Y. Plus, seeing the Hoenn region in 3D was inspiring. 

When you play these remakes, you get a better sense of why Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald were such indispensable additions to the series.

You can still purchase Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire from many retailers, such as Amazon where it's priced $33.99, and GameStop US where you'll find it for $39.99. You can also get it on Nintendo's Virtual Console if you'd prefer to make a digital purchase for £39.99/$39.99. 

Generation VII is the latest addition to the Pokémon series and it encompasses Sun and Moon as well as Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. These games have changed up the series more than any other generation has in a very long time. 

Sun and Moon and their Ultra follow ups are the most graphically intense games in the series, and you can really tell they're pushing the 3DS console to its limits in their successful efforts to bring the Pokémon world more to life.  

Sun and Moon introduce the region of Alola, a region which is incredibly different to any other region not only in terms of visuals but also in gameplay structure. Gone are gyms – now there are island trials, and Totem Pokémon and themed challenges surrounding them. Even HMs have disappeared. 

Sun and Moon take Generation V’s attempt to craft a more involving story and Generation VI’s attempt to be more of a traditional RPG, and bring them together in a way that almost hits the mark. There is the drawback however, in that there are more un-skippable cut-scenes than ever before, and unfortunately they’re not always interesting, but you can tell Game Freak is working towards something good here.

Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon continue what Sun and Moon started, but rather than simply rehashing the same story in the kind of director's cut, they're more of an attempt to recreate the sequel structure we first saw with Black and White 2 in generation V. There's a brand new story involving dimensional wormholes, brand new legendary Pokemon and an attempt to continue the tale of Sun and Moons rather than re-tell it. 

Intriguingly, Game Freak took its foot off the pedal when it came to introducing new Pokémon in this generation, which is probably a good idea. With so much changing in Sun and Moon, it’s kind of nice not to have to contend with a frankly excessive number of new creatures. Instead, Game Freak focused on introducing Alolan variations of the original 151 Pokémon, which is an excellent compromise and something we wish had been done for previous regions.

Sun and Moon are the most unique Pokémon games in years, and breathe some much-needed new life into a series that was slowly beginning to stagnate.

You can find Pokémon Sun and Moon for £26.75 at Base.com or on the Nintendo eShop for £39.99. 

In the US you'll find it for $31 on Amazon and $39.99 on the Nintendo eShop. 

Generation V was the first Pokémon generation to have, instead of an expansion, a direct sequel, and it was also the generation that most notably dabbled in a different kind of storytelling.

The Pokémon games aren’t exactly known for their storytelling, but Black and White and their sequels did actually do a fairly good job of creating something that felt different and engaging, particularly after the fairly stagnant Generation IV.

In this generation, we went well over 600 Pokémon, and as a result some of the new additions here are pretty perplexing in terms of design. These games also made the controversial change of making it possible to use TMs more than once. This was a change that, while not unwelcome, did start to create the feeling that the Pokémon games were pandering slightly and becoming less challenging. 

The particularly great thing that Black and White 2 managed was that, although they were direct sequels, they still managed to hold their own as individual games. 

It was therefore easy to play Black and White 2 even if you hadn’t played the originals – or any other Pokémon game for that matter. Managing a level of depth that’s engaging while maintaining accessibility is a commendable achievement for Generation V. 

You can find Black and White on Amazon US for $41.85 and Amazon UK for £38.99.

While Version 2 for each game can be purchased on Amazon US from $39.95 and Amazon UK from £43.95.

Pokémon X and Y were a visual revolution for the Pokémon franchise, being the first games to be released on the 3DS console with truly 3D graphics.

Graphics in this entry were more gorgeous than they’d ever been, and we think we’ll always remember our first-ever time in Lumiose City. Additionally, we got a new type (fairy type), Mega Evolution, Pokémon-Amie and new character customization settings to go along with them.

Let’s not get too far, though, as X and Y do have the problem of trying to feel more like traditional RPG games without the compelling narrative to back them up.

You certainly get the sense the series is heading in a new directions with X and Y but the game still doesn’t quite know how much of the past games it should maintain. What you get, despite this, is a generation that’s a perfect gateway into the Pokémon series for those coming to it through Nintendo’s smaller mobile console. 

You can still find X and Y at many retailers. Amazon UK currently have it for £28 while it's on Nintendo's eShop for £39.99.

In the US it's $39.99 for both the physical copy at GameStop and on the Nintendo eShop in digital download.  

Now, while it may be near the bottom of this list of generations, that certainly doesn’t mean generation IV is bad in any way. Diamond, Platinum and Pearl came at a precarious time for the Pokémon series. It almost felt like the series was beginning to grow stale, and Game Freak was using these titles as something of a transition point before generation V’s changes. 

As a result, they’re games that play very well and offer a lot to enjoy, but they also don’t particularly stand out in memory for any particular reason. The Sinnoh region wasn’t really fresh or exciting, and the story and its legendary Pokémon aren’t exactly series high points. 

That said, Platinum did improve a lot for this generation, not just by adding numerous new Pokémon and improving the story, but also by refurbishing some of the cities and locations to make them a little more visually exciting. We’d definitely recommend picking up Platinum if you want to experience this generation. 

Generation IV is, however, at this point probably the most difficult to find, and you'll have more luck finding these titles pre-owned. 

They may have been the originals, it’s difficult to call the generation I games the best. They’re the first Pokémon games we played, and they serve as a great introduction to the series. When they were first released they were consolidated into the anime, movies and merchandise very well. Now, however, it’s hard to deny that they’ve aged. 

Don’t get us wrong – they’re still completely wonderful, a gold mine of nostalgia and frankly essential to play, but we’re trying to tear off our rose-colored glasses here. They’ll always hold the title of being the originals, but next to later generations they appear kind of dull. It’s hard to imagine that someone new to Pokémon in this day and age could be convinced to continue playing by Generation I alone. 

For those of us who love them for the nostalgia, though, we’re glad to say Nintendo has made Red, Blue and Yellow available on the virtual console. 

Generation I will take you back to basics with a limited color palette, the original 151 Pokemon and the comfortable region of Kanto. These can be good or bad things. 

Though the overall Pokémon story and gameplay haven’t actually changed too much over the years, there have been many quality-of-life features added since that you may not even have noticed dramatically improved gameplay.

There’s also the fact that though the original 151 are great Pokémon, there really are some great additions in the later generations, and going back, 151 can actually feel a little limiting. They're not all great, either. Ekans is a snake, and its name is snake backwards; let's not fool ourselves into saying the Pokémon series was at its creative peak here. 

FireRed and LeafGreen are now likely the best way to experience this generation in terms of adding new features and improving visuals, but they’re not the easiest games to get your hands on for a decent price. 

However, you can pick up Red, Blue and Yellow on the Nintendo Virtual Console for $9.99/£8.99. We recommend Yellow just to see Pikachu following you around. 

This release on 3DS is far from the usual Pokemon fare. Like other spin-offs in the Pokemon franchise Detective Pikachu doesn't follow the route of asking you to catch 'em all and it completely stands on its own. It's also one of the most unique spin-offs we've seen from the series in years.

Here you'll play a young boy called Tim who joins up with the eponymous Detective Pikachu (no direct relation to Ash's Pikachu as far as we know) to solve a wide array of cases a'la the Ace Attorney series and unravel an overarching mystery around Tim's father. A word of warning here: Pikachu speaks in this game but his voice is so gruff and his attitude so snarky that it's completely welcome. 

Detective Pikachu isn't a challenging game by any means but its character relationships and completely fresh take on the Pokemon universe make it well worth playing. 

It’s not all colors and gemstones in the Pokémon game world. Outside of the mainline handheld titles, there are myriad side games released on both home and handheld consoles. 

Unlike the core games developed by Game Freak, these titles cross a variety of genres and come from a range of developers…

We're being gently nudged with our nostalgia with this choice, but we will say that we replayed Pokémon Snap on Nintendo 64 very recently and were shocked by  how well it held up. 

Pokémon Snap was an amazing spin-off because though the premise is weird on paper, in practice it just clicks. Pokémon Snap let you enjoy the Pokémon world and the creatures that fill it in a way that didn’t focus on battling, and its pace was very soothing

The goal of the game was to be guided around a variety of highly thematically specific locations on Pokémon Island, and take photos of the Pokémon that inhabit said areas for Professor Oak’s latest research project.

Though the game was simple on the surface, for those willing to dig deeper it had a noticeable degree of depth and replay value. To this day it’s one of the most interesting and memorable Pokémon games, spin-off or not.

Pokémon Conquest is another Pokémon spin-off that stands out thanks to its unique approach and a knack to make a strange concept work against all odds. 

Made for Nintendo DS, Pokémon Conquest is essentially a game where the core Pokémon games meets the Japanese series Nobunaga’s Ambition. What you get from this meeting is a turn-based strategy title set in a Pokémon-populated feudal Japan.

In Pokémon Conquest combat still involves the tactical element of Pokémon types being strong and weak against one another. 

However, it demands another layer of planning, as rather than trainer-versus-trainer battles you’ll find battlefields that can have up to six Pokémon on each side. Each Pokémon is matched to its own warrior trainer, and it’s up to you to build the best team here to make victory more likely.

It’s not just battling in Conquest, either – there’s a story, and it’s a good one. In fact, Conquest offers some of the best writing and world-building across any of the Pokémon games, mainline titles included. 

Pokémon Ranger is a different take on the core series’ RPG gameplay for Nintendo DS in that it allows you to explore a different way people in the Pokémon world live and work with Pokémon. 

In this collection of games you play a ranger who temporarily captures and tames wild Pokémon, both to help them and to use their unique abilities to complete objectives and explore. Rather than training to be the very best, you’re solving ecological problems and defeating criminals; really, you’re much more of an obvious force for good in these games. 

The Ranger series makes good use of the Nintendo DS’s touchscreen in the capture process, which doesn’t involve any of those restrictive PokéBalls, and the graphics and environments are always bright and generally delightful. 

This is a series for altruistic Pokémon players, and it only grows in scope with each release.

Mystery Dungeon is an interesting spin-off in that it has you play as an actual Pokémon rather than any kind of human character. If you love taking Hogwarts house quizzes you’ll love the start of these games, as you're asked to take a short personality quiz in order to determine which Pokémon you should play.

When you start playing as your designated Pokémon you form a small team with other Pokémon, and take on missions across Mystery Dungeons. Your team is largely autonomous, but you can guide them slightly for strategic purposes.

Gameplay is turn-based, as is the Pokémon way, but battles and exploration aren’t as distinct here, so whether you’re taking a step, attacking, or using an item it counts as one turn. Though the games are repetitive, they’re still fun, and it’s refreshing to be able to have adventures as a Pokémon with other Pokémon in the way that a small number of anime episodes showed. 

Pokken Tournament is another Pokémon spin-off that puts players in the shoes of a Pokémon rather than a trainer, but here the focus is almost entirely on Pokémon battles alone. 

Essentially, Pokken Tournament is like if you took Pokémon and Tekken and combined them into one game. The combat mechanics will be very recognizable to anybody who's played games like Tekken or Street Fighter, but naturally, if you’re a Pokémon fan, there’s the added bonus that you could be fighting as your favorite pocket monster. 

But, unfortunately, there’s a catch: the number of Pokémon you get to choose from is kind of limited, but this does mean that each character feels distinct as a fighter, which makes forming a strategy much easier. 

It’d be pretty difficult to put the 800 Pokémon we now have in a game like this without making choosing one an exercise in torture (not to mention the balancing), but you can’t help but feel disappointed when you can't play as your favorite. 

For players who are interested in the more competitive side of gaming, Pokken Tournament certainly seems to be finding its feet in the area of eSports, which makes it an interesting game to watch as well as play. 

Plus, as of right now, Pokken Tournament is the only Pokémon game that’s available on the Nintendo Switch, so that should be a nice added bonus.

Before Pokémon Stadium launched way back in 1998, there were innumerable calls to bring Pokémon to Nintendo 64 in thrilling 3D. When it eventually happened, it wasn’t entirely what everyone expected or even wanted, but at least we still got a great game.

Pokémon Stadium strips away the RPG and story elements of the main series to focusing on battling, and becoming the very best Pokémon trainer there ever was. It’s Pokken before Pokken, and it was extremely successful. Though Stadium mostly focused on battling and rising through the ranks, there were also enjoyable mini-games to play. 

It was legitimately exciting to see your favorite Pokémon from Red and Blue battling in 3D on the big screen – and things only improved when the sequel added Generation 2 creatures a few years later.

It would be easy to assume that Colosseum was just going to be an ill-disguised update to Pokémon Stadium for Gamecube, but it actually ended up being more than that. Naturally it had something similar to Stadium’s arena battles, but it also included some of the RPG elements that Stadium opted to leave out. 

Rather than capturing Pokémon through random encounters, players were able to ‘snag’ corrupted shadow versions of other trainers’ Pokemon. The player could then save these corrupted Pokémon by purifying them through continued battling. It was as dark as it sounds.

This was definitely a different way to capture Pokémon, and it didn’t appeal to everyone. That said, Colosseum was otherwise a pretty solid offering with great graphics. Battling had never looked better, and there were several modes to be enjoyed in single and multiplayer.

A follow-up titled XD also focused on shadow Pokémon, but it added the ability to capture wild Pokémon in the way we were used to. This was, however, only possible in a small number of designated spots in the game world, which kind of took some of the randomness out of the idea of random encounters. XD also re-used a lot of content from the original Colosseum, which drags the games down in our estimation.

Hey You, Pikachu! is like Pokémon meets Nintendogs. It was developed for Nintendo 64, and used the console’s relatively under-utilized voice recognition unit to allow players to interact with their pet Pikachu.

Throughout the game you tag along with Pikachu, taking part in a variety of mini-games that range from fishing to picnicking, building your friendship as you go. It was simple (perhaps overly so) but it was fun, and we still think the game should be re-made for the Nintendo 3DS. Give us the choice between a Pikachu and a dachshund and we're not even going to hesitate, Nintendo. 

Pokémon Go is a more recent spin-off, and it’s also probably the most recognizable to those who aren’t already Pokémon fans. After all, it would’ve been hard to get through the summer of 2016 without seeing someone with their eyes glued to their phone playing this game. 

Pokémon Go is a great game because it’s so accessible, and it takes you out into the real world to catch Pokémon in a way we dreamed of throughout our childhoods. It’s not without its problems, and interest has definitely waned, but it’s being constantly updated by Niantic, and we can see it continuing to improve over the years. It’s definitely more than a Flash in Dark Cave. 

Trozei is pretty much Tetris for Nintendo DS that’s been modified to include Pokémon. Instead of colored blocks you have small Pokémon icons falling from the sky, and using the console’s touchscreen you order the characters to clear the space against the clock. It’s not groundbreaking, but Trozei is a fun puzzle game, and it made nice use of the different Pokémon types to introduce bonuses and combos.

The first Pokémon Pinball was the earliest Pokémon spin-off, coming out not long after Red and Blue, and it’s still one of the best. We all played the pinball game that came on the old Windows systems, we're sure, and we all loved it (we're also sure), so meshing this kind of gameplay with Pokémon was always going to work – especially since the ball was a PokéBall.

Colorful, fast-paced and fun, Pokémon Pinball is a spin-off classic.

May 31, 2018 at 10:22PM
Emma Boyle

GTA 6: all the latest news and rumors for Grand Theft Auto 6

Rockstar Games may be hard at work trying to bring Red Dead Redemption 2 to fans before its October release date, but we can't stop ourselves thinking about GTA 6 and when we might hear some kind of confirmation or release date.

Grand Theft Auto 5 has been one of the most successful game releases in the world and even though we're still enjoying GTA Online, it's now been around five years since we were last let loose in a new Rockstar city and we're starting to curious about where we might go next. 

There's very little in the way of solid news when it comes to Grand Theft Auto 6, but like the dedicated fans we are, we've trawled through the internet to bring together the best pieces of gossip, rumor and fact for your perusal. 

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The highly anticipated next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series
• When it is out? That’s the internet’s biggest mystery
• Will it launch on PC? Both GTA 4 and 5 made their way to PC (eventually), so we’ve got all our appendages crossed

GTA 6 release date : when can I play it?

With Red Dead Redemption out in October 2018 you’re going to be waiting a little while longer for a GTA 6 release date. 

According to some reports, we could be waiting until 2020 for the next Grand Theft Auto, which would make sense. Rockstar has supported GTA Online, the multiplayer component of GTA 5, since the game launched back in September 2013 with regular content updates. 

If Red Dead Redemption 2’s online component is in any way similar to GTA Online, no doubt Rockstar will be busy with that for a few years to come. 

After three years of GTA Online, the company was ready to do Red Dead Redemption 2, so perhaps three years after that we’ll see GTA 6 – slap bang in 2020. 

According to reputable industry analyst Michael Pachter, the game could be as far away as 2022.

In an interview with Gaming Bolt, Pachter said that he thinks a 2020 announcement with a 2021 release would be the best case scenario, while a 2021 announcement with a 2022 release or later would be more likely. 

Basically, expecting any news of GTA 6 any time soon is optimistic. We think it would make sense if the game followed the release pattern of its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto 5, whereby it'd release at the very tail end of the current generation, comfortably release on the new generation and straddle both for the widest install base possible.

GTA 6 trailer: when can I watch one?

The thing about Rockstar Games is that it’s incredibly secretive. No trailer is getting out of that game studio unless someone seriously screwed up. 

Just look what Rockstar did with both GTA 5 and Red Read Redemption 2. It teased an announcement a few days before dropping the first trailer for either game. 

If there’s a GTA 6 trailer, you’ll know about it because the internet will explode.

GTA 6 news and rumors: what do we know so far?

The Know report on Vice City

The most recent significant Grand Theft Auto 6 rumor has come from YouTube channel The Know. It states that an inside source has told it that GTA 6 is coming in 2021/2022 and is being developed under the code name Project Americas.

The reason for this code name is apparently because players will be able to fly between the US and South America in the game, though the majority of the action will take place in the former. This in combination with the source's assertion that the game will largely be set in Vice City (the Rockstar version of Miami) suggests there could be a focus on drug running which would draw on the popularity of shows and movies like Narcos and Tom Cruise's Made in America. Particularly if Rockstar holds on to that 80s setting.

With no comment from Rockstar, these rumors remain nothing more than, well, rumors. But they do pose an interesting proposition that would seize upon the particular fondness many fans of the series have for Vice City

GTA 6 is definitely coming and there are ideas

What we do know about GTA 6 is that ideas are being thrown around for development, even if it’s just in the early stages. 

Rockstar President Leslie Benzies teased the game in an interview back in 2013 with Develop magazine. 

“We don’t know what GTA 6 will be, but we’ve got some ideas,” said Benzies in the interview. 

Okay, so it’s not much, but it’s certainly a snippet of solid information direct from the source. 

Benzies went on to talk about what kind of ideas get the creative juices flowing over at Rockstar. 

“We’ve got about 45 years’ worth of ideas we want to do,” he added. “We’ll pick the right ones.”

“It comes from the idea first. Where it is going to be set is the first question. That then defines the missions; you’re doing different things in LA than in New York or Miami.

“The map and story get worked up together, and the story is a basic flow of how it works out so you can layer the mission in.”

We’re just pleased that Rockstar has so many ideas for what it wants to do with GTA 6. We just hope it sorts them into some kind of organised system and gets that game to us sharpish. 

GTA 6 map: where will GTA 6 be set?

Although there haven’t been any concrete reports as yet, every online titbit and juicy gossip morsel is pointing towards GTA 6’s map being absolutely massive. 

We’re even not talking city-size massive, we’re talking potentially the entire of the United States massive. 

Some rumors are suggesting that GTA 6 may end up spanning the entirety of the US, with some kind of teleportation system that cuts down the journey time between cities. 

There are even some incredibly exciting rumours that Rockstar Games might have a ‘70s theme up its sleeve, so crack out those old bell-bottoms and disco balls.

But there’s also another rumour that’s gathering strength, which would put GTA 6 a little closer to Rockstar Games’ British home – a London setting. 

The reports actually started with a comment from Rockstar Games’ co-founder Dan Houser:

“At the moment, it feels like GTA’s DNA is contemporary-ish, American-ish, English-speaking-ish, because that’s what it has been… But that doesn’t necessarily limit it to those, that’s just what we’ve done so far.”

Rockstar Games sources suggest that London is the only non-US location to be whispered as a potential GTA setting.  

For our money, we think a return to Vice City is on the cards, which would tie in to the 70s setting rumor mentioned above. A recent report from The Know suggests that a return to Vice City in the 80s is actually in the works and that players will explore the rise in drugs at the time through the missions. In this rumored game, players will move between Vice City and South America which would create a very interesting and entirely new kind of map.

The GTA 3 trilogy was set across three locations, Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas. This mirrored the original Grand Theft Auto Game, which was also set across the same three locations. 

The most recent Grand Theft Auto games, GTA4 and GTA5, have so far been set in Liberty City and San Andreas respectively, meaning that Vice City is the only location yet to be explored by the recent games. 

The only question now is whether Rockstar will be tempted to complete the set. 

GTA 6 rumors

1. A female protagonist

When asked about a female protagonist for GTA 5, instead of three male heroes (or anti-heroes), Rockstar co-founder and lead writer Dan Houser said in an interview with The Guardian back in 2013 that a female lead wasn’t really on the table, but not intentionally.

“We didn’t really think about it this time,” Houser said. “That’s not to say that we couldn’t or we wouldn’t. This character set is just what came to us: it wasn’t, ‘we’ve got X and Y so we need Z’. We weren’t trying to do it off a checklist – I don’t think that will ever give you something that’s believable or engaging.”

“In the future, could we do a game with a female lead? Of course. We just haven’t found the right game for it yet, but it’s one of the things that we always think about.”

“It didn’t feel natural for this game but definitely for the right game in the future - with the right themes, it could be fantastic. But for GTA 5, this was the organic thing that came up, these were the characters that would display the themes we wanted to think about.”

Fans have long clamoured for a female hero in a Grand Theft Auto game, and the rumours have it that 

Likelihood: Strong. A female lead would be a fantastic choice for GTA 6 and would be a wonderful change from all the murdered prostitutes. 

2. Eva Mendez and Ryan Gosling

Rumours of a female protagonist are super exciting, but there’s more. 

Apparently, Eva Mendez is top of Rockstar’s list for playing said hero. 

But again, there’s more. There’s a male lead on the list too and it’s none other than global heart-throb Ryan Gosling, who also just happens to be her real-life husband. 

Likelihood: Questionable. GTA is a major gaming franchise that’s incredibly famous, especially outside of the gaming industry, so it’s possible some big names could be involved, but we’re not convinced. 

3. Full support for virtual reality

Another GTA 6 rumour involves virtual reality and according to the online rumblings, you may be able to play the entirety of GTA 6 in VR. 

Specific headsets haven’t been mentioned, but since this is probably just a rumour we’re not that bothered.

Likelihood: Questionable. GTA 6 might have a VR experience attached to it but playing the whole game in virtual reality would be insane. 

Unless we’ve seen huge leaps in virtual reality in the years between now and the GTA 6 release date playing a whole GTA game in VR would prove testing for most stomachs. 

Fast-paced, action-packed and played in long sessions, a VR GTA (in its current form at least) wouldn’t work. 

4. Time travel or another futuristic twist

With the murmurings of a seriously big map for GTA 6, there are also some rumours of time travelling being a major part of the game. 

Yes… seriously.

This isn’t Saints Row we’re talking about, but apparently there may be a futuristic twist to GTA 6. 

According to a report from ChristianToday – really – the game will give players “the taste of time travel” where “teleportation [is] possible within a split-second”. 

Likelihood: Utterly ridiculous. There are hilarious side-missions in GTA games, but having time travelling as a main gameplay mechanic is just not in Rockstar’s DNA. 

Plus, ChristianToday has no screenshots, sources or any kind of proof, so we’re certainly sceptical. 

5. Playing as either a cop or a criminal

Another potential for the GTA 6 storyline is that you have the decision to play either as a cop or as a criminal. Or at least, if GTA 6 adopts the multiple protagonist feature of GTA 5, one of the characters you play as could be a police officer. 

Likelihood: Strong. We could totally see this working, especially with the potential mayhem that could ensue if you’re playing a Trevor-style character half the time and a cop the other. 

May 31, 2018 at 10:19PM
Sam Loveridge,Emma Boyle

Anthem trailer, release date and news

[Update: We already know that Anthem is going to be making an appearance at EA Play this year and now it's being teased by the official Anthem Twitter and Facebook pages. Things have been pretty quiet since the game was delayed but now the Facebook page has changed its cover photo, while the Twitter page has posted a mysterious tweet that's embedded below. We don't know what exactly this tweet means but it's certainly not long until we find out.]

Article continues below...

E3 is always full of surprises, and one announcement we weren't expecting at E3 2017 was a whole new game from BioWare, called Anthem.

From the short trailer shown at EA Play keynote we got a tiny glimpse of the game world wall that's the only thing that separates the civilized world from a dangerous and savage animals. Exosuits also seem to play a big part in surviving in the wilderness, and a player might jump into them as part of the game.

But while EA gave us our first taste of the game and what we might find in its Pandora-esque world, Microsoft gave us our first true look at its keynote presentation. 

BioWare describes Anthem as "a new game from EA's BioWare studio, explore a landscape of primeval beauty, confront the dangers you find, and grow in power with every step".

It's the first game BioWare has unveiled since its polarizing Mass Effect Andromeda, and it looks to build on BioWare's legacy of great Sci-Fi games.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? BioWare's newest IP
• When can I play it? March 2019
• What can I play it on? To be announced

Release date

When it was first announced at E3 2017, Anthem was slated for a Fall 2018 release. However, in January 2018 a report emerged from Kotaku that the game will be delayed until early 2019.

Kotaku's report is based on the word of three sources closes to the project, one of whom said that the 2018 release date was "never realistic." There is, the report says, now a feeling in BioWare that the future of the company is tied to Anthem and its success. 

It's for this reason that work on the studio's other titles, Star Wars: The Old Republic and the next Dragon Age, is now reportedly being done by much smaller teams.

There is, according to the report, no exact date decided for 2019 and "Anthem’s developers must also plan for a beta release, an EA Access launch, and an ongoing schedule of patches and updates." 

It's unlikely, however, the EA will allow development to delay the game any later than March 2019, as that's when the company's fiscal year ends.

EA later confirmed that the game would in fact be launching in early 2019, and during a May 2019 financial call with analysts confirmed a release window of March 2019 for Anthem. 

News and rumors

March 2019 release window confirmed

In a recent financial call (via Eurogamer), EA has confirmed a release window of March 2019 for Anthem. This would put Anthem in the slot EA traditionally held for BioWare's Mass Effect series. Though EA is trying to be conservative in its expectations for Anthem, stating during the call that it's a new IP and coming at the end of a financial year, it will no doubt be hoping for more success than Mass Effect Andromeda had. 

The development team is hard at work for the E3 demo

It's not long at all until Anthem's first gameplay demo launches during EA Play in June 2018 and the development team has said it's hard at work on polishing the demo. Commenting on a post on Reddit, the game's creative director Brenon Holmes said that  “Everyone is currently working pretty hard! We’re doing a lot of iterating and polish on the content that will be the focus for EA Play / E3.”

It'll have a big focus on story

Anthem's developer BioWare has promised a big story for Anthem after Mass Effect Andromeda fell short of fan expectations. Writing in a blog post, the studio's general manager Casey Hudson emphasised the importance of world, character and storytelling and promised that they would be a part of Anthem, "a game designed to create a whole new world of story and character that you can experience with friends in an ongoing series of adventures." Hudson goes on to say that though it will be unlike "anything you've ever played", if it's done as planned it will still feel "very distinctly BioWare."

Hudson said that he plans to continue using the blog to update fans on the development process of the game.

It'll be at EA Play in June 2018

EA has promised that Anthem will feature at EA Play in June 2018, with a playable demo at the event. 

EA meets its Destiny in Anthem

The premise we know so far is that humanity is holed up in a bastion, cut off from the outside world. Venturing out, it appears, requires a suit of armor that will help fend off the wilds of the Pandora-esque planet.

EA is describing it as "a shared-world action RPG where Freelancers challenge the wilds past the wall, exploring a vast world filled with savage beasts and ruthless marauders, but also teeming with amazing technology and forgotten treasures". If this sounds like Destiny, you're not crazy. 

"Players will be able to join with their friends to unravel the world's mysteries and defeat the forces plotting to conquer humanity." 

Okay, this is Destiny. 

"Throughout their journeys, players can outfit their Freelancers with powerful Javelin exosuits, each of which are equipped with unique weapons and abilities. Freelancers can customize their Javelin with gear they earn and craft throughout the adventure, and leave a lasting mark on the world".

Admittedly, the word Freelancers make the game sound a bit more like a Borderlands game than Destiny, but considering that your class is determined by which Javelin you have on, we're still seeing Destiny written all over it. 

When Anthem was first announced, taking on Destiny 2 seemed like a tall order, but now that Destiny 2 appears to be having some growing pains, Anthem may be able to seize on a dissatisfied playerbase. 

Life after Andromeda

Anthem will be BioWare's first title after the somewhat polarizing Mass Effect: Andromeda. 

Anthem will, apparently, be a science fantasy game more in the vein of Star Wars and offerings from the Marvel universe, rather than hard core science fiction title like Mass Effect BioWare Edmonton general manager Aaryn Flynn has revealed.

In a recent interview with CBC Flynn said that like these franchises Anthem will be a game in which "you see a lot of amazing things happening but we don't worry too much about why they are happening or how they are happening; the science of it.“

BioWare has dipped its toes into the science fantasy genre before with titles such as the RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the online multiplayer game Star Wars: The Old Republic. Anthem will, apparently, be much more along these lines and "much more about just having fun in a game world that is really lush and exotic and really sucks you in." Unlike Mass Effect, which Flynn says was a "more a real hard core science fiction IP."

Taking this into account, alongside the game's more online multiplayer leanings, and it seems like BioWare is certainly attempting to step into a space currently dominated by games such as Destiny. It'll be exciting to see what else a developer with so accomplished a background in lore-heavy single player storytelling can bring to this genre. 

• Looking for some games to play right now? These are our picks of the best PS4 games

May 31, 2018 at 06:09PM
Kevin Lee,Emma Boyle

PlayStation Plus June 2018: all the free PS4 games you can get this month

Crackdown 3 release date, trailers and news

Updated: After some fan concern that cancelled Amazon Spain pre-orders indicated Crackdown 3 has been delayed or cancelled, Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has said that's not the case. Taking to Twitter, Greenberg clarified that the issue had been a result of a technical problem on Amazon's end and that the development team were still hard at work. We think it's likely we'll hear more about Crackdown 3 and its release during E3.]

Original article continues below...

First announced back at E3 in 2014, Crackdown 3 has walked the knife-edge of vaporware, often going months without any update. For instance, the game’s official site’s last blog post was eight months ago. However, what has been shown in the past proves it to be one of the most promising games coming to Xbox One, and a project that can really take advantage of the upcoming Xbox One X.

The killer feature that everything else in Crackdown 3 is hooked on is destruction, although this wasn't present at the E3 2017 showing, which focussed more on the game's offline single-player mode.  

While online, everything in Crackdown 3’s city can be destroyed, using a cloud-based physics calculations system. Fire enough rockets into a building and it will topple and fall, crushing any buildings, vehicles, and hapless players in its path.

Ahead of its scheduled release later this year we’ve gathered all the news, rumors and info about the game into one place. Gear up agent, this is everything you need to know about Microsoft’s next big exclusive.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The elusive sequel to one of Xbox 360’s best exclusives
• When it is out? Spring 2018
• What platforms will it be on? Xbox One, Xbox One X and PC

Crackdown 3 trailers and images

At E3 2017 we were treated to a brand new trailer for the game featuring Terry Crews. 

If you want a more historical view, this is what the destruction tech underpinning Crackdown 3 looked like three years ago:

Impressive, but a little sterile.

Now, this is what it looks like with a nice coating of Crackdown 3:

IGN was able to capture more than 15 minutes of the game in action, which gives us the best look of the state of the game two years ago:

Finally, this is the last footage of Crackdown 3 release, the team showed what happened if you laid out hundreds of explosive barrels and started firing at them without consideration for your poor console’s processor:

Crackdown 3 release date

It was announced in August 2018, just a few months before the game's planned November release date, that Crackdown 3 would be delayed until early Spring 2018. 

Crackdown 3 hands on impressions

We had the chance to try out the game's single-player mode for ourselves at E3 2017, where we were free to roam around a small portion of the city. 

In our demo we were left to our own devices without any pressing mission objectives to get in the way. Naturally this meant that we focussed our attention on collecting agility orbs, which are collectable items that, as their name suggests, make your character more agile. 

The combination of a hefty double jump and a dash move meant that we could scale a large building with relative ease. The downside of this is that the game can feel very floaty, with our character's lack of weight very apparent. 

Weapons have a forgiving amount of lock-on to them, and the close-up weapons  felt especially satisfying to use. 

Beyond this, we didn't discover much about the game that wasn't known before. For all intents and purposes this is a very similar feeling game to the Crackdown games that have come before, albeit with a map that's over twice the size. 

Crackdown 3 confirmed features

Besides showing off the game’s technology, Microsoft and the game’s developers have kept their lips sealed about the larger story and gameplay of Crackdown 3. There are some things we’re certain about, though.

100% destructible (multiplayer) environments

The tentpole feature of Crackdown 3 is its destruction. There is a scale and detail to its demolition like nothing we’ve seen in a game before. You can start small, shooting a hole in a wall to create a sniper spot, or you can carve out the bottom floor of a tower block and watch the thing topple in real time, raining debris on the city below.

While some of the rendering work is done on your machine, the destruction has been made possible by cloud-based computing, with most of the calculation work being offloaded to other machines. This solution apparently increases the processing power of the Xbox One by more than 20 times. 

Unfortunately, this level of destruction is only available in the game’s multiplayer modes. In the campaign, even if played in co-op, you will only have access to a limited level of destruction to avoid having to keep the console constantly connected to the internet. 

A city that responds to your actions

Although the single-player city can't be destroyed, Sumo Digital was keen to emphasise that you'll still have a big impact on the city. 

Destroy enemy outposts and you'll find that others are reinforced, making them harder to take on. 

This essentially means that, although you'll be able to approach your targets in any order, the difficulty will scale with how many you've taken down. 

A completely non-linear campaign

Right from the beginning of the game you're free to explore the entire city and go wherever you want. You're not just unrestricted in a physical sense, but in terms of the game's story you're also free to proceed however you wish. 

While the developers said that there will eventually be a kingpin to take down, they stopped short of describing exactly who it is. 

What they did say was that you're free to go about finding your way to them however you please, although whatever route you take is going to involve a whole load of explosions. 

Attacking enemies across the city will raise the ire of the various heads of the criminal empire, who'll then be forced to reveal themselves as they send their troops after you. 

We like the look of this openness, but we worry that it might end up making the game feel repetitive. Thankfully it seems like there'll be plenty of different ways to go about making trouble in the city, such as attacking monorail stations or rescuing prisoners. 

Co-op campaign

Since the first Crackdown the series has supported co-op in the main campaign, this feature is returning in Crackdown 3. As with Crackdown 2, it can be played with four players. 

To get into co-op, up to three players jump into the host's city. Ultimately this means that any progress made will only apply for one player, although if you continue to play as the same group then this won't matter so long as the same person acts as host each time. 

Agility orbs are back

Agility orbs, a Crackdown trademark, are making a return. This glowing balls, hidden all around the game’s city are, depending on who you speak to, the best or the worst thing about Crackdown. Every orb you collect increases your character’s abilities but there are hundreds of them, many of them hidden away in hard to reach places. If you ask us, Crackdown has a lot to answer for with the current state of collect-athons in games.

Crackdown 3 rumors and news

The rumors surrounding Crackdown 3 haven’t been so much about what will be in the game but what state the game’s development was in.

It's definitely coming  

The head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, has spoken. On Twitter, Spencer confirmed that there's a date locked in for the game and that there's a plan in place with more details coming soon.  

Rough development

While Crackdown 3 is supposedly on track now, according to industry insider shinobi602, someone who’s leaks have often been right on the money, claimed earlier this year that “development was rough”. He added that “there's still issues but nothing like Scalebound.” Microsoft famously canned Scalebound earlier this year.

Crackdown 3 wishlist

There is still a lot about Crackdown 3 we don’t know but our hopes for the game are that it will plug the gaps left in the first two games.

Flying vehicles

Crackdown’s cities have always begged to be seen from the air. While your character could eventually leap great distances, they couldn’t take to the skies indefinitely. We’d love to see a jet join your agency issue car, finally giving you the tools to explore the city how it was meant to be seen.

Just imagine crashing it through a fully destructible skyscraper!

A final boss you can kill at the start of the game

Bear with us, this isn’t as strange as it seems. So, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild shook up the open world genre in a lot of ways, but one of its best was the game’s structure. Rather than have you gradually unlock chunks of the world, you were given everything immediately, including the ability to march straight to the centre of Hyrule and right the game’s final boss, Calamity Gannon.

Neat idea. Except, Realtime Worlds wanted to do this 15 years ago with the original Crackdown.

Talking to Kotaku UK, Ruffian Games’ Billy Thomson, who worked on Crackdown and Crackdown 2, said that “Dave [Jones] really likes games that have got absolutely no structure at all, completely freeform. [...] To the point that the guy that was meant to be the final kingpin could be killed at the very start.”

At the time, that design ethos created a lot of problems so the team didn’t fully embrace Jones unstructured approach. Crackdown 3 promises to allow you to approach its campaign in whatever order you please, but will it go far enough?

• Here's to hoping Crackdown 3 is good enough to join our list of the best Xbox One games.

May 31, 2018 at 04:40PM
Julian Benson,Jon Porter

Crackdown 3 hasn’t been cancelled, says Microsoft

Following Amazon Spain’s recent cancellation of pre-orders for Crackdown 3 and the resulting panic from fans that there had been another delay – or worse: a cancellation – Microsoft has promised that there’s nothing to worry about.

Taking to Twitter, Microsoft’s general manager of games marketing, Aaron Greenberg, sought to reassure fans that the issue was due to a technical fault on Amazon’s side and that “the team continues to work hard on the game.” 

While assuming that cancellations of pre-orders in one region means cancellation of a game outright may seem like a conclusion jump of, well, Crackdown proportions, it’s not surprising that fans are concerned. 

Cause for concern

Following its reveal at E3 2014, Crackdown 3 has faced multiple delays. The game even had a firm release date in 2017 until it was pushed into an unspecified time in 2018. Plus, Microsoft has somewhat abruptly cancelled games before.

However, this time it looks like fans have nothing to worry about. 

The last we heard, Crackdown 3 was due to have a Q2 or Q3 release date for this year and we’re not quite at the end of Q2 yet so there’s certainly still time left. We imagine Microsoft will want to give the game its final release date and one last push at this year’s E3 before launch. 

• Everything we know about E3 2018

May 31, 2018 at 03:55PM
Emma Boyle

TechRadar’s World Cup of Computers: it's all kicking off

Atari’s all-new gaming console is available for pre-order

Atari’s upcoming video game console, the Atari VCS, is now available for pre-order.

With a release date poised for mid-2019, the once-legendary developer and publisher is looking to re-establish itself in the hardware space with a retro-inspired platform capable of playing both classic and modern games, with promise of online capability and support for 4K resolution. 

After a curious campaign on Indiegogo to fundraise for development of the console last year, Atari raised around five times their $100,000 target. You can see the full list of specs at the Indiegogo page, here.

• We spoke to Atari's CEO about the company's upcoming console

So, what do I get?

The design and branding are reminiscent of the Atari 2600, the 1977 console credited with popularising the use of game cartridges. Originally named the Atari VCS before a rebranding in 1982, the console was a sizeable mainstream success, and came to be seen as a mainstay of the video gaming industry at large.

There are two Atari VCS models now available for pre-sale, with the standard Onyx version taking orders at $199, and a classier Day One Collector’s Edition (with a genuine wood-front) coming in at $299. Both are marked as on-sale for a limited time only. It should be compatible with a wide range of peripherals and controllers, though anyone placing an order should receive a “re-imagined Classic Joystick” alongside a more contemporary “Modern Controller”.

The console also differs from modern rivals by running on a custom Linux operating system, which apparently will allow users to add and customise their own software in some regard.

Other details are thin on the ground, which makes it impossible to gauge the VCS’s potential draw. Nostalgia is a big business, however, and Atari seems to be betting on its ability to appeal to the generation of gamers who grew up with an earlier Atari console.

• Atari VCS: everything you need to know

May 30, 2018 at 09:59PM
Henry St Leger

HP's new Mindframe PC gaming headset can help keep you cool – literally

If your PC gaming headset fits comfortably, but still leaves you feeling like you’ve just depressurized after a lengthy gaming session, HP has something just for you: Mindframe. This is HP’s new, over-ear PC gaming headset featuring active ear cooling.

The headset, due out in the second half of this year for an undisclosed price, uses a patented active cooling solution employing a “thermoelectric device inside the earcup that conducts heat from the acoustic chamber towards the outside,” HP’s announcement reads.

Of course, the headset is focused on comfort otherwise, with a suspension headband over the leatherette ear cups. On top of that, the headset will bring forth DTS Headphone:X and 7.1 virtual surround sound.

Finally, the headset is equipped with a noise-cancelling, unidirectional microphone that can instantly mute when flipped up, as well as stylish RGB lighting. All of these features can be controlled through HP’s Omen Command Center software, natch.

Again, it’s unknown when this headset will be available for the masses of sweaty PC gamers with aching heads, nor how much such reprieve will cost, but it’s easy to get hype for nevertheless.

• These are the best PC games we’ve played in recent memory

May 30, 2018 at 09:30PM
Joe Osborne

HP's new Mindframe PC gaming headset can help keep you cool – literally

If your PC gaming headset fits comfortably, but still leaves you feeling like you’ve just depressurized after a lengthy gaming session, HP has something just for you: Mindframe. This is HP’s new, over-ear PC gaming headset featuring active ear cooling.

The headset, due out in the second half of this year for an undisclosed price, uses a patented active cooling solution employing a “thermoelectric device inside the earcup that conducts heat from the acoustic chamber towards the outside,” HP’s announcement reads.

Of course, the headset is focused on comfort otherwise, with a suspension headband over the leatherette ear cups. On top of that, the headset will bring forth DTS Headphone:X and 7.1 virtual surround sound.

Finally, the headset is equipped with a noise-cancelling, unidirectional microphone that can instantly mute when flipped up, as well as stylish RGB lighting. All of these features can be controlled through HP’s Omen Command Center software, natch.

Again, it’s unknown when this headset will be available for the masses of sweaty PC gamers with aching heads, nor how much such reprieve will cost, but it’s easy to get hype for nevertheless.

• These are the best PC games we’ve played in recent memory

May 30, 2018 at 09:30PM
Joe Osborne

Fallout 76 teased by Bethesda ahead of E3 2018

Following a livestream that’s proven we really don’t need vaults to perform sick social experiments, Bethesda has finally confirmed that it's going to be releasing a new game known as Fallout 76.

At the moment not much is known about Vault 76 and what the game will involve but you can watch the trailer for yourself below. It shows a resident of Vault 76 getting ready for what appears to be Reclamation Day:

Of course, while we don’t know anything about the game, we do know some small things about Vault 76. It’s mentioned in both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 as one of 17 planned “control” vault with around 500 people in it, designed to open 20 years after any nuclear war. These vaults were used as a baseline for results of experimental vaults. This suggests that 

The livestream, which first went live on Twitch on May 29, had been going for just under a full day before the trailer. With nothing more than a Vault Boy figure and a TV with ‘Please stand by’ on the screen, the stream managed to hold the attention of tens of thousands of people at a time. 

Just before the trailer went live there were more than 153,000 people watching the stream at the one time and we’re certain we never saw the number drop below 30,000. 

Admittedly, sometimes members of the team behind the stunt would appear on screen to perform a puppet show, scatter some confetti, or move the Vault Boy watch which was eventually added, with every movement being seized upon by those watching as some kind of clue about what was to come. 

With this tease out of the way, we now know we'll see more from the game during Bethesda's show at E3 2018. 

• Everything we know about E3 2018

May 30, 2018 at 09:09PM
Emma Boyle

Pokemon Let’s Go release date, trailers and news

Ever since Pokemon was confirmed to be coming to Nintendo Switch during Nintendo’s presentation at E3 2017 there have been plenty of rumors around what form the game will take. What most fans didn’t expect, however, was for Nintendo and Game Freak to create several Pokemon games for release on Nintendo Switch between 2018 and 2019. You wait a year for one and then...

Rumors around the titles known as Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee were circulating for a few weeks before they were confirmed during a Pokemon press conference in Japan.

Now we know that these titles will launch on November 16 2018 and will integrate features of Pokemon Go into a fully-fledged Pokemon game that's directly inspired by the much-loved Pokemon Yellow. Though they have the look of a mainline Pokemon game, these titles are not, however, the previously confirmed core RPG release, which has been confirmed to be coming in late 2019. 

Instead, they're being used to entice a wider audience – an audience that you'll probably still find playing Pokemon Go – to both the Nintendo Switch and the Pokemon franchise as a whole. 

Cut to the chase

• What is it? It’s hard to say in a succinct way. Pokemon meets Pokemon Go on Nintendo Switch feels like disservice but that’ll do it
• When can I play it? November 16 2018 
• What can I play it on? Nintendo Switch 

Pokemon Let's Go release date

Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee and Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu will launch on November 16 on Nintendo Switch. 

Pokemon Let's Go trailers

Pokemon Let’s Go hasn’t really had a long run of teasers and teasers of teasers. Instead, the game has its announcement trailer which is pretty comprehensive in terms of showing in-game footage and explaining what you’re going to get. Watch it for yourself below: 

Pokemon Let's Go news and rumors

It’s not a core release

We bet you thought the next Pokemon game to be released on Nintendo Switch would be a core RPG release. Well, you were wrong. And so were we. Pokemon Let’s Go isn’t considered a core release in the Pokemon series. Instead, it’s another spin-off, though it’s a spin-off that's about as close to the spirit of the mainline releases as it can get. In fact, it’s directly inspired by Pokemon Yellow according to Game Freak. 

By integrating Pokemon Go gameplay and features, Pokemon Let’s Go feels like Game Freak and Nintendo are creating a bridge for mobile and casual fans to cross into the Switch releases, before the core game is let loose in 2019. It’s a sound decision that will ensure a wider audience for both the Nintendo Switch and Pokemon. 

It’ll take you back to Kanto

If you’ve missed the original Pokemon map then you’ll be glad to know that Pokemon Let’s Go will take you all the way back to Kanto and its original collection of 151 Pokemon, as well as their Alolan forms. 

Pokemon will be visible in the game world

Just like in Pokemon Yellow, your Pikachu (or Eevee) will be visible in the game world as you walk around. You’ll even be able to pet them and interact with them to increase your bond. Wild Pokemon will also be visible in the game world. No more random encounters in the grass, now you’ll approach Pokemon and catch them by throwing a PokeBall in a way that’s directly inspired by the mobile release Pokemon Go. 

It works with Pokemon Go 

Speaking of Pokemon Go, Pokemon Let’s Go will directly work with Niantic’s AR hit. It'll be possible to transfer any Pokemon that you or your friends catch while playing Pokemon Go into the Switch game and vice versa. 

You can play with a friend

One of the things that Pokemon Go was really lacking was a feeling of in-game camaraderie. Sure, in the real world you could meet other players and catch Pokemon together but after these heart-warming encounters there wasn’t much you could do together in the game. 

Pokemon Let’s Go will take social aspect of Pokemon Go further by allowing you to play drop-in co-op with your friends. They’ll be able to pick up the other Joy-Con controller and they’ll appear in the game alongside you. Once there you’ll be able to catch Pokemon together and battle other trainers.

There’s still battling

Although you won’t have to fight with individual Pokemon to lower their health and catch them, there will still be battling in Pokemon Let’s Go and it looks to be largely similar to the core RPG releases. Team Rocket will be there and everything. 

You can play with one hand and there’s a PokeBall accessory

This isn’t exactly going to be a difficult title to play – you only need one hand. Using one Joy-Con, you can interact with the game and throw PokeBalls to catch Pokemon.

Or you can purchase an accessory which was announced alongside the game. This PokeBall controller will do everything the Joy-Con can do. Except it’s far cooler. Because it’s a PokeBall. It’ll be released on the same day as the game, though worldwide pricing hasn’t been confirmed just yet.

It's deliberately easy to play

For hardcore fans of the game, Pokemon Let's Go may seem like an overly simplified way to play but it’s a deliberate decision by Let’s Go’s developers. With the release of Pokemon Go and the refresh of the anime series, Pokemon is now capturing the attention of a much younger audience that wasn’t around for the releases across Nintendo’s previous handhelds.

With the first big Pokemon release on the Nintendo Switch, Pokemon director, producer, and composer Junichi Masuda told IGN that he wanted to welcome these new, perhaps more casual and younger, players into the world without intimidating them. 

According to Pokemon Company marketing manager Elvin Gee “Everything about [Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee], from the controls, to the design, the art, is made so that it’s ideal to be your first step into [the Pokemon] franchise.”

Something interesting about the PokeBall Plus accessory is that it seems like you can choose a Pokemon to store inside it and take on walks with you. It’s possible that this will work like Pokemon Go’s buddy feature and walking with your Pokemon will train them and allow them to get stronger. 

• We expect we'll hear more about Pokemon Lets Go and the 2019 RPG at this year's E3

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Nintendo 2DS XL getting a Zelda-inspired makeover

The Nintendo Switch may be riding high with the announcement of new Pokémon  games, but that doesn't mean Nintendo has forgotten about its other stalwart handheld line.

It's announced an all-new version of its Nintendo 2DS XL console that, while no different in terms of its internal specifications, is a feast for the eyes on the outside.

The Zelda-themed edition is designed to look like the hero Link's iconic Hyrulian shield. From the looks of the promotional shots that Nintendo has shared, it'll feature a neat raised detailing design befitting of the legendary weapon, rather than the smooth exterior other 2DS XL special editions make do with.

Built-in adventures

In addition, the fantastic Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds game, a semi-sequel to the SNES classic A Link to the Past, will come pre-installed on the console. 

As it stands, the console variant is an exclusive for US retailer GameStop, priced at $159.99 (putting the pre-installed game at just a mere $10 other the cost of a regular 2DS XL) and coming to stores on July 2. But Nintendo has been known to share the love to other local retailers around the globe, so don't be surprised if this turns up at your local gaming emporium before long.

And if not, there's always eBay, right?

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Nintendo's Switch is getting three new Pokémon games in 2018

Japanese gaming giant Nintendo has finally revealed the first new Pokemon games coming to its popular Switch gaming console (Pokken Tournament doesn't count as it came out on Wii U first) — and one's available to download for free right now. The video game company announced the three new Switch titles at a press event in Tokyo, and all of them are coming in 2018.  

The first of those to be available is Pokémon Quest — a non-traditional series’ entry where, instead of playing as a pocket-monster trainer, you directly control a group of cube-shaped Pokémon called Pokéxel. Developed by series-creator Game Freak, Quest’s described as a "rambunctious action RPG" and its blocky low-fi graphics are somewhat akin to mobile hit Crossy Road... so it’s perhaps no surprise that the game is scheduled to be released on both Android and iOS at the end of June this year. 

Pokémon Quest is already available on the Switch's eShop digital store. It’s being described as a 'free-to-start’ game, with a range of optional DLC packs that provide in-game items and power-ups.

More ‘mon coming

Alongside Quest, Nintendo also revealed two other incoming Pokémon games, which are being released in the series' traditional 'paired' format, and like Pokémon Quest, are also being developed by Japanese studio Game Freak. 

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! are reportedly inspired by earlier series-entry Pokémon Yellow, which was the last Pokémon game released for the Game Boy way back in 1998. 

The ‘Go’ in that title is a non-subtle hint that Nintendo and Game Freak are hoping to cash in on some of the popularity that 2016’s Pokémon GO — the series first mobile entry — has since generated. They say these new games are "designed for players taking their first steps into the Pokémon video game world”, which includes the many thousands of players whose only interaction with Pokémon has been through the augmented-reality mobile game. 

There’ll also be some interactivity between Let’s Go and GO, with select creatures captured in the mobile game able to be transferred to the upcoming Switch titles.  

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! are both due to be released on November 16, 2018.

Nintendo also revealed one small tidbit about its upcoming 'core' Pokemon Switch title. Although the latter still doesn't have an official name, the Japanese company now says it's expected to arrive in 'late 2019'.

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Sony's Days of Play sale kicks off on June 8 – here are the best deals

If you've been holding off on buying the latest PS4 games, accessories or heck, even the console itself, you're in luck – Sony's annual Days of Play sale is returning for 2018, with a number of discounts set to be available on all of the above. 

Kicking off on June 8 and going until June 18, the Days of Play sale has discounts on several first party titles, including God of War ($44.99 / £39.99 / AU$69.95), Shadow of the Colossus ($19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95) and Horizon: Zero Dawn ($19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95), among others. 

To celebrate the Days of Play sale, Sony's also announced a 500GB limited-edition blue PS4 console, with PlayStation's famous shapes featured in striking gold stencilled on top. The limited-edition console is priced at $299.99 (£249.99 / AU$439.95) and includes two matching blue DualShock 4 controllers. 

If a PS VR kit is what you're after, Sony's discounted that, too — the virtual reality headset is available in Starter Pack bundles featuring PlayStation VR Worlds and your choice of either WipEout Omega Collection or Gran Turismo Sport for $199.99 (£199.99 / $349.95).

These are just some of the deals on offer during the sale. For a complete list of all sale items, head over to Sony's dedicated Days of Play website. 

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