Activision has announced a special promotion for the upcomingSkylanders Trap Teamthat will probably excite some Nintendo fans. If you buy the game on the Wii, it comes with a free download code for the Wii U version of the game. This is likely a smart way to capitalize on the insane Wii install base, but encourage parents to upgrade their child’s system at some point. The announcement tags the Wii version’s Amazon product page, but there isn’t a clear distinction for the code in the item’s description — you can likely take that to mean that every version of the game at every retailer will have the code, but we’ll have more info closer to launch....

Mark your calenders, adrenaline junkies! A demo forBurnout Paradisewill be asploding onto the Xbox Marketplace and the PlayStation Network on December 13. In true videogame Web site fashion, this news comes to us by way of a countdown featured onCriterion Games. I’m thankful thatBurnout Paradisedoesn’t hit stores until January 22, because it’s already hard enough to pick and choose which games to buy in a season so goddamn full of spectacular titles....

Forgive my profanity, but when I get really excited about something I like to call people “bitches.” Walking into a new Pixar movie? “Let’s find our seats, bitches!” Seeing a dolphin playing in the ocean? “Jump those waves, bitches!” Going to eat at aTop Chefcontestant’s restaurant? “I’ll take the tuna tartare, bitches!” WithThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swordcoming out this upcoming weekend, you can understand my excitement. I am freaking out....

Two to eight-player madness Before we know it, it’ll be Halloween, and that meansLuigi’s Mansion 3. During today’s Nintendo Direct, we got a glimpse at some of the game’s hotel floor levels like Tomb Suites, The Dance Hall, and The Spectral Catch, along with a fresh look at the multiplayer ScreamPark mode. It ischaotic. Players on Team Luigi and Team Gooigi will go head-to-head with support for up to eight players using a single Switch....

Cutting the Cheese NIS America has released a new trailer for its new adventureMad Rat Dead, which is headed to PS4 and Nintendo Switch in October. The video shows offMad Rat Dead‘s quirky hybrid gameplay, which combines the rhythm-action and platforming genres. As a refresher, Mad Rat Deadtells the story of a lab rat who has reached the end of his pretty miserable existence. At death’s door, he is visited by the flamboyant Rat God, who offers our hero a few extra hours of life to leave his cage crack the skulls of those responsible for his piss-poor life....

Marvel Rivals’latest addition to its in-game store is set to be available tomorrow, but further details about what the “Costume Customization” feature will entail aren’t clear. NetEase Games confirmed that the recently announced feature will be arriving as part of an update in the early morning hours of April 17. The update will bring “fresh palettes” for certain costumes and heroes in the game. So, basically, they are recolors. ✨ Unleash your style – Costume Customization is here!...

Can’t stop, won’t stop I remember the days when movie tie-in games were absolute trash. I’m not going to reminisce (since that has been done to death), but I will say thatThe Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bayis one of the best movie-based games ever made.Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Gameis also top notch. That being said, apparently a newJack Reacherfilm is coming out. I’m not too big into cinema anymore (damn you, Hollywood!...

Bad news if you were hoping to getMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Painall pre-loaded up on your PC in time for the September 1 launch — Konami has confirmed that there’s no pre-load available on Steam. “Unfortunately PC Steam will not have a pre-load option,” said Konami’s online community manager, Robert Allen Peeler onTwitter. “However players will be able to pre-load on console.” When pressed for a reason why — particularly as console versionscanpre-load — Peeler said that unfortunately he didn’t have“a specific reason”, stating that it was “pretty common practice for PC/Steam users”....

Launch window…now narrower WhileThe Outer Worldsarrived last month on PC, PS4 and Xbox One (including a Game Pass launch), the Switch version was said to be coming “later” at some point. When later?! Well, some originally assumed that by the end of 2019 would have been late enough, but recently it was confirmed that the port would arrive sometime in 2020. Now, thanks to a new financial report from Take-Two, we know that the game is coming before the start of April 2020, giving us a first quarter window....

…Or at least Shujin Academy There’s still a couple of weeks to go before the western release of expanded JRPGPersona 5 Royal, which gives publisher Atlus enough time to squeeze in… oooh, at least three more trailers. This example, “Change the World,” gives us a preview of the moment where new gal Kasumi Yoshizawa finally gives in to her inner fury. During the brief preview, we see similar moments of clarity for Phantom Thieves Joker, Makoto, Yusuke, and Ann....

Gotta go fast! It can take a while to get places inNo Man’s Sky, especially when you’re hoofing it. While you may enhance your stamina to sprint longer (taking up a prized inventory slot), here is one simple trick culled fromRedditand tested myself that lets you moveeven fasterthan the sprint speed. If you follow up a melee (R1) with your jetpack (X), you’ll jut forward even more quickly. It’s incredibly useful for when you accidentally wander way too far from your ship in the early game and your toxic-ass irradiated starting planet starts to kill you before you can make it back....

You cannot stop The Bydo Empire One of gaming’s endless wars is set to rage on, and it looks like it’s time to fuel up the legendary R-9 vessel once again, as Granzella has announced thatR-Type Final 3 Evolvedis currently in development for PS5. The new remaster has an expected Japanese launch date of March 2023. R-Type Final 3 Evolved — revealed in the latest issue ofJapanese publication Famitsu— is a revamped edition of the 2021 releaseR-Type Final 2, making the initial title ofthatgame even more ironic than it already was....

Back into the breach I generally approach matters of shooting digital Nazis in the face with avid gusto. However, fate conspired to delay my spree throughSniper Elite 5. A storm ripped through my neighborhood and thoroughly savaged the power grid. The electricity is still down, and I’m writing from a hidden bunker in a remote location. Be thankful, Fritz. You’ve been spared a few more days to tighten your helmet strap....