Between the upcomingSuper Mario Bros. Movieand the continuing success of theSonic the Hedgehogadaptations, it’s beginning to seem more likely that Nintendo could find itself announcing aSuper Smash Bros.cinematic universe is underway. While the idea of a broad, crossover film universe isn’t new, the success ofMarvel’sAvengersfilmhas caused every major player in the entertainment scene to try and set up their own properties. While DC Comics is the obvious example, other odd instances exist like Universal Pictures' Dark Universe orThe Conjuring’sextended universe....

In the modern era, the world gets more sequels, reboots, remakes, reimaginings, and blatant rip-offs than original ideas on the big screen. Most franchise pieces put their marketable names and faces all over every poster, but one recent example tried to escape that gimmick. Dan Trachtenberg’sPreyis part of a beloved franchise, but if he’d had his way, we would’ve all been surprised. Advertising a franchise film is easy. Use aslow version of a memorable song, tease the new faces with some familiar visuals thrown in, and time the crescendo with the biggest returning character or concept....

Game Rant had a chance to talk to Moonlight Kids regarding the studio’s newly released first title, calledThe Wild at Heart. This indie game is a story of kids struggling with hard home situations, and thetheme of coming of ageis key to the plot and the development of the characters, Wake and Kirby, who embark on a beautiful journey through the Willowvale Deep Woods. Much likeThe Wild at Heart’s characters are inspired by real stories of adoption and household hardships, the Willowvale Deep Woods, too, are inspired by the natural forests and coastlines found in the states of Washington and Oregon because of the team’s experience growing up in the Pacific Northwest....

Joe Dante’sMatineejuxtaposes the B-movie craze of the 1960s with the Cuban Missile Crisis, suggesting that the obsession with schlocky monster movies was born out of real societal paranoia. Set in Key West, Florida, in October 1962,Matineerevolves around a group of young horror fans who are filled with anticipation when a William Castle-esque icon of schlock cinema announces he’s coming to town to unveil his new movie,Mant!, about a grotesque hybrid of man and ant....

While it’s true that many early video games were overly complex and hard to learn (particularly in the strategy game genre), many games from the earlier days of the industry were arguably more elegant in their design than many modern titles. This was especially so in smaller arcade games likeGauntletand first-person shooters likeDOOMandQuake. It could be said that this simplicity and elegance were derived from the limitations developers suffered from at the time and the smaller games they developed as a result....

PolarizingTwitchstreamer Felix “xQc” Lengyel ended up in the emergency room late last week due to a severe case of double ear infection that left him bleeding from both ears. The development comes weeks after 26-year-oldxQc announced he’s taking a small break from streamingdue to testing positive to COVID-19 following his return from TwitchCon 2022.While the annual convention required vaccination proof or negative COVID-19 tests for all attendants at both its San Diego and Amsterdam venues, the overall visitor uptick contributed to mini-breakouts of the “con plague” across both cities....

People Can Flyhas always been an open and honest company, communicating with itsOutridersfans via broadcasts, internally supporting one another, and fostering a new level of creativity within this ‘flat’ company. Indeed, People Can Fly stands out from its competition in Montreal with this approach, stands out from other companies with its focus on big games and new IPs, and stands out in the wider gaming industry for its particular approach to game development....

Summary WithGod of War Ragnarokcapping off the series' Norse saga, many fans have started speculating about what mythology the next game could feature. Among the most popular choices is Egyptian mythology as it would be closely linked to Kratos' home of Greece and is the source of a wide variety of gods that could make for potential foes. It will be hard for this next title to top some of the boss fights fromGod of War Ragnarok, but the pantheon of Egyptian gods could hold the potential for some new and innovative boss mechanics....

Summary World of Warcraftis not even halfway done with Dragonflight yet, but fans are still trying to speculate what the next expansion will be. Some think it could be an Emerald Dream story, others believe it is the long-awaited Pirate expansion, and some think it is something completely different altogether. There are so many potential routes Blizzard could takeWorld of Warcraftdown next, and hopefully whatever it chooses is just as refreshing as Dragonflight has been....

Quick Links WWE 2K24features several moves that players can use to wear down an opponent. It’s easy to get carried away and only implement high-impact moves like jumping off the turnbuckle and hitting power moves. However, the more technically minded can focus on wearing down their opponents with submission holds. This style is better suited toWWE superstarslike Bret Hart or shoot/MMA-style wrestlers like Ken Shamrock or even Kurt Angle. All wrestlers can and should utilize submission attacks, but the technical style has better stats for wearing down opponents....

Summary One of the most interesting and fun aspects ofDestiny 2’s gameplay in its modern era is that Bungie started putting a lot of emphasis on buildcrafting, and so both build variety and loot value became a priority for most players and content types. Weapon crafting was a big part of this, as it made god rolls more easily attainable for all players, just making it faster for those who are dedicated to endgame activities and farming....

Thesurvival horror genrehas become all the rage in the indie gaming scene, with many developers putting their own unique spins on this concept to great effect. As a result, it can be hard to recommend one of the many innovative titles in this genre, especially if they focus on the age-old concept of zombies as well. Thankfully,7 Days to Diesets itself apart from the rest of the pack with excellent execution of its survival mechanics and maintaining a great rapport with the fanbase....

Venom: Let There Be Carnageaims to continue the character’s separation process fromSpider-Man, an almost symbiotic relationship much like the one Eddie Brock has with his alien visitor. That trend will continue asVenom’s sequel director Andy Serkis confirmed the film takes place in a world separated from the MCU’s Peter Parker. The firstVenommovie was not especially well-received back in 2018, although Tom Hardy’s role as Eddie Brock was enough to convince producers to make a sequel for Marvel anti-hero....