Gaming
Nintendo Direct June 2023: All the trailers you missed
A new 2D Mario, Detective Pikachu, and Pikmin 4
A Nintendo Direct often includes only a handful of big announcements and a more overwhelming smattering of smaller titles. This time, however, Nintendo went with the big guns. If you’re a Mario fan, this month’s Direct is a treasure trove of new and upcoming titles.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Let’s get the biggest gun out of the way first. To cap off the direct, Nintendo announced a new 2D Mario game coming to the Switch. The platformer will focus on a new powerup called the Wonder Flower. After getting the Flower, “expect the unexpected,” as the Direct explains. The power-up causes a lot of different effects including making pipes come to life and stretching Mario vertically like a spring.
Besides the Wonder Flower, the game will also have an elephant-themed power-up to turn the player into the animal. Plus, Daisy is a playable character — going along with Mario, Luigi, Daisy, and Toad.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder will launch October 20, 2023.
Super Mario RPG
Older fans rejoice! The original Super Mario RPG from the SNES is getting a remaster for the Switch. Featuring updated graphics but the same gameplay, the upcoming title will drop on November 17, 2023.
To go along with the new game, Nintendo also teased two new titles: an upcoming Peach game and a remake of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon from the 3DS.
Pikmin 4
Though the Mario franchise got a well-deserved boost during this Direct, the spotlight is firmly on Pikmin 4. Releasing on July 21, the fourth entry in the series got a gameplay trailer to show off what players can do in the title. This time, players must repair their spaceship and find lost Pikmin with a rescue dog name Oatchi.
Plus, for the first time, players can explore at night. Night expeditions will feature a new type of Pikmin called Glow Pikmin. Creatures will also be more aggressive at night, adding an element of risk for nighttime explorers.
To go along with the new major release, Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 2 are now available for the Switch.
Detective Pikachu Returns
Let’s not forget the Pokémon franchise. The Direct saw the debut of a new game in the Detective Pikachu series. In Detective Pikachu Returns, players are once again solving mysteries around town. Unfortunately, the trailer does not spoil what exactly those mysteries are. However, Mewtwo does pop up, so expect larger plotlines in the title.
Detective Pikachu Returns will drop on October 6, 2023.
WarioWare: Move It!
Finally, WarioWare: Move It! has finally received a launch date. The title will feature over 200 microgames involving the Joy-Cons. It encourages players to… well, move it. The movements involve a variety of activities including washing a dog and balancing through a Mario 64 sliding course.
WarioWare: Move It! will launch on November 3, 2023.
Old titles coming to the Nintendo Switch
If the Switch is your main console, you’re getting a variety of classic titles to play. First of all, the Batman Arkham trilogy in its entirety — including all three games and DLCs — is coming to the Switch. Also, Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 — which includes the first game, Sons of Liberty, Snake Eater, Snake’s Revenge — will bring the Metal Gear Solid franchise to the Switch. Just Dance 2024 is also confirmed for the console on October 24.
To round off the slate of announcements, Nintendo has also announced that Vampire Survivors is coming to the console on August 17. It will feature four-player couch co-op.
SEE ALSO: Nintendo Switch Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom UNBOXING!
Santa Monica Studio has officially revealed God of War Laufey. It’s the next mainline entry in the franchise and the first game to put Faye at the center of the story. The announcement came during PlayStation’s State of Play presentation and showed an unusually large look at the opening of the game.
The story begins after Faye’s funeral. She awakens in a mysterious realm called the Everywhen and quickly discovers that the plans she set in motion to protect Kratos and Atreus are now at risk. To save the people she loves, she must fight her way through an afterlife where gods from different mythologies compete for power.
Santa Monica Studio says the game builds on the foundations established by 2018’s God of War and the Norse saga while taking the series in a new direction. The team combines the speed and movement of the Greek-era games with the world-building and character-driven storytelling of the modern entries.
Exploring the afterlife of the gods
One of the game’s biggest mysteries centers on a question raised during God of War Ragnarök: what happens to gods when they die?
The answer is the Everywhen. Santa Monica Studio describes it as the birthplace and final destination of all magic. The realm exists beyond the worlds players have visited before and serves as a meeting point for gods, creatures, and mythologies from across existence.
The reveal trailer offered a first look at Sekhmet and Begtse, two powerful gods Faye encounters during her journey. Neither appears eager to welcome a newcomer into their domain.
Faye also finds allies along the way. Phranque, a cosmic cube voiced by Jack Quaid, joins her adventure alongside Rue, an enchanted ribbon guardian voiced by Perlina Lau. Together, they venture deeper into the Everywhen while uncovering its secrets and searching for a way home.
Faster combat built around Faye
Faye may not wield the Blades of Chaos, but Santa Monica Studio says she is every bit the warrior fans expect from a God of War protagonist. As the Golden Hand of the Jötnar, she fights with speed, mobility, and precision.
The studio redesigned combat around her strengths. Players can move seamlessly between ground and aerial attacks while maintaining momentum. Faye can dodge, reposition, and launch extended combos without slowing the pace of battle. The result looks noticeably faster than Kratos’ combat style while retaining the weight and impact that define the series.
Her abilities also draw heavily from Giant magic. Faye can strike enemies with enough force to separate their souls from their bodies. Once exposed, those souls become weapons. Players can attack them directly, launch them into other enemies, and create new combo opportunities.
The reveal also showcased a legendary sword that becomes Faye’s primary weapon in the Everywhen. Combined with her soul-based powers, it forms the core of a combat system that Santa Monica Studio says still has plenty of surprises left to reveal.
Deborah Ann Woll reprises her role as Faye after appearing in God of War Ragnarök. Santa Monica Studio has not announced a release date, but players can wishlist God of War Laufey now.
Marvel’s Wolverine shows out in the latest PlayStation State of Play trailer. But beyond the brutal combat and motorcycle chases, the game’s latest trailer also confirms a major character reveal: Jean Grey.
Shown prominently throughout the new gameplay presentation, Jean Grey teams up with Logan against the Reavers, a cybernetic mercenary group hunting mutants. The trailer gives fans their first real look at her telekinetic powers in action and hints at a bigger role in Wolverine’s story.
Insomniac Games debuted the extended gameplay trailer during State of Play, offering a deeper look at its upcoming single-player action adventure. The game follows James “Logan” Howlett as he tracks down mutants captured by the Reavers, who plan to deliver them to industrialist Bolivar Trask. Jean Grey emerges as one of the captured mutants and a key ally in the fight against Trask’s forces.
Wolverine looks every bit as savage as fans hoped
The new footage highlights Wolverine’s fast-paced and violent combat system. Players can stalk enemies, launch ambush attacks, and unleash brutal claw combos against heavily armed Reavers.
Logan can also use special combat abilities called Techniques, including moves such as Tornado Spin and Bull Rush. Successful attacks build up Rage, which powers stronger abilities and activates Wolverine’s Healing Factor. Push Rage far enough and Logan enters Rage Tier 3. It’s a heightened combat state inspired by Marvel’s Black, White, and Blood comic series.
Jean Grey isn’t just along for the ride. The trailer shows her fighting alongside Logan with powerful telekinetic attacks that can set up devastating Critical Strikes and team-based finishers.
One of the trailer’s standout moments features Wolverine battling Reavers across a highway convoy. Logan races through traffic on a motorcycle. He slashes tires, jumps between vehicles, and takes on powerful enemies while speeding down the road.
Release date, editions, and pre-order bonuses
Marvel’s Wolverine launches exclusively on PlayStation 5 on September 15, 2026.
The standard edition costs US$69.99, while the Digital Deluxe Edition is priced at US$79.99. Pre-orders are available starting today.
Pre-order bonuses include:
- Early unlock for the Classic Brown Suit
- Early unlock for Reflective Claws
- One additional Technique Point
- Four PlayStation avatars featuring Logan, Jean Grey, Mystique, and Sabretooth
The Digital Deluxe Edition adds five exclusive suits, five exclusive claw designs, and three additional Technique Points. Insomniac notes that the suits and claws are cosmetic items.
The trailer also teases several future reveals, including additional enemy factions, more suits, and what appears to be a brief look at Sabretooth.
With Jean Grey now officially in the spotlight and Wolverine looking as brutal as ever, Insomniac’s long-awaited Marvel adaptation finally feels within striking distance.
ASUS has announced the ROG XBOX Ally X20 bundle at COMPUTEX 2026, just in time to celebrate the gaming brand’s 20th anniversary.
Featuring a translucent black chassis with vibrant gold internal structure, the machine is both a throwback to gaming two decades ago and a vision of the future.
The translucence offers a peek under the hood to the high-performance cooling system and handheld silicon from AMD.
Premium hardware
The ROG XBOX Ally X20 brings a new Nebula HDR Display to the handheld for the first time, with a 7.4-inch OLED panel and Corning DXC glass and anti-reflective coating.
This slightly larger panel increases immersion and visibility. It has up to 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium of support, and 1,400 nits of peak brightness.
Furthermore, it has a VESA DisplayHDR 1000 rating, Dolby Vision, and 0.2ms response time.
Powering the portable device is the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor with ample gaming horsepower and the latest tools like Auto SR upscaling, as well as XBOX for seamless navigation and gaming.
It supports 24GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB of PCIe 4.0 storage to accommodate a large library of titles.
Better ergonomics, controls
Inspired by iconic XBOX controller designs, the ROG XBOX Ally X20 has a transforming D-Pad. It’s designed with the standard four-way movement, but can easily be converted to eight-way control for fighting games.
The improved face buttons have also been adjusted, now sitting flush against the chassis to enable smooth and uninterrupted thumb sliding. On the rear of the handgrips is a rubberized coating.
Speaking of controls, the next-gen handheld levels up with a new TMR joystick technology, delivering pinpoint precision, smoother tracking, and longer-lasting performance.
Bundled with ROG XREAL R1 Edition 20 Gaming AR Glasses
The bundle also features the ROG XREAL R1 Edition 20 Gaming AR Glasses, making the set an absolute collector’s must-have.
The AR glasses feature a 171-inch virtual screen at four meters, 240Hz display that covers 95% of the field of view, and a 0.01ms response time, thanks to micro-OLED. These glasses plug directly into the Ally via USB-C.
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