Let's make this simple: You want to know if there are any post- or mid-credits scenes in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. The answer is that there's one mid-credits scene, so you should definitely stick around after the credits start rolling.

The Ghostbusters are back in action, as Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire unites the old and new incarnations of these paranormal pest controllers. Clearly, busting makes everyone feel good.

Starting on Friday, we're going to be breaking down the ending of Frozen Empire and how it may (or may not) set the stage for future Ghostbusters sequels. But for now, there's just one question that needs answering.

Does Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Have Any Post-Credits Scenes?

As mentioned above, there is one mid-credits scene in the movie and no post-credits scene. So while you don't need to stick around till the very end of the credits, it is worth staying long enough to enjoy this last bit of Ghostbusters content.

For those keeping score, the previous movie, 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife, had both a mid-credits scene and a post-credits scene. Can Frozen Empire top the Afterlife scene reuniting Bill Murray's Peter Venkman and Sigourney Weaver's Dana Barrett? We'll soon find out.

Be sure to check back on Friday for our full Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ending explained breakdown.

Unfortunately, the new movie didn't fare so well in IGN's Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire review. Tom Jorgensen wrote, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire races onto thin ice overburdened with disparate, uninspired ideas – and no one behind or in front of the camera quite knows what to do once the movie’s flailing in the water. The new generation of Ghostbusters have to give up too much time to an overcomplicated plot – time that could’ve been used to embellish the bedrock elements of comedy-horror that the 1984 original deployed so well. If all you need to feel good about busting is ghosts, jumpsuits, and proton packs, you may have some fun, but Frozen Empire makes one thing clear: the franchise should be put in cold storage until someone can figure out how to do justice to the central concept without Murray, Aykroyd, Hudson, and Potts dropping by to prevent mass hysteria."

For more on Frozen Empire, find out how to watch the new Ghostbusters movie.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Team Ninja says fans of its work will find Rise of the Ronin’s hard mode to be just as difficult as some of the studio's past games, and there will be plenty to keep players entertained before and after the credits.

Development Producer and Game Director Fumihiko Yasuda and Producer Yosuke Hayashi spoke about their upcoming 19th-century-set action game during a recent chat with IGN. We asked how its hard mode option, Twilight, compares to other similar action games, and it sounds like veteran players looking for an extra challenge will feel right at home.

“The equivalence of hard difficulty that's in the game is that it provides an experience that's similar to our previous titles in terms of combat difficulty,” Yasuda said.

He continued, saying Twilight will offer “a similar sense of intensity,” but there will also be more to do after the credits roll: “There's also post-game content that is challenging that players can also enjoy.” While Hayashi says the team wanted to create an experience "that could be enjoyed by a wide range of players," it sounds like those looking to test their skills won't be disappointed.

Part of what will keep players on their toes is Rise of the Ronin’s variety. Although this more grounded Team Ninja title won’t feature heavy fantasy elements like we’ve seen in some of the studio's past games, Yasuda teases an array of enemies to encounter.

“The player, as well as the enemies that appear in the game, use a wide variety of weapons, whether they be close-range weapons, or ranged weapons,” he explained. “There's also a wide variety of combat styles. Actually, some of the weapons have a certain affinity with the certain combat styles. It will be up to the player to discern and assess which affinities work well and employ their own approach from this wide variety that's available to them.”

As players guide the Blade Twins through Rise of the Ronin’s story, they’ll visit three major cities. Yasuda tells us that access to these locations is tied to player progression, meaning there’s a specific order in which you’ll unlock each area. You will, however, be able to return to each city after it's been visited.

The Blade Twins themselves are customizable from the beginning. Players should make sure to create a character they’re happy with, as Yasuda explains that they won’t be able to be tinkered with until later in the story: “At the beginning of the game, the player is able to customize and create the two Blade Twins, and then in the middle of the game, there's also a specific location that the players can go to recreate their character if they would like.”

Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo recently invited IGN to check out a pre-release version of Rise of the Ronin. We walked away with a few reservations but still enjoyed the slice of story beats and the smorgasbord of activities on offer.

We’ll have a better look at everything the studio is cooking up when Rise of the Ronin launches for PlayStation 5 tomorrow, March 22, 2024. For more, check out our review.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Star Wars fans longing for a taste of some mysterious blue milk will soon be able to sip on the galaxy's infamous beverage.

In a press release, Lucasfilm released a slate of new products as part of the month-long celebration of Star Wars villainy dubbed "Imperial March." The post mentions that Lucasfilm is partnering with the milk brand TruMoo to craft the beverage.

The Star Wars TruMoo Blue Milk by Dairy Farmers of AmericaTruMoo is described as a "delicious vanilla-flavored milk" with blue food coloring. Fans can expect to see it on store shelves beginning April 17. Aside from the fact you can check for the obvious bottle of blue liquid, you can see an image below of what the packaging will look like when you venture off to find it.

Fans of the series are all too familiar with blue milk, a popular beverage found on the Outer Rim, such as the planet Tatooine. The beverage first appeared in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in a scene where Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker is seen talking to his Uncle Owen while eating a meal, and you can spot the beverage as a background piece. Funny enough, Hamill would later reveal on X/Twitter that the blue milk was disgusting.

Of course, this is not Disney's first time trying to capitalize on one of Star Wars' most iconic beverages. Those who attend Disneyland or Walt Disney World and head over to the amusement parks' Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge section can get a nice cold glass of blue milk. That, however, isn't actually "milk," but rather a smoothie that also comes in a green color variant, referencing the green milk Skywalker is seen consuming aggressively in The Last Jedi.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Stardew Valley players have been going into overdrive since the release of version 1.6 on PC, scouring the game for hidden easter eggs introduced in the new update, and generally enjoying all of the new content that developer Eric Barone has crafted to augment his beloved creation.

Many of the new additions are listed in the extensive patch notes, which can be browsed here. However, fans are already experimenting and testing the boundaries of the game in an attempt to discover any hidden easter eggs that Barone may have introduced in the 1.6 update.

These detective efforts have already borne fruit, as just hours following the release of 1.6, fans were able to uncover the existence of a newly implemented - and pretty sinister - cutscene, which punished players for using an exploit to access a late game area of the map. Well, it would appear that fans have struck gold once more, this time by discovering a crossover item gifted directly from the world of developer Re-Logic’s Terraria, in the form of the fabled Meowmere sword.

Meowmere is one of the most powerful swords that Terraria has to offer, and so it's hardly surprising that you’ll have to jump through some monster-infested hoops in order to get your pixelated hands on it in Stardew Valley. First, as detailed in a video by YouTuber Slime - and reported by GamesRadar - you’ll need to find yourself an ancient doll. This item, while rare, can be obtained from a number of sources, such as by digging the earth, receiving it as a gift, or simply getting lucky with a fishing chest.

Next up, you’ll need to make your way to the 100th level in the mines, and throw the ancient doll in a pit of lava, which will cause a bone serpent ripped straight from Terraria to leap from the burning mass, and gift the player a jewel-like object called the Far Away Stone.

With this otherworldly relic in hand, all you need to do is head to the basement of the Wizard’s Tower and place the stone on the Terraria pylon, which will prompt a cat to casually stroll through a newly opened portal and hand you the Meowmere sword.

Be sure to check out IGN’s Stardew Valley Wiki and guides to find out everything you need to know about the 1.6 update, along with the latest news on Eric Barone’s next title, The Haunted Chocolatier.

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer

Dell is currently offering an Alienware Aurora R15 equipped with a GeForce RTX 4090 GPU for $3099.99 shipped. This is the best Alienware deal on an RTX 4090 equipped gaming PC right now. RTX 4090 GPUs are no longer easy to find at MSRP; a standalone 4090 GPU on Amazon currently sells at a $300-$500 markup. If this is the GPU you really want, you might actually save money buying a prebuilt PC like this one instead of sourcing your own parts and going the DIY route.

Alienware Aurora Ryzen RTX 4090 Gaming PC $3099.99

This particular Alienware Aurora R15 config boasts an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X CPU, GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, 32GB of DDR-4800MHz RAM, and a 2TB M.2 SSD. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X features a boost clock speed of 5.7GHz with 16 cores, 32 threads, and 80MB of total cache. This is still one of AMD's best general purpose CPUs, excelling at gaming, 3D rendering, AI generation, multi-tasking, and pretty much anything else you can throw at it. It's cooled by an upgraded Cryo-Tech edition 240mm all-in-one liquid cooling solution, which offers even better thermal performance than the normal liquid cooling system that Alienware offers thanks to a thicker radiator and better fans. It's all powered by a massive 1350W 80PLUS Platinum power supply.

The RTX 4090 is the most powerful video card you can get right now. No other GPU, either from NVIDIA or from AMD, comes close. The RTX 4090 is about 110% faster at 4K gaming than the RTX 3080. It's about 60% faster than the previous king, the RTX 3090 Ti. The 4090 is also the consumer card of choice for stuff like machine learning or AI image generation apps like Stable Diffusion. NVIDIA cards are generally more powerful than AMD cards with these kinds of apps and the amount of VRAM is of the highest priority; the 4090 has 24GB of GDDR6X VRAM, more than any other consumer NVIDIA card.

Why Pick a Dell or Alienware Gaming PC?

Alienware is always one of our top picks for best prebuilt gaming PCs, especially when they're on sale. Not everyone is the DIY type, and these days prebuilt gaming PC aren't that much more expensive than building your own computer. In fact, depending on the demand of certain components like the GPU, it might even be cheaper. Alienware gaming laptops and desktops offer a staggering array of options, all built into a custom chassis that's both easy on the eyes and easy on the wallet. The newest Alienware gaming PCs have significantly improved their cooling performance, especially when paired with a liquid cooling solution. Alienware gaming laptops in recent years have been redesigned to be thinner and lighter while still offering the same immense power under the hood. Consistent build quality, available inventory, frequent sales, and solid customer service are the main reasons why Dell is at the top of our buying list.

Baldur’s Gate 3 director Swen Vincke has had some time to reflect on Larian Studios’ Google Stadia deal, and he thinks it was “really stupid.”

The studio’s founder opened up about the early days of Baldur’s Gate 3 during a Game Developers Conference (GDC) panel that IGN attended today. While explaining how Larian learned to adapt to issues on the fly, he spoke about how Stadia played a role in the Baldur’s Gate 3 reveal.

For those who may have forgotten, Vincke and his team revealed the latest Baldur’s Gate at a Google Stadia conference in June 2019. It was a bombshell announcement during an event for a product that would ultimately fail, but it also came with other potential benefits. Stadia originally promised enticing features for developers to take advantage of while also offering a path to boost word of mouth.

“You talk to these people who say ‘I didn't think it was for me, it looks like maybe a little bit too much,’ ” Vincke said to us in 2020. “With something as easy as sending somebody a link and saying, ‘Hey, let's try it out and you can jump into my game instantly without having to install anything,’ I think that has a very great conversion power.”

Fast forward to 2024, however, and Stadia is no more. Google officially shut down its game streaming service in early 2023, with Baldur’s Gate 3’s full PC launch not arriving until that following August. Vincke says hindsight is 20/20, calling out the challenges of releasing the Early Access build for an additional platform.

“It was a really stupid deal and I should never have done it, but it allowed me to pay for the CGI,” he said.

All of the details of the Stadia deal have not been made public, but unsurprisingly, Vincke isn’t happy with the way things turned out. Elsewhere in the GDC panel, Vincke talked about how the team’s ambitions grew throughout development.

One thing Larian wanted form the beginning was a lot of cinematics and a big narrative, for example. These plans absolutely came through, as Vincke also confirmed that Baldur’s Gate 3 contains triple the word count of The Lord of the Rings books and double the cutscene runtime as Game of Thrones. It’s clear the game has come a long way, as he also showed off an early version of Astaron that was a Tiefling instead of a High Elf.

While Baldur’s Gate 3 has turned out to be a massive success for Larian, the team won’t be revisiting the world with DLC or even a fourth game anytime soon. For more on the studio’s latest, be sure to check out our 10/10 review.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Names like Skyrim and Morrowind are so ubiquitous that it’s easy to forget they were once ideas on a whiteboard. But in 1993, the world of Elder Scrolls was still very much a blank slate.

“People would wander into the office and write a name on the map. 50 percent were original. Some they thought were original,” remembered Ted Peterson, who was one of the designers on The Elder Scrolls: Arena.

Little did the Bethesda team know that they had accidentally cribbed the Morrowind name from Terry Brooks, then a popular fantasy author. Brooks had invented the name “Morrowindl” for the Shannara books. Years later, Morrowind would become a beloved RPG of its own.

“We weren’t ripping anything off on purpose. Nowadays you’d run everything through a lawyer,” Peterson shrugged.

Peterson and programmer Julian LeFay were witness to the very early days of Bethesda; back when it was still a publisher known for games like Wayne Gretzky Hockey — before Elder Scrolls was a franchise worth billions of dollars. In a talk at GDC 2024, they shared stories from those days and how one of the role-playing genre’s most renowned games first came to be.

'It's not a bug, it's the story of this town'

Peterson had been at Bethesda for about a year when he began work on Arena. The project was conceived as an action-adventure game that saw a party of four travel to a series of arenas before confronting an evil wizard. It was not meant to be an RPG — that space was seen as too competitive for a tiny publisher like Bethesda. The somewhat confusing final title was a holdover from that original concept.

“That really wasn’t a very good title. Not the one we wanted,” LeFay admitted.

Over the course of a protracted and admittedly fraught development process, the Arena gradually transformed into a role-playing game, and the concepts that would define the rest of the series began to take shape. The party of four was winnowed down to one, the world began to come together, and a vast number of procedurally-generated towns were created — an early example of the scope that The Elder Scrolls would become known for.

The bugs were there too, and they were numerous. One of the glitches included a procedurally-generated house that blocked one village’s exit and made it impossible to leave. At a loss, Peterson decided to get creative.

“We said, ‘It’s not a bug. It’s the story of this town.’ This one character who never had a name, they were just a bit of decoration, it was all because of him. He cursed this town because there was a princess and she had a wombat she loved, and the king was mean to the wombat, so Ius cursed the town and said she never could leave,” Peterson said. “So I created a short story called ‘Ius, Animal God’ and described why this town was so cursed. Every story and bit of lore is based on trying to address this stupid bug.”

Other bugs weren’t actually bugs at all. When Bethesda re-released Arena on Steam in 2022, some fans were confused by the armor class ratings, which appeared to decrease rather than increase. According to LeFay, that was due to Arena being based on Dungeons & Dragons’ first edition, which featured similar mechanics.

On top of everything else, Arena established a precedent for the series’ long development times. Arena’s development dragged on for 12 months — ages in an era when games were often finished in half that time. When it finally released in early 1994, “it was not a success,” according to LeFay. Still, its release managed to catch the attention of enough fans to earn it a cult following. Todd Howard came aboard to work on the Deluxe Edition, where he shared an office with Peterson.

“I always got along really well with Todd. Todd isn’t a big [tabletop] role-player actually. Other than Dungeons & Dragons there was a really great pen-and-paper system called James Bond 007, and he said there was a similar one based on Indiana Jones – he was really into Indiana Jones – but everyone would just want to be Indiana Jones. I'm not sure why someone playing James Bond wouldn't want to just exist in the spyworld, you know?" Peterson said.

Howard, of course, is now working on an Indiana Jones game alongside MachineGames, which is due to release later this year.

'In the '90s, Bethesda was a very difficult place to work'

With Arena eventually finding an audience, work began on an even bigger sequel, Daggerfall, which released in 1996. By then The Elder Scrolls was firmly established, but Peterson and LeFay were already on the way out, the often punishing hours finally taking their toll.

“In the 90s [Bethesda] was a very difficult place to work,” Peterson said.

LeFay added, “The demands on your time were extreme… People in the games industry really want to make games. And you can potentially exploit that if you’re not a scrupulous person… that was eventually why I left Bethesda and the games industry. It’s just not right exploiting people in that way.”

Peterson left Bethesda soon after Daggerfall, though he contributed to Morrowind and Oblivion. LeFay departed in 1999. The two recently reconnected for a venture they’re calling The Wayward Realms and plan to launch a crowdfunding campaign soon.

“It’s an opportunity to go back and fix some of the things we never had time to address in the first place,” Peterson says.

Elder Scrolls VI has been in-development since at least 2018, though it likely won't be out until at least 2026. Not much is known about it, but it's rumored to take place in Hammerfell. You can read everything we know about Elder Scrolls VI so far right here.

Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke dropped the bombshell today that the developer doesn't plan on releasing any Baldur's Gate 3 expansions or DLC, nor a Baldur's Gate 4, but he also made the point that there's already a lot of content in their Game of the Year-winning RPG.

He revealed at a Game Developers Conference (GDC) panel today, when taking together all the various dialogue and narration options, Baldur's Gate 3 has triple the word count of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books. Total cutscene runtime, meanwhile, is twice as long as HBO's Game of Thrones series. We already knew Larian’s latest was one of the most ambitious titles to come out in the last decade, but his comments truly put everything into perspective.

Both The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones stand as two of the lengthiest stories in fantasy history. Tolkien’s legendary trilogy – The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King – contains 455,125 words. You can watch all eight seasons of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones show, meanwhile, in around 70 hours.

Vincke didn’t give specific stats, but his comments mean that Baldur’s Gate 3 features somewhere around 1,365,000 words and more than 140 hours of cutscenes to watch. It’s…a lot, and more than enough to keep players entertained for years to come as they uncover every secret and moment Larian’s characters have to offer.

Elsewhere during the panel, Vincke also gave us a look at a Tiefling version of Astarion that existed as part of an early version of the game.

For more on Baldur’s Gate 3, be sure to read up on our 10/10 review, where we said, called Baldur’s Gate 3 “the new high-water mark for CRPGs.”

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Today, Netflix announced Studio Ghibli's Oscar and Golden Globe-winning animated film The Boy and the Heron will be making its way to the streamer sometime later this year. However, there's a strong likelihood that creator Hayao Miyazaki's hand-drawn animated film will only be available to Netflix viewers outside the U.S.

Although Netflix's official X/Twitter account teased a yet-to-be-announced release date for The Boy and the Heron on its platform, it was previously reported that Max signed a multiyear agreement with GKIDS to extend its exclusive U.S. streaming rights for Studio Ghibli movies.

The Boy and the Heron is coming to Netflix! ?

This critically-acclaimed and Oscar-winning fantasy adventure is a hand-drawn, original story written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, his first feature film in 10 years. Stay tuned for the date! pic.twitter.com/9ZotI6NAlH

— Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) March 21, 2024

Max's extended deal will see The Boy and the Heron join the likes of other award-winning Ghibli films like Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Ponyo on the Warner Bros.-owned streaming service sometime later this year. This, in turn, has left many anime fans scratching their heads asking whether the film will have a worldwide release on Netflix.

While Netflix doesn't have exclusive U.S. streaming rights to Ghibli films, Ghibli's catalog of films is available to stream on the platform outside of the U.S. This gives credence to clarifications posited from anime alerts account like @MangaAlerts that The Boy and the Heron will be streaming on Netflix as well, albeit only for folks not residing in the United States.

IGN reached out to Netflix for comment.

In our review of The Boy and the Heron, we wrote, "The Boy and the Heron sees Hayao Miyazaki looking back at a career of telling fantastical stories full of whimsy and wonder. It's Studio Ghibli's most visually complex film to date, while also contemplating the legacy of a legendary filmmaker and the world he is leaving behind. It serves as an ultimate statement from Miyazaki, and the perfect coda to his career."

If you're not subscribed to either streaming service and want to experience the film on the silver screen again, you're in luck because The Boy and the Heron will be getting a celebratory re-release in theaters on March 22 to commemorate its Oscar win.

Isaiah Colbert is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh.

Looking to upgrade the internal storage of your ASUS ROG Ally or Steam Deck? Amazon currently has the Corsair MP600 Mini 1TB M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe x4 Gen4 Solid State Drive (SSD) for only $69.99. That's the best price we've seen for a 1TB 2230 SSD from a brand we've actually heard of. The installation isn't as simple as an SSD upgrade in your PS5 console - but just as worth it - so read on to see if you're willing to take on the (modest) challenge.

Corsair MP600 Mini 1TB SSD for $69.99

Compatible with Steam Deck or ROG Ally

Both the ASUS ROG Ally and the Steam Deck utilize a smaller SSD than the standard M.2 2280 SSD that you might find in a gaming PC or a PlayStation 5 console. This smaller format (M.2 2230) is generally pricier and installation requires more finesse. Note also that unlike with the PS5 or Xbox, you're actually replacing the stock drive instead of adding a second one. That means you'll also have to reinstall the operating system, software, and drivers. Of the two, the ASUS ROG Ally is definitely more install-friendly than the Steam Deck. In fact, there's an official ASUS ROG Ally SSD swap guide as well as a link to a video that goes through both the physical and software installation. If that's not enough, there's also an official Corsair SSD swap guide. The Steam Deck unfortunately doesn't have an official guide. It's more involving and a tad riskier, so we'd recommend using an in-depth 3rd party guide like the one from IFIXIT for the physical SSD installation and the Steam Deck software recovery page to reinstall the software.

Note that both the ASUS ROG Ally and Steam Deck officially state that modifying components on your own will void the warranty. Technically, there is no "warranty if void" sticker present anywhere in either console, so as long as you don't damage anything you should be fine. If you ever have to send the console back in for warranty service though, you should probably swap the original SSD back in.

Unlike the PS5 or Xbox Series X, we wouldn't recommend just anybody go ahead and upgrade the SSD. You need a bit more know-how, tools, and bravado to get the install done right. We've done these upgrades ourselves and they're not difficult (especially compared to changing out Joy-Con shells). The end result is worth it; even with the max 512GB capacity on either handheld, it's way too easy to run out of space.

If you want a groovy adventure in space, I've got good news for you. Right now you can embrace your inner 'space-faring getaway driver' by grabbing a key for Super Space Club, the movement-based top-down shooter we are giving out as part of IGN Plus.

IGN Plus Monthly Game: Super Space Club

Super Space Club is a stylish arcade shooter based largely on controlling your momentum. With several different ship types (each with their own wrinkle on speed, momentum, and durability), weapon types that also impact your momentum (from basic projectiles to shotgun spreads and even firework explosions), and characters (each with their own unique super ability), there is a lot of room to cater the experience to your liking.

Getting into a flow state and skimming past some asteroids, firing up your engine to cut behind them, then nailing your pursuers as they round the corner never gets old, and the stylish music and aesthetic make it hard to get mad when your run ends unceremoniously. With mission-based structure and progression that largely carries over to your next life, it's a simple and straightforward game I enjoy (even if scorechasing isn't my thing).

Super Space Club Developer Interview - Graham Reid (Solo Developer)

Graham Reid (AKA: GrahamOfLegend) is the main developer responsible for Super Space Club. Inspired by games like Geometry Wars, Luftrausers, and even drawing inspiration from other things like Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and Guardians Of The Galaxy, SSC has a lot going for it.

With music by Fat Bard, a vibrant color pallette, and a simple and effective gameplay loop, this is one to check out. I hope you enjoy the game, and this excerpt from our interview. Cheers!

Graham: My name is Graham Reid. Digitally known as 'grahamoflegend,' and I'm a Jamaican solo indie game developer, meaning my role in the game was 'everything,' more or less. I didn't do the sound design. That was done by Fat Bard. They did all the sound and music and then they got vocalists to contribute. And then localization... illustration... and all the other small things that people don't talk about enough, I feel. Those things I outsource, but it's mostly me. All the developments, the ideation, the arts.

I could have done the illustration for the characters, because I did go to art school. My background is in motion design and graphic design, and I can illustrate. But sometimes you just have to just actually get the thing done in good time. You have to get help... well, you don't have to, but it's better to.

Brian: When I was in high school, I went over to my friend's house; the Sinclairs. I went down to their basement, and they had a little arcade cabinet in the corner with Asteroids on it. And I certainly felt a bit of that when playing Super Space Club... I can see the Asteroids inspiration but obviously there's a lot of other things in here as well. So I'm curious what inspired you to make this game.

Graham: You would think I played a lot of Asteroids, but I actually haven't. I'm sure I've played it in the arcade before, but not that much. It's more so that I know the visual reference of Asteroids. But I love games like Geometry Wars. One of the main influences for the gameplay itself was a game called Luftrausers by Vlambeer.

Brian: Oh yeah, that game rips. I played tons of that on Vita.

Graham: So the steering came from Asteroids because in Asteroids, you point in a direction, and you aim and shoot in that direction. It's not twin-stick. I really liked that floaty physics kind of feel because it feels very intentional. Once you get good at actually controlling your ship, then you're unstoppable, you know? But then in terms of the weapons and the loadouts and the configuration, and how customizable Luftrausers was was, that really inspired me in that regard. And of course, all the roguelikes that have come out since 2019. Which is when I started this game, initially. Those all inspired me. And then just the vibe.

I've told this story so much, but the vibe is... initially, it started out as a black and white game. An homage to Asteroids, almost, but modern. But then I watched Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. The first one. And you know, it's very colorful... very visual. And I was like, 'yes, this game needs color.' And I was so inspired... and the music, too. Like that one song, Sunflower (by Post Malone and Swae Lee)... all that inspired me. And then on top of that, there's Guardians of the Galaxy, where they're all in space, hectic... shooting and doing all sorts of things. But then the music is just chill 80s music. And it's a contradiction, but it's good. They're all zen'd out in their element, doing what they need to do. But the action is very hectic. So the game isn't easy, but it encourages you to get in a flow state. You can chill out and play the game. So I think those are my main inspirations for it across the across the board.

Brian: I'm enjoying unlocking characters, weapons, ships, and the like. My favorite combination so far is Roscoe with the Seeker weapon and the Pyramid ship. Can you tell me your favorite combination, or do you not want to say?

Graham: No, of course I can. My favorite combination is the... I can't remember which ship I like the most now... I mean, honestly, I like the default ship, the standard. It's the standard, you know (laughs). But secondly, there's one that you get later in the game that doesn't have anything stopping it from drifting endlessly, and there's also one that there is no drift at all. When you stop it just parks. And that's my favorite ship. Because that one, it controls more like a car in space, so you can when bullets are coming at you, just turn and... it feels like you're playing a different game, almost. Something about it just really feels nice to me. So that's my favorite ship.

And then my favorite character is the antelope, Sasha, who does a 'blink.' It's a basic blink, but it just feels really cool when the laser is coming at you, and you hear [your ability charging up] and right before it shoots, you blink out of the way, and it misses you. That's always fun.

My favorite weapon is called The Firework which is, as it sounds, like shoot one big projectile and then it bursts into a spray of five or six. It's the most powerful, but it's also the slowest, so you have to really aim it, you've got to be really precise with it. But yeah, that's my thing. That's my winning... That's not the combo I have the highest score with, but it's my favorite to play as, just fun. I won't say what the highest score on is (laughs). You'll have to figure that out on your own.

Brian: So here's my educational corner question. What's one thing -

Graham (answering before the question is finished): All of it.

Brian: (laughing) He has the questions, dear reader. He has the questions in front of him, so he knows exactly what I'm about to ask. 'What's one thing about game development that you wish people understood?'

Graham: (whispers) All of it.

How hard it is to make a game from start to finish. How hard it is to make a commercial game. Because prototyping isn't hard. You can make a prototype in like a day. I think I made this one in a day. It was just like; thrust, shoot. Enemies following basic, rudimentary AI. Not even anything advanced. They just follow you.

Brian: Game jam stuff.

Graham: Game jam stuff. And even game jams aren't easy either, but it's like... an experienced person or even an amateur who's watched enough tutorials can do that in a day, you know? But actually making a commercial project, something complete. It's really hard. Whether you're one person or there are like 100 people... or a bigger team, like Rockstar or something. Really hard. Really hard. So I wish people understood that. I wish there was some something to compare to just general life to say, 'Hey, this is how hard it feels to make a game.' And how many things have to go right, how many systems have to work together. You can't even compare it to books or movies, because there's just one way right? Like you watch a movie, or read a book. There's no bug testing. There's no bugs! With a book, the bug is 'the prints are jammed, and so there's no words on the page.' (laughs) Or in a film if the power goes out during the movie, that's the bug.

Brian: Or if in one scene, some of the people in a fantasy setting have a Starbucks cup or something (laughs).

Graham: Or like if I forgot to put the VFX in Wolverine (laughs). That kind of stuff. Those are the 'bugs.' Yeah, but game development is just really not easy to do. Then some developers make it look really easy because their games are just always... like Supergiant Games. Their games always hit. And they just make it look really easy. So there are games that might have some pitfalls, or might not be the most polished or whatever... People think, like you were saying earlier, 'lazy game devs' or 'they don't care about the game.' But I don't think any artist wants to make bad art. Yeah, I don't think anybody who, even is just trying to make money, I don't think anybody wants to put something bad out, because then you're not going to buy the next thing, you know, and then they won't make any more money after that.

So whether it's art, whether it's business, anything, people don't intentionally try to put out bad-quality things. And when they do put to a good quality, it took them a lot of effort to actually get there. A lot of hard work. Sadly, sometimes a lot of crunch, depending on the place. It used to be 100% of studios crunched and now it's like we're getting to a place where it's not... People are being more empathetic and treating people as humans. You can actually, if you're behind, just push a deadline. People are planning with that in mind now, as opposed to back in the day, where you had to hit deadlines, or else. Yeah, so I wish people could just know everything. But yeah, there's no one thing. It's just hard to make games. And then on top of that, make a good game. Even bad games are hard to make. Not just making a good game.

Brian: That's one of the things that I was gonna say based on what you were talking about with Supergiant earlier. Or like Forza Horizon or Forza Motorsport. Every time those games come out, they get like 9s or 10s. And it's become a thing where like, people just kind of assume that, 'yeah, it's gonna be good.' But then it doesn't become notable. There's a line from Batman Begins that I think about a lot, which is 'people need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy.' And it feels like unless there's a 'pattern interrupt' people will come to assume that something is going to be. So the perceived outlier is the developer who made a roguelike that isn't as good as Hades, instead of the outlier being 'they made another game as good as Hades.' People think about the deficiencies in other developers instead of thinking about how absolutely astronomical the likelihood was that Supergiant makes this many incredible games back to back.

Graham: Exactly. I remember last year, it was a big, big Twitter discourse in our corner of the internet. But it was a big talk about both Zelda and Baldur's Gate. People were saying 'Oh, Zelda has relatively no bugs.' And I mean, I haven't come across any bugs either. How? How do you make a game that big, with that many systems and there's no hiccups? Doesn't make any sense. It's black magic. And then people were like, 'oh, yeah, every game has to have this now.' And then with Baldur's Gate, people are like, 'Oh, this is the new standard. Games shouldn't ever fall below this bar.' I'm like, 'no.' They've been doing this for years. It's been in early access forever. They've tested and tested and they've thankfully had the funding or whatever, however they've come about surviving this long. And they put in the work. Not every developer can make something like Baldur's Gate. Maybe they can't even doing it again. I feel bad for them now. Like, what's next?

Brian: To anybody reading this who's about to jump in for the first time, what would you say to them?

Graham: Enjoy and run away. (laughs) Ease up on the trigger. Just enjoy being in space and flying around. Yes, your goal is to shoot everything. But you don't always have to be doing that. It's supposed to be a very zen-like experience. Very flow-state heavy. And if you don't like the music, then delete - I'm joking, don't delete the game (laughs).

But listen, there was one streamer I was watching and he said he hated the music. And I was appalled. I was taken aback. (laughs) Like, 'what do you mean?' Specifically, he said he hates the vocals and I'm like, 'what?! What do you mean?' I've never heard anyone say that. And he was like, 'yeah, no... hate all of it. Music, vocals, all of it. Hate it.' I'm like, 'well, turn the music off then. Play your own thing.' (laughs) I was so offended.

Brian: Not only that, but you're offended on behalf of your friends, as well.

Graham: That's what I'm saying! He could have said, 'Oh, the game sucks... doesn't feel good.' I'm like, 'Alright, cool. Critiques for me. Gotcha.' But the music? Are you kidding me? Have you heard the soundtrack? You're not listening. (laughs)

Brian: (laughs) Oh, well, that's only one person, they don't know what they're talking about.

Graham: They liked the game though, so that was good. (laughs)

Brian: (laughs) So affirmation for you! So what that tells me is, they know about games, but they don't know about music. (laughs)

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Brian Barnett writes reviews, guides, features, & more for IGN & GameSpot. You can get your fix of his antics on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Bluesky, & Backloggd, & check out his fantastic video game talk show, The Platformers, on Backloggd & Apple Podcasts.

Prepare for the triumphant return of iconic vigilante duo The Boondock Saints as Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery are set to reprise their roles in a new installment.

Reported first by Deadline, Reedus and Flannery will reprise their roles as Murphy and Connor MacManus in a third entry in the series. While a 2021 report confirmed a third film was in development with both the original cast and director returning, Deadline's report today reveals that Troy Duffy, who directed the first two films, will not return to direct, opting instead to continue the Saint's story in the form of a series of books.

The outlet also reveals that Thunder Road Pictures, the production company whose previous work includes the John Wick series and the upcoming film Monkey Man, is attached to the project. It is collaborating with Dragonfly Films, which currently owns the rights to The Boondock Saints franchise. This new film is a reimagining of the franchise.

If you are unfamiliar with The Boondock Saints, the first film was released in 1999. It tells the story of two twin Irish brothers who seek righteous retribution as they try to eradicate all the criminals plaguing their hometown. The film became a cult classic; though it did not perform well in its initial run at the box office, it got a sequel titled The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, 10 years later.

The long-road for a new The Boondock Saints installment

In 2009, Duffy elaborated on where a sequel would go. In 2013, discussion came again from Duffy, explaining that he was working on the script for a third installment and a potential TV series, The Boondock Saints: Origins.

In 2014, it was reported that pre-production began for a third film, which was, at the time, subtitled Legion. Unfortunately, Flanery announced on Twitter three years later that he and Reedus had exited the project. As you probably guessed, all these previous attempts never saw the light of day.

Despite previous attempts for a continuation on the big and small screen not materializing, The Boondock Saints has continued in the form of comic books written by Duffy.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Amazon is offering the lowest price we've ever seen on the officially licensed WD Black C50 1TB Expansion Card for Xbox Series consoles. Right now it's only $125.99, a 16% off price drop from its original $150 MSRP. It's currently $25 cheaper than the Seagate 1TB Expansion Card. The C50 is one of the best SSDs for the Xbox, which isn't surprising since your options are pretty limited.

WD Black C50 1TB Expansion Card for Xbox for $125.99

The WD Black C50 expansion card is essentially a 1TB NVME SSD encased in a specialized Xbox-compatible shell. Unlike the more complex PS5 SSD installation process, which involves opening up the PS5 to access the SSD slot, the Seagate expansion card simply plugs into its dedicated port on the back of the Xbox.

This expansion card offers the same speed as the internal SSD, ensuring that you won't sacrifice performance or encounter extended load times as you might with a regular USB drive. With a 1TB expansion card, you can double the storage on your Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S Carbon Black Edition console, and triple the storage on your OG (white) Xbox Series S console.

In contrast to the PS5, there are no alternative methods for adding high-speed storage to your Xbox console. Your options are limited to either the WD or Seagate expansion cards, underscoring the importance of seizing a good deal when one becomes available.

Looking for more Xbox accessories? Check out the best Xbox deals today.

At a Game Developers Conference (GDC) panel today, Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke dropped something of a bombshell by revealing that the developer isn't planning to release any expansions or DLC for Baldur's Gate 3, nor a Baldur's Gate 4.

Instead, Vincke said at the panel, Larian plans to move away from Dungeons & Dragons entirely and do something new, leaving the IP in publisher Wizards of the Coast's hands.

It's a big surprise, considering the massive success of Baldur's Gate 3, with many fans assuming that a DLC or expansion would be on the way. Larian has released several major free patches that have added, among other things, a playable epilogue party.

Larian has also commented about the possibility of doing a DLC in the past. Speaking to IGN at gamescom 2023, senior product manager at Larian Studios Tom Butler said they had "discussions" on doing more for Baldur's Gate 3, although they were focused on patches then.

"We'll carry on patching for a while and then we're all going to take a holiday and then we'll figure out what we do next," Butler said at the time. "But at the moment, we genuinely have discussions. We want to do more. We don't know what yet."

Beyond that, however, Larian has never officially said more Baldur's Gate 3 was on the way. As previously mentioned, though, plenty of new content has been added to the hit RPG since last year's August launch, and there's so much in the massive game already that the physical edition comes in at four disks. The developers are currently working on a "robust and cross-platform" mod support plan to accommodate additions from the community as well.

The first and second Baldur's Gate games were developed by BioWare. Before Baldur's Gate 3, Larian was best known for developing the Divinity series.

It seems like Larian's next project could be another Divinity entry. In an interview with IGN shortly before the release of Baldur's Gate 3, Vincke said a Divinity: Original Sin sequel was "definitely" on the horizon, but the team needed to work through Baldur's Gate 3 first.

It's unclear if Hasbro, which owns Wizards of the Coast, will look to another developer for a potential Baldur's Gate 4, but the property has no doubt been hugely successful for them. It was revealed last month that Hasbro has made a whopping $90 million off Baldur's Gate 3. In addition to the financial success, Baldur's Gate 3 has been a huge hit among fans and critics as well, winning the top prize at last year's Game Awards and getting a 10/10 from several outlets, including IGN.

Elsewhere at the panel, Vincke also showed off early versions of various characters, including a very different Astarion.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Spring is finally here, and to celebrate the occasion, Secretlab has kicked off its Easter Sale with some rare savings on their popular gaming chairs and electric gaming desks. The exact details are as follows:

• Up to $100 Off Titan Evo gaming chairs
• Up to $100 Off Titan 2020 and Omega gaming chairs
• Up to 15% Off Secretlab SKINS chair covers
• Up to $100 Off Magnus and Magnus Pro desk bundles
• Up to $40 off Nueue chairs

The Best Secretlab Easter Deals

Up to $100 Off Secretlab TITAN Evo Gaming Chairs

The TITAN Evo starts at $534 during the sale. This is Secretlab's latest flagship chair and it's available in Small, Medium, and Large sizes. It comes standard with Neo Hybrid Leatherette, which is easy to clean and considerably more durable than the commonly used PU leather. You can also upgrade to either SoftWeave Plus fabric or premium NAPA leather. Every TITAN Evo chair features a sculpted base with plush cold-cure foam upholstery, a supportive 4-way lumbar system, a full length backrest with 165 degrees of recline, full metal 4D armrests with magnetically attached PU cushions (can be upgraded to gel or memory foam), and a magnetically attached memory foam headrest pillow. The TITAN Evo comes with a 3 year warranty.

What's really amazing about Secretlab's chairs are the sheer number of officially licensed designs available. My personal favorites are the Witcher, Monster Hunter, Attack on Titan and Game of Thrones House Targaryen chairs. They cost more than the standard colors, but they're worth it if you're want that extra personal touch to your gaming space.

Up to $100 Off Secretlab TITAN 2020 Gaming Chairs

If you're not married to the idea of getting the newest TITAN Evo, you can get prior model TITAN 2020 gaming chairs starting at $474. The upgrades to the Evo are relatively minor. Besides the changes in upholstery (PU leather to their new Neo Hybrid Leatherette), the addition of magnetic elements to the armrests and headrest, and the NFC anti-counterfeit tag, the chairs are more or less identical. That means the TITAN 2020 also has the more important features like the cold cure foam upholstery, 4-way lumbar, 165 degrees of recline, 4D armrests and more. The TITAN 2020 also comes with a 3 year warranty.

Secretlab MAGNUS Pro Desk for $799

The MAGNUS Pro is currently selling for $799. This is one of the few electric standing desks that's designed for gamers. It has everything you'd want from a quality standing desk, like a powerful dual-motor system with 3-stage telescoping metal legs, horizontal cross brace, anti-collision feature, and memory presets. However it has some pretty awesome unique tricks up its sleeve. One of the columns doubles up as a power center. You plug a power cable into an outlet at the base of the column. There is a cable management tray that spans the entire length of the table. There you can put in your own power strip and plug it right into a second outlet at the top of the base. Other great features include a completely magnetic top so you can stick on magnetic accessories like their deskmat, integrated RGB lighting (optional), and a control panel interface that's seamlessly built into the tabletop surface so your chair won't run into it. The MAGNUS Pro desk comes with a 5 year warranty.

Why Choose Secretlab Gaming Chairs?

These Secretlab sales only come around a handful of times per year, so here's your chance to score a very welcome discount. It's no secret that we love our Secretlab gaming chairs. We've consistently rated them as the best high-end gaming chair on the market, as well as the best gaming chair for "big and tall" gamers. Of all the gaming chairs we covered in our "Budget to Best" roundup video earlier this year, Akeem considered the Secretlab Titan Evo to be the most comfortable. No good chair comes cheap, and Secretlab chairs definitely cost a premium, but we think the craftsmanship, materials, and customizability are worth it.

On a personal note, I've recently swapped my aging Herman Miller Aeron chair to a TITAN Evo, and I won't be going back. The Aeron chair is indisdutably an amazing chair, but the TITAN Evo is, in my opinion, is more comfortable, nearly as customizable, and looks way cooler with my gaming setup.

Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke has shared an early look at every Baldur’s Gate 3 fan’s favorite vampire Astarion, and it looks like a lot has changed since the early days of his creation.

Vincke covered the character’s origin during a Game Developers Conference (GDC) panel today, revealing information about him that may be a bit shocking. Astarion might be Baldur’s Gate 3’s most recognizable face, but he didn’t start out as a High-Elf, nor did he have his iconic mop of curly white hair. Instead, he was a Tiefling with glowing yellow eyes and black hair.

IGN attended the panel and was able to capture an image that you can see below.

“Things have changed since then,” Vincke said during the panel.

Despite Astarion being a completely different race in early versions of Baldur’s Gate 3, the Tiefling version of the character did share some things in common with the Rogue we know now. His voice, for example, was similar.

"I'm just a simple tiefling,” early Astarion said in a clip. “A simple tiefling with a brain parasite. But just a simple tiefling."

Astarion is played by Neil Newbon, who's won various awards for his work as the character, including Best Performance at last year's Game Awards. Since Baldur’s Gate 3’s release in 2023, fans have taken over the internet with fan art, mods, clips, memes, and so much more. One of the more infamous memes saw players giving Astarion guns…for some reason.

We gave Baldur’s Gate 3 a 10 in our review. At the time, we said, “With crunchy, tactical RPG combat, a memorable story with complex characters, highly polished cinematic presentation, and a world that always rewards exploration and creativity, Baldur's Gate 3 is the new high-water mark for CRPGs.”

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Amazon is offering the newest generation Apple AirPods Pro truly wireless noise cancelling earbuds with the universal USB Type-C connector for only $179.99, a savings of $70. This is the absolute lowest price we've ever seen and beats out last year's Black Friday deal. The AirPods Pro is our top pick for the best Airpods of 2024, and a no-brainer for any iPhone user.

Apple AirPods Pro with USB Type-C for $179.99

With this current gen AirPods Pro, Apple has replaced the proprietary Lightning port with the more universal USB Type-C. For people who want to bring along a single charging cable for all of their mobile devices, this is a godsend. Other small upgrades include dust resistance and lossless audio support when paired with Apple’s upcoming and massively expensive Vision Pro headset.

The Apple AirPods Pro is one of the best-sounding "truly wireless" earbuds you'll find, especially at this price point. Aside from the more expensive and bulkier Max, the Pro is the only Airpods with active noise cancelling technology. If there are moments where noise cancellation might be a hindrance, the AirPods Pro features an "Adaptive Transparency Mode" to pick up ambient noises so you can hear your surroundings.

Compared to the standard AirPods, the AirPods Pro features a more refined low-distortion driver and amp as well as a more powerful Apple H2 chip. More importantly, the AirPods Pro has customized ear tips that do a much better job of sealing your ears properly. Note, only do they stay in place better and are instrumental in isolating ambient noise, but the seal helps improve sound quality tremendously. That makes it easily worth the mere $30 price premium over the 3rd-gen AirPods.

If AirPods Pro are out of your budget but you still want AirPods for your iPhone, check out the best deals on other AirPods like the AirPods 2 wireless earbuds for only $99.99

If you uploaded a Super Mario Maker course with cheap hidden blocks, unfair enemy placement, or just overall haphazard design, I'm sorry to say that Nintendo might have judged you for it.

During Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. Wonder panel at GDC, legendary Nintendo developer Takashi Tezuka was discussing how Super Mario Maker gave players the ability to freely design courses under the same conditions as each other. But Tezuka admitted, "However, when we played the posted courses, and let’s keep this here, some of them were not very good.”

Aside from the added bonus of throwing shade at some Mario Maker designers out there, Tezuka's wider point tied into how level design is the X factor that can make controls, sound, graphics, and enemies either fall flat or come alive. The Super Mario Bros. Wonder panel was home to some interesting insight about how Nintendo returned to Mario's 2D roots to create something brand new.

Reimagining 2D Mario

Tezuka and Super Mario Bros. Wonder director Shiro Mouri kicked off the panel by discussing the long wait for a new 2D Mario game. 2012's New Super Mario Bros. U was the last traditional sidescrolling Mario game until Wonder came along last year, and Tezuka simply said they'd just been busy making other types of sidescrolling games like Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Run: "Honestly, 11 years just went by", he said.

But Tezuka insisted that 3D Mario games haven't replaced 2D games, saying, "People may think that 3D Mario games have taken their place... I think everyone should enjoy them both. Do you think that's too much to ask?" The pair discussed the difference between 2D and 3D Mario, with Mouri saying a merit of 2D games is that it's easier to experience the game's design as it was intended. They also added that in 2D Mario games, the developers spend as much time as possible adjusting courses until the very end of development, which is much easier to do than when developing a 3D game.

Mouri and Tezuka approached development of Super Mario Bros. Wonder with the mantra of "big changes". As Mouri pointed out, elements of the original Super Mario Bros. like warp pipes, Super Mushrooms, and hitting blocks has become normal over time, so the team wanted to create a 2D Mario game full of new secrets and mysteries. Mouri thought, "If I'm going to change the environment anyway, I may as well go hard," which led to the beginnings of Wonder Effects like wiggling warp pipes and singing Piranha Plants.

Nintendo developers have previously shared the collaborative nature of Super Mario Bros. Wonder's development, and Mouri and Tezuka expanded on that during the GDC panel. "Nintendo believes everyone on the team is a game designer," Tezuka said, explaining the brainstorming sessions to come up with different Wonder Effects. The idea for the Wonder Quiz effect came from a programmer in his first year at Nintendo, demonstrating that everyone's ideas were on the table.

We also learned about another Wonder Effect that didn't make the cut, where Mario would turn into a giant, 8-bit, blocky version of himself, trying to avoid getting eaten by Wonder's new block-eating Gnawsher enemies. This was cut because it was impossible to strategically avoid enemies, resulting in an unfocused mad dash to the goal.

As for the future of 2D Mario, Tezuka said it all comes down to thinking about what will be the core of the game, and that he hopes the presentation got people interested in 2D game development.

A Kind World

The Nintendo developers also took some time to discuss Super Mario Bros. Wonder's online multiplayer modes. Nintendo took an interesting approach to online play, where shadows of other players from around the world could help each other find secrets and reach the end of a level.

Mouri said he wanted to create online gameplay that "would make you want to say thank you" to a stranger, adding, "We help people around us when they are in trouble... When you have a team made up of people with that mindset, there’s a good chance something good will come out of it. This holds true in game development as well... For [Wonder], we wanted to create a kind world like that, where online play is where you act not for yourself, but for the people around you.”

This led to the development team settling on the theme of subtle connection, and Tezuka said this is just one solution to what online play looks like for a Mario game.

All of Nintendo's experimentation with Wonder's development paid off, as we called it "the true next step for 2D Mario platformers" in our review.

For more, check out the highlights from Nintendo's Tears of the Kingdom GDC panel, where developers shared the struggles behind creating the complicated physics-based world of Hyrule.

Additional reporting by Rebekah Valentine.

Logan Plant is IGN's Database Manager, Playlist Editor, occasional news writer, and frequent Super Ninfriendo on Nintendo Voice Chat. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Not everyone is the DIY type. If you're in the market for a prebuilt gaming PC, Dell is one of best brands we'd recommend. The Alienware gaming desktops offer a staggering array of options, all built into a custom chassis that's both easy on the eyes and easy on the wallet. Alienware gaming laptops in recent years have been redesigned to be thinner and lighter while still offering the same immense power under the hood. Consistent build quality, available inventory, frequent sales, and solid customer service are the main reasons why Dell is at the top of our buying list. Below, you'll find some of the best deals available on PCs and laptops on Dell right now as well as some of the newest releases from CES 2024.

Dell and Alienware Coupon Codes

Currently there aren't any coupon codes available that work on gaming configs.

10% Off 32" Alienware AW3225QF 4K OLED Gaming Monitor

The Alienware AW3225QF 32" 4K QD OLED gaming monitor from Dell is still the only 4K QD OLED gaming monitor under 42" that is readily available. It retails for $1199.99, but for the first time ever, you can get it for $1087.18, a 10% discount. So how do you get this discount? Well right now Dell is offering this promotion: buy any 2 monitors or PC accessories, and get an automatic 10% off applied to your order. We simply add this monitor and the least expensive PC accessory we can find (in this case, $9.99). Here are the steps:

1. Add the Alienware AW3225QF monitor to cart
2. Add this $9.99 PC accessory to cart
3. Price in cart should show as $1212.98 minus $124 in savings
4. Taxes and fees still apply, of course

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4070 SUPER Gaming PC for $1699.99

Dell has the Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4070 SUPER gaming PC for $1599.99 after $300 in instant savings. The RTX 4070 SUPER offers about 15%-20% better performance than the RTX 4070 or RTX 3080 and trails behind the RTX 4070 Ti by only about 5%-10%. The newest gen Intel Core i9-14900F "Raptor Lake Refresh" CPU is one of the most powerful desktop processors available, and it's cooled by a 240mm AIO liquid cooler.

The R16 is the most current Alienware Aurora gaming desktop. The R16 chassis is 40% smaller in volume compared to previous iterations. It features a simple yet proven airflow design; air is drawn in through the side intake vents over the GPU area as well as a 120mm rear fan drawing air in and a generously sized 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler exhausts air out through the top. A side benefit is that the GPU is supplied with fresh air from the outside instead of recirculating hot internal air.

Alienware Aurora R15 RTX 4080 Gaming PC for $1899.99

Starting this week, Dell is offering an Alienware Aurora R15 Ryzen Edition RTX 4080 gaming PC for only $1899.99 after a $500 instant discount. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is cooled by a robust 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler and powered by a very generous 1,350W power supply. The RTX 4080 is one of the most powerful NVIDIA GPUs on the market. It's more than capable of handling any game at 4K at 60+fps.

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4090 Gaming PC for $3199.99

Crytocurrency is back on the rise and, unfortunately, so is the price of GeForce RTX 4090 GPUs. Right now a 4090 GPU goes for about a $300-$500 markup on Amazon. Fortunately, there's a way to avoid that: get a pre-built PC instead. Dell is currently offering the Alienware Aurora R16 Intel Core i9-14900KF RTX 4090 gaming PC for $3199.99 after a $500 instant discount. This is one of Alienware's highest end configs, with a new liquid-cooled 14th gen Intel Core i9 processor and a coveted RTX 4090 GPU.

Alienware Aurora R15 Ryzen RTX 4090 Gaming PC for $3099.99

This particular Alienware Aurora R15 config boasts an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X CPU, GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, 32GB of DDR-4800MHz RAM, and a 2TB M.2 SSD. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is still one of AMD's best general purpose CPUs, excelling at gaming, 3D rendering, AI generation, multi-tasking, and pretty much anything else you can throw at it. It's cooled by a Cryo-Tech 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler.

Alienware m16 16" RTX 4080 Gaming Laptop for $1999.99

This Alienware m16 laptop comes equipped with a 16" 2560x1600 QHD+ display, the latest AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX CPU, GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, 16GB of DDR5-4800MHz RAM and a 1TB M.2 SSD. The mobile RTX 4080 is a very powerful GPU; it's the second most powerful mobile graphics solution right behind the RTX 4090. Compared to desktop variants, it's nearly as powerful as an RTX 3080 / RTX 4070 desktop GPU. This kind of power would be wasted on a 1080p display, but fortunately the Alienware m16 is upgraded with a 16" 2560x1600 (QHD+) display.

Alienware m16 16" RTX 4090 Gaming Laptop for $2499.99

Let's just say the RTX 4090 makes high end gaming on a laptop possible. The RTX 4090 is the most powerful mobile GPU ever, and by a huge margin. It's roughly equivalent to a desktop RTX 3090 GPU. That means this GPU is capable of 4K gaming. Since the display is QHD+ instead of 4K, there should be ample headroom to run max settings and even ray tracing enabled while maintaining comfortable fps.

Alienware m18 R2 18" RTX 4090 Gaming Laptop for $3499.99

Dell has dropped the price on its flagship Alienware m18 R2 gaming laptop. The Alienware m18 "R2" model was released in January of 2024; this is Dell's highest-end gaming laptop and features the newest 14th gen Intel Core i9 processor paired with the best-in-class GeForce RTX 4090 GPU.

Dell XPS i7 RTX 4090 Gaming PC for $2599.99

Here's an interesting deal for someone who wants a prebuilt gaming PC outfitted with the most powerful GPU on the market at the lowest price possible. Dell has the new Dell XPS Intel Core i7-13700 RTX 4090 gaming PC for only $2599.99. That's $500 off its normal MSRP and the lowest price we've ever seen for an RTX 4090 gaming PC from Dell. It's not as flashy as an Alienware gaming PC, but it's a lot less expensive.

Dell XPS i7 RTX 4060 Ti Gaming PC for $1099.99

This is a great rig for 1080p gaming. The RTX 4060 Ti 8GB video card is the perfect GPU for 1080p gaming, although it's also capable of handling 1440p gaming. It's about 5%-10% faster than the RTX 3060 Ti at 1080p and supports DLSS 3.0 for even better performance in games that support it. It's also about 20%-25% faster than the RTX 4060 in 1080p gaming.

Alienware m16 R2 Intel Core Ultra 7 RTX 4060 Gaming Laptop for $1499.99

This new-for-2024 Alienware m16 R2 config features the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 Meteor Lake CPU, which replaces the Intel Core i7 series. This is Intel's first 7nm chiplet and it's the successor to the Intel Core i7-13700H. It's paired with an RTX 4060 mobile GPU.

Alienware x16 RTX 4070 Gaming Laptop for $1799.99

Dell is offering a rare discount on its sleek Alienware x16 gaming laptop equipped with a current-gen RTX 4070 GPU. The Alienware x-series gaming laptop is a newer, thinner, and lighter redesign of the traditional m-series laptop. It's the thinnest Alienware laptop ever and competes in build quality, dimensions, and performance to other high-end ultra-thin laptops like the Razer Blade. One important note is that despite the thinner footprint, the x16 model features a GPUs that boasts the same TGP rating as its m16 counterpart. Theoretically, that means you shouldn't see any performance difference in gaming performance between an equivalently equipped x16 and m16.

Why Pick a Dell or Alienware Gaming PC?

Not everyone is the DIY type, and building your own PC is definitely not for everyone. If you're in the market for a prebuilt gaming PC, Dell is one of best brands we'd recommend. The Alienware gaming desktops offer a staggering array of options, all built into a custom chassis that's both easy on the eyes and easy on the wallet. Alienware gaming laptops in recent years have been redesigned to be thinner and lighter while still offering the same immense power under the hood. Consistent build quality, available inventory, frequent sales, and solid customer service are the main reasons why Dell is at the top of our buying list.

HBO has released two trailers for House of the Dragon Season 2, urging viewers to pledge their loyalty to Team Black or Team Green ahead of the new batch of episodes on June 16.

The trailer for Team Black shows the council fighting for Emma D'Arcy's Queen Rhaenyra to claim her "rightful" place on the Iron Throne. "I mean to fight this war and win it," she tells Matt Smith's Prince Daemon, who later warns the opposition that their house will "burn" if they do not agree to their terms, threatening an all-out war.

The Black Trailer is here. #HOTDS2 premieres June 16 on @StreamOnMax. #TeamBlack pic.twitter.com/OlKEnrXVxI

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) March 21, 2024

Meanwhile, the trailer for Team Green offers a different perspective, as Olivia Cooke's Alicent and the King's Landing crew scheme to keep Tom Glynn-Carney's Aegon II on the throne, with violence as their only path to victory. "Rhaenyra's supporters will believe what they wish, but Viserys wanted Aegon to succeed him," Alicent claims.

The Green Trailer is here. #HOTDS2 premieres June 16 on @StreamOnMax. #TeamGreen pic.twitter.com/J7DBVrJ6WQ

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) March 21, 2024

The two previews carry the same message as the recently-released character posters, which showed off the key players on both sides and warned viewers that "all must choose" a side as Team Black and Team Green prepare to fight against each other in a battle that begins the Dance of the Dragons (the Targaryen civil war).

House of the Dragon Season 2 picks up from the story of George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood, a lengthy novel that covers roughly 150 years of Westeros history. Martin has already watched the first two episodes of Season 2 and described them as "powerful, emotional, gut-wrenching, heart-rending", and "very dark".

Season 2 will be shorter than the first, with eight episodes compared to 10 for the first season. The episode count is not indicative of the story, as Martin has already said the show will need at least four seasons to do justice to his book, and HBO's Head of Drama has seemingly agreed that there is still a lot of material to cover.

House of the Dragon will return for its sophomore run on June 16.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter @AdeleAnkers.