Nintendo’s NX using cartridges has been reported in the past. Now, it sounds even more likely as the Wall Street Journal has heard from “people familiar with the matter” that the company’s next console will pass on discs.
It’s important to note that Nintendo’s current handheld, the 3DS, also uses cartridges, meaning we could see something similar to that as opposed to the larger cartridges used by the Super Nintendo and N64.
The main problem with cartridges is that they normally carry less data than discs–PS4 and Xbox One game discs can store up to 50 GB of data and often require further installs on the consoles’ hard drives. It’s currently unclear how much data an NX cartridge will hold, if real.
Every month, WWE provides its fans with hours upon hours of entertainment between Raw, Smackdown, NXT, a monthly PPV, pre and post shows for almost every event, and tons of online content from the company. That is a lot for any fan, whether casual or hardcore, to devote their time to.
Luckily, we’ve sifted through the past month and found some of the most entertaining moments from the past month, from whole matches and promos, to one particular moment that got the wrestling world talking this past month.
Let’s check out the 8 most entertaining moments from August that evoked an emotional response from the fanbase. Plus, a few videos in case you missed those moments. Note: Aside from WWE’s reality programming, we’re skipping out on the Cruiserweight Classic. Yes, it’s awesome, but it will not be included.
8. Smackdown and Raw FINALLY Feel Like Separate Shows
Raw and Smackdown are WWE’s premiere, weekly shows. For years, the entire WWE roster appeared on both shows, every week. In addition, Smackdown became more of a recap of what happened on Raw the past week, rather than its own weekly show. It had no identity.
Since the draft and split of the shows on July 18 & 19, Smackdown had the challenge of becoming a unique show. August is the first full month since the change, and it’s proving to be a success. While Raw may have the stronger roster, there are still a lot of stars that have drawing power on Smackdown, like AJ Styles, John Cena, The Miz, and more. Many fans of WWE were skeptical of how this would all play out, but after watching Smackdown in August, it’s easy to say it’s been a success.
7. Ember Moon’s Debut
During the past year, NXT has lost a giant chunk of its women’s roster: Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Dana Brooke, Eva Marie, Nia Jax, Carmella, and most recently, Bayley. Asuka is still holding down the fort, but it feels like there’s a bit of a void in the Women’s Division, and there haven’t been any real standouts as of late.
That all changed during NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II when Ember Moon debuted. Not to take anything away from her opponent, Billie Kay, who is a powerhouse, but Moon was exciting to watch, once the match got on the right track. Aside from a few sloppy spots early on, Moon wowed the crowd with a springboard crossbody. Her finisher got a huge reaction from the crowd, too. From the top rope, she flipped over Kay and delivered a Stunner. Both Moon and Kay are something to get excited about in NXT.
6. Bayley Teaming With The New Day
Bayley leaving NXT was quite the bummer. However, on the August 29 episode of Raw, Bayley found herself making three new best friends to hug, while walking backstage: The New Day. What happened next was nothing short of the most delightful moment in WWE television in months, as they chatted it up, then got into it with Dana Brooke, leading to a mixed tag match with Brooke, Gallows, and Anderson.
Bringing the charismatic and overtly-optimistic Bayley onto Raw could have been a bit of a challenge, as many fans that watch Raw have no clue who she is. However, WWE made the wonderful move of having her team up with The New Day. Personality-wise, she’s a perfect fit, and there are probably lots of fans that would love to see her be part of this group, week-to-week.
5. Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens
During the past month, Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho started teaming up. At the time, the only thing they really had in common was they were both Canadian. However, as the month as rolled on, the two worked well off of each other, and the promos they’ve been cutting are giving fans a lot more insight into who their characters are right now.
At first, this whole team-up didn’t make sense, but it’s really been fun to watch these two play off of each other. They’re great on the mic, and they’re great in the ring. Just check out their interview after SummerSlam (above). More than anything else, this new angle breathed new life into both of these stars.
4. Anderson and Gallows’ New Gimmick
Before the brand split, both Gallows and Anderson were AJ Styles’ lackeys, trying to recapture the magic of when they were all in the Bullet Club together in New Japan Pro Wrestling. It worked, but when Styles went to Smackdown and Gallows and Anderson went to Raw, something had to change. So, they became doctors, of sorts, cutting promos about “ringpostitus,” which you contract when you take a ringpost to the crotch.
What makes this gimmick work is how straight-faced these two are when they deliver their lines. It’s two guys, coming into their own, but delivering some funny stuff, seriously. Where this angle shines is the fact they’re in a rivalry with The New Day, who are easily the most humorous group currently in the company. This duo could continue to go the “tough guy” route but letting their personalities shine is what gets these two on the list.
3. Eva Marie’s Angle Works
Eva Marie is the Total Diva people seem to love to hate. Over the past year, we’ve heard the chants of “You can’t wrestle” week after week on NXT, as she developed her character. Now that she’s on Smackdown, she’s got a whole new gimmick. Marie’s entrance has her own announcer talks about how great she is, and she takes her time getting to the ring, too. However, that’s not all. During August, she has fought a total of zero times because of injuries, wardrobe malfunctions, and being on vacation during SummerSlam, even though we all know she was suspended.
This whole new gimmick of coming up with reasons not to wrestle is hilarious. It’s giving Smackdown the much-needed entertainment value to make it a standalone show. Sure, she isn’t wrestling at all, but the over-the-top attitude and constant refusal to wrestle is funny and interesting. It’s getting people talking about the show and the character.
2. NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II
One of WWE’s premiere PPVs, SummerSlam, took place in Brooklyn this year. It had some high and low points, but the best part of SummerSlam weekend was NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II. Following up last year’s Takeover event, which was also at the Barclay’s Center, Takeover highlighted new and old talent from WWE’s developmental program.
We’ve already focused on one aspect of the event, and the rest of it was exactly what WWE fans are looking for. We saw the debut of Bobby Roode, who had the most glorious entrance in recent memory (video above, for obvious reasons). Additionally, there were three great championship matches. Once again, NXT put on a memorable summer event that you’ll want to watch again and again. In addition, Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe put on one hell of a match, worthy of the main event.
1. The Miz’s Breakdown on Talking Smack
Normally, when people talk about The Miz, it’s about what they don’t like about the character, which is bizarre because he’s so awesome. During one of WWE’s post-shows, Talking Smack, Smackdown GM Daniel Bryan told The Miz he wrestles like a coward, like someone who is afraid to get hit. The Miz took offense and went off on Bryan. The whole video segment is above, and it’s something you need to watch.
There was nothing else during August that had this big of an emotional impact on the viewer. It was the most talked about moment, followed by the Orton/Lesnar finish, for good reason. It seems there’s a lot of real emotion behind Miz’s passionate speech, as tears welled up in his eyes. Miz’s rant against Bryan had a lot of eye-opening points, including telling Bryan, in so many words, that he doesn’t have the same passion for being in ring as Bryan says he does. Again, watch the video.
That’s all for this month’s WWE Power Moves. Let us know what you thought were the most entertaining moments in August, and we’ll see you next month.
It’s a long weekend coming up, and if you’re planning to play Grand Theft Auto V, you may be happy to learn that Rockstar has rolled out a series of bonuses and sales for GTA Online.
This week’s event is called Sunday Drivers Week (September 2-8), and one part of it is a new Mixed Racing Playlist that rewards participants with double GTA$ and RP. This playlists features three races, including Ring of Fire, Stock Market Crash, and Up the Back Alley. You must drive a muscle-class car.
In terms of sales, Rockstar is offering 50 percent off upgrades and other items at the Benny’s car shop. In fact, all upgrades in the store are half-off this week, while hydraulics and wheels are also significantly discounted.
Here is a rundown of what’s on sale this week in GTA Online:
Benny’s Upgrades – 50% off
Hydraulics – 50% off
Liveries – 25% off
Neon Kits – 25% off
Interior mods – 25% off
Plateholders – 25% off
Vanity Plates – 25% off
Engine Bays – 25% off
Air Filters – 25% off
Bumpers – 25% off
Fenders – 25% off
Chassis – 25% off
Roofs – 25% off
Trunks – 25% off
Wheels – 25% off
Additionally, everyone who logs into GTA Online during the event will get a Bahama Mamas t-shirt. You can see this shirt in the image above.
Lastly, this week’s premium stunt race is “Trench II,” which challenges players to zip through the Grand Senora desert track in a muscle car. Everyone who participates will earn tripe RP, while the top three finishers will receive payouts of GTA$100,000, GTA$30,000 and GTA$20,000 respectively.
Jason and I are both at PAX West in Seattle, so we recorded Kotaku Splitscreen a little later in the week than usual. It’s a rare episode where we’re sitting in the same room, at the same microphone, interrupting each other with much greater clarity and resolve.
Arriving on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on October 11, Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary Edition World Tour reunites some of the original game’s creators to add a new eight-level chapter to the 1996 classic.
If you love collecting virtual cats and you have Android Nougat, you’re in luck: Google dropped a cat-collecting easter egg called Android Neko into the latest version of Android, and while it’s not nearly as fun as Neko Atsume, you do get to collect cats by putting out treats.
It’s nice to be back. Up in the mountains, ready to see more films and see what many talented filmmakers have in store for us. I have returned to the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado for my 9th year in a row, covering this festival with just as much enthusiasm as the first time I went (back in 2008). This film festival takes place an altitude of 8,750 ft (2,667 m), in a tiny little charming town nestled deep inside the San Juan mountains. It’s such a beautiful location, the kind where you can see the stars, where everyone around you is always saying “isn’t it so beautiful?”, where it’s easy to get a breath of fresh air, and where you must truly appreciate the place you at. I’m glad to be back, and I’m ready to start watching films. Let’s begin the show. ›››
“This fascinates the hell out of me!” Neflix has unveiled a trailer for the new Christopher Guest film, a mockumentary called Mascots about a group of sports team mascots competing for the most prestigious award in their field, the Gold Fluffy. This looks hilarious and brilliant at the same time, you just have to see the trailer and understand. Before Mascots hits Netflix, it’ll premiere at the Toronto and London Film Fests this year. The ensemble cast includes Jennifer Coolidge, Parker Posey, Zach Woods, Jane Lynch, Fred Willard, John Michael Higgins, Tom Bennett, Bob Balaban and Oscar Nuñez. This looks so good, and it seemingly came out of nowhere, which is happening often with Netflix gems these days. Enjoy. ›››
