Category: Gamespot

In just over a month, the SNES Classic Edition will be out. GameSpot recently had a chance to play the highly anticipated mini retro console, and we’ve put together a video that shows off the system’s UI, menu features, and a lot of its games.

Check out the video embedded above. Be sure to come back later for a follow-up video dedicated to the previously unreleased Star Fox 2, which is included in the package. In other video news, Nintendo itself put out a ’90s-inspired video for the console that shows off the games and the Rewind feature–watch it here.

Pre-orders for SNES Classic opened this week at some stores, including Amazon and Best Buy, but they sold out quickly. GameStop, Walmart, Target, and Toys R Us are all slated to offer pre-orders for the system, but haven’t starting offering them yet. Nintendo has promised it will offer far more units than it did last year, when it launched the frustratingly-hard-to-find NES Classic.

The SNES Classic will cost $80, and it officially launches on September 29. It includes 21 games, including the above-mentioned Star Fox 2, along with classics like Donkey Kong Country, EarthBound, Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Super Mario Kart. You can check out GameSpot’s roundup of all 21 games right here.

For more on the console, you can get the latest need-to-know details in our constantly updated guide on how and where to pre-order the SNES Classic.

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In honor of Rick And Morty Season 3 Episode 5, we’re giving away a Squanchy Funko Pop! One (1) winner will be chosen after the giveaway closes on Sunday, August 27th at 12:00PM PT.

Open to US residents only, void where prohibited. If you do not win this time, you’ll be automatically entered in the next giveaway.

Scroll down to enter below.

GameSpot Universe is our official entertainment channel focused on comics, movies, TV, anime, giveaways, and more! We find you movie easter eggs, recap shows like Game Of Thrones and Rick And Morty, and tell you who the hell are certain comic book characters like Cable from Deadpool.

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Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan has issued an apology to the entire country of Australia over perceived “cultural insensitivity” regarding the new Junkertown map. The map is set in Australia, and it has a sign that uses the American term “take-out” instead of the Australian version “take-away.”

Kaplan responded on Reddit, saying he is sorry about this mistake, and pledging that a future patch will fix it. “I’d like to offer a direct apology to the entire country of Australia. Please forgive our cultural insensitivity. We will fix this in an upcoming patch (the sign travesty will most likely go live for some period before being fixed),” he said. I’ve also been told by Muselk that our coffees are too large as well. We’re learning… trying, over here…”

As Kotaku points out, this isn’t the only element of the new Junkertown map that is gathering some amount of controversy. The map’s announcement trailer (above) has voiceover that says, “They thought they could take our land and give it to the machines.”

Blizzard caught some heat on social media over the “they thought they could take our land…” line in light of Australia’s controversial history regarding indigenous groups.

The Junkertown map is playable at Gamescom this week, so that could mean a public release is not far off. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more. A new Overwatch animated short is also on the way, to be revealed at Gamescom on August 23.

In other Overwatch news, the latest seasonal event, Summer Games, is now in its final week. So go get those skins now while you still can! Additionally, Blizzard has announced some major changes for Competitive Season 6–you can read more about them here.

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Blizzard has posted the newest in-depth Overwatch “Developer Update” video in which game director Jeff Kaplan outlined some major changes coming to the game. This newest video pertains specifically to Competitive Season 6–and a lot is changing.

Starting off, seasons will be run for two months instead of three months. Blizzard tested one-month seasons, and that was too short, and so it came to be that seasons would be three months long. Blizzard found that people tried harder and had more fun in the first month of the current three-month format, so the decision was ultimately made to drop it down to two months. As always, Blizzard says it will listen to feedback and the new, two-month format could be tweaks again if need be.

Also new for Season 6 will be adjustments to Competitive Point values, while the changes to Skill Rating decay are on the way “and will be less punitive.” Another big change is that Control maps are going to be best-of-three instead of best-of-five.

Additionally, placement matches in Season 6 have been adjusted so that they deliver more accurate skill ratings, while higher-level matches are going to be better balanced; the tradeoff here is that matchmaking times could be longer.

These are just a few of the points that Kaplan covered in his talk. Be sure to watch the full video embedded above to learn more. Overwatch Season 5 ends on August 28, with Season 6 kicking off after that.

In other Overwatch news, the latest seasonal event, Summer Games, is now in its final week. So go get those skins now while you still can!

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id Software’s new shooter Quake Champions is out now on Steam Early access and via the Bethesda.net launcher, and its release for PC is right on schedule. You can play the game right now by purchasing the $30 Champions Pack, which includes all characters available now and in the future. When Quake Champions leaves Early Access, the price of the pack will go up to $40. Another thing to know is that Quake Champions will be free-to-play later in the future, so buying the Champions Pack is a way to start sooner and get extras, but not the only way to play.

As with other Early Access games, you should be aware that Quake Champions is unfinished. As such, you might encounter bugs or other technical issues.

Quake Champions’ current character roster includes: Ranger, Visor, Scalebearer, Nyx, Anarki, Clutch, Sorlag, Galena, Slash, BJ Blazkowicz, and Doom Slayer. As for future characters, there are at least six more coming before the end of 2018, and more could come after that. Additionally, everyone who buys the Champions Pack gets the skin “diehard Ranger,” which is only available while the game is in Early Access.

Finally, the Champions Pack includes three loot chests, which are called Reliquaries in Quake Champions. They can include things like skins, shaders, and weapon personalisation items.

As for the content in the Quake Champions Early Access version, there are eight maps, the 11 aforementioned champions, four modes, character and weapon customisation options, custom game support, and more. Go to the game’s Steam page to learn more.

Quake Champions has only been announced for PC. If the game does come to console, it could be a while before that happens.

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Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios and Expansive Worlds today announced that their hunting game, The Hunter: Call of the Wild, is coming to consoles. It’ll be out for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on October 2, priced at $40 in US currency.

It contains the base game and the Tents & Ground Blinds and ATV expansions.

The Hunter is an open-world hunting game that lets you seek out game in maps set in Germany and the Pacific Northwest. The game runs on Avalanceh’s Apex engine.

The animals have specific behaviour, while The Hunter also has dynamic weather events and a day/night cycle. It’s a sophisticate hunting game, so you have to factor in things like the wind director to ensure that animals don’t catch on to your scene.

In addition to single-player, The Hunter lets you join with up to eight people to take part in cooperative and competitive modes.

The Hunter has been available on PC for more than seven years now, picking up almost 7 million registered users over that time.

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The writing had been on the wall, and now it’s official. According to an ESPN report, the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics have agreed to a blockbuster trade that will send NBA 2K18 cover star Kyrie Irving to the Celtics. According to an earlier report, Irving asked to be traded, supposedly dissatisfied with playing with the NBA’s biggest star, LeBron James.

This puts NBA 2K18 in an interesting and awkward position. Assuming no last-minute change is made, we’ll see Irving in a jersey for his former team. The marketing team at 2K Sports may not be terribly happy with this development.

We’ve followed up with 2K in an attempt to get more details and will update this post with anything we might hear back. On Twitter, 2K appears to be taking it in stride, jokingly writing, “Whoops” on a tweet announcing Irving–as a member of the Cavs–as the cover star for NBA 2K18.

Whatever happens, Irving is one of the biggest names in professional basketball and is among the league’s standouts. And no matter who Irving plays for, NBA 2K18’s dominance in the NBA video game market is not likely to be materially affected by this.

Also worth noting that is DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors is on the cover of NBA 2K18 in Canada, so the Irving trade doesn’t affect everyone everywhere. Also, you can pick up one the special editions that feature Shaquille O’Neal on the cover.

As part of the Cavs-Celtics trade deal, the Cavs also get Celtics players Jae Crowder and Ante Zizic, as well as Brooklyn’s 2018 first-round pick.

Below is a mock-up of what Irving might look like in a Celtics jersey, made by ESPN. Another element to this story is that the Celtics open the upcoming season on the road against the Cavs. It’s going to be a good one.

NBA 2K18 officially launches on September 19 for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

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Ahead of Gamescom 2017, Nintendo unveiled three brand new pieces of content for its Switch team-based shooter, Splatoon 2. These include a new map, a new Salmon Run stage, and a new special weapon, all of which are set to debut soon.

The new map is called Manta Maria. It’s a large sailboat moored at a harbor. The focal point of the stage is its three masts and the surrounding netting. It will be be added to the map rotation Friday evening and will be available in both Turf Wars and Ranked Battles. You can get a look at it in the trailer below.

Before that, Nintendo will be rolling out a new Salmon Run stage called Lost Outpost. This map resembles a shanty town that was abandoned due to rising sea levels. Teamwork here is especially vital, as the stage features many walls that obstruct your view. Lost Outpost will be available following a free update on Wednesday, August 23.

The final new piece of content that Nintendo announced today is a brand-new special weapon, the Bubble Blower. This special allows players to launch up to three large bubbles, which will explode when shot with your team’s ink. The bubbles also serve a defensive purpose, as they can protect you from enemy fire. The Bubble Blower will be coupled with the game’s next free DLC weapon, the Forge Splattershot Pro, which is coming to the game next week, on September 1-2.

Also occurring that same weekend is Splatoon 2’s next Splatfest. This competition asks players which superpower they would rather have: invisibility or flight. Exact timing details still haven’t been announced, though like last time, it will likely begin at 9 PM PT/12 AM ET and run for a full 24 hours.

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