What a month The Xbox Game Pass January additions look pretty crazy, with one new AAA game, one trilogy of AAA games, and several indie hits. As we know,Danganronpais arriving on the service, which is one of the most Game Pass-ready games in ages. Not that it’s “only worth playing” on it:far from that! But so many people are probably turned off by the covers of the game (I’ve seen this many times), and maybe have never even heard of it....

Ink Blot It looks likeMario Tennis Acesis set to receive some post-launch updates in the form of new characters this year. Nintendo confirmed during their Treehouse E3 stream that Koopa Troopa and Blooper will be hitting the court in July and August, respectively. Both will be available as a free software update, so you won’t need to shell out any coin to give them a spin. I suppose these guys coming to the game means we could eventually see Shy Guy’s grand return....

The Adventures of Linkle, please! “I’m sure we will keep [Linkle] in mind when thinking about future titles,” Nintendo producer Eiji Aonuma told IGN. “I had a chance to give feedback on Linkle during development, but the satisfying action of using a crossbow, which we developed for the spinoff titleLink’s Crossbow Training, was implemented this time completely by Koei Tecmo.” Aonuma went on to all but confirm that Linkle is considered canon, saying, “It may feel a little different from other titles in the franchise, but she doesn’t feel out of place at all in the world of theZeldagames....

What a twist! I knew there had to be a catch toSuper Mario Run. While we originally thought that was going to be microtransactions, it looks like the game will require an online connection at all times. That shouldn’t be the biggest issue for a mobile phone, but there could be instances where you’re without a network (like in NYC, which the trailer prominently features). This online connection is required for security purposes, which is part of the reason why the game is coming to iOS first....

Is there a chain of Vondel Keys? InCall of Duty: Warzone, you may find various keys to use at specific locations and receive unique rewards. While you can figure out where to use some keys, DMZ often doesn’t specify how to use others. Take, for example, theRestaurant briefcase key. You’ll find another key that requires you to locate the Mayor’s briefcase to claim its rewards. If you’re facing difficulties finding the briefcase, rest assured that you’re not alone....

Podtoid 439 The Podtoid team is stuck inside this week, going through old games, new games, and hidden gems of movies. While Charlotte visits the world ofKingdom Hearts, Dan is exploring the streets of Raccoon City once more inResident Evil 3as Occams discovers an ’80s Hong Kong film he’s never seen before. Plus, Chris really wants everyone to pay attention toBright Memory. All that, plus sex tape play-by-play and we answer your listener questions, on Podtoid Episode 439....

Game on So you’re stuck at home, own a Switch, and don’t find the current Switch Online subscription service to be enticing enough to pay for. You probably took advantage of Nintendo’s recent free trial period, right? Well, thankfully the publisher is renewing that trial even if you already redeemed it, so you can play for another week for free. Announcedby way of the Nintendo of Europe Twitter account, the terms are simple: “Enjoy seven days of online play, 70+ classic NES and Super NES games, and more with a Nintendo Switch Online free trial!...

The rumors were true From literally nowhere, Nintendo has announced that a newLabokit will be coming to the Switch. Along with containing more cardboard to clutter your house, this new kit confirms the rumors that VR will be coming to the Switch. I’m honestly shocked since I didn’t think the Switch was powerful enough to run stereoscopic 3D. Nintendo Labo: VR Kitwill offer six new Toy-Con creations, one of which is the “VR Goggles....

Speaking to investors, Nintendo president Satoru Iwatagave insightinto the company’s new network service, which is separate from the familiar old “Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.” Nintendo Network, as it’s called, will be supported by both the 3DS and Wii U. The name shouldsound familiar. Through this online platform, we’ll see “competitions and communication among users, as well as the sales of digital content.” Nintendo is also considering digitally distributing packaged games across 3DS and Wii U, though they have yet to decide on when to start such an initiative....

Every other generation seems to be potentially scary for Nintendo So what’s happening with the console generation after the Switch? Internally, only Nintendo knows for sure. But company president Shuntaro Furukawa is definitely concerned about it. Speaking to investors during a Q&Asessionfollowing Nintendo’s recent earnings report(as translated by VGC), Furukawa conveyed Nintendo’s pensive emotions going into the generation after the rip-roaring success of the Nintendo Switch. “We have already announced a portion of our software roadmap releasing up to next spring....

Pester all the players Big news out of GameStop today. The in-store experience is going to morph from an underpaid employee asking if you’d like to pre-order a game or buy a protection plan from behind a desk, to an underpaid employee asking if you’d like to pre-order a game or buy a protection plan with a Microsoft Surface in their hands. A new “multi-year strategic partnership” between GameStop and Microsoft will outfit store associates with Surface tablets....

[Editor’s note: Ali D takes a look at fanboyism in the videogame industry, both in the journalist side and readership side. Can anything ever be done to fix this issue? Read on to find out. — CTZ] I read this interesting article ontech journalism, by Farhad Manjoo and the ideas contained could easily be applied to games journalism: “Walt Mossberg, the Wall Street Journal’s influential tech columnist, reviewed Apple’s latest desktop computer, the iMac G5....

Promoted from our community blogs [Everyone likes to discuss the video game crash of the ’80s every now and then. Thanks to games likeE.T.for the Atari, there is a dark, alternate timeline in which video games never progressed past the 8-bit era and Ronald Reagan became a cyborg to fight the war on drugs. But many people don’t remember it with much context or accuracy. So I submit for your reading pleasure, Killias’ contextual look on the video game crash of the ’80s....