Party Phil for Smash Not every event inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateslaps, but this one prominently features Party Phil, so it rules by default. If you haven’t heard of Party Phil, there’s good reason for that: he was kind of sent off to die in theWii Partyseries (along with Party Penny), which never really took off. This Ray Bolger Scarecrow-ass puppet is always ready to go and his entire goal in life is to just pump you up and show you a good time....

221 total games It’s getting to be a bit ridiculous (in a good way) when Sony is hosting flash sales on top of flash sales. This newest one involves an “Under $10” promotion, with 221 total games listed in the sale. Highlights includeDragon Age: Inquisitionfor $9.99,Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2for five bucks,Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Editionfor $5.99. The PS3, Vita, and PS4 platforms are part of the sale. Sony provided an end date for the sale: August 13 at 8AM PT....

My favorites in za warudo Here we are! My absolute favorite time of year for video games. We get to reflect back and say to ourselves, “Yes, these are the games I loved the most, let’s go.” It feels like it was only recently that I enjoyed thinking back on my time for 2015 and the games of that year. Lots of people want to adopt a negative attitude of the past year but, I mean whatever, right?...

One of mymost anticipated gamescoming this year isHollywood Animal. It has you run an up-and-coming movie studio, submerges you into a pool of complicated and morally bereft staff, and allows you to deal with problems using underhanded methods. Just like real life (maybe). The only thing that keeps me from claimingHollywood Animalas mymostanticipated game is that it seems like it might be attemptingtoo much. There are so many variables at play and so much customization that it feels it would be complicated to ensure everything works together without a litany of bugs, cuts, and feature creep....

Oh that Hideo Kojima. During Sony’s gamescom 2014 press conference earlier today, there wasbizarre, eye-catching announcementfor something called “P.T.” which was said to be playable immediately for PS4 via PlayStation Network. It was shown so quickly that many of us didn’t think much of it. Whoops. Turns out thatP.T.is a playable teaser for the nextSilent Hillfrom, get a load of this, designer Hideo Kojima and director Guillermo del Toro. The game — which seems to be namedSilent Hills, presumably because that’s how Kojima rolls — stars actor Norman Reedus....

I keep forgetting this isn’t an Xbox exclusive TheToy Soldiersgames were a blast on Xbox Live Arcade and I’m expecting more good things fromToy Soldiers: War Chest, coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One early next year. My favorite tower defense titles are the ones that let you take direct control as opposed to just sitting back, placing and upgrading units every so often from up high. This PlayStation Blog video serves as a quick introduction to howToy Soldiershandles that active design....

Gaikai, a PC game streaming service similar to OnLive, has just launched aMass Effect 3demo for your perusal. If you haven’t tried Gaikai yet, it’s basically an online cloud based demo service that allows you to buy the game through various means after the demonstration. Unlike OnLive, you don’t need any intrusive software or a registered account to do anything — you just click the game, and provided that you have Java installed, it justworks....

Internet trademark-finder extraordinaire Morkhas uncovered a new Ubisoft trademark for “H.A.W.X.” in relation to “game software and electronic game programs.” Related “H.A.W.X.” filings were also uncovered that related to television programs, action figures, plush toys, and computer game instruction manuals. Mork points out thatKotakuhad uncovered a trademark for “Strike Hawk” in relation to a videogame, but can’t seem to make any other connections. Neither can we, quite frankly, but with Ubisoft’s Ubidays on the horizon, it’s possible we may be hearing more soon....

It’s become an Internet sensation, an instant classic, and one of the best-selling independent games in recent memory. And best of all,Minecraftis still only in alpha — there’s so much more on the way. There seems to be a considerable amount of confusion, though. WhatIS Minecraft, and what do you do in it, exactly? Those answers are readily available online, if you’re willing to look. But when it comes to the web, many people aren’t....

Be careful with that, it’s expensive If you’re a PlayStation-owning Doctor of Ergonomics, then you’ll be stoked to hear that one of the most compelling and engaging indie hits of 2021,Unpacking,is getting ready to move in on a console near you soon.Announced by Humble Games,Unpackingwill launch on PS4/PS5 as soon as tomorrow, May 10. For those who never checked out Witch Beam’s quirky release,Unpackingtasks the player with unloading boxfuls of items within a variety of confined areas, best-fitting furniture, decorations, plants, and other possessions in a snug and aesthetically pleasing fashion....

It doesn’t end withArcane Likeeveryoneelsein the world, I finished watchingArcane, Netflix and Riot Games’ show tied to theLeague of Legendsuniverse. Admittedly, I don’t really enjoy playingLeague, but, like with most games, I still really enjoy the lore. So despite not having an especially personal connection to the source material, I found the star relationship ofArcane, the now undeniably canon one between Vi and her sister Jinx, to be compelling. I have a sister (our relationship involves 100% less bombings than Vi’s), and seeingArcanetake an emotional look at this sometimes infuriating, mostly fulfilling familial bond that girls have was a nice surprise from games media....

Season 8 has cube demons Season 7 brought a lot of highs toFortnitewith characters like Superman and both Rick and Morty, but the alien-heavy theme grated on some after a while, particularly with mechanics like the UFO vehicles. Now the game is going headfirst into Season 8, with a demonic corruption theme. Here’s a recap of what happened. Yesterday at 3:30PM ET, folks were queued up into a waiting room until the clock struck 4PM ET....

I am wholly unsure what it is about the internet and Thomas the Tank Engine,but I absolutely love it. From the == briefmeme-ry of Choo-Choo Charles to every new game getting a mod where you play as the iconic children’s character. It would appear the recently releasedArmored Core VIis no exception to that, as a user on NexusMods has released a mod entitled “Thomas the Tank Engine Wheelchair Swap.” And, speaking unironically,it doesn’t even look that bad....