MANGMI's Air Y series Android handhelds will be powered by the Snapdragon 662 chipset for the Air Y model and the Snapdragon 865 processor for the Air Y Pro model.
The Dodo Studios Minecraft Bedrock marketplace offers over 400 add-ons, worlds, and skin packs for the Bedrock Edition, accessible through the official Minecraft Marketplace without third-party downloads. The content supports cross-platform play on mobile, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation, allowing diverse gaming experiences. Each product page includes a rating, features, and pricing typically under a few hundred Minecoins. Notable offerings include Bed Wars for competitive matches, One Block for a unique survival challenge, and Craftable Houses and Mansions for creative building. Secret Doors and the WEAPONS++ pack enhance gameplay with innovative features. The marketplace has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 from nearly half a million reviews, with most items priced affordably, encouraging players to purchase multiple add-ons. Players can easily choose their first purchase based on their preferred gameplay style, and Dodo Studios regularly adds new content to the marketplace.
Alt-pop artist Au/Ra has released her debut album, ‘Heartcore,’ inspired by her childhood experiences and escapism into fantasy worlds. The album reflects her journey of healing from childhood traumas, which she began addressing through therapy. Growing up between Ibiza and Antigua, she found solace in video games and creative writing, particularly influenced by titles like Final Fantasy 15 and The Lord Of The Rings. Au/Ra debuted with the track ‘Concrete Jungle’ at age 14 and faced challenges with her label, Sony, which affected her music release. Despite these obstacles, she maintained a connection with her fans through gaming and community engagement. The first song she wrote for ‘Heartcore’ was ‘Blah,’ expressing her feelings of betrayal and abandonment, which helped her gain clarity for the album's creative process.
Mario Kart Wiicompiled, an unofficial port of the original Mario Kart Wii, is set to be released next month by YouTuber Patchzy. This adaptation is designed for PC and features both controller and keyboard controls, moving away from the original's motion controls. Players will have access to all 32 classic tracks from Mario Kart Wii and over 200 additional tracks through the Retro Rewind feature. The port aims to maintain the original's graphics while allowing for potential enhancements, supporting uncapped framerate and 4K resolution. Mario Kart Wii was originally released in 2008, received a Metacritic score of 82/100, and sold over 37.38 million copies, making it one of the most successful titles on the Wii.
Jibril-sama, a Redditor, has transformed old 2.5" SSDs into a new gaming cartridge system, combining nostalgia with modern technology. The SSDs, acquired for approximately each, serve as the basis for this project, which involves minor software tweaks and custom printed labels. The setup allows games stored on the SSDs to auto-navigate to their Steam pages and can auto-start games. This approach offers a practical solution for PC gamers facing rising storage costs, utilizing spare drives while maintaining SATA III speeds. The configuration requires a systemd template and a udev rule to launch scripts from the SSDs.
A Reddit user developed a game cartridge system for Steam using individual SATA 2.5-inch 128GB SSD drives, allowing for tangible management of game libraries. This system, created by u/Jibril-sama, directs Steam to the corresponding game page upon SSD insertion and operates on a Linux base, with Windows compatibility lacking auto-navigation. Another user, u/halcyonforeveragain, showcased repurposed SD cards for use with the Steam Deck, enhancing game transfer capabilities. However, modern titles may require SSD performance for optimal gameplay, as traditional hard drives and standard SD cards may not meet the necessary speed. The cost for a 128GB SD card and USB4 card reader is about USD, while a 128GB SATA SSD with a docking station costs approximately USD. Customizing cartridges with art or labels is also suggested for a personalized gaming library.
Sony has decided not to release PlayStation games on discs, reigniting discussions about the value of physical game copies. A tech enthusiast named Jibril-sama has created "Steam Game Cartridges," which use affordable 2.5-inch SSD drives to store game distributions. Each mini-SSD has a capacity of 128 GB and can be programmed to open and launch games on Steam automatically. Jibril-sama repurposed used cartridges, transforming them into stylish storage solutions that resemble physical game copies for the Nintendo Switch. This approach addresses limited SSD space while appealing to gamers' nostalgia for physical media.
Meccha Chameleon has experienced concept appropriation, with its unique gameplay mechanics being imitated by various games, including Scribble Hunt, which features a hide-and-seek format similar to Meccha Chameleon's chameleon-inspired gameplay. Other games, such as REPO, have also faced similar challenges with ripoffs on platforms like the Nintendo eShop. Developers from Peak have expressed frustration, preferring players to pirate their original game rather than engage with what they consider inferior imitations. The indie game community is increasingly concerned about the difficulty of standing out in a saturated market, where successful games attract opportunistic imitators. Meccha Chameleon has over 15 million players, highlighting the importance of supporting original creators in the gaming industry.
Metaphor Games and Shoreline Games have released a dice-based narrative RPG titled Celestial Return, now available on PC via Steam. The game features players as Detective Howard in the neon-lit Netherveil City, with plans to expand to PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo consoles by Q1 2027, including support for three new languages. Players use dice as a currency to navigate the game's narrative, which is influenced by their choices and character attributes. The game includes features like a gameplay loop focused on dice management, a branching narrative, and a unique visual style combining manga and American comics.
Nintendo released Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a collection featuring Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy, but it was limited and lacked significant enhancements. Super Mario 64 is available through Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, and Super Mario Galaxy has a standalone release, while Super Mario Sunshine is only available in the discontinued collection, making it costly for players. The market for Super Mario 3D All-Stars shows varied pricing, with some sellers inflating prices significantly. An alternative, Super Mario Sunshine ‘ReShine,’ is being developed for PC through decompilation efforts, requiring a physical copy of the original game. Gameplay footage has been shared, demonstrating that the port is fully playable and resembles the original. The ReShine version is not yet publicly available but is expected soon. Playing on PC allows for mods and performance enhancements but may lose the authentic experience. Nintendo has released a Bluetooth GameCube controller for the Nintendo Switch 2, which can be used to recreate the original gameplay feel. The decision to restrict Super Mario Sunshine to the collection raises questions about its availability on the Nintendo Switch Online service.
