Only a few hours ago, we posted about a weird Google Stadia limitation - you won't be able to play wireless with your wireless controller on PC nor on Pixel mobile devices as that experience will be reserved for Chromecast Ultra users on TV at launch.

That's weird, and that's disappointing if you consider that there's a lot of people out there who have pre-ordered Google Stadia thinking of receiving a new wireless controller while they'll be forced to use it wired instead for some reason, on devices other than TV.

However, we have one more bad news for Stadia future players, and yet another that has only been revealed now when we're just one month away from the release of Founder's and Premiere Edition: at launch, you will only be able to play under Wi-fi connection.

Google's Rick Osterloh has told The Verge (thanks, ResetEra) that the team is "focused on making sure Stadia Founders receive the best possible experience at launch over a WiFi connection" right now, so playing under 3G, 4G, 5G, etc. networks has been delayed to an undisclosed date.

That's strange if you consider that Microsoft has just launched a public preview in the US, UK and Korea for Project xCloud and, while dubbing it a "public preview" so not even close to be a final product (which Stadia is, even though under an early access form that has not been called like that officially), that works on mobile networks.

Google Stadia is launching on November 19, 2019, and we sincerely hope not to have more 'surprises' like this in the wait for the release.

Over the last couple of years, Microsoft has become the leader in the gaming subscription segment, thanks to the release of Xbox Game Pass.

In the past, we've reported about how the company believes and has data to prove that subscribers play way more games than all the other gamers around. Back in the day, they talked about approximately 20 percent more.

Now, we have some more data about this exciting topic, thanks to a statement coming from Agostino Simonetta, ID@Xbox lead. They discussed the matter during the GamesIndustry.biz Investment Summit in London (via ResetEra).

According to Simonetta, subscribers play 40 percent more video games than any other. That's taking into account not only titles included in the Xbox Game Pass program but also games that are not part of the offering.

"People that join the subscription are way more engaged," said Simonetta. "Well, they have a lot of free games to play -- but actually they're way more engaged outside the subscription. They go out to stores and buy more games than they did before they joined."

"We're leading on subscription, developers are going on the journey with us and we're seeing them publicly commenting... the Afterparty team the other day said after seeing their game go on Game Pass day and date, suddenly they were seeing a lot of sales on other platforms. No More Robots said when Descenders went into Game Pass from Xbox Game Preview, they saw a positive impact on other platforms."

Sure enough, such statements are the proof that Microsoft truly believes in Xbox Game Pass can help shape the future of gaming and of the entire company. That's even after some big publishers such as Take-Two have expressed their reluctance in joining this trend.

Over the last few hours, we've been able to check multiple Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order previews. Those have provided some interesting details about how the game from Respawn Entertainment is going to work.

First of all, we do know that it has meditation points that operate precisely like bonfires in Soulsborne games. They allow you to upgrade your character and his skills spending experience points and resurrecting enemies in the area which you had already beaten.

However, they won't unlock any fast travel options. Respawn wants people to "master" maps and discover faster routes people can go through on their own. 

Related:Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Minimum And Recommended Specs

EA told IGN on the matter that "while we don’t have fast travel in the game, we do want players to explore and traverse (and re-traverse) the different planets, which players can do from the Mantis. We also wanted each planet’s explorable areas to feel interconnected through discoverable shortcuts back to key areas."

On top of that, we also learned the game features both performance and resolution modes on PS4 Pro (and we believe Xbox One X will do the same). The first will unlock the frame rate while lowering the resolution. The second pushes the resolution bar as high as possible, aiming to 4K.

Looking at how the title has been shaping up, it's a sci-fi souls-like. We think we'll at least give the performance mode a look so we can have faster reaction times and less latency. It should help in parrying an enemy's attacks. Which one are you going to choose, instead?

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is releasing on Nov. 15 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

I like the evolution that the Plants vs. Zombies sub-series Garden Warfare took over the past few years. The original game was pretty good, presenting a great multiplayer concept in a series that had usually been known for being about puzzles. However, it didn’t offer anything with single players in mind. But Garden Warfare 2 changed that with a wonderful new dynamic, including lots of singleplayer action, as well as more exciting content for you and your friends. It was the perfect package, or so I thought.

Enter Battle for Neighborville, which got a surprise reveal a few weeks ago only to enter early beta access not too long later. It follows up where GW2 left off, with several new components that make this possibly the best game yet.

Welcome To Neighborville

The game takes place, surprise, in Neighborville, where the Plants and Zombies continue to hate each other with a vengeance. It isn’t long before their war starts up yet again, forcing the sides to set up their base camps -- Zomboss HQ for the undead and Dave Manor (named after their beloved caretaker) for the plants.

In between bases is a neat little social area where you can talk to other players or even shoot ‘em up if you’re bored. It’s a fantastic theme park where you can goof around and also hunt for secrets, most of which seem to be gnome-related for some reason. It’s an ideal place to talk with folks or maybe even form up a team before you take on the game’s PvP and PvE events. There’s stuff for single players once again, even though the lack of a full-blown campaign is noticeable. (Perhaps it’ll be added later? The game is still kind of in lift-off mode.)

What’s neat about each home hub, no matter which team you’re on, is that you have a wealth of options on hand. This includes leveling up your soldiers, acquiring upgrades, and stocking up on a little XP. You can also enter matches (for either PvP or PvE), or check out the different cosmetic skins that are unlocked throughout the game. And, man, there are a bunch. Real zany ones, too.

What's more, you can switch teams at any time, without having to fear being called a “defector.” (Well, I can’t say the same about your teammates.)

Aside from the modes, there are a lot of side missions and mini-games to take on, whether it’s destroying balloons or just taking on AI troops around certain maps. Your friends can jump in at any time, either locally (via split-screen) or online. I had no trouble getting a group together and just plain goofing off with disco zombies. Because that’s what you do, right?

Lock and Load, Plants (Or Zombies)

When it comes to gameplay, there is a bit of a mild split. With the PvE matches I took part in; I found them to be a lot of fun, especially when it came to the awesome boss battles. You’ll also unlock some neat rewards here, as you level up and turn your team into the personable force they are, whether it’s plants or zombies.

As for PvP, it’s about the same as it’s ever been, mind some changes to the class variants. This time around, everything’s a little more evened out between the older and newer characters. I like it, though some players may miss the idea of having an advantage. The game has also done away with booster packs in favor of just giving you items, but forcing you to use them more sporadically. Hey, it beats the “one and done” effect that was in previous games.

Most of the modes are about the same here, but they do offer a bit of variety. I’m a big fan of the usual 12 vs. 12 Turf Takeover, though the new Battle Arena mode is kind of neat, mixing things up and forcing players to deal with one life at a time. The Gnome Bomb mode might be fun for some people, as well.

Select Your Weirdo (Er, We Mean Soldier)

Then there are the characters. There’s an excellent array here, though some are going to be better than others when it comes to balance. For instance, some will die (ahem) to play the zombie Superman as opposed to the normal soldier. But the new faces are good fun as well, like the fiery Snapdragon and the 80’s Action Hero, who walks around with a bow and arrow set like he’s frickin’ Rambo.

The best way to learn these characters is to experiment. There are 20 in all, so players likely won’t get bored with the assortment here. They add replay value where it counts. You can also check where they stand with statistics, as PopCap Games appears to have taken a page out of competitive shooters to notify players what works best.

Overall, the gameplay feels really nice here. Sure, you may often die as you get into the game for the first time. And yeah, the weird monster plant probably isn’t as capable as those that shoot bullets (unless you like up-close attacks). But in all, this is slightly smoother than Garden Warfare 2. It also feels like less of a grind, mainly as you apply upgrades and see what your special powers can offer for you.

The Best Looking PvZ Yet

Where the game shines is in its presentation. PopCap did its homework here and applied the game with a fresh coat of paint. The new environments -- particularly the Giddy Park hub and Weirding Woods -- are pretty fantastic. The maps themselves also offer a heaping amount of variety, with lots of room to run around and even set up an ambush or two.

I love the animations as well, particularly on the Zombies. No offense to the Plants, but these guys are absolute goofballs, and it shows in their walk, limp, whatever. All the characters look excellent and interact with each other like champs. There is the occasional lag, but that’s mainly just due to online connection.

There’s not much variation in the sound, as PopCap seems to stick with what worked in Garden Warfare 2. But that’s not a bad thing. The environmental effects are good, and the noises made by both Plants and Zombies are funny. I would’ve liked to have heard more stuff that defines their personalities a little better (I’m a sucker like that), but what’s here certainly works.

The Best Organic (?) Battle Yet

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville is in full release right now, and going for an affordable $40 -- a smart idea by EA considering most games go for $60. But it’d be great to see PopCap add even more stuff to make the package complete, as it’s done in the past. And hopefully without the need to fork over extra cash, as GW2 sort of had us do.

As it stands at the moment, however, Neighborville feels like a party that shouldn’t be missed. It’s a competitive affair that opens up to all ages and offers a bevy of options that fans and newcomers alike will enjoy. The characters offer outstanding variety, even if some are greater than others; the online battles are a blast, with support for a local buddy to step in, and the visuals shine, particularly on the Xbox One X.

If you enjoyed the previous Garden Warfare games, this is a must. But even if you didn’t get into them at the time, Neighborville might be the stepping stone you need to jump in and join the fun. Now that leaves the question of which side to pick. The Plants are technically “good guys”...but who can deny a disco zombie?

Season 1 of Fortnite Chapter 2 is well and truly underway, as new Challenges have arrived. You can complete these Challenges to earn extra experience for your Battle Pass and get yourself even more loot and rewards. It looks like Thursdays will once again be the traditional day for new Challenges to arrive in the game, giving you plenty of time over the weekends to wrap them all up. 

Fortnite - How To Hide Inside Hideouts In Different Matches

Hideouts are a new mechanic that arrived in Fortnite Chapter 2. It allows you to hide in particular objects to try and get the drop on an enemy, or perhaps escape a firefight if you are running low on health. There appear to be two main types of hideouts in Fortnite now, the humble dumpster, and hay bales, depending on which part of the map you are in. Dumpsters will appear more in urban areas, while hay bales are around the green regions of the map. 

To hide, all you have to do is run-up to the Hideout and interact with it. Your character will then dive inside to hide. You can destroy hideouts, however, and if one gets destroyed with you inside, it exposes you. This mechanic also means you can try and hunt down enemies who are running away from you. If you suddenly lose track of somebody, make sure they are not in any Hideouts that are close. 

There will also be a small animation from time to time when I was hiding in a dumpster. The trash would occasionally move. I don't know yet if other players can see this, but be careful and alert when you are hiding, because eagle-eyed players might be able to pick up on it.  

As for the Hideout locations, they can be found all over the map, and are quite numerous. Look for open dumpsters like the ones shown in the image above, or the large round hay bales in places like Frenzy Farm.

Microsoft has been acquiring lots of developers lately, establishing a new structure called Xbox Game Studios. It's made up of talents like Obsidian, inXile, Compulsion, Ninja Theory, Double Fine, The Initiative, and more.

Over the last few months, we've discussed a lot of times about how the company doesn't want to change those studios' DNA. It only wants to offer resources to developers, which they already like what they've been doing all along.

This approach is the same for Obsidian Entertainment. It's shipping The Outer Worlds in one week and is already looking into "next games" thanks to stability, funding, and resources offered by Microsoft.

"On the studio level, for me personally, one of the nice things is that now that we're a part of Microsoft, we're focusing more on what the next games are going to be, rather than, 'How do we pitch the next games?'" Obsidian senior designer Brian Heins told Wccftech.

"When we were acquired, Microsoft's said to us, 'We're buying you because we want you to keep making games the way you've been doing, not to change you.'" Heins added.

"And that's been reassuring a lot of people on the team; we're not suddenly going to be asked to be a different studio than we have been. We have been given the assurance to keep making these games that our fans like--hopefully on a grander scale and better quality."

We don't know yet if Microsoft's acquiring more developers in the future (perhaps we might hear about that at X019 in November?). But we love hearing talented developers like Obsidian won't have issues anymore in doing what they're most skilled - crafting amazing games.

The Outer Worlds is releasing on Oct. 25. It'll be enhanced on PS4 Pro, too.

New Challenges have arrived in Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 1, along with a new letter to track down. "Search the hidden O in the Open Water loading screen" is one of this week's challenges, and thankfully we know where it is to make your life a little bit easier.

Fortnite - Search The Hidden O In The Open Water Loading Screen

To find the O, you will need to head for Craggy Cliffs, on the north coast of the island. When I got there to try and find the O, the place was hectic. But I have to say, everyone was very polite, and there was no shooting as folks just let each other find the letter. After you find it, though, you were fair game. People were kind enough to let me live long enough to get there. 

You want to head for the building facing out onto the sea at Craggy Cliffs. It is best if you try and land on the patch of grass below the raised deck area, as you need to get under that spot to find the O. If not, you will need to run around to the front of the building, head inside and go out onto the deck and then jump down.

From there, climb in under the decking, and you will find the O hidden around a corner. You can see the exact location the O will be in in the image above. And that's it! It is worth pointing out that you should probably loot Craggy Cliffs a bit before you leave if you can, as another part of this week's Challenges is to do some looting in this area, so you can kill two birds with one stone while you are here.

If you still haven't found the hidden F, which was part of the very first challenges in Chapter 2, you can also use this helpful guide to track it down. We also have a guide that will help you find those Hideouts that you need to hide in as well. 

Nintendo has once again engaged with the strange world of exercise games, bringing Ring Fit Adventure to the Nintendo Switch. The game aims to bring you on a fitness journey by telling a tale of a swole dragon who wants to destroy the world. Your job is to get fit enough to challenge the dragon. It is, as Nintendo games often are, a delightfully strange premise, and would be a little cringe-inducing if it were not so wholesome. 

It is a difficult thing to review because Nintendo has gone out of their way to blend game ideas with the concept of fitness and exercising at home. They have, in my opinion, pulled it off. Ring Fit Adventure is exciting, engaging, and well designed. It knows who it appeals to, and who it is trying to help. It takes great steps to provide a platform that will help people who are starting on their fitness journey. Ring Fit Adventure also gives people a better base of health a fun and engaging way to exercise.

What's In The Box?

When you open the box for Ring Fit Adventure, you will find your copy of the game, a leg holster, and strap to hold the left half of the Joy-Con and the ring that holds the right side of the Joy-Con. These are how you interact with the world of the game. When you first start it up, it does an excellent job of getting some critical information from you, such as your height, weight, and how often you exercise. It uses this information to calculate various scores after a level, such as calories burned, and how much work to assign to you to get through each level and fight. You will also set your starting difficulty to suit yourself. The game will not challenge anything you are not comfortable with.  

The large resistance ring you move around, push and pull on to control the game and exercise with feels sturdy and robust. I don't anticipate it having any issues with wear and tear over time. 

Once you get everything set up and calibrated, you are good to go! Missions usually involve jogging through levels in the game by jogging on the spot in your room. You then move the Ring-Con in different patterns and directions, or push and pull on it to take specific actions. The effort can build up pretty fast, and I was pleasantly surprised to find my, admittedly low right now, fitness levels get pushed. 

Can This Help People?

My main interest in Ring Fit Adventure is some lingering professional curiosity. I used to do personal training as a living, and always enjoyed looking at how games like Dance Dance Revolution can drive up physical fitness. The original Wii Fitness was an exciting product, so when Ring Fit Adventure first got announced, I was curious about it. 

For most people, the desire to exercise can be there, but the motivation isn't. By wrapping up a workout as a fun level in an RPG, Ring Fit Adventure provides people with a reason to play, and a suitable workout for their fitness levels. It is essential to be honest with the questions you initially answer to get the most from this product. I was thrilled to see and feel that it is giving you a suitably challenging workout routine in a great and fun package. 

Traversing the levels can be seen as a type of warm-up, while the real work comes from battling bad guys. You will need to do various exercises over a certain number of repetitions to win the fights, and it is a lot of fun to go it. You can choose the activities you do yourself to suit your own needs. When you are done attacking, you will need to defend by squeezing the Ring-Con and forming a shield to block incoming damage.

To make sure you don't stick to a series of routine exercises, enemies, and exercises are color-coded. So doing the right type at the right time will inflict more damage on the enemy. You also unlock new exercises, or moves, over time, to take on different threats in the game. Like all forms of exercise, attention to form, and being honest about your level of effort will be important. Ring Fit Adventure does provide a great tool to help you get started on your efforts to improve your health.

Gaming Fitness

As a game, Ring Fit Adventure isn't exactly the most profound thing in the world, but it does have a full RPG campaign! You level up, get new moves in the form of exercises, can find items, and interact with characters. The game features over 100 levels in 20 different worlds, each one providing you with a challenging workout that you will need to get through to progress. 

The game also provides you with mini-games, for when you want a quick hit of exercise. The Ring in-game acts as your friend and guide, leading you through the game world and your real-world efforts. It is all cleverly designed to make sense and feel natural, even if you haven't exercised before with any intent. 

One element that caught me by surprise is just how nice everything looked. The simple graphical style is perfect for the game, leading to a very readable screen, and an open world for people who might just be buying into the idea of gaming and fitness for the first time. Ring Fit Adventure also takes steps to gently prod you in the direction of increasing your level of challenge. There will be gentle reminders to increase the difficulty, but the game will never force you into something that you are not ready for.

From a personal point of view, I wanted Ring Fit Adventure to be something that could help me on my road back to fitness after a prolonged illness and a couple of more serious medical problems. I am at a point where the desire to get back on the right track is strong after so long, feeling unable to do it. I felt that if Ring Fit Adventure was inviting to me in my current state, then surely it can help other people as well. As a fitness product, it is a great way to introduce yourself to different fitness concepts and exercises. I'm confident it will be a great stepping stone for me, and many other people, on a journey to improved fitness.

The critical thing to remember is that like all fitness tools. It is just that, a tool. What you get out of it will be affected by what you put into it. But if you find the idea of working out tedious, and gyms intimidating, this is a great place to start learning.

The Mario Kart series can surprisingly have challenging race tracks depending on the overall designs, game mechanics, or having to deal with real-life players from around the world to get to the top spot. Our list will mostly consist of each mentioned tracks’ difficulty in terms of playing it on 150 to 200cc. Mirrored tracks will also be included since some can be terrifying. Here are the ten hardest Mario Kart tracks of all time!

10 Hardest Mario Kart Tracks

Yoshi Valley

When you play this course originating from Mario Kart 64, you’ll notice that there are many attributes to the track that make Yoshi Valley tricky. First off, you won’t know who is in each position. You could be in the first place or not. It is also a pretty dangerous track as there are many areas where you can fall and have to wait for Lakitu to get you back on the track. In Mario Kart 8 (and Deluxe), it unfortunately, tells you where your placement is. 

Lakeside Park

Arguably the toughest track in Mario Kart Super Circuit, Lakeside Park, is a tough starting course in the Special Cup. While most items from item boxes are avoidable, the course has its hazards that can slow you down. Along with sharp turns, there is also a huge jump that requires a lot of speed to help you go faster. If you don’t have enough speed, you will have to go back to the first half of the course. 

Bone Dry Dunes

Wouldn’t you believe it, the sand physics can slow you down if you don’t have any mushrooms to help you out. Bone Dry Dunes from Mario Kart 8 is diverse in which paths you can go one, but the sandy corners do require precision to perfect it in an online race or challenging ghost trial. Along with the course's uphill-downhill nature, it is difficult to judge corners accurately without studying the course at least a couple of times. 

Shy Guy Beach

At first, Mario Kart Super Circuit’s Shy Guy Beach seems simple at first glance, but then there are crabs and cannonballs to worry about alongside your opponents. Strangely enough, Mario Kart Wii brings it back and makes the course filled with more cannonballs about to go off. This is primarily a challenge for those that want to take on the time trials on the highest difficulty. 

Moonview Highway

Mario Kart Wii’s Moonview Highway has one thing that can make a course extremely difficult: traffic. Want to amp it up? There’s also Bomb-Omb cars to slow you down as well! Many Mario Kart fans have mentioned this course when it comes to challenging tracks, and it’s not hard to see why. When you’re in the dark with little to no light, that is also the hard aspect of the course. 

Rosalina's Ice World

Rosalina had an interesting way to debut in Mario Kart 7, and alongside her, she gets her track. Rosalina’s Ice World shows that ice physics are just as tricky as any other environmental physics. It is not entirely intimidating unless you want to take risks. There is a section where there are dash panels near a cliff. Being uncareful can result in you having to go back to the beginning of the area. 

Choco Island 2

Super Mario Kart’s Choco Island 2 does look simple by design but is rather difficult to perfect. There are more physics compared to the first island where the chocolate rivers can make the drivers slide a bit too much. There are also very sharp turns, bumps, and narrow roads, which can be tough for those that like heavy racers such as Bowser. 

Mushroom City

So far, there have been two courses that involve traffic on this list. Mushroom City from Double Dash!! does take strategy into which direction you should take and make sure you do not end up getting hit with incoming vehicles. Even though there aren’t a lot of cars that will come up in front of you, when it does happen, be sure to take a sharp swerve before you get hit. 

Rainbow Road (Double Dash!!)

What list would the hardest Mario Kart tracks be without mentioning Rainbow Road? For this entry, we’re giving it to Double Dash!! Due to having dangerous areas that can lead to falling, especially at sharp turns. There are also dash panels that encourage going faster, but there aren’t any rails to prevent you from falling. It will take some time to practice to beat the time trial ghosts or take on the Special Cup at the highest difficulty. 

Toad’s Turnpike (Mirror Mode)

How do you make a course scary and challenging? Have Toad’s Turnpike from Super Mario 64 reversed to where the cars and trucks are coming at you. It is intimidating to have cars and trucks in the way in its original form, but mirror mode upped the difficulty with faster speed and a risky chance of getting hit by the incoming vehicles, especially at 200cc in Mario Kart 8/Deluxe. Whether it is a time trial or online race, Toad’s Turnpike in mirror mode is very challenging.

Pokemon is regarded as a series that sticks to the same formula for its games. Since Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow released in the ’90s, Pokemon mostly stands by the notion of “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” The series has handled massive success over 20 years, largely doing the same thing. That being said, the series has experimented with certain mechanics to adjust the gameplay between generations. 

Some mechanics stick around for multiple games, while others are pitched after one journey. All of these entries helped make the games they appear in a better experience. Here are the best mechanics in the mainline Pokemon games.

The Best Pokemon Mechanics

Trading Pokemon (All Pokemon games)

One of the most exciting aspects of Pokemon is trading monsters between trainers. Back when the games debuted, there was no access to the internet. To trade, you needed two Gameboys, with two copies of Pokemon, and a link cable to connect the two. Now with the internet, you can trade whenever and wherever. Back in the day, it was a rare occasion and an exciting time to trade Pokemon between friends (or with your extra copy of the game).

Your Pokemon Follows You (Pokemon Yellow)

One of the coolest updates to come from the mini-update from Blue and Red to Yellow was Pikachu following you in the open world. In Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, you can choose a pokemon to follow you outside of its ball. Some you could even ride like Arcanine and Snorlax.

Pokemon following you around in the open world was a great way to make you feel closer with your pokemon. It was a new way to use them outside of battles and should be a standard feature in every Pokemon game. 

Pokemon Appear in the Wild (Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu)

Another great aspect of Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee were the wild pokemon in the open world. Since the beginning, Pokemon has relied on random encounters in tall grass areas. If you wanted to catch a specific pokemon, you went to a certain area and relied on RNG to give you the matchup you were looking for. 

In Let’s Go, you could see the pokemon in the open and choose which ones to battle. It was a change that quite a few people were disappointed to see not make a return in Sword and Shield.

Multiple Regions to Explore (Pokemon Crystal, Gold, and Silver)

In Gold, Silver, and Crystal, once you defeated the Elite Four in Johto region, you could travel to Kanto and take on the gyms and Elite Four there. This made the second generation of games feel like two games in one. Fans of the first games could get Pokemon exclusive to the area and even battle Red, the protagonist of the first games.

HMs No Longer Being Moves (Pokemon Sun and Moon)

HMs were a mechanic in Pokemon that stayed way too long for its good. These were moves like TMs that you taught to a Pokemon of your choice. These moves were made for use in the outside world. Cut for small trees, flash for dark areas, surf for crossing water, and more. 

The uses are fine; the problem comes in the fact that the move cannot be forgotten. If the pokemon in your party couldn’t learn the move, you were stuck putting a pokemon you didn’t want in the party. The transition to no longer needing HMs was too slow, and hopefully, we will not see them again.

Type Differences (All Pokemon games)

Type differences have added an element of strategy to the game. Try to imagine Pokemon without the “it's super effective!” line. It’s as synonymous with the series as evolutions are. Imagine how boring it would be to have only normal type pokemon fighting each other. Type differences keep the game fresh as an underrated basic mechanic of the game.

Mega Evolutions (Pokemon X and Y)

Mega evolutions are a twist on the classic evolution formula. Until X and Y, evolutions were always permanent. It has always been the natural path your Pokemon took as it slowly became stronger. 

Mega evolution is the quicker power-up to finish out your battles. The change is not permanent but always feels worth it. It changes your pokemon’s look for the rest of the battle as well as gives you new moves. Mega evolution is the little boost that can push you to victory at a moment's notice.

Weather Effects on Battles (Pokemon Emerald, Ruby, and Sapphire)

While weather effects technically debuted in Gold, Silver, and Crystal, it wasn’t until Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald that the environment weather directly impacted battles. 

Before, the moves Rainy Day or Sandstorm would affect battles for five turns. Now, the area you are in can give boosts depending on the type you use. For example, if it’s sunny, grass pokemon have an attack boost. The weather effects are another aspect to take into consideration in your battles.

Double Battles (Pokemon Emerald)

What’s better than battling with one pokemon? Battling with two pokemon! When you walk past two trainers standing by each other, you will enter a two versus two battle. 

Admittedly there are no big differences aside from the number of pokemon on the field, but it is always fun seeing the common core of Pokemon change even if only a little.

The Ignis Wraith has been top-tier in Warframe for a long time now. It is not a thinking Tenno's weapon, as it merely fires a massive burst of flame at enemies. It is perfect for rapidly cutting through large groups, however. It does inherent Heat damage, but like all weapons can be modded to output other elemental types. It also combines solid Critical Chance and Status Chance, making it suitable for taking on all kinds of enemies.

Warframe - Ignis Wraith Build 2019

I have used this Ignis Wraith build for quite a while. I have never felt any need to change it up, regardless of the enemies I am fighting. The Ignis Wraith is not a boss fighting weapon but is one of the best in the game for clearly out mobs, even at higher levels. You do want to back it up with a hard-hitting secondary weapon for good single target damage. 

Heavy Caliber, Serration, and Split Chamber all provide general base damage buffs, while Vital Sense ups the damage of the Critical Hits the weapon generates. While some people use a Mod to increase Critical Chance, I prefer to go with the Malignant Force Mod to add more Toxin to the mix and increase the Status Chance. I find that to be more useful in higher-level content.

Infected Clip and Stormbringer combine with the Toxin from Malignant Force to increase the Corrosive damage the weapon does, making it excellent at cutting through Grineer armor.

Finally, I like to run Speed Trigger for a few reasons. First, it gives a general DPS increase because of the increased rate of fire. It also means you get increased chance of Critical Hits and increased Status ticks as well. This choice makes it a great mod to put on your Ignis Wraith.

This build will one-hit anything on the star map, and easily cut through enemies up to about level three Sorties. You will need five Forma to get a build like this running, but it is worth it.

Xur shows up in Destiny 2 every Friday. He does this to try and sell us the latest Exotic wares he has found in the void, and also to remind us that he only works on weekends. What he does during the week, nobody knows, but we assume it involves trying to figure out what he should try to sell us the following week. 

Xur no longer gets a map icon in the game, so it is up to us to hunt him down and find out where he is. To save you time, this guide will tell you where he is hiding and what he is selling, so you can decide if you want to part with some of your Legendary Shards or not. 

Where Is Xur

This week you can find Xur on the Imperial Barge on Nessus.

What Is Xur Selling

This week Xur is selling the following Exotic items. As always, he is selling one Exotic weapon and a piece of Exotic armor for each class.

This week Xur is selling the following items:

• Telesto - Exotic Fusion Rifle
• Dunemarchers - Titan Leg Armor
• Transversive Steps - Warlock Leg Armor
• Shards of Galanor - Hunter Gauntlets

What Should You Buy From Xur This Week

Xur clearly heard my complaints last week and has decided to give me a full force tentacle slap with his inventory this week. If you are new to Destiny, it is time to grin from ear to ear. Three great armor pieces, and a great weapon. 

Telesto is besto for a reason, as they say. My favorite Fusion Rifle in the game, this fires bubbles of death that stick to enemies and then explode. It's what I used for the Fusion Rifle step of the recent Iron Banner pursuit, and I can confirm that this thing still absolutely slaps in PvP. 

Dunemarchers and the bottom tree for the Striker Titan is just a good time, especially if you combine it with some of the new Artifact Mods. Transversive Steps is a superb Warlock Exotic that will make you super speedy, vital in PvP, and Shards of Galanor will get you some nice Super energy back each time you hit things with Blade Barrage.

All if forgiven Xur. Anything you don't have this week, buy. 

Leaks are hinting that Epic Games is working on a new mode for Fortnite Battle Royale featuring just you and your friends taking on bots. According to Fortnite leaker FireMonkey on Twitter, the mode codenamed Phoebe and allows for Solo, Duo, or Squad play in a server populated with bots.

*Player VS Bots LTM Info*

Name: Phoebe PvsB
Alternate Name: Solo/Duo/Squad VS Phoebe
Description: All against Player Solos/Duos/Squads

Max Players: You/Your Duo/Squad.
Max Bots: 100 Minus how many people are in your squad.

It appears you gain the same XP as a normal match.

— FireMonkey • Fortnite Intel 🎄 (@iFireMonkey) October 18, 2019

Interestingly, it would seem that the mode will allow for full XP gain, the same as any standard game of the Battle Royale behemoth. The new "Phoebe" mode appears to be in the game files as a Limited Time Mode, meaning that it might tie into some future promotion within the game.

Bots have been a big talking point in Fortnite since the start of Chapter 2, as players report running into "players" that are showing extremely botlike behavior. At the moment, the AI for the bots does not appear to be particularly smart, as it can go from shooting a weapon to trying to knock down a wall mid gunfight. Players are quickly learning to spot which players are real and which appear to be bots in training. 

I'm curious to see if any players try to fake being a bot mid-fight, to see if they can convince someone to stop shooting at them. I imagine it will happen at some point, and I can't wait to view it. The community has been everything from ambivalent to the presence of bots to up in arms about it, with most people just being curious to see how it all plays out, and what it means.

All signs point to the bots you currently run into being in the game to test behaviors for this Limited Time Mode. According to FireMonkey, the mode will not be appearing any time soon, so all we can do now is wait and see.

Despite Pokemon Sword and Shield releasing in less than a month, Game Freak still wants to provide their fans with additional reasons to return to their past games. Because Sword and Shield are going to be the first mainstream Pokemon games to make its way to the Nintendo Switch, it's a departure from the 3DS series of titles. To give it a final handshake and a thank you to the players who have remained there so long, they're giving away free Shiny Legendary Pokemon for Ultra Sun and Moon. Here's how you get them.

How To Get Free Shiny Legendary Pokemon for Ultra Sun and Moon

Players are going to need to make their way to their nearest GameStop stores to cash-in on the free creature. However, those in the UK are going to need first to locate a participating Game location in their area. They can check those respective areas online and verify where they need to go. When they've done that, they're ready to go.

Before heading out, every player interested is going to need to download the Pokemon Pass to their phones. Those who have a Nintendo Switch and purchased the Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee games are likely aware of this one already.

The application is going to provide players with a download code they can use in their games. When you get the code, you need to follow these steps to get your gift. Go to the Mystery Gift in your game's main menu screen. Select "Receive Gift" from the menu and then pick the "Get with Code or Password." You're going to see a series of menus come up on your screen, but by the end of it, you're going to input the code you received. Make sure to have that handy or written down somewhere nearby.

After the code gets verified, go into your game and head to the nearest Pokemon Center. You're going to look for a delivery man who will have your Pokemon with them. Your respective legendary creature is going to be level 60. 

The download code is going to work for the opposite Legendary of each game, so if you have Sun or Ultra Sun, you're going to receive a Lunala, and those with Moon and Ultra Moon are going to get Solgaleo. Both of these versions are shiny versions of the legendary Pokemon, so they're going to look a little different than the traditional models.

The Pokemon start out with these four moves:

Lunala

• Moonblast
• Moongeist Beam
• Moonlight
• Psyshock

Solgaleo

• Morning Sun
• Noble Roar
• Sunsteel Strike
• Zen Headbutt

This unique offer is not going to last forever. It starts on Oct. 21 and ends on Nov. 10. Players have some time to find their 3DS games, power them up, and get them ready for when the offer officially begins. 

Those who haven't already, make sure to pre-order your copy of Pokemon Sword or Shield before Nov. 15, when the game officially releases.

Earlier this week, Capcom stated that they were looking to revive “dormant franchises” in their fiscal report. There were no obvious signs as to which ones the publisher wanted to bring back. However, one in particular has come under the spotlight is Okami. Ikumi Nakamura, previously of Ghostwire Games and an environmental artist for the original game, and Platinum Games studio director Hideki Kamiya after they tweeted this:

Okami is going to be back! We want to make Okami sequel and fans are looking forward to it too. You guys want to see Kamiya’s Okami again, right, everyone? I want to work on it too! 大神をまた作りたい私たちです。🙏😊@CapcomUSA_@OKAMI_CAPpic.twitter.com/bLwuGnTew1

— Ikumi Nakamura (@nakamura193) October 18, 2019

The original game was released on the PS2 back in 2006. It followed the story of Amaterasu, the Japanese God of the Sun, and the Universe in the form of a dog. What made the third person adventure game so well renowned was the art style. It consisted of traditional Japanese paintings and storytelling, using watercolors to represent the glorious Japanese setting and fluid animation. 

It had a unique combat system, whereby to use an action, a canvas gets summoned to stop time. When triggered, it allowed the player to paint a symbol on it to specify an action. For example, you can slash through an enemy to act like a slashing effect.

It was a game that oozed charm and to this day, remains a cult classic from now-defunct Japanese game developer Clover Studios. It's also famous for the wacky but equally excellent Viewtiful Joe series. Okami got re-released on many different platforms in HD, and you can purchase it on PC via Steam.

While the game is considered to be a classic, it didn’t sell particularly well, which is likely the reason it has stayed dormant. Hideki Kamiya, who was the game director for the original game, has been tight-lipped about other projects that Platinum Studios has been working on. In this Tweet with developer Nakamura, it would appear that they are gearing up for a sequel to the game. With both sporting a healthy portfolio of fantastic adventure action games, a new Okami would be in safe hands.

Capcom has yet to confirm whether there is a new Okami game in development.

Respawn has some exciting news for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order fans days after previews of a near-final version of the game went online. It’s officially all set to go, and the game has gone gold.

Respawn Entertainment, the developers behind the ambitious single-player adventure, sent out a tweet today confirming that Fallen Order has officially gone gold. That means it should meet its November 15 release date with no problem.

The tweet is below, along with a composite image of the Respawn team that worked on the game.

We are proud to announce that #JediFallenOrder has gone gold! We can't wait for you to embark on this adventure across the Galaxy with us on 11/15.

May the Force be with you! pic.twitter.com/93gHxxzEGc

— Respawn (@Respawn) October 18, 2019

The game has been getting loud praises from those that have played it thus far, enjoying the action-based gameplay and the tie-ins with Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. (It follows the events from that film.) They’ve also given the newest star of the saga, young Cal Kestis, a thumbs up, saying he plays a pivotal part in the storyline.

EA’s banking big time on Jedi: Fallen Order, especially with the fan fallout they went through two years ago with Star Wars: Battlefront II. That game has bounced back nicely, but the publisher is hoping that the single-player adventure is well received. We are too, because, hey, this is one spin-off that we wouldn’t mind seeing sequels to in the future.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order releases on Nov. 15 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Check out the latest trailer below.

Though the game is still about a week away from release, Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds is riding a massivewave of hype. With that, the developer, alongside Private Division, has released a launch trailer, highlighting what fans can look forward to on Oct. 25.

In the trailer, we’re introduced to a not-so-likely hero as they make their way through various parts of the galaxy, coming across problematic foes and interesting characters alike.

Here’s the official story, straight from Obsidian:

“Lost in transit while on a colonist ship bound for the furthest edge of the galaxy, you awake decades later only to find yourself amid a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy the Halcyon colony. As you explore the furthest reaches of space and encounter various factions, all vying for power, the character you decide to become, will determine how this player-driven story unfolds. In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable.”

The game also features critical decisions that you can make, which will affect your character. Will you take a component out of your weapon to spare some enemies for a reward, possibly risking your life? Or will you play down and dirty? The choice is yours.

You’ll also be able to sign on members of your crew however you see fit. You're going to work with them to help accomplish their own goals. It’ll have a layer of personality only a team like Obsidian can genuinely deliver.

With hours’ of gameplay, stunning visuals, and a deep story, The Outer Worlds promises to be a trek like no other. It releases on Oct. 25 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch as well, though it doesn’t have a release date just yet.

JackBox Games has a curious history. The company got its start making the irreverent -- and hilarious -- You Don’t Know Jack trivia games. Now they’re branching out into all kinds of party territory with the Jackbox Party Pack, which has introduced us to such favorites as Fibbage, Quiplash, and Trivia Murder Party.

The party continues with The Jackbox Party Pack 6. If you’re a fan of the series, you know what to expect. There’s not much here in the way of single-player content. However, host a stream where viewers can jump in, or invite some family and friends over for an excellent local multiplayer session, and you have an instant party on your hands. That’s not to say every game is going to be a favorite, but it’s a compilation that continues Jackbox’s steady trend of entertainment.

Considering there’s not any Jack or Quiplash game here, the big headliner is Trivia Murder Party 2. This game became a cult classic with its introduction a while back, and the sequel follows suit nicely. Your job is to “outlast” other opponents with mini-games and questions. It’s a bit on the “spooky” side, but it’s Halloween season, so it fits right in perfectly. And the additional mini-games are neat, offering better chances of survival and reward -- though there will still be death.

Then we have Dictionarium. It's an entertaining word game that rides on the same vibe as the Quiplash games. It asks users to come up with definitions of words they’ve never really heard of. After they put in their meanings, they see what it is and watches it get used in a sentence. This particular game is a lot of fun, depending on how wild your friends get with their answers. Make sure to play this one with a frivolous group.

But the real treat here, for some anyway, will be Push the Button. This loud, creative party game has you hunting down aliens hiding amongst humans. It’s a game of prompts and trying to fool people if you’re the actual alien, but it plays out wonderfully with a captain leading the charge and answers that may or may not be what they seem. It also involves a bit of drawing, so those of you that got into the Drawful games will feel right at home here.

Next up is Joke City, a game that’s a fun curiosity, but not a long-term favorite. You’re putting together jokes with a Mad Vibes-style format, adding some freestyle to otherwise standard material. Some of the answers are funny, depending once again on the company you have with you. But, for the most part, you might play this a couple of times and then go back to the other offerings. It’s decent, but I prefer the giant robot battles from Mad Verse City.

Finally, there are Role Models. This one presents a series of roles and then lets the group decide who would be the best fit for each one. The more accurate they are with their guesses, the more points they earn. This one doesn’t have a fresh amount of creativity as other games, but it is pretty funny learning who might think you’d be ideal for buying a car during a mid-life crisis. (It’s not me, honest.)

Overall, this batch of games is quite good. Some aren’t as great as others, but there’s a balance here that creates fun for hours on end, particularly with Trivia Murder Party 2, Push the Button, and Dictionarium. Don’t be surprised if those last two grow to be favorites, and we see sequels for them sometimes during, I don't know, Jackbox Party Pack 9? It’s probably coming.

The presentation is set up for each game but works just as efficiently with previous releases. The visual overlay is delightful, particularly with Trivia Murder Party 2, which is just as wild as the first. I also liked the set-up of Push the Button with its draw spaces and interface. The voice acting is a blast, too.

As for players, well, again, Jackbox Party Pack 6 is not built to be a solo affair. But you probably should know that by now. However, it works beautifully with streamers; and it’s a gas with local groups, connecting right away to your mobile devices and letting you play along with ease.

If your model doesn't break, don’t fix it. That’s the Jackbox logic here, and the sixth chapter in its party series pays off as a result. It’s not a perfect compilation, but Jackbox Party Pack 6 has fun in spades to offer for the right group or streamer. Now get out there and work on your verbiage.

(A review code for The Jackbox Party Pack 6 was provided by Jackbox Games.)

Ring Fit Adventure features 12 mini-games for you to get a good workout in. Here is a guide on each mini-game and the areas of your body you will be working out while you play.

Robo-Wrecker

In Robo-Wrecker, you rotate the ring and squeeze or pull it to hit robots that popping in and out of holes. It’s necessarily whack-a-mole, but you are working your chest, core, and trapezius. You are on a time limit to destroy as many robots as possible, and golden robots give triple the standard score.

Aerochute

For Aerochute, you are falling down a tunnel and aiming to go through rings as you pass by. Falling in the center of the ring and golden rings reward you more points. You hold the ring above your head and push it outwards to deploy a parachute to slow you down. As your parachute is out, you lean your upper half in the direction you want to fall. This workout works on your posture, shoulders, and core.

Squat Goals

In Squat Goals, you get positioned on a trampoline. As you squat, the joy-con in the strap on your leg measures how low you are going and when you come back up you jump into the air depending on how low you went. A light meter in the background shows you how high you are about to jump as coins float by. Collect as many coins as you can by measuring your squat, getting your timing down, and avoiding bombs. This aerobic exercise will work your legs and glutes.

Crate Crasher

In Crate Crasher, crates are continuously falling in front of you. Squeezing the ring-con lets out a blast that will destroy the box you are aiming at with the ring. Clear all crates on the screen to make more fall down. Green crates take out a small area of crates while yellow will eliminate all boxes remaining on the screen. Destroy as many crates as possible in the time limit while working out your chest and upper arms.

Squattery Wheel

In Squattery Wheel, you are forming a clay pot. A green image on the left gives you the goal of what the pan should look like in the end. Within the time limit, you need to squat to lower the robots and push the ring in to have them form the clay the way you want. How far you push in matters and every area you press will affect another area of the pot. How close you get your pot to look like the green image will decide how many points you get. This mini-game works out your legs, glutes, and chest.

Thigh Rider

Thigh Rider is the only mini-game you play while sitting down. You place the ring-con in-between your thighs and squeeze to make the vehicle you are riding jump and hover. Avoid the bombs and collect as many coins as you can before you reach the finish line. This exercise works out your legs and lower body while working on your posture.

Bank Balance

In Bank Balance, you are walking forward with a balancing pole. You walk in place while stretching out the ring-con and leaning to collect coins and avoid bombs as you go by. This workout focuses on your waist, back, and abs.

Bootstrap Tower

In Bootstrap Tower, you are climbing a tower using the ring-con. You raise the ring-con above your head and stretch it out to make your character jump further up. As you progress, you want to time your jumps right to collect as many coins as possible. This exercise works out your chest, trapezius, and upper arms.

Core Crushing

In Core Crushing, you are smashing oncoming robots. The ring-con goes against your abdomen, and as you press it in, you rotate to smack the robots. After every twist, you have to ease your tension on the ring before you can strike again. Some robots will be holding shields that will dictate which side you can strike them from. Core Crushing works out your abs, waist, and core.

Gluting Gallery

Gluting Gallery has the player hold the ring-con above their head and lean left or right to avoid oncoming bombs and collect coins as they pass by. You will be working out your waist, back, and shoulders with this mini-game.

Smack Back

Smack Back requires timing and precision to knock back discs that robots are throwing at you. The ring-con sits across your abdomen again, and you twist back and forth to swing the large fan you have at the discs. If any strike you, you will lose points, and hitting the discs back at the robot that threw it will earn you extra points. This mini-game focuses on your waist, core, and again.

Dreadmill

The final mini-game is Dreadmill. This game has you run in place to maintain where on the treadmill your character will get positioned. As you are running, you need to keep the proper speed to collect coins while avoiding bombs. You will also be required to squeeze the joy-con at specific points to blast yourself into the air to collect higher coins. This aerobic exercise works on your legs while bettering your stamina.

The recent controversies with Blizzard have now drawn in US politicians. In a bipartisan letter, five US politicians urge Blizzard to reconsider their recent banning of Blitzchung.

In early October, Blizzard decided to ban Hearthstone pro-player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai after the gamer made controversial statements on stream. His comments were in support of the recent protests in Hong Kong. Two casters who were part of the stream also got fired by Blizzard. The company also withheld Blitzchung’s prize money that he recently earned. He was ban from taking part in any Blizzard competition for a year.

There’s a lot of controversy surrounding the conflict with mainline China and Hong Kong. Not long after Blitzchung’s banning, there was a large outcry from the gaming community. Most were in support of Blitzchung, and many found Blizzard’s decision to be unreasonable. A large number of people saw Blizzard’s decision as it not wanting to offend the Chinese government.

#BoycottBlizzard trended on Twitter, with many people swearing off all Blizzard products unless they reverse their judgment on Blitzchung. The pressure was too much for the company, and they soon went back on their decision. Blitzchung now has a six-month suspension rather than a one-year ban, and he gets his reward money. The casters’ termination also became a six-month suspension.

Related: Blizzard Cancels Nintendo NY Overwatch Event, But What's It Mean For BlizzCon?

For many people, this wasn’t enough. Many fans and commentators believe that Blizzard’s reverse of actions are hollow words and don’t mean much. The company has yet to speak out against the actions of China.

It seems as if the controversy became so big, that even US politicians have requested Blizzard to reverse their actions. In a bipartisan letter signed by five Democrats and Republicans, it calls out against Blizzard’s actions. The letter says that Blizzard’s decisions could have a “chilling effect” on the gaming community. It also claims that the Chinese government is “pressuring American businesses to help stifle free speech."

However, the letter specifically detailed Blitzchung’s one-year ban, and not being allowed to have his prize money. No mention of Blizzard’s recent reverse of actions. It is unknown if the politicians who signed the letter were aware at the time of the signing that Blizzard reduced Blitzchung’s banning and plan to give him his prize money.

The politicians who signed the letter are United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), US Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Reps Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), and Tom Malinowski (D-NJ).

You can read the letter on this link here, and special thanks to IGN and Kotaku.