A Surprise Pokémon Game Just Dropped for Switch and Mobile
In Pokémon Friends, players untangle yarn—essentially solving different puzzles, like freeing pokémon from a box or fixing tracks—to make and collect plush toys. Once you've made a toy, you then get to decorate your room with it. Much like with typical games in the series, collecting is important. The yarn you earn from puzzles, which are randomized between a few different possible outcomes, dictates which plush toys you're able to make. Early puzzles, which are touched based, are pretty simple. Completing a route while drawing only one line, for example, isn't much of a challenge when it's the only line you can draw.
Pokémon Friends is free to download oniOS and Android, with puzzles offered daily. Players who want to unlock more puzzles will need to buy DLC packs for $15 each, or as a package for $26. On Switch platforms, the game costs $10 and includes the DLC.
The Direct also showed off more gameplay for Pokémon Champions, an online, battle-focused game, and the highly anticipated Pokémon Legends: Z-A, launching October 16. New to the Pokémon Legends universe: rogue Mega Evolutions, where creatures evolve on their own and wreck havoc; players will need friends' help to take them down.
Nintendo is releasing a special Switch 2 bundle alongside Z-A, which includes the game and console, for $499.99. Notably, that price is the same as the system's launch bundle with Mario Kart World. The company will raise the price of the original Switch in August for some regions.
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Digital Trends
2 days ago
- Digital Trends
I have a big problem with how Nintendo has been treating collectibles
By the time I reached the fifth layer in Donkey Kong Bananza, I had already collected more bananas than there are Stars in the entirety of Mario 64. Without getting into exactly how long it takes to beat, that's a small fraction of the way through the game, with hundreds more bananas left to find. I am normally a completionist when it comes to collectibles in games, especially Nintendo franchises, but eventually found myself burnt out on chasing down all the stray bananas scattered through most of the levels. I would gladly take on the combat and puzzle-platforming challenges, but I was more enticed by the actual content of those challenges rather than the reward. It wasn't long before I simply ignored stray bananas buried in the earth or sitting atop a high perch. I could feel my inner child crying out for leaving these precious collectibles behind, but I realize now that Nintendo doesn't treat collectibles the way it once did, so neither should I. This new philosophy has infected almost all Nintendo franchises now, and I don't think I can stomach another Switch 2 game that makes collectibles feel so meaningless again. More isn't necessarily merrier Some of the most ingrained memories for me as a kid playing Ocarina of Time are when I found a precious piece of heart. These were typically tucked away in hidden areas or locked off as rewards for specific challenges. As always, collecting four would grant you a new heart container — perhaps the most meaningful upgrade in the game outside of equipment. They were rare, making each one feel meaningful to get, even if it wasn't the final one needed to get that new heart. The same can be said for Stars in Mario 64. Stages only had around 5 on average, and none of them were just lying around for me to pick up just for walking by. 120 sounds like a lot, but when each one presents a challenge to collect, they never feel less special to grab. Recommended Videos I imagine the excitement I felt each time I managed to snatch a new Star or root out a piece of heart as a kid is what set me on the path to becoming a completionist. But right at the launch of the Switch, Nintendo seemed to completely flip its approach to designing collectibles. Breath of the Wild was the canary in the coal mine, as it were, with 900 Korok seeds sprinkled around Hyrule. This was one of many design changes that going open-world necessitated for Zelda, and I don't think it was a poor one on its face. Yeah, it was the first time I decided early on that I wouldn't even attempt to 100% complete the game, but treated that absurdly high number as a kind of design failsafe — players who explored the world naturally would always have plenty to find no matter which direction their curiosity took them. I don't think it was necessarily made this way with the intention of most players feeling compelled to get them all, especially when you look at the joke of a final reward for getting all 900. The problem lies in the fact that this new more is more mentality surrounding collectibles wasn't contained to Zelda's open world games. Super Mario Odyssey was the first proper 3D Mario game since 3D World and inflated the number of collectibles from the usual 120-ish to around 300 on the higher end on a first playthrough, to 880 unique Moons. But Mario hadn't undergone a massive reinvention in the way Zelda had which made increasing the collectible count feel appropriate. To sell an amazing game very short, it is still a level-based platformer. The new levels are bigger, but they're not that big, and Moons still act as progression tools. Nintendo had to rework a lot of other aspects of a Mario game to make this change fit. Being kicked out of a level after collecting a Star or Moon was a long overdue upgrade, but Nintendo also had to cut the fanfare. Instead of a rewarding and celebratory animation as a reward for managing to get a Star, Odyssey pauses for as brief a time as possible to avoid interrupting the flow of gameplay. It's a better solution than keeping the longer animations, but a self-inflicted problem by cramming the game full of Moons. Without that struggle to find them or the feedback from the game cementing my achievement as something worthy of praise, collecting Moons started to feel only slightly more enticing than standard coins. How much could I care about them when I could literally buy a dozen from the shop in one go if I wanted? It makes perfect sense that Bananza treats its bananas this way after learning the Odyssey team was behind it. To its credit, Bananza does at least try to give bananas a different function than Stars and Moons by making them act as upgrade points for DK's stats and skills. But the core issue of importance remains. I'm still tripping over bananas and able to purchase them in batches at a shop. If bananas are meant to be the ultimate prize to chase, how come there are more of them than fossils? There's nothing wrong with taking this approach to collectibles. I think it made sense for Zelda, and I think it was a smart choice to try and shake up the platformer formula, even if it didn't land for me. What I don't want is for this to be the only approach Nintendo takes with platformers going forward. Go ahead and cram in tons of fossils, coins, and other supplemental collectibles if you want, but I need there to be at least one collectible that makes me feel excited to get again.
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I bought the Switch 2 Pro Controller for its remappable back buttons — but this feature makes them an absolute game changer
From the moment I first laid hands on it, I knew I had to get the new Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. Back in April, I was one of the first people to go hands-on with the Switch 2 at an event in New York. While it was awesome finally getting to see the new console up close, I couldn't believe that Nintendo had finally added the feature I always wanted to its pro controller: remappable back buttons. As someone who's been playing video games with a controller for over 30 years, my right thumb has certainly taken a beating. That's why, when possible, I prefer to play on a controller with remappable back buttons or rear paddles. This lets me avoid putting unnecessary strain on my thumb but I've also found that it makes playing certain games a lot easier for me. While plenty of the best Nintendo Switch controllers have remappable back buttons, this is the first time that Nintendo has added them to one of its first-party controllers. Likewise, the Switch 2 Pro Controller is one of the most comfortable gamepads I've ever held with plenty of refinements over the original. After picking up a Switch 2 and the new pro controller at a midnight launch though, I quickly realized that Nintendo didn't just add remappable back buttons to the controller, it completely changed how you use them. If you're like me and use remappable back buttons in every game you play, here's why you should definitely consider picking up a Switch 2 Pro Controller for the Nintendo Switch 2. This new and improved pro controller for the Switch 2 features Nintendo's HD Rumble 2, a C button for GameChat, remappable GL/GR buttons and a 3.5mm headphone jack along with support for motion controls and scanning amiibos. It's very comfortable to hold in hand and can last for up to 40 hours on a single retailers: Target, Best Buy, GameStop Normally on a controller with remappable back buttons, there's often an extra button on the back like with the PowerA OPS v3 Pro or on the front like with the 8BitDo Ultimate Controller. You press this button first to go into remapping mode before assigning inputs to either controller's back buttons. You'll notice though that the Switch 2 Pro Controller doesn't have a button like this on the this is the case, like on the Xbox Elite Series 2, you usually go into your console's settings menu to assign inputs to your controller's back buttons or rear paddles. However, when I opened up the Switch 2's settings menu and went to Controllers & Accessories and then GL/GR Button Settings, there was only a video explaining how they worked but not an option to map them to different buttons right then and there. The reason for this is surprisingly simple. Unlike with the remappable buttons on other pro-style controllers, you can't program the GL/GR ones unless you're in a game. While I wish Nintendo would let me do this as I like using a controller's back buttons to navigate through a console's menus and user interface, I quickly came to appreciate the company's unique and novel approach to assigning buttons. In fact, I now wish both Sony and Microsoft would follow suit. So how do you remap the GL/GR buttons on the Switch 2 Pro Controller? Well, to do so, you first have to open a game. From there, you hold down the controller's Home button to bring up the Switch 2's Quick Settings menu. Underneath the option to toggle Airplane Mode on or off, you'll see a section for the Switch 2 Pro Controller's GL/GR Buttons. Then you just select which one you want to remap and press the button you want to map it to on the controller and you're done. Not only does Nintendo make it quick and seamless to remap these GL/GR buttons but the best part is that how you configure them is saved on a per game basis. This means that while you might have them set up a particular way for Mario Kart World, you can have them mapped completely differently in another game. Then when you switch between games, the Switch 2 automatically reconfigures the controller's back buttons exactly how you had them. No other controller nor console does it this way. In the picture above, you can see I have the GR button mapped to A to make my cart go in Mario Kart World while the GL button is mapped to X so that I can quickly look behind me during the middle of a race. I had my Switch 2 Pro Controller's button remapped this way until earlier today when the idea struck me to map GL to the controller's right trigger so that I can drift as well as perform tricks without having to take my thumbs off the analog sticks. I've mainly been playing my Switch 2 in docked mode with the Switch 2 Pro Controller, so I've been using its remappable back buttons in every game I've played so far. For instance, in Donkey Kong Bananza which I recently reviewed, I have the GR button mapped to A for jump and the GL button mapped to Y to punch. If you've seen any gameplay footage, then you know Donkey Kong does a ton of punching in this game. With punch set to the GL button, this has made it a lot easier for me to not only defeat enemies but to also destroy the world around me as I'm hunting for gold and Banadium Gems. Before Donkey Kong Banaza came out, I was working my way through the end of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which runs and looks even better on the Switch 2. Here, I also have the GR button mapped to A since you use it for everything from jumping to climbing to talking to in-game characters and interacting with the world around you. However, you also frequently make use of Link's new abilities which you select from a wheel after pressing the left bumper or L button on your controller. To make it easier to pull up this wheel and switch between abilities, I mapped the GL button to L when I restarted playing Tears of the Kingdom on the Switch 2. The remapping possibilities are really endless on the Switch 2 Pro Controller as you can remap its GL/GR buttons to anything from the face buttons (A,B,X,Y) to the triggers and bumpers to the D-pad. Surprisingly, you can also remap the controller's new C button which brings up GameChat to either one of them as well. The same is true with the Capture button as well as both the Plus and Minus buttons. At $85, the Switch 2 Pro Controller is certainly an investment, especially as it costs more than the console's most expensive game so far. However, if you prefer playing in dock mode, have larger hands or use its remappable back buttons as much as I do, then I'd say it's definitely worth it. Pictures definitely don't do the Switch 2 Pro Controller justice either. Instead, this is the type of controller you need to hold in your hands to truly appreciate. It's slightly lighter than Nintendo's first Pro Controller for the original Switch but it also feels slimmer and more balanced in your hands. At the same time, it now also comes with a headphone jack and its two-tone gray and black design looks a lot sleeker too. If you don't have $85 to spend on a new controller but still want the experience of using remappable back buttons on the Switch 2, there is another option. Nintendo's Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip costs less than half the price at $40 but after buying one and testing it out myself, the way you remap and use its GL/GR buttons works exactly the is worth noting that the GL/GR buttons on the Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip — just like the buttons on the Joy-Cons themselves — are significantly smaller than the ones on the Switch 2 Pro Controller. This wasn't a deal breaker at all for me though, as I found them just as easy to press and use. If you're on a tight budget or even if you just have smaller hands, this might be the better option. Either way, it's great that Nintendo has finally added remappable back buttons to its first-party controllers. Still, what impresses me even more is how it came up with a novel new way to remap them on the fly and how you don't have to configure them all over again every time you switch between games. This accessory lets you attach your Switch 2 Joy-Cons to use them like a standard controller but it also features a USB-C port to charge them. Like the Switch 2 Pro Controller, it has remappable GL/GR buttons that can be mapped to whatever buttons you retailers: Target, BestBuy, GameStop
Engadget
2 days ago
- Engadget
Extreme sports, an FPS from former Blizzard devs and other new indie games worth checking out
Welcome to our weekly roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. There have been quite a few high-profile arrivals this week, as well as others that have left early access and or arrived on more platforms. I have a long flight this weekend and I'm a little torn over what to play while I'm in the air. I have my Switch 2, Steam Deck and Playdate with me (excessive, I know). As such, there are many ways I can go here. I haven't yet burrowed my way into Donkey Kong Bananza , so that's a strong option. But then there are all the Playdate Season Two games I've yet to check out — Taria & Como is one I definitely want to play — while my Steam Deck is bursting with games and is running out of storage space. Decision paralysis is an all-too-common affliction these days, particularly when it comes to games or picking something to watch. I feel like the smartest choice here is to play whatever is taking up the most space on my Steam Deck that I've yet to play, so I can just scrub it if I'm not interested. I'll probably do that unless I do my usual thing while flying: try to catch up on sleep. If there were a hall of fame just for mobile games, the first two Monument Valley games would surely be first-ballot inductees. While the third entry in the series perhaps didn't quite hit those heady heights, it still has its fans and was well-received when it debuted on iOS and Android via Netflix late last year. Just over seven months later, Monument Valley 3 has sailed onto more platforms. Ustwo Games' thoughtful and stylish M.C. Escher-inspired puzzler is now available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. RageSquid and publisher No More Robots had a surprise in store this week when they suddenly released Descenders Next during a showcase of that game and its downhill biking-focused predecessor. This is a multiplayer action sports game that, at the outset, features snowboarding and mountainboarding. The developers plan to add more extreme sports over time (the game is currently in early access and there's a two-year roadmap to the 1.0 release). Descenders Next is available on Steam, Xbox and Game Pass for Xbox and PC. Wheel World seems much more relaxing than Descenders Next , even though your mission is to save the world from complete collapse. The launch trailer for this open-world cycling game from Messhof ( Nidhogg ) has impeccable vibes. Between races, you'll be able to search for parts to upgrade your bike. Given its stellar track record, any game that Annapurna Interactive publishes is worth checking out, and I'll certainly be giving Wheel World a spin. It's out now on Steam, Epic Games Store, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, as well as Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Wildgate is a multiplayer shooter from publisher Dreamhaven's Moonshot Games division. Dreamhaven CEO Mike Morhaime is a co-founder and former president of Blizzard. Almost all of the company's first wave of employees used to work at Blizzard too. So it's maybe not too much of a surprise that Wildgate has a polished, colorful look. The team extraction shooter — which is now available on Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S — has spaceship-based combat and a procedurally-generated map to help switch things up from game-to-game. Dreamhaven has had quite a busy 2025 so far. It has released the full version of the enjoyable action RPG Lynked: Banner of the Spark (by FuzzyBot Games), forged a publishing partnership with Game River for its tactical wargame Mechabellum and unleashed two games of its own in the shape of tabletop RPG party game Sunderfolk and now Wildgate . Supervive (previously known as Project Loki ) is a game we've had an eye on for a while and it's now out of early access on Steam. Theorycraft has overhauled this free-to-play MOBA/battle royale hybrid with the 1.0 update by introducing a larger map that has more traversal options, a two-seater aerial vehicle, more playable characters, faster revives, an upgraded user interface and much more. Agefield High: Rock the School is a narrative adventure game that follows a high school senior after his parents move with him to a new town. Sam Tatum wants to make his last few months of school unforgettable, and if he feels the need to skip class or mow lawns for a few bucks to make that happen, so be it. This project from Refugium Games, which is in development for PC and consoles and slated to debut in early 2026, already feels like it's dripping with nostalgia, and that's just based on the trailer and press release. It's set in 2002 and is said to have a soundtrack filled with pop-punk tunes. Agefield High: Rock the School has a branching narrative too, with several endings to experience. The developers took some inspiration from Rockstar's Bully and since we might not ever get a proper sequel to that game, Agefield High: Rock the School may just fill a certain void in my millennial heart. I quite like the aesthetic of Oceaneers , a survival-crafting sim from Barrel Smash Studios. It seems to draw from the same well as Don't Starve , but that's hardly a bad thing. You'll hop between islands in search of resources and ways to expand your colony. You'll also battle sharks and crabs, and maybe even discover hidden bunkers — perhaps there's someone inside who has to punch a sequence into a terminal every 108 minutes? Oceaneers is expected to hit Steam early access in 2026 with a demo dropping soon. Maybe I'll start a long-overdue Lost rewatch in the meantime. Getting lost in a fictional world for dozens upon dozens of hours can be quite appealing, and I do enjoy larger games in that vein. But so many games are too bloated these days and I do love shorter, more focused experiences. Catto's Post Office is said to take around an hour to complete. In this open-world title from In Shambles Studio and publisher Cult Games, you'll play as a Postcat who delivers packages to the residents of a small town. You can do cat things like hide in boxes, knock stuff over and meow whenever you like with a dedicated button. It looks too dang adorable. Catto's Post Office will cost $5 when it hits Steam on August 4, and there will be a 20 percent launch discount. You know how, in Final Fantasy VII , Cloud has a massive sword? Well, what if you could have a weapon like that in a puzzle-focused action platformer? Enter the wonderfully titled Gigasword from solo developer Studio Hybrid and publisher Akupara Games. Along with using your weapon to take out unfortunate baddies and beastly bosses, you'll employ it to solve puzzles and help with platforming. Gigasword is coming to Steam on October 2, and there's a demo available now. Speaking of games with fantastic names, The Player Who Can't Level Up sure has one of those. This is an action roguelite that is based on a webtoon that debuted last year. It has a slick, gorgeous trailer and — as the title suggests — you won't be able to level up your character. You can, however, select perks to help you hunt monsters. Tripearl Games is the studio behind the project, for which it's targeting a 2026 debut on PC and consoles.
