A Link to the Zelda series

Throughout all of the mainline Zelda games, Link has been the star, taking the fight to Ganon (or other villains) and saving the world in the process. But Link's heroics haven't always been limited exclusively to The Legend of Zelda series.

No, Link has been on many adventures outside the lands of Hyrule too, into entirely different game ??worlds. Some are within the Nintendo universe, an??d others �including maybe his most famous guest appearance �come from other companies.

So as we celebrate a new adventure for Link, I wanted to look back at the various times he's app??eared in other games. To be clear, this is not a recoll??ection of every green tunic or vaguely Link-like character; these are, largely, the genuine article.

[caption id="attachment_378920" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Link's Hideaway[/caption]

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest (SNES)

Though Link wouldn't get involved in the actual gameplay of Donkey Kong Country 2, he does appear as a potential placing in Cranky's Video Game Heroes alongside the likes of Mario and Yoshi. What's more, this see?s Link take on a more dimensional look than we've seen from his traditionally top-down games up to this point.

[caption id="attachment_378922" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via TheMarioBrosNet/YouTube[/caption]

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES)

Saving Hyrule is tiring work, alright? So in this Square RPG imagining Mario on a grand journey, it's nice that Link gets to take a little nap at the Rose Town Inn. He isn't the only Nintendo hero catching Z's either, as you can also find Samus taking a nap in Super Mario RPG too. In full Power Armor, too.

F1 Race (Game Boy)

Here's a classic?? but overlooked Link cameo. I'm not sure why Link would show up at an F1 race (maybe he's studying up for a cameo later down this list) but here he is, cheering you on at the start of a challenge course. I'm not sure those weapons should be allowed on the course.

[caption id="attachment_378923" align="alignnone" width="600"] Image via SmashWiki[/caption]

Super Smash Bros. (Various)

Link has been a part of the core Smash cast since the original game on the Nintendo 64. And as the years went on, Nintendo would add more and more versions of Link, too. While the N64 featured only Adult Link, in his Ocarina of Time appearance, the GameCube's Super Smash Bros. Melee would introduce Young Link from Ocarina and Majora's Mask. Soon, Toon Link would join the crew, and in Ultimate, Link was slightly updated to reflect his Breath of the Wild look and abilities, including his bomb skills.

[caption id="attachment_378928" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via LongplayArchive/YouTube[/caption]

WarioWare (Various)

There are plenty of Zelda mini-games featuring Link throughout the WarioWare franchise. Challenges have ranged from classic NES Zelda to yanking the Master Sword out of the pedestal in Ocarina, but my personal favorite was the game pictured above, taken from WarioWare: Smooth Moves. As Link's 3D games have gone on, his glid??er has become a more and more recognizable tool in his arsenal. And I fondly remember beefing?? it on this mini-game at least a few times.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGJXf7FztyY

Soulcalibur II (Gamecube)

Let's be honest: This was the reason for this list. If you played Soulcalibur II back when it came out, and I hope you did, you knew about Link. Link's cameo in Soulcalibur might be one of the best fighting game guest characters ever, even in a series that's had some stellar guests. The hero's move set fit naturally fit into the world of Soulcalibur, with tons of gadgets and stance-swapping between bow, bomb, boomerang, and sword. The only bummer is that, when Soulcalibur II got the HD treatment, Link was not brought forward along with his fellow SC2 guests, comic avenger Spawn and Tekken's Heihachi.

[caption id="attachment_378929" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Scribblenauts Unlimited (Wii U, 3DS)

In a game where you have to imagine the solution to your problems, it turns out that you could also just imagine Link to help handle them for you. The Hero of Time cameos in this version of Scribblenauts, letting you both summon him and equip him with the Master Sword to take on evil. Or to put out a fire, or tackle other Scribblenauts problems.

[caption id="attachment_378939" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch)

While the Link's Awakening remake gave us the closest possible thing to a Zelda Maker, Super Mario Maker 2 introduced Link as a full-on character. While you could use a costume, previously, this made Link playable in a side-scrolling form. So I guess this is a bit more of a Zelda 2 Maker? Either way, it was enjoyable seeing what players concocted with this new set of moves, and especially seeing how Link gets by in a Mario world.

[caption id="attachment_378941" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Sega[/caption]

Sonic Lost World (3DS / Wii U)

Mario isn't the only classic gaming hero that gets to hang out with Link. While Nintendo cameos are much more co??mmon for Link, he also gets to pop up a?longside a third-party hero: Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic Lost World got a special DLC, adding a new adventure for Sonic and Link to undertake that involved old Zelda enemies and areas, and saw Link sporting his Skyward Sword garb. Really, I'm just here for Sonic fleeing a ro?lling Goron.

[caption id="attachment_378949" align="alignnone" width="200"] Image via AC Wiki[/caption]

Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)

Yes, Wolf Link counts as Link. And so, thus, does his furry appearance in Animal Crossing: New Leaf count for this list. You can get your very own Wolf Link villager by scanning a Zelda series amiibo in New Leaf, and I mean, who wouldn't want Wolf?? Link around? He can fight enemies,? carry small people from place to place, and even gets a fun dungeon-themed house. Well, now that I think about that last part, it might be a bit concerning. But it's not my place to judge Wolf Link.

[caption id="attachment_378947" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Mario Kart 8 (Wii U / Switch)

Nowadays, when Link's vacations don't involve fighting in the arena of Smash, they're all about racing through the world of Mario Kart. Added in Mario Kart 8 DLC and brought over with the insanely successful Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch, Link is a no-brainer for the Kart series. He's got his sick ancient motorcycle, wears the champion's garb, and even brings a new course with him. As much as I love the extended Mario cast, I would like to see some more Nintendo faces pop up in future Kart games alongside Link and the Inklings.

[caption id="attachment_378946" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Reddit[/caption]

BONUS: Final Fantasy (NES / Pixel Remaster)

Link's been alive for all previous cameos, but here's a little reference that's endured through the eras: Final Fantasy. Apparently, the original Japanese Famicom version of Final Fantasy had a grave in Elfheim that declared "Here lies Link," a reference to Nintendo's series. In the English localization for the NES, this was changed to "May Erdrick rest in peace," a reference to Dragon Quest. But in subsequent adaptations, including the Pixel Remaster,? it's been returned to Link. Congratulations?

The post An ode to Link’s cameos in other game worlds appeared first on Destructoid.

Live today, January 12

Back on January 10, 2008, Game Freak developer Junichi Masuda teased a little Easter egg for the Diamond and Pearl games that involved his birthday. Coaxing fans into playing on January 12, the powers that be put in a special diamond dust weather celebration of sorts to honor Masuda. That diamond dust Easter Egg is back in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

All you need to do is have your clock set to January 12 (or log on today, of course) and?? go to Snowpoint City. You'll see a special effect of shining snow: also known as "diamond dust." And that's really it! It's just fun to see this Easter egg carried over.

You know what would have been nice to see carried over as well? Platinum elements. It's my big hangup with these remakes, as I'm now being asked to choose between the more convenient remakes, or the original edition of Platinum: which is convenient enough for me; but not so much my friends who I may want to play in tandem with. It would have been ideal if these two new re-releases were definitive. The diamond dust Easter Egg is cute, but it's not going to push me over the edge on picking it over Platinum.

Speaking of diamond dust, you can check out the effect below, thanks to AussieRiolu's Twitter account. That way you can see it even if you don't plan on picking up the remakes! Hopefully Pokemon Legends does a bit more in terms of setting the Pokemon world on fire. While the remakes were fine in their own way, I haven't really seen nearly as much discussion about them in my circles compared to past remakes. That could be the fault of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl themselves: or?? the entire generation's impact. Or both!

//??twitter.com/AussieRiolu/status/148092865527??4659851

The post The diamond dust Easter?? Egg is back in the Pokemon D?iamond and Pearl remakes appeared first on Destructoid.

Not that I needed a reason to dip back into Tetris Effect, but if I did, this would be it: a devi??ously hi??dden 1984 level that can be unlocked with a code and a keyboard.

The best bit: the secret 1984 variant has been hiding in plain sight. If you're the type of person whose YouTube feed is filled with all things Tetris, you very well might've run across it before, but otherwise, it's probably new to you too. In honor of World Tetris Day, two of Tetris Effect's secret stages got an official signal boost from The Tetris Company.

As a refresher, the secret 1989 level theme can be unlocked permanently if you rank up your Tetris Effect player profile to level 50. Yeah, yeah �you know. But what about 19??84?

Unlocking 1984 in Tetris Effect with a controller and keyboard

To unlock this level, you'll need to enter the following inputs on the Tetris Effect title screen: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, O, X (on a PlayStation controller) or Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A (on an Xbox o????r Oculus controller).

If you e??ntered this iconic sequence correctly, you'll see a strange new screen that looks like something out of an ARG.

Next, you'll need to use a keyboard: type in the ?code "06061984" and hit enter. You should then see a notice that "1984" is unlocked �it's? a one-time process.

And if you happen to have an Xbox Chatpad, ??that'll work too.

Here's the payoff:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OMOIaq_VMQ

As you can see from this gameplay captured by YouTube user Sar, Tetris Effect's 1984 level is lo-fi as heck �and if you pla??y our cards right, it'll go nuts with colors and e?ffects.

The secret stage is meant to be a "tribute to the original version of Tetris for? the Electronika 60, the old Soviet PC Alexey Pajinov first created th??e game on."

Really coo??l, right? I think I can actually be bothered to untangle my keyboard from my whole desk... si??tuation to unlock 1984 on my PS4. Wish me luck.

The post Tetris Effect’s hidden 1984 level is a great little secret appeared first on Destructoid.

"What's up, Doc?" meets "How do you do, fellow kids?"

From April 2-6, Warner Bros. is running a special event in their free-to-play mobile RPG Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem featuring a chubby variant of Bugs Bunny, now officially called "Big Chungus." This version of Bugs first appeared in a 1941 animated short called Wabbit Twouble, though he was not any sort of chungus in? a formal capacity until now. Sweet children and sad adults hooked on the title might assume that this new fat rabbit is just another wacky original concept. But anyone who farted around gaming Twitter for the past few years is likely aware that Big Chungus started with a meme in 2018. 

Or did he?

They say that explaining a joke is the best way to kill it. That goes t?riple for "random internet humor" that thrives off the appearance of coming out of nowhere and meaning nothing. 

Friends, nothing is random. Everything has meaning, and everything comes from somewhere. Even Chu??ngus. Especially Chungus. 

No one knows exactly who was the first person to say the word "chungus." It could have been a caveman. It could have been your dad. It could have been the famous Meatloaf, mispronouncing his own stage name in Vietnamese&??nbsp;in a weak, sweaty attempt to sound cultured. When it comes to social media though, this off-hand tweet from 2010 is often ??cited as the oldest chungus utterance. 

there is a chungus among us

— sheelgetshyphy (@sheelgetshyphy) June 29, 2010

It doesn't seem to mean anything though, and no offense to @Sheelgetskyphy, but the tweet didn't gain that much traction until 8 or 9 years later when chungus had already blown up and gotten itself everywhere. The place where chungus really started to spread was right here on Destructoid. In 2012, reviews editor James Stephanie Sterling told a story of Chicken Chungus on Podtoid, Dtoid's official podcast.

Jim Steph's new chungus wasn't in reference to Sheel's tweet. This chungus wasn't among us at all. It was an organic, independent expression of ironic horniness, fascination with the bodily functions, and?? affectionate disgust with flesh in general. Over the next nine years, Jim Stephanie would regularly talk on podcasts about packing my chungus full ?of worms, running a train on my chungus, or any number of other sexual and/or horrific acts involving what, I thought, were probably my private parts. This continues to this day. Like Jim Stephanie themselves, chungus is many things at once, and it has captured the imagination of thousands. 

And so, "ch?ungus" became a sort of a catch-all catchphrase for fans of Podtoid and multiple other podcasts Jim Steph starred on. Like so many internet things, those who understood it felt like they were part of a mainstream-unfriendly inside joke, and in that way, found a special sense of community through it. Also like many internet inside jokes, the persistence of time eventually led it to bubble up to the masses, though there were still a few steps of chungus ahead before it would get there. 

One of the major s??teps was the video below, created by Podtoid fan Blockbird?? in 2013. 

The audio came from the podcast, but setting it to visuals from The Dark Knight Rises was all Blockbird's idea. The video did fairly well on YouTube, but it wasn't until 2018 when the video was embedded on Facebook, uncredited, by a page called The Deepest Part of the Internet, that it really took off. I'm no?t going to embed the video here, but last I checked, it got about ten million views, and features Jim Stephanie exclaiming "I am the ??Chungus" at least once. Here is their tweet from 2018 reporting on the situation. 

Also shout out to "The deepest part of the Internet" for sharing the ??Bane/Scatman clip on Facebook without credit, mention of a source, or any links to actual content makers.

We all appreciate the hard non-work you're doing.

— James Stephanie Sterling (@JimSterling) March 28, 2018

So while we had wondered for years if little chungus-like ideas like Rick and Morty's Plumbus were either chungus-influenced or directly chungus related, this was the first time we knew for certain that chungus had been taken ??and delivered by foreign hands to a larger, chungus-hungry audience. It was a little strange, but we figured it was just a brief, hot flash in the chungus pan. Then, in December of that year, we saw chungus blow up in ways we never could have predicted.&n?bsp;

In December of 2018,  GameStop store manager Justin Laufer posted a story on Facebook about a customer who came to the store asking to buy a game for their child called Big Chungus for the PS4. This was in reference to fake box art that a Reddit user named GaryTheTaco (who has since been banned from the site) had created as a joke. From there, the meme spread like wildfire, leading to songs, fan fiction, and God knows what else, eventually leading Warner Bros. to take it ??and make it "real."

Big Chungus fans unite. Your hero has arrived. pic.twitter.com/aJ8ZGshUjF

— Looney Tunes World of Mayhem (@LooneyTunesWoM) April 3, 2021

But why did this happen? Why did this nonsense word become something a billion-dollar corporation would co-opt and cash in on???

It's anyone's guess, b??ut if I were to take a stab at it, I'd say it has to do with a certain tension that was in the air at that time, and it's a tension that lingers today. The rules are constantly being upended. Every day you're online, you may discover some strange new interest, new fetish, or new subculture that you may or may not want to be a part of. In the days before high-speed internet; TV, movies, and radio were largely in control of what we considered "normal." There was a certain standard of beauty that we all thought we were supposed to adhere to (thin, clean, human).

Us to anyone who said this meme died 3 years ago.

Coming soon to @LooneyTunesWOM!
Prepare for #bigchungus 👉 //t.co/vxXFxSK7a2 pic.twitter.com/Zi2dbFnEDA

— Looney Tunes World of Mayhem (@LooneyTunesWoM) March 31, 2021

Now, in 2021, objective standards of beauty are fractured at best, obliterated at worst. Every day, people openly explain online that they are most attracted to fat men, or women with dragon tails, or video game characters with no gender at all, and they do so without shame, leading them to inevitably find others that share their feelings. This is what chungus was on Podtoid, and this is what the half-sarcastic adoration of a chunky cartoon rabbit was playing off of whether people knew it or not. Older generations may feel left behind by the abandonment of a universally agreed-upon standard fo??r beauty and normalcy. They may want to try to keep up, to ask to buy some fresh chungus at the local GameStop in order to connect with their child, hence the joke, and why it resonated with so many people. 

And now, you can actually buy some real chungus. Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem isn't sold in stores, but you can bet that more than a few parents booted up this game this weekend with their kids in order to "See what all the fuss was about" regarding "that picture of a fat? rabbit that makes my son laugh every time?? they see it". Big Chungus is now just another "normal" thing, a crowd-pleasing icon that plays it safe. The underlying tickle that made Big Chungus, and all other chunguses (chungii?) pop with surreal charm has been flattened.

Chungus is dead. Long live Chungus. 

The post Chungus: A brief oral history appeared first on Destructoid.

Warzone and Zombies and Multiplayer, oh my

The fight goes on in Activision's tribizillion-dollar shooter franchise Call of Duty. Tomorrow will see the launch of "Reloaded", a mid-season update for both Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and its sister battle royale title Call of Duty: Warzone. The coming weeks will see a slew of n??ew content made available for both releases, because the bullets. won't. stop.

Firstly, Black Ops Cold War will receive its rew?orked Miami map, Miami Strike, which hopes to improve the rep of the neon nightmare - which I actually quite like, to be honest. Miami Strike will be running a 24/7 playlist in order to help the community get to grips with the new, streamlined layout. My Tiki bar better still be standing.

Speaking of maps, ??third-act campaign locale Mansion will be added to Gunfight and Face Off modes, while Golova is getting copy-pasted from the excellent Outbreak mode to enter rotation in the not-quite-as-excellent Fireteam. New modes will include Multi-Team Hardpoint, (which sounds like total chaos), Gunfight Tournament, and a Blueprint-based variant of Gun Game.

On the subject of Outbreak, Cold War's great Zombies option will be adding a new location to its open-map cycle. Sanatorium (Night) will now be a part of the dimension-hopping cycle. To help you and your buddies get around, dirt bikes will also be added to certain locations. A brand new objective - Secure - will also be added to the Retrieve??, Eliminate, Escort, etc mission cycle. Keep pouring stuff into Outbreak, Treyarch. It's rad stuff.

Over in Warzone, the undead chaos contin??ues on the island of Verdansk, but you'll soon be able to take on both the living AND the dead as two new operators - both of whom debuted in the Season 2 cinematic. They are living tank Terrell Wolf, who joins the roster tomorrow, and the crossbow-adept Karla Rivas, who will be made available in a week or so. Coming with the new operators is a powerful new sniper rifle: the ZRG 20mm, which looks powerful enough to put down a yeti.

Of course, the new update also brings a fresh round of weapon and killstreak rebalances and bug fixes. For full patch notes, and more details on all of the above content, visit the official website. As a final heads up, the update size for those who have both Warzone and Cold War installed will come smashing in at around SIXTY GIG, although with data optimization the total footprint will shrink upon completion by 10-30GB. Thanks.??.?

The post Call of Duty: Cold War & Warzone reveal contents of tomorrow’s Reloaded Season 2 update appeared first on Destructoid.

That's no yolk

It's that time of year again. Time to put aside your balloon parcels, shirt exchanges, and fossil trades and dedicate every single second, minute, and hour, of your Animal Crossing: New Horizons day to the coming of Zipper, Animal Crossing's dead-eyed, eerily cheerful bunny.

As reported by good doge Isabelle, non-denominational Bunny Day will take place on April 4 this year, which is this coming Sunday, and will see Zipper visit your island to collect all of the souls eggs that you have gathered. As of yesterday, you might start finding eggs here, there, and everywhere in the environment: buried in the soil, at the bottom of the lake, falling out of trees. Wherever you find them, be sure to save ?them for Sunday, when you can trade them with Zipper for a range of seasonal goodies.

Now, Bunny Day last year was a liiiiiittle bit divisive. While it's obviously a fun and cute holiday event, players were ?utterly frustrated by the amount of egg?s turning up everywhere, at a time when most players were just hard at work looking for materials and resources. Perhaps this year, now the community is settled in their DIY homes, they can just chill and join in the spirit of the season.

After all??, you wouldn't w?ant to upset Zipper would you?... WOULD YOU?...

Hello! Did you know that Bunny Day is on a different date every year? This year, it's on April 4th—that's next Sunday! Starting today, you might begin finding eggs hidden around your island. I hope you find eggsactly the number of eggs you want! pic.twitter.com/R9GNxYH5IL

— Isabelle (@animalcrossing) March 28, 2021

The post April 4: Zipper is coming to get ya in Animal Crossing: N?ew Horizons appeared first on Destructoid.

And Grinding is Half the Battle

If you're still rat-a-tat-tatting your way through Activision's gazillion-dollar shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and its battle royale sister title, Warzone, then you better get your fridge s??tocked and your calendar clear, as we have a new Double XP event incoming.

From tomorrow, March 26, until Monday, March 29, Cold War and Warzone players will earn Double XP??, Double Weapon XP, and Double Battle Pass XP - all of which should help you see those numbers climbing high and offer the accompanying serotonin re?lease. (The event starts tomorrow on PC and Xbox, but is live right now for PlayStation players).

This is an ideal opportunity to grind out the remainder of the current Battle Pass before the arrival of Cold War's next mid-season event. I still need to bag Portnova's "Artist" skin, so I'll be putting in time I'm sur??e - she's been rocking that Goth ensemble for too long now, and I'm sure those neon-orange leggings and tie-dyed bandanna will provide suitable camouflage.

In regards to mid-season, next week will see the Sanitorium map added to the cycle in Cold War's excellent Zombies Outbreak mode, which sees a squad of soldiers literally hopping portals and popping domes, fighting off wave after wave of the undead while completing a series of increasingly challenging objectives. It's absolutely the smartest Call of Duty addition in years, and with the addition o??f a new map, th?ings can only get deader.

Finally, developer Treyarch has offered a sneak peek at the reworked "Miami" map, which has had a huge overhaul following player complaints about visibilit??y, rotation paths, and general layout. I personally liked Miami - which probably makes me a monster - but I'm excited to see what the reworked "Miami Strike" brings to multiplayer. Maybe it will finally be the exciting and s?exy locale that Will Smith told us all about.

Get ready for next week's mid-season update with 2XP, 2WXP, and 2X Battle Pass XP all weekend long, starting at 10AM PT Friday, March 26! pic.twitter.com/cbmrFkhtYg

— Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) March 23, 2021

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New operators, Zombies, scorestreaks and much more

Activision and Treyarch have spilled the intel on season two of their blockbuster shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and its sister title Call of Duty: Warzone. Kicking off on February 25, the new season brings a massive helping of exciting new content to both titles, including operators, weapons, scorestreak?s, skin packs, modes, and a new Zombies experience.

First up, Operators. Season two brings a quartet of new characters to the roster including the villainous Naga, and Frank Wood's new running buddies Karla Rivas & Terrell Wolf, all of whom debuted in the action-packed cinematic above. Joining the trio is long-time Black Ops Zombies star Samantha Maxis, f?resh off her latest jaunt through the Dark Aether. I can't wait to play as her! Naga will join in week one, with the others arriving as paid DLC packs.

Cold War will receive three new multiplayer maps: "Apocalypse" is the jungle map featured in the cinematic, and is utilized for 6v6 warfare, "Golova" is a new locale for Fireteam and, from the Cold War campaign, "Mansion" which will be used for the brutally paced Gunfight mode. A shrunken version of Miam??i is also en route, titled "Miami Strike".

There will be a selection of new firearms - both primary and secondary - joining the CoD arsenal. You can check these out in the image below. Speaking of firepower, the Death Machine scorestreak returns, allowing players to get?? their Jessie "The Body" Ventura on once again. Ain't got time to ble??ed, indeed.

For Zombies fans, the recently leaked "Outbreak" event will tell the next chapter of the Dark Aether storyline, and will ??see Team Requiem?? travel to the Ural Mountains for its next bout of dimension-hopping carnage. Having freed Samantha Maxis from the hell of the Aether, hopefully she will be able to lead them toward the source of the dimensional anomalies.

Speaking of zombies, the undead bastards will also be making their presence felt in Warzone, via the limited-time Zombies Outbreak event, which takes place next week. Warzone will also receive two new modes: Extreme Resurgence and Exfiltration. New points of interest will also be added to the Verdansk map. An ominous ship currently lurks off the coast, though I'm very much expecting it to be fu??ll of the undead. Don't be there when it docks unless you're armed to the teeth.

Of course, there will be a new paid Battle Pass, offering 100 tiers of character and weapon skins, charms, XP bonuses, stickers, and more. Tier 100 appears to be a variant of new boy Naga. All-in, there's a ton of content to keep CoD fans happy over the coming month or two, and while I understand that Cold War is a pretty polarizing entry in the Call of Duty canon, I'm still having a riot with it. For full details and dates, visit the official website.

The post Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War & Warzone reveal full Season 2 content appeared first on Destructoid.

Maybe just leave him there, honestly

Activision has released an action-packed trailer to tease the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's second season of content, which?? will launch in-game on February 25, bringing a slew of new skin?s, characters, weapons, maps, and more to the blockbuster shooter.

Following on from the raid at the Mall at the Pines in season one, good-guy-who-isn't-good-at-all Russell Adler was ultimately captured by his arch-nemesis, former KGB agent Vikor "Stitch" Kuzmin. Kuzmin no doubt has a fate worse than death planned for Adler, and has whisked the shady CIA operative away to a location hidden deep within the ??jungles of Laos.

All is not lost however. As this exciting cinematic below shows, a rescue mission is already underway, led by the maniacal Black Ops veteran Cpt. Frank Woods who, aided by a new squad of heroes, is preparing to storm the dense greenery, rescue Russell, and bring him home in on??e piece.?.. Or at least as many pieces that Kuzmin has left him in.

As always, the cinematic is packed with hints and clues as to some of the upcoming content that will be made available in Black Ops: Cold War Season 2. We will no doubt get a brand new jungle-based map for multiplayer, as well ??as several new characters - including an energetic young woman, a villa??inous dude in aviators named "Naga", and some big bastard carrying the 'Ol' Painless' scorestreak. Also teased is the return of both the crossbow and the Galil rifle.

No doubt all of the above items will feature as either freebies, paid bundles, or unlocks in an all-new Battle Pass. Stick around with yer boy Moyse, and I'll send the recon your way once the intel comes in. Personally, I'm still very much enjoying this polarizing entry to the Call of Duty canon, and I'm definitely up for more punchy, arcade action from the impactful Cold War timeline.

The post The cavalry’s comin’ February 25 in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Season 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Turns out YOU'RE the animals.

Perhaps the leakiest franchises in gaming, Call of Duty, is at it again. The preemptive word on the street – first noted by dedicated community Modern Warzone – is that Activision is planning on dropping a brand new map for the first anniversary of battle royale title Warzone.

According to Modern Warzone, the new map, "Zoo," is potentially a remake of the same locale featured in the original Call of Duty: Black Ops' Escalation DLC, albeit completely refurbished for Warzone's en masse battles. As such, should it indeed be a remake, the similarities might end with the map'??s name and general "theme."

Zoo reportedly measures on an 8x8 grid, which would make it a little smaller than current map Verdansk, though it's arguable how much of the grid will be actual playable landmass. It is also noted that the new map features a point of interest titled "Weather Station," which Modern Warzone theorizes might be the popular Black Ops map "Summit," a decimated military base located atop a snow-covered mou?ntain. A secondary PoI, "Ruka," is? also on-site.

Of course, it should be reiterated that all of this is non-official information, though we will surely be hearing from Activision on its first anniversary plans for Warzone soon.

Since its initial launch in March of 2020, Warzone's battle royale action has been an incredible hit with many Call of Duty fans. Having pulled in over 85 million players to date, with some players even choosing to dedicate themselves to the free-to-play title over recent release Black Ops Cold War, Warzone looks set to run and run in 2021.

The new #Warzone map’s Zoo POI could be a remaster of the classic DLC map from BO1 based on the early images we’ve seen 👀 pic.twitter.com/CNv7gK7FGR

— ModernWarzone (@ModernWarzone) January 9, 2021

The post Call of Duty: Warzone leak points to incoming new map ‘Zoo’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Dropkick... and a beauty

Treyarch has announced that it will be releasing a mid-season update to its blockbuster title Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War next week. Arriving on all platforms January 14, the mini-update will be bringing several new additions to the rat-a-tat-tat uzi-loving shooter.

First up is the arrival of a new six-vs-six multiplayer mode, Dropkick, which will apparently see players attempting to wrest control of nuclear codes from their opposition. Low stakes, then? In addition, the somewhat bewildering mode Fireteam will receive a new battleground in the form of Sanatorium, with players ??fighting it out in dirty-bomb-based mayhem.

Zombies fans can dive into the thick of the action with the new mode Cranked, which requires constant carnage in order to keep your avatar live and kicking. The Black Ops II map Raid will also be added to Onslaught mode, while more Dark Intel will be available for all of?? you lore fans. I haven't even found the shiznit that's already in there right now!

The post Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War update bringing new Sanatorium ma?p and Zombies modes appeared first on Destructoid.

Let Christmas ring with a shotgun blast

If you're lonely as fuck like me, then maybe you might be feeling like you don't have a whole lot to do this festive season. Well, provided that you have access to a platform that carries Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, then you can celebrate the sea?son with non-stop multiplayer mayhem, free of charge. My kind of Christmas party.

As of today, anyone can jump into Cold War's multiplayer action simply by downl??oading the game on your respective system. Players can then enjoy a multitude of modes - including the recently added Raid the Mall, Nuketown Holiday 24/7 and 2v2 Gunfight - right up until December 24, ??when you'll have to pull the trigger on a full purchase if you wish for continued mayhem.

For those who already own Black Ops Cold War, a double XP and double weapon XP bonus is live in-game right now and will ru?n until December 21. December 22 will see a double XP bonus for Battle Pass progress, so players can unlock that ridiculous "Prisoner Stitch" skin faster than ever before - I've already bagged Park's garish neon Commando outfit so I'm sorted for life.

Black Ops Cold War's season one content launched earlier this week, adding a selection of new and classic maps to multiplayer, a handful of new modes, as well as new skins, weapons, and operators for use in both Cold War and battle royale sister title Warzone.

No?w's your chance to exp??erience the next evolution of Black Ops Multiplayer.

Jump into the #BlackOpsColdWar Multiplayer Free Access Week through 12/24. pic.twitter.com/v7c7BMgAsX

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) December 17, 2020

The post Spend your Holiday week playing Call of Duty: Cold War Black Ops with free mult?iplayer trial appeared first on Destructoid.

The Hat Squad

Tonight will see Activision's blockbuster shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War receive its exciting Season One content drop. Developer Treya?rch has added one final update to the title earlier this morning, which is now available to download on all platforms?.

There are no patch notes - with details likely coming alongside the Season One premiere - but dedicated CoD community member Drift0r has already started to pick away at the details, listing numerous weapon re-balances, (thank heavens I already maxed out the AUG), as well as the foreboding arrival of the H.A.R.P. sco?restreak - a recon plane that shows enemy positioning and direction. The troublesome flak jacket has also received a small nerf.

When Season One begins, it will bring several new maps and modes to Black Ops Cold War and its sister title, Warzone. New operators and weapons will be up for grabs, and long-time fans will see the return of classic maps such as "Raid" in Cold War and "Alcatraz" in Warzone - which has now been revisioned as "Rebirth Island." In addition, Cold War will be receiving a 100-tier Battle Pass, offering a variety of goodies for players as they push out the grind, bring in the love. You can check out these items in the above trailer. Gimme a hat for H??elen and I'm good.

Brrap.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War gets its big balance pat??ch [Eurogamer]

The post Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War gets final update ahead of?? Sea?son One, details battle pass contents appeared first on Destructoid.

Me and my gal Park are coming for you, son

Activision and Treyarch Studios have released a slew of new details pertaining to the first season of content for the recently released Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Following on from the dramatic trailer released earlier this week, a new video and graph??ic details the new paid and free content rolling out in the '80s themed shooter from Decembe??r 16.

As previously noted, Black Ops Cold War will be receiving new maps in Multiplayer, namely the all-new "Pines Mall," a winter variant of grindfest "Nuketown '84," "Sanatorium," and finally the return of classic Black Ops II map "Raid." Looking forward to seeing that one again. In addition, sister title Warzone will be receiving the new map "Rebirth Island," a reinvention of Black Ops' veteran locale "Alcatraz."

New modes Drop Hunt and Drop Kick are also headed to Multiplayer, while Zombies will see the return of Cranked, as well as a limited time festive mode known as "Jingle Hells." In order to lay waste to your opposition in these new maps and modes, several free weapons are being added to the arsenal, including the Groza Assault Rifle, the Streetsweeper Shotgun, and the Mach 10 SMG, because if there's one thing Cold War loves... it's SMGs.

If that wasn't enough, then Warzone will also receive an all-new experience for unlucky players sent to The Gulag, in keeping with the CoD narrative's current Cold War obsession. Black Ops Cold War will also be receiving its first Battle Pass, awarding players with in-game items as they blast through levels en route to those oh-so-v??aluable Prestige tiers.

With new Elite Operators and skins, a double XP/weapon XP weekend, and a host of other limited time events. Black Ops Cold War is prepped to detonate its?? first season of content. While some players have been vocally - an?d in some cases understandably - unhappy with the new title's multiplayer, I can't deny that I'm personally having an absolute blast with it.

The post Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War details ‘biggest Black Ops season ever,’ starting December 16 appeared first on Destructoid.

All in the Mall

Russell Adler is a pretty shifty dude. The 'nam veteran and CIA operative might be a master at both getting his hands dirty and getting things done, b?ut only while leaving a trail of broken bodies and lives in his wake. Well, it looks like one such broken life is back, and now the hunter has become the hunted.

Activision has released a cinematic trailer teasing the arrival of season one in its blockbuster shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Arriving on December 16, the season one narrative introduces former KGB agent Vikor "Stitch" Kuzmin, whose chemical weapons program - situated on the notorious Rebirth?? Island - was destroyed by Adler in the late '60s. In the video, we see Adler and the squad visit an incident at a New Jersey mall, only to find Kuzmin alive (not so much "well") an??d with a score to settle with the U S of A.

The trailer teases two previously leaked maps, the Mall at the Pines and the mysterious Rebirth Island, which is expected to be a re-imagining of classic Black Ops map Alcatraz. In add??ition, Kuzmin will be added to the roster of playable operators, lending some much-needed variety to the multiplayer squad loadout. If I ever see Frank Woods again, it'll be too soon. I keep it 100 with Helen Pa?rk.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has also received a hefty update today, switching up some of the Multiplayer playlists and adding intel to Zombies. The ne?w Motherland Moshpit playlist allows for back-to-back games of TDM, Kill Confirmed, Hardpoint, and Domination on maps Moscow and Crossroads, while the Nuketown 24/7 playlist has been removed for the time being, though the grind-tastic map remains available in Quick Play. Additionally, ??a selection of bugs and stability fixes have been implemented.

The post Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Season One traile??r unveils shad?ows from the past appeared first on Destructoid.

Datamine points to classic Black Ops location

The dedicated Call of Duty datamining community has uncovered clues pointing to a brand new map headed to sister-title Warzone. As noted by Twitter account @BlackOpsLeaks, Rebirth Island, last seen in 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops, will be joining the battle royale expe??rience?? in the near future.

Rebirth Island - also known by its Russian name ??of "Vozrozhdeniya Island" - is a real-life location in the Aral Sea, which was used by the Soviet Union in the late-1950s for the development of chemical weapons. Entirely abandoned in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, today Vozrozhdeniya Island exists as an eerie and dangerously contaminated symbol of the Cold War er?a.

The dataminers have uncovered an aerial image of the location, with any ounce of doubt stamped out with the giant Call of Duty: Warzone logo stamped on top of it. In addition to Rebirth Island, the datamine uncovered new multiplayer maps for Black Ops Cold War, including an abandoned shopping mall, and a rework of Black Ops II's me??morable map Raid, depicting a swanky, mountain-t?op household.

The first season of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will begin on December 10.

🚨REBIRTH ISLAND🚨

ALCATRAZ IS BACK BABY

Follow @BlackOpsLeaks for more! pic.twitter.com/vgGTOn0JDX

— Adi Source | Black Ops Cold War Leaks (@BlackOpsLeaks) December 2, 2020

The post Black Ops’ Rebirth Island might be making a return in Call of Duty: Warzone appeared first on Destructoid.

Looking down the barrel of a gun... Son of a gun...

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War co-developer Treyarch has released a new update for the blockbuster? shooter, adding balance changes and bug fixes to its digital warfare while improving the bombastic sequel's online stab??ility.

Now live on all platforms, the small patch readjusts spawning on certain Hardpoint and Strike maps, and fixes several issues with Zombies - including an annoying bug? which would sometimes render the Megaton monster permanently invincible. As if h??e wasn't enough of a PITA. Additional stability fixes have also been made across the board.

In related news, the developer announced that a Double XP event would be held in Black Ops Cold War later today. From this afternoon through Monday, November 30, all players can earn Double XP and Double Weapon XP across all multiplayer modes, helping you grind out those perks and attachments. The event will also see the return of a legendary Black Ops map in the form of Nuketown '84. All players who have logged into Co??ld War between launch day and November 20 will also receive a free Nuketown weapons bundle.

The post Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War update brings Nuketown ’84 map and Double XP event appeared first on Destructoid.

Where's Ryan Gosling?

Fans of the Call of Duty sub-series Black Ops will be more than familiar with the multiplayer map that is Nuketown. Since its initial appearance in the founding Black Ops title, this small, space-age locale has been the site of many a fast-paced, past-dying brawl for all in each iteration of the Black Ops universe.

While it's no surprise that Nuketown will be soon returning once again for the recently launched Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, what is surprising is not only have some players already cheesed their way into this digital slice of old-school Americana, but they have also already uncovered a?n Easter Egg within it. The world moves fas??t.

As discovered by player "PimpOutMyPC" - who claims they accidentally found their way into the ?unreleased map via a glitch in a custom game - shooting the heads off of all the creepy mannequins located around new Nuketown drops the environment into a cool, neon, new-wave vibe, complete with sexy synth soundtrack. PimpOutMyPC captured footage of the Drive-style world in action, which you can check out in the tweet b??elow. It's pretty d??ang funky.

SPOILER

NUKETOWN EASTER EGG (WOW) #BlackOpsColdWar pic.twitter.com/q6erop1XQ2

— dude trust me (@TheGhostOfMW2) November 21, 2020

Nuketown '84 Easter egg found ahead of launch [IGN]

The post Call of Duty: Black Op?s Cold War leak shows? off neon Nuketown appeared first on Destructoid.

Remake reference 'an innocent Easter egg'

THQ Nordic set tongues wagging this weekend, after an Easter egg in RPG SpellForce 3: Fallen God appeared to hint at an incoming Timesplitters 2 remake. The publi?sher has since peed on the parade, however, confirming that the reference was just a chee??ky joke.

Players journeying through the continent of Urgath came across a particularly shady merchant who, among their wares, is willing to sell you the highly wish-listed remake of the classic 2002 shooter sequel. The same merchant also sells you "canceled" games such as Gothic and BioMutant - both of which ?have had lengthy development periods at THQ Nordic.

This didn't stop fans on the internet from proclaiming the appearance of the hypothetical remake as an official confirmation, which is apparently not the case at all. Speaking to Eurogamer, THQ Nordic has confirmed that the Timesplitters 2 reference is "just an innocent Easter egg" notably avai??lable from "a character known especially for not telling the truth."

Of course, this doesn't mean a Timesplitters 2 remake sometime down the line is impossible. Just that fans shouldn't re??ad too deeply into this particular hope-hyping appearance?. The dream continues...

THQ Nordic pours cold water on ??Timesplitters ?2 remake tease [Eurogamer]

The post SpellForce ‘TimeSplitters 2 remake’ reference is just a joke, says THQ Nordic appeared first on Destructoid.

Eggceptional

Which came first: The zombie or the egg? Or the chicken ninj?a? Or the katana? That headline is a lot to parse.

Dying Light's annual Harran Egg Hunt is live, and it's the same as it always is. Hunt down the bunny-skinned zombies, steal their Easter egg grenades, unlock rewards. Finding 10 eggs nets you a golden weapon, and finding 30 eggs gets you the Cock-a-Doodle-Do outfit, which is ostensibly some chicken ninja garb. If the community collectively gathers 1.5 million eggs, everyone gets three golden weapons??.

The Harran Egg Hunt runs April 10 through April 13. Get to scrambling some bunn?y zombie bra?ins.

The post Dress like a chicken in Dying Light ??by stealing eggs from bunny z??ombies appeared first on Destructoid.

EGGSEGGSEGGSEGGSEGGSEGGS...

"Bunny Day" probably wasn't supposed to be a waking nightmare. But if my social feed is anything to go by, then the j??olly Easter event appears to be responsible for a lot of anguish on my friends' part. If you too find yourself haunted by sounds of swooshing balloons, or the hyper-active visage of the ultra-peppy Zipper T. Bunny, then you might be about to get a short reprieve. For the time being, at least.

Nintendo has launched a minor update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons to tweak the balance of the colourful egg drops. Version 1.1.4, which is live in-g???ame right now, will see "the appearance rate of some eggs adjusted" between now and April 11. This is all a prelude to Easter itself (April 12) which will no doubt ramp up the drop rate to frightening levels.

But for? now, you might find your eggsperience slightly less eggscrutating, and that's no yolk...

...Eggs.

Animal Crossing nerfs some egg drop rates for?? Bunny Day [Polygon]

The post Animal Crossing: New Horizons is relaxing its egg drop rate momentari??ly appeared first on Destructoid.

The Zipper-19 Virus will be with us until April 13th

_{[Image courtesy of Eggsandjakey]}

Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched just as most parts of the world really started to feel the pain from the COVID-19 crisis. For many, the game made for the perfect escape. Depression, anxiety, and other aspects of trauma are natural parts of having your entire life upended, and up until a few days ago, New Horizons was one of the best u??nnatural ways to cope that we had.

Then a bunny entered the game and infected it with eggs. There are eggs in the trees where wood for crafting should be. There are eggs in the water when fish should be. All the villagers are talking about eggs. Like it or not, from now until April 12th, Animal Crossing has become Eggimal Crossing, and just like with COVID-19, the only thing you can do about it is wait? for it to pass. 

Here are a few Switch eShop titles you may want to pick u??p while you wait. 

For a cute new world: Bubble Bobble 4 Friends

I was skeptical about the latest Bubble Bobble, but it's exceeded my expectations so far. It's not a surprise that the director of the game once blinged out fingernails for Sega. Everything about the game feels like high-class candy, and other than the opening sequence that features Bub, the star? of the game, being beaten with a stick by dastardly villain Super Drunk, it's about as light and inviting as it gets. 

I've also been impressed by how each stage is designed to teach you a new strategy for beating enemies and getting around the environment. The original game in the series (which is included in this sequel) just sort of threw you into rooms filled with enemies and hoped you'd figure it out. This one is a lot smarter than that, and it's packed with variety, which is something we can't say for Animal Crossing under Zipper's rule.

For exciting, unpredictable environments: La-Mulana 1 & 2

When it comes to places that keep you guessing, they don't get much more dastardly that the ruins of La-Mulana 1 & 2. The first game infamously lets you wander onto a screen with a giant, murderous boss within barely a minute of play. Right from the start, the game says "Not only do I refuse to hold your hand, but I just might cut them off every so often, because I think it's funny." It's one of the hardest games ever made, less because the enemy interactions are particularly rough an??d more because of the risks you must take to unlock the path forward. They are either mind-bogglingly dangerous, ingeniously strange, or both. 

The sequel is softer overall. It doesn't get really tough for at least a half an hour, which gives you a little more time to acclimate to the special way the series pulls the rug out from under you. It's still La-Mulana though, so you will get crushed by a giant rock sooner rather than later. It's not exactly rel??axing, but it's extremely rewarding when you manage to unlock a new area, and there are very few eggs to be found, which is itself a reward for those who suffer from PVGSD (Post Video Game-Easter Stress Disorder). 

For the power to destroy the environment and everything in it: Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo

Part of the pain of the build-up to Eggday comes from how repetitive it is. That said, it can be fun to do th??e same thing over and over again if it's empowering, and what's more empowering than flying while shooting? 

Animal Crossing has plenty of birds, but if you want birds with guns, one of the only places to turn is the Gunbird series. Actually, the birds in the game aren't technically "birds". They are only "birds" in the 1940's gangster slang sense of the term (AKA dames, broads, stems, etc.), and the only one of them that had actual wings (Morrigan from the Darkstalkers series) didn't make it to this col?lection, but on the whole, these shmups from Pykio are a great way to unwind when egg-overload has you ready to explode.

For a new anthropomorphic animal friend: Cat Girl Without Salad: Amuse~Bouche

This one was released on Switch on April 1st, and it's jammed packed with the same kind of light-hearted, jokey dialogue that makes Animal Crossing so charming. In fact, the whole thing may have remained an April Fool's joke had I not insisted that it was real. It's since deve??loped a huge following, largely thank?s to Kebako, the cat-girl protagonist whose video game gun -- a cannon that can be customized around nearly every genre of game, from rhythm action to turn-based RPG -- and memorable banter with her sidekick Squiddle leaves her in a unique place. 

So that's what I've been playing as I wait for the long-eared yellow devil of April to exit stage left. How about you? What Switch games do you play to cope with the temporary destruction of the game that you used play to cope with the maybe-not temporary dest??ruction of the world as you knew it? 

The post Switch games to play while you? wait for that?? terrible rabbit to leave Animal Crossing appeared first on Destructoid.

Majima Everywhere IRL

There's a fun little nod tucked inside physical copies of The Yakuza Remastered Collection. If you bought the three-game set, look again &ndash??; you might've missed something (or should I say someone) in the case.

Majima Everywhere still in effect on the Remastere??d Collection! from r/yakuzagames

As discovered and promptly shared by multiple fans on Reddit, Majima is hiding inside.

He's sprung? out of alleyways, bars, manholes, trash cans, and even oversized traffic cones to get the jump on Kiryu, but this is some next-level stuff. Majima can no longer be confined to virtual worlds.

I don't know when I'll ever have time for Yakuza 3, 4, and 5, but this ??makes me want to clear my schedule and sink in.? It's a rare treat to have the mainline series accessible on a single console.

The post The Yakuza Remastered Collecti?on has a special surprise i?nside appeared first on Destructoid.

But don't blink...

It's been a hot murmur for some time that Apex Legends players are waiting on the arrival of the battle royale title's new hero, currently known as "Crypto" (following a clue datamined from the game's code). While there is no date for this new character's release, it appears that Crypto is already making their presence felt in the Apex Legends universe.

As reported by VG247, The Apex Legends subteddit is starting to fill up with reports of the tech-headed n??ew hero being spotted in the Labs, located in the far east of the map. Kicking down a seemingly innocuous door inside the ?underground bunker will lead to an abandoned laboratory, where a lone figure can be seen busying themselves at a bank of computer monitors. Almost as soon as they are spotted, however, the figure makes for the exit, with a cute little drone in tow.

This character is almost definitely the new kid on the block, already typified by their cyberpunk look and love of tech and hacking (some of the tech in the Apex Legends world is already on the fritz, no doubt further teasing Crypto's arrival). While there is no date for this character's entrance on the grand stage, it's a strong possibility that they will arrive alongside Season Three, expe??cted sometime later this y?ear.

Apex Legends is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

Apex Legends Crypto ha?s actuall??y been spotted in-game [VG 247]

The post Apex Legends’ newest character ‘Crypto’ can be spotted in-game appeared first on Destructoid.

Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit...

Nintendo has released a cute new trailer showcasing new "Regal Rabbits" content for their popular mobile-battler Fire Emblem Heroes. This Easter-themed update is expected to launch for the Free-to-Play fantasy title early tomorr??ow morning.

Joining the game's roster - and sporting adorable bunny gear - will be Shadows of Valentia's Palla, The Sacred Stones' mercenary Marisa, as well as Fire Emblem Heroes' own Bruno and Veronica. As standard, a new paralogue st??ory chapter will also be rele?ased alongside these characters.

You can check out a trailer featuring the bunnyfolk and their new skills below. The Regal Rabbits update is expected to go live tomorrow, March 19 at 00:00 PT / 03:00 ET / 07:00 BST. Fire Emblem Heroes is available now on iOS and Android devices.

The post Fire Emblem Heroes unveils its ‘Regal Rabbits’ event for Easter appeared first on Destructoid.

Slowly learnin' life is ok

Last week saw the release of Square Enix latest entry to the explosive open-world adventure series Just Cause. This third sequel sees? apparently indestructible hero Rico Rodriguez once again taking to land, sea and air, bringing absolute armageddon to mercenary group The Black Hand and its leader, the notorious Gabriela Morales.

Still, that doesn't mean your boy Rico isn't able to take time out to indulge in some '80s classics, as this recently-found Easter Egg demonstrates. I'm not going to ruin the joke, just check out the following video from twitter user @Nitomatta. Nice work, Avalanche.

Just Cause 4 is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

Just Cause 4 deserves an award for this Easter Egg pic.twitter.com/WrDWPjAOTX

— Pixelbuster ❄ (@Nitomatta) December 6, 2018

The post Just Cause 4 features a very cool ’80s Easter Egg appeared first on Destructoid.

Following on the heels of Isabelle

After the reveal of Isabelle last week in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Nintendo took the predictable route and has released a new arrangement for Animal Crossing. The song in question is the title theme of Happy Home Designer, the spinoff title on the 3DS. However, the arrang??ement featured is not the song that was used for Isabelle??'s trailers.

The arran??gement was supervised by Kazumi Totaka, who has been with the franchise since the ??beginning You can check out the new arrangement below.

Kazumi Totaka is unique from the other composers and artists featured in previous arrangements. While he has been a major part of the Animal Crossing franchise, and even classic Nintendo games like Mario Paint, Luigi's Mansion, and Link's Awakening, he has another role within the company. Totaka occasionally performs voice acting for a small selection of Nintendo characters, including Yoshi and K.K. Slider. Not many composers in any industry can c??laim to have? voiced a character as iconic as Yoshi, that's for sure.

You may also know him from the "Totaka's Song" Easter egg. Almost every game that Kazumi has written music for, contains a short tune is hidden somewhere within. This started with the Game Boy title X, and has continued to this day. For instance, here is the song as it is found within Mario Kart 8, sung by a spectator Yoshi.

The post Anim??al Crossing displays a new arrangement for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate appeared first on Destructoid.

Click the chicken

Chickens are great, and man have they been showing up a lot lately in games. We have Bomb Chicken on the Nintendo Switch first up, then Guacamelee 2, ?which features expanded chicken mec?hanics (you can play nearly the entire game as one): it's been a good month for them.

Now they're taking over the Diablo III website in the form of their classic Zelda freakout session. As you may have heard Blizzard and Nintendo have joined forces to bring the game to the Switch, and it'll arrive with a Ganondorf outfit transmog, Majora's Mask wings, and a Cucco (chicken) pet.

Head on over to the game's official website and give that cl?ucker a few clicks and enjoy ??the videos below.

Diablo III [Blizzard]

The post It turns? out you can piss off Zelda Cuccos even in the Diablo universe appeared first on Destructoid.

A tiny, tiny cameo

People have been playing Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for roughly four years since its debut on the Wii U, and just this week someone found a fresh Metroid Easter egg. Pretty wild!

Twitter user Shane Marchis managed to hunt it down on the Amiss Abyss, and it involves a bit of backtracking that you wouldn't normally do, which explains why it was hidden for this long. I mean even if someone found it in the past I can easily see them missing it if they aren't paying atte?ntion.

See it? Enhance, enhance. It's a little Metroid! He's right above the player character in that shot below. In addition to the screen Shane took a video explaining how he came across it. In ca?se you're wondering, yes it is in both the Wii U and Switch e?ditions.

Found the elusive Metroid cameo in Tropical Freeze! Players have been searching for four years and I got to it first! #Nintendo pic.twitter.com/HKdwz9NlPo

— Shane Marchis (@ShaneMarchis) August 2, 2018

The post After four years someone found a ??Metroid cameo in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze appeared first on Destructoid.

Director believes there is at least one still-undiscovered surprise

Even though it has only been available scant months, players have already played Sony Santa Monica smash God of War to death. Despite fans the world over maxing out almost every element of the open-world adventure, solving riddles and uncovering Easter Eggs, t??here may still be? one more hidden gem out there.

Speaking in an interview with Gaming Bolt, God of War's Director Cory Barlog has sai?d there is a secret that he is yet to see reported anywhere. Of course he wasn't forthcoming on said surprise, that would spoil the fun for everyone.

"I always think that people usually figure things out within hours, and the fact that we went a week without people figuring things out was impressive,&rdquo?; said Barlog. "But I still think there is one thing that no one has found yet that ?I know for certain, because I haven’t seen any stories about it. Now I’m not going to tell you what that is, but I don’t know if there’s any cinematics per se, it seems like people have been able to get all the permutations. Not one person, but everyone collectively."

There you have ?it. Unless you'r??e sitting on the answer to this secret yourself, there is still a mystery out there in the wilderness, waiting to be solved by some wry lateral-thinker. As for me, I kind of fall apart once a problem isn't solved by an axe to the fo'head, so I'm tapping out on this one.

God of War is available now on PS4.

God of War Director says there is one secret no one h?as uncovered [Gaming Bolt]

The post Can you find God of War’s few remaining secrets? appeared first on Destructoid.