Pikachu is the sweet smiling face of the Pokemon franchise, an adorable and marketable creation that can be slapped on lunchboxes and sneakers alike. Before he was refined into his current form, though, he was a weird, squat little mouse the fans have lovingly nicknamed “Fat Pikachu” or sometimes “Chubby Pikachu.” With the announcement of his Gigantamax form in Pokemon Sword and Shield, the Pokemon Company is paying homage to the classic look.

First, take a look at how Pikachu has evolved over time. On the left is his original appearance in key art from 1998’s Pokemon Red and Blue. He’s rounded, without much of a neck, and his arms and legs aren’t well-defined as separate from his body. On the right is his key art from 2018’s Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu, with a distinctly rounded head, slimmer body, and more defined arms, hands, and feet.

In short, Pikachu has slowly become more human-like. His modern look more closely resembles a human baby, which makes sense. Humans are hard-wired to view infants as cute, and lots of cartoons imitate their traits (like big eyes, toothless mouths, and chubby fingers) to endear the audience to them. As the chief mascot for one of the biggest kids’ properties in the world, of course artists would slowly sand off the rough edges to make him more marketable.

Now compare those two Pikachus to the new Gigantamax form that debuts in Pokemon Sword and Shield. It’s unmistakably the old “fat Pikachu” design put through modern design sensibilities.

The old “fat Pikachu” design has still gotten affection as kitsch or nostalgia, as well as genuine preference from some official Pokemon artists. Legendary Pokemon CCG artist Mitsuhiro Arita said as much himself in an interview with GameSpot.

“I prefer rounder Pikachu,” Arita said. In response to a question about whether this is his personal version of Pikachu, he said, “Not really just limited to Pikachu, but in general I feel like Pokemon aren’t really dark, negative, or depressing. They’re happy, they’re joyful. So I think that feeling has just kind of come out and expressed itself in these cards.”

Whatever the reason, the new Gigantamax Pikachu is an homage to the classic, and a ton of fun in his own regard. He’s a free bonus if you have a save from Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu on your system when you play Sword and Shield, along with a super-fluffy Eevee. You can check out those and some other newly-revealed Gigantamax forms, including one for Charizard that looks downright scary.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fat-pikachu-is-back-with-pokemon-sword-and-shield-/1100-6470598/

Pokemon Sword and Shield are just around the corner, and Nintendo and the Pokemon Company are teasing bonus extras you can claim in the game. This time a Galar Research Update revealed three new Gigantamax forms, each offered as a free bonus.

For those who played Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu / Eevee, you can claim special Gigantamax versions of Pikachu and Eevee in Sword and Shield. Pikachu transforms into a chunky mouse with a glowing tail and a G-Max Volt Crash move to paralyze all opponents. Eevee gets even fluffier than usual and uses G-Max Cuddle to infatuate opposite-gender opponents. You’ll be able to claim your special Pikachu and Eevee once you arrive at the WIld Area Station.

Those aren’t the only special monsters, though. If you play Sword and Shield between November 15, 2019 and January 15, 2020, you’ll be able to obtain a Gigantamax Meowth as a Mystery Gift. He’s a weird-looking stretched out cat with a G-Max Gold Rush move that confuses opponents and gives bonus money.

The announcement notes that none of these special version of Pikachu, Eevee, or Meowth can evolve. But why would you want them to? The reveal also showed off a Gigantamax Charizard and Butterfree.

We recently learned that Pokemon Sword or Shield will take up about 10 GB of space on your Nintendo Switch. Fat Pikachu is probably a solid half of that.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-sword-and-shield-offering-three-free-exclu/1100-6470595/

Death Stranding was first revealed at E3 2016, and in those three years creator Hideo Kojima has done his usual slow-drip of trailers and gameplay demos to stoke our curiosity and confusion. It’s only now that people outside of Kojima Productions are able to actually play the game, and while opinions of any kind are currently under wraps, we can at least share that the Death Stranding review embargo will officially lift on November 1 at 12:01AM PDT.

The most recent opportunity for Kojima to demonstrate what he’s been working on since leaving Konami was Tokyo Game Show 2019. There, over the course of two days, Kojima gave us a deeper look into the moment-to-moment gameplay of Death Stranding, which included everything from mundane traversal to battles against supernatural enemies. He followed that up with a closer look at the private quarters of Sam Porter Bridges, the main character played by Norman Reedus. It was a very revealing demo, though not in the way you might expect.

Reedus is but one of many celebrities that will appear in Death Stranding, along with Guillermo Del Toro, Mads Mikkelsen, and Lea Seydoux, to name but a few. Sadly, Keanu Reeves won’t make an appearance despite rumors. We’ve also learned that real-world brands like Monster Energy will also be prominently featured in the game–it’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not these inclusions will have an impact on the credibility of the fictional (and strange) world that Kojima has crafted.

In fact, the strangeness has been at the heart of the game’s messaging since the very beginning. If you fell off trying to make sense of Death Stranding a long time ago, now is the perfect time to brush up on everything we’ve learned so far, including details about the world, the characters that inhabit it, and the unusual constraints that will be set upon Sam as you guide him across treacherous terrain in a bid to reunite the once united states of America.

If our current Death Stranding guide isn’t enough, you can also take Kojima’s very straightforward explanation below:

After Death Stranding reviews land on November 1, the rest of us will have to wait until the game releases on November 8 to see what all the fuss is about. (Kept you waiting, huh?)

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/heres-when-you-can-read-our-death-stranding-review/1100-6470594/

Divinity: Original Sin developer Larian Studios has indefinitely postponed one of its upcoming projects. The studio announced that the tactics game Divinity: Fallen Heroes is now postponed with no new release date announced. Larian was working with Danish developer Logic Artists on the game.

“It is with a profound sense of regret that today we announce Divinity: Fallen Heroes has been put on hold, as we fondly celebrate the work done so far,” Larian said in a message posted to Twitter.

Fallen Heroes was announced in March 2019, though Larian was working with Logic Artists for more than a year before the game was officially announced. It was due for release in November 2019, but that is no longer going to happen.

Larian will place its focus now on the ongoing development of Baldur’s Gate 3, while Logic Artists is working on its own new game called Expeditions. “We’re sorry for the players excited for Fallen Heroes, who will have to wait an unspecified period of time, but we strongly believe that bringing Fallen Heroes to fans should be done in a timeline that allows it to be developed soundly.”

Logic Artists said in the joint statement, “It’s always said to put an exciting project on hold, but sometimes the realities of development and release schedules simply assert themselves in ways that are outside anyone’s control.”

While Fallen Heroes might not be coming anytime soon, you can always go back and play Original Sin 2–it is one of GameSpot’s favorite games ever.

In our review, we gave the game a 10/10, and the title went on to be one of our favorites of 2017. It’s definitive edition is also one of our best reissued games of 2018. A Nintendo Switch version launched in September 2019.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/divinity-original-sin-dev-puts-tactics-game-on-hol/1100-6470591/

Riot Games had a big day. During the League of Legends 10th anniversary livestream event, the studio made a number of big announcements, some of which were total surprises.

There was a lot to learn from the broadcast, and we’re rounding up all the news in one place to help you get a quick snapshot from all the big reveals.

League Of Legends New Character

Riot announced the newest champion, Senna, who is a support character that joins the 140+ champions already in the game. “Originally one of the many souls trapped in Thresh’s lantern and a fan favorite since her introduction in Lucian’s story, Senna is the newest support to join LoL’s roster of more than 140 champions and will uniquely embody a marksman-like playstyle,” Riot said.

Senna will be available in LoL’s public beta server starting on October 29. She will then go live in the game officially on November 10.

Gameplay Changes, Updates, And Gifts

Riot is rolling out the “biggest changes” ever for the Summoner’s Rift map. This will take the form of the Rise of Elements, which are gameplay changes that make use of a new feature called Elemental Drakes. The changes will populate on the test servers on October 22 before going live for everyone on November 22.

Additionally, LoL is bringing back the Ultra Rapid Fire mode for another limited-time event. On top of that, Riot is adding Arabic language support while it is also working on nine different music albums based on each LoL season; they go live on October 15.

Another update is a gift for fans. Everyone who made an account before October 15 at 6 PM PT will get an in-game gift for each day they log in and play until October 27.

Teamfight Tactics Coming To Mobile

The auto-battler game, Teamfight Tactics, will launch on mobile devices in Q1 2020. Pre-registration is available now on Google Play. The eight-person strategy game, which is free, will feature new sets of characters and ability every 3 or 4 months to keep things fresh. Additionally, the PC version of Teamfight Tactics will add a new set called Rise of the Elements when it launches on November 5 in the LoL game client.

A New Card Game

The rumoured Legends of Runterra (LoR) is now officially confirmed. The free-to-play collectible card game appears similar to Blizzard’s Hearthstone. It features characters from the LoL universe, while the gameplay is focused on “dynamic, alternating combat that demands players use their skill, creativity, and cleverness to succeed.”

The game launches in 2020 for PC and mobile. For lots more, check out GameSpot’s recent preview from PAX Aus.

League Of Legends For Console And Mobile

League of Legends is coming to console and mobile in the form of a new game called Wild Rift. It is similar to LoL on PC, but adapted and built “from scratch” for the new platforms. “Wild Rift is not a port of LoL on PC — it is a new game built from scratch to ensure it is a polished, legitimate LoL experience that’s worth players’ time,” Riot says.

New Animated Series

A new League of Legends animated show called Arcane is on the way–and it looks great. Set for release in 2020, the show takes place in the uptopian world of Piltover, “the story follows the origins of two iconic League champions–and the power that will tear them apart.”

A League Of Legends Shooter

Project A is the working title for a new, character-based competitive shooter set in the League of Legends universe that looks similar to Blizzard’s Overwatch. “The game is set on a beautiful near-future Earth and has a lethal cast of characters, each with unique abilities that create tactical opportunities for their gunplay to shine,” Riot said.

More details on Project A will be announced in 2020.

A League of Legends Fighting Game

Another surprise reveal was Project L, which is the working title for a League of Legends fighting game. Riot has said only that the title is in the early stages of development. Riot will share more details in 2020.

Something Else Entirely

Riot had yet another title to announce during its livestream event. Project F is the codename for a title that is “very early” in development. Riot is saying basically nothing about the title at this stage, confirming only that it “explores the possibilities of traversing the world of Runeterra with your friends.”

League of Legends Origins

A movie-length documentary about League of Legends, called Origins, has arrived from Oscar nominated director Leslie Iwerks. She is the granddaughter of Disney animator Ub Iwerks, who co-created Mickey Mouse. The movie will covers LoL’s history, and you can stream it now on Netflix.

A Social Impact Fund

Riot announced The Riot Games Social Impact Fun, which is a non-profit organisation aimed at helping provide “global social impact.” The group has already donated $4 million. As part of the new campaign, a new LoL skin called Dawnbringer Karma will be released, with all of the money going to the Fund.

League of Legends Esports Manager

Finally, Riot announced a new team-management game called League of Legends Esports Manager–and that is exactly what it is. The title has players taking on the role of a fictional LoL manager who must create a team and take them to the big time.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/league-of-legends-new-shooter-fighting-game-animat/1100-6470589/