There's a ton of content in Hello Kitty Island Adventure that takes place underwater. You can find an entire city in the water, with one character, Hangyodon, residing within it. You'll need a snorkel to reach this region, but making one requires traveling around the map for various resources.

How to unlock Deep Diving in Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Crafting a snorkel and unlocking diving underwater requires completing Kuromi's friendship level six quest, Deep Diving. During the mission, she'll let you borrow her snorkel to dive underwater in the swamp and grab her locket. Although she won't let you keep it, she'll give you a crafting recipe that allows you to make your own.

Below is the snorkel's crafting recipe:

• Rubber (10)
• Spark (2)
• Ingot (2)

Once you have all three items, head to Chococat's crafting table to create a snorkel, completing the Deep Diving quest and allowing you to dive underwater anywhere on Hello Kitty Island Adventure's map.

How to find Rubber

Rubber is an abundant resource all around Seaside Resort. You'll find Rubber on the ground as you explore this area, appearing as dark purple balls along pathways and hills. They also respawn regularly, giving you tons of opportunities to pick some up as you play.

How to craft Spark

Spark is trickier, requiring you to complete Pochacco's level four friendship quest, A Zipline Adventure. Pochacco discovers a broken zipline during this quest and asks for your help repairing it. You'll both ask Chococat for assistance, giving you a Spark crafting recipe.

Creating one Spark requires three Light Stone, a resource Kuromi gives you whenever you give her a gift. Since you need level six friendship to unlock the snorkel, you'll likely have plenty of these already. If not, find Kuromi and give her some gifts before heading back to your crafting station and making two Spark.

How to find and craft Iron Ingots

Next up are ingots, which you can craft using three Iron. It is found in Mount Hothead, a region northwest of Seaside Resort. The easiest way to get here early on is to go to Moon Island and swim to the southernmost dock connected to Mount Hothead.

Iron spawns regularly along rocks in Mount Hothead rather than grass or sand. Although it isn't as common as rubber or sticks, you can still find several around rocky areas that appear as small ore-like stones. If you have a couple of stamina upgrades, you can also climb the mountain for more spawns.

You will also need an ingot crafting recipe, which you'll find next to a cabin in Gemstone Mountain. You can access this area using bridges connected to Spooky Swamp and Mount Hothead. Spooky Swamp's ziplines also act as a quick and easy way to reach this area. If you finished the zipline quest from earlier, you can visit one northwest of the Ghost Cart Ride and use it to access Gemstone Mountain directly. From here, you'll find the recipe on a barrel north of the Gemstone Town mailbox.

The post How to get a Snorkel in Hello Kitty Island Adventure appeared first on Destructoid.

Sanrio is near and dear to my heart. Although this world of Hello Kitty and her friends only recently entered my life, I have several friends and family who adore these guys. I've lost count of the times my siblings have mentioned Hello Kitty, Kuromi, or Cinnamoroll in random conversations.

For me, this was a blind playthrough of Hello Kitty Island Adventure. Although I'd known about the Apple Arcade version through several friends, I'd never played it myself, making this a fresh start rather than a direct comparison. I mainly thought the characters were cute, but playing this has since made me develop an unexpected appreciation for them and the Sanrio universe, leaving me satisfied for a while.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure (PC, Nintendo Switch [Reviewed], iOS)
Developer: Sunblink
Publisher: Sunblink
Released: January 30, 2025 (Switch/PC)
MSRP: $39.99

When I first booted up Hello Kitty Island Adventure, I was half expecting to see the Switch get yet another game about small animals occupying an island and going about their business. There was a part of my mind that feared it'd be the same game, either simplified or changed to be less appealing, giving my first few minutes a peculiar feeling of unease. Thank goodness, it only took a few minutes for me to realize there was more to this adventure than just a quick copy-paste.

Instead, Hello Kitty Island Adventure immediately greets you with the game's main cast, and Hello Kitty herself guides you through your first few minutes. Things start simple: you're on a plane with each Sanrio character, giving you an opportunity to talk to each one and learn more about their thoughts on your upcoming adventure. It's a nice way to introduce you to their world without shoving lore and exposition in your face. Or, well, you can skip this part entirely if you just want to hop onto the island and get started right away.

Speaking of the island, this map is massive. Its scale isn't apparent at first, but as you run around and discover the world around you, you quickly realize just how much is here and how much each character will rely on you in the days to come. It's sometimes overwhelming while equally exciting, especially if you prefer exploration over menial tasks.

Don't worry, though. There's plenty of questing to do if that's your thing. The only thing that overwhelmed me more than the size of this map is how many quests Hello Kitty Island Adventure tosses your way within the first few hours. Beyond story missions, you'll get all kinds of friendship quests, random side adventures, and even daily tasks to keep you playing. It's easy to log on, blink a few times, and suddenly realize you spent the past few hours doing fetch quests for the characters. There are even minigames and puzzles everywhere to get your brain going and unlock some neat little trophies.

Are these quests full of grand adventures and entertaining moments, or are they mostly mindless chores and fetch quests you can finish on auto-pilot? If anything, it feels like a mix of both. Advancing through the main storyline is satisfying, especially as you open more areas of the map and meet new characters. Between that are hours of farming materials, raising your friendship with the Sanrio cast, and occasionally having to wait a real-world day to make meaningful progress because you're one friendship level away from unlocking another quest. It's much less noticeable early on when progression is simple and quick, but it starts to drag later on at times.

On the topic of friendships, Hello Kitty Island Adventure has a peculiar system that I'm mixed on. Every day, you can give up to three items to each character to raise their friendship levels. The points you get change depending on the item's tags and a character's preferences, so giving the same item to Hello Kitty and someone like Tuxedosam will have different effects.

This game relies heavily on gift-giving for progression, with nearly every quest locked behind a specific level. You're also limited to three gifts daily for each character, forcing you to wait until the following day unless you reset your counter with a rare item. There's a part of me that likes thinking about what gifts I want to give someone without feeling tempted to speedrun the game in a few days, but another part that gets overwhelmed by the need to give out dozens of items every day. Needing several days to unlock one quest can suck sometimes, but with how much content is available, I barely noticed it until I progressed later in the game.

Even as friendship limitations make questing a little awkward sometimes, the interactions between you and each Sanrio character make things fun and interesting. They all have the same personalities and cartoony animated expressions I'd expected from them, but there's something about their style and attitudes that makes me smile every time I play. Sunblink nailed their look, personalities, and overall vibes, even if the lack of voice acting is a missed opportunity.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how much Hello Kitty Island Adventure lets you do outside questing and chatting with other characters. It has your standard skills like cooking, crafting, and fishing with some more advanced activities you unlock later down the line. A lot is locked behind quests and friendship levels, but unlocking these opens up many opportunities to explore the island in different ways without following linear paths or going into autopilot the entire time. I don't know about you, but I tend to sidetrack from quests a lot to cook some food or fish for a couple of hours, even if it doesn't help much with progression. The only difference this time is that everything you do in this game helps in some way, mostly with gifting or crafting quest items.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a wonderful game that distinguishes itself from the crowd and stands tall as a densely packed, enjoyable experience. Although it can use improvements in some areas, the Switch version of Hello Kitty Island Adventure is absolutely worth picking up if you've been looking for an Animal Crossing-like game to try out and either don't have an iPhone or are on the fence about getting an Apple Arcade subscription and prefer one-time payments. It plays well with no major performance issues — at most, I found a slightly long loading screen. Considering the game's size, though, I can easily forgive this.

With updates coming out every month and recurring events changing things up, every day feels different on this island. I'm looking forward to seeing how Hello Kitty Island Adventure's future unfolds.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Hello Kitty Island Adventure appeared first on Destructoid.

As you befriend Kuromi in Hello Kitty Island Adventure, she'll show you a Green Power Crystal that activates a nearby Haunted Mansion. Upon entering, you'll find several doors you need to activate to reach the top floor and advance through the Re-Haunt the Spooky Swamp quest.

Although this goal sounds simple, you'll instantly find a peculiar quest objective titled "Survive the Haunted Mansion." In short, you need to solve puzzles within ten rooms to light up their respective lights. Here's how to complete all ten haunted mansion rooms in Hello Kitty Island Adventure.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure Re-Haunt the Spooky Swamp quest guide

After inserting the Green Power Crystal into a nearby pedestal and activating the haunted mansion, you'll find a door leading deeper into the building. From here, you'll find a total of ten numbered rooms along an ascending staircase, each holding puzzles that range in difficulty and complexity. You'll also spot a treasure chest near the mansion's entrance containing a witch costume you'll need later in this quest.

Here's the solution for all ten haunted mansion rooms during Hello Kitty Island Adventure's Re-Haunt the Spooky Swamp quest.

Spooky Swamp Haunted Mansion - Room one

The first haunted mansion room is by far the easiest, acting as a small maze with a second door at the end. If you move forward in this room, you'll eventually run into a mirror blocking the way to the exit. Instead, you'll need to head back to the room's entrance, turn right, and head up past the chairs.

From here, you'll have two paths leading to the exit. Take the bottom path and run up to complete the first of these ten rooms.

Spooky Swamp Haunted Mansion - Room two

The second room acts a little differently, featuring disappearing floor panels rather than invisible mirrors. On the ground, you'll see raised square panels that, when stepped on, teleport you back to the room's beginning. Run through the corridor while avoiding these squares to reach the exit and complete the second room.

Spooky Swamp Haunted Mansion - Room three

Now that you know how invisible mirrors and floor panels work, it's time to complete a room that combines both. The third room will start you in front of several dining tables, with mirrors and squares appearing throughout the path between the start and exit. From the beginning, head right and travel up past the first set of tables before moving to the middle and running straight into the doorway, completing the third room.

Spooky Swamp Haunted Mansion - Room four

Room four is much trickier than the last three rooms, requiring you to enter the correct door. The catch? There are 11 doors to choose from. If you want to figure out this puzzle without hints, head through each door individually until you find the correct one leading to a green-lit entrance.

If you've already tried this, you'll find the correct door on the second floor to your left. It's the door to the left of the mirror. Entering this will complete the room instantly, teleporting you in front of the fourth entrance and preparing you for the halfway point.

Spooky Swamp Haunted Mansion - Room five

It's time for another puzzle in room five. This time, we have a two-part puzzle involving colored buttons and levers to your left. Finding the button solutions requires solving the levers, so we'll start there.

To your left, you'll find four grey levers in a square that, when pulled, will turn green. To complete this puzzle, activate each lever in clockwise order until you've pulled all four to turn them all green, unlocking a door that leads to the button solution.

Once you read the door passcode pedestal, step on the red and green buttons to finish the puzzle, unlock the exit and officially mark the halfway point in the Haunted Mansion portion of the Re-Haunt the Spooky Swamp quest.

Spooky Swamp Haunted Mansion - Room six

Remember those levers from the previous room? It's time to repeat this puzzle but with a two-by-three grid of levers. Although the method before won't work, that's alright because this solution is even simpler: activate two levers in opposite corners to complete the puzzle and open the next exit. Make sure to open the treasure chest outside of room six's exit before heading to the next area.

Spooky Swamp Haunted Mansion - Room seven

It's time to test your maze skills with room seven. If you move forward in this room, you'll see four purple bookshelves blocking the way to the exit. You'll need to clear these away using levers found throughout the maze.

There are four levers to find in the maze. Here are the steps to finding the first one:

1. From the entrance, head forward and turn right at the first intersection.
2. Head down at the next intersection before right and immediately running up the next corridor.
3. At the My Melody painting, turn right, head up, and turn left to find the first lever.

Once you activate the first lever, your first bookshelf will disappear, opening a new path. Retrace your steps and approach this new entrance before following its snake pattern to the bottom of the room. You'll find the next lever here, opening a new path directly north of the previous one. Head here to start searching for the third lever.

Fortunately, this next one is also simple. Starting from the second bookshelf's location, head left through the path until you reach the wall before going up, turning right, and activating the next lever. This will open the bookshelf on the opposite side of the hall, unlocking the route to the final lever.

Here are the steps to finding the fourth and final lever of the room:

1. Head right through the third bookshelf's corridor until you reach a wall.
2. Head up slightly before turning right.
3. Head down at the first intersection, following the snake pattern until you find the lever.

Now that the final bookshelf is gone, head through the door to complete room seven. We're now on to the eighth room, which, fortunately, is slightly simpler than this one.

Spooky Swamp Haunted Mansion - Room eight

We're back to disappearing floor panels with room eight of Hello Kitty Island Adventure's haunted mansion. If you try to walk straight forward in this room, you'll step on a trap panel and be sent back to the beginning. Don't worry; there's an easy way to solve this one.

In this room, you'll also find two buttons that, when stepped on, reveal which panels are trapped and which are safe to traverse. Starting from the panels next to the left button, take the following path to reach the exit:

1. Walk up from the button until your character stands next to a small window.
2. Walk right until you stop in front of the exit door.
3. Slowly move diagonally from this spot and walk right until you reach the wall.
4. Move up to the clock before running left and exiting through the door.

Of the ten rooms in this mansion, room eight is one of the most challenging, with the next being noticeably easier. It's time to pull some more levers.

Spooky Swamp Haunted Mansion - Room nine

Upon entering the ninth room of the haunted mansion, You'll first find two levers and three paths, two of which have their floor removed. Pulling the right lever will lead you to a dead end, while the left creates a path to the next section of the room.

You don't have to do anything else once you reach the second set of paths. Instead, head down the right-most path and exit the door before entering the final puzzle room of this mansion.

Spooky Swamp Haunted Mansion - Room ten

Two branching paths will greet you in the tenth and final puzzle room. Heading right brings you to a dead end, while running up leads you to a lever. Pulling this activates parts of the floor that were previously inaccessible, allowing you to advance through the room. Don't move right from here, or you'll fall off the map and have to start over.

Instead, return to the entrance and go down the right path from before. With the lever activated, you now have a full path to the opposite side of the room, leading to another lever. You'll now be blocked off from the left side of the map and instead have a pathway in the center of the room to travel down for a third lever. Pull this to unlock another path.

With a new path leading north of your current spot, run up, and be careful you don't accidentally fall into the small one-tile gap in the floor. Before reaching this edge, turn right and follow the wall before pulling the fourth lever. Although you have more tiles leading to the door, it's not quite enough to get you out of the room.

Although you've already pulled every lever in the room, you can still activate them again to change the floors. With this in mind, head to the center lever again and pull it before running to the bottom right and activating it. You'll now notice a long path around the room's perimeter that, although long, leads to the exit door.

After leaving this room, you can access the haunted mansion's final room. You'll find another Green Power Crystal for a nearby Ghost Tour Ride here. Although the journey up this mansion was long, you can make the exit short by using the "0" labeled lever to the left of the final room, bringing you to the bottom of the stairs next to the exit.

Completing the Re-Haunt the Spooky Swamp quest

Congratulations, you've successfully survived the Spooky Swamp's Haunted Mansion. To complete Hello Kitty Island Adventure's Re-Haunt the Spooky Swamp quest from here, head north and follow the map marker to where Kuromi is and activate the Ghost Ride podium. You'll have a brief chat with the group before learning more about the ghost ride and your next objective.

Although the Ghost Ride is partially active now, you'll need to clear away some dense fog before it becomes fully operational. You'll find levers around the area to turn on lamps that, once activated, will clear some of it away.

Getting rid of the fog and riding the Ghost Ride will lead you to discover a Secret Cave in the Spooky Swamp. Within the cave, you'll spot a treasure chest containing a Spooky Witch Hat and a third Green Power Crystal. It's time to unlock one last podium.

Unlike the previous locations, this one requires you to dress up as a spooky witch. By now, you'll have two parts from the mansion and this cave. After equipping them through your inventory, head south toward the quest market and talk to the Nul before inserting the final Green Power Crystal. After one final conversation, you'll unlock a new crafting recipe and complete the Re-Haunt the Spooky Swamp quest.

The post How to survive the Haunted Mansion in Hello Kitty Island Adventure appeared first on Destructoid.

The Nintendo Switch is getting a lot of attention again, especially with the January 2025 announcement of the Switch 2's development. With the Switch 2's release later this year and new titles coming out for various beloved series, this year is already looking exciting.

Whether you've been watching the latest updates for games announced years ago or are looking forward to unexpected launches later in the year, there's plenty to look forward to in the coming months. Let's check out some of the most highly anticipated games on Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2 in 2025.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Starting things off is one of the most highly anticipated Nintendo games of the past few years, Metroid Prime 4. Initially announced at E3 2017, with its development restarting in 2019, it wasn't until June 2024 that we got an official announcement trailer revealing a 2025 release date.

Although Metroid Prime 4's trailers haven't dove too deep into the game's lore or specific mechanics, knowing it still exists is enough to stir up some hype. There's no word on its exact date yet, but between the overwhelmingly positive reviews on Metroid Dread, Metroid Prime 3's launch all the way back in 2007, and Metroid Prime Remastered coming out two years ago, knowing the window for the fourth's release already ramps up the anticipation beyond belief.

Guilty Gear -Strive-

At long last, we're getting a Guilty Gear game on the Nintendo Switch. Although the original got ported to Switch in 2019, we haven't seen other entries go far beyond PC, PlayStation, and traditional arcade machines until now. It's even available right now, launching on January 23, 2025.

We may have had Guilty Gear Strive on PC and PlayStation for a few years now, with Xbox arriving shortly after, but there's something satisfying about having plenty of options to choose from. If its original launches didn't drive up the anticipation, the possibility of more Guilty Gear ports coming in the future after this is enough to feel hyped.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition

It's already been almost ten years since Xenoblade Chronicles X originally launched. What better way to celebrate its 10th anniversary than to launch a remaster the same year a new Nintendo Switch is releasing? Although it doesn't quite match the exact date, you'll be able to try this latest entry even earlier on March 20, 2025.

Whether you're looking to relive old memories of the original Chronicles X or loved Xenoblade 3 so much that you're optimistic about the remaster's enhanced features, everyone's anticipating this to carry the torch well.

The next Mario Kart entry

It's been a while since there's been this much hype for a new Mario Kart game, and it isn't even from an official announcement trailer. Instead, its initial appearance is in the first Switch 2 teaser, paving the way for speculation on what this title is and whether it's Mario Kart 9. There's no word from Nintendo on what this entry is, but knowing a Mario Kart 9 release in 2025 could be on the horizon certainly sparks some excitement.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Sanrio fans, it's time to rejoice as Hello Kitty Island Adventure expands to the Nintendo Switch and PC on January 30, 2025. Although it's been around on iOS since 2023, you'll be able to meet Hello Kitty and her friends in this cozy Animal Crossing-like game at the beginning of the year, with PS4 and PS5 versions coming out later in the year. If you're a fan of Hello Kitty, this one is for you.

The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy

As a long-time Danganronpa fan, I instantly recognized its style and almost thought we were getting a sequel. I pushed those thoughts aside quickly, especially after seeing The Hundred Line Last Defense Academy's grid-based fighting and twist on a familiar apocalyptic storyline.

Not much is known about it yet, but Too Kyo Games has confirmed it'll launch on April 24, 2025, giving us a few months to learn about this new world and its inhabitants.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered

Remember last year when we got a remastered collection of the first three Tomb Raider games? If you were hyped for that, Aspyr has another surprise with a second collection targeting the fourth, fifth, and sixth installments. Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is coming quickly, arriving on the Nintendo Switch and several other platforms on February 14, 2025.

This is one of those collections I'd gift to a friend or family member so they can go on a nostalgia trip, especially considering how unpolished these were compared to the first three games. I'm looking at you, Angel of Darkness.

Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game

I'll come right out and say it; I'm a sucker for relaxing, cozy games, especially if it's in a world like Middle-earth. Exploring the pleasant day-to-day side of Hobbit life is a nice change of pace, and we'll all be able to experience it on March 25, 2025.

While some of us love to take trips down nostalgia lane, dream of more games from our favorite series, or take on some fighting games, others get just as hyped over farming, cooking, and fishing all day in their games. Either that, or you're a Lord of the Rings fan, which is just as good of a reason to feel excited to try a new game.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A

It wouldn't be a year of growing anticipation for Switch games without including an upcoming Pokemon game. Although there's no confirmed release date yet, Game Freak and The Pokemon Company have confirmed that the latest installment to the series, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, is coming out sometime in 2025.

Currently, little information is provided about Pokémon Z-A's new gameplay mechanics and story outside of its taking place in Lumiose City, Kalos. However, we'll likely see Mega Evolutions return, much like in Gen 6, where this setting was originally introduced, so that alone is worth getting excited over.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2

2025 may seem like another year of remakes, remasters, and collections, with Capcom Fighting Collection 2 being among the ever-growing bunch. This is another one with no confirmed release date yet, but we know these early 2000s entries will arrive sometime this year.

Here's the full list of games included in the collection:

• Capcom vs. SNK Millenium Fight 2000 Pro
• Capcom vs. SNK 2 Mark of the Millenium 2001
• Project Justice
• Capcom Fighting Evolution
• Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper
• Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein
• Power Stone
• Power Stone 2

First the Marvel vs. Capcom Collection, and now this gem. This one is another opportunity to experience a trip down memory lane or learn more about the Golden Era of fighting games through some of the most well-known entries of their time.

The post The 10 most anticipated Nintendo Switch games of 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

The Eggplant Puffs Disney Dreamlight Valley recipe helps you make a delicious three-star meal. It could potentially be a dish that one of the villagers like Simba or Jack Skellington could request at Chez Remy as well.

Eggplant Puffs Disney Dreamlight Valley ingredients

To create the tasty Eggplant Puffs for your friends in Disney Dreamlight Valley, you'll need the following three ingredients:

• Eggs
• Cheese
• Eggplant

Honestly, this is one of the easiest dishes to make in the game. Both Eggs and Cheese can be purchased at Chez Remy after completing the rat's quests in the Ratatouille realm in the Castle. Cheese is 220 Star Coins, while Eggs are 180.

Eggplant seeds are available at Goofy's Stall in the Frosted Heights, which is admittedly quite difficult to reach if you don't have the Dreamlight. You can rack that number up by completing duties and finishing quests from characters along the way. You can also craft Dreamlight by finding Dream Shards in the ground.

Back on the topic, however; Eggplant seeds are 95 Star Coins, but if you're lucky (and you don't want to wait), the ingredient itself might be available for 462 Star Coins.

What is this meal worth?

Once you've gained all the ingredients, go to any cooking station like Chez Remy. Add the Eggs, Cheese, and Eggplant into the pot. You should have the Eggplant Puffs ready to go. They might be the flattest texture you can find in the game, but hey, they can be consumed for 1,941 Energy or sold for 991 Star Coins at Goofy's Stalls. You can also make Ratatouille with Eggplant and other ingredients.

The post How to make Eggplant Puffs in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Aquamarine in Disney Dreamlight Valley is a rare precious gem that can be used to make items like Ariel's Crafting Station and the Blue Light High Beach Torch. You can find it in two different biomes within the original valley.

Aquamarine Disney Dreamlight Valley locations

You can find the pretty gem Aquamarine from two different spots in the Titular Valley any day of the week:

• Dazzle Beach
• Forest of Valor

Before you venture out, make sure to bring a Disney friend who has the Mining specialty. Talk to them, and there should be a pickaxe symbol to the left of the "Let's Hang Out!" option. You'll want to do this as you have a chance to get the gem twice, saving you loads of time in the long run.

Next, head to either Dazzle Beach or the Forest of Valor and start striking the rocks with your Royal Pickaxe. It doesn't matter if the gems show or not; there is a chance they'll drop as a reward regardless. Once you've broken all of the rocks in one area, move on to the next. Keep alternating to let the rocks respawn.

What can you make with Aquamarine?

Once you've acquired enough Aquamarine gems, you can start to create decorations for the village. Ariel's Crafting Station, unfortunately, doesn't arrive until you reach Friendship Level 7 and unlock a particular quest.

To make a Blue Light High Beach Torch that would fit in with Dazzle Beach's environment, you'll need the following:

• 5 Fiber
• 3 Sand
• 5 Softwood
• Aquamarine

You can create five pieces of fiber at the Crafting Station by using one piece of Seaweed. You can catch Seaweed by using the fishing rod outside the water ripples at Dazzle Beach. Use your shovel to pick up Sand at the beach. You can also get Sand by breaking the shells. Lastly, Softwood is found in the Plaza, Peaceful Meadow, Forest of Valor, and the Glade of Trust underneath or near trees.

You should also try to find another gem, the Topaz, while you're around the original valley.

The post Where to find Aquamarine in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

2024 is already looking to be an interesting year for gaming, with several remakes and remasters arriving in early January and brand-new releases making the waves later on. 2023 was an exciting time, gaming in 2024 was slightly underwhelming, and it's only a matter of time before we learn what 2025 entails.

It is very easy to forget the sheer volume of games that launch throughout an entire year. One month alone can have dozens of releases, let alone the rest as game development teams announce their plans.

If you’re looking to plan ahead or tell others about an upcoming release, we have an ongoing list of games confirmed to launch in 2025. We’ll also continue updating this list as we learn about new releases and delays.

Updated January 23, 2025: Updated with release date information for Ninja Gaiden 4, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, South of Midnight, and Doom: The Dark Ages, as highlighted during the 2025 Xbox Developer Direct.

January 2025 game releases

• Beyond Citadel (PC) - January 2
• Wuthering Waves (PS5) - January 2
• Click Mage (PC) - January 6
• Chocolate Factory Simulator (PC) - January 7
• Desktop Mate (PC) - January 7
• Sea Fantasy (PC) - January 7
• Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana (PC4, PS5, Switch) - January 7
• My Summer Car (PC) - January 8
• The Last Flame (PC) - January 9
• Freedom Wars Remastered (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - January 10
• Airborne Empire (PC, Early Access) - January 13
• Dreaming Isles (PC) - January 13
• Heroes of Hammerwatch II (PC) January 14
• Hyper Light Breaker (PC) - January 14
• Turnip Boy Robs a Bank (iOS, Android) - January 14
• Aloft (PC) - January 15
• Age of Darkness: Final Stand (PC) - January 15
• Age of Water (PC) - January 16
• Assetto Corsa EVO (PC, Early Access) - January 16
• Blade Chimera (PC, Switch) - January 16
• Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Switch) - January 16
• DreadOut Remastered Collection (PC, PS4, Switch) - January 16
• Dynasty Warriors: Origins (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - January 16
• Football Coach: College Dynasty (PC) - January 16
• Morkull Ragast's Rage (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - January 16
• Cyclopean: The Great Abyss (PC, Early Access) - January 17
• Skystead Ranch (PC) - January 17
• Tales of Graces f Remastered (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 17
• Helskate (PC) - January 20
• Into the Emberlands (PC) - January 20
• Needy Streamer Overload (PS4, PS5) - January 21
• Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 22
• Gravelord (PC, Early Access) - January 22
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PC) - January 23
• Guilty Gear Strive (Switch) - January 23
• Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - January 23
• Synduality: Echo of Ada (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - January 23
• Space Engineers 2 (PC, Early Access) - January 27
• Cuisineer (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 28
• Eternal Strands (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - January 28
• Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos (PS4, PS5, Switch) - January 28
• Tails of Iron II: Whiskers of Winter (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 28
• The Stone of Madness (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 28
• Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. (PC) - January 28
• Warside (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Switch) - January 28
• Cardfight!! Vanguard Dear Days 2 (PC, Switch) - January 30
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure (PC, Switch) - January 30
• Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - January 30
• Sniper Elite: Resistance (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - January 30
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (PC) - January 30
• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 31

February 2025 game releases

• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 4
• Rift of the NecroDancer (PC) - February 5
• While Waiting (PC, Switch) - February 5
• Keep Driving (PC) - February 6
• Civilization VII (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 11
• Urban Myth Dissolution Center (PC, PS5, Switch) - February 12
• Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart (Switch) - February 13
• Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 13
• Date Everything! (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 14
• Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 14
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II (PC, Switch) - February 14
• Avowed (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - February 18
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage - Tape one (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 18
• Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - February 20
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - February 21
• Crystar (PS5) - February 27
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection (PC, Switch) - February 27
• Monster Hunter Wilds (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 28
• Amber Isle (Switch) - February
• Midnight Murder Club (PC, PS5, Early Access) - February
• Morsels (PC, PS5, Switch) - February
• On Your Tail (Switch) - February

March 2025 game releases

• Everhood 2 (PC, Switch) - March 4
• Two Point Museum (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 4
• Dragonkin: The Banished (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 6
• Fragpunk (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 6
• Grimoire Groves (PC) - March 6
• Split Fiction (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 6
• Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch) - March 6
• Wanderstop (PC, PS5) - March 11
• Beyond the Ice Palace 2 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 13
• Bionic Bay (PC, PS5) - March 13
• Matcho (PC, PS5) - March 13
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage - Tape two (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 18
• Assassin's Creed Shadows (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 20
• Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (Switch) - March 20
• Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 21
• BLEACH Rebirth of Souls (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 21
• Gedonia 2 (PC) - March 24
• Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 25
• Atomfall (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - March 27
• The First Berserker: Khazan (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 27
• inZOI (PC) - March 28
• Psycho Patrol R (PC, Early Access) - March 31
• Football Manager 25 (PC, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March
• Killing Floor 3 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March

April 2025 game releases

• The Last of Us Part II (PC) - April 3
• South of Midnight (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - April 8
• All in Abyss: Judge the Fake (PC, PS5, Switch) - April 10
• Star Overdrive (Switch) - April 10
• Koira (PC, PS5) - April 17
• Mandragora (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April 17
• Lunar Remastered Collection (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch) - April 18
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - April 24
• FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - April 24
• Tempest Rising (PC) - April 24
• The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- (PC, Switch) - April 24
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (Switch) - April
• Magic Inn (PC) - April
• Ratatan (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April

May 2025 game releases

• Doom: The Dark Ages (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 15
• Revenge of the Savage Planet (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May

June 2025 game releases

• Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road (PC, PS4, PS5, iOS, Android, Switch) - June

October 2025 game releases

• Double Dragon Revive (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - October 23

Games with unknown release dates (2025)

• A.I.L.A
• ARC Raiders
• Astrobotanica
• Biped 2
• Borderlands 4
• Capcom Fighting Collection 2
• Coffee Talk Tokyo
• Crimson Desert
• Crown Gambit
• Dave the Diver Into the Jungle
• Demonschool
• Descenders Next
• Directive 8020
• Dispatch
• Doom (SNES)
• Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
• Dune Awakening
• Dying Light: The Beast
• EDENS ZERO
• Elden Ring: Nightreign
• Fable
• FBC: Firebreak
• Flappy Bird
• Floatopia
• Freeride
• Game of Thrones: Kingsroad
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure (PS, PS5)
• Herdling
• Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era
• Hotel Barcelona
• inZOI (PS5, Xbox Series X/S)
• Last Spartan: Glory Over Madness
• Little Nightmares 3
• Lost Soul Aside
• Mafia: The Old Country
• Mecha Break
• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
• Mio: Memories in Orbit
• Mistfall Hunter
• Moth Kubit
• MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
• Nanuka: Secret of the Shattering Mood
• Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
• Ninja Gaiden 4
• Nivalis
• One Move Away
• Paralives
• Perfect Dark
• Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale HD Edition
• Rematch
• Ritual of Raven
• Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
• Rune Factory: Project Dragon
• Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker
• Shadow Labyrinth (Pac-Man)
• Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX
• Showa American Story
• Slay the Spire II (Early Access)
• Solasta II (Early Access)
• Solo Leveling Arise (PC)
• Sonic Racing CrossWorlds
• Splitgate 2
• Stalcraft Operations
• Star Overdrive (PC, PS5)
• State of Decay 3
• Steel Paws
• Subnautica 2
• Terminator: Survivors
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st
• The Legend of Baboo
• The Outer Worlds 2
• Time Flies
• Vampire Dynasty
• Wheel World
• Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

Games with unknown release dates (2026)

• Blackfrost the Long Dark 2 (Early Access)
• Onimusha Way of the Sword
• Screamer
• The Witcher 4

The post 2025 Video Game release date calendar appeared first on Destructoid.

Even when it is out of season, the Gingerbread House in Disney Dreamlight Valle has a lot of value to the wonderful Disney friends around you, like Mickey and Goofy. Here's how you can make it.

All Gingerbread House Disney Dreamlight Valley ingredients

To make a Gingerbread House, you'll need the following ingredients:

• Wheat
• Egg
• Vanilla
• Sugarcane
• Ginger

Wheat can be bought from Goofy's Stall in the Peaceful Meadow. It's super cheap as the ingredient itself is 2 Star Coins, while the seeds are 1 Star Coin. Both may be available at the stall. The seeds grow within a minute after getting planted and watered.

Eggs can be purchased at Chez Remy for 220 Star Coins after finishing the Ratatouille realm quests in the castle.

Vanilla is found within the Sunlit Plateau. Look at the ground, and you'll find a green plant with small yellow/white petals growing from within the grass. Pick it up, and you'll gain Vanilla for the recipe.

Sugarcane is found at Goofy's Stall in Dazzle Beach. You can buy its seeds for 5 Star Coins each. You can also make Cheesecake with this ingredient.

Lastly, Ginger can be found growing in the Forgotten Lands. This ingredient can be picked up like Vanilla. The green plant with regular, slightly lengthier leaves on it gives you Ginger.

Now it's time to make the 5-star dish

Once you have all of the ingredients, go to any cooking station at your house or in Chez Remy. Throw in all five ingredients together, and then you'll have a Gingerbread House in your inventory. You can sell it to Goofy's Stall for 545 Star Coins or eat it for 1,460 Energy points.

The post How to make a Gingerbread House in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

The Miracle Growth Elixir in Disney Dreamlight Valley lives up to its name as it instantly grows vegetables like Pumpkins and Lettuce. Thankfully, it's fairly easy to make by finding Vitalys Crystals and more from the game.

Miracle Growth Elixir Disney Dreamlight Valley ingredients

To create the awesome Miracle Growth Elixir in Disney Dreamlight Valley, you'll need the following ingredients:

• 10 Vitalys Crystals
• 10 Rich Soil
• 500 Dreamlight

Vitalys Crystals are found within a cave around the Sunlit Plateau called the Vitalys Mine. Look for the waterfall near a stone bridge to find it. You'll first want a companion with you, who has the Mining specialty, so the process becomes faster. Mine at the rocks that have a blue streak to them. Hit them with the pickaxe, and you have a good chance to get a Vitalys Crystal. Having a companion with you gives a chance of getting another Vitalys Crystal.

Rich Soil is gained by digging up the soil at any location, especially within the Plaza. This is a random drop. Having a digging specialty companion with you may help with the process too.

Dreamlight is gathered by completing quests and finishing Duties like taking a picture or collecting enough apples. You can check your objectives on the menu. It's under the first section "Dreamlight." You can also craft Dreamlight with Dream Shards.

How to use this elixir

Once you have all of the ingredients, go to any crafting station near your house or in Scrooge's store. You can find the Miracle Growth Elixir from the list of options.

Make sure to pick the correct potion. Once it's made, use it from your inventory menu. Then, equip the water can. Spray it on the crops you want to see grow instantly. You only have a few limited uses so pick your crops wisely.

The post How to make Miracle Growth Elixir in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

The Amethyst in Disney Dreamlight Valley gem is a precious resource used for multiple quests and can help craft a special object to decorate your environments. Here's how to find the Amethyst so that you can help villagers like Ursula and Nala with their friendship quests.

Amethyst Disney Dreamlight Valley locations

Amethyst in Disney Dreamlight Valley can be spotted in two different locations within the original valley:

• Frosted Heights
• Forgotten Lands

Thankfully, you won't need any of the DLC to get this material. Head over to the Frosted Heights or Forgotten Lands and use your pickaxe to strike the rocks in the area. Also, take a buddy with you with the mining proficiency to gain bonus rewards from striking each rock. You'll also get that friendship level up.

How to Make a Purple Wrought Iron Streetlamp

Once you've gathered Amethyst, you can create a Purple Wrought Iron Streetlamp. To make that, you'll need the following:

• Two Glass
• Five Iron Ingots
• One Amethyst

You can create Iron Ingots at the crafting table by mixing Iron Ore and Coal Ore. You'll get those materials from mining rocks (and the number of resources grows when hanging out with a friend who has the mining specialty). Glass can be formed by crafting Sand and Coal Ore. Dig at the sand of Dazzle Beach with your shovel to get the resource.

If you don't want to make a Purple Wrought Iron Streetlamp, you can also sell Amethyst for 500 Star Coins at any of Goofy's stalls.

The post Where to find Amethyst in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Hey, gamer, are you ready for some $60 re-releases of old games? I know – perhaps unironically – that I am. I love playing games I’ve already played, preferably when they look slightly better than I remember. Again, totally sincere here. This is something I do more often than I’m comfortable with.

At the time of writing, very little has been said about what games will be coming to the Switch 2. There will probably be new games, but will there be old ones? Also probably! Nothing has really been announced, but we can speculate. So, let’s do that.

Now, Nintendo has said that the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible, and while they say there will be exceptions, I’m going to guess this will be a rarity. I’m assuming, perhaps over-optimistically, that most games will still be supported. So, we’re not going to talk about Switch games we want to play on our Switch. Instead, let’s talk about titles that Nintendo hasn’t given a glow-up to that will perhaps be given a second look when the new console comes around.

Chibi-Robo

My heard breaks for Chibi-Robo. The 2007 GameCube title is among the many that I won’t shut up about, but it’s gotten a raw deal. It wasn’t all that popular at launch, to begin with, but then its sequels kind of failed to follow-up on it. Okay, not all of the sequels. Okaeri Chibi-Robo: Happy Richie Ōsōji for the Nintendo DS was a pretty faithful and enjoyable sequel, but if you can’t tell by the moniker, it never got released in North America.

Anyway, maybe if more people had a chance to play it, more people would love it. A good way to find out would be a re-release on Switch. Unfortunately, it would be too late for its developer, Skip Ltd., which seems to have disbanded. The key staff from there is currently working on a spiritual follow-up, KoROBO, which is just legally distinct Chibi-Robo. So, I guess worst case scenario, we’ll maybe get KoROBO on the Switch 2.

F-Zero GX

A few years ago, I’d opine Nintendo’s treatment of F-Zero in the same way I would with Chibi-Robo, but recently, the company has remembered that it exists. They’ve put many of the classic titles on their Nintendo Switch Online service and even released a (sort of) new entry: F-Zero 99.

However, many point to the 2003 GameCube title, F-Zero GX, as the best the series has to offer. It’s certainly extra, but then, what else would you expect from the crew that would go on to develop the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series? While a true follow-up would be the best-case scenario, a port would also be appreciated. The game deserves more respect.

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

It was long rumored that the two Wii U Legend of Zelda remakes, Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD, would make their move to the Switch. They didn’t. So, we’re still waiting.

On the other hand, if they do decide to port it to Switch 2, I’m hoping that they, at the very least, allow you to undo the desecration they did to the lighting style. The original version had a striking, unique cel shading that evoked the look of a cartoon, which helped support the stylized art. Wind Waker HD sort of smoothed that over, then added a metric tonne of bloom. It looks, uh, good. It just doesn’t have the same effect. It felt like an HD fan mod, like the art team didn’t really care about artistic intent.

It’s not the end of the world, and I’m not sure if that’s, like, a difficult thing to change. I don’t know how these shaders are implemented. I just know that whenever I think about playing Wind Waker again, I’m left wondering whether I should play the GameCube or Wii U version, and it would be nice to have one without compromises.

Lost Kingdoms Collection

Armored Core VI reminded a lot of people that FromSoftware made games before Demon’s Soul. And while I’d love a King’s Field Collection… There’s no but on that sentence, I’d love a King’s Field Collection. But I’d also love a Lost Kingdoms Collection.

The two Lost Kingdoms games were strange RPGs where you used cards to cast magic. Neither was spectacular, but both are unique in their own way. Unique enough that they should be experienced. Unfortunately, they sold about as well as tires made of bread, so not many people tried them out. Relatively speaking. Now’s a good time. People will eat anything FromSoftware touched. In fact, maybe we should bring back Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor.

Battalion Wars

Speaking of Battalions, I’m sure I’m not the only one who loved that strange little Advance Wars spin-off, Battalion Wars. It was this weird in-between of squad-based tactics and real-time strategy. You could take control of any of your units, and the vehicle controls were a bit like Halo’s.

We got a sequel on Wii, Battalion Wars II, but I swear that game is, like, 95% tutorial for some reason. Every level seemed to be a tutorial. That was kind of the Wii for you. In an effort to make things accessible to everyone, they usually made things fun for no one. So, I’d take a collection, but it’s maybe not necessary.

Cool Riders

Cool Riders should just be on everything. But, right now, it’s not on anything. Unless you count arcade. It is an absolutely incredible perversion of OutRun (seemingly having been intended to be titled OutRiders). You choose from a cast of weirdos on tricked-out bikes and fly through a fever dream distortions of places from around the world. It takes the OutRun formula and tweaks its nipples, turning it into a high-speed blur of over-stimulation. You need to play it, that might not be an option for you right now, so shovel it onto the Switch 2.

Star Fox Zero

Okay, now do it right this time. Star Fox Zero feels like one of the most tragic victims of Nintendo’s need to over-innovate. Or, possibly, it’s specifically Shigeru Miyamoto’s need. So, rather than just being a standard on-rails shooter, it required you to aim with the gamepad screen while flying with the stick. It sucked. 

As much as I detested the waggle rolling in Donkey Kong Country Returns, I got used to it in a small way and could live with it. It wasn’t ideal. The dual-screen controls of Star Fox Zero were cement shoes; they sank the whole game.

The game itself is fine. Somehow, I got through it. Even without the dual-screen controls, it wouldn’t be spectacular, but it would be far better than the series has seen since Star Fox 64. So, it would be nice to get an updated version on the Switch 2. The only upgrade needed would be the deep-sixing of the second-screen aiming.

Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller

Hey, Sega. Instead of making a live service multiplayer Crazy Taxi that no one wants, maybe just re-release the best one. Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller not only included a new level set in a version of Las Vegas, it also took the better levels from the first two games and edited them slightly to balance them for the new skills in your repertoire.

For extra credit, Sega could just include all the levels from all the games. But let’s slow down. Wouldn’t want to distract them from building platforms where they can sell endless skins.

Rule of Rose

It’s tempting for me to put my beloved Chulip on this list, but maybe that’s too predictable. How about Rule of Rose? It’s an incredibly unique take on the survival horror genre during its heyday on the PS2. For its main antagonists, it turns to the real monsters of the world: children. You play as Jennifer, a young woman who gets tormented by a group of orphans.

Its humanity manages to come through all the abstract weirdness of the game. Beneath the grimy horror is a story far more tragic than it is terrifying. It’s less about monsters, and more about what causes a person to become a monster. And I don’t mean some sort of virus. I mean fear of losing something.

Unfortunately, Rule of Rose had a pretty big setback in the fact that its combat is terrible, even by survival horror standards. It’s the hit detection that really drags it down. Even if this was improved slightly in a Switch 2 port, it would go a long way in making the game more palatable than it was at its 2006 release.

Metal Max 2 Reloaded

Metal Max is the best series to have barely touched North American shores. To date, of the series’ mainline seven games (not counting remakes), only two have been localized in English (Metal Saga and Metal Max Xeno). I’d take pretty much any out of the series to hit the Switch 2, but Metal Max 2 Reloaded is generally considered to be one of the high points of the series.

The games are JRPGs that center around tanks. The acquisition, upgrading, and utilization of tanks. You can always get out of your tank, but – and I hope this isn’t news – there are a number of advantages a steel-armored machine of war has over your squishy human flab. Metal Max 2 Reloaded is a DS remake of an SNES game. Yet, despite its vintage, it is an extraordinarily sprawling adventure across a post-apocalyptic world packed to the gills with bizarre monsters. It would be the perfect introduction to anyone who hasn’t experienced Metal Max before.

The post 10 games we want to see get a Switch 2 port appeared first on Destructoid.

It's official: the Nintendo Switch 2 is releasing in 2025, and Nintendo has already given us a sneak peek of what to expect. Although Nintendo hasn't confirmed a list of games that will be released on this upcoming system, we have at least one that's likely to arrive, with plenty of speculation on future titles.

All confirmed and rumored games available on Nintendo Switch 2 release

Starting with the official Nintendo Switch 2 announcement trailer, it looks like a new addition to the Mario Kart franchise — likely Mario Kart 9 — is all but confirmed for a Switch 2 launch title. Although there's no release date for the console or game yet, with a new Mario Kart game usually releasing every two to four years, we're due for another soon. It was only a matter of time before we got word of one.

The other most likely candidate for a game releasing on the Switch 2 is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. While it was initially announced as early as 2017 at E3, Nintendo restarted its development, with some speculation that this second console had something to do with it. With a predicted 2025 release date, it'd be no surprise if Metroid Prime 4 ends up being among the first series to launch on the Switch 2.

Let's check out some other potential Switch 2 games we might see in the next year or two:

• A new Super Mario entry
• A new Legend of Zelda entry
• Halo: The Master Chief Collection
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A
• Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
• Past game remakes/ports

In particular, we'll likely see various remakes and ports from the previous Switch or from other consoles and PCs to carry to the Switch 2. The main candidates for this early on are The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but only time will tell where the releases will go from here.

The post All Switch 2 launch titles confirmed and rumored appeared first on Destructoid.

It was difficult to be a Nintendo fan during the Wii years. The initial hype around its motion controls died pretty quickly when it became clear its real-world application was extremely limited. Worse, Nintendo seemed to be looking to gain favor with a broader audience and it seemed that its output suffered.

What sucked most was that it felt like motion control was being shoehorned into everything. Mostly because they were. I think 2010’s Donkey Kong Country Returns is exemplary of this. Retro Studios did an admirable job continuing Rare’s legacy, but the absolutely baffling decision was made to incorporate controller shaking. In particular, you had to shake the controller to get DK to roll. Rolls were necessary as a form of attack, but more importantly, rolling was used to extend jumps. Precise jumps, specifically. Jumps that you would see in the hardest levels. And it didn’t matter how simple the motion was, it was unreliable.

There was no reason for it, it could have easily been bound to the same button as “pick up/grab,” you know, just like it was in earlier games. You couldn’t turn it off. The mere fact that it had to be this was frustrates me to even talk about, but actually playing the most difficult levels with this hamstringer drove me insane.

So, anyway, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD doesn’t use motion controls and is better for it.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Switch)
Developer: Retro Studios, Forever Entertainment
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: January 16, 2025
MSRP: $59.99

Technically, you could play Donkey Kong Country Returns without motion control on the 3DS already with Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, but I feel like this sort of game needs a bigger screen.

The original Donkey Kong Country series was a heavy-hitter on the SNES, practically putting Rare on the map. If someone tells you that those games were only loved for their graphics and had standard gameplay, they were clearly in a Genesis household. Rare may have fronted with the lavish 3D-to-2D sprites, but the level design was top-notch. Sometimes maddeningly so. Loads of variety across its worlds.

After Nintendo and Rare had split, it seemed unlikely the series would continue in any form, so it was a surprise to see it again in 2010, and even more surprising to find out that it’s every bit as good as the original trilogy (motion control frustration aside). Honestly, while I prefer the vibes of the SNES titles better, the levels in Donkey Kong Country Returns reach offensive levels of creativity. From riding rockets to avoiding giant rhythmic hammers, it’s a master class at setpieces. It provides a stiff but fair challenge across its eight (main) worlds, and constantly finds new ways to surprise.

One of the first things that greets you when you start up a new game is a difficulty setting. There are two, and they’re hilariously named “Modern” and “Classic,” which made me wonder what year this is. “Modern” is easier because I guess COVID caused our thumbs to atrophy and our patience to thin. You have three hearts by default, and Cranky’s shop carries more items.

Beyond the fact that something from 2010 is considered no longer modern, I find it amusing that there’s an easier difficulty because Donkey Kong Country Returns already has difficulty options. It caused a bit of discourse at the time, even before the Dark Souls Easy Mode debate. There’s the Super Guide that plays the level for you if you screw up a few too many times, something that became insulting after the motion controls let me down during difficult segments. There are also potions that make you invincible for a while. But, yeah, extra difficulty options never hurt. I just wish they didn’t also make me feel old and worried for the new generations at the same time.

The story of Donkey Kong Country Returns is somewhat divorced from the original series, which was an escalating fight against an insane lizard. Donkey Kong’s banana horde is stolen again (as Cranky Kong points out, “So, who hasn’t stolen your bananas at this point?”), but this time, it’s by a strange army of tiki idols that can hypnotize the wildlife. Thankfully, DK’s advanced primate brain is immune to hypnosis, so he sets out to reacquire his bananas, assumedly before they turn brown.

Much of Donkey Kong Country Returns feels like a re-tread of the first game. You have all the barrel blasting and mine carting that made that title stand out. Moreover, the heaps of tantalizing secret items that are dangled just out of reach make a return. While it’s a linear platformer, Retro Studios followed Rare’s example of sticking extra challenges and hidden nooks to find as you race to the goal. More importantly, you’re rewarded for searching things out, with additional levels awarded, mainly for collecting all the KONG letters.

The view is zoomed out a lot farther, and climbable surfaces have been added, which allows levels to have a lot more verticality to them. This also means that minecart sections require fewer split-second reactions. Personally, I never had a problem with the minecarts in the SNES game, but I know some hate those levels, so maybe this is less vexing? If it’s not, you’re going to hate the rockets.

Alongside the minecart segments, there are levels where you ride a rocket barrel through a forced scrolling section. These require you to press the jump button to pull up and raise your altitude, so it requires a bit more awareness than, say, a scrolling shoot-’em-up. It requires a feel for the responsiveness of the rocket, and there are some really narrow parts that might end up frustrating. I loved the rocket segments each and every time; they may be my favorite part of the whole experience. There’s something to be said about the simplicity, but Retro Studios was still able to put in some incredibly thrilling segments around your rocket-propelled journey.

The bosses are a bit more of a mixed bag. Each one is heavily pattern-based, and there’s a lot of variety between them. Unfortunately, that same variety means that some are better than others. I had difficulty even figuring out what I had to do on some of them. Adding to that, the collision detection in Donkey Kong Country Returns is questionable a lot of the time, and this seems to manifest most when it comes to bosses. I’d find myself taking damage when I was clear of danger to the point where I captured a video of one moment, then viewed it and confirmed that the two models didn’t intersect. What the hell? I’m not sure if the shaky collision was this way in the original version. It’s only a minor annoyance overall; it just seems like an out-of-place loose thread in an otherwise tight and polished game.

The graphical glowup in Donkey Kong Country Returns is pretty understated. It’s mostly what it says on the tin: a higher-resolution version of the original. Donkey Kong has some added fuzz, but it’s clearly set before Tropical Freeze since he hasn’t yet discovered the amazing conditioner that gave him his incredible coat in that game.

The best comparison I can give is to say it’s like Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD. Nothing has really changed art-wise. The lighting is better, but it’s far from astounding. The textures are sharper, but they haven’t really changed. Backgrounds are largely untouched. It’s not the same magnitude of upgrade that Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door got, it’s largely just Donkey Kong Country Returns with more pixels.

It was nice to revisit the game. I find that with platformers, unless they’re extremely unconventional, they kind of get sectioned away in my brain. Even when they’re particularly well-executed, as is the case with Donkey Kong Country Returns. But actually sitting down and playing them, I find I can still appreciate them.

And while Donkey Kong Country Returns HD doesn’t revolutionize the game, it still manages to become the definitive version of the title. If you haven’t played it before, you owe it to yourself to try it out. Retro Studios outdid themselves. They took what came before and expertly expanded and improved on it. It’s an astounding display of creative level design that is near unmatched in sidescrollers. And now you can play it without having to shake your controller.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns HD appeared first on Destructoid.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons first came out in March 2020, but since then, many players have stepped away from their islands. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has a way of pulling you back in, though.

There’s an undeniable appeal about escaping reality to cultivate your own getaway island community of interesting, albeit sometimes irritating, characters. Even though Tom Nook is a capitalist overlord, that detail can be overlooked thanks to the charm of having full design control. 

But it’s understandable if you don’t want to dive right back in where you left off, especially if it’s been months or years since you last played and aren’t sure what you put where or why. Sadly, you can only have one island per Switch console. This means that multiple users on a switch can play on the same island, but how to reset the entire thing? Or remove a player? 

Thankfully, there are options for both. Here’s how to start over or get your island back to yourself.

How to reset your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Resetting your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island isn’t possible through the game itself. Instead, you’ll need to dive into the Switch console settings, but it’s a relatively easy process. You’ll need to make sure that Animal Crossing: New Horizons isn’t running by pressing the home button and then X to close the software, then go through the following steps:

1. Open system settings on the Switch
2. Select “Data Management” on the left side of the screen
3. Select “Delete Save Data” on the right side of the screen
4. Select Animal Crossing: New Horizons
5. Select “Delete all save data for this software”
6. Confirm that you want to delete the save data
7. Return to the home screen and open up Animal Crossing: New Horizons again

Once you’ve followed these steps and opened up Animal Crossing: New Horizons again, rather than traveling to your old island, you’ll be greeted by the familiar faces of Timmy and Tommy. You’ll be able to select your name, birthday, and have the choice between four different island layouts. 

Of course, this does mean that you’ll need to go through the tedious process of starting everyone over from scratch, but it does give you free creative freedom to make your island your own again. 

How to remove a player in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

If you’ve had more than one player registered on your island at any point and want to delete just their save data, you can do that through the Settings in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This is not a full reset, but it will get rid of everything associated with a single player. Any money or miles that they accrued while playing will be deleted, and their home will disappear too, as well as any memories that residents had of them ever existing. Any backups they made of the island will also be deleted. 

If you want your island to be solely yours, here’s how to delete another player’s save file:

1. On the title screen of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, press the Minus button to open up game game settings
2. Select “Save Data”
3. Select “Delete resident registration”
4. Select the resident that you’d like to remove and confirm to delete their save data

Remember, you can’t use this option to delete your own registration. The only way to remove yourself from the game is to delete an entire save file using the steps laid out in the section above.

How to visit your old island in Animal Crossing: New Horizon

You can technically visit your old island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but you won’t have any control over it or be able to change anything while you’re there. Plus, this will take some actual prep work and won’t be possible if you’ve deleted your island on a whim. 

To visit your old island after you’ve deleted it, you’ll need to make a note of that island’s Dream Address. To do this, follow these steps:

• Enter your home and lie down in bed
• Select “Yeah, I want to sleep”
• Select “I’d like to share a dream”

This will create a unique 12-digit code associated with the island as it was when the code was made, allowing you to revisit it at any time, even if you have since deleted the island itself. To use this code and pay a visit to your previous island home, follow these steps:

• Enter your home and lay down in bed
• Select “Yeah, I want to sleep”
• Select “I want to dream”
• Input the 12-digit Dream Address

The post How to reset your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons appeared first on Destructoid.

It's a new year, and to help celebrate the month of January 2025, we have a bunch of stellar games, including a remaster of a beloved Vita game and the next entry of a popular action franchise. You'll also blow heads off in excessive detail as you fire your powerful weaponry in Sniper Elite: Resistance.

Dynasty Warriors Origins (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Developer: Koei Tecmo
Price: $69.99
Release Date: January 17
Trailer

The Dynasty Warriors series looks as epic as ever in this next entry. As a nameless hero protagonist, you're stepping into the field of hundreds of warriors. You'll be utilizing fast-paced combos and abilities called arts to take down these foes. There's also a strategic element to the visual madness on screen as you command your allies to advance or cavalry charge to victory (or failure). You'll also have to manage the morale of your forces, which should be quite the challenge. Hopefully, you'll still be able to enjoy the breakneck action despite the strategic elements of this new entry.

"Omega Force and Koei Tecmo have taken a lot of the staples from the franchise like massive-scale battles and expanded them while also improving the overall game through better storytelling, more interesting combat, and a player character-driven focus," said our preview.

It will be launched on consoles and PC systems on January 17. Those who purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition can start on January 14.

Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: Binary Haze Interactive
Developer: Adglobe, Live Wire
Price: $19.99
Release Date: January 22
Trailer

An indie highlight from the January 2025 games lineup is Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist. It's a sequel to the critically acclaimed Metroidvania Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights. The sequel was previously launched through Steam Early Access and has an impressive Overwhelmingly Positive 97% rating on Steam.

In this entry, you play as an attuner named Lilac, who can summon the power of the Homunculi. In this journey, you wake up from a laboratory, try to find your lost memories and save "precious friends in the Land of Fumes," according to the Steam page. You'll come across pretty 2D art and 30 different unique skills from the companions you meet as you explore this post-apocalyptic world. There's also a lot of equipment, relics, and items to find on your adventure.

Freedom Wars Remastered (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC)

Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: Dimps
Price: Unannounced (as of the time of writing)
Release Date: January 10
Trailer

The PlayStation Vita hidden gem Freedom Wars finally gets a remaster on modern platforms on January 10. It has a unique scenario for this co-op action game. You begin your life as a criminal for just being born, and you're fighting enemies and finishing missions to reduce your sentence. Bandai Namco says the game supports a 4K resolution and 60 frames per second on all current-gen platforms. Additionally, the game has upgraded textures, but to be honest, from the screenshots and footage so far, you can still tell it was originally a Vita game.

The game has an overhauled weapon crafting system, new difficulty options, and more gameplay upgrades in Freedom Wars Remastered. As you play through the game, you'll be given Thorn weapons to help you traverse each level and take down enemies. These weapons let you set traps, provide healing, and more benefits to your team. The materials you gather from fallen enemies will let you upgrade your weapons, similar to the Monster Hunter series. The original Vita release of Freedom Wars received an 8/10 score from our review, so the remaster may be worth checking out.

Sniper Elite: Resistance (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: Rebellion
Developer: Rebellion
Price: $49.99
Release Date: January 30
Trailer

Sniper Elite: Resistance takes us back to World War 2 as we snipe Nazis in a hidden war amongst occupied France. We play as Harry Hawker, an operative tasked with eliminating the Wunderwaffe, a weapon that would guarantee the Nazis victory in the war. Sniper Elite's X-ray kill cam is back in this game as it gives us the visceral details of a bullet entering the noggin (and other body parts) of your enemies. You'll need to consider gravity, wind, and even your heart rate to get the perfect shot.

As you play through Sniper Elite: Resistance, you'll be able to customize and upgrade your weapons with all manner of scopes, stocks, barrels, magazines and other attachments. You'll also get the ability to use armor-piercing shells to finish your task when the game drops onto physical and digital store shelves on January 30.

Tales of Graces f Remastered (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC)

Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: TOSE CO. LTD
Price: $49.99
Release Date: January 17
Trailer

Asbel's adventures return in Tales of Graces f Remastered when Bandai Namco releases this JRPG for modern platforms on January 17. This new version of the adventure includes graphical improvements, auto-save functionality, the ability to turn off enemy encounters, and the addition of dashing rather than the slower running. You can also skip cutscenes with this release, and icons have been added to the UI to make the experience clearer. Most of the original DLC from the PS3 version is included in the package.

The story revolves around three kingdoms vying for control of the world. Our heroes, such as Asbel, Richard, and Sophie, must work together to save the beautiful world Ephinea. While playing this on the PS3, my teenage self loved the probably corny storyline, which focused on the friendship between the characters that grow from childhood; hopefully, it ages well.

Honorable Mentions

The January 2025 games lineup has many remasters and ports. They include the Wii platformer Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, and the new remaster of the PS1 classic Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 also finally arrives on PC in January.

• Airborne Empire Early Access (PC) - January 13
• Assetto Corsa EVO Early Access (PC) - January 16
• Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Switch) - January 16
• Border Town Early Access(PC) - January 23
• Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - January 23
• Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S) - January 28
• Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. (PC) - January 28
• Cuisineer (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - January 29
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure (Switch, PC) - January 30
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (PC) - January 30
• Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero (PS4, PS5, Switch) - January 30

The post Here are the most anticipated January 2025 games appeared first on Destructoid.

Tekka Maki in Disney Dreamlight Valley is a tasty Japanese dish you can make for your pals like Donald and Mickey. Unfortunately, the ingredients take a long while to grow.

All Tekka Maki Disney Dreamlight Valley ingredients

Tekka Maki can be made with the following ingredients in Disney Dreamlight Valley:

• Tuna
• Seaweed
• Soya
• Rice

Tuna can be fished from the waters of Glade of Trust and Forgotten Lands in the original valley. The ingredient can be found in white ripples within the water.

Seaweed can be found in a similar spot to Tuna. Use your fishing rod and set the feed to a place outside of ripples within any spot in the Valley. You should get Seaweed pretty quickly. This ingredient is also used to feed turtles in Disney Dreamlight Valley.

Soya can be purchased from Goofy's Stall in the Lion King-themed Sunlit Plateau. The clumsy character sells the green beans' seeds for 60 Star Coins. It annoyingly grows within one hour and 30 minutes. You can speed up the process with some Miracle Growth Elixir.

Rice is also bought from Goofy's Stall, this time in the Glade of Trust. The seeds are 35 Star Coins each, while the ingredient itself is 92 Star Coins each. Rice is a little quicker to grow than Soya and takes 50 minutes. Rice can also be used to make another Japanese dish, Sake Maki, which includes Salmon instead of Tuna.

Once you have all the ingredients, go to a cooking station at your home or Chez Remy. Then, place them all into the pot to create your Tekka Maki. It can be sold for 366 Star Coins or consumed for 984 Energy. Now, you have the delicious recipe in your culinary repertoire!

The post How to make Tekka Maki in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

There's tons of content in Waframe's 1999 update, but its biggest new mode is undoubtedly the PvPvE Faceoff mode. However, this mode has had a mixed reception in the Warframe community.

Before we dive into what's going on, take a look at all the new modes added in, whether Faceoff is worth running for Conclave standing, and how to start dating. Now, keep reading to learn everything you'll need to know about what folks think of the new Faceoff mode in Warframe.

What's going on with Faceoff in Warframe

In general, Warframe players really appreciate a new way to earn Conclave standing, and the PvPvE approach with Faceoff feels, to many, like a better fit for Warframe than did the game's now-dead suite of PvP modes, but that doesn't mean Faceoff's current state is perfect.

Gamers have a variety of issues with Faceoff, but some are likely bugs or simply unintentional, not design that needs to be tweaked. This includes the biggest problem with Faceoff right now: the health and general tankiness of Assassination mobs. In short, they're too spongy.

Another similar issue is matchmaking. Currently, queuing into the mode can take a while, and every match begins with up to a few minutes of waiting around for it to start. Plus, the mode is currently plagued by disconnections, host migrations, and other problems of that nature.

That said, there are a number of other issues players are having with Faceoff that aren't obvious glitches or unintended interactions. Here are some of the top complaints:

• Too much RNG for a competitive mode: some objectives require you to randomly drop items from enemies or get enough enemies to spawn nearby, and this makes for a very unfair feeling experience when those things don't go your way but do for the other team.
• Conclave standing rewards for playing Faceoff are way too low. Missions for other syndicates can award you 9,000 standing or more in a single match when Faceoff is capped at 3,000. Plus, you only get 1,500 standing if you don't manage to win, which isn't always guaranteed.
• The other team disconnecting means you'll get worse rewards for completing the mission — the same rewards you get for playing the squad vs AI version of Faceoff. If you're playing Faceoff for standing, that means you won't get any standing at all for finishing the mission.

This isn't a comprehensive list of every problem people have with Faceoff, but these are some of the biggest ones right now. While there are many complaints out there, many are also giving their take on ways Digital Extremes can improve the overall Faceoff experience.

How Faceoff in Warframe could get a lot better

Once the defenses of Assassination mobs gets adjusted and a few matchmaking upgrades are implemented, players still have a ton of ideas on how to make Faceoff itself better:

• Mirror spawns, modifiers on enemies, and objective locations for both teams. Then, matches won't feel one-sided when a particular team gets blessed with good RNG and the other doesn't, forcing one a loss and guaranteeing one a win — assuming the losers don't quit.
• Increase standing rewards by at least 50-100% to keep pace with standing rewards from other syndicate missions. Even 3,000 standing for a loss and 6,000 standing for a win wouldn't be an especially large amount to earn in a single match when it comes to Warframe missions.
• If a team disconnects or quits, allow the remaining team to earn the same rewards they would have initially. This means that instead of a team getting punished for staying in a match, they'll get rewarded with a free win, instead of getting their time wasted.

Others suggest making the buffs and debuffs you can find more relevant, making objective indicators clearer, and better explaining how all the various mechanics of the mode work in-game. But it's still early days for the 1999 update, so many are still getting their thoughts together.

It seems inevitable Digital Extremes will make changes to the mode, once the developers get back from Christmas vacation, but it remains to be seen exactly what's going to change. For that, we'll all have to wait and find out. For now, though, you may want to hold off grinding Faceoff.

The post The community has mixed feelings on Warframe’s big new PvPvE Faceoff mode appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the most surprising additions to Warframe: 1999 is the Backroom, a brand-new take on player housing that gives players their own apartment to decorate. However, you're going to need quite a few different decorations to furnish the Backroom fully, so where can you get those?

Before we even get into decorations, make sure you learn everything you need to know about the Backroom and other important 1999 additions like the calendar system and all the new modes added. If you're ready to decorate, read on to learn where you can get the best decorations.

What to know about decorations in Warframe

Firstly, the Backroom has its own unique 1999 style, and since new decorations haven't been added with the 1999 update, there isn't a series of decorations that perfectly match the Backroom. Also, even if you remove the built-in furnishings of the Backroom, a few will still be left behind.

For decorations in general, it's worth keeping in mind that you'll need as many of a certain decoration as you want to place, so you can't place multiple copies of something if you only own one. You also can't place the same decoration in the Backroom and elsewhere if you only own one.

If you plan on stuffing your Backroom absolutely full of decorations, don't expect this to be done in an afternoon, either. Acquiring decorations mostly means spending syndicate standing, and thanks to daily standing caps, the Backroom will likely be something you decorate over time.

Zariman decorations in Warframe

The vendor Hombask, located in the Chysalith on the Zariman Ten Zero, is arguably the single most important place to find decorations for the backroom. Hombask sells a ton of different decorations, but you can find a lot of normal-living-space-type furnishings there.

So, expect to find benches, rugs, tables, lamps, and the like. Beyond that, though, what's particularly relevant to the backroom are the walls you can buy from Hombask. There are a few different varieties, but these will be essential to setting up different rooms in your new place.

As you might expect, you purchase these decorations with The Holdfasts standing. Playing Chrysalith bounties, particularly on Steel Path, is an effective way of acquiring standing. Make sure to search out as many Voidplumes as you can in each mission for extra standing.

Sanctum decorations in Warframe

The vendor Bird 3, located in Sanctum Anatomica on Deimos, is another important place to find decorations for the Backroom, albeit less so than the Zariman. Bird 3 sells a rotating selection of items, most of which are luxurious, golden furniture pieces and lighting fixtures.

Five items are offered each week, out of a total of 13, so it takes three weeks to fully cycle. Unfortunately, you can only purchase one of each decoration each week. We'd recommend checking in with Bird 3 each week to see if anything catches your eye, so you don't miss out.

Like the Zariman, you purchase these decorations with Cavia standing. Playing Sanctum Anatomica bounties, once again on Steel Path, is a great way of getting standing. While doing so, you can pick up various Voca that can be exchanged for more standing with Loid.

Duviri decorations in Warframe

The vendor Acrithis, located in the Dormizone on the Zariman Ten Zero, also sells a variety of interesting decorations that can fit well in the Backroom. Acrithis has a static selection of decorations, and they're mostly furniture with a Duvuri aesthetic, so think elegant earth tones.

While these decorations don't rotate, you can only purchase them with Enigma Gyrums, a resource unique to Duviri. You can earn Enigma Gyrums by completing Duviri Enigmas, which are puzzles found in Duviri's 'The Duviri Experience' mode. That's the only way to get them.

Since you can't buy these with standing, they do require more effort to unlock, so we'd recommend taking a look at Acrithis' wares to decide if the decorations he offers are worth buying. The Duviri Experience is a good way to get resources for Incarnons, however—so two birds, one stone.

Market decorations in Warframe

The last major place to get decorations is Warframe's in-game shop. Of course, that means they'll cost you Platinum. As always, one of the best ways to earn Platinum quickly is by cracking open relics and selling the various Prime parts you get via trading, but there are other ways, too.

There isn't a specific theme to the decorations available on the market, and there are a lot of them. However, most of the decorations on the market are trinkets. Think little tchotchkes or posters. So, you won't find much in the way of walls or furniture like you can at the above spots.

Decorations on the market are cheap, but they'll add up quickly, and considering how precious Platinum is as a resource, you might want to focus your energies on decorations from the Zariman first and foremost, since there's a wide variety available.

The post Where to get all the best decorations for the Backroom in Warframe appeared first on Destructoid.

One of Warframe: 1999's biggest additions to the game is its romance system. Like real life, though, starting up a relationship in Warframe isn't necessarily easy, and it can take some time.

Before you even think about romance, you'll need to play the 1999 quest, decide who you want to date, and understand the new seasonal system. Beyond that, here's how to start dating ASAP.

How Chemistry works in Warframe

Chemistry is your 'relationship XP' in Warframe, and it's represented by your Chemistry Rank. There are six ranks in the game, and they are as follows:

• Neutral
• Friendly
• Liked
• Trusted
• Close
• Best Friends / Loved

You need to hit certain Chemistry Ranks with each Hex syndicate member to have the option to date them. Although, the rank required varies from Hex member to Hex member. Plus, depending on your interactions with the members, they might not want to date you.

Chemistry Rank is gated by your rank in the Hex syndicate. So, you'll need to be a certain rank in the syndicate to level up to certain Chemistry Ranks. However, any Chemistry you earn will be 'banked' for use later on whenever you hit the appropriate syndicate level.

This means that even if you're at the maximum Chemistry Rank with your current syndicate level, once you level up the syndicate, any additional earned Chemistry will then be applied to your Chemistry Rank. No need to worry about wasting any Chemistry you manage to earn.

Here are what ranks in the Hex syndicate you'll need to hit which Chemistry Ranks:

• Friendly: Fresh Slice (Rank 2)
• Liked: 2-for-1 (Rank 3)
• Trusted: Hot & Fresh (Rank 4)
• Close: Pizza Party (Rank 5)

How to earn Chemistry quickly in Warframe: 1999

There are three ways to earn Chemistry in Warframe: sending gifts, messaging, and completing side objectives on 1999 bounties. Luckily, you can't lose Chemistry, only gain it.

As you get to know a Hex syndicate member, their messaging profile will give you information on what sort of gifts they'll like, or you can check out our guide on the best gifts to give every member. You can only send a gift once per day, though, and the wrong gift won't increase Chemistry.

You can also acquire Chemistry by chatting with a Hex syndicate member. You can have one chat per day, although, like with gifts, Chemistry gains are not always guaranteed, depending on how your conversation goes. Saying too many wrong things might even make you undateable.

The only guaranteed way to earn Chemistry is via 1999 bounties. Each of the six available 1999 bounties is tied to a specific Hex syndicate member, and if you complete the optional side objective during a bounty, you'll earn Chemistry with the respective member. This can be done once each day.

Lastly, as you progress through 1999's seasonal calendar, the birthday of each member will come up, and you can choose to have a special birthday conversation when those arrive. This will give you another chance at earning Chemistry outside of your normal daily chatting.

So, if you want to earn Chemistry as fast as possible, you'll need to do the following:

• Chat every day
• Send a gift every day
• Complete bounty side objectives every day
• Send a birthday message when you can

How to rank up the Hex syndicate quickly in Warframe

Earning Chemistry is only one part of the puzzle. To hit the higher Chemistry Ranks, you'll need to be leveling up your Hex syndicate, too. Like with the other syndicates in the game, ranking up the Hex is a pretty straightforward process, gated only by your daily standing cap.

The best way to level up the Hex syndicate is by playing bounties, particularly the Steel Path variant of bounties. It's even better if, during bounties, you search for and pick up Hex Treasures. Six types of Hex Treasures can all be traded in for Hex standing:

• Big Bytes Pizza — 2,500 standing
• Argon Burger Meal — 1,500 standing
• 35mm Film — 750 standing
• Cheddar Crowns Cereal — 750 standing
• Mood Crystal — 750 standing
• Chuggin' Along Sixpack — 750 standing
• On-Lyne CD — 750 standing
• The Countessa Comic — 750 standing

You can memorize where treasures appear just by playing missions, but using the Parallax Landing Craft with its Orokin Eye air support is easier. Simply use this ability in a mission, and all Hex Treasures within a 150m radius will get highlighted for you to grab.

How to start dating someone in Warframe: 1999

Once you hit the required Chemistry Rank with a Hex syndicate member (and the corresponding Hex syndicate rank), you'll be presented with a new dialogue option when you visit that character in the Höllvania Central Mall. You can choose to start up a relationship from there.

You can also start (or end) relationships over messaging, but messaging can be unpredictable, so you're probably better off just visiting the person in question directly once your Chemistry is ranked up. Similarly, once you start a relationship, you can break up the same way.

Once you've begun a relationship, you'll get to have a New Year's Eve kiss with your partner when the 1999 seasonal cycle is over. A season takes place over the course of a month in real-time, so your first opportunity will be on January 12th, 2025.

Remember that there's only this one chance for the kiss in a given cycle, and you can only get a kiss with a Hex syndicate member you're currently dating. After the cycle resets, you can reset your relationship progress, start over, and date someone new in the next cycle.

The post How to quickly level up your relationships in Warframe: 1999 and start dating appeared first on Destructoid.

Feeling lonely? Well, if you're a Warframe player, you won't have to anymore, thanks to a new romance system in the 1999 update. But just how many partners can you rack up?

Before we get into how high your virtual, shall we say, body count can go, you should take a look at who your options are, how the new calendar system works, and make sure to complete the 1999 quest. Once that's all done, read on to learn exactly how many people you can romance in Warframe: 1999.

You can romance one person at a time in Warframe: 1999, but...

The romance system works in Warframe by leveling up your relationship with people to a certain level, and you'll have the option to start a relationship with them. Once the in-game 1999 calendar cycles through a year or a real-time month, you'll get a New Year's Eve kiss with them.

You can only romance one person at a time, but you can break up with somebody if your heart has focused on somebody else. However, since you'll only have one chance throughout a monthly cycle to have a New Year's Kiss, you can only 'fully' romance one person in a month.

At the time of writing, the first Warframe: 1999 cycle will end on January 12th, 2025. Once a cycle is complete, you can reset your progress, wiping all your conversation history and setting your relationship levels with all the people you can romance back to zero.

As a note, the group chat you have with all the Hex syndicate members will not be reset after a monthly cycle ends, and your standing with the Hex syndicate will also be independent of the romance system and seasonal cycle of Warframe: 1999 content. Resetting is just for relationships.

So, while you can only see one romance through to the end in a month, you can date every member of the Hex squad over time if you so choose.

How breaking up works in Warframe: 1999

Once you're in a relationship with someone, you can initiate a breakup by visiting the person in question at the Höllvania Central Mall and selecting the 'Break Up' dialogue. Depending on the personality of the person in question, you may or may not be able to get back together.

We'd suggest only breaking up with somebody if you're totally sure they aren't the right one for you. Make sure you're careful when messaging your partner, as breakups can also be initiated through the messaging system, just as relationships can be started over a message, too.

The post Can you romance multiple people in Warframe: 1999? appeared first on Destructoid.

The best Switch multiplayer games excel at bringing friends and family from all gaming backgrounds together. Whether you're competing for glory in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or making jokes in any given Jackbox Party Pack, there are a lot of Switch multiplayer games to play. Here are the best Switch multiplayer games on the Switch: just keep in mind a few of them require a Switch Online subscription!

20. Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival simulates the famous Japanese drum instrument and lets you go bananas with the Joycon or a specific taiko controller (if you have the money for it). You're drumming with the left and right Joycon to the beat, in a frantic manner, to familiar songs like Undertale's "Megalovania," Frozen 2's "Into the Unknown," and even the Super Mario Bros. theme. You can expect some classical music and J-pop in the mix as well. If you've played the Donkey Konga series from the GameCube, it's somewhat similar.

19. Just Dance 2025

This is arguably the most accessible party game for anyone on the Nintendo Switch. All you have to do is pick up a controller (you can even use your mobile phone) and dance like the coaches on screen. While the songlist isn't as varied as it could be, Just Dance 2025 has a selection of fun songs to dance to, including Lady Gaga's "Pokerface," Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso," and Madonna's "Vogue." Most of the choreography is easy to understand and follow, giving plenty of thrills for the whole family. The visuals of each dance set pop on screen, and Ubisoft ups the ante in this retrospect.

18. Golf with Your Friends

Golf with Your Friends is like mini-golf but elevated in the video game space. The courses have wild elements to them, such as flowing rivers, explosive bombs, and factory machinery that get in the way of your hole-in-one. You can also bounce the balls, leading the way to creative shots towards the end post. There are many different courses to choose from, and they're each very fun with friends online around the world or on the couch. I can't count the number of times I've laughed while playing Golf with Your Friends. The game has a Very Positive score from over 43,000 players on PC platform Steam.

17. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

As a spiritual successor to the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beat-em-ups of the 90s, Shredder's Revenge is totally radical. This game is so much fun with friends as you take down enemies together in classic arcade-style action. You can have six people on the screen at once, and it supports online multiplayer if you don't have your friends on the couch. The retro pixel-style graphics are gorgeous on-screen, and TMNT fans can see all manner of references to the universe in-game. This game is an absolute delight, especially if you like beat-em-ups like Turtles in Time and The Simpsons Arcade back in the day.

"TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge delivers exactly what one expects," said our review. "It’s a great-looking, great-sounding, and great-playing love letter to one of the most beloved franchises of all time."

16. Fall Guys

Fall Guys is a fun party game battle royale that has you running as silly bean guys running through obstacles. As each round passes, you're trying to be one of the last players to progress to the last mini-game and race to win the crown. Most of the mini-games that developer Mediatonic has made are genius and push your platforming, reflexes, and puzzle skills to the test. It's immensely fun with friends as you try to outdo each other in this silly battle royale. It used to be a paid experience, but Fall Guys is now a free-to-play game.

15. Tetris 99

Tetris 99 is the perfect marriage between the puzzle genre and the popular battle royale format. You're trying to be the last to survive against players who stack blocks on your screen as they impact your gameplay. It gets exciting as the gameplay speeds up and more players get eliminated. It's super intense when you're in the last five players in the pool. If you succeed in the game, you can get different themes with the in-game currency. There have been themes based on the Pokémon series, Xenoblade Chronicles, and more. You can check out Tetris 99 for free with any Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

14. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is one of the best 2D platformers of the last decade. It has wonderfully creative levels across the jungle and frozen environments that Donkey Kong and crew have to deal with. It also has fun segments with mine carts on a dangerous track! There's also something really entertaining about being shot from a barrel cannon at high speeds. The platforming feels solid, as you'd expect from a Nintendo game, and the environments are brimming with color and detail.

"It’s an incredibly crafted platformer with an HD sheen and an insane attention to detail, and any fan of the genre owes it to themselves to experience it," said our 10/10 review.

13. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

It's super satisfying to show your accomplished settlement in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. You can show off the designs of your village, the lovely villagers you have, and how immaculately themed each room is. It's also a relaxing way to hang out with friends as you clean up the island and fish with them. Some have even been married in the game during the COVID pandemic. This is a game that came just at the right time as it cooled down many gamers in a stressful situation. However, it's still fun to this day.

12. Rocket League

Football + cars is a simple concept, but it works incredibly well. Now available as a free-to-play title, you can use fast cars to shoot balls or stop a shot from getting in the net. There are also a ton of adjustments you can make to the car, like the patterns, flag, body shape, and paint of your vehicle, to make it stand out among the crowd. There are micro-transaction elements to be aware of, but you don't need to spend a penny to enjoy the intense sports action of Rocket League. 

11. Minecraft

There's a reason why Minecraft is so popular, despite the fact that many popular content creators are still making videos about it more than a decade later. Building a home or even a grand statue with your pals is a wonderful premise. You can also adventure through caves, get precious resources, and then escape the various scary enemies who stand in your path. The Creeper will get you eventually. It's also a relaxing game to partake with a calming soundtrack and strangely blocky yet gorgeous views of the world around you.

10. Runbow

Runbow is a hidden gem to the nth degree.

This party-platforming hybrid has you trying to survive quick platforming levels that constantly fluctuate. Nine players compete to be the first one to the flag at the end, and the wild, colorful visuals truly pull you into the game. In fact, the platforms camouflage and blend with the constantly switching colors and disappear, adding an extra amount of challenge. While playing Runbow at an Extra Life event, I was shocked to pass through a tough section, getting so much fun from the chaotic nature of the game. This is a surprisingly entertaining Switch multiplayer game that you should pick up.

9. Nintendo Switch Sports

Nintendo Switch Sports does what it says on the tin. Like Wii Sports, you get a bunch of entertaining physical recreation activities to play. The Joy-Con does a great job of replicating the Wii remote, but unlike Wii Sports, this game supports online play, adding more replayability. You can compete to be the very best and unlock new costumes for your characters along the way.

You can play badminton, golf, soccer (football), volleyball, and bowling, and one of my personal favourites is Chambara. Read our review of the game if you aren't sold yet!

8. Ultimate Chicken Horse

I've never laughed so hard at a game beyond Ultimate Chicken Horse. The goal is simple: You need to head to the exit of the level. However, with each passing turn, you place obstacles in the way.

The action gets chaotic as rotating spikes are stuck to honey, and pucks fly towards you at lightning speed. The fun revolves around the idea of making the level as difficult as possible for your rivals, but at the same time, easy enough to finish the stage. It can get so intense that your jaw drops.

7. Splatoon 3

One of the best Switch multiplayer games is Splatoon 3. The goal is to cover each area with as much ink as possible. If your team expands its ink more than the other, you win. That's it! Kinda.

You're using all manner of different weapons like a bow and arrow, a paint roller, and even katanas to win. The clothes you unlock throughout the game give you different abilities as well. The concept is simple, but Nintendo's maps and unique take on a third-person shooter with ink-splitting make Splatoon 3 stand out. The co-op-focused Salmon Run is engrossing as well. "You jump into a match, ink some turf, kill some enemies, see who wins in dramatic fashion (sigh or cheer), and repeat," said Chris Carter in his Destructoid review. "It’s a loop that works even better than before because of all the aforementioned wrinkles in the formula, with some gameplay smoothing as well."

6. Jackbox Party Packs

The Jackbox Party Packs are perfect for friends and family. The games are relatively easy to understand, and the only controller you need is your phone (or another device that has internet and browser access). You'll be surviving in Trivia Murder Party by answering out-of-the-box questions, trying to come up with the funniest one-liners in Quiplash, and even trying to get the most dates amongst yourselves in Monster Seeking Monster. 

Jackbox Games has so much creativity within its game design, and its Party Packs will help create memorable experiences for everyone in your immediate vicinity.

5. Mario Party Superstars

While the Jackbox Party Packs can create memorable experiences, Mario Party Superstars might be infamous for your friendships. The board game-like title has you competing to get the most stars. You're exploring the board, finishing entertaining mini-games for coins, and then, by the end of the game, you'll be ranked by the number of stars and coins you own.

It gets really competitive, too, as you can steal coins and stars from other players. If you've played a Mario Party game before, you may recognize some of the boards Mario, Luigi, and the like play on. Memorable mini-games also return to the classic series like Mushroom Mix-Up and Bumper Balls.

4. Fortnite

This may get a lot of flak, but Fortnite is an absolute blast. This battle royale has impeccable controls, a stunning Unreal Engine 5-powered world, and extremely cool weapons that are added each season. It's constantly being updated, adding new, surprising gameplay elements. Teaming up with friends, completing missions, and then winning the match is so much fun within Fortnite. The game is far more accessible now for those who don't want to build; there's a zero-build option that is solely focused on shooting and world exploration.

It's also wild to see Kratos, Master Chief, Goku, and Spider-Man all at the same party. With Fortnite, anything can happen. You don't want to miss out.

3. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Excellent game design? Check. Fun four-player multiplayer? Check. Gorgeous visuals? Check. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is the full package. This previous Wii U exclusive excels on Switch with the addition of faster movement speed and the addition of online play. The music is also stellar from the start, especially for the introductory world of Super Bell Hill. I still listen to the covers of that track regularly!

The cat forms in 3D World also let you crawl up walls, adding momentum to the already stellar Mario platforming format. It's one of the best multiplayer Switch games you can play on the hybrid system.

2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is an incredible achievement. The character list is huge with heroes and villains from all over gaming history. Third-party characters like Final Fantasy's Cloud, Metal Gear Solid's Snake, and Castlevania's Simon Belmont fight against the likes of Mario, Link, and Fox in epic battles.

Tallying up your opponent's health meter to high percentages with your arsenal of attacks and then launching them into the stratosphere is super fulfilling. There's a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate competitive scene for a reason, as many love the simple but deep combat of the game.

1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

The best Switch multiplayer game is undoubtedly Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The tracks are absolutely stunning with plenty of detail and gorgeous artistic visuals. Driving in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe feels perfect as you drift around corners and get a successful boost.

Additionally, the music keeps up the exciting tone, and a big orchestra performs the score. This is a game you can set up in a living room, and four people will quickly grab a controller and play. It's simplicity at its best. Hopefully, you can avoid that annoying blue shell!

The post Top 20 best multiplayer games on Nintendo Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

There's a ton of new content in Warframe: 1999, including two new rifles and a new pistol: the Reconifex, the AX-52, and the Vesper 77. But how do you get your hands on them?

Keep reading to find out exactly what you'll need to do, and once you get your weapons, check out our builds for the Reconifex, Vesper 77, and AX-52 to get you to slaying ASAP.

How to get the Reconifex in Warframe

Firstly, you can buy the Reconifex from the in-game shop directly for 240p. However, that's not the only way to acquire its weapon. You can also buy its blueprints from Amir of the Hex syndicate once you reach rank four. Here are the standing costs and crafting materials required:

• Reconfiex Blueprint: 15,000 standing to buy. 30,000 credits, a Reconifex Barrel, a Reconifex Reciever, and a Reconifex Stock to craft.
• Reconifex Barrel Blueprint: 5,000 standing to buy. 20,000 credits, 40 Techrot Chitin, 10 Techrot Motherboards, 2 Neural Sensors, and 1 Argon Crystal to craft.
• Reconifex Reciever Blueprint: 5,000 standing to buy. 20,000 credits, 60 Efervon Samples, 60 Höllvanian Pitchweave Fragments, 15 Experimental Arc-Relays, and 500 Ferrite to craft.
• Reconifex Stock Blueprint: 5,000 standing to buy. 20,000 credits, 60 Höllvanian Pitchweave Fragments, 30 Techrot Chitin, 8 Techrot Motherboards, and 1 Orokin Cell to craft.

You can also drop all of the above blueprints by playing 1999 missions. You can check out exactly what missions drop, which blueprint, and the drop rates on the Wiki. However, chances are quite low, so you're better off playing missions for standing and hoping to get lucky.

How to get the Vesper 77 in Warframe

Like the Reconifex, you can buy the Vesper 77 from the in-game shop for 200p. Once again, that's not the only way to get it, though. You can buy its blueprints from Amir of the Hex syndicate once you reach rank three. Here are the standing costs and crafting materials required:

• Vesper 77 Blueprint: 15,000 standing to buy. 20,000 credits, a Vesper 77 Barrel, a Vesper 77 Reciever, and a Vesper 77 Handle to craft.
• Vesper 77 Barrel Blueprint: 5,000 standing to buy. 20,000 credits, 40 Höllvanian Pitchweave Fragments, 16 Techrot Chitin, 20 Experimental Arc-Relays, and 1 Argon Crystal to craft.
• Vesper 77 Reciever Blueprint: 5,000 standing to buy. 20,000 credits, 80 Efervon Samples, 16 Techrot Chitin, 12 Techrot Motherboards, and 300 Salvage to craft.
• Vesper 77 Handle Blueprint: 5,000 standing to buy. 20,000 credits, 80 Efervon Samples, 40 Techrot Chitin, 6 Techrot Motherboards, and 200 Polymer Bundles to craft.

You can drop Vesper 77 blueprints from 1999 missions, too. Check out the Wiki for the list of which missions reward which parts, as well as drop rates. However, dropping the parts is rare, so you're better off playing the missions for standing and lucking into maybe dropping a blueprint.

How to get the AX-52 in Warframe

Unlike the weapons above, you can't buy the AX-52 from the in-game shop. And while you can buy its blueprint from Amir of the Hex syndicate once you reach rank four for 30,000 standing, you can craft it directly without needing to craft other parts for it. The materials required are as follows:

• 20,000 credits
• 80 Efervon Samples
• 40 Techrot Chitin
• 6 Techrot Motherboards
• 200 Polymer Bundles

There isn't a chance to drop the blueprint for the AX-52 by playing 1999 content, so you'll have to focus on grinding up the Hex syndicate to rank four and then acquiring the 30,000 standing necessary to purchase the blueprint. As mentioned above, though, there are no component parts to buy.

The post How to unlock all the new weapons in Warframe: 1999 appeared first on Destructoid.

More than a few new guns were added in Warframe: 1999, including the Vesper 77. This silenced pistol certainly looks like a good fit for a game about space ninjas, but how should you build it?

If you're hungry for new weapons, make sure to check out the Reconifex and Cyte-09's Neutralizer, as well as all the new mods in the game. But if you're ready to build a pistol, keep reading.

How to build the Vesper 77 in Warframe

The unique trait on the Vesper 77 is increased critical chance when aiming and weak point highlighting. However, the weak point build for this gun isn't nearly as versatile as a more standard Galvanized Shot setup, so that's what we've gone with to make this accessible to any frame.

Of course, you'll get to use the increased critical chance, and you can shoot at highlighted weak points to your heart's content. The premise of this build is to build viral and heat to multiply the damage you deal and scale off of Galvanized Shot while pumping up critical damage.

Our arcane, Cascadia Flare, scales nicely with the infliction of the heat status, which won't be hard to do thanks to a healthy dose of multishot and a solid increase in fire rate. Altogether, you can take down level 200 enemies in just a few shots, no matter what frame you've got.

The best mods for the Vesper 77 in Warframe

Simply shoot at your enemies to start inflicting statuses and getting heat procs, and once the first few guys are defeated, your damage will quickly skyrocket, allowing you to easily take down groups. You will have to reload regularly, though, since your magazine only has eight rounds.

Arcane: Cascadia Flare

Exilus: Steady Hands

Mods:

• Pistol Pestilence
• Frostbite
• Primed Heated Charge
• Primed Pistol Gambit
• Primed Target Cracked
• Lethal Torrent
• Galvanized Diffusion
• Galvanized Shot

You can opt for corrosive instead of viral if you'd like. The important thing here is just to make sure you don't dwarf your heat damage with other types of damage, as inflicting the heat status is essential to scaling your overall damage with the Cascadia Flare arcane this build uses.

If you'd like to play around with a weak point build, you can remove the multishot mods here in favor of Pistol Acuity for a massive increase to weak point damage, while Frostbite and Pistol Pestilence can be replaced with Galvanized Crosshairs and Primed Convulsion.

You won't need Primed Pistol Gambit with Galvanized Crosshairs, so with the spaces left, you can slot in your favorite base damage mods. Lastly, a weak point build will want to run the Secondary Deadhead arcane to truly maximize headshot damage. Just make sure to hit your shots.

The post The best Vesper 77 build in Warframe appeared first on Destructoid.

Look, we know the Nintendo Switch follow-up is imminent. It's just a question of knowing when it's coming out, plus everything else there is to know about the elusive console. While an analysis suggests Nintendo could be a market leader in the next generation, the current Switch is still selling pretty well.

According to a post on Bluesky from ‪Mat Piscatella, executive director and analyst at market research firm Circana (NPD), the Nintendo Switch has now outsold Sony's PlayStation 2 in the US. To date, the former has now sold some 46.6 million units in its lifetime compared to the PS2, which sold just shy of 43 million in the States, as noted by data from VGSales.

Piscatella goes on to say that this makes the Switch the second best-selling video game hardware platform in the country, "trailing only Nintendo DS." This is even though spending in the US fell by 7% for gaming software, hardware, and accessories.

Some other interesting statistics

Check out what else Piscatella has to say about the video game industry. For example, while the Nintendo Switch has now outsold the PlayStation 2, it came second behind the PS5 for sales during November of this year.

A post further down also lists the best Nintendo games for the previous month. Right at the top, we see Super Mario Party Jamboree just ahead of Mario & Luigi: Brothership. We can also see – according to the chart – that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom climbed back up from 13 to sit comfortably at the number five spot, wedged between Echoes of Wisdom and Sonic X Shadow Generations.

This shows just how much life Nintendo is getting out of its hybrid console. It's been on the market since 2017 and will hit its eighth birthday in March 2025, which is roughly when rumors and speculations predict the Switch 2 will finally emerge. Maybe.

The post Nintendo Switch has outsold the PlayStation 2 in the US appeared first on Destructoid.

The battle between game consoles might be a thing of the past, especially in regard to technology. Long gone are the days when the Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive) would battle the Super Nintendo with its blast processing capabilities.

Now that all consoles are technologically, more or less, on a similar field, the battle has translated to sales numbers. With the Switch 2 on the horizon, let's see how the Nintendo Switch stands among the best-selling game consoles of all time.

What are the best selling game consoles of all time?

Here is the complete list of the best-selling game consoles of all time with their sales numbers.

As we can see from the table, the Nintendo Switch is currently the third best-selling game console of all time, behind PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo DS, along with being the only one still on the market. In December 2024, in the US market, sales of Nintendo Switch (including those of its Lite variant) exceeded those of PlayStation 2. In the American market, Switch is the second best-selling video game hardware of all time, thanks to its 46.6 million units sold, with only the Nintendo DS in front of it.

Further down the rankings, we can see the Game Boy still proudly hanging on in front of PS4 and the original PSX, with the Nintendo Wii also showcasing a very solid 101 million units sold. Since the PlayStation 4 is still on the market, it'll be interesting to see if it manages to actually sell more than the Game Boy in its lifetime. Could Nintendo Switch sell more than PlayStation 2 and the DS, worldwide? Perhaps with a price slash, to accompany the Switch 2 launch.

The PlayStation 5, as the only other console on the market in this ranking, trails well behind the Switch with less than half the units sold than Nintendo hybrid home/portable console. Will Switch 2 be able to replicate the success of the original console, considering that there are many other competitors in the same market and price range, such as Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally X?

Finally, as for the Xbox Series S/X, it hangs behind both the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Genesis in terms of units sold. It will probably not be able to surpass any of them in its lifetime, but perhaps we will be in for a surprise price slash in the following months.

The post Best selling game console of all time: where does Nintendo Switch stand? appeared first on Destructoid.

Magma in Disney Dreamlight Valley is a resource that's needed for quests and to make some cool items in the game, like the Madrigal Family Door. It can be found only in the DLC called The Storybook Vale.

Magma location in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Magma is a resource dropped in the new land of Mythopia within the Storybook Vale realm. It's the Grecian-inspired area reigned by the God Hades, who is separated from the Mistress of All Evil Maleficent.

Go to any location in Mythopia and mine the rocks from there. There is a chance to get Magma or even Shiny Magma from these rocks. Bring along a buddy who has the Mining specialty attached to them. You're more likely to get Magma from each rock while mining it, but it also increases their friendship level, opening up new quests and items for you. It's a win-win.

What can you make with Magma?

You'll need Magma for four different Hades quests, including 20 for the Fine, I'll Do It Myself friendship quest with the Lord of the Dead. However, there are also some items you can craft with Magma. The Madrigal Family Door, for instance, is unlocked after finishing the Re-order puzzle. The recipe asks for the following:

• 2 Magma
• 5 Gold Ingots
• 5 Gravel
• 5 Lightning Spice
• 500 Storybook Magic

Gold Ingots can be crafted by merging Gold Nuggets and Coal Ore together, or you can buy them at Kristoff's Stall. Gravel can be picked up by shoveling dirt in Mythopia (I had more luck in The Elysian Fields), and Lightning Spice is a herb that can be picked up in Mythopia, too. The last ingredient is hard to miss because it's bright yellow.

The post How to get Magma in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Pure Ice in Disney Dreamlight Valley is a wintry resource that can be gathered to craft items like the Fountain of Thebes and finish quests. This is only available in The Storybook Vale expansion.

Where to find Pure Ice in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Have your pickaxe ready in Disney Dreamlight Valley? Good. Head over to Everafter and hit the rocks in this new area to get Pure Ice. Everafter is the area inspired by Sleeping Beauty, which is being run by the Mistress of All Evil Maleficent. Magma is gathered in Mythopia, Hades' domain. You can also find Volcanic Rock in this area within the Disney Dreamlight Valley DLC.

It has a lower chance of appearing, but you'll eventually find Pure Ice. Make sure you're with a pal in Disney Dreamlight Valley who is proficient at mining. This gives you a chance of getting even more Pure Ice, while increasing their friendship level. Pure Ice's opposite Magma can also be retrieved by mining rocks in Mythopia.

What is this resource used for?

Pure Ice is used for multiple quests in The Storybook Vale DLC. It's also an ingredient within crafting recipes like The Stained Glass Window to Imagination.

You'll need the following to make The Stained Glass Window to Imagination:

• 2 Pure Ice
• 20 Broken Weapons
• 5 Dusty Violet Roses
• 5 Fuchsia Eternal Poppies

You can also make a neat Agrabah Chair by crafting the item with the following ingredients from The Storybook Vale:

• 1 Sorcerer Hat Hermit Crab
• 5 Iron Ingots
• 500 Story Magic

The post How to get Pure Ice in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Warframe: 1999 is packed to the gills with new content, including three all-new game modes, as well as a twist on a familiar one. But the game doesn't necessarily explain how to play them all.

Before you dive into the new game modes, though, check out the new frame, Cyte-09, how to build him, and how his sniper rifle works. Then, it's time to sink your teeth into the 1999 game modes.

How to play Hell-Scrub in Warframe

Hell-Scrub is, essentially, a new version of Survival in Warframe. It comes in two flavors: Scaldra and Techrot. These play the same, just with enemies of each respective faction.

This mode plays like traditional Survival, but instead of life support capsules, there are Hell-Scrubbers. These still provide life support when you interact with them, but they can be infected by Techrot spores, which can be removed by destroying them with your weapons or abilities.

If a Hell-Scrubber is taken over by the Techrot, it will spawn a Techrot Babau. When killed, the Babau will drop life support, but it'll be less than what you'd get from a Hell-Scrubber. However, there are a few new mods added in the 1999 update dropped from Techrot Babaus.

Simply activate Hell-Scrubbers as necessary, and you can extract after five minutes.

How to play Legacyte Harvest in Warframe

Legacyte Harvest is a unique mode in Warframe, but it plays somewhat like Disruption. In Legacyte Harvest, you follow Kalymos underground and guard her as a gauge fills up. Once filled, a Legacyte will spawn in, which is a particularly chunky enemy with a lot of health.

Kalymos is invulnerable, but the gauge will not fill up if she's taking damage. Normally, the gauge will fill up by 1% per second, but Pheroglands may drop from nearby enemies that can be picked up to increase the gauge by 15% at once. Either way, filling up the gauge doesn't take long

Once you damage a Legacyte down to half health, it will begin running away towards a Techrot Umbilix. The Umbilix can be destroyed, but if left alone, the Legacyte will use the Umbilix to escape, failing the mission if a Legacyte hasn't already been defeated at least once.

After you fully deplete its health, the Legacyte is downed and can be captured. You can extract after capturing a Legacyte, or you can continue on and capture more Legacytes.

How to play Faceoff in Warframe

Faceoff is a PvPvE mode, the first mode of this kind in Warframe, and by playing it you can earn Conclave standing as opposed to Hex syndicate standing. This mode plays with two squads of four people, and the goal is to complete a series of three objectives faster than the other squad.

There are two Faceoff missions: one is the squad vs squad version mentioned and shown above, and the other is Faceoff: Single Squad, where your squad competes with an AI squad. The modes play the same, but if you play against the AI, you get fewer rewards than in squad vs squad.

Vosfor and the new arcanes added in 1999 are the primary rewards for this mode, although you can earn Steel Essence by playing Faceoff on Steel Path. As you'd expect, winning against another squad (not against the AI) will earn you more rewards than you'll get by losing.

The three objectives you complete during the mission are randomized, but they can be familiar tasks like Exterminate or Assassination as well as a number of tasks unique to Faceoff:

• Data Burn: Transfer the data. This plays like Excavation. A server will begin transferring data, and you need to keep the server powered with gas cans carried by enemies. Once an enemy with a gas can is defeated, it will drop, and you can pick it up to bring it over to the server.
• Techrot Scan: Keep your scanner alive. This plays like Defense, except you're protecting a scanner. Jammers spawn that you can destroy to reduce the time you have to protect your scanner. If your scanner is destroyed, the timer stops until the scanner revives itself.
• Pirate Radio: Maintain your broadcast. Like Techrot Scan, you'll protect your radio as it floats around on a balloon. Jammers spawn that you can destroy to reduce the protection time required. If your radio fails, the timer stops until the balloon revives itself.
• Lockbox: Unlock the box. Marked areas on the map can be searched to find keys. Deliver the keys to your lockbox, and once five keys have been delivered, the objective is complete. Fail to deliver all five keys before the timer expires, and your lockbox will explode instead.

While you complete these objectives, you can find various boosts for your team as well as penalties for the other team. Check out the patch notes to find the full list of boosts and penalties.

How to play Exterminate in Warframe: 1999

Exterminate in Warframe: 1999 plays like, well, Exterminate. But there is a new optional objective in 1999 Exterminate missions: opening Scaldra Supply Caches. Opening these caches awards you with one of the new arcanes added in the 1999 update but also sends in stronger enemies.

To open a Scaldra Supply Cache, you'll need to find Efervon Charges. You need as many Efervon Charges as you have squad members plus one. So, with a full squad, you'll need to find five Efervon Charges. Efervon Charges are located near the cache, but you will have to search for them.

Pillars of green light mark Efervon Charges, and if you're close enough to one, a yellow indicator will appear directly on top of it. Efervon Charge locations are static, but they're tied to where the cache spawns, and the cache can spawn in different places on the map.

The post How to play every new game mode in Warframe: 1999 appeared first on Destructoid.

Warframe: 1999 is here, but with it has come a bunch of systems, including a full-blown romance mechanic. A big part of that, though, is the calendar and its accompanying seasons.

Before you worry about new systems, make sure to get the new frame, Cyte-09, and try out a build for him. But keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Warframe: 1999's calendar, its seasons, Hex Overrides, and all the weekly tasks you'll want to make sure you do.

Warframe: 1999's calendar and seasons explained

The calendar in Warframe: 1999 is basically a to-do list of tasks you can complete over the course of a month. Each real-time week is its own 'season' that's divided into three in-game calendar months. A real-time month, then, comes out to a year on the calendar.

Each week, you have a season's worth of objectives to complete. These can only be done in Höllvania, but the specific mission doesn't matter. These objectives run the gamut, so sometimes you might be getting ability kills, other times you might be defeating Scaldra.

As you complete objectives, you'll unlock various rewards. These also run the gamut, but you can get some pretty valuable drops, like Archon Shards. Beyond just loot, though, as you go through the seasons, you'll come to each Hex syndicate member's birthday on the calendar.

If you choose to, you can have special little birthday interactions with each member, which will in turn work towards leveling up your relationship with that member. Aside from rewards and birthdays, there's one last thing to unlock in the calendar: Hex Overrides.

Hex Overrides in Warframe explained

Hex Overrides are basically buffs that apply to your Warframes when playing 1999 content. These aren't Warframe-specific like infusions in the Helminth, though, and they'll apply to whatever Warframe you choose to load into Höllvania with — but only in Höllvania missions.

Whatever Hex Overrides you select will remain in effect until the end of a calendar year, so that's a month in real-time. The season resets every week, but your Hex Overrides will carry over until the end of a monthly cycle when you'll have the chance to pick new Hex Overrides all over again.

Hex Overrides are broken down into two types: Hex Boosts and Hex Factors.

Hex Boosts are passive stat buffs, so you might find a Hex Boost that increases your melee attack speed. Some Hex Boosts are stackable, so you can choose the same one multiple times, if given the option. Although, you might not be guaranteed the chance to stack the one you want.

Hex Factors are active buffs, so you might find a Hex Factor that gives you electricity damage when bullet jumping. These effects aren't stackable, so whatever Hex Factor you pick is the Hex Factor you'll get, and you won't get a chance to upgrade or reselect it later.

As a note, Hex Overrides are, on the calendar, associated with specific Hex Syndicate members, but this is just for flavor. You won't be leveling up your relationship with the Hex members by selecting a Hex Override tied to a certain member. They also won't only affect that member's frame.

The post Everything you need to know about Warframe: 1999’s calendar, seasons, and Hex Overrides appeared first on Destructoid.

Warframe: 1999 is here, but its flagship 'The Hex' quest ends with quite an unsatisfying conclusion. Not to worry, though, because there's actually a second 1999 quest, The Hex Finale.

Beyond questing, make sure to check out Warframe's latest frame, Cyte-09, how to build him, and how to build his sniper rifle, but keep reading to learn how you can unlock The Hex Finale.

Spoilers will follow for 'The Hex' quest, but there will be no spoilers for part two.

Warframe's 'The Hex' quest's second part

When you complete The Hex, things are looking pretty dreary. All your new friends are dead courtesy of a nuke destroying the beautiful city of Höllvania, and the Drifter is ready to loop again. The good news is that you won't have to wait for a future update to try out that second loop.

The Hex Finale lets you attempt that fateful New Year's Eve once more, but you'll have to play the second part for yourself to see how things turn out. However, the game doesn't explicitly tell you there is a second part, nor does it tell you how to unlock it until you've actually done so.

Plus, you need to complete The Hex Finale to rank up the Hex syndicate to the fourth rank, and once you hit that rank, the Hex group chat, as well as your DMs with Hex members, are all updated to reflect the events of The Hex Finale, essentially moving up the timeline of your relationships.

Luckily, it doesn't take too much work to get to The Hex Finale.

How to unlock 'The Hex Finale' quest in Warframe

Put simply, you need to level up your relationships with the Hex syndicate members, Eleanor, Aoi, Lettie, Arthur, Quincy, and Amir, to 'liked' status before the quest will be available to you. Once you have your relationships in order, you can start The Hex Finale from the Backroom in Höllvania.

The quest itself is short, and the game tells you beforehand to expect around a 15-minute adventure. Nonetheless, it's an essential quest to play once you finish The Hex. To that end, there are a few different ways you can level up your relationships with the Hex syndicate members.

Completing the Höllvania bounty side objectives will award you with chemistry that levels up your relationships. Simply messaging the Hex members from your Backroom PC each day will also level up your relationships. Lastly, sending the Hex members gifts can do the same thing.

As long as you do some (or all) of the above, getting to 'liked' status won't take more than a few days. You'll likely unlock The Hex Finale by the time you're around the third rank in the Hex syndicate if you're doing your bounties for the chemistry bonus. So, it's not all that much of a grind.

The post Warframe: 1999’s ‘The Hex’ quest actually has a second part, and here’s how to unlock it appeared first on Destructoid.