This Star Wars article contains spoilers.

From the Prequel Trilogy to Star Wars Rebels, Darth Maul just won't quit. The short-lived villain from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace became a standout fan favorite because of his appearance and acrobatic lightsaber moves, and after his return in season four of The Clone Wars, he moved into other mediums like the four-part Son of Dathomir comic series.

His surprise resurgence in Rebels brought the villain to a whole new era of Star Wars, as Maul clashed with the heroes of the early Rebellion. His particular interest in young Jedi apprentice Ezra Bridger made for quite a few interesting appearances. In his final episode, Maul faced off against his old nemesis, Obi-Wan Kenobi, under the twin suns of Tatooine. Maul was finally defeated, but that doesn't mean we'll never see him again. If the villain has proved anything, it's that he's not one to stay down. In fact, Solo: A Star Wars Story has already set up yet another Maul storyline waiting to unfold...

Here are some important facts you may not have known about the former Sith villain, either behind the scenes or in the galaxy far, far away:

His design was created by Iain McCaig

Ian McCaig is the same designer whose art would eventually inspire the witches of Dathomir in The Clone Wars. Early concept art for the character showed a villainous-looking woman with hair falling in strands across her face. McCaig experimented with ink-blot “Rorschach” designs as well as flayed-looking faces before finding the right look for Darth Maul. The tattoos on his face follow the muscle structure beneath.

A canonical connection between the Dathomiri witches and the Sith would only be established later on in The Clone Wars, and now continues into the new canon, but the connection was always there in the art. Iain McCaig also designed many of Padme’s outfits in Episode I.

Darth Maul wears an earring in the film - but this wasn’t planned. 

Actor Ray Park put on a small, silver earring before sitting down to do the Darth Maul makeup, and only noticed it later. But George Lucas said he liked it, so the earring stayed. Park has said that he sees the earring as an aspect of himself, not of the character - and in an Expanded Universe where every doodad and costume piece usually has a story, there has never been a canon explanation to give this particular detail a role in Maul’s history.

Ray Park also had a hand in developing Maul’s fighting style, and asked that the hilt of Maul’s double lightsaber be lengthened so that he could use it more efficiently.

He’s had two different mothers.

In Son of Dathomir, Talzin says that she’s Maul’s blood mother. This is different from his history in Legends, but only slightly.

Maul’s original mother, from the young adult novel, The Wrath of Darth Maul, was a human Nightsister named Kycina, from a region called Blue Desert City. It’s still possible that Talzin is lying, but The Clone Wars gave Maul an entire family.

Related Article: How The Clone Wars Can Be a Better Show

We’re not precisely sure how the brothers Feral and Savage are related, but they could all be blood-related from this same family. Who is the father? We don’t know yet.

Maul, like many other villains, earned his cyborg parts.

In Star Wars, cybernetic implants are like battle scars. This isn’t unique to antagonists, but Darth Vader and General Grievous had extensive cybernetic reconstruction. Darth Maul goes through this in The Clone Wars, too, although it isn’t overtly obvious in Son of Dathomir. Maul’s original artificial legs are of a similar design to Grievous’, and were built out of Nightsister magic and scrap parts by Mother Talzin.

A similar design for Darth Maul appeared many years earlier in Old Wounds, a non-canon comic (even in the Legends timeline) that told the story of Maul's rematch with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine. The Clone Wars featured an entirely new design for Maul: an eight-legged body made out of scrap metal. By the time Maul appeared in Rebels, he had acquired more refined parts. His metal legs were almost human-like.

He sought his master's approval even while trying to destroy him.

Sure, Darth Maul was a bit of a pushover for getting cut in half by a teenage Padawan. But in Son of Dathomir, he and his combined forces of Mandalorians and criminals capture both Count Dooku and General Grievous without lengthy battles. Once they're in his clutches, Maul parades his success in front of Darth Sidious in one of the most telling parts of the comic.

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Maul displays Grievous and Dooku to Sidious so that the Sith Lord can see their failure. For someone who opposed Sidious for years on The Clone Wars, Maul is very quick to show off to him - which makes for a bitter, twisted moment in Maul and Sidious’ long-standing Master-apprentice relationship.

In that way, the Son of Dathomir comic doesn’t just make Maul more powerful, it also tells a lot about how Maul seeks both revenge on and approval from his master - and that’s a story thread that started all the way back in The Phantom Menace.

Some of Maul’s Clone Wars stories are still unwritten, but not for long.

The novel Ahsoka opens with a short scene showing some of what Maul was up to around the time of Revenge of the Sith. We don’t know the exact timeline of how he got to Mandalore where he faced her. After the original Clone Wars ended after six seasons, we thought we'd never get that story, but with a final season announced, it's likely we'll finally get to see the siege of Mandalore and more of Maul's story. 

Related Article: How Ahsoka Became One of the Best Star Wars Characters Ever

The verbal barb Maul throws at Ahsoka — “One last attempt at glory to impress a master who has no further use for you” — is telling. He showed that very same weakness throughout the Clone Wars when he tried to return to Darth Sidious, so it seems natural that this particular effort would be on his mind when he faces Ahsoka. 

Ahsoka saved Maul’s life.

Without Ahsoka’s appearance in Rebels, Maul’s fate might have been very different. Executive Producer Dave Filoni originally planned for Maul to die at Darth Vader’s hands during the season two finale. However, Ahsoka’s history with Vader was deemed more appropriate for the big season two finale.

A duel between Maul and Vader would have satisfied fans’ desire to see a fight scene between these two heavy-hitters, but Ahsoka’s story had more emotional weight, Filoni said. Without enough time in the episode to do both, Filoni decided to send Ahsoka to fight Vader, and, therefore, keep Maul alive. 

Maul never really finds himself.

Star Warsfeatures many stories of young people growing up and finding their true destinies. Luke Skywalker set the example, but Ezra Bridger and Rey followed suit. Maul, on the other hand, is a perpetual apprentice, never able to move past the manipulative relationship Darth Sidious trapped him in. The partnership between Maul and Ezra in Rebels is as much about Maul finding a direction as it is about him giving orders to Ezra. 

Related Article: 28 Star Wars Rebels You Need to Watch

Filoni said, “Maul is waiting for someone so that he can be his own Sith Lord. Everything he does is a reflection of Palpatine. He hasn’t really done anything that’s representative of who he is.”

Maul's search for himself leads directly to the culmination of his story...

Maul believed in the Chosen One prophecy.

Remember that Old Wounds comic? Rebels took Maul's final chapter in a similar direction. The specifics of the face-off between Maul and Kenobi were very different from what happened in Old Wounds: the episode "Twin Suns" is less focused on their battle and more on the long bond of enmity between Maul and Obi-Wan.

In the poetic and melancholy “Twin Sons,” Maul expresses a dying wish to know whether Obi-Wan was on the planet to guard the Chosen One. Obi-Wan says yes, and Maul dies believing that there is still hope for the Sith to rise when the Chosen One brings “balance.” In the end, Luke Skywalker brings hope to everyone — even his master’s old enemy. 

Game developers keep trying to make a Maul story. 

Maul’s dramatic visual design and simple motivation have made him a popular choice Star Wars video games as well as other media. Revenge drives him, so he provides an immediate hook for a video game that could pit him against Jedi and other dark siders.

A game that would have been a collaboration between LucasArts and Red Fly Studio was poised to tell a dark tale about Maul after Return of the Jedi, but was never completed. Concept art for Battlefront IV also features Maul, albeit a light side version who trained as a Jedi (and, since he wasn’t canonically Dathomirian at the time, didn’t have his tattoos.) 

Now that Maul has finally died in canon, it seems like his story might have ultimately wrapped up on a message of hope. Even Maul, a tragic villain, was granted hope by a Jedi.

Megan Crouse writes about Star Wars and pop culture for StarWars.com, Star Wars Insider, and Den of Geek. Read more of her work here. Find her on Twitter @blogfullofwords.

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The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Nintendo will release an updated version of the Nintendo Switch sometime in 2019. 

The original report, which is behind a paywall on the WSJ's website, is light on details. However, it seems that the only significant upgrade planned for this new version of the Switch is a new, better screen. It seems that the new version of the Nintendo Switch may even utilize the "OLED panels used in Apple Inc.’s iPhone X series." It seems that this change in the screen may also make the Switch thinner and help the console's battery life. 

If Nintendo is planning on adding any other features to this new version of the Nintendo Switch, this report does not mention what those features may be. However, it does indicate that the current plan is for Nintendo to release this upgraded Switch sometime during the second half of next year.

It's worth noting that the Wall Street Journal also ran a report not long ago which stated that Nintendo was not planning on releasing a new version of the Switch in the near future. While it's certainly possible that they've changed their mind since then, that does go to show that none of this information is set in stone quite yet and should be taken with a degree of caution. 

However, there are very few people who are surprised to hear that Nintendo is actively working on a new version of the Switch. While Nintendo doesn't always release significant new versions of their major consoles, they do regularly release improved versions of their handheld devices. It seems that the Switch's portability may have inspired them to push for an improved version of the base console rather than rest on their hardware laurels. 

So far as that goes, we'd be shocked if the new version of the Switch only featured a better screen. In fact, it's not out of the question to think that they might go so far as to alter the console's graphical hardware in order to improve things like the standard resolution of games when the Switch is docked to a television. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Footage of New World, Amazon's mysterious upcoming MMO project, has been leaked online via...PornHub? 

While the footage first appeared on one of the world's most popular porn sites, it was eventually transferred over to the much more SFW video host, YouTube. Fascinating choice of upload site aside, the footage in question is also generating some buzz for a variety of reasons.  

While New World is billed as an MMO, it actually looks closer to a modern survival game in many respects. Combat looks like it plays out mostly in real-time (much of the combat we see in the footage features heavy use of a bow-and-arrow) which is probably a pretty smart move considering that a more methodical, cooldown-based approach to combat might not have quite the same appeal as a large-scale, action-oriented title. 

We also see the player featured in the video scrounge for a variety of resources in order to craft some relatively simple items. Based on the crafting menu, it seems that the items you are able to craft will gradually become more complicated - and useful - as you progress. However, the full nature of this crafting system (particularly what its role in the in-game economy is) isn't entirely clear based solely on this leaked footage. We also don't get to see the player build any major structures, which was a previously confirmed feature in this game. 

What we're also unsure of is what, exactly, makes this a compelling MMO experience. Not to be so blunt about this game - especially since we know so little about it - but this footage that was leaked could have easily come from several similar survival-based games released in recent years. A brief shot of the game's map - which looks fairly large and includes a variety of environments - hints at things like territorial combat, but we're still not entirely sure how the "massively-multiplayer" part of this MMO will enhance or affect the basic gameplay that we see in the leaked video. Considering that the game to beat in this genre is still World of Warcraft, we imagine that there will be quite a few more social elements in the final build of this title. 

With any luck, Amazon will provide some more official information - and footage - of New World sometime in the near future. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Ubisoft wants to make new Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell games as much as you want to play them, but there is a slight logistical problem that is preventing them from doing so immediately. 

“I love Splinter Cell. I love Prince of Persia," said Ubisoft’s Chief Creative Officer, Serge Hascoet, in an interview with Game Informer. "I can't disclose any information at this time, but I can say we are fighting for resources. It's not a question of will, it's a question of means.” 

If it sounds odd that Ubisoft (one of the largest game publishers/developers in the world) is saying that they have to fight for the means to make one a new entry in two of the properties that they control, that's because there are some things that aren't being said in this quote. Specifically, Hascoet doesn't bring up the fact that the slumping sales of both franchises make it difficult to justify the production of a sequel in either series. 

While the to-date sales figures of 2013's Splinter Cell: Blacklistare not official, it was said that Ubisoft hoped to sell five million copies of the game. However, it's believed that they may have fallen a few million units short of that goal during the game's early release window. What little information there is about the sales of recent Prince of Persia games suggests that series has also underperformed in recent years. 

However, of the two, we believe there's a much better chance we get a new Splinter Cell game sometime in the near future. Ubisoft included a Sam Fisher cameo in Ghost Recon Wildlands, and there were those rumors of a new Splinter Cell game in development that reached a fever pitch around the time of those E3 leaks from earlier this year. 

Interestingly, Hascoet also noted that Ubisoft is planning on slowly moving away from cutscenes in their video games. However, this is not due to budget reasons but rather their desire to allow players more creative freedom and ensure that games don't make too many decisions for them. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

The latest update on the future of Telltale's The Walking Dead suggests that what remains of Telltale may outsource the franchise. 

A new report from Kotaku suggests that Telltale is asking for another company to not only take over The Walking Dead franchise in order to finish the last two episodes of the series' final season, but that they are asking anyone who is interested in this deal to hire former Telltale employees to finish the game. The pitch seems to suggest that these hires can occur on a contract basis. That approach is somewhat noble, but it's complicated by the fact that many of those same employees are currently actively seeking work and can't afford to wait and see how this deal plays out. 

However, the good news is that it sounds like the third episode of The Walking Dead's final season is nearly finished. It wouldn't take much work to finish that episode at this point, but it sounds like there's still quite a bit of work to be done on the fourth and final episode of the season. Until a deal is reached to finish those last two games, it sounds like The Walking Dead's final season will remain unavailable in digital stores. 

Reports indicate that The Walking Dead's final season has been removed from Xbox and PlayStations respective marketplaces as well as Steam and GOG. At the moment, it seems that you are still able to purchase a season pass for the series via the Nintendo Switch's store. A note left from Telltale on the game's GOG page says that they have "requested a temporary pause of sales of The Walking Dead - Final Season." That pause comes just one day after the release of the season's second episode. At this time, the studio has not indicated whether or not they will lift this pause and when that may occur. 

However, Telltale has released an official statement regarding the future of The Walking Dead franchise. 

"Multiple potential partners have stepped forward to express interest in helping see The Final Season through to completion," reads a statement on Telltale Games' Twitter account. "While we can't make any promises today, we are actively working towards a solution that will allow episodes 3 and 4 to be completed and released in some form. In the meantime, episode 2 will release tomorrow across all platforms as planned. We hope to have answers for your other questions soon." 

Telltale has not confirmed who those partners may be, nor have they stated whether or not they plan to compensate the 225 former Telltale Games employees who were released without severance or significantly extended benefits

Their statement is likely somewhat a response to Melissa Hutchison, the voice actor who played Clementine in Telltale's The Walking Dead series,who suggested that the game's final season will not be completed. 

"I, unfortunately, like most of you, do not have the details on how this all came to be and I also do not know the fate of the final season of TWD," said Hutchinson via Twitter. "To my knowledge, they will release Episode 2 and then that will be it. It hurts me that you, the fans, will not get to see Clem's journey through to the end. It hurts me that all of the insanely talented people who made this game won't get to see all of their hard work played out, and are instead thrust into having to now having to look for work. It hurts to know that all of the extremely talented actors who lent voice to this final season won't get to experience the final ending of one of the best damn game titles in the history of games."

Hutchison goes on to say that she thanks Telltale for their work on the series and that she still considered them to be the best "narrative, story-driven game company ever."

Sadly, her statements regarding The Walking Dead's final season match what we've been hearing about the status of that franchise ever since the massive layoffs at Telltale Games. US Gamer is citing sources close to the development of the series that claim Telltale does not intend to finish the game's long-awaited final season.

That all leaves us with many questions. What, exactly, happened at Telltale that made it necessary to effectively shut the studio down before they could even finish the final season of their most famous franchise? What happens to those who purchased a season pass for the game's final season and will potentially not get full value out of it? 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

The wide and wacky world of hacking you Nintendo Switch so that it can play classic video games grows as RetroArch now runs on Nintendo's console. 

For anyone who is unfamiliar with the name, RetroArch is an incredibly popular emulator that allows users to play classic games on a variety of platforms that were not designed to play such games. It's an incredibly versatile and well-designed piece of software that allows users to play games from a variety of classic consoles. Until now, it's been most popular on Vitas and PSPs. 

However, the software's leap to the Nintendo Switch represents the service's most notable evolution yet. The Nintendo Switch version of RetroArch sports touchscreen support, split joy-con support, and multiplayer functionality. Those last two features are kind of a big deal as they really open up the possibility for the Nintendo Switch to become a full-service emulator that takes advantage of the console's unique abilities. 

“The RetroArch release on Switch is the biggest release RetroArch has ever seen in a week,” said a fan developer in an interview with Kotaku. "Seeing a fully featured RetroArch on the Switch shows how much it’s capable of.” 

Of course, the other reason that programs such as this are such a big deal is that Nintendo still refuses to give us a proper, official way to play retro games on the Nintendo Switch. The console's lack of a Virtual Console service - outside of the NES games included as part of Switch Online - is seen as one of its biggest deficiencies. The Switch is the perfect platform for retro game action, but Nintendo is seemingly uninterested in providing an easy way to play a variety of retro Nintendo titles via the console any time soon. 

While that doesn't entirely justify the fact that services like RetroArch can run non-Nintendo games as well, we're honestly not surprised that there are so many emulator services available for the Nintendo Switch given Nintendo's stance on the future of Virtual Console. Just be aware that services such as this can be difficult to install and will almost certainly violate any console warranty. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

New information suggests that Sony might finally allow PlayStation Network users to change their usernames. 

A report by Kotaku is citing "three people at three different game studios" who say that they've been taking technological steps to prepare for the upcoming ability for PSN users to alter their usernames. Said steps supposedly include "fixing bugs, tweaking settings, and ensuring that their games are compatible with Sony’s plans." A fourth source went so far as to share a photo from an internal Sony document that shows an "edit username" option on a PSN profile. 

If you're suddenly wondering why it's necessary for studios to spend so much time altering their games in order to accommodate what seems to be a simple feature...well, that's because changing your PSN username is apparently not quite as simple as it seems to be. Some of those same sources cited in this article also claim that the way PSN usernames were originally implemented means that it actually takes quite a bit of work to accommodate for the possibility of users suddenly changing them en masse. These complications are reportedly tied to the current way that PSN names are used to identify users within games. 

So far as that goes, Sony has not released an official comment regarding this rumored upcoming feature or what, exactly, developers must do in order to prepare for these changes. There's also no word on when this feature might be released or how the process of changing your username might work. However, we imagine it will be implemented before the impending end of the PS4. 

The reason that this is such a big deal is that there are quite a few people out there who are stuck with the PSN usernames they chose way back in 2006 when the service first launched. Sony has hinted at implementing such a feature in the past, but many users are baffled as to why they haven't been able to perform this seemingly simple function for the last 12 years. It now sounds like the nature of the original username system may have prevented them from simply flipping a switch and allowing changes to happen. 

For context, Microsoft has allowed Xbox Live users to change their usernames for years. The first change is free if it was a name you didn't choose for yourself, but all other changes cost $8 to perform. We imagine that Sony will utilize a similar system. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

It looks like Nintendo is working on an official Game Boy case for smartphones. 

Siliconera has spotted a new US patent filed by Nintendo which seems to be related to a plastic smartphone case that strongly resembles the design of the classic Game Boy. It's honestly not hard to find Game Boy cases for smartphones (a quick Google search will reveal quite a few that you can buy), but Nintendo's take on this concept seems to differ from the rest in two very distinct ways: it's official and it's fully functional. 

Yes, it looks like this case will allow your smartphone to function just like an old-school Game Boy. Based on the design blueprints, it seems that the case's buttons will be placed over your smartphone's touchscreen and are intended to recognize and register any commands you might input. It's not too hard to understand how this design might function. After all, a lot of touchscreen games utilize a classic, on-screen button interface that you interact with through your fingers. These buttons will probably just apply a little pressure to those existing input fields. 

What makes the design of this case truly interesting, though, is the fact that it cuts off a good chunk of your screen when you're using it. That would tend to suggest that it might not be designed to function with all existing smartphone games. It's possible to "remove" the case and put it off to the side of your phone, but that still doesn't explain what you're supposed to do with the case when the face of it is covering up a lot of screen real estate. 

That has led some to believe that Nintendo is preparing to release some kind of official Game Boy emulator for smartphone devices. That does make a lot of sense. This case would make it easy to play those games as they were originally intended, and those who don't purchase the case could still play those games in some other format (at least in theory). 

Having said that, this is far from an official Nintendo announcement, and it's certainly possible that this is nothing more than a concept that Nintendo has been tossing around the office. Still...you have to believe there would be a strong market for such a peripheral. Especially when you consider that Nintendo hasn't given the Switch a lot of retro game options and that the NES and SNES Classic Editions have reportedly sold very well. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman has stepped forward to rescue Telltale's The Walking Dead: The Final Season. 

Telltale's The Walking Dead: The Final Season was set to bring a fitting conclusion to the company's epic tale of survival in a world ruled by the undead. But then mass layoffs at the company in September put the conclusion of Clementine's story in jeopardy. Telltale eventually had to place a hold on all ongoing projects

Now Kirkman's Skybound Entertainment will be taking ownershop of The Walking Dead: The Final Season and ensuring that the project will be completed. Kirkman made the announcement during his panel at New York Comic Con 2018. 

Telltale's The Walking Dead Season 4 Release Date

The first two episodes of Telltale's The Walking Dead: The Final Season are out now on XBO, PS4, and PC. Telltale also revealed release dates for the other two episodes. It is unknown if the acuisition by Skybound will efect these release dates.

Episode 3, "Broken Toys," is scheduled for Nov. 6; Episode 4, "Take Us Back," was slated to conclude Clementine's story on Dec. 18. 

Players who pre-ordered The Walking Dead: The Final Season will receive download access to each of the season's four episodes as they become available. Players who pre-order on PS4 and Xbox One will also receive immediate access to The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series Collection, which gathers all 19 existing episodes of the award-winning series into a single package.  

Related Article: What Telltale's Stranger Things Game Would Have Looked Like

Telltale's The Walking Dead Season 4 Trailer

The trailer for the second episode of Telltale's The Walking Dead: The Final Season has arrived. Check it out below:

Telltale's The Walking Dead Season 4 Story

Here's the official synopsis from Telltale:

Clementine, now a fierce and capable survivor, has reached the final chapter in her journey. After years on the road facing threats both living and dead, a secluded school might finally be her chance for a home. But protecting it will mean sacrifice. Clem must build a life and become a leader while still watching over AJ, an orphaned boy and the closest thing to family she has left. In this gripping, emotional final season, you will define your relationships, fight the undead, and determine how Clementine's story ends.

John Saavedra is Games Editor at Den of Geek. Read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @johnsjr9. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors.

Microsoft has formally announced Project xCloud; a new program that will allow you to stream console games to mobile devices.

While Microsoft hinted at this program during this year's E3 presentation, this is the first time that we've heard any substantial official information regarding it. So far as that goes, the current plan is for Microsoft to fill data centers with hardware that is capable of running and streaming console quality games. It a technological concept that we've seen other, similar services utilize, but the big twist in this instance is that Microsoft intends to use the service to bring Xbox games to many modern devices that have a screen. 

In a new video, Xbox representatives make it clear that they don't intend for this technology to replace the Xbox. Instead, it's designed to give Xbox gamers a way to play their games away from their consoles and for those without an Xbox console to enjoy some of the system's games on a variety of platforms. They've made it clear in the past that they are very interested in exploring the growing world of video game streaming. 

At the same time, it's hard to believe that this new initiative isn't somehow related to Microsoft's next-gen console plans. We've heard the rumors that Microsoft is interested in possibly releasing a next-gen Xbox that will be a "streaming-only" digital console, and the formal reveal of this program seems to lend some credence to those rumors. 

So far as Project xCloud goes, Microsoft has been internally testing this service on mobile devices paired with Xbox controllers and high-speed connections. It seems Microsoft plans to release a test of this system to the public sometime next year. 

At the very least, this sounds like a fascinating initiative in its own right that might very well lead to something bigger in the future. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Resident Evil 2, one of the most beloved horror games ever made, is finally receiving the modern-day remake that fans have been clamoring for ever since Capcom's exceptional remake of the original Resident Evil. 

Of course, much has changed since Resident Evil 2 made its PlayStation debut, and the remake of Resident Evil 2 reflects many of those changes. Gone are the game's static camera angles and tank controls. In is an over-the-shoulder playstyle that resembles the one seen in Resident Evil 4. The game's visuals have also been updated to reflect the best technology of the modern era. 

What hasn't changed is the original version of Resident Evil 2's brilliant horror atmosphere. Resident Evil 2 Remake retains that game's ability to scare you at will. Resident Evil 2's obscure puzzles, surprisingly deep story, and use of multiple characters also appear to have returned. What we're saying is that this looks like the modernized version of an all-time classic horror game that we've been hoping Resident Evil 2 Remake would end up being from the moment Capcom first teased it. 

Here is everything else we know about Resident Evil 2 Remake:

Resident Evil 2 Remake

Remember the Licker enemy from Resident Evil 2? You know, those incredibly terrifying foes who forced every old-school gamer to jump out of their seats and run into the next room? Well, they're back in the Resident Evil 2 Remake, and they're somehow scarier than ever.

Here's a good look at the creature that will soon be haunting your nightmares. 

Resident Evil 2 Remake Trailer

A new story trailer has premiered! Check it out below:

Gamespot has uploaded a nearly 20-minute, uncut gameplay video for Resident Evil 2 that gives us a much better idea of what kind of gameplay to expect from this remake. Spoiler: the game still looks incredibly scary and has clearly benefited from the changes that Capcom has made to its controls and visuals. Take a look:

The first trailer for Resident Evil 2 Remake serves as an effective teaser for a game many people thought they'd never actually see. 

The next trailer is a bit more involved and sheds a little light on the remake's story, characters, gameplay, and how it will alter the formula of the original title. 

Resident Evil 2 Remake Release Date

Resident Evil 2 Remake is set to launch on January 25, 2019. It will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Sony is working on a next-gen console.

"At this point, what I can say is it's necessary to have a next-generation hardware," said Sony boss Kenichiro Yoshida in an interview with the Financial Times (paywall article). While Yoshida did not go into details regarding that next-generation hardware, this is the first time that we've heard someone within Sony at his level mention the creation of next-gen hardware. 

While Yoshida also did not mention the name "PlayStation 5" during the interview, we'd be shocked if Sony abandoned that simple and clearly profitable naming strategy now. That theory only gains steam when you consider that the Financial Times has previously reported that the PS5's architecture may not be that different from the PS4's. Again, it makes sense that Sony might stick with what works given the success they enjoyed this generation. 

However, there is a very interesting implication in Yoshida's words that may tell us something very valuable about the next PlayStation. 

The fact that Yoshida chose to use the phrase next-generation hardware may imply that he's commenting on Microsoft's growing interest in streaming technology. While it's very likely that Microsoft will release a next-gen console, rumors suggest that they might be interested in releasing a piece of hardware that primarily serves as a streaming device. With everything we've heard from Sony about the PS5 (and other sources), it sounds like Sony might just be interested in releasing a more traditional piece of next-gen hardware. 

Of course, you must also consider that the timing and nature of this message imply that Sony is aware that Microsoft is preparing to develop next-gen hardware of their own and that they don't want to be too far behind in the race. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Beloved loot shooter Borderlands 2 is getting a very surprising PlayStation VR port. 

Let's get the (potentially) bad news out of the way first. According to the announcement from 2K, the VR version of Borderlands 2 is going to be a single-player only game. Considering how much fun it is to play Borderlands 2 with your friends, that's going to come as somewhat of a blow to some fans of the original experience. 

The good news is that this version of the game is being developed by Borderlands 2 developer Gearbox. That means you can expect the same level of polish that we saw in the original version of Borderlands 2 as well as much of the same content. So far as we can tell based on the information available so far, nothing significant has been cut from the VR version of this title. Of course, we doubt that this build will include all of the content featured in the game's numerous (and often excellent) DLC releases. 

What we can tell you is that the PSVR version of Borderlands 2 will take advantage of the capabilities of the VR medium in some interesting ways. For instance, all vehicle sections in the game will now play out in first-person (the game previously changed to third-person when you got in a vehicle). You'll also be able to take advantage of the "teleportation" system we see in many VR games, but will also be able to control your character's movements as normal via joysticks. 

Interestingly, this VR version of the game will also give all classes the ability to slow down time during combat. It's not clear if this ability is somehow related to limitations of the VR combat system, or if it is just something that Gearbox felt like adding to the game due to the way it will enhance combat. 

In any case, you can expect to play Borderlands 2 on PSVR when it launches on December 14th. Gearbox has not confirmed whether they have any plans to bring the VR version of Borderlands 2 to any other VR devices. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has brought on Digital Scapes studio to assist with the development of their upcoming RPG. 

According to a press release from CD Projekt Red, Digital Scapes has been brought in as part of a "long-term strategic cooperation" that will Digital Scapes assist with the technological development of Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt’s Senior Vice President of Business Development, Michał Nowakowski, stated in the press release that Digital Scapes was brought on for their "talent, experience, and technical knowledge.” 

Interestingly enough, Digital Scapes'"talent, experience, and technical knowledge" is largely related to the creation of multiplayer games and modes. Digital Scapes describes itself as a studio that focuses on "specialising in AAA multiplayer console and PC game development, development tool creation, asset production, and cloud computing.” They've recently worked on the "Be the Zombie" PvP mode for Dying Light and have previously assisted in the development of titles like Company of Heroes, Warhammer 40,000, and Prototype. 

It should be noted that it's a little too early to jump to the conclusion that Digital Scapes has been hired to either develop or assist with the development of a multiplayer mode for Cyberpunk 2077. It could just be that CD Projekt Red decided to bring in some extra hands to assist with the general development of one of the most highly-anticipated (and ambitious) games in recent memory. 

However, it is strange that CD Projekt Red would turn to Digital Scapes specifically for general help when that studio has traditionally focused on multiplayer experiences. Smart money is on the likelihood that they were brought in to assist with some kind of multiplayer aspect of Cyberpunk. 

So far as that goes, CD Projekt Red hasn't ruled out the possibility that Cyberpunk 2077 will eventually feature some kind of multiplayer component. All that they've said is that the game will not ship with multiplayer enabled. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Square Enix is working on a new mech shooter called Left Alive, which shares certain elements with the Front Mission universe. In an interview with Weekly Famitsu, producer Shinji Hashimoto stated that "We wanted to make a Front Mission with a new lineup. We started this new title to see Front Mission in a slightly different perspective."

In that same article, Square Enix members noted that Left Alive takes place in the year 2127. That means it occurs sometime between the events of Front Mission 5 and Front Mission Evolved. Additionally, the studio said that Left Alive will feature three playable characters that players will bounce between at certain points in the game's story and that the mechs from Front Mission - called Wanzers - will be featured throughout the game.

Still, it doesn't sound like Left Alive is going to be a classic Front Mission experience. The developers noted that it's more of a third-person shooter that allows individual players to dictate a style of gameplay - as well as the direction of the story - through tactical choices. If anything, the game seems takes more gameplay cues from recent survival titles than it does from the original Front Mission games. 

However, the biggest news regarding Left Alive is the team that Square Enix has assembled to work on the project. Metal Gear Solid series artist Yoji Shinkawa has signed on as Left Alive's character designer and has already contributed some comfortably familiar characters as part of the game's promotional materials. Meanwhile, Toshifumi Nabeshima (Armored Core, Chromehounds) has been brought on to direct. It's also been noted that some members of the Front Mission development team have been brought in to work on this new project.

For those keeping count at home, that means that Square Enix has brought in ringers from studios like Konami and From Software to work on this already compelling title.

Here's everything else we know about the game:

Left Alive Release Date

Square Enix has confirmed that Left Alive will be released on March 5, 2019. It will be available for PlayStation 4 and Windows via Steam. 

Left Alive Trailer

Here's the release date trailer for Left Alive. 

A new trailer has arrived for Left Alive ahead of Tokyo Game Show. Watch it below:

This next trailer is largely a cinematic preview, but the ending shots contain just the briefest hint of what the gameplay might look like. 

Left Aliveis billed as a survival action shooter that seems to feature some kind of mech-based combat based on a previous teaser Square released a few months back.

Here's the debut trailer:

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.

Join us for a study of the wonders of too much free time and serious technical skills as we look at a man who has turned an Altoids tin into a portable Nintendo Wii. 

Yes, you read that sentence correctly. A man known as Shank has turned an Altoids tin into a fully-functional Nintendo Wii. Why? Well, in a forum post, he says that the whole thing was done "for the memes." He also includes some of the items he used for the build on that post if you happen to be interested in creating your own Altoids tin Wii emulator. Just be warned that it sounds like this meme required a ton of work. 

It also sounds like the whole thing might not be worth it in the first place. Shank warns that this contraption is not "logical, comfortable, or practical." He then took to Twitter (where he posted some shots of the device in action) to say that it only has about 10 minutes worth of battery life, runs incredibly hot (we probably could have guessed that would be a problem), and features some truly awful controls. 

Shank also reiterates that this invention is, in fact, the "worst thing ever." He may be forgetting about the Nokia N-Gage. 

Initially, some doubted that this thing actually works. To counter those arguments, Shank posted a video of the device (which he hilariously calls the KillMii) in action. he actually managed to finish a round of Super Smash Bros. before it dies.  We agree that the whole thing is wildly impractical and potentially dangerous...but we're also quite impressed with how well the KillMii works when you take into account just what it is that we're dealing with here. Granted, Shank has to pry out the start button at some point because it gets stuck in the case, but that's hardly enough to leave us anything but impressed. 

Shank claims that it's something of a running joke in his build community regarding whether or not you can fit the Wii into an Altoids tin. He apparently spent a year working on the KillMe before he - and a friend - finally finished this glorious abomination. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Release Date: October 5, 2018
Platform: Switch
Developer: NDcube
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Party

After years of questionable design choices and stale mechanics, attending recent Mario Parties has felt more like an obligation than entertainment. But here’s the good news: Super Mario Party is the best the series has been in a very long time, even if there are still a few nagging legacy issues.

Super Mario Party thankfully drops the car mechanic from the last two games that saw players travel around each board together. You’re back to flying solo collecting as many coins and stars as you can. You do pick up allies who can significantly add to your dice rolls and give you extra help in minigames, though. Allies can make a big difference now, as each character has its own dice, which adds a new layer of strategy to the gameplay.

Buy Super Mario Party

There are 80 minigames available this time around, and they’re all pretty good and instantly understandable for even the most inexperienced players. Despite the high number of minigames, there are only four boards (including a secret one). That’s a little disappointing, but they’re actually all quite fun. You can also go online to challenge players from around the world in minigames, though sadly, party mode remains offline only.

At least the series looks better than ever thanks to the power of the Switch, and the music isn’t bad either. It doesn’t get in the way. You’re probably not going to pay much attention to it while playing with three other people.

You're definitely going to want to play with other people as the AI hasn’t improved much in this entry. You can try to grind through Super Mario Party’s modes (and a solid number of unlockables) by yourself, but this remains a title that’s best enjoyed with three other friends in the same room. Those friends better have their own Joy-Cons too as that’s the only way to play most modes. This is a controversial design choice, as it means there’s no handheld or pro controller support, but it actually makes sense once you start playing.

Related Article: 20 Super Mario Platformers Ranked

First, it keeps things simple for everybody, as you only need to use one or two buttons for most minigames. Second, you really need the Joy-Con to play some of these games, like steak flipping or guessing how many nuts are in a box.

Since the launch of the Switch, it seems like many developers have focused on the console's portability and forgotten how versatile the Joy-Cons and their HD rumble can be. But Super Mario Party uses these features to its advantage. It’s pretty cool to see a game take advantage of the technology and show off how far we’ve come since the days of Wii-motes and waggle controls.

There are also a handful of games that can be played by putting two Switches (and two copies of the game) together, but given the logistics involved, this doesn’t seem like a feature many players will get to try.

Related Article: The Terrifying Scientific Implications of the Mario Universe

While the controls are brand new, one feature that remains the same is the randomness, though it’s toned down significantly from previous entries. Sometimes certain players seem to get on unusual hot streaks, racking up allies, coins, and stars, but victory never quite felt out of reach during the game. Two stars are still awarded randomly at the end of each game though, and it’s never quite clear what they're for. It could be for winning the most minigames, moving around the board the least, moving around the most, or something else entirely. It is frustrating to lose a game at the last minute due to one of these random awards.

Ultimately, these are minor quibbles for a title that has turned this franchise around. It may not be perfect, but Super Mario Party is flat out multiplayer fun.

Chris Freiberg is a freelance contributor. Read more of his work here.

A report by Kotaku suggests that Microsoft is trying to acquire developer Obsidian. 

Citing three sources who have been "briefed on the negotiations," the report claims that the deal is not finalized yet but is believed to be "all but done." Some of the sources close to the deal say that the announcement is just a matter of "when, not if." Microsoft would not confirm the report when they were reached out to for more information. Hilariously, Obsidian stated that "we don’t comment on rumors or speculation other than to say that the Rumors album by Fleetwood Mac still holds up."

Continuing the no comment game is a representative from Private Division; a 2K Games label that was reportedly set to publish an upcoming Obsidian project. That representative stated that "While it is our policy not to comment on rumors or speculation, we look forward to publishing the upcoming RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, and remain confident in the team there to deliver an outstanding game."

That statement seems to suggest this deal will not alter Obsidian's agreement with Private Label, but it may impact which systems the untitled Obsidian project is released for. 

In case you're wondering, this would be a major acquisition by Microsoft and possibly the company's biggest acquisition since they announced they had acquired Ninja Theory. A quick look at Obsidian's resume reveals that they have made some of the greatest RPGs of all time. On that list are titles like Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (a game that we think quite a lot of), Fallout: New Vegas, South Park: The Stick of Truth, and Pillars of Eternity. They're a tremendous RPG studio that has spent many recent years making old-school isometric RPGs. While that style affords them many creative benefits, their move away from bigger budget 3D titles is also believed to be due to the high cost of such projects. 

Obviously, a deal with Microsoft would put such projects back into play again. Dare we dream of a big-budget RPG that features the depth, subtle storytelling and incredible character development of an Obsidian title as well as the best of modern graphics and sound? We may soon find out. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Stardew Valley is finally coming to mobile devices. 

"Today, I’ve got some exciting news to share with everyone," says Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone in a recent blog post. "Stardew Valley is coming to mobile, and it’s actually releasing on the iOS App Store in just over 2 weeks time, on October 24th!" The game will also come to Android, but it's not clear when it will make its Android debut at this time. 

While many consoles and PC games that make the transition to mobile usually suffer from some kind of setbacks due to the downgrade in hardware power, Barone promises that the mobile version of Stardew Valley will be (mostly) the same game that we know, love, and are hopelessly addicted to. 

"It’s the full game, not a cut down version, and plays almost identically to all other versions," says Barone. "The main difference is that it has been rebuilt for touch-screen gameplay on iOS (new UI, menu systems and controls)."

It gets better. Not only will the game cost a very reasonable $7.99, but it will include all of the version 1.3 single-player content. However, it will not feature the multiplayer mode available on the PC version. Fortunately, you will be able to transfer your PC save data to the iOS version of the game via iTunes. Those save transfers will not include any mod data and Barone warns that "any save data transferred containing mods may cause compatibility issues."

Barone also notes that the development of this mobile version of the title will in no way impact the progress of the game's development in any way because this mobile adaptation is being handled by a separate studio. That means that the previously announced multiplayer modes for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One versions of the game will are still being worked on and will hopefully be released sometime in the near future. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Nintendo has released a "souped-up" version of The Legend of Zelda on the Switch's Online service. 

This new version of The Legend of Zelda (which was added to the service alongside Solomon's Key, NES Open Tournament Golf, and Super Dodge Ball) is quite unlike any version of the game we've seen before. We suppose that you could refer to it as Zelda's "easy mode" or a version of the game that has quite a few cheat codes enabled. 

When you start this special version of The Legend of Zelda (which Nintendo has seemingly dubbed "Living the Life of Luxury") you'll immediately have access to a ton of rupees and special items. Specifically, you'll have immediate access to the White Sword, the Magical Shield, the Blue Ring, and the Power Bracelet. Anything you don't immediately have access to will be easy to buy given how many rupees you start this version of the game with. 

Nintendo hasn't directly stated what the "point" of this version is, but it seems pretty clear that it's intended to help people who are maybe not as adept at old-school games. While we imagine that's not something that a lot of Zelda and NES fans will want to hear, Nintendo does kind of a have a point. The original Legend of Zelda isn't "hard" in the same way that titles like Mega Man and Castlevania are, but it can be a somewhat confusing and challenging game that some might easily give up on. 

So far as that goes, this new starting loadout is actually quite helpful. It's not exactly an "instant win" button (you'll still have to navigate some of the game's puzzles), but it does make many early encounters much easier. Besides, after you beat this version of the game for the first time, you will be able to access a second quest that is much more difficult. It's not clear whether this second quest also grants you the additional starting equipment. 

Of course, the most interesting thing about this game is the idea that Nintendo might release more altered versions of classic NES titles via the Switch Online service. 

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.