The first Mario Golf: Super Rush Nintendo Switch review has been published in Japanese magazine Famitsu. As detailed byNintendo Everything, the publication’s four reviewers gave the sports title a combined score of 33 out of 40 (8, 8, 8, 9). Famitsu’s reviewers praised Super Rush’s new Speed Golf mode, which has players racing between holes and using power-ups, as well as the single-player Golf Adventure mode. UPDATE: OurMario Golf: Super Rush reviewis now live....

Minecraft creator Markus ‘Notch’ Persson isn’t part of Microsoft’s plans to mark the game’s 10-year anniversary next month. Development studioMojangwill celebrate the game’s past and reveal plans for its future during an event in Stockholm on May 17. But a spokesperson for ownerMicrosofttoldVarietythat Persson has been excluded from its plans following a series of bigoted remarks made on Twitter, where he has millions of followers. “His comments and opinions do not reflect those of Microsoft or Mojang and are not representative ofMinecraft,” they said....

Microsoft has announced the latest special edition Xbox controller. As previouslyleaked last month, the Sky Cipher Special EditionXboxWirelessController has a transparent blue design, allowing players to see the controller’s inner workings. “Inspired by revealing the mysteries inside of the Xbox Wireless Controller, this transparent controller offers a look into the intricate technology that powers your gaming experience,” Xbox Accessories senior marketing manager Daniel Ruiz said on the officialXbox Wire blog....

Microsoft has been targeting a 2028 launch window for its next Xbox console. While its plans may have changed, the expected launch window was referenced in a May 2022 meeting attended by top company executives including CEOSatya Nadella, CFO Amy Hood, and head of gamingPhil Spencer,Axiosreports. Excerpts of a transcript of the meeting were released as part ofMicrosoft’s legal battle with the US Federal Trade Commission, which has been seeking to block theXboxmaker’s proposed acquisition ofActivision Blizzard....

A Minecraft Movie’s popularity at the global box office continued in its second weekend, with the Jack Black-helmed film clearing $550.6m worldwide. Of that figure, $269.6M was from outside the US, according toDeadline. Overall, AMinecraftMovie is tracking ahead of the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (+229%),Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (+76%), Sonic 3 (+75%), andPokémon: Detective Pikachu (+71%). Minecraft also appears to be ahead of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which managed$508m after nine days(and went on to earn$901m in 21 days, and a total of $1....

PlayStation-exclusive Final Fantasy games will soon be announced for Xbox and Nintendo platforms, it’s claimed. That’s according to the previously reliableNate the Hate podcast, which claims thatSquare Enixcould share the news as soon asXbox’s Developer Direct live streamlater this month. According to the podcast’s sources,Final Fantasy 7 Remake– which has long been available forPS4, PS5, andPC– will finally be released forXboxin 2025, followed by its sequel, Rebirth, in 2026. Both of these titles will also be released forNintendo Switch 2, it’s claimed....

NetEase has reportedly filed a lawsuit against Blizzard Entertainment, after the long-term partners ended their China licensing deal earlier this year. Activision Blizzard, which had held licensing agreements withNetEasesince 2008,pulled its games from the Chinese market in January. The move left local players unable to access titles, includingWorld of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Warcraft III: Reforged,Overwatch, the StarCraft series, Diablo 3, and Heroes of the Storm. Now, according to Chinese publicationSina Technology(viaWoWhead), NetEase has filed a lawsuit against Blizzard, seeking ¥300 million Yuan (roughly $43....

Chinese company NetEase has torn down a World of Warcraft statue outside its headquarters in an apparent symbolic gesture aimed at Blizzard. It was announced in November 2022 thatBlizzard’s games were set to be shut down in Chinain January 2023, after it was unable to come to an agreement withNetEaseover a renewal of its licensing deal. At the time, NetEase head of partnerships Simon Zhu claimed on social media: “One day, when what has happened behind the scenes can be told, developers and gamers will have a whole new level understanding of how much damage a jerk can make....

Bethesda has released a new Starfield video focused on one of the characters who will accompany players in the game. “We’re excited to introduce you to one of our favourite companions in the game, Constellation’s very own expeditionary robot Vasco,”Starfieldlead artistIstvan Pelysays in the video below. “As an early model built by Lunar Robotics, Vasco was refurbished to meet the requirements of Constellation’s mission. He’s a utilitarian heavy industrial machine well suited to the rigours of space travel....

Ninja Gaiden’s recently announced remaster trilogy will run at 4K resolution and “60fps+” on Xbox consoles, according to a new store listing. Announcedlast month, Ninja Gaiden Master Collection will include Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge, as well as “most” previously released game modes and DLC costumes. The compilation will be released forNintendo Switch,PS4,Xbox OneandPCon June 10, and according to a new listing on theMicrosoftStore, aDeluxe Editionis also planned and will include a digital art book and a soundtrack....

Nintendo’s Australian arm is being praised for its latest commercial for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The new ad is titled “Rediscover Your Sense of Adventure” and shows a businessman travelling home on the bus, looking out the window at a dreary landscape. When the man gets home late, he lets out a large sigh, and is left in the living room alone as his wife goes to bed....

This article was updated at 8:50 BST following confirmation. Nintendo has discontinued every model of its Nintendo 3DS handheld, nine years after its launch in 2011. In a statement issued to VGC’s network partnerGamesIndustry.biz,Nintendoconfirmed that production on the handheld had ended earlier this year. “We can confirm that the manufacturing of theNintendo 3DSfamily of systems has ended,” a spokesperson said. “Nintendo and third-party games for the Nintendo 3DS family of system will continue to be available in Nintendo eShop, on Nintendo....

Nintendo’s president has said the company will put measures in place to prevent resellers from significantly impacting Nintendo Switch 2 launch supplies. Speaking to the Japanese press for the first time sinceSwitch 2’s announcement, on TuesdayShuntaro Furukawawas asked howNintendoplans to ensure a smooth launch for the console, especially considering the originalSwitch’s history of stock shortages, which were often exacerbated by those seeking to resell consoles for profit. Furukawa said Nintendo has made preparations based on its past experience and planned to prepare enough Switch 2 console inventory to meet demand....