Author: sick skills

Back in the 1980s, and more specifically 1987, Contra in its original coin-op form was a game so awe-inspiring in its action, its graphics, and its weapons (you never forget you first spreader) that everyone who was anyone — which meant I was out from the get-go– was to be found down their local arcade pumping coins into the bleeding thing on repeat.

It felt amazing to play (once I finally got my turn) in its smooth side-scrolling platforming, fast action, and tough baddies, and it also smashed the general action movie vibe of the time, which was basically big dumb muscle men shooting everything that moved with impunity.

Yes, this was a game that laid the foundations for a whole load of arcade shooters to come down the road, and it still stands as one of the very best of the lot, even when you add in stuff like Metal Slug. So we’re in good company.

To have this sort of experience in your house was the dream, then, and it was a dream duly realised on the NES with a stonking Contra port that actually bettered the OG arcade. Man, I wish I’d had a NES back in the day. I had to wait all the way until Street Fighter 2 on SNES for my first arcade parity moment of joy.

Anyway, we all know Contra, Super Contra, Contra III: The Alien Wars and all the rest. They’re stone cold classics. But today is the turn of Operation C, a Game Boy sequel to Super Contra that was the very first handheld adventure in the series. And it’s a cracker. Yes, it is. A cracker that’s now 35 Earth-years old!

We gave Operation C an 8/10 back in 2009 (which makes my gilding of its lily much easier, thanks), concluding that, “This is without a doubt a Contra game more worthy of its title than, say, certain PlayStation entries. It hits on most of the aspects that make a good entry: challenging gameplay, tight controls, varied enemies, killer arsenal, macho tunes, big bosses.”

Correct! And quite besides the fact that Operation C nails everything it needs to in terms of its levels and action, besides the fact I can whip it out on my Game Boy to this very day and crack into a game that still plays and controls well (or you could just play it via the Contra Anniversary Collection), the really dazzling aspect here is just how early in the Game Boy’s life we got such a fully-fledged and impressive entry.

Nintendo’s iconic handheld had only been around for two years and here we had it presenting players with a Contra adventure, complete with its signature side-scrolling and top-down levels, with the only fly in the ointment being that you couldn’t have another player join you for co-op shenanigans. Hey, I would have taken that deal on more than a few Switch ports over the past few years.

Booting into Operation C now, three-and-a-half decades after the fact, and around 30 since I last played it, well, there’s an overwhelming sense of sadness at the waste I’ve made of my life since I last saw its start screen – but perhaps that’s another article for another time.

On the other hand, it’s a game that genuinely still captivates, and with just five levels in total to blow through, it’s very doable if you have a little time on your hands. Heck, it’s slightly easier than other Contra games, so you might even get somewhere in this one. You never know.

This smart handheld version did well in carefully rejigging aspects such as more complex background and level details to keep things running smoothly without removing any of the tricks and traps that made side-scrollers like this so exciting and novel at the time. Yes, moving elevators were very exciting in a video game in the 1980s – what of it?

Weapons fire off nice big bullets that are easy to track to their target, and even though Contra pros might notice the gameplay a tad slower (to help with the Game Boy’s ghosting-prone screen), this really is a proper entry in every regard.

Happy birthday, Operation C! Now, where did I put that piece of paper with the Konami code on it? I’ve heard it unlocks stage select mode.

Played Operation C? Make sure to let us know your thoughts on it in the comments.

A few weeks back, we covered news that the US suffered its worst November since 1995 in terms of console hardware sales. Well, as reported by The Game Business, the Switch 2 wasn’t immune, with sales down by 35% in the US compared to what the original Switch delivered in the same period during 2017.

Things are slightly better in the UK, though not by much. When comparing the same periods, the Switch 2 was down by 16% compared to the original Switch. It does, however, seem like a lot more people bought the Switch 2 during its first few months on the market, as overall sales for 2025 were actually up by by 6% compared to the Switch (which was also released a full 14 weeks earlier too, by the way).

Over in France, which is typically one of the strongest regions in Europe for Nintendo, Switch 2 sales for the Christmas period were down by “over 30%” compared to the Switch. This means that the UK actually saw stronger console sales than France over the same period.

Sales in Japan were also down, though admittedly not by much. We actually have solid figures here, too, with the Switch 2 shifting a total of 1.32 million consoles during the last nine weeks of 2025, while the Switch managed a total of 1.39 million during the same period in 2017, resulting in a decrease of around 5.5%. Similar to the situation in the UK, overall Switch 2 sales for the year in Japan were up by 11% compared to the Switch’s launch year.

The Switch 2 is doing remarkably well, then, and has already nailed the record as the fastest-selling console of all time. But as noted by an unnamed senior Nintendo employee when speaking to The Game Business, the “complicated economic landscape” mixed with higher price points and “the absence of a major Western game” means that the Switch 2 hasn’t enjoyed quite as strong a Christmas period as the company might have hoped.

It’ll be interesting to see how things pan out in 2026. Nintendo is currently lacking a major “must-have” title for the Switch 2, with the likes of Mario Tennis Fever and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book headlining the line-up so far. However, if rumours of a potential Pokémon Gen 10 release later this year turn out to be true, then we reckon Nintendo might have the Christmas 2026 period in the bag.

What do you make of the Switch 2’s struggling sales over the Christmas period? Should Nintendo be worried? Let us know with a comment.

Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition is on its way to the Switch 2 this year, and it might not be the only Fallout game returning in the future. This information comes from the same Windows Central report about “what to expect” from Xbox “this year, and beyond”.

According to the site’s executive editor Jez Corden, Fallout fans can “eventually” expect to see a “Fallout 3 remake in the vein of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered“, with Fallout New Vegas to also apparently receive the same treatment.

A separate story on Windows Central provides a little more detail:

“Nothing else is known about these Fallout remasters beyond the fact that they exist and are planned, though the news that they’ll be similar to Oblivion Remastered suggests they may be designed in the same way. This would mean the use of Unreal Engine 5 for an extensive graphical overhaul, with Bethesda’s Creation Engine predecessor Gamebryo still serving as the core of the gameplay systems.”

As our colleagues at Pure Xbox note, this isn’t the first time fans have heard about the possibility of these older entries in the series returning, and late last year, company legend Todd Howard said Bethesda was working on a “whole bunch of stuff” for the series.

Of course, as nothing has been officially announced or confirmed yet, there are no details about the platforms these games would target. However, Microsoft is now releasing more games on other devices than ever before, and this includes releases for Nintendo’s platforms.

Bethesda has also shown its support for Nintendo’s Switch 2 in recent times with not only the announcement of Fallout 4, but also the news Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to the new hybrid system this year. Over the holiday period it also released a Switch 2 Edition of Skyrim.

Would you like to see Fallout 3 and New Vegas revived in some way or form? Let us know in the comments.

Square Enix’s Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles recently surpassed one million sales worldwide, and thanks to this success, future updates for the title are now being considered.

This information comes from the game’s director Kazutoyo Maehiro in a press release (shared via Gematsu):

“The entire development is incredibly grateful to you all, and we are taking this positive reception as motivation to continue considering future updates to make the game even more enjoyable and accessible to an even wider audience.”

One aim, as noted, would be to make the tactical RPG more accessible to a “wider audience”. Specifics about how the development team would make the game “more enjoyable” (or content that might be added) weren’t revealed, but again, these updates are still just being considered.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles was released in September 2025 on Switch, Switch 2 and multiple other platforms.

If we hear any news about future updates for The Ivalice Chronicles, we’ll let you know. Would you like to see updates for this game? Have you bought this title on Switch or Switch 2? Tell us in the comments.

Ubisoft has started its new year with the closure of its Canada-based studio Ubisoft Halifax. According to a company spokesperson, more than 70 positions are impacted as part of cost-cutting and restructuring measures.

Staff were informed about the closure on Wednesday. Here’s the official comment (via VGC):

“Over the past 24 months, Ubisoft has undertaken company-wide actions to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs. As part of this, Ubisoft has made the difficult decision to close its Halifax studio.

“71 positions will be affected. We are committed to supporting all impacted team members during this transition with resources, including comprehensive severance packages and additional career assistance.”

The studio was mostly focused on mobile development, but also assisted other Ubisoft teams and had worked on major Ubisoft IP including Rainbow Six and Assassin’s Creed.

This closure has taken place a month after about 60 workers at Ubisoft Halifax formed a union, signing up to the “Game & Media Workers Guild of Canada”. Ubisoft says the decision to close the studio was made “well before” this, and respects rights of employees to unionise.

The union has also issued a response saying it will “pursue every legal recourse” to defend union members impacted by the closure.

In the past year, Ubisoft opened a new subsidiary backed by Tencent to focus on Assassin’s Creed and other IP. It’s been celebrating the 30th anniversary of Rayman, and also launched Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Switch 2 in December last year. Although this version didn’t get off to the best start, updates have now been rolled out to resolve crashes and stability issues.

Our thoughts go out to everyone impacted by this studio closure, and if we hear any significant updates, we’ll let you know.

The Wolfenstein series could be making a return in the future, according to a new report about “what to expect” from Xbox this year, and beyond”.

Windows Central’s Executive Editor Jez Corden says he’s heard Wolfenstein III is “on the cards” to coincide with Amazon’s new Wolfenstein television series. Although nothing else about this game is mentioned in the report, Kotaku has confirmed “it’s true”:

“Kotaku can confirm it’s true from our own sources. The Swedish developer, which most recently knocked it out of the park with 2024’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, is returning to the Nazi-blasting franchise for the first time since 2019’s Wolfenstein: Youngblood.”

MachineGames previously released Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and Wolfenstein: Youngblood on the Switch. Its most recent release was Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which will be coming to the Switch 2 at some point this year.

Bethesda and MachinesGame haven’t officially said anything about a new Wolfenstein game, but if we hear any significant developments, we’ll let you know.

Would you be interested in another Wolfenstein game? Did you play the Switch releases? Let us know in the comments.

After its announcement back in September 2025, The Pokémon Company has today lifted the lid on the theme for its upcoming Natural History Museum pop-up store, and it’s all about Pokécology.

Don’t worry, we had to Google it too. For those wondering, ‘Pokécology’ is the study of Pokémon based on their assigned habitats. It all stems from Yoshinari Yonehara’s Pokécology: An Illustrated Guide to Pokémon Ecology, the best-selling Japanese Pokémon book, which, conveniently, will be getting an English translation later this year.

What this means for the merch is a whole lot of dino vibes. The Pokémon Company has already revealed a handful of pieces you can expect to find if you’re lucky enough to hold a ticket to the pop-up store (now sold out), including a dinosaur Pokémon print, special pins, a research notes Pikachu tote, and a plushie of that same Electric Type hugging the museum itself.

The Pokémon Company also revealed a special oversized TCG promo card to mark the collaboration, which shows Pikachu walking the museum’s iconic central hall. This card will be available from select UK retailers from 30th January.

All of this merch and more will be available in the museum’s Cranbourne Boutique shop from 26th Jan – 19th April.

For those who couldn’t snag a ticket to the collaboration, TPC has confirmed that a selection of the exclusive items will be available on both The Pokémon Center and the Natural History Museum’s online stores — just brace yourselves for the dreaded ‘Sold Out’ messages…

On a related note, The Pokémon Company yesterday shared more details on London’s other upcoming pop-up store at next month’s European International Championships. Gosh, it’s a hell of a time to be nursing that post-holiday bank balance.

What do you make of this Pokémon x NHM collaboration? Let us know in the comments.