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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Adds Mega Man In New Season Pass Update

Update []: Following a major Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds update last week, Mega Man is now available as the latest Season Pass DLC offering.

Alongside this launch, Sega has shared a new trailer showing him and Proto Man in action (alongside the Rush Roadstar). You can check it out above.

There will be a new Mega Man festival taking place as well, with World Match also accessible. Mega Man will be followed by other paid DLC in the future, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Avatar Legends DLC.

There are also more free DLC characters being added to the game in the future, which you can find out more about in the original post below. And don’t forget, the physical edition of Sonic Racing for Switch 2 is out this week as well.

Once again, this new DLC follows the major game update last week. You can view the full patch notes for this in the original post below.


Original Story:

After announcing a trio of new DLC characters for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Sega has now released a new major update for the title.

Before we get into this, it’s also confirmed the Capcom icon Mega Man will be blasting into Sonic Racing on 25th March 2026 (aka next week). You can see the promotional trailer for this character in the video above.

As for the update (Version 1.3.1), the main updates include World Match during Festivals, 8 new gadgets, 8 new music tracks (detailed in our previous post), New Frenzy: Bonus Ring Frenzy, 35 new decals and balance adjustments and bug fixes. Here’s the full rundown from Sega’s official website:

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds – Switch / Switch 2 – Version 1.3.1 (18th March 2026)

Thank you for your continued support of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds! Today, we’re releasing Patch Ver.1.3.1. In this update, we’ve expanded the racing experience, improved online modes, and increased reward amounts.

Thanks to an active online player base capable of supporting multiple matchmaking pools, we have changed the system so that you can play World Match even during Festivals! We appreciate all of the players’ feedback and patience, and we’re happy to introduce this update for our dedicated Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds community.

In addition, we’ve put a renewed focus on Rings. Eight new Ring-related Gadgets have been added, along with the new Bonus Ring Frenzy mode.

We also have a string of new collaborations planned, starting with Mega Man, so please stay tuned.

Thank you for playing Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds!

Please update your game to the latest version to access the online modes, including World Match, and downloadable content.

  • PS5/PS4: Ver.1.3.1
  • Nintendo Switch/Nintendo Switch 2: Ver.1.3.1

Mode Updates

  • World Match can now be played even during Festivals
  • Increased Donpa Ticket rewards in World Match/Legend Competition by at least double
  • Updated all modes (except Time Trial) with Bonus Ring Frenzy and Item Box Frenzy
  • Increased maximum rating in World Match from 99,999 to 999,999

Content Updates

  • Added 8 new Gadgets that expand how you can use Rings
  • Added a new Frenzy Mode, “Bonus Ring Frenzy,” which causes bonus rings to appear on the course
  • Added the album “Sega Racing & Variety,” containing 8 classic Sega racing tracks
  • Added 5 collaboration decals including Joe Musashi
  • Added 30 decals from brand collaborations

New Options

  • It’s now possible to add/change a button that triggers the ability of Gadgets
  • It’s now possible to disable rental plates from automatically equipping during Festivals

Other Additions and Adjustments

  • Balance adjustments for races and Gadgets
  • Other adjustments, bug fixes, and additions to future live-service data

Mode and Content Update Details

World Match/Legend Competition

  • World Match can now be played even during Festivals!
  • World Match maximum rating has been increased from 99,999 to 999,999.
  • Increased Donpa Ticket rewards in World Match/Legend Competition
Mode World Match Legend Competition
Ver. Up to Ver.1.2.2 From Ver.1.3.1 Up to Ver.1.2.2 From Ver.1.3.1
1st 20 40 15 70
2nd 16 35 15 60
3rd 12 30 15 50
4th 8 25 15 40
5th 8 25 15 40
6th 8 25 15 40
7th 8 20 15 30
8th 8 20 15 30
9th 4 10 15 30
10th 4 10 15 30
11th 4 10 15 30
12th 4 10 15 30

Festivals

  • Adjusted CPU strength based on differences in player skill
  • We have added new rules to make Festivals even more fun!

New Frenzy Mode

  • Added new Frenzy mode*: Bonus Ring Frenzy.
  • Item Box Frenzy* can now occur outside of Team Matches as well.

*Occurs in all modes except Time Trial.

New Content – Music & Decals

Added the album “Sega Racing & Variety,” featuring classic Sega racing tracks.

Jukebox tracks

  • MAGICAL SOUND SHOWER
    • From: OutRun
  • Let’s Go Away
  • Soul on Desert
    • From: Sega Rally 2
  • Like THE Wind (B COURSE) – ARCADE ver.
    • From: Power Drift
  • Outride a Crisis
    • From: Super Hang-On
  • Main Theme (Enduro Racer)
    • From: Enduro Racer
  • God Only Knows
  • Like the Wind [Reborn]
    • From: Power Drift

Collaboration decals

  • 5 decals including Joe Musashi
  • 6 decals from Five Guys
  • 7 decals from Menchies
  • 4 decals from Fogo de Chão
  • 8 decals from Funko POP!

Addition of Live-Service Data

We have updated content for future live operations.

Gadget Additions and Settings in Ver.1.3.1

New Setting: “Gadget Button”

The “Gadget Button” activates the effect of the “Inventory Swap” Gadget or the new “Item Summon” Gadget during a race when equipped.

An option has been added to assign this button to keys other than the default* (for example, on PlayStation 5, the button can be assigned to L1 or L2).

*This feature is not added to the Steam or Epic Games Store versions, as they already allow for custom key assignments.

New Option: “Autoselect Rental Plate”

Under Festival’s Special Rules, when a rental plate matching the rule is provided, the equipped Gadgets will automatically switch. Turning this option OFF prevents the Gadget Plate from switching automatically*. This can be set under “Options > Race Settings.”

*We have confirmed an issue where, when the “Auto Select Rental Plate” option is OFF, the transition animation that plays when race rules change does not display correctly. This issue is scheduled to be fixed in a future update.

New Gadgets

We’ve added 8 gadgets!

These gadgets can be obtained once your Gadget Plate reaches “Master Plate” or higher.

  • Ring Gain
    • Champion Bonus
    • Travel Choice Bonus
  • Ring Ability
    • Double Rings
    • Low-Ring Speed Up
    • Ring Engine
    • Hyper Ring Engine
  • Item Control
    • Item Summon
  • Upgrade/Add Item
    • Go Go Omochao

The following gadgets which were previously distributed as Festival rewards can now be purchased* with Donpa Tickets from the gadget customization screen:

  • Character Type Kit
    • Acceleration Character Kit
  • Advanced Kit
    • Ace Pilot Kit
    • All-Rounder Kit
    • Wisp Hoarder Kit

*These can be purchased if your gadget plate is “Master Plate” or higher

Competitive Balance Adjustments

With Ver.1.3.1, we’re aiming to expand tactical variety through Gadget customization. We’ve added new Gadgets and adjusted existing gadgets to enable new playstyles, such as spending held Rings as a resource and gaining benefits by intentionally holding no Rings. Along with this, we’ve expanded Ring Gain Gadgets to further support these new strategies.

In Ver.1.2, strategies involving continuously gaining invincibility from Ultimate Charge had become dominant, so we shortened its invincibility duration. Since this change risked making comeback strategies from lower positions too strong, we also shortened the duration of the Drill item when used from higher positions.

In addition, because strategies for climbing from 4th–8th place still had challenges, we strengthened Collision Boost which serves as the starting point for tactics that move players up the ranks by colliding with other machines. Gadgets with similar effects, such as Ring Thief and Spin Drift, are also intended to become more effective through this adjustment.

We will continue balance adjustments based on Gadget usage rates and win rates.

Gadget Adjustments

  • Collision Boost/Power Machine Kit/Power Character Kit: Increased the duration of the Boost.
    • Previously, Collision Boost gave only a momentary speed boost and often failed to result in moving the racer up in position, so we adjusted it to make it more effective in overtaking other racers.
  • Crash Pads: Now triggers a Ring‑halving effect when hit by Ring Thief.
  • Ultimate Charge/Handling Machine Kit: Reduced the invincibility duration on a Level 4 Boost (from 3 seconds to 1.5 seconds.)
    • Ultimate Charge was designed as a racing‑focused Gadget that lets skilled players block attacks. However, as player skill has improved, it was enabling far more defensive opportunities than intended, making it difficult for other Gadgets to compete. This adjustment creates a clearer opening after activation, preserving the original idea of rewarding players’ skill in defending against attacks while still giving others more chances to counter.
  • Acceleration Character Kit: Removed the Mini Ring Thief from this kit.
    • Due to its high win rate and the increased customization options made possible by new Gadgets introduced Ver.1.3.1, we’ve reduced the number of effects bundled into this kit.
  • Inventory Swap: The Gadget Button UI will now gray out when swap is not possible.

Item Adjustments

  • Because using the Drill item made it too easy to jump to 1st place in the final lap, its effect duration has been shortened when the player is in 4th place or higher. Furthermore, the speed drop that occurs just before the Drill effect ends now happens earlier.
  • The Special Item Box had low competitive value, so its item lineup and appearance rates have been adjusted.
  • In some cases, Item Box Frenzy made it harder than normal to obtain items, so we adjusted box placement and behavior to make items easier to get.

Online Adjustments

  • Fixed an issue where desync caused by network conditions could unfairly allow other players to steal Item Boxes.
  • CPU racers were too likely to be in the lead early in a race, affecting player‑to‑player interaction, so we reduced their pace right after the start. (This does not apply to Rival races, such as those in Grand Prix.)

Team Match Adjustments

  • In Team Matches, ally CPUs were sometimes too slow and put players at a disadvantage, so we’ve increased their pace. (This does not apply to Rival races, such as those in Grand Prix.)
  • Powerful items had a greater impact than intended in Team Matches, so their drop rates were reduced. King Boom Boo, in particular, diminished the benefit of running in the lead outside the final lap, so its drop rate was lowered.
  • Super Team Boost made it too easy to return to the front, so its duration when far from 1st place was shortened. To increase the advantage of running in the lead outside the final lap, the duration of Super Team Boost when triggered in upper positions was increased.

Course Adjustments

  • Adjusted Ring and Item Box placement in PAC-VILLAGE & MAZE and Sky Road where there wasn’t enough risk‑reward balance. (These adjustments do not affect Time Trial.)

Other Adjustments

  • Expanded the Titles screen display to accommodate upcoming Festivals and Legend Competition Titles.
  • When playing as Tangle, her tail could sometimes block the camera and obscure the view of the course. We adjusted the tail’s movements so it no longer obstructs visibility.
  • In the Epic Games Store version, DirectInput controllers can now be used.
  • In World Match, Festivals, and Legend Competition lobbies, Fair Play Points will now decrease if a player intentionally disconnects or closes the application.

Bug Fixes

Jukebox

  • Fixed an issue where certain classic Sonic tracks would disappear from the Jukebox after performing specific actions. Updating to Ver.1.3.1 will automatically restore and unlock all affected tracks.

Festivals

  • Fixed an issue where animations did not play correctly during the Festival award ceremony when using AI Racer skins.
  • Fixed some unintended designs for Hatsune Miku Festival Titles

Legend Competition

  • Fixed an issue where the grade‑up animation displayed before the actual required rating.

Time Trial

  • Fixed an issue where achieving a goal time identical down to the last three digits to a rank target incorrectly resulted in being graded one rank lower. (Past records will not be updated.)

Online Competition

  • Fixed an issue where collisions with other players’ machines caused excessive slowdown when pinned against a wall.
  • An issue where invincibility durations could appear longer than intended due to network issues was fixed by synchronizing invincibility end-timing correctly.

Machines

  • Fixed an issue where Boost‑type machines sometimes did not bounce correctly on collision with other machines.
  • Fixed an issue where being hit by an item attack while drifting or jumping caused the machine to float too high.

Frenzy Time

  • Fixed an issue where Boost Frenzy ending during item selection could result in not receiving an item.
  • Fixed an issue where the Omochao Warp activating when being lapped during Boost Frenzy sometimes made items unusable.

Courses

Fixed various course‑specific issues.

  • Urban Canyon: Drifting and air tricks sometimes became unusable after passing the third Transformation Gate
  • Market Street: Early split‑path on the hill caused a dramatic temporary position drop.
  • Coral Town: Homing Punch and Slicer behaved incorrectly near the final corner.
  • Chao Park: Players could sometimes be launched off‑course in the second corner after the jump area.
  • Aqua Forest: There would be odd behavior if a player took damage while crossing the first Dash Ring.
  • Aqua Forest: After the third Transformation Gate, the machine wouldn’t transform into Water Mode.
  • Minecraft World: Players would be unable to enter the final portal on 3rd lap and return to the main course.
  • Minecraft World: Players would fail to transform into Flight Mode in last section of the track on 3rd lap.
  • Minecraft World: BGM failed to play correctly on the 3rd lap if set from Jukebox.
  • Hidden World: Players would fail to transform into Land Mode at the final Transformation Gate.
  • Dragon Road: Dark Gaia Phoenix’s flame attack when the river splits could hit players even during Charge Jumps on water. Fixed by making it easier to avoid by jumping.
  • Digital Circuit: Players would fall endlessly out of bounds at the intersection area in the final part of the course.

Additional minor gameplay issues were also fixed.

Warp Ring (Item) and Warp Ring Specialist (Gadget)

When using the Warp Ring item, an issue occurred where players could perform major course shortcuts or jump several positions at once. This has been fixed in the current version.

With this fix, the item can now be used more reliably in offline play and Friend Matches. However, because future course additions and online player behavior could still cause unexpected issues, the Warp Ring Item and the Warp Ring Specialist Gadget will not be usable in World Match, Festivals, or Legend Competition.

We sincerely apologize to players who were looking forward to using them. They will remain available for use against CPU opponents and in Friend Matches.

Current Known Issues

  • In Ver. 1.3.1, when a player is World Match Legend Rank 1, a Donpa Ticket reward that does not actually exist may appear on the rank gauge. This will be fixed in a future update. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

We’re committed to keeping the game fun, fair, and enjoyable for everyone, and we’ll continue improving it based on your feedback.

Thank you for playing Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds!


Once Mega Man has been released, racers can once again look forward to the free DLC including Red, Goro Majima and Arle. The first two characters arrive in April, and Arle will follow in May. You can find out more about this in our previous post:

Will you be checking out this new update for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds? Let us know in the comments.

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Mario Wonder’s ‘Meetup In Bellabel Park’ Soundtrack Has Been Added To Nintendo Music

Mario Wonder
Image: Nintendo

Earlier this week, you might have noticed how Nintendo Music didn’t roll out its weekly update at the regular time.

It led to speculation about Nintendo potentially holding out for the release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup In Bellabel Park, and sure enough, the tracks for Bellabel Park have now been added.

Nintendo: “Thirty-one tracks from Meetup in Bellabel Park have been added”

This takes the Wonder album from 85 tracks to 117 tracks in total, and there is 3 hours and 15 minutes of music on offer. According to Bellabel Park’s credits, the music lead is Shinho Fujii with music by Yuka Usui.

Mario Wonder
Image: Nintendo

To use the Nintendo Music app, you’ll need to have acess to a mobile device and an active Switch Online membership.

In some related news, Nintendo has also released a new wave of Meetup in Bellabel Park icons featuring icons for Rosalina and various other characters. Icons are priced at 10 Platinum Points each and the first wave is now live.

Mario Wonder
Image: Nintendo

What do you think of the latest Nintendo Music update? Let us know in the comments.

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Nintendo Alarmo’s Latest Update Adds A Wonderful Free Theme

Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Image: Nintendo

If you’ve been sleeping on Nintendo Alarmo, now is the time to check it out, with a new update available now!

This coincides with this week’s release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup In Bellabel Park. It’s a Wonder-themed update featuring Elephant Mario and other aspects of the Flower Kingdom.

Nintendo: “Wake up and jump into the Flower Kingdom with new #SuperMarioBrosWonder scenes, now available on Nintendo Sound Clock: #Alarmo!”

Nintendo Alarmo
Image: Nintendo

To get this new theme, you’ll need to connect your Nintendo Alarmo device to the internet with a Nintendo Account. Alarmo has also received free themes for game series such as Animal Crossing and Kirby.

Apart from this update for Alarmo, Nintendo is celebrating the return of Wonder this week with new Switch Online icons and a Nintendo Music update.

What do you think of this latest theme for Alarmo? Let us know in the comments.

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Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Has Received A Small Patch Today

Captain Toad
Image: Nintendo

Although the focus is on Super Mario Bros. Wonder‘s Switch 2 Edition this week and its new DLC, Nintendo has updated one other game today alongside this release. It’s the puzzle-platformer Switch title Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.

This is only a small patch, but if you’ve been looking for an excuse to revisit it, now might be the time. According to Nintendo’s official support page, it bumps the title up to Version 1.4.2 and adds support for Captain Toad & Talking Flower amiibo. This amiibo arrives this week alongside Elephant Mario and Poplin & Prince Florian. Tapping an amiibo in Captain Toad’s game unlocks all sorts of bonuses.

Captain Toad and Talking Flower
Image: Nintendo

This latest patch for Captain Toad follows a few updates for the title last year. This included a major one alongside the Switch 2’s launch. This was a free upgrade, which improved the image quality and also added HDR support and GameShare features.

In some other news, Nintendo also recently added a special Handheld Boost Mode feature, which can be enabled when playing Switch titles on the Switch 2 in handheld mode. If you want to find out more about Captain Toad, or Mario’s latest release this week, be sure to check out our reviews.

Have you played Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker on the Switch or Switch 2? How are you finding it after the latest patch? Let us know in the comments.

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Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition Gets First Update Mid-April, Improves Rewind & Saves

Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition
Image: Ubisoft

Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition may have had a few hiccups at launch, but Ubisoft has announced that a patch is coming sometime in April to fix some of the collection’s issues, as well as enhance a few quality-of-life features.

Sharing details of the patch on Reddit (spotted by Nintendo Everything), Ubisoft confirmed that Input Lag, Rewind, and save data are among the focuses for this patch, which

Digital Eclipse-developed compilation, which features various versions of the very first Rayman game, reportedly feature a save data bug, and there was no ability to deactivate the Rewind feature. These two issues look to be fixed pretty soon.

Here are the patch notes we have now, though these are likely to expand when the update hits Switch consoles in April:

Patch Notes – Version 1.1

Quality of life addition & Improvements
– IMPROVED: The legacy save game systems are no longer affected by selecting “Reset Game” from the escape menu.
– You can now create and access the legacy save game profiles, and each profile now has a separate progression.
– Added an option to deactivate the Rewind feature (via the options menu)
– IMPROVED: Rewind feature is now more fluid
– IMPROVED: Input lag has been reduced when playing the Jaguar version of the game on PlayStation

General Fixes
– FIXED: An issue leading players to lose their game progress when playing the PSX / Jaguar / DOS versions.
– FIXED: An issue leading to sound effects being triggered later than intended, especially after using the rewind feature.
– FIXED: Gameplay “choppiness” induced by using screen refresh rates higher than 60Hz. (If you continue encountering the issue, we advise setting your monitor to 60Hz refresh rate)
– FIXED: An issue leading to images not appearing when browsing the in-game timeline within the “History” section
– FIXED: An issue leading to a crash when pressing two buttons simultaneously on the Jaguar version. (The issue persists when playing the SNES prototype on PC only)
– FIXED: An issue preventing a Ting from disappearing when collecting it in the Timeline section of the game
– FIXED: An issue preventing the HIDE UI option to work as it should in the “History” section of the game
– FIXED: Various music-related issues when playing the Jaguar version
– FIXED: Instances of overlap between subtitles and speaker names when watching documentary videos
– FIXED: Sound volume option in the game version menus was not adjusting music and victory celebration volumes accordingly. (Restarting the game resets the option, however).

Thank you for your patience, we will confirm the exact release date for the update as soon as possible.

One “issue” that remains unaddressed is the soundtrack, with many songs “reimagined” by Rayman Origins and Legends composer Christophe Héral. Many fans want the original to be included, and Ubisoft responded that the “proper team will have a look at this.”

This surely won’t be the first patch, either, so keep an eye out for more, and we’ll let you know when this one is live on Switch. And there may well be more in Rayman’s future, as the Ubisoft CEO said in an interview in February.


What are your thoughts on Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition? Are you glad to see this patch on the horizon? Stretch down to the comments and let us know.

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Random: Uh Oh, Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream Miis Are Already Swearing

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream angry
Image: Nintendo

Oh goodness, trust the internet to figure out if you can swear and say naughty things in a video game made by Nintendo.

Within hours of the Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream demo going live, players quickly decided to test the filter out on the game. And it turns out, to live the dream to its fullest, no filters are allowed.

We’ll obviously be careful with what we share here given that this is all NSFW or not kid-friendly, so please click on the links below with caution.

The first one we spotted was from Bluesky user @lunick.itch.io, who gently breaks the boundaries here. And, yep, your Miis can swear. A few NL staff members have tested this with the demo, and it does work.

The Tomodachi Life subreddit has also been experimenting, a few gentler than the examples on Bluesky, while others are very much pushing things to the very limits

Truly, we are living in a utopia, and this can result in some extremely funny conversations, especially given that all conversations are delivered by a speech-to-text voice for each Mii, which you can customize for every single creation. So just imagine saying some pretty below-the-board stuff with the squeakiest voice imaginable.

Some suspect the reason there isn’t a filter is because there are image sharing restrictions, and there’s no online Mii sharing either. So it’s largely a single-player experience, but you can share Miis locally with friends.

Look, if you want to try it out yourself — and remember, be respectful — then go ahead and download that demo right now and test the filters out yourself,


Are you making your Miis say naughty things online? Tell us (but not the contents, please) in the comments.

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Poll: Who’s Your Favourite Resident Evil Playable Character?

RE Characters
Image: Capcom

22nd March 2026 marked the 30th anniversary of the Japanese launch of Resident Evil — or Biohazard — on PlayStation. To celebrate, we’ll be publishing various articles this week focused on Capcom’s quintessential survival horror series.


After three full decades of Capcom cooking up brown-trouser-inducing undead encounters in mansions, police stations, military installations, rustic European villages, and elsewhere, we’ve stepped into the shoes of many different characters, most of whom have become video game icons since the RE series began in 1996.

Whether you played them for the entire game or took control for just tiny sections, almost all of them have gained a special place in our hearts as we survived the horrors unleashed by Umbrella Corp. and its assorted viruses. Today, we want to find out which RE playable character is your absolute favourite.

Before we remind ourselves of their faces, some ground rules. We’re focusing today on people from the mainline games, so you won’t find characters playable only in spin-offs. (Sorry, Barry.) Likewise, we’re sticking to the campaigns and related story content, so no Mercenaries-only characters, either. (Sorry, Albert.) Beyond that, if they were controllable during a narrative segment, however briefly, you’ll find them below.

So, let’s take a walk down memory lane in roughly chronological order, shall we? We’ve included the first mainline game each character is playable in, plus an amusing quote (well, we were amused, at least). We begin with one half of the Redfield duo…

Chris Redfield

Chris Redfield
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil

A man of many talents and several faces, Chris was there from the very beginning in the S.T.A.R.S. team that visited the Spencer Mansion back in 1996.

“You’re pitiful. This is your saviour? You say this failure is your saviour?”

Jill Valentine

Jill Valentine
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil

The other side of the playable character coin in RE1, Jill would make a memorable return in RE3, stalked by Nemesis through the streets of Raccoon. Does anyone call it just ‘Raccoon’? If not, they should do.

“Well, he was talking about the world’s most powerful biological weapon, called Tyrant or something, I think.”

Leon S. Kennedy

Leon Kennedy
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil 2

After his RE2 debut, Leon Scott Kennedy would go on to star in 4, 6, and Re9uiem (hmm, yeah, pretending the ‘q’ is a 9 is a stretch, Capcom).

“Claire! Claire! Wait, wait! Man, why doesn’t anyone ever listen to me?”

Claire Redfield

Claire Redfield
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil 2

The other half of the Redfield clan, Claire would team up with her brother in Code Veronica.

“Don’t shoot! I’m a human.”

Carlos Oliveira

Carlos Oliveira
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil 3

Muscling in on Jill’s game, Carlos gave the S.T.A.R.S vet a helping hand in RE3.

“I’m not a zombie. My name’s Carlos, corporal of Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Force.”

Ada Wong

Ada Wong
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil 2

Smooth operator and espionage extraordinaire, Wong debuted in RE2 but was only playable very briefly in Leon’s branch. Her first major playable role came in RE4 with the Separate Ways bonus section added to the PS2 version.

Ah, Ada. We can hear the sound of your laugh through the wall… as you mow down zombies.

“Leon, it’s over. Just let me go.”

Ashley Graham

Ashley Graham
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil 4

The president’s daughter might not be the first character you’d call on when faced with a horde of Ganados advancing on your position, but she can hide in a bin with the best of ’em. We’re hoping she’ll get to ditch the damsel-in-distress role in a future instalment.

“Hey, what are you looking at!?”

Rebecca Chambers

Rebecca Chambers
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil

Technically, Rebecca is playable in the original RE in certain scenarios if you’re playing as Chris, although her team-up in RE0 with the next character on our list was her main starring role in the series…

“My first mission and I’ve already disobeyed orders. So much for my great law enforcement career.”

Billy Coen

Billy Coen
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil 0

With only one series appearance to his name so far, we wonder if convict Billy might reappear in future entries.

“If you haven’t noticed there are some pretty freaked out things on this train and I for one want to get out of here.”

Sheva Alomar

Sheva Alomar
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil 5

Another one-and-done character at the time of writing. As with Billy, we’d like to see what Sheva’s been up to since 2009, back when she teamed up with Chris and finally took down [REDACTED] once and for all (surely?).

“We’re partners, to the end.”

Jake Muller

Jake Muller
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil 6

Jake has the misfortune of starring in the least-revered entry in the series, but his place in the RE pantheon is secure, if only as the son of Albert Wesker. Maybe one day we’ll see him in a more celebrated game.

“I’m not one of those roided-out freaks, you morons!”

Sherry Birkin

Sherry Birkin
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil 2

Technically playable, briefly, in RE2, it was RE6 where Sherry, daughter of William and Annette, got her first starring role. As with Jake, the parental baggage here is heavy.

“Leon’s not just anyone. He saved my life back in Raccoon City.”

Helena Harper

Helena Harper
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil 6

A Secret Service agent with a sister whose name was Deborah (it never suited her), RE6 went out of its way to introduce new playable characters, and Helena is another protagonist we’ve yet to see return.

“You’re not entirely sane, are you?”

Piers Nivans

Piers Nivans
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil 6

The last of RE6’s one-game wonders, Piers is a little different to most other characters here, as he gets augmented abilities thanks to a little C-virus mutation. Larvely.

“You can’t imagine my delight at having to escort your ass outta here.”

Ethan Winters

Ethan Winters
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil 7

Speaking of augmented abilities, Ethan’s pretty handy, too.

Winters spanned REs 7 and 8, and is the only faceless person in the character lineup. You can technically see his face in RE8 if you’re quick, but he’s much more interesting if you focus on his hands and imagine he looks like…well, someone interesting.

“Man, screw this castle!”

Grace Ashcroft

Grace Ashcroft
Image: Capcom

First playable in: Resident Evil 9

And finally, the latest protagonist to join the RE ranks. FBI agent Grace has taken some stick for being a “scaredy cat”, but frankly, we can’t all be as jaded and immune to the survival horrors as a Leon or a Chris, can we? We think she handles it all remarkably well.

*heavy breathing* “The hell?” * heavy breathing*


And there you have it! Let us know which of the characters above are your absolute favourites in the poll below, and scooch on down to the comments if you want to elucidate, or if — horror of horrors — we’ve gone and forgotten someone!

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Random: Breath Of The Wild’s Rito Village Looks Incredible In Pokémon Pokopia

Pokémon Pokopia and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Image: Nintendo Life

We knew Pokémon Pokopia would bring out the creative types in many players — some have spent years practicing in Minecraft and Animal Crossing, after all. And it was only a matter of time until those Nintendo crossovers started to crop up.

moyashi, who brings that aforementioned experience with them, has recreated Rito Village and Divine Beast Vah Medoh from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild , block by block. The scale is ridiculous, and the whole build is extremely accurate.

There are a few minor gameplay spoilers in the video below, but if you don’t mind that, you’ll get a complete 360-view of the build during the day and at night, which is appropriately filled with a bunch of bird Pokémon.

Every detail has been including, from the positioning of the houses to the statues across the village, and even the roof colours match as best as they can.

Then, right at the very top of the mountain, you’ll find Vah Medoh gloriously soaring across the skies. Well, it’s static, and you can’t go inside it, but it’s extremely impressive, complete with the grassy area on its wings.

We wish we were this good at building, let alone this creative, and we can’t imagine how long it took moyashi to replicate this.

Hey, look, at least we can build houses. That’s a start, right?


Have you made any wild creations in Pokémon Pokopia yet? Let us know in the comments.

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FIFA Returns With Free-To-Play Arcade-Style Football And An Utterly Bizarre Roster

Things have been a bit quiet with the FIFA series in recent years, due to EA and FIFA failing to reach an agreement over licensing fees. But the series is returning in 2026 with the free-to-play arcade football game FIFA Heroes.

Yes, perhaps not in the format we quite expected or wanted, but that’s what we’re getting. Development in the hands of VR studio ENVER, and the game is coming to Switch sometime later this year, following a mobile release on 28th April 2026.

The trailer up-top gives us our first look at the colourful arcade sports title (with very little gameplay). Instead, we do get a little sneak peek at some of the playable character, and of course there are football legends such as Diego Maradona and more-recent popular players such as Harry Kane, Eduardo Camavinga, and Jordan Pickford among thew line-up.

But then we also have Thor (yes, the Norse God of Thunder) and Sun Wukong, the Chinese mythological hero and central figure of the Chinese epic novel Journey to the West. Let that sink in for a bit.

Ultimately, this is an arcade game, and the FIFA World Cup mascots are also all playable, so it’s not a serious football game — the developer says the game “is about unpredictability, not simulation.” But, really? There are so many iconic players from history you can pick from, and some will likely be added in later, but diving into myth and legend seems… strange.

Anyway, as you’d expect from a F2P title, there are Live Service elements and in-game currencies focusing on cosmetics, but all “core content can be earned through play”, ENVER states.

Here’s a brief rundown of the gameplay itself, then:

FIFA Heroes is designed as an arcade-first football experience. Matches are two minutes in length, built for quick sessions while retaining competitive depth

Core gameplay features include:
– 5v5 competitive matches
-Online head-to-head leagues
-Limited-time events
– Seasonal progression systems
– Special abilities that alter match dynamics

Players can activate game-changing powers, including teleport dribbles, flaming power shots, and magnetic tackles. The game is intentionally stylised and fast-paced, prioritising responsiveness and spectacle over simulation

Season Passes, rotating challenges, and live events support long-term engagement


We’ll have to see how things pan out when the mobile version releases next month; for now, let us know your thoughts on this strange crossover in the comments.

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Nintendo To Change Pricing For Digital & Physical Switch 2 Exclusives, Starting With Yoshi

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
Image: Nintendo Life

Update []: Nintendo has confirmed to IGN that “The cost of physical games is not going up” following today’s announcement that digital MSRPs will be different for Switch 2 games from May 2026.

Nintendo clarified to the publication that “This means that when Nintendo sells digital versions of Nintendo published games exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 to consumers in the U.S., those prices will have an MSRP that is lower than their physical counterparts.”

It once again reiterated that retailers can set their own prices.


Original Story: Nintendo of America has just announced that first-party Switch 2 exclusives on the eShop will be getting a different MSRP (that’s manufacturer’s suggested retail price) compared to physical releases.

What that means is that, going forward, it’s very likely that digital games will be cheaper that physical games in the US on Switch 2. Nintendo is kicking this off with the upcoming Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, which will cost $59.99 digitally and $69.99 physically, from the Nintendo Store.

Sharing the new on its support website, the company says that “Nintendo games offer the same experiences whether in packaged or digital format, and this change simply reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing each format and offers players more choice in how they can buy and play Nintendo games.”

Now, this announcement was made by Nintendo of America and has also been shared by Nintendo of Canada on social media. But it’s worth noting that this has been the standard for first-party Switch 2 games in the UK, Europe, and Japan since the console’s release back in June 2025.

For example, in the UK, Mario Kart World is £66.99 on the eShop, while the physical MSRP is £74.99. The same can be said for Donkey Kong Bananza, which is £58.99 on the eShop and £66.99 on the My Nintendo Store.

So this is likely just the US getting in-line with the rest of the world. Certainly a bit of a surprise on a Tuesday afternoon, though.

Those concerned, we should highlight that Nintendo does state that retailers can set their own prices for physical and digital games. So prices will vary for every title, and some stores may sell cheaper than others. And this appears to only affect Switch 2 first-party games.


Let us know what you think of the news in the comments.