Ridley has made a comeback in recent years. After finally being added to the Super Smash Bros. series as a playable fighter in the Switch version of the game, First 4 Figures is now teasing the antagonist’s upcoming statue, based on his meta form featured in the Metroid Prime series.

The short clip below reveals reservations will open on Friday (we’re guessing that’s next week) and there’ll also be a ‘Q&A’ on 18th January. There are no other details to share about this statue at this point in time, but as with all F4F releases, it’ll likely require you to empty out every penny in your wallet if you do want it. Take a look at the brief teaser below:

Have you ever wanted a large and expensive Meta Ridley statue in your house? Tell us below.

We’ve reached yet another weekend, which can only mean one thing: it’s time for the Nintendo Life ‘What Are You Playing?’ feature extravaganza! Are we overselling it? Maybe.

Anyway, as always, expect to find members of the team discussing their weekend gaming plans in our lovingly-crafted paragraphs below. If you feel up to it, make sure to join in the fun by leaving a vote in our poll and maybe even a comment in the box where the comments go. It’s been a long week, okay? Enjoy!

Austin Voigt, contributing writer

I actually have sort of a strange throwback weekend planned: I got a retro itch earlier this week and reordered the old Atomic Purple Game Boy Color I played copiously in my youth, along with my favorite titles from that system – Pokémon Crystal and Hamtaro: Ham Hams Unite (I was quite young when I had this system, don’t judge). Ah, the memories. So, I’ll be replaying some of those nostalgic gems – while, of course, hitting all of the other games in my Switch rotation like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Splatoon 2.

Liam Doolan, news reporter

I’ll be honest; it was hard to convince myself to buy Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch. Regardless of additional content such as a proper battle mode, it was still tough to come to terms with the idea of purchasing what still is – for most parts – the exact same game as the Wii U release. Fortunately, I didn’t have this same predicament with New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. Well, kind of.

When the Wii U generation arrived, it was the first time ever I didn’t rush out and buy a Nintendo system on release. I held off for a bit until I was sure games such as Super Mario 3D World were on the way. As a result, I completely skipped the launch title New Super Mario Bros. U and instead opted with the standalone and much more challenging game, New Super Luigi U.

It’s been worthwhile in the long-run. Unlike many others here who have already played the original game, I had no hesitation in picking this new version up as soon as I could. Even if I have played the Luigi expansion before, I’ve still got the entire original game to experience for the first time. So, that’s what I’ll be playing this weekend!

Gavin Lane, contributing writer

This weekend I’ll be fighting off hordes with a beam sword as I tackle Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes for review – look out for the verdict right here next week. Assuming there’s any time left (and that I can resist Out Run’s charms), I’m eager to try co-op game Catastronauts. From our Nindie Round Up and the trailers, it seems like a space-based Overcooked with lashings of hot FTL. We’ve kinda fallen off Overcooked 2 in our household after getting ruined by the recently added 4-star challenges, and this looks like familiar fun. “But it’s just Star Trek: Overcooked!” Er, yeah! What’s not to like?!

Ryan Craddock, staff writer

To keep playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, over and over again, or to try something different for a change? That is the question that will be keeping me up at night this weekend. Well, not quite, but you get the point.

Since Smash launched last month I’ve barely touched anything else, hopelessly addicted to its brawling ways. As amazing as it is, though, I am slowly starting to get a little tired of it and keep craving something just a little bit different. I’ve been eyeing up New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, because I do love a good Mario platformer every now and then, but I’m not entirely convinced that I want to throw cash at it just yet. A weekend of decision making rather than game playing, then.

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln, reviewer

My weekend is packed to the rafters with gaming plans, and all in the name of you good folks at NintendoLife.com. I’ll be playing everything Everything has to offer to see if Everything really means… EVERYTHING. I’ll be returning to one of my all-time PS2 faves in the original Onimusha as it makes its way to Switch and pushing my nerves and sanity to the edge with hardcore platformer Octahedron: Transfixed Edition. Expect some lovely words from me on the site next week. Have a good ‘un!

Gonçalo Lopes, contributing writer

My faith has been sealed, one whole day ahead of official release to ensure I got hooked early. If there is something that I still can’t resist it’s an epic JRPG journey and that is exactly what Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition is (and I am still in awe with the contents of the Premium Edition!). Consider that I never got to play this one when it was first released and I have been a fan of the series all the way back to original Super Famicom release. Is this entry truly the Tales of Symphonia–killer some proclaim? Time and discipline will tell… Along with a few rounds of SEGA AGES Out Run for relaxation between long JRPG sessions, of course.

Dave Letcavage, contributing writer

Now that the wife and I have unlocked all fighters and completed World of Light, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be taking more of a backseat around here. It’s still going to receive a lot of attention, but it’s no longer going to be my primary focus. Instead, I’m either going to devote the majority of my game time to Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, or Dead Cells. I haven’t decided which just yet. I’m leaning toward something action-oriented, so the latter two are the likeliest candidates.

As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to leave a vote in the poll above and a comment below with your gaming choices over the next few days…

HomeKit and AirPlay 2 will unlock a host of new functionality thanks to integration into many leading manufacturer’s television sets, including Samsung, Vizio, and LG. AppleInsider examines what that will look like, and what you’ll be able to do, when the features are available.

Arguably the biggest news out of CES 2019 was Apple’s surprise embrace of the TV industry with four major manufacturers announcing the integration of key Apple features into their sets. LG, Vizio, Sony, and Samsung all announced support for AirPlay 2 and Siri on some recent TVs while all but the last introducing support for HomeKit.

Immediately after the news emerged, social media was rife with potential customers evaluating the purchase of a new model —even before solid information was available about what HomeKit can and can’t do. So, while we await software updates, and the release of the promised new models, let’s talk about it.

A new category is introduced

TVs are now an entirely new category in HomeKit, which means they don’t show as solely as a simple speaker or Apple TV. They have their own properties and characteristics exposed to HomeKit.

Speakers, for instance, you can just turn up/down as well as play/pause. Alternatively, TVs have many more options within HomeKit.

To start, you can turn your set on or off or adjust the volume all the means you interface with HomeKit now, including Siri. Changing the input, controlling the brightness, and setting the picture mode or media state is all possible through HomeKit as well. This opens up so much more, especially if can be integrated into scenes.

Taking things even further, normal remote functions can be carried out through HomeKit with key simulation. So if there is something the TV needs to do unique, it is possible to expose those keys for use, negating the need to ever grab the manufacturer’s remote ever again.

This is possible with the Apple TV now —to some extent. There is limited HDMI-CEC information transmittal back to a television through the HDMI cable to a compatible television, but the implementation is spotty.

Integration into scenes

Speakers, as mentioned, really only can have their volume and media state controlled through HomeKit. They can’t be integrated into scenes like other accessories. This is very limiting to users and high on our wish list for June.

TVs, on the other hand, have many more properties that could make more sense in scenes —but, as of yet, specific information on what can be done is limited, and vendors at CES itself weren’t talking about it.

But for now, your bedtime scene now doesn’t just turn off the lights, lock the doors, close the garage, shut the blinds, and turn down the temperature. It should be able to do all that plus shut off your TV without relying on a HomeKit socket.

Maybe a “movie time” scene will be able to dim the lights and turn on the TV. A “Night mode” scene may be able to turn on the TV and turn the volume to a less wall-shaking decibel out of respect for others. “Game time” could turn on the TV, set a cool color backlight with the Hue Play, turn up the volume, and switch the input to your PS4.

Inevitable limitations

Naturally, there are going to be limitations here on what you can do. The biggest is that this won’t act as an Apple TV replacement. Samsung’s implementation isn’t getting HomeKit —but is getting the iTunes movies and TV store. Also, the Vizio and LG versions don’t have iTunes, and are limited to just AirPlay 2 and HomeKit. The full tvOS experience and all that entails still remains exclusive to the Apple TV.

The new TVs also won’t act as a Home Hub. You still need an Apple TV, a plugged-in iPad, or a HomePod for this. Having a Home Hub gives external secure access to any HomeKit accessories like lights or locks.

Start playing

These new TVs and updates will be available soon in a variety of sizes and price points. If you’re in the market, these would be excellent to consider, whether or not you already have an Apple TV. And, it’s worthwhile to see what can be found refurbished from Vizio, given that the company will roll out support for some supporting models back to 2016.

Apple has compiled a list on its website to see which models may be getting the update and which new ones are on the way.

This week at Bungie, the fourth forge was unlocked.  

We will be applying what we learned from this activity to experiences we’re creating for future releases.

Thanks for playing.

Over 9000 

Dan: Hello Super Aficionados! It’s DanG here to tell you about upcoming changes to subclasses. In the 2.1.4 update, you will experience fresh changes to most of the Supers and a couple goodies here and there for the subclasses at large. If you want just the quick takeaway: damage was increased for most Supers (and slightly reduced for Blade Barrage and Nova Warp), and we’ve injected a couple new tricks into some of the older subclass paths. Keep reading for a more detailed look.

Josh Hamrick recently touched on our upcoming plans for Sandbox, and we wanted to expand on our intentions a bit further. These are some of the goals guiding us:

• As frequently as possible, continue to shift the combat meta with Sandbox updates to keep Destiny fresh
• Investigate and improve outliers—underperformers in terms of popularity or effectiveness—to keep all of your given Sandbox options feeling like relevant and effective choices
• Address major Quality of Life Sandbox issues reported by the community to maintain a smooth and consistent gameplay experience in Destiny

In this specific update, our goal was to look at Supers holistically across the board, bringing up damage where they underperform, fixing some major pain points, and adding new functionality where inspiration struck. To accomplish this, we did the following:

• Compiled community feedback
• Looked at data, both usage rates and effectiveness
• Playtested changes and continued adjusting

So, specifically which Supers got a bump?

Damage Increases:

• Golden Gun (three-shot and six-shooter)
• Shadowshot (Moebius Quiver)
• Arc Staff
• Burning Maul
• Hammer of Sol (Code of the Siegebreaker)
• Fist of Havoc
• Sentinel Shield
• Nova Bomb (Cataclysm and Vortex)
• Daybreak

Small Damage Decrease:

• Blade Barrage
• Nova Warp

This is the beginning of a process. We believe we’ve found a good place around which to balance the subclasses. This means a few outliers will come down a bit, but most will be brought up. It will involve changes to Super damage, tuning numbers on perks to make them more effective, or even wholesale replacing them when they aren’t performing.

Below you will find the very start of these changes. If you don’t see a particular improvement you were hoping for, know that there will be more to come. And please continue to let us know what you think as we make changes. We appreciate your feedback and share in your passion.

Hunter

Gunslinger

• Golden Gun
• Six-Shooter kills return a bullet
• Practice Makes Perfect Super regen increased
• Blade Barrage 
• The damage is now heavily weighted on the delayed explosion instead of the knife impact
• Now deals self-damage if the knives explode too close
• Fixed a bug where the knives would track allies

This Golden Gun change brings increased uptime with your Super. For the Way of the Outlaw, this means a skill-based mechanic to extend it. For Way of the Sharpshooter, it’s the ability to earn your Super more quickly. 

Nightstalker

• Moebius Quiver
• Entire damage bonus is applied on the first hit instead of stacking and multiplying
• Increased tether radius and lifetime
• Made it easier to fire successive tethers
• Spectral Blades
• Damage resistance in stealth decreased
• Duration of Super while invisible slightly decreased

This is step one for Shadowshot, and we intend to keep improving the way it works. For this pass, we focused on Moebius Quiver quality of life. 

Arcstrider

• Super damage is now more heavily weighted toward the heavy palm strike attack
• No attack damage was reduced, but much of the added damage for this Super went into the heavy attack
• Lethal Current bonus damage increased

Titan

Sunbreaker

• Sunspots
• Doubled the damage of the burn on enemies
• Sun Warrior
• Buff length increased from 3 seconds to 5 seconds
• Now increases ALL outgoing damage
• Burning Maul
• Slam radius increased
• Slam fire tornado improved homing

• Super damage is more heavily weighted on the heavy shield charge attack.
• No attack damage was reduced, but much of the added damage for this Super went into the heavy attack

• Terminal Velocity
• There are now three tiers of hang time
• The amount of hang time for each tier has been reworked
• Each tier of hang time now causes four damaging shocks instead of three
• The damage for the hang time bonuses has been increased significantly
• Trample
• The light shoulder attack Super cost has been reduced by ~85%
• Trample can now trigger every 0.5 seconds, up from every 1 second

For Code of the Earthshaker, the change to Terminal Velocity should make it more engaging. The first tier is now easier to achieve. For the second tier, you’ll probably want some high ground, but if all you have is flat land, a directional slam near the peak of your lift can proc it. Finally, there’s a new third tier that will require some serious height to activate. On top of that, you’ll not only need to land your hang time slams, but also do it quickly enough to get in all four possible to maximize damage.

With Code of the Juggernaut, if you play it right, you can extend your Super for minutes (in PvE). I know this sounds crazy, but it takes foresight and strategic choices. The light shoulder attack is almost a movement mode with the new cheaper cost. With the increased mobility, you should be able to lay some shoulder on bigger targets and then go on a run for little guys to rebuild your Super energy.

Warlock

• Super duration increased

Voidwalker

Changes:

• Cataclysm
• Increased detonation radius
• Cluster damage increased
• Improved cluster bomb homing to make it more consistent against single targets
• Cluster bombs no longer detonate one another
• Vortex
• Linger damage increased significantly
• Nova Warp
• Slower movement while charging
• Charging costs more energy and overall duration is reduced
• Damage resistance reduced very slightly
• PvP damage reduction
• Charged detonation will no longer be able to one shot another player in their Super, provided it has damage resistance

Summed up: “Nova Bomb, now not just for large groups.”

The Nova Warp changes above are all small, but we think together they will help bring it down into a good place—a place similar to the Supers that we’re raising up. 

Stormcaller

• Stormtrance
• Increased number of targets for chain lightning by 1

Well, my part of this TWAB is Super over. But hey, thanks for reading! We’re genuinely excited to get these changes in your hands and look forward to hearing what you think when you put hands to controllers/keyboards and mice. 

Making Matches

Next week, we will adjust matchmaking settings in Competitive. This change is scheduled to take effect on January 15 at 10 AM PST. The World Systems Team has been gathering feedback and using it in conjunction with player data to make the next change for how we match opponents in the Competitive playlist. 

We will be changing the matchmaking parameters so that opponents you find in Competitive matchmaking will be closer to your Glory rank. While the imbalanced match can still happen, we believe this change will reduce the number of occurrences dramatically. Players may experience longer matchmaking times as we will try to ensure a good Glory rank match before opening up the search criteria. Thank you so much for your feedback, and please keep it coming. We’re always improving the game and your feedback helps steer the conversation.

Fe

Saladin is making his regular visit to the Tower next week for the first Iron Banner of 2019. He brings with him weapons and armor to be earned by Guardians who chose to face off in the great tournament. Here are the rewards you can get your hands on.

Iron Banner and Valor Bonus

Begins: January 15, 2019

Where Are My Keys?

Player Support has your back out there in the wild. 

This is their report.

Shredding GUITARS

Shortly after the launch of Destiny 2: Forsaken, Destiny Player Support began monitoring player reports describing intermittent GUITAR errors in the final encounters of the “Last Wish” raid. These errors have been especially impactful to players attempting the “Petra’s Run” Triumph, which requires fireteams to complete the “Last Wish” raid in a single session with no deaths.

After comprehensive investigation, we currently believe that “Last Wish” GUITAR errors occur when players hit the limit on the number of server-controlled objects within a single area. This issue is exacerbated during the final encounter in “Last Wish,” when encounter-specific objects are left over from the Riven fight. Reaching this limit causes the server to crash, resulting in GUITAR errors for all players.

Our teams are working to identify this issue’s root cause, and are currently testing solutions to resolve these elevated errors. While no strict timeline can be guaranteed, possible solutions are being tested with the intent of shipping in Destiny 2 Update 2.2.0 in March. When more information is available, we’ll be sure to sound off.

Season of the Forge Vital Information and Known Issues

In addition to the items listed above, Destiny Player Support would like to remind players of the currently tracked vital information and known issues which players should be aware of in Destiny 2.

• Obsidian Accelerator: We are investigating an issue with the Obsidian Accelerator in which the item is DISCARDED when players select the “Use” button. Players should turn this item in to Ada-1 instead of selecting the “Use” option on the item.
• Key Mold and the Mysterious Box: We are investigating player reports regarding the Black Armory Key Mold only becoming available on the first character it is received on.
• Forge Key Issues: Investigations are ongoing regarding an issue where forge keys may not be counting toward the Mysterious Box, and players aren’t able to obtain another key.
• Master Smith Triumph: We are investigating an issue where the “Master Smith” Triumph doesn’t count Rare research frames in its total.
• Le Monarque “Poison Arrows” Perk: We are investigating an issue where the “Poison Arrows” perk on the Le Monarque Exotic bow is inconsistent over long distances.
• Forged in Fire Triumph: We are investigating an issue where the “Forged in Fire” Triumph can’t be claimed after players complete their “Forged in Fire” Badge in their Collections.

The Film Is Not Yet Rated

This is a special Friday edition of Movie of the Week! Sure it’s late, but that’s better than never. We were a little busy breaking news around here. That doesn’t mean your awesome content isn’t important. We thrive on watching your exploits and sharing them with the world. 

Movie of the Week: EXO 

Honorable Mention: OHK

As always, both of these videos will net their creators a fancy emblem. If you are one of the creative individuals that made a winning entry, make sure your name is in the description of the video. 

Iron Banner starts next week. A quest to earn a storied Hand Cannon is coming up next. I’m super ready for the subclass changes that come along with it. Thanks for continuing on this journey with us.

<3 Cozmo

Begin your adventure in Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition

A power struggle begins in a civilization dependent on an ancient technology, the blastia, and the Empire that controls it. Follow Yuri, a former Imperial Knight, whose seemingly simple mission pushes him into the middle of a nefarious plot that threatens the entire planet.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Tales of Vesperia is one of the most beloved entries in the ‘Tales of’ series and returns with remastered full HD graphics, never before seen characters, expanded story, and much more!

Features

• Upgrades: Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition features updated graphics and an expanded story.
• Bonus content: Additional playable characters, scenarios, locations, brand-new music tracks, and costumes that have not been available outside of Japan.
• Adjusted Combat: This edition uses a specialized version of the Linear Motion Battle System. Players control a single party member in real-time combat, while the other three members are controlled by customized A.I. commands. Assemble your favorite team and enjoy exciting real-time battles with all new Mystic Artes and skills!

If you would like to purchase the game, please visit https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/tales-of-vesperia-definitive-edition-switch.

Alcohol Reference
Blood
Fantasy Violence
Mild Language
Simulated Gambling
Suggestive Themes

Two Mario games continue Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS momentum into 2019

Two of Mario’s most beloved adventures are back – and this time with fresh new content perfect for new players and longtime fans. The New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe and Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey games are both now available for the Nintendo Switch system and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems*, respectively.

“After a strong 2018, both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS add to their large and diverse libraries with two solid games starring Mario and friends,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Nintendo is giving fans on both platforms good options to kick off their entertainment in 2019.”

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe contains New Super Mario Bros. U and the more challenging New Super Luigi U – two full games with a ton of high-quality content. While you can play as iconic characters Mario, Luigi, Toad and Nabbit, a new character also joins the mix – Toadette. Younger or less-experienced players will love playing as Nabbit and Toadette, as they offer extra assistance during play.

When Toadette picks up a Super Crown, she turns into Peachette and can double jump, float slowly during freefall and boost back up when she falls in a pit. When playing as Nabbit, you won’t be hurt by enemies and can earn extra 1UPs at the end of stages.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a classic side-scrolling Super Mario experience in the vein of the original games. With 164 levels and numerous hidden secrets, it’s the ideal game to play at home or on the go. There is a wide variety of additional game modes to entertain players of all skill levels, and with up to four player multiplayer**, you and your friends and family members can all play together.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is now available on Nintendo Switch at a suggested retail price of $59.99. For more information about the game, visit http://newsupermariobrosu.nintendo.com/.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is one of the most acclaimed entries in the beloved Mario & Luigi RPG series. This new version for Nintendo 3DS includes all of the original’s hilarious and captivating content, with revamped graphics and refined gameplay. It also includes an original new mode starring everyone’s favorite son of the famous Koopa King, Bowser Jr., as he gathers an army, creates formations, supports his allies with an arsenal of moves and generally causes chaos (in the best way possible).

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey is now available at a suggested retail price of $39.99 and can be played on the entire Nintendo 3DS family of systems*, including Nintendo 2DS and New Nintendo 2DS XL. For more information about the game, visit https://marioandluigibowsersinsidestory.nintendo.com/.

Remember that Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about other features, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/ or https://www.nintendo.com/3ds/.

*Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey is playable only in 2D.

**Additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode. Sold separately.

Since Absolver was first announced in 2016, the Xbox community has asked our small team at Sloclap to bring our melee combat adventure to their favored platform and we’re happy to do finally do so! The gang here are Sloclap are thrilled to be launching Absolver on Xbox One and Xbox Game Pass and share our work and the world of Adal with everyone that’s been waiting for this day.

Sloclap is a small studio in Paris full of talented folks with a great deal of experience across the game industry and Absolver is our debut game as a studio. While the team was able to draw upon a wealth of experience from our past projects at larger studios, it was the development of Absolver that put our full complement of skills to the test. From the start we wanted to create a game that combined beautifully fluid martial arts combat with a unique fantasy adventure that blended a solo and online cooperative experience together seamlessly. Our hope is that Absolver would give players a new experience, one that would be accessible to all players but deep enough to demand mastery to unlock its full potential.

Players will arrive in the fallen empire of Adal as a Prospect in hopes of joining an elite corps of combatants, fighting to maintain stability in the world called Absolvers. Customize your Prospect as you see fit from skills and gear to combat styles and stances, players will create their own combatant however they see fit. Prospects will need to train and travel both alone and with others to overcome the trials before them – from ritual combat arenas, to formidable bosses lurking in the shadows, to the mazelike mines of Adal, your focus and skills will be put to the test!

Absolver accomplished a lot of what our team wanted in the project during its initial launch on the PC but also left room for improvement based on community feedback and our own grand vision for the game. The Absolver that’s arriving on Xbox One is a much more complete vision, one that brings along the multitude of updates over the nearly two-year journey for the development team including the recent Downfall expansion. From new combat styles and game modes to new combat arenas and an entire catalog of character gear, Absolver arrives on Xbox One with the full arsenal of content for every new Prospect.

Our thanks to all those on the Xbox team that helped shepherd Absolver onto the platform and our love to the community that has followed development from the announcement until the launch before us now. We encourage everyone to try their hand at the battles and adventure of that lies in Adal and let our team at Sloclap know what you think of Absolver!

Absolver is now available for download from the Microsoft Store and is available for Xbox Game Pass members.