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Retailers have been steadily getting their preorder operations for the Nintendo Switch 2 in place, but the UK’s Argos has jumped the gun by letting you preorder a Nintendo Switch right now, including either the console on its own or the Mario Kart World bundle with the game included as a download code.

Although payment is instant, we expect these to go fast. If you miss out, you can register your interest at Amazon UK, Currys, and Smyths—the former of which you can request an “invite” to preorder the individual Switch 2 console or the Mario Kart World bundle.

As for the games, you can immediately preorder the physical version of Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza right now at Smyths—alongside accessories like the Nintendo Switch 2 camera & Stealth Travel Kit case.

On each product Amazon page, you’ll be able to quickly register your interest before quickly getting a confirmation email. From then, you can be invited to purchase a Nintendo Switch 2 from Amazon UK anytime within the next three months—covering you for the system’s 5th of June, 2025 release date.

The link to purchase that Amazon will send to you will last for 22 hours, so be sure to keep checking your emails so you don’t miss out. Amazon hasn’t provided an exact day and time as to when the first round of pre-orders will start, but we’re assuming the first invites could be sent out as soon as Tuesday, the April 8, as that’s when preorders will be open on the UK Nintendo store.

You can also go to Currys and register your interest in a Nintendo Switch 2 just like you can with Smyths, though preorders for games and accessories don’t seem to be available just yet. It hasn’t provided any further information on when invites will be sent out either, but Currys & Smyths are both solid retailers to have as a back-up if you don’t get an Argos pre-order in or an Amazon invite right away.

Compared to the Nintendo Store, however, Amazon’s, Currys’, and Smyths conditions appear to be a lot more relaxed for sending Switch 2 preorder invites.

For example, the Nintendo store will only send initial invitees to those based on conditions like being a Nintendo Switch Online player for a continuous two years before 31/3/2025, having higher playtimes with purchased/paid Nintendo Switch games (not free-to-play games like Fortnite, it seems), and opting in to share usage information with Nintendo.

On Amazon’s side, it merely seems to be a ballot system where invitees are selected at random. With Currys and Smyths, it looks like it will simply be a case of sending out an email when pre-orders are opened, followed by a queued ordering system. This was the method Currys used when taking PS5 pre-orders, and it worked without any site crashes at least.

This means you could be in for a longer wait from these alternative retailers, but it’s a lot less frustrating if you’re certain you don’t meet the strict requirements to order from Nintendo directly.

On the other hand, if you weren’t planning to have the funds for your Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order taken until near-dispatch in June—which is usually the case for retailers like Amazon—Argos may not be the best option for you since we have confirmed you’ll need to pay right away.

Still, if you’ve already got the money necessary, Argos is currently the best option to secure your pre-order immediately.

Here’s our first look at Nintendo’s newly designed Nintendo Switch 2 game boxes.

While the OG Nintendo Switch’s game covers simply boasted a small Nintendo Switch logo in the top left-hand corner, the Switch 2’s branding is far more prominent, with a red band stretching across the entire width of the case and a larger Nintendo Switch 2 logo.

There’s also a change for Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives, too. While Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive game covers don’t have any further information or branding on them, covers for games playable on both the original and Switch 2 systems all include a clear statement about Switch 2’s upgrade information.

For instance, The Nintendo Switch 2 edition of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild includes the text: “Includes the Nintendo Switch game and the Nintendo Switch upgrade pack. Upgrade pack also available separately.”

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games, some of which cost $79.99, clearly mark the boxes as such to let buyers know what they’re getting.

You can see the new designs for yourself in the slideshow below:

There’s now also a QR code on the bottom right of all game covers that takes you swiftly to the official Nintendo website.

At last, the Nintendo Switch 2 has a release date. It’s coming on June 5, 2025, with prices starting at $449.99. A bundle is also available with Mario Kart World included for $499.99, although if you want to buy Nintendo’s signature racer separately, it’s $79.99.

Missed the presentation? Worry not — you can catch up on everything shown at yesterday’s Nintendo Direct right here, and here’s a handy list for every game confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

CD Projekt Red has confirmed the install size for Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 is 64GB. That’s smaller compared to Xbox or PS5 (100-110GB), but for Switch 2, 64GB is a whopping 25% of the console’s confirmed 256GB of internal storage.

Launching on the same day as the Switch 2, June 5, Cyberpunk 2077 will be available as a physical 64GB game card or as a digital download from the Nintendo eShop.

Nintendo also recently confirmed that several new Switch 2 game cards won’t always carry an actual game, but instead contain a key for a game download. This isn’t the case for Cyberpunk 2077.

But, this also begs the question: how quickly will a Switch 2’s internal storage fill up?

Switch 2’s 256GB internal storage is a big step up from the original Switch’s 32GB. However, early signs already suggest Switch 2 games will be much larger.

Cyberpunk 2077, like we’ve mentioned, is a 64GB download. By comparison, one of the biggest games on the original Switch, Tears of the Kingdom, was just 16GB. The Switch 2 version—and other titles like the $80 Mario Kart World—will likely demand significantly more space.

The obvious solution? Expandable storage. PS5 has it, Xbox has it, and the Switch has always supported it. But unlike the original Switch, which accepted standard microSD, microSDHC, and microSDXC cards, the Switch 2 is locked to microSD Express. That means your old microSD cards won’t work, and more importantly, you’ll need to buy new, notably pricier memory cards.

As you can tell, IGN’s deals team has already tracked down the best prices on Switch 2-compatible microSD Express cards, including 128GB ($44.99), 256GB ($59.99), 512GB ($99.99), and 1TB versions ($199.99) options from SanDisk and Lexar. However, some are already being snapped up in bulk and are now listed as “temporarily out of stock” on Amazon.

Nintendo is also partnering with SanDisk and Samsung to release its own branded cards, though if history is any indication, expect them to be more expensive than identical third-party versions. It’s also possible more manufacturers will jump into the microSD Express market now that the Switch 2 is driving demand, but whether that leads to lower prices remains to be seen.

For more on Switch 2, you can catch up on everything from the Nintendo Direct right here, and read our full guide on how to secure your preorder for the Switch 2 on April 9.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

BAFTA — the UK’s independent arts charity celebrating excellence in film, games, and TV — has just revealed the most influential video game of all time… and it’s probably not what you think it is.

BAFTA polled the British public to discover that while games like GTA, Tetris, World of Warcraft, Minecraft, Doom, and Half-Life 2 do make the list, the top as ranked by the number of votes received is Shenmue.

Action-adventure game Shenmue released in 1999 on Dreamcast. It follows Ryo Hazuki’s quest to avenge his father’s death in what BAFTA calls “a detailed open-world setting that truly captures the essence of Yokosuka in the ‘80s.”

“Pioneering first-person shooter” Doom secured the runner-up prize, whilst 1985’s Super Mario Bros. took the bronze.

Half-Life and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time round out the rest of the top five, respectively.

Interestingly, games like Grand Theft Auto 5, Halo, and Fortnite are conspicuously absent.

“I am deeply honoured and grateful that Shenmue has been selected as the Most Influential Video Game of All Time,” said Yu Suzuki, creator of the Shenmue franchise.

“At its inception, we set out to explore the question, ‘How real can a game become?,’ aiming to portray a world and story unprecedented in scale and detail. This distinction serves as a powerful reminder that the challenge we embraced continues to resonate with and inspire so many people even today. It is truly the greatest of encouragement.

“Above all, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the fans around the world who have continued to love and support Shenmue,” Suzuki added. “Your passion and encouragement have guided this journey every step of the way. And the story is not over yet, there is more to come! Thank you very much!”

Here’s the full list of the top 21 most influential games of all time, as voted by the public:

1. Shenmue (1999)
2. Doom (1993)
3. Super Mario Bros. (1985)
4. Half-Life (1998)
5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
6. Minecraft (2011)
7. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (2025)
8. Super Mario 64 (1996)
9. Half-Life 2 (2004)
10. The Sims (2000)
11. Tetris (1984)
12. Tomb Raider (1996)
13. Pong (1972)
14. Metal Gear Solid (1998)
15. World of Warcraft (2004)
16. Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023)
17. Final Fantasy VII (1997)
18. Dark Souls (2011)
19. Grand Theft Auto 3 (2001)
20. Skyrim (2011)
21. Grand Theft Auto (1997)

The 2025 BAFTA Game Awards are set to take place on Tuesday April 8, 2025. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Astro Bot, and Still Wakes the Deep lead the nominations with 11, eight, and eight nominations respectively. Thank Goodness You’re Here! also received seven nominations, Black Myth: Wukong six, and Helldivers 2 is up for five awards.

2024 BAFTA Game Awards winners included Baldur’s Gate 3, which secured five wins, including Best Game, with other wins for Alan Wake 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and Viewfinder.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Nintendo had a deep dive into the Switch 2 in a recent super-sized 60-minute Nintendo Direct, revealing plenty of new key information, including the price of the console ($449.99), its release date (June 5, 2025), and a whole slew of new games. What’s more, it was confirmed that the Switch 2 will only be compatible with microSD Express Cards, with up to 2TB cards supported.

This means that you won’t be able to bring your old storage cards over when you pick up the console this summer. To expand your storage, you’ll need to check out the cards that SanDisk and Lexar have listed on Amazon, and that we’ve linked to below. This currently includes 128GB ($44.99), 256GB ($59.99), 512GB ($99.99), and 1TB versions ($199.99).

Dang. $80 for Mario Kart World, huh?

Today’s Nintendo Direct and subsequent information dump answered many, many burning questions we’ve been asking about the Nintendo Switch 2, such as launch line-up and release date. Among those was the question of price, not only for the system itself but also for the games and accessories we’re going to need alongside it. And it’s a good thing that the rest of the Direct was so enjoyable, because Nintendo needed to do some work to justify some of these prices.

• Nintendo Switch 2 by itself: $449.99 USD
• Nintendo Switch 2 with Mario Kart World bundled in: $499.99
• Mario Kart World by itself: $79.99
• Donkey Kong Bananza: $69.99
• Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller: $79.99
• Nintendo Switch 2 Camera: $49.99
• Joy-Con 2 Controller pair: $89.99
• Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip: $34.99
• Joy-Con 2 Strap: $12.99
• Joy-Con 2 Wheel pair: $19.99
• Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set: $109.99
• Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector: $34.99
• Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case: $79.99
• Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter: $29.99

Phew! That’s a lot to dish out to play Nintendo games, even assuming most people are just going for the console, a game or two, and maybe a spare controller. Most notable in that list of prices is what’s going on with the console itself. $450 isn’t far off what a bunch of analysts told me the system was likely to cost when I asked them earlier this year. They predicted $400, but a few said it could likely go higher depending on various economic and technological factors.

But even more interesting is Mario Kart Tour. It’s $80. That makes it the most expensive we’ve ever seen a AAA game cost without belonging to some sort of Deluxe Edition, and it’s certainly the highest Nintendo’s ever gone. You can buy it in a bundle with the system to get $30 taken off the game price, but the $80 price tag has a lot of Nintendo fans concerned at the rapidly rising prices of games and what this may mean for the future. Didn’t we just see games start to go from $60 to $70 a few years ago? That hurt bad enough without bumping it up even higher so soon after.

So what’s happening here? Why are the Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart World priced the way they are? Will we see more game price hikes in the future? As usual, I asked expert analysts to explain it to me. Here’s what they said.

Why $450?

Even though most of the analysts I spoke to today were the same folks who predicted a $400 price point when we chatted in January, no one seemed surprised at the $50 extra on the end of the announcement today. Collectively, the six I spoke to offered various reasons for the higher-than-expected price, largely agreeing on the fairly simple confluence of multiple factors: tariffs, manufacturing costs, and competition.

Joost van Dreunen, NYU Stern professor and author of SuperJoost Playlist, calls the $449.99 pricing a “strategic balancing act” on Nintendo’s part that reflects a mixture of increased manufacturing costs as well as ongoing uncertainty as to whether or not, and if so, what, tariffs the Trump administration in the United States is going to levy on electronics. “Nintendo appears to be building in a buffer against these potential trade barriers while ensuring they maintain their traditional positive margin on hardware.”

Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Analysis wasn’t surprised by the $450 price, and said it made sense given the Switch OLED’s $350 price tag. But he also shared an interesting speculation in his response related to van Dreunen’s point about tariffs, relating to why Nintendo didn’t announce the price in the Nintendo Direct itself today. “My view is that they probably had a range of pricing for the US market in play up until the last minute due to the uncertainty on import tariffs.”

Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, threw in another factor: Sony. “Nintendo probably factored in possible tariffs, the current inflationary climate in the world and the US$700 Sony dared to charge for the PlayStation 5 Pro last year.”

James McWhirter, analyst at Omdia, also mentioned the PS5 Pro as well as the Xbox Series X, both of which he pointed out sold better than their cheaper alternatives (the Xbox Series X surpassed the Series S recently in the U.S.). But he also pointed out an interesting discrepancy in how the Switch 2 is being sold in Japan versus the United States. In Japan, it’s releasing a Japanese-language system for 49,980 yen ($333.22), while its multi-language system runs 69,980 yen ($466.56). Why? McWhirter has a fascinating explanation as to the existance of this region-locked system, its pricing, and the discrepancy between it and the pricing of the system in the U.S.:

Japan is a key market for Nintendo – our console hardware data reveals that Japan accounts for a quarter (24%) of the Nintendo Switch installed base in 2024, compared with just 2% for Xbox Series X/S and 9% for PlayStation 5.

If Switch 2 pricing in Japanese Yen was aligned with the U.S. Dollar price, it would dramatically weaken Nintendo’s position in Japan, representing a doubling in the list price over the classic LCD Nintendo Switch model. Yet if Nintendo continued to rely on region-specific pricing that is significantly cheaper in USD terms, they would face an issue with grey imports to other territories.

Nintendo’s answer is to navigate this situation with two models – they are offering a substantially cheaper but price competitive 50,000 yen Nintendo Switch 2 model that only includes Japanese language support only.

Meanwhile, an international language model at 70,000 yen is being positioned to protect the Japanese market from grey imports from other territories – smart considering there are no other major console markets with a not insignificant number of people proficient in the Japanese language.

Mario Kart World, at a Premium

Okay, that covers the console itself, so why has Nintendo hiked the price of Mario Kart World into the stratosphere at $80? When I asked the analysts I spoke to, I assumed it was related to tariff concerns. Perhaps Nintendo was worried about potential tariffs but also didn’t want to raise the price of the console too high, so a more expensive flagship game was their solution to offset costs?

Partially. The experts largely concluded that tariffs may have played a role, with Mat Piscatella, analyst at Circana, suggesting that the higher game pricing was a bit of future-proofing on Nintendo’s part. “While pricing for a product can always be lowered over time, it’s extremely difficult and painful to raise pricing on a product once it has been announced or released. This is purely my own speculation, but this pricing is most easily explained by trying to be conservative given the current chaotic market conditions.”

But the experts also told me there was more to it than that. McWhirter told me that this was Nintendo taking advantage of a critical moment of change in the games industry to test the waters on what the market will tolerate as far as game pricing goes. And it’s using its most successful game series ever on that trial run, because Nintendo knows if any game can succeed at that price, it’s Mario Kart. If it doesn’t work out, it can always drop the price, either directly or indirectly through methods like Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions.

Van Dreunen said something similar, adding, “The timing aligns with the broader industry’s gradual price increases for premium content, as we’ve seen with other publishers moving to $70 base games. Nintendo may be leapfrogging this intermediate step, calculating that the massive built-in audience for Mario Kart will tolerate a higher price point for what appears to be a significantly expanded experience compared to previous entries.”

McWhirter also pointed out that not only could this higher cost for Mario Kart World be mitigating things like tariffs or manufacturing costs, it also could be helping balance out other, invisible costs. There’s those pesky manfacturing costs, for one, with McWhirter noting that the 3D NAND flash memory from supplier Macronix experts suspect Nintendo is using in Switch 2 game cards is pricey. But there’s also the cost of migrating so many first-party titles to Nintendo Switch 2, and the slow build the console will see in its first three years when its blockbuster exclusives are reaching a much smaller audience than was available on the Nintendo Switch.

Other experts brought up other factors. Harding-Rolls made a compelling point about Nintendo otherwise not aggressively pursuing in-game monetization, and needing to account for inflation somehow. And he added: “Nintendo has a bit of a history of pricing games higher than other platforms when coming to the market later than other platforms – in this case PS5 and Xbox Series. I remember back in the day N64 titles being more than PS1 titles for example. Some of that is related to cost of goods, but Nintendo also likes to follow its own approach and price based on its own appreciation of value.”

Rhys Elliott, games analyst at Alinea Analytics, said that the discrepancy in physical and digital pricing is a clear move from Nintendo to push consumers toward digital games, especially when paired with the Virtual Game Card announced last week.

“PlayStation and Xbox have already pushed their platforms to become digital-first, driven by strategies like multi-game subscriptions, digital-only consoles, free-to-play’s rise, and platform holders pushing consumers to digital versions via perks (like extra cosmetics and the ability to pre-load a game so it’s instantly ready to play at launch),” he said.

“So PlayStation and especially Xbox are very digital-first. But Nintendo is different, more 50-50. In the last nine months of 2024, 51% of Switch software sales were digital. The number was even lower in the holiday period (43.4% digital for calendar Q4), as always. For consumers, a unique value proposition of physical games is the preowned and rental markets. But Nintendo’s reliance on physical impacts its bottom line, hence the nudging. Nintendo does not gain revenues from physical renting and resales. After all, a copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe could be sold on the reseller market 100 times or rented 100 times, but Nintendo would only capture revenues from that first sale. A digital-only market means more revenue and price control for Nintendo.”

Finally, I asked this question of Toto, who referred to the jump from $60 games to an $80 Mario Kart World as “quite bold.” His explanation was short and sweet:

“Tariffs could play a role, but I think it is much simpler: Nintendo is charging this price because they feel they can and that people will pay.”

Who’s Buying?

Everyone I spoke to agreed that even though the Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart World pricing is a bit of a shock, it’s not going to affect sales of the console. At least… not at first.

“Based on what we’re seeing across the market, sales to higher-income or more affluent households likely won’t be impacted by this pricing,” Piscatella told me. “And, of course, we have the price insensitive super enthusiasts that will do and pay whatever it takes to acquire the Switch 2 at launch. Therefore, because of the limited quantities that will be available during the launch year, I do not anticipate this pricing to hinder year one sales volumes.

“The true test will come in year two, as supply is likely to become more readily available, and the addressable market will be forced to widen. So, we’ll have to see what happens over the next 9-12 months.”

McWhirter’s response was similar, saying that Omdia’s current forecast has the Nintendo Switch 2 being outpaced in sales by the original Switch by 6 million units by the end of 2028.

Devil May Cry does not reach the heights of the best Netflix video game shows like Castlevania or Cyberpunk Edgerunners. But if the entirety of its first season were like its second half – which contains some kinetic action, an episode that’s an early frontrunner for one of the best animated projects of 2025, and an absolutely bonkers finale – it would. Thanks to these episodes, any skepticism toward Devil May Cry based on its lackluster opening chapters morphs, demon-like, into complete enthusiasm for its future.

Taking elements not just from the Capcom video game series of the same name but also the manga and other supplementary material it inspired, the new DMC animated show – developed by Castlevania’s Adi Shankar and his Captain Laserhawk collaborator Alex Larsen – makes enough changes to characters and lore to be a fresh experience for newcomers and veterans alike. Johnny Yong Bosch stars as Dante, a demon hunter who finds himself at the center of a country-wide hunt and a plot to destroy the veil that separates the Earth from the demon realm. Bosch gives Dante a boyish charm while still often letting slip the pain he hides beneath it. Though the humor of the first couple of episodes feels out of place – Dante initially acts and talks like a Deadpool knock-off – Bosch’s performance grounds the character as the story gets more and more fantastical and the silly humor gives way to Dante having a full-blown identity crisis.

It’s great to hear the late Batman: The Animated Series star Kevin Conroy again, his unmistakable voice giving life to Devil May Cry’s Vice President Baines, a religious fanatic with a savior complex working for a literal cowboy president . Baines is both a compelling onscreen presence and a terrifyingly timely character, but the clear standout of this season is the primary villain: the White Rabbit (Hoon Lee). Though the White Rabbit’s motivations are a bit superficial and predictable, Lee’s performance sells the character’s unbreakable conviction and resolve in a way no other character on Devil May Cry can match.

The games share some similarities with the ideas and themes of the classic demon-fighting manga and anime Devilman, and this show is no different, with its (at times) textbook portrayals of humanity’s bigotry and prejudice. But when Shankar and Larsen filter those subjects are filtered through the lens of 2000s nostalgia, what comes out the other end is a hilariously unsubtle yet bold indictment of how the United States conducted itself, at home and abroad, during the decade. This is most evident in the song that soundtracks the season’s climactic montage, a 2004 hit that puts an exclamation point on these eight episodes. Even with all the changes it makes, the show captures the essence of the games where it matters most – like its use of music to accompany the action.

After their work on The Legend of Korra and X-Men ’97, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the artists at Studio Mir know how to bring bone-crushing action to Devil May Cry. The fights are thrilling and well-staged – the only problem is the use of CG for the demons. It looks bad – even if you could argue it helps in making the demons seem even more otherworldly – and hurts the action.

And yet, little of that matters once you get to episode 6. Studio La Cachette (who handled Genndy Tartakovsky’s spectacular Primal and Unicorn: Warriors Eternal) temporarily alters Devil May Cry’s visual palette to tell the story of the White Rabbit in a gorgeously animated and told episode that’s almost devoid of dialogue. This radical departure is a rising tide that lifts the rest of the season’s boats with its slower, more meditative script, and marks a change in tone and pace for the grand finale. It’s not just the best episode of the season – it could be some of the best animation you’ll see all year. Even if the whole season can’t look like this, the hope that Devil May Cry can break its own mold (when it suits the story) is enough to stoke anticipation for a second season.

While Universal Pictures (along with Focus Features) showcased several of their upcoming films at CinemaCon on Wednesday, it was more noteworthy which titles on their slate they opted not to promote to theater executives and the press.

In the past, Universal would unveil first look footage of movies in production or break news about their biggest franchises. This year, the studio merely name-checked some of their most eagerly anticipated 2026 titles: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, Shrek 5, Steven Spielberg’s untitled sci-fi film, or Jordan Peele’s next directorial effort.

Notably, Fast and Furious 11 wasn’t even mentioned.

Instead, Universal’s presentation mostly consisted of playing new trailers for their 2025 films, kicking things off with Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and director Gareth Edwards debuting the next trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth.

Johansson joked that she pitched herself to executive producer Steven Spielberg “and said I’d play any role, even if I was eaten in the first five minutes.”

While Johansson clearly doesn’t die in the opening moments of Jurassic World Rebirth, one of the highlights of the new trailer was a high seas chase sequence where the heroes are in a boat pursuing a Mosasaurus and Johansson ends up hanging on for dear life.

New trailers were also shown for The Bad Guys 2, Nobody 2, Him (produced by Jordan Peele), and Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie. Ditto Blumhouse titles M3GAN 2.0, SOULM8TE, Black Phone 2, and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. Focus Features showed trailers for three upcoming prestige films: The Phoenician Scheme, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, and Bugonia.

Gerard Butler, Nico Parker and director Dean DeBlois made an appearance to promote the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon, which screened in its entirety earlier in the day at the convention. The biggest news from this section was that there will be a live-action How to Train Your Dragon 2 and that it will be released in theaters on June 11, 2027.

Universal closed their CinemaCon 2025 presentation with Wicked: For Good, where stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo and director Jon M. Chu and producer Marc Platt took the stage to reveal the new trailer for the sequel, which hits theaters on November 21st.

The trailer leans into the tragic falling out between Elphaba and Glinda. “You’re the only friend I’ve ever had,” Elphaba tells Glinda. “And I’ve had so many friends,” Glinda replies. “But you’re the only one that mattered.”

The footage also revealed performances of the musical’s songs “For Good” and “No Good Deed,” and provided more glimpses of the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) including his meeting with Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion.

For more CinemaCon coverage, find out what we learned about Superman, Mortal Kombat II, Resident Evil, Spider-Man: Brave New Day, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, John Wick 5, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, and The Beatles.

The first trailer for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 was screened at Blumhouse and Universal’s CinemaCon presentation on Wednesday before being released online. Producer Jason Blum made it clear to attendees that, unlike the original film, the sequel will open only in theaters on December 5, 2025, and not day-and-date on Peacock.

You can watch the trailer via the player above or the embed below.

“Anyone can survive five nights. This time, there will be no second chances<’ declares the film’s official logline.

Based on Scott Cawthon’s blockbuster game series, the original Five Nights at Freddy’s was Blumhouse’s biggest box office hit when it opened in theaters in 2023 as well as the highest-grossing horror film of that year.

Emma Tammi returns to direct the sequel and Scott Cawthon are producing. Actors Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, and Matthew Lillard all reprise their respective roles.

Are you excited for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2? Sound off in the comments.

Kirby has been a steadfast Nintendo mascot for 33 years, ever since the character debuted in 1992’s Kirby’s Dream Land for Game Boy. In addition to being a Smash Bros. staple, Kirby and his ever-evolving powers of inhalation have starred in over two dozen games, culminating in the series’ best-selling game to date, Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

As we near the end of Nintendo’s current console generation, we’ve compiled a list of every Kirby game on the Switch as well as new Kirby games coming to the Switch 2.

How Many Kirby Games Are on Switch?

Six Kirby games have been released on Nintendo Switch, while 11 more retro Kirby games are playable with Nintendo Switch Online. The franchise debuted on Switch in 2018 with Kirby Star Allies; its latest release, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, arrived in 2023. A new Kirby game, Kirby Air Riders, will be releasing for the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025.

Every Kirby Game on Switch (in Release Order)

Kirby Star Allies (2018)

Kirby’s Switch debut came in 2018 with Kirby Star Allies. The action-platformer is played with a party of four (multiplayer or local AI) and sees Kirby combine abilities with allies to solve puzzles and enhance combat.

Super Kirby Clash (2019)

Series developer HAL Laboratories and Nintendo brought the pink puff back the following year for the free-to-play Super Kirby Clash. Like Star Allies, Clash is played with a team of four that can be controlled by other human players or AI. Unlike Star Allies, this is not a platformer but rather a standalone boss rush mode; it features a hub world for changing equipment and selecting quests, though the heart of the game is the series of boss fights that serve as those quests.

Kirby Fighters 2 (2020)

A sequel to the 3DS game Kirby Fighters Deluxe (an expanded version of the subgame Kirby Fighters found in Kirby: Triple Deluxe), Kirby Fighters 2 is exactly what it sounds like: a fighting game starring Kirby. It supports up to four players and features Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, Bandana Waddle Dee, Gooey, and Magolor as playable characters.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land (2022)

The series’ standout game on Switch, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a post-apocalyptic adventure in which Kirby gets sucked into a wormhole that appears above Dream Land. The Forgotten Land is the series’ first fully 3D platformer, complete with puzzles and Kirby’s signature ability-based combat. It’s the series’ best-selling game to date, selling more than 7.5 million copies by the end of March 2024. There’s even a Switch 2 version of this game currently listed to be available for preorder.

Kirby’s Dream Buffet (2022)

Kirby’s Dream Buffet is a dessert-themed multiplayer game released in 2022. It features three four-player game modes: race, minigame, and battle royale. The modes can be played separately or together as part of Dream Buffet’s Gourmet Grand Prix.

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe (2023)

The series’ latest game, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a remake of the 2011 Wii game Kirby’s Return to Dream Land. The action-platformer came to Switch with improved visuals, a new easy mode (Helper Magolor), three new abilities (Sand, Mecha, and Festival), and an all-new two-hour adventure called Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler.

Return to Dream Land Deluxe supports local co-op for up to four players, with each player taking control of either Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, or Bandana Waddle Dee.

Kirby Games Available with Nintendo Switch Online

There are 11 Kirby games available with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Those with a regular subscription can play nine Kirby games from NES, SNES, and Game Boy, while those with the more expensive Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription get access to two additional games: Kirby & The Amazing Mirror (GBA) and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64).

Here’s the list of Kirby games playable with Nintendo Switch Online, ordered by initial release date:

• Kirby’s Dream Land (GB)
• Kirby’s Adventure (NES)
• Kirby’s Dream Course (SNES)
• Kirby’s Avalanche (SNES)
• Kirby’s Dream Land 2 (GB)
• Kirby Super Star (SNES)
• Kirby’s Star Stacker (SNES)
• Kirby’s Dream Land 3 (SNES)
• Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble (GB)
• Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64)
• Kirby & The Amazing Mirror (GBA)

A new GameCube library will also be available in the NSO + Expansion Pack membership on Switch 2, which may include Kirby Air Ride.

What’s Next for Kirby on the Switch 2?

The era of Kirby on Switch may be coming to a close, but the character’s journey on the Switch 2 has just begun. Kirby Air Riders was officially announced during the April 2025 Nintendo Direct as a follow-up to the 2003 Kirby Air Ride racing game on GameCube. Masahiro Sakurai, creator of both the Kirby series and Super Smash Bros., returns as director of the new game.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is also on the list of games that will be getting Switch 2 upgrades. The upgrade will take advantage of the Switch 2’s improved specs and includes a new story expansion. Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World will be released on August 28 with a discounted upgrade option for those who owned the original game on Switch.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.