Pre-Orders For The Gardens Between’s Physical Switch Release Go Live This Week
The latest indie game to get a physical release on Nintendo Switch is The Gardens Between, and pre-orders are going live later this week.
Originally confirmed a few months back, this partnership sees Super Rare Games releasing The Voxel Agent’s chilled out puzzler in both standard and collector’s editions. There will only be 5,000 units available in total, 2,000 of which will be collector’s editions.
The standard edition will cost you £30, with the collector’s release having a £66 asking price. Here’s what you get for the extra cash:
– 64 page hardback artbook showing the journey from initial concepts to the release of the game – A3 Poster – 2 exclusive pins – Water tattoo of the games logo – Papercraft of the jumper (character in the game) – CD soundtrack
Pre-orders go live on 28th November at 6pm BST. If you want to know more about this one before making up your mind, feel free to check out our full review – we’ll leave a snippet for you below.
Relaxing as it is taxing, The Gardens Between offers a poignant coalescence of charming visuals, a relaxing soundtrack and a bittersweet story. The simplicity of its control scheme hides an incredibly clever and frighteningly intricate puzzle formula that sees you rewinding and playing time like an omnipresent director. Its unique setup makes it one of the most unusual puzzlers on Nintendo Switch.
Xbox All Access available to U.S. Xbox Insiders This Weekend
Hey everyone, we have some exciting news! We’ll be giving a select group of Xbox Insiders in the U.S. early access to the Xbox All Access program on Amazon.com between November 16th and November 17th, ahead of when the program launches in the United States on November 18th.
In late October, Team Xbox reintroduced Xbox All Access, including an all-new upgrade option for Project Scarlett. This offer has everything you need to play right out of the box for as little as $19.99 (USD) per month for 24 months.1
Xbox One consolebundle – Players can choose between Xbox One X, Xbox One S, or Xbox One S All-Digital Edition bundles.
24-month membership to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, including online multiplayer, and access to over 100 great games on console and PC.
Upgrade Option – Option to upgrade to Project Scarlett once it’s available in Holiday 2020.
Players who purchase an Xbox One console with Xbox All Access have the option to upgrade to Project Scarlett once it’s available Holiday 2020 and they’ve made 18 payments. As a limited time offer this holiday season, players who purchase an Xbox One X with Xbox All Access through December 31, 2019, have the option to upgrade to the next Xbox console in as few as 12 months and once Project Scarlett has officially launched.3
Xbox Insiders in the US must register at this link to be eligible to participate. A group will be selected in this early access opportunity.
The selected Xbox Insiders will receive a follow-up email from Amazon with more information.
Participants will then go through the purchase experience on Amazon.com between November 16th and November 17th.
Participants must be over the age of 18 and willing to check eligibility for the program, including completing an application and consenting to a soft credit check with our financing partner, Citizens One.
The soft credit check will not impact your credit score or credit report. You’ll be given the option to proceed with a full credit check when making the purchase.
If you do not have an Amazon.com account, please sign up with this link.
This Xbox Insider early access is to ensure the processes for making an Xbox All Access purchase on Amazon.com, and the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate activation, are simple and easy-to-understand for users. If you have any issues with the purchase or activation processes, please use one of the following contact options:
Microsoft for Xbox All
Access product or Xbox Game Pass activation questions
Amazon
for questions related to making an Xbox All Access purchase on Amazon.com
Citizens One at 888-522-9881 for questions about
financing or the credit application
We look forward to your feedback. Thank you for helping us bring Xbox All Access to the U.S later this month!
More Information
This early access opportunity is limited to selected participants. Microsoft may suspend or terminate the early access opportunity at any time in its discretion. You may not share the registration link or any images of the purchase experience with anyone else. If you are found to violate that restriction, your ability to participate in the early purchase opportunity may be revoked.
1With approval of Citizens One Line of Credit at 0% APR and 24-month term. Subject to individual credit approval. Total payment amount from $479.76; taxes, shipping, and other charges are extra and may vary (estimated retail price with Xbox One S All-Digital Edition console; prices will vary by console and retailer). See Citizens One Line of Credit Agreement at https://www.citizensone.com/XAA for full terms and conditions.
2At participating retailers; prices vary by console. 24-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass for PC, and other benefits; game catalog varies over time. Internet access required (ISP fees apply). Membership conversion: your existing Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass membership(s) will automatically convert to
Ultimate at a conversion ratio, learn more xbox.com/gamepass. Digital Direct: Your 24-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership is delivered directly to your console during set-up and is available in Settings; no codes required. Warranty: console is under a 1 year limited hardware warranty (90 days for controller/accessories) regardless of length of financing. (Microsoft Limited Hardware Warranty: https://support.microsoft.com/warranty). Upgrade: Upgrade option after the equivalent of 18 payments for the next Xbox console only,
coming Holiday 2020 (excludes Xbox One X, S, and S All Digital Edition). New contract, terms, and pricing apply. Upgrading from Xbox One S All-Digital Edition will require payment of a $20 upgrade fee (subject to change). The fee will be billed by Citizens One and will be due according to the first statement issued following the upgrade. Requires return of console, controller, and power cord in good condition. The next Xbox console available under the upgrade option is subject to FCC rules and will comply with the appropriate FCC rules when available. See product and upgrade terms at Xbox.com/XboxAllAccessTerms.
3Special Holiday Upgrade Offer: Upgrading to Project Scarlett is subject to its release and availability at the time you attempt to exercise your upgrade option. Upgrade requires at least 12 payments on your original Xbox All Access contract, and
purchase of a new 24-month Xbox All Access contract for Project Scarlett, expected Holiday 2020. Offer valid for original purchase of Xbox One X with Xbox All Access through Dec 31, 2019; not available with Xbox One S. New contract, terms, and pricing apply. Requires return of console in good condition. Project Scarlett is subject to FCC rules and will comply with the appropriate FCC rules when available. See product and upgrade terms at Xbox.com/XboxAllAccessTerms.
State of Decay 2, from Xbox Games Studios’ Undead Labs, headed to Steam
State of Decay 2, the multiplayer zombie survival game from Xbox Game Studios subsidiary Undead Labs, is headed to Steam next year.
The game officially debuted for Xbox One and PC back in 2018 but until now had only been up for sale on the latter through Microsoft’s own PC game storefront.
It isn’t the first time an Xbox Game Studios published title has crossed over to Valve’s massive platform, but it’s always notable when one of those first-party titles makes the jump.
The Steam version of State of Decay 2 will also feature cross-play between the Steam, Windows Store, and Xbox One versions as well, meaning the Steam launch stands to open the game to players that may not have had its previous two platforms in their sights.
In a blog post, Undead Labs notes that a Steam launch has long been one of the most requested features for State of Decay 2. The first game notably launched on Steam, and later relaunched as State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition. Microsoft Studios signed on to publish its follow up State of Decay 2 as an Xbox One and Windows exclusive, and it released shortly before Microsoft announced it had acquired Undead Labs midway through 2018.
Madden NFL 20 is one of the year's biggest games, and you can bet it's going to be on sale for Black Friday 2019 this weekend. In fact, most places have already told us their deals on EA's football game, and you can get it for as low as $27 over at Walmart in the coming days.
Walmart's Black Friday sale kicks off on November 27 and includes many other games, in addition to Madden. Most of their prices edge out Best Buy, GameStop, and Target, though there are a few that are cheaper at other retailers. We'll be sure to keep you up to date on the lowest prices right here on GameSpot.
EA's latest football game received a score of 8/10 in our Madden NFL 20 review. GameSpot's Eddie Makuch praised its new X-Factor abilities, week-to-week challenges, and on-the-sticks gameplay, the latter of which he says is "the best it's ever been." However, the story elements of the QB1 mode and the minimal changes to Franchise mode left him wanting.
"Madden NFL 20 is an improved version of the annualized professional football series that excels in some areas and leaves something to be desired in others," he wrote. "The new QB1 career mode--which includes a barebones NCAA football experience--overall feels like a half-baked idea that doesn't deliver anything meaningful or interesting. When it comes to the on-the-field action, however, the new X-Factor and Superstar abilities shake up the familiar gameplay formula to give seasoned players and newcomers alike a fresh way to scheme plays and orchestrate strategy on both sides of the ball."
Review: Apple’s iPhone 11 Smart Battery Case caters to shutterbugs
Apple has dropped its annual update to the Smart Battery Case to support the latest crop of iPhones, but this time it wasn’t just the camera cutout that changed —Apple also integrated a hardware shutter button.
Apple’s updated Smart Battery Case
More battery life for your iPhone
Made from the elastomer as Apple’s silicone case, the Smart Battery Case has a soft, but grippy external texture. The inside is lined with microfiber to coddle your iPhone and prevent scratches and soften inadvertent drops.
Apple’s iPhone 11 Smart Battery Case is lined with microfiber and connects via Lightning
To adorn the case, the top, flexible portion bends backward where the iPhone can be slid into place into the hardened lower portion. At the bottom of the case is a Lightning connector that fits perfectly into the bottom of the iPhone.
This differs from some third-party battery cases such as that from Mophie that connects to your iPhone wirelessly rather than through the Lightning connector.
This is a large differentiator that many don’t realize. When a case such as the Mophie Access is turned on and starts to charge the phone, the phone thinks it is connected to stable, wall power and not a mobile case. That causes more power-intensive tasks to kick in.
With Apple developing the case, phone, and software, it is able to properly optimize all three to get the most battery life possible. When the case is connected, the phone understands that it is a battery case and not wall power so it holds off on power-intensive tasks.
That’s why Apple is able to get a good amount of battery life out of such a compact case. Apple says users should expect up to 50% longer battery life when using the Smart Battery Case with their iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max. That’s excellent considering the already stellar battery life the iPhone 11 line achieves.
A Lightning port is on the bottom of the Smart Battery Case
There have been a few battery cases in the past that connected over Lightning instead of just wirelessly charging the phone, but in doing so they prevent any data from working over the port due to strict MFi restrictions. Apple doesn’t have these hurdles and allows you to use the Lightning port as normal —including utilizing CarPlay or Lightning headphones.
The Apple Smart Battery Case charges also over Qi
Of course, the case can also be charged wirelessly on a Qi charging pad or fast-charged with a USB-C to Lightning cable. Battery life can be ascertained any time charging commences, or by heading into the Battery widget of Notification Center. Or, ask Siri.
New functionality
What is most notable this time around, is Apple has also added a new dedicated hardware camera button. This new button will not only launch the camera app whenever pressed but also acts as a shutter button.
The new dedicated camera button on the Smart Battery Case
In our testing, it is quite a bit faster than waking the phone and using Haptic Touch (or a swipe) to enable the camera. Precious moments saved could be crucial to catching your precious moment.
The button is well-positioned so that when the phone is held horizontally with the cameras on the top, the shutter button is just below your right index finger —as it would be on a traditional point-and-shoot camera.
Should you buy it?
iPhone 11 Pro Smart Battery Case in black
This year, iPhones have the longest rated battery lives to date. This makes the prospect of a dedicated battery case a tougher sell than in years past.
That’s why Apple needed to go further with the addition of the camera button. To some, it may come off as a non-consequential addition, but for many —likely the same ones who saw the camera on the iPhone 11 line as a worthwhile reason to upgrade —it will be a well-received update.
If you find yourself regularly needing additional battery life to make it through the day or through a weekend, Apple’s own Smart Battery Case is the best available.
Pros
Well-optimized battery and software
Up to an additional 50% battery life
Durable design
Dedicated camera button
Strong iOS integration
Full Lightning port access
Cons
Expensive
Silicone is the only exterior material option
Limited colorways
Rating: 4 out of 5
Where to buy
You can grab the new Apple Smart Battery Case for the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max now from B&H Photo in pink sand, black, or white.
He-he-here we go! It’s time for Box Art Brawl, our weekly look at which region got the best box art of a particular retro release.
Last week the North American version of Ninja Gaiden on the NES absolutely trounced the competition, with the Japanese variant a distant second and Europe left stumbling in a daze around the city-wide inferno with a paltry 4% of the vote.
Yesterday we took a look back atDonkey Kong 64 – the collectathon to end all collectathons – after it celebrated its 20th birthday on 21st November, and during our research we noticed that the different regional covers would be fine candidates for the brawl. So they’re finally here, performing for you…
Each cover contained the five DK crew members from the game, but which region captured the best side of Donkey, Diddy, Tiny, Lanky and Chunky? Which cover will be the leader of the bunch? Which will kick some tail? Let’s have a banana.
North America
Advertising prominently the (required) Expansion Pak and banana-yellow cartridge contained inside the box, the NA cover features the five Kongs in a minecart being pursed by King K.Rool behind them, and out of focus, to the right. That depth-of-field effect makes the Kongs pop off the cover and the big ol’ logo is as bold and brash as DK himself. The Rareware emblem sits reassuringly in the bottom left corner as a balance to the ESRB rating on the opposite side.
It’s big and colourful, overflowing with energy, and even though it gets a bit busy up top, it does a thoroughly decent job of teeing up the sort of madcap adventure you’ll be getting when you fire up your N64.
Europe
The EU variant takes the key Kong art and puts it inside the customary European black border, which keeps all the peripheral system information and company logos away from the image. We get a better look at the minecart, now trundling through a dark jungle, and the logo shifts to the bottom right, with the Expansion Pak sitting in the corner above.
Despite reducing the real estate of the main image with that big black border, there’s something about the composition which we think works a little better here. A conscious effort has been to reduce the clutter – just look at the abbreviation of ‘including’ to ‘incl.’. K.Rool gets the boot, but this somehow feels a little classier.
Japan
The Japanese cover keeps the jungle vegetation but puts the Kong family in the top half of the portrait box. Striking their hero poses (well, we’re not sure about Diddy), a tiny minecart track loops around them as an odd sort-of border, presumably to advertise to players that – don’t worry! – there are minecart rides in this one! Barrels, too, as the info splashes at the bottom show.
It’s not bad, but there’s not much tying it together. The other two strike us as more cohesive covers where as this feels more like a poster you’d see on publish transport. It puts us in mind of the Japanese cover for Banjo-Tooie, another Rare game which walked away victorious from the Box Art Brawl. It’s not our favourite, but we ain’t the ones voting…
Three bunches of five apes for your delectation. We could pick our favourite with relative ease, but it’s time to choose your favourite by clicking the appropriate image below and hitting the ‘Vote’ button:
That’s it, show’s over. If you enjoyed this round of savage bloodletting, join us next week when we’ll be back for Round 19 of Box Art Brawl.
“The Mario Kart Racing range pulls in placements and graphic elements inspired by popular, skate, BMX and surf brands,” said the company, “The range is made up of designs with bold logo work, clean minimal colour pallets, contrast typography and classic line art graphics. These complementary elements combine within a distinctive fashion range that celebrates the unmistakable Mario Kart character aesthetic. The 25-piece range comprises t-shirts, long sleeves, sweats, hoodies, caps and mugs featuring designs from across the iconic Mario Kart franchise, including cult-favourite characters such as Lakitu, Koopa Troopa and Yoshi.”
The range launches today Sunday 24th November and is available for 7 days only.
Please note that some links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale which helps support the site. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
Head over to Zavvi.com to view the entire 25-piece range.
What do you make of the Mario Kart Racing range? Will you be picking anything up? Let us know in the comments below.
You Can Now Store 3,000 Pocket Monsters In Pokémon GO
One gripe we’ve had with Pokémon GO since it was released, is that there’s never enough storage space for all of the Pokémon you catch and items you obtain. As more updates have been released, it’s only become more difficult to store it all.
With Niantic adding new Pokémon and items to the popular augmented mobile game on a regular basis, it’s realised trainers might be in need of yet another storage upgrade. That’s why it’s decided to expand Pokémon storage to 3,000 slots, and bag upgrades mean you can now hold up to 2,500 items.
In Pokémon GO, you start out with 300 slots for Pokémon and a bag that is able to hold 350 items. Unless you’re an avid player, you’re unlikely to be in need of the latest storage upgrades. The cost of each upgrade remains the same – 200 PokéCoins to hold 50 more items, and 200 PokéCoins for 50 more slots.
Is this the storage upgrade you’ve been waiting for? Comment below.
Mega Man Joins Forces With Nintendo’s Mobile Game Dragalia Lost
Capcom’s blue bomber Mega Man has most recently appeared in Nintendo’s all-start fighting series Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and now he’s teaming up with Cygames’ mobile title, Dragalia Lost.
As publicised last month, a special Mega Man: Chaos Protocol event is taking place in the Nintendo mobile game. Dr. Wily has seized control of the Five Greatwyrms and it’s your job to join forces with Mega Man to save the world of Dragalia Lost.
You can also “maximise your friendship” with Mega Man, allowing you to keep him as an ally. He comes with his old school animations as well, including the Mega Buster, Charge Shot, and trademark slide move. This event runs from 28th November until 15th December.
Below is additional information from the game’s website and above is a promotional trailer:
Will you be participating in this event? Post a comment below.
