With 100 minigames, it’s the ultimate Mario Party!

Ever partied with Mario? Dodged penguins? Well, the party is back with the top 100 minigames from all Mario Party series console games in the Mario Party: The Top 100 game, available now for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

Test your memory, speed, and luck in board-game style, a series of 3-10 matches, standalone bouts, or on your own. With Download Play, up to 4 players can party on their own system with just 1 game card.

Features:

• Face off with friends** on a game board, in a series of 3-10 matches, in individual minigames; or, head to Minigame Island for single-player challenges.
• Up to 4 friends or family members can enjoy multiplayer via local wireless or download play.**
• Have fun faster with streamlined minigame instructions, Favorites options for quick selection, and the ability to preset the number of turns during board game play.
• Tap compatible amiibo™ figures (sold separately) to receive in-game bonuses on Minigame Island, such as in-game coins. Plus, if your life reaches 0, you can tap compatible amiibo to restore one life. Each compatible amiibo can be scanned once per day.
• Tap the Goomba or Koopa Troopa amiibo figures at the Minigame Pack selection screen in Minigame Match or Championship Battles for a shortcut to unlocking the Goomba Minigame Pack or the Koopa Troopa Pack.

** Additional systems required for multiplayer mode. Sold separately.

Mario Party: The Top 100 game is available now, only on the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. It can be purchased in stores, in Nintendo eShop, and at Nintendo.com. For more information about the game, visit https://marioparty100.nintendo.com/.

Game Rated:

Mild Cartoon Violence

It’s been an exciting year for Team Xbox. Just a couple days ago, on November 7, we launched the world’s most powerful console, Xbox One X, which joins Xbox One S in the Xbox One family of devices. The Xbox One gaming experience features a robust library of titles with more than 1,300 games and 220 exclusives available today, including Backward Compatible titles that help make Xbox One the only console system to play the best games of the past, present and future. More titles are on the way as well, including the hottest game on the planet PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, releasing as an Xbox One console launch exclusive December 12, 2017.

In addition, both Xbox One X and Xbox One S offer fans a variety of features that make Xbox One the best place to enjoy gaming and 4K entertainment, including:

For a limited time, everyone in the U.S. can take advantage of special offers at participating retailers, including:

• From now through November 18, buy any Xbox One S bundle starting at $249 USD and get an additional game of your choice at no extra cost
• From now through November 18, buy an Xbox One X and save $50 USD on Xbox Elite Wireless Controller
• From now through November 18, save $10 USD on select Xbox Wireless Controllers

See below for an overview of all the various Xbox hardware options available now, and make sure to check with participating retailers – including your local Microsoft Store, whether you’re shopping in a physical store, online or through your Xbox device – for more information on availability and pricing.

Xbox One X
Xbox One X is both the most powerful console in the world and the smallest Xbox ever built, capable of true 4K gaming. With 40 percent more power than any other console, Xbox One X is where console gamers can play the best versions of games. More than 50 Xbox One X Enhanced games are available now, including Forza Motorsport 7, Super Lucky’s Tale, Assassin’s Creed Origins, Middle-earth: Shadow of War and FIFA 18, with more on the way. Additionally, Xbox One X makes your existing library even better, with higher-resolution textures, smoother frame rates and faster load times, even on a 1080p TV. Xbox One X is currently available in 35 Xbox One markets with more coming soon, and retails at $499 USD. Fans are encouraged to buy the new console early this holiday season before quantities run out. For the latest on where to buy Xbox One X, visit xbox.com/xboxonex.

Xbox One S Bundles
Xbox One S offers the best value in 4K entertainment, with bundles starting at $279 USD. See below for all the different Xbox One S bundles available this holiday season. Availability and pricing varies by market, so please check with your local retailer for more information.

• Xbox One S Forza Horizon 3 Hot Wheels Bundle. ($279 USD). Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Forza Horizon 3 with the Hot Wheels expansion, 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.
• Xbox One S Minecraft Limited Edition Bundle ($399 USD). Features a 1TB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller – Minecraft Creeper, Xbox One S Vertical Stand, full-game download of Minecraft with the Redstone Pack, 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.
• Xbox One S Minecraft Complete Adventure Bundle ($279 USD). Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Minecraft, full add-on download of the Minecraft Explorer’s pack, full-game download code of Minecraft: Story Mode Season 1 – The Complete Adventure (Episodes 1-8), 3-month Xbox Live Gold subscription and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.
• Xbox One S Assassin’s Creed Origins Bundle (£229 GBP / €279 EUR): Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Assassin’s Creed Origins, 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.
• Xbox One S Assassin’s Creed Origins Bonus Bundle ($279 USD): Features a 1TB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Assassin’s Creed Origins, full-game download of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.
• Xbox One S Madden NFL 18 Bundle ($279 USD). Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Madden NFL 18, 20 percent discount code on NFLShop.com, 14-day trial subscription to Xbox Live Gold and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.
• Xbox One S Rocket League Blast-Off Bundle (£229 GBP/€279 EUR). Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Rocket League, 3-month Xbox Live Gold subscription and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.
• Xbox One S Shadow of War Bundles (starting at $279 USD): Features either a 500GB or 1TB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Middle-earth: Shadow of War, 1-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold and 1-month membership to Xbox Game Pass.
• Xbox One S Starter Bundle ($279 USD). Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, 3-month Xbox Live Gold subscription and 3-month Xbox Game Pass membership.
• Xbox One S Ultimate Halo Bundle ($279 USD). Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game downloads of Halo 5: Guardians and Halo: The Master Chief Collection, 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.

Xbox Accessories
In addition to your Xbox One console, fans have several controller options to choose from to take their gaming to the next level:

• Xbox Design Lab (starting at $79.99 USD). This year, we introduced even more customization options, giving Xbox fans over a billion design combinations to choose from, including new color options, thumbstick colors, metallic finishes for D-pads and triggers and black rubberized grips. We also recently introduced the Xbox Wireless Controller – NFL, giving fans in the U.S. yet another way to personalize their Xbox experience. Xbox Design Lab is available to residents in Canada, France, Germany, the U.K, the U.S. and more than 20 additional European countries.
• Xbox Elite Wireless Controller ($149.99 USD). For fans looking for professional-level customization, look no further than the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller. The controller was built from the ground up to meet the rigorous demands of hardcore, competitive-level gamers, and offers various options to adjust unique elements of the controller for better control, precision and comfort.
• New Xbox Wireless Controller options. In addition to Xbox Design Lab and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, fans can expand their collection of Xbox Wireless Controllers with a bevy of special edition and limited edition designs, including Minecraft Pig, Minecraft Creeper, Patrol Tech Special Edition, Green/Grey and Volcano Shadow, starting at $64.99 USD. Every Xbox Wireless Controller features textured grip for enhanced comfort and Bluetooth technology for gaming on Windows 10.

With Xbox One, you can create your perfect gaming experience this holiday, choosing from a multi-faceted lineup of new consoles and accessories.

As has been the case for a short while now, the three major territories (PAL, North American and Japan) are all going their own way when it comes to Splatoon 2 Splatfests. Now we have the details for next week’s Splatfest in North America, which would sure make for a fun real-life event at a convention.

It’s Sci-Fi Vs. Fantasy, which seems like a rather neat showdown to us.

As you can see in the tweet it kicks off at 9pm Pacific (which is midnight Eastern) on 17th November.

So, will you be Team Sci-Fi or Team Fantasy?

One of the biggest criticisms early on with the Nintendo Switch was also admittedly one of the console’s greatest strengths: it just plays games. For some, this laser focus on being a gaming platform was a breath of fresh air; it does exactly what it says it will, and it does so exceedingly well. For others, the omission of some relatively simple things, like a browser or other entertainment apps, was seen as a drawback. Either way, Nintendo said streaming apps would eventually show up for the platform, and now the first Western one has shown up with Hulu, a North American service – the Japanese store got a NicoNico app earlier in the year.

It adapts the updated UI of the mobile Hulu app (as opposed to the outdated look of the website version), with plenty of frosted glass and a broad spectrum of colours that cycle as you move through menus. Shows are laid out according to what you’ve been watching or are in the process of watching, and recommendations are made based on the things you’ve shown interest in. If you want to search for something specific, a tap of the X button will take you straight to the search tab. All in all it’s clean, it’s quick, and it’s easy to navigate, all making for a great first impression.

Switching between the TV screen and the Switch is a simple and painless process, adding greatly to the versatility of the app. Whether you’re dropping it in or out of the dock, the video will continue with no notable hiccups unless you pause it. So, if you’re in the middle of watching a show and want some snacks from the kitchen (and simply can’t be bothered to pause the show for two seconds), you can take it with you for that long walk, prop it up on the kickstand as you assemble that massive plate of nachos, and resume watching on the TV in a seamless go. Shows look great on either screen although it is generally more preferable to watch on a TV, not just because there’s more real estate, but the text in menus is a little smaller than comfortable on the Switch screen. Not enough to be much of a hindrance, but enough that it doesn’t feel quite like it’s the right size.

Aside from that, one (minor) gripe is the complete lack of touchscreen functionality with the interface. You can only navigate using the buttons and sticks as of now, and it feels like a bit of a lazy move. Sure, the UI doesn’t have the chunky design that’s finger-friendly, but it feels rather strange tapping on a show icon and having no response as a result. Hopefully this will be rectified in a future update; it’s not a big problem by any stretch, but it would add a welcome extra bit of convenience to navigation. Maybe the company was rushing a bit to be the first streaming service on the platform.

All told, this is a perfectly functional and satisfying way to watch your favourite shows on Hulu (newcomers can have a free trial, but it’s a paid service). Being able to switch between the portable screen and the TV is a nice touch, and the ease of use in either configuration is welcome. Though the portable mode suffers from tiny font sizes and a lack of touchscreen use, this is a great first pass at the app and it bodes well for the future of streaming services on the platform.

Electronic Arts announced today that it’s cut a deal to acquire longtime partner Respawn Entertainment (Titanfall, Titanfall 2) for $151 million in cash, plus as much as $304 million if Respawn hits certain performance milestones through 2022.

This is a big deal, literally and figuratively. It marks the end of Respawn’s seven-year run as an independent venture, which began in 2010 when the studio was launched by ousted Infinity Ward heads Vince Zampella and Jason West.

In the years following, a good chunk of Infinity Ward’s staff made the jump to Respawn to work on the studio’s flagship Titanfall franchise. Though West eventually left the studio, Zampella has remained a lead figure for the Titanfall games, which have been published by EA.

In a blog post published to the Respawn website, Zampella stated that he plans to continue running Respawn in addition to his new work as a member of EA’s studio leadership team. He also claimed that work will continue unabated on both the Titanfall franchise and the studio’s unnamed Star Wars project.

“We’ve had success as an independent company but as we look to how we want to compete in the future, and the challenges that face us in a rapidly changing landscape, now is the time for us to combine forces with a global industry leader like EA. While it wasn’t necessary, going with EA made a lot of sense,” he wrote.

“I will still be running things at Respawn and will also be a part of the studio leadership team at EA. There will be no layoffs or major organization changes within Respawn. All games currently in development are continuing as planned.”

The terms of the acquisition state that Respawn will now be a part of the EA Worldwide Studios division, alongside outfits like Motive Studios and Ghost Games.

In addition to the afore-mentioned $151 million in cash up front, EA has agreed to pay “up to $164 million in long-term equity in the form of restricted stock units to employees, which will vest over four years”, as well as more cash (up to a maximum of $140 million) based on “achievement of certain performance milestones, relating to the development of future titles” through 2022.

Incidentally, this news comes less than a month after EA made a public show of shutting down Visceral Games and overhauling its Star Wars game.

Many of gaming’s most compelling stories come from those who’ve helped to create our favorite Xbox One games. In our Inside Xbox One X Enhanced series, these creators will share the behind-the-scenes accounts of the work involved in enhancing these epic games for Xbox One X, how they’ve helped chart the course of the world’s most powerful console, and what that means for the future of gaming. Today, we’ll be chatting with Seth Christie from EA Sports, Technical Director on the perennial football powerhouse Madden 18.

What specifically is your development team doing to enhance Madden NFL 18 for Xbox One X?

For Madden NFL 18, we are reaching new heights on Xbox One X through visuals and gameplay. The resolution of the game can be played in 4K Ultra HD, which really comes through in the player detail.  The gameplay will run at a constant 60 FPS (Frames Per Second), which means that when you go from scoring on the field to celebrating in the end zone, you’ll experience a smooth, seamless transition from gameplay to cinematic moments.

How do these enhancements impact the gaming experience?

As mentioned above, the visuals are improved due to 4K Ultra HD support and the performance is improved due to constant 60 FPS across the gameplay experience. When you combine 4K Ultra HD, constant 60 fps with additional enhancements such as an increased level of camera detail, you’ll immediately notice and feel a difference in the immersion. This means that elements such as the player’s helmet and faces become more realistic –giving you the feeling that you are right there in the stadium.

Why did your development team choose to focus on these enhancement areas?

We wanted to give our fans the highest fidelity Madden NFL 18 visual experience, and we knew these were the key areas which would deliver the most noticeable upgrades.

How do you expect fans of Madden NFL 18 will respond to seeing on Xbox One X with these enhancements?

There are still times when we do a double-take after casually seeing Madden NFL 18 on Xbox One X. The console has made the experience even more like the real-life broadcasts you seen on TV. We expect our fans will react similarly.

How has the process been to get the game up and running on Xbox One X?

The team at Microsoft planned their console transition well, and the we found it easy to upgrade Madden NFL 18 to take advantage of the power of the console.

What enhancement were you most excited about to explore leveraging for Madden 18 on Xbox One X?

The powerful GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) in the Xbox One X has allowed a jump in fidelity already, and we are sure there is still room to improve the experience in the coming years.

What does 4K and HDR mean for your game, games in the future and development at your studio?

We are now able to deliver vibrant, detailed visuals only previously imagined by our team. Our games will continue taking advantage of these technologies to deliver realistic experiences into our fans’ living rooms.

Thanks to Seth for taking the time to chat with us about Xbox One X Enhanced. We’ll be bringing you more interviews with more developers in the future, so stay tuned to Xbox Wire!

While some major third-party publishers have backed Switch enthusiastically from the beginning, others have been rather more reserved. Capcom has certainly been cautious early on, offering some support with ports and tweaked older games while waiting for indications of early sales.

With the Switch having enjoyed a positive debut year so far, it seems Capcom is looking to produce more titles to cash in on that popularity. Speaking to Japanese publication Jiji, a company executive outlined plans to bring more titles to the Switch after April 2018. The only specific franchise mentioned was Ace Attorney.

There’s certainly plenty of scope for easy wins with the series. In addition to the various 3DS entries and remasters the IP has had multiple HD versions on smart devices. Of course, the Switch could potentially be on the cards for any completely new entries, too. Beyond Ace Attorney there are various ports that could be quick projects for Capcom (we already have Resident Evil Revelations and its sequel around the corner), though many will naturally hope for new games.

What Capcom titles would you like to see on Switch?