It is 20 years since Guitar Hero was launched in North America, and with it, the tools for the everyday gamer to become a rock star. Not literally of course, but try telling that to someone who has nailed Free Bird's four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience. Developed by Harmonix, published by RedOctane and inspired by Konami's GuitarFreaks, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller with which to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song.
The Butterfly Event will go down during matches of Fortnite OG on Saturday, November 8 at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET. You'll want to get in a few minutes early, and head to the big cube next to Loot Lake in the center of the island. Epic has been adding safe zones for live events recently, so you may not have to worry about players griefing you during it--but be on your guard in case you do have to defend yourself.
Grand Theft Auto 6 has been delayed. Again. We can all cue in the "my disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined" meme, but the truth is very few really expected GTA 6 to stick to its May 2026 release date. Considering the scale of the project, the amount of detail visible in the two trailers, and the astronomic standards of polish we've all come to expect from a Rockstar Games title, Grand Theft Auto 6 obviously requires more time in the auto shop.
If you're yearning to return to the formative years of home console gaming, then you'll want to check out the upcoming Intellivision Sprint. This device combines the retro appeal of the original Intellivision with modern conveniences, including HDMI ports and wireless controllers. It also comes with 45 built-in video games, such as Boulder Dash, Baseball, and Astrosmash. The Intellivision Sprint will be available for $150 starting December 5, and preorders are live at Amazon.
Activision has announced a new perk to help encourage people to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 at release. The company is giving everyone five hours of double XP for player progression and five hours of double XP for weapons if they play Black Ops 7 before Season 1. Activision has not announced when Black Ops 7 Season 1 will begin, but it's expected in early December. For comparison, 2024's Black Ops 6 launched on October 25, with its first season arriving on November 14, which was a period of about three weeks.
If you head over to the Nintendo eShop and search for Kirby Air Riders, you'll come across the Global Test Ride page. A completely free download that requires an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play online, the playtest gives you access to the game's frantic dasher Air Ride and free-for-all City Trial modes, as well as a couple of maps to race on. Below is the full schedule.
I am convinced that I can get better at playing Ball X Pit, but whether I win or lose often seems to have little connection to my actual moment-to-moment skill. Sure, I can be smarter about my upgrade picks. I can aim and maneuver to maximize my DPS and avoid some attacks. But in the aggregate, my success feels more or less predetermined by an invisible curve that's slowly progressing me through the metagame.
Three World of Nintendo Metroid Prime action figure packs from Jakks Pacific are available at Walmart. All three are officially licensed by Nintendo and listed for budget-friendly prices. For $25, fans can get a 6-inch Metroid figure with UV lighting. Walmart also has a pair of smaller action figure 3-packs for $15 each. The Metroid Prime Bounty Hunter Diorama Set includes Samus Aran and two Metroids, while the Chozo Power Suit Figure Set features Samus in three different suits.
Activision has revealed new details regarding the upcoming preload for the launch of Black Ops 7. The game releases on November 14, but players can start preloading Black Ops 7 as early as November 10. This update for the Call of Duty HQ will also include reorganized and existing Black Ops 6 and Warzone content packs, so players will want to be aware of some additional downloads.
Well, as of Monday, you can put an end to that skepticism. Personal stats, including streak tracking, are on their way. Starting on Monday, you'll find an expanded endgame pop-up that provides a tally of your current streak, plus a record of your longest one. Below them will be a chart containing a history of how many squares you got correct each time you played. Are you consistently going nine out of nine? Now you'll have proof of that, too.
What's the cost of a high trust society? The sort of place where you could lightly lose track of your kid for, say, 20 minutes, and not necessarily double over with a triumvirate of guilt, panic, and shame? At the Next Level Pinball Museum, the going rate is $23 per person. It might be the best money I ever spent.
The two coolest Hot Wheels Mario Kart tracks sold on Amazon are discounted to superb prices this weekend. The Amazon-exclusive Mario Kart Circuit Track Set is down to $68 (was $98). Over 10% of units are claimed at the time of writing, so snag the Circuit Track while you can. Mario Kart fans should also check out the recently released Bowser's Castle Raceway Track Set.
Like any worthy endeavor, all it takes is time, perseverance, and, perhaps most importantly, inspiration. In this case, that was Tosk's love of Studio Ghibli films. "Totoro is my favorite," he told me. "It's like a warm nostalgia blanket! Such a sweet innocent story of childhood wonders. It [also] has environmental themes but doesn't hit you over the head with it."
Are you still unsure about whether you should side with Auntie's Choice or the Order in The Outer Worlds 2? These two factions aren't just at odds with each other. They're actually gearing up for war owing to vastly different ideologies. Naturally, you can step in and broker an agreement between the two, or you can antagonize both at your peril. We've got all the details for you in our article, but be ready for major spoilers.
Trubbish, the literal trash bag Pokémon, can be found in alleys and around other areas where trash is discarded. A lot of the time, when you see one of these smelly little dudes lounging around, nearby humans are complaining about how they smell bad and they want them gone. So when you do actually get around to catching one of these poison-type Pokémon, an adorable but sad interaction occurs.
"Fame has never been this hands-on." That's the tagline for OF Model Simulator 2025, a visual novel RPG featuring nearly naked women which until recently appeared to be for sale on the PlayStation Store for just $15. The announcement page remains but the option to buy has been removed. It's unclear if that's in response to players' ongoing complaints about Sony's slop-filled digital storefront or because of other reasons.
