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Mario Kart World items tier list

Mario Kart World introduced plenty of new items to the series, and now it’s got more unique items than any other game in the franchise. Not all of them are winners, though, and after almost 100 hours playing the game we’ve decided to rank every single one in a tier list. We’ve also added explanations on why each item is in its respective tier.

StandGrip Nintendo Switch 2 Savage Raven review

We’ve got another Nintendo Switch 2 accessory review for you – this time for the Skull & Co StandGrip.

By now, the Savage Raven line of grips for Nintendo Switch 2 is one of the only ones that hasn’t been surrounded by some sort of production controversy. Quite the opposite, actually – generally speaking, it seems both the Neo Grip and the StandGrip have been received positively so far. Today, we’re focusing specifically on the StandGrip, which is available from the Skull & Co website for around $20 right now. Despite appearing like a budget option, the StandGrip is currently my favorite out of the Nintendo Switch 2 grips I’ve tried. I’m someone who almost exclusively plays in handheld mode, and for that purpose the StandGrip works excellently. It might not suit everybody’s play style for reasons we’ll delve into in a moment, but this grip should absolutely be on your radar if you’re looking for a good one.

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A new month started up this week. Now that we’re in July, we want to know what you’ve been playing.

Are you still going through Mario Kart World or other Nintendo Switch 2 launch games? Maybe you’ve been checking out other recent releases like Raidou Remastered? No matter the case, let us know in the comments.

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How Nintendo could handle Mario Kart World updates

Today, we’re discussing Mario Kart World and how Nintendo could add new content to the game, plus the kind of characters and courses we could wind up seeing.

To start, we need to make something clear right away: Mario Kart World is a fantastic game as-is. Is it worth $80 when purchased outside the bundle? That’s up for you to decide, but ultimately Nintendo could further bolster the game with free updates. Think of it this way: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe cost $60 on launch even though it was a port and not an all-new title, and then it received a $25 DLC pack on top of that – which adds up to an $85 price tag (although you can technically borrow the DLC for free with a Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack plan). This is a big assumption, but Nintendo could potentially earn back some good will by releasing free updates. It’s also entirely possible that Nintendo decides to charge for DLC packs – it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if they did, but we feel like Mario Kart World has already received some substantial backlash for its $80 price tag. Adding DLC on top of that wouldn’t make the situation much better.

System: Switch 2
Release date: June 5, 2025
Developer: Hazelight Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Generally, my wife does not play video games very often, as she’s always been more keen to cozy up with a good book and warm cup of tea during her free time. There are exceptions, of course – she did complete two 70+ hour playthrough of Hogwarts Legacy, to her credit – but for the most part, she simply hasn’t found many games that have piqued her interest. The only major exception to that trend is when a new game from Hazelight Studios comes out. She and I had a blast playing the studio’s previous two titles, A Way Out and It Takes Two, on the couch together over the past several years, and from time to time she would ask me if there was a sequel or something similar to those games that we could play. Needless to say, I was excited to learn that the studio’s next game, Split Fiction, would be a launch game for the Nintendo Switch 2, and was eager to put their latest genre-mashing, reality-shifting co-op adventure through its paces.

A little more into the system’s first month, Switch 2 is getting its next big game from Nintendo. Donkey Kong Bananza is launching on July 17 and we got to hear more about it last week as part of the latest Nintendo Direct.

Donkey Kong Bananza is a pretty big deal. For one thing, it’s the first time we’re seeing a proper 3D Donkey Kong title since the N64 era. On top of that, Nintendo is finally back to working on the series with one of its main teams.

During the Nintendo Direct, we learned about a ton of new stuff. Pauline was officially revealed, we got our first look at transformations, there’s a new amiibo on the way, and much more. We have a full recap here.

Based on what we saw, how are you feeling about Donkey Kong Bananza? Will you be picking it up next month? Let us know in the comments.

Switch 2 brought with it several launch titles like Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, but one game that also launched with the console that flew under the radar was the Sonic x Shadow Generations. The game released for Nintendo Switch late last year and was generally well-received. As per our original review, however, one of the game’s biggest flaws was its performance. Both Sonic and Shadow Generations targeted 30 frames per second, and while the former often hit that target, the latter struggled to do so and also struggled with extremely poor resolution.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Sonic x Shadow Generations doesn’t include any new content – it’s strictly a performance upgrade for the game. With that in mind, we’re going to focus on the game’s graphics and frame rate for the purposes of this feature. If you’d like to read more about how the actual game holds up, check out our original review – which still holds up in full.

Hitman World of Assassination review

System: Switch 2
Release date: June 5, 2025
Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: IO Interactive

The slick, noir-ish montage FMV that plays at the beginning of Hitman World of Assassination’s campaign is an incredibly confident thing. Like any decent introduction it sets out the tonal blueprint of the game you’re about to play – but in Hitman’s case, it does so much more besides. Originally released in 2016, the first entry in IO Interactive’s soft reboot of the franchise was a course correction of sorts, meant to put the developer back on track both creatively and financially. As the cinematic medley plays out, you’re taken on a whistle-stop tour of the past series’ most impactful missions and moments. It’s a definitive statement of intent from IO Interactive, and one that melts away past criticisms over the course of its 2 minute and 22 second runtime. As the artful collage builds to its apex, there’s a subtle – if slightly brazen – feeling that IO Interactive is in no small way hinting that the best is yet to come.

System: Switch 2
Release date: June 5, 2025
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

When Nintendo revealed Switch 2 earlier this year, of all the games announced to be releasing alongside the system on launch day, it was Street Fighter 6 that had me the most excited. The original Nintendo Switch missed out on some major releases in the fighting game genre; outside of Smash Bros. Ultimate and some iffy Mortal Kombat ports, the pickings were slim for those seeking a flashy modern, 3D fighting game (although we did get what felt like roughly a thousand retro fighting game collections.) These titles have always felt like such a natural fit for handheld play to me, so when Street Fighter 6 released to near universal critical acclaim on other platforms a few years ago, I was eager to someday play it on a console where I could hone my skills at home or on the go. Fortunately, while Street Fighter 6 had to make a few compromises to make it onto Nintendo Switch 2, for the most part this is an excellent way to enjoy Capcom’s premier current-gen fighting game.

The big Nintendo Switch 2 presentation in April announced a ton of new games: Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Kirby Air Riders, plus new trailers for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Lost in all the hype was Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which just about flew under the radar in comparison to the Direct’s big reveals. In a similar vein as Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Age of Imprisonment is meant to serve as a direct prequel to Tears of the Kingdom. We don’t really know much about the game otherwise, but we figure it’s a good time to make some story and gameplay predictions before it releases later this year. We’ll be discussing spoilers for Tears of the Kingdom and Age of Calamity, so keep that in mind before you continue.


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