On June 5, after years of rumors and anticipation, Nintendo will finally launch the Nintendo Switch 2 worldwide. Preorders are already mostly sold out with millions of gamers anxiously awaiting Mario Kart World Tour and new on-the-go ports of Street Fighter 6 and Cyberpunk 2077. Of course Nintendo is no stranger to the hardware business, launching more than a dozen consoles and portables since the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). And there have been many ups and downs over the last four decades. When considering which Nintendo system actually had the best launch, we looked at the quality and quantity of games at release, price, as well as the overall impressiveness of the hardware at launch. This retrospective also considers only the North American launches of each system. With that in mind, this is the definitive ranking of all of Nintendo’s console and portable launches since the NES gave the world a red-capped Italian plumber!  13. Virtual Boy Since entering the video game market in the 1970s, Nintendo has rarely encountered a massive failure, but it’s hard to see the Virtual Boy as anything but a colossal misstep, albeit an ambitious one. A home VR system in the mid-‘90s was literally decades ahead of its time, but nothing about it was really consumer friendly. Despite being marketed as a Game Boy successor, the Virtual Boy wasn’t really portable, and at home, it required a table to play. And while the black and white monochrome screen was fine for the original Game Boy, the Virtual Boy’s red and black monochrome display was known to just cause headaches. As for the launch games, they were aggressively… okay? Mario’s Tennis is a perfectly competent, if barebones, tennis game. Meanwhile Teleroboxer was an interesting, just not terribly compelling Punch-Out!! successor. But even if the games were decent, the controller, a god-awful monstrosity mixing the worst aspects of the SNES and N64 controllers, didn’t do these titles any favors. The launch price, equivalent to around $370 USD in 2025 dollars, was the final nail in the Virtual Boy’s coffin, and Nintendo quietly discontinued the console a year after release. 12. Wii U The Wii U is Nintendo’s worst selling console by a large margin, and the problems really were evident from the beginning. The tablet controller was an interesting idea but just not as engaging or innovative as the Wii’s motion controls. Nintendo really banked on Nintendo Land showcasing what the system could do and banked on it being their next Wii Sports, but it ended up just showing how limited the new console really was. And while Mario games have historically been system sellers, New Super Mario Bros. U was largely a rehash of its Wii predecessor, just with HD graphics. It’s a fine platformer, but a surprisingly average Mario game. Beyond that, the launch lineup was largely made up of third party ports, some of which had been available on other consoles for years at that point. It’s easy to see why so many people were confused about whether the Wii U was a new console or an upgrade of the Wii, and why so many of those who understood what it was ended up skipping it, even if the $300 launch price was competitive. 11. Game Boy Color If we were looking at the entire history of Nintendo consoles, the Game Boy Color would certainly rank higher, but Nintendo just didn’t put much effort into its launch, likely because Nintendo absolutely dominated the handheld gaming market at the time. They didn’t have to work very hard to sell this thing. They knew the players would show up. The highlight of the Game Boy Color’s launch in 1998 was Game & Watch Gallery 2, a color collection of the old handheld titles Nintendo made in the ‘80s. It actually was a very good showcase of the GBC’s better color graphics, but it wasn’t the type of game that had much staying power. The other launch titles, Pocket Bomberman, Centipede, and Tetris DX, a colorized version of the original Game Boy’s Tetris launch title, were similarly serviceable but largely forgettable, because seriously, who was dying to play a colorized version of Game Boy Tetris at that point? But at $79.95, the launch price was right, and the GBC quickly built an impressive library of exclusives. 10. Nintendo 3DS When the 3DS was first revealed in 2010, its glasses-free stereoscopic 3D generated an immense amount of buzz. Sadly, a botched launch promptly killed a lot of that momentum. Nintendo’s first party offerings were all oddly disappointing. Pilotwings had been a solid launch series in the past, but Pilotwings Resort lacked a lot of content compared to its predecessors. Steel Diver was an interesting submarine sim that just didn’t quite click. And Nintendogs + Cats, well… it was more Nintendogs for whatever that’s worth. The launch lineup wasn’t all disappointments, however. Street Fighter IV 3D Edition and Rayman 3D were excellent ports of console games, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars remains an underrated gem of a tactics game. But arguably the biggest knock against the 3DS was its price. The handheld launched at $250, a price that many gamers balked at. Nintendo was forced to cut the price to $170 just a few months later. Early adopters were compensated with a collection of 20 NES and GBA games, but so many unnecessary missteps left a bad taste in the mouths of many Nintendo fans, and it seems like the 3DS never quite reached its full potential. 9. Nintendo 64 I remember first playing Super Mario 64 in a Toys ‘R Us in 1996 before the U.S. launch and being absolutely blown away. I had never used an analog controller before that let me control how fast or slow my character on screen moved. There had been plenty of 3D platformers prior to that point, but Mario’s first 3D outing truly felt like a giant leap forward for gaming thanks to its silky smooth controls and innovative open world gameplay. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! The problem with N64’s launch is that there just wasn’t much else to it. It only launched in the U.S. with Super Mario 64 and Pilotwings 64, which was another excellent showcase for what the console could do, but once you played through those games, new releases were sparse, and expensive, an issue that would continue to plague the console for its entire lifespan. The N64 certainly had quality games, it just could never get much quantity. And while the $250 launch price was reasonable, it was only $50 cheaper than a PlayStation at the time, and given that the PS1 had a much larger library, and its games tended to be cheaper, it’s easy to see why Sony’s console outsold Nintendo’s by a large margin in the late ‘90s. 8. Nintendo DS Nintendo didn’t really seem to know what the DS was supposed to be at first. Seemingly rushed to market in late 2004 to get ahead of the imminent Sony PSP launch, the DS was initially marketed as a “third pillar” system that would sit on shelves alongside the GameCube and Game Boy Advance, though it quickly elbowed the GBA out of the handheld space.  That wasn’t exactly thanks to a great launch lineup though. Super Mario 64 DSFeel the Magic: XY/XX was a weird and wonderful minigame showcase of the handheld’s new features, but it had little mass market appeal. And while games like Madden NFL 2005, Spider-Man 2, and Urbz: Sims in the City were all perfectly serviceable, none of them were on par with their console counterparts. But at $150, the DS was $100 cheaper than the PSP, and that easily helped it become a bestseller.  7. Nintendo Switch  In 2025 the Switch is an undisputed massive success, but its launch in 2017 was very much a mixed bag. First the good: the hardware, though underpowered compared to competitors, is fantastic. Being able to seamlessly switch between playing games on a TV and on the go is a wonderful innovation. The Switch feels great in your hands, and the Joy-Cons still offer some of the best feedback of any controller on the market. It was clear that the system had massive potential from the start, and the $300 launch price undercut both Sony and Microsoft. But the launch lineup was the definition of a one trick pony. Yes, The Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild was an instant classic and absolutely deserves to be in the conversation of the greatest games of all time. But beyond that, how many people even remember the Switch’s other launch games? 1-2 Switch is a lame minigame collection. Super Bomberman R had potential as a launch exclusive, but turned out to be a middling entry in the long running franchise. And ports of Just Dance 2017 and Skylanders: Imaginators weren’t exactly moving systems. Still, the success of the Nintendo Switch makes a really good case that all a console needs to be successful is a great design and one killer app. 6. Game Boy When it launched in 1989, the Game Boy was woefully underpowered and lacked the color screen of competitors like the Sega Game Gear and Atari Lynx. It didn’t really matter though. First Nintendo understood that less power meant longer battery life, which is still about the most important feature for portable gaming. More importantly, the Game Boy had a secret weapon: Tetris.  The classic puzzler was a pack-in title for the Game Boy at launch, the equivalent of giving the first hit away for free to get gamers hooked. At $89.99, the launch bundle was an absolute steal. Along with Tetris, Super Mario Land was a quirky and unique take on the Mario series that was well worth checking out, while ports of Tennis and Baseball from the NES library kept people hooked as the Game Boy gained momentum.  5. GameCube The GameCube launch is both better and worse than you remember it. While the console was kind of knocked for not having any truly great exclusives at launch, the exclusives that were released have actually aged rather well. This was a system where you could pick up Luigi’s Mansion, Wave Race: Blue Storm, Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader, and Super Monkey Ball at launch, all fantastic titles that weren’t available anywhere else. And while it launched three days after the original Xbox, it was also $100 cheaper. Admittedly, the third-party offerings were a bit slim, but Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3Crazy Taxi with the all important arcade soundtrack that’d been missing from more recent releases. But those ports also showed off the GameCube’s biggest weakness: there was really nothing different about these versions if you already owned them elsewhere. It’s not surprising then that after this generation, Nintendo started looking toward new gimmicks to sell consoles instead of just pushing graphics technology to its limits. 4. SNES The SNES didn’t launch with a ton of games, but there wasn’t a stinker in the bunch. Of course there was Super Mario World, still arguably the best Mario game ever made. Not only is the design of that game timeless, but the huge graphical upgrade over anything the NES could do quickly justified the upgrade to a new console. Pilotwings and F-Zero, with their revolutionary use of Mode 7 further showed off the power of the system. The $199 launch price (equivalent to around $460 today) was high for the time, but the launch lineup was so good, the price was kind of justified. Even the two games pulling up the rear, Gradius III and an SNES-exclusive version of SimCity were excellent titles worth picking up. But what’s really underrated about the SNES is how much of an improvement the controller was. It was much more ergonomic than the hard rectangle shape of the NES controller, and the addition of X and Y and shoulder buttons made it clear from the get-go that this console was going to open up a lot of new gameplay styles. 3. Game Boy Advance The Game Boy Advance had an all too brief time as Nintendo’s premiere handheld before the DS took the spotlight, but it built an impressive library during its time starting with the launch. The $100 launch price is quite possibly the best of any piece of Nintendo hardware. And the portable had a solid one, two punch out of the gate with F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, an excellent successor to the SNES title, and Super Mario Advance, a full-fledged remake of Super Mario Bros. 2 that remains the best way to experience this classic.  The 15 other titles available at launch included solid ports of games like Rayman and ChuChuRocket!, with the portability of the GBA version arguably making it more preferable to play than its bigger brother on Dreamcast. But for many, the real star of the launch was Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, a technically impressive port that somehow managed to squeeze all of the gameplay of the console version into an isometric view. Before release, many were touting that the GBA was the equivalent of a handheld SNES. These early games showed that it could actually be even better than that. 2. NES By the mid-1980s, console gaming was essentially dead in North America. Atari had killed the market, flooding it with low quality games. It would take an impressive new console, genius marketing, and just a little bit of luck to bring home gaming back from the brink. The NES succeeded at a tough time for video games by trying not to be just another console. It was more of a toy, or “entertainment system,” sold alongside a Zapper light gun and R.O.B., a robot accessory. Gimmicky? Sure, but that was just the opening salvo in Nintendo’s strategy, the Trojan horse to bring consoles back into the living room. Of course, the games needed to be good for the NES to succeed, and Nintendo had that down pat, launching with 17 titles, including Super Mario Bros., Excitebike, Duck Hunt, and Ice Climbers, titles that are iconic to this day. Other titles like Baseball, Tennis, and Pinball were more perfunctory, but good enough to gain the public’s attention and prove that video games weren’t just a fad. Admittedly, the $200 launch price (equivalent to nearly $600 in today’s dollars) was high, though historically similar to many other launch prices for new consoles, and that price point clearly didn’t do much to dissuade prospective buyers. 1. Wii  Twenty years after the NES brought consoles back from the brink, Nintendo’s home console business found itself in a tough spot. Despite good reviews and a respectable library of games, the GameCube had just taken third place in a three-way fight. Clearly, just trying to build the most powerful console wasn’t the key to success. So as Sony and Microsoft turned to HD gaming, Nintendo released a console just slightly more powerful than its predecessor, but with the benefit of motion controls thanks to the Wii-mote. It sounded kinda nuts. Then people played Wii Sports and were immediately hooked. The game was a phenomenon. Not just hardcore gamers wanted to play it, but parents, and even grandparents. The Wii truly brought console gaming to the masses in a way that had previously been unthinkable thanks to an innovative new controller. Oh, and for the hardcore gamers, a little title by the name of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight PrincessExcite TruckTrauma Center: Second Opinion were more than enough to keep the console flying off shelves for years after release, especially because the older technology meant it could be sold substantially cheaper than either the Xbox 360 or the PS3.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Language learning apps usually fall into two camps—either they’re too rigid and boring, or they gamify things so much that you stop learning and start guessing. Qlango tries to find the middle ground, and right now, you can grab a lifetime subscription for $34.97 from StackSocial (down from $119.99), which gives you access to all 50+ supported languages. That includes the big ones like Spanish, French, and German, plus less common ones like Georgian, Tatar, and even Latin. Whether you're prepping for a trip, brushing up your vocabulary, or just trying to keep your brain busy, it’s a lot of content for not a lot of money.What makes Qlango different is how it forces you to use your target language actively. You don’t spend time translating back into your native tongue—everything you do, from dictation to sentence-building to multiple choice, is centered around the language you’re learning. It uses spaced repetition, so if you miss something, it’ll keep coming back until it sticks. And while that might sound annoying, it’s actually one of the most effective ways to build long-term memory. You can also pick the learning style that suits you best—go slow with word matching, or dive into full sentence translations if you’re up for it.That said, the app’s design isn’t as polished as something like Duolingo, and if you’re someone who needs visual bells and whistles to stay motivated, it might feel a bit barebones. But the real value here is in how flexible it is—you can set your own weekly goals, skip the guilt trips for missing a day, and focus on what actually helps you learn. You can hear the pronunciation of each word, learn nouns with their articles (super helpful for gendered languages), and build a vocabulary that’s actually useful. If you’ve bounced off other language apps in the past because they either felt too childish or too intense, Qlango might be the middle path you’ve been looking for. And at this price, it’s not a huge risk to find out.

Binding mechanics are reworked to allow freedom of movement. New features include blade recoil for beats, improved AI, the addition of spears, and experimental LAN. Banking mechanics are conceptualized to add realism in the game's story mode. Posted by khiemgluong on May 17th, 2025 0.5.0 Combat Physical Binding I had touched on how fluid movement is important for engaging gameplay in a previous post, failing to realize that the way binding would freeze you in place was contradictory to that point. The previous approach to binding was a matter of programming limitation rather than technical. I couldn't figure out a way to allow blade movement tangent to another blade without tunneling issues, since weapon movement was only relative to the character, rather than relative to its own collisions. The solution was to enable a minimal amount of physics to control the blade, torqued by an angular force enough to keep the weapon oriented upright, while base movement would still use kinematics. It will only be in play when another object is acting upon it, rather than be the driving force of the weapon (unlike that one physics melee "game" that's shilled everywhere). This meant that in the event of a bind, the weapon would align itself to the blade it's bound with, and as demonstrated in the video, maintains the pressure necessary to keep the weapon in contact without tunneling. With a more stable and consistent binding mechanic I was able to unrestrict weapon and character movement, allowing for a new combat paradigm where opponents would wrestle each other for the most ideal attack angle. Blade "Recoil" To add another layer of reactivity, the blade that receives the attack would "recoil" opposite to the direction of the blade that struck it as demonstrated in the video. This technique allows you to strike your opponent’s blade to create an opening for an attack. It's based on a real sword-fighting strategy where, instead of targeting the opponent directly, you first displace their defense by "beating" their blade out of the way. Combat Movement A new set of root motion animations for combat have been added to accompany the more aggressive AI. In previous versions, NPCs wielding shorter swords rarely stood a chance against those with larger ones. But now, a katana wielding gladiator can stand his ground—even without chest armor—against an opponent armed with a zweihander, and go on to win the rematch. In summary: size doesn't matter (anymore). The only current limitation left is how to handle dynamic target locking. It's fine when you're in a 1v1 duel, but against several enemies, especially now that each team gets up to 8 people in the arena, then it becomes an impediment rather than an advantage. Models Armor Speaking of chest armor, the Lorica Hamata (chainmail) is now part of the gladiator loadout. As far as Roman themed items go, this might be one of the last to be added. Spears Spears have been a near universal weapon in the ancient world, yet rarely receives representation in games in comparison to swords, likely something to do with the fact that it's really overpowered. I included it irregardlessly because I wanted to experiment with a new melee control system. Spears do not rotate like swords, instead it only pans, where the panning controls the spear tip. It's the perfect weapon against armored opponents or for fighters who prefer fighting from a distance with precise thrusts. Just keep in mind that spears still inherits the drawbacks of its real life counterpart. Scripts LAN Play Networked gameplay—something that's been on the backburner for a while, and something I’ve always wanted to implement—have now been developed into something barebones but functional. To start a LAN game, it's as easy as choosing LAN in the arena dropdown, and if you're starting the game, choose the host or server and share the IP address that is displayed to your clients. The host will have to spawn in the arena before clients can join. Story Mode The starting town in Story Mode is composed of simple, geometric structures, built with the Placeable system. Not every buildings will be created with this system, but a good portion of generic buildings will be, so apartments, barracks, or anything with a blocky form. Unique or curved structures, like the Colosseum, will be modeled instead. Banking Money (gold) in the world of Blade Ballad will have tangible weight, so it wouldn't be smart to go adventuring while hauling your entire fortune everywhere, as it will slow you down and draw unwanted attention from bandits, thieves and scam artists. Instead, you would make use of the many banks and deposit boxes located throughout the world to store your coin, whether earned or stolen. These banks would allow deposit, withdrawal and transfers to other banks, and will attempt to keep your wealth safe, with varying degrees of success. However, ancient banks (which were not globally centralized) came with their own problems. One would be its vulnerability to raiders. Since FDIC wasn't a thing, your money is effectively gone if it was looted. Corruption would be present as well (no different than modern banks) and would come in the form of "misplaced" funds, usury, embezzlement, preferential treatment to families of bankers, etc. This is intended to help you realize that you don't need all that gold. In most open world games I've played, I've always finished it with a massive pile of money in my inventory. All that time finding and selling items and I ended up not spending most of it anyways.

Flexispot is running its Memorial Day Sale with up to 60% off the brand's most popular standing desks and ergonomic chairs. We like Flexispot because it offers quality electric standing desks with all the features you'd want at a fraction of the price compared to other more well-known models. We rated Flexispot's highes- end model, the E7 Pro, the best overall standing desk of 2025. I've been using a Flexispot desk for years now and wouldn't pay more for a "better" desk.Featured in this articleFlexispot C7 Ergonomic ChairFor Base Only, Tops Starting at $80Flexispot E5 Electric Standing DeskFor Base Only, Tops Starting at $80Flexispot E7 Electric Standing DeskFor Base Only, Tops Starting at $80Flexispot E7 Pro Electric Standing DeskFor Base Only, Tops Starting at $80Flexispot E7L L-Shaped Electric Standing DeskFlexispot C7 Max Ergonomic ChairYou can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above. For more information on each product and why they are worth your consideration, read through below.Flexispot E7 Pro Desk starting at $399.99For Base Only, Tops Starting at $80Flexispot E7 Pro Electric Standing DeskThe E7 Pro is the creme de la creme of Flexispot's standing desks. It's recent released so it isn't nearly as heavily discounted as the other models. Currently it costs $399.99 (normally $599.99) for the base only and desktop surfaces start at $80. The E7 Pro features the best build quality of the three listed here, and it certainly shows with a weight capacity of a whopping 440lbs. Flexispot claims the motor for the E7 Pro is superior to the standard dual motor setup you'll find in the E5 and E7 and other brands, offering smoother and faster movement. You also get more cable management options included than even the E7. The Flexispot E7 Pro comes with the same 15-year warranty as the E7 on all metal, mechanical, and electrical parts and components, including the motor.Flexispot E7 Pro Review by Billy Givens"A simple but effective keypad, quiet dual motors, near-perfect cable management, and excellent stability make the FlexiSpot E7 Pro a top-tier standing desk for work or gaming. Whether it's your first desk purchase or a replacement for an older model, it's hard to find many better options in this price range."Flexispot C7 Ergonomic Chair for $229Flexispot C7 Ergonomic ChairThe Flexispot C7 offers a ton of features that are typically reserved for much more expensive chairs. This includes an automatically adjusting lumbar system, adjustable seat depth, adjustable armrests, adjustable seat tilt, adjustable headrest, 128 degrees of recline, and more. There's a newer C7 Max chair available starting at $450 which features a thicker seat cushion, greater recline adjustability, and 5D armrests, and the option to add a built-in footrest.Flexispot C7 Review (reviewed at $430) by Bill LoguidiceThe FlexiSpot C7 is a solid chair. For the price, however, I would have preferred a more premium-feeling leather or leather-like material instead of fabric, as well as more attention to some other aspects like cushioning. I also found the fact that you can't lock the wrist rests in place an occasional annoyance. If you don't mind some of its quirks and prize adjustment in a chair, then the C7 makes a good choice. Compared to straight-up gaming chairs, its sedate styling means it won't be out of place in even the most conservative of office environments. If you'd like a flashier or more luxurious offering, however, look elsewhere.Flexispot E5 Desk starting at $199.99For Base Only, Tops Starting at $80Flexispot E5 Electric Standing DeskThe Flexispot E5 desk is, in my opinion, the best value electric standing desk while still offering all the premium features you'd want. Right now it costs $199.99 (normally $379.99) for the base only and desktop surfaces start at $80. The Flexispot E5 is the least expensive model featuring dual motors, which are preferred over a single motor because they can support more weight (in this case 287lbs max) and they last longer because the stress is evenly distributed. The desktop is supported by a double crossbeam structure so that your surface is evenly supported to prevent any sagging. Most standing desks in this price range only have legs with a two-stage column, but this one features a three-stage column, which supports a greater vertical range (in this case 23.6" to 49.2"). An anti-collision feature, a must-have in all desks, will stop the desk when it detects obstruction of the motor. Finally, the keypad controls offer three memory presets and a timer to remind you when to swap sit/stand positions. The E5 comes with a 10-year warranty on all metal, mechanical, and electrical parts and components, including the motor.Flexispot E7 Desk starting at $299.99For Base Only, Tops Starting at $80Flexispot E7 Electric Standing DeskThe E7 currently costs $299.99 (normally $499.99) for the base only and desktop surfaces start at $80. For an extra $140, the Flexispot E7 offers better build quality, a higher weight threshold, more included accessories, and a longer warranty. The lifting capacity has been upgraded from 287lbs to 355lbs. Aesthetically, the legs look more professional, with laser-welded seams, powder-coated finish, and no visible holes. The advanced keyboard has been upgraded with an LCD display, more memory presets, a built-in USB charger, and a child-lock function that's a necessity for those of us with inquisitive toddlers. The E7 also comes with a built-in cable tray under the desk to stow away all of your messy wiring. Finally, the Flexispot E7 boasts an increased 15-year warranty on all metal, mechanical, and electrical parts and components, including the motor.Flexispot E7L L-Shaped Desk starting at $499.99For Base Only, Tops Starting at $80Flexispot E7L L-Shaped Electric Standing DeskAn L-shaped desk is the best way to take advance of room corners that are otherwise hard to utlize efficiently. Fortunately, Flexispot makes an L-shaped variant of its E7 desk, with the frame starting at $449.99. You'll only need to add $80 to get a 63"x47"x24" chipboard desktop surface included. The desk boasts a triple motor system (one for each leg) with a maximum weight capacity is 330 pounds and a height range of 25" to 50.7". The keyboard features a digital display, four memory presets, a built-in USB charger, and a child-lock function. Like the E7, the E7L includes a 15 year warranty.Consider getting a desk frame here and the desktop surface elsewhereI have three standing desks. One of the standing desks included a desktop, however for the other two desks I sourced on my own. For one of them I purchased a massive 74"x26" maple veneered countertop from Ikea for $199. For the other one I purchased a 48"x25" solid wood countertop from Home Depot and finished it myself. There are more options available where you could save money, opt for a better quality material, or both. Just remember to abide by the weight limitations.How does Flexispot compare to other brands?I can only speak from personal experience. I own a Jarvis Fully, a Vari Ergo, and a Flexispot E5. All three are excellent desks that have caused me no problems whatsoever in the 3+ years of owning them, and that's the point. The Flexispot E5 is considerably less expensive than the other two options, and yet I don't really see where much of that cost is going. For a similar price of a barebones $600 Jarvis standing desk (which is now owned by MillerKnoll), you could get the top end Flexispot E7 Pro and still come out with a few hundred dollars left over.Why Should You Trust IGN's Deals Team?IGN's deals team has a combined 30+ years of experience finding the best discounts in gaming, tech, and just about every other category. We don't try to trick our readers into buying things they don't need at prices that aren't worth buying something at. Our ultimate goal is to surface the best possible deals from brands we trust and our editorial team has personal experience with. You can check out our deals standards here for more information on our process, or keep up with the latest deals we find on IGN's Deals account on Twitter.Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Doom: The Dark Ages gets a lot right with its gameplay. The shield parrying is a welcome addition to the FPS space, and each of its weapons — a personal favorite being the evergreen shotgun — is both useful and fun. The Dark Ages is extremely my thing, too. What’s not working for me, however, are the few sections where the Doom Slayer pilots a giant mech or rides on the back of a dragon-like creature with mechanical, neon wings. Though these sections hit and miss for different reasons, they both don’t seem to fit well alongside the rest of the game’s parry-focused or FPS gameplay. Piloting the Atlan will make you feel like you’re playing a Pacific Rim game. The Gundam-sized mech lumbers about the battlefield, destroying bridges and buildings in its way. You mostly use its fists to deal damage, with the occasional stomp attack thrown in. Not giving the mech a chainsaw shield is a curious choice; surely the Doom Slayer’s parry abilities could have worked for the mech’s fisticuffs against skyscraper-sized demons. Instead, the Atlan just scoots out of the way of demon attacks, leading to lackluster melee brawls that don’t capture the kinetic energy of the on-the-ground gameplay. At certain points, the Atlan will pick up a giant-ass gun, and this is where the Atlan sections shine. Blowing demons to bits is the name of the game in Doom, and doing so as a mech works well. Oddly, though, the gun charges up when you perfectly dodge enemy attacks, which doesn’t quite make sense as a way for a gun to gain ammo. The Atlan will discard the gun once the arena is cleared, and I was disappointed each time. Let me keep shooting giant demons in the face! Ultimately, the Atlan sections end up being very barebones; they have welcome ideas, but the execution lacks. And the dragon levels aren’t any better. Piloting the mechanized dragon is where the shoehorning in of The Dark Ages’ melee combat falls apart. On the surface, riding a dragon with laser wings should be dope as all hell. For The Dark Ages, though, much of the gameplay in these sections involves the dragon strafing in place, waiting for an enemy to attack, and dodging out of the way to, once again, charge up its guns. Who knew playing as a freakin’ mecha dragon in a game could feel so… dull? Waiting for a perfect dodge so you can actually deal damage to turrets — of all possible enemies, turrets, really? — is a choice that falls flat, and it sucks the fun out of what should otherwise be an explosive section. I did enjoy the parts where your dragon would zoom through the levels shooting at demon aircrafts, though. They felt like pared-down attempts to mimic the core gameplay of space shooters, and an expanded version of these almost-dogfights — that ditched the dodge mechanic — would have been better served as the main focus of the mecha dragon levels. Doom: The Dark Ages has plenty of elements that work. Its techno-medieval setting is a win and each weapon in the Doom Slayer’s arsenal is a joy to use — especially the chainsaw shield. Those gameplay highs only further spotlight how the Atlan and dragon sections misfired. They have good ideas in them, but they’re underserved by some puzzling mechanic choices. Next time we get a dragon in a Doom game, let’s hope it feels as powerful — and fun — as the Doom Slayer himself.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown isn’t like most other TMNT games. Usually, in games featuring the famous turtle crimefighters, you punch and kick a ton of goons in real-time, either alone or with some buddies. That’s not the case in TMNT: Tactical Takedown, which is instead a turn-based tactics game. Thankfully, the shift to turn-based mostly works for the Turtles, even if the game is a bit barebones. Suggested ReadingTHPS 3+4 Does Away With The OG 4's Career Mode, Here's Why Share SubtitlesOffEnglishview videoSuggested ReadingTHPS 3+4 Does Away With The OG 4's Career Mode, Here's Why Share SubtitlesOffEnglishIn TMNT: Tactical Takedown, battles play out on small maps covered in grids. Each mission features one turtle fighting his way through these maps turn-by-turn, while enemies spawn throughout, also moving on their own turns across the grid. Your goal is often to clear out the baddies while reaching the end of the level. At first, I was worried that this tactical and slower-paced turn-based gameplay wouldn’t feel TMNT-enough, that it would lack the kinetic excitement of most of the Ninja Turtle games and shows. But, developers Strange Scaffold (of Witch Stranding, El, Paso ElsewhereCreepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3 fame) did a great job infusing the strategic gameplay with flourishes and ideas that make it feel plenty exciting and fast-paced. Nickeloedon / Strange ScaffoldOne significant way TMNT: Tactical Takedown makes the action feel exciting is ensuring that you don’t hang out in one area during missions. Instead, you are pushed forward every few turns as the levels grow ahead of you and fall behind you. For example, during one mission, I entered some subway trains and as the train started, the grid outside of the train turned red—a visual warning it was about to vanish—disappearing along with some goons. Then, once the train reached its station, and I had beaten up another dozen or so Foot Clan members, I exited before the carriage itself fell into the void, taking more baddies with it. Having levels change every few turns means I had to keep moving forward, similar to an old-school beat ‘em up. And you can even take advantage of the levels changing by kicking back enemies into the red areas and watching them fall into nothing on your next turn. However, it’s even more fun to kick them off the edge of the maps, something I did a lot. Another design choice I appreciated is that most of the Turtles’ moves encourage you to be aggressive, and then reward it. A lot of times in Tactical Takedown, I was taking out multiple enemies in one turn by chaining attacks in satisfying ways, although given this also means the game is designed around you defeating tons of enemies quickly, it leads to some missions quickly filling up with Foot Clan soldiers who can too often overwhelm your Turtles if you make a mistake. I wonder if, for those hoping for a more arcade-like experience, Tactical Takedown might prove too tactically challenging. Of course, any TMNT game is going to star the Turtles themselves, and this is easily the best part of the Tactical Takedown. The Turtles are separated for the entire game, mostly, and that’s a bit strange—sure, if you do enough cool shit you can pull off a team up move—but most of the time you are playing as each turtle separately. Screenshot: Strange Scaffold / KotakuBut while they don’t fight side by side throughout most of the game, they do talk to each other via cutscenes, and the writing here is excellent. I won’t spoil too much, but the conflict between the brothers is the core of the tale, and it’s shocking how invested I got in the rather simple, but well-delivered story of four mutated turtle warriors dealing with grief, loss, and trying to pick up the pieces together.Sadly, too much of TMNT: Tactical Takedown feels barebones. Levels look fine, but are very simple, rarely featuring varying locations or details. The Turtles all play differently, with various moves that reflect their personality, but so many sound effects are reused. Couple that with simplistic, stiff combat animations and levels that go on for too long, and Tactical Takedown can often feel like a game that is trying to trick you into thinking it’s more than it is.Still, I’m happy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown was made, and that I played it. It’s a unique spin on the franchise, and the turn-based combat is frenetic and fun. I also love the way the Turtles are depicted in cutscenes. It’s a shame that there’s not much else here, but what is there is good and feels like a solid foundation for future DLC or sequels that could add more. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown launched on May 22 for PC. It is available now on Steam and runs great on Steam Deck. .