disney illusion island

Disney Illusion Island is out now, and it serves as an excellent gateway to Metroidvania to get new players into the genre and gaming as a whole. As I highlighted in my three-and-a-half-star review, there’s still a fair bit in Disney Illusion Island to entertain more experienced players. I’m not just saying that’s the case in terms of game mechanics, but for references to other games as well. From an enemy to some vital game mechanics, these three references in Disney Illusion Island stuck out to me the most.…

Disney Illusion Island MSRP $40.00 “Disney Illusion Island is a charming all-ages platformer that acts as a breezy introduction to the Metroidvania genre.” Pros Gorgeous art Approachable gameplay Helpful co-op mechanics Accessibility options Cons Narrative delivery…

July is here and the month brings a healthy roster of new game releases. While it is not as games-heavy as June was, with big titles like Final Fantasy XVI and Diablo IV releasing last month, July still promises a few distinct titles. Perhaps the most awaited of them all is Pikmin 4, the fourth mainline title in Nintendo's beloved real-time strategy series. Releasing a decade after 2013's Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4 will bring a host of new features while retaining its core gameplay, where players get to control a horde of tiny…

July has a not-so-great reputation in the video game industry. It’s not often a time developers choose to release games as it’s nestled between spring’s release and reveal season and the holiday shopping rush. At a glance, July 2023 might seem like it fits that underwhelming description, with Pikmin 4 being the one big release following the delay of Immortals of Aveum. That said, those who look a bit deeper will find a month poised to be home to a ton of promising games of all shapes in sizes.  The Nintendo…

The first big gaming showcase of June is here, and it gave us a look at what's next for games made for the Meta Quest family of VR headsets. It was an important showcase too, as the Meta Quest Pro came out last year to very muted results, the idea of the metaverse is fading in its relevancy, and the Meta Quest 3 headset is going to release this fall. During this showcase, Meta tried t reaffirm why people should care about owning one of its VR headsets. It did so mainly by revealing VR follow-ups to popular IP. Games…

Digital Trends attended Summer Game Fest Play Days once again this year, as well as events held by Xbox and Ubisoft, and we were able to play demos of a variety of upcoming games from all corners of the industry. We played or saw a hands-off demo of over 30 games slated to release throughout the next year or so. From new entries in long-running series like Mortal Kombat or Armored Core to more quirky and experimental indies that are pushing the video game medium forward, there was a lot for us to like at this…

Those of us who have played video games from a very young age probably have some weird licensed games that we only owned because someone knew we liked a particular franchise or character. And if you’re like me, many of those were Disney games. These varied wildly in quality, but I look back fondly on decent licensed games like The Incredibles and Finding Nemo as some of my most formative gaming experiences. After going hands-on with Disney Illusion Island, I’m confident it’ll be that game for many kids in the…

Nintendo hosted its Direct event, early Thursday, showcasing a host of games launching within the first half of 2023. The nearly 45-minute-long presentation was streamed live across the company's social channels and featured most major IPs, including new trailers for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4, and Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. Among new announcements, Nintendo is finally remastering the original Metroid Prime, bringing a brand-new course to its acclaimed racing title Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,…