An extraordinarily rare floppy disk — one of just 50 copies of Tsukihime Trial Edition ever produced — was allegedly destroyed coming through U.S. Customs.
Collector Keripo shared a video of themselves opening the demo floppy disk delivery on X/Twitter, only to discover the disk had been damaged in such a way that it could only have been deliberate. Across the original packaging tape is another labelled "Opened and Resealed By Customs." It's unclear if it was courier DHL or U.S. Customs that destroyed the disk.
"My Tsukhime Trial Edition (月姫 体験版) finally arrived, one of only 50 copies in the world," wrote Keripo on X/Twitter (thanks, Tom's Hardware). "Only to discover that U.S. Customs had removed all the bubble wrap and physically destroyed the floppy disk. Will file a report, but literally crying right now."
The tweet includes a video of Keripo opening the package. Getting a peek at the contents, they mutter "Oh my god," under their breath, before exclaiming: "What the f***! No way. No way. Noooo way. What… they actually destroyed the floppy disk. What the hell. W-w… what the f***."
This was what it looked like before it was shipped. The sender even took extra care to sandwich it between cardboard paper and use lots of bubble wrap to protect it. Would never have expected US Customs to both remove all that AND intentionally damage the floppy directly... pic.twitter.com/k4tHjIuBZ5
If you're wondering if the sender/seller could've sent it like that, Keripo wrote: "This [embedded above] was what it looked like before it was shipped. The sender even took extra care to sandwich it between cardboard paper and use lots of bubble wrap to protect it. Would never have expected U.S. Customs to both remove all that AND intentionally damage the floppy directly…
"It was actually a friend who helped me buy and ship it. He has his own copy, so he was able to do a scan and confirm its authenticity, including some unfortunate bad sectors. But the value isn't the content but the physical collectors item, which has been damaged beyond repair."
Challenged on why they just-so-happened to be recording as the package was opened, Keripo wrote: "When your carefully packaged box containing a historical artifact arrives at your doorstep completely ripped apart and barely held together with 'Opened and resealed by Customs' tape, plus makes rattling noises that it shouldn't when you pick it up, the first thing you should do is whip out your camera and record.
"The video is real, U.S. Customs opened/resealed the box poorly, the item is genuine, not a fake, the package shipped from my friend in Portugal, not Japan, the excess packaging is common for fragile Japanese collector item," they added.
It's unclear why the disk was destroyed, but some suggest the demo's 'Adult Only' label may have been the issue, as the law states "all persons are prohibited from importing into the United States from any foreign country [...] any obscene book, pamphlet, paper, writing, advertisement, circular, print, picture, drawing, or other representation, figure, or image on or of paper or other material, or any cast, instrument, or other article which is obscene or immoral." What constitutes "obscene or immortal" is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Tsukihime is a Japanese adult visual novel released in 2000 developed by Type-Moon. It has since been adapted into both an anime and manga series. Keripo hasn't said how much they paid for Tsukihime Trial Edition, but did point to what they described as an authentic auction listing for it, which went for around $16,000.
This is what an authentic auction listing of a Tsukihime Preview Edition looks like. The winning bid here for this 2021 Mandarake live auction was 2.5 mil JPY (~$16k USD). There has been no legit public listing for Tsukihime Trial Edition in over 15 years so this is the closest… pic.twitter.com/xsnQJgiL4x
IGN has asked the U.S. Customs and Border Protection department for comment.
Keripo added that they intended for Tsukihime Trial Edition to be the main attraction at a public Type-Moon museum "featuring all their historical works before they became big." "Now its even more special as the one-of-a-kind 'destroyed by U.S. Customs' edition!" they joked.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Everyone loves naming your Pokémon rival something rude, and seeing the game then continually refer to them as "ass" — or worse. Now, however, the series' new FireRed and LeafGreen re-releases have limited this trend by implementing a swear filter.
Pokémon fans were quick to report that naming your rival (or indeed, yourself) as "Ass", "Asshole" or "Dick" would simply see your input ignored, and one of the game's default names used instead.
The addition of a profanity filter is one of the few changes made to Nintendo's ports of FireRed and LeafGreen, which otherwise simply emulate the classic Game Boy Advance titles as originally presented, for the price of $20 each.
Of course, as with every swear filter ever created, people have not taken long to start getting around it. A quick check on social media shows that while "asshole" is banned, naming your rival "azzhole" or indeed "asshat" is still accepted. "Fartass" is also allowed.
All the swear words you'd expect to be caught by the filter seem to be banned on their own, though a few milder curses get through fine. While "ass" is banned, "butt" is not. Neither is "arse," if you prefer a British spelling.
Magic: The Gathering’s long-awaited Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover has officially entered its pre-release window ahead of its March 6 launch, and right on cue, the notoriously slippery Collector Boosters are back in stock at Amazon.
That would already be notable. What makes it genuinely surprising is the price. The full Collector Booster box has dipped to $413.36, its lowest point yet, landing you twelve premium packs just days before release. It is a hefty buy-in, no question, but this is the product designed for people chasing the flashiest pulls in the set.
If you are new to Magic, Collector Boosters are where the premium treatments live. Extended art, textured foils, alternate frames, the kind of cards that turn heads and, in many cases, hold stronger resale value. They do not guarantee more powerful gameplay staples, but they dramatically increase your odds of pulling the most desirable versions of those cards. That is why they sit at a $37.99 MSRP per pack.
If cracking packs for play value is the goal, Play Boosters remain the smarter option. They are built for drafting, deckbuilding, and actually using the cards. But if the aim is to open something rare, shiny, and potentially valuable the moment the set drops, Collector Boosters are still the top tier route.
And while Play Boosters are not quite as discounted as they were last week, there are still a few other TMNT products floating around at reduced prices.
Magic: The Gathering's TMNT Collector Booster Box preorders are in stock at Amazon... again! (Out March 6)
Draft Night, which includes a series of boosters to play a draft match and a Collector Booster to use as a prize, is down to just over $98 from $119.99.
Amazon also has a great deal on Play Boosters for the game’s current set, Lorwyn Eclipsed, which you can find right here.
Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay.
Some said it looked like an AI-fueled deepfake. Others said it looked cheap, like cosplay. Others said Hurst wasn’t ripped enough to play Kratos, and that Callum Vinson is too young to play Atreus. Whatever your feeling on the image, it’s clear God of War has made a poor first impression.
Then, over the weekend, after a brutal few days in which the God of War image had become the butt of the internet’s jokes, Hurst issued a cryptic statement on his Instagram stories, saying: “Don’t believe everything you see on the internet, kids.”
It’s an odd statement. It does not mention God of War in any way, but after the events of last week and the backlash to the image of God of War, it seems unlikely it could be about anything else. Assuming it is about the image, perhaps Hurst is suggesting it does not reflect what fans will see on-screen when the God of War TV show hits Prime Video. Will the end result be changed significantly?
If that’s the case, God of War may be set for a Sony-style visual fix. For the uninitiated, the initial design for Sonic the Hedgehog in Paramount’s now hugely successful movie franchise met with an online backlash so vociferous, it forced a redesign. That redesign worked, fans were much happier with their big screen Sony, and Paramount enjoyed hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office.
Maybe Kratos will get a similar makeover. Or, perhaps more likely, given God of War is now in production, this image represents an early — maybe too early — look at the characters in costume, without the polish and production value we can expect from Prime Video. Maybe what Hurst is actually trying to do here is reassure fans, admitting that the image is just awful, perhaps aided by AI in some way, and that better things are to come. Fingers crossed!
"This makes me think one of three things," one fan suggested. "The photo is AI, or at least HEAVILY enhanced by AI. I’m inclined to think the latter thought, but why else would he say this? With this being a first-look, he’s essentially saying it is not the final look. That would not be surprising, as it is normal for first-looks to change and look better in the final product. He’s trying to save face. That now they have heard the responses from the public, and will now go into making things look closer/better to how they should."
the amount of my friends i had message me genuinely asking if this was AI is crazy
extremely poor decision by Amazon for making this the first official look at the God of War show https://t.co/JoRrV3EfoG
“Atreus, the 10-year-old son of Kratos, grew up in a remote forest cabin, isolated from the rest of the world and raised almost entirely by his mother, Faye,” an official description for the character says. “He is an accomplished archer, has an affinity for animals, and is intensely curious about what lies beyond the confines of his forest home. After his mother’s death, Atreus is left with a cold, distant father who he barely knows and who knows little about him in return. Nonetheless, Atreus yearns for his father’s approval and is desperate to prove he is strong enough to survive in a harsh and dangerous world.”
Hurst, meanwhile, played Thor in Sony Santa Monica's 2022 video game sequel God of War Ragnarok. “Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god,” an official description says, “while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.”
Production is currently underway in Vancouver, with a two-season order setting showrunner Ronald D. Moore of Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek Deep Space Nine fame up for some time.
Word of a live-action God of War adaptation first arrived in early 2022 before Amazon moved to officially announce the project later that same year. After a troubled development saw the exit of previous showrunner Rafe Judkins as Amazon hit the reset button, the show eventually found a new creative direction. Moore took over as showrunner in late 2024, with Shogun and The Boys veteran Frederick E.O. Toye tapped to direct its first two episodes.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Yes, it marks our second trip to New York in less than a year, thanks to last year's Spider-Man set (seriously, there are infinite dimensions we could travel to!), but the Heroes in a Half Shell are doing things a little differently.
Not only does it offer our first Universes Beyond Commander Deck since Final Fantasy, but there are some new product types to check out as well.
Here's everything you can currently preorder, ready for release day on March 6, alongside some handy previews for the new set as well.
MTG x TMNT Preorders in a Half Shell
As you can probably imagine, there are more products coming than you can shake a Bo Staff at launching on March 6, with pre-release ongoing now between February 27 to March 5.
The foundation, as expected, is Play Boosters, which you can currently preorder for $143.84 at Amazon. That's much lower than its initial $209.70 list price back when preorders first went live, but not as good as its low of $125 we saw just a few weeks back. It might be worth holding out to see if these drop any further after release day.
You can also grab the now-customary booster bundle, which includes a promo card, a series of nine Play Boosters, a storage box and a spindown life counter.
That’s dropped to $62.99 right now, making it an even more appealing gift option for a Turtle-loving Magic player in your life (there are dozens of us!).
We promised something new, and here it is: The Turtle Team-Up box, which offers co-op gameplay where "2-4 players battle for survival against an onslaught of villainous adversaries".
It's still $49.99 at Amazon, and includes four pre-built 60-card hero decks, one Enemy deck with 11 bosses, seventeen Event Cards, and four 14-card boosters.
Also new this time is a Pizza Bundle, which includes 9 Play Boosters, 1 Collector Booster, 25 non-foil Pizza lands (yes, really), five foil Pizza lands, 2 foil promo cards, and a spindown life counter.
Amazon had this for $99.99, but they're all gone - almost certainly because there's a single Collector Booster inside. TCGplayer has them for around $135 right now, but with Amazon restocking every so often, it's worth checking back to see if you can get a better deal.
Quite surprisingly, Collector Boosters are back in stock and are even discounted right now if you preorder from Amazon. Down to $413.94, it's still fairly expensive, but a bit better than the original $455.88 list price. The fact that these are even in stock is remarkable!
As a reminder, Collector Boosters include alternate art treatments and foils, but they're functionally the same cards. Buy them, or don't, but don't feel like you have to spend almost $500 for a box just to play this great card game.
Draft Night, a new boxed product that made its debut in January’s Lorwyn, is also included in the MTG x TMNT line up. It has a bunch of packs (twelve in total) to play sealed draft, and a Collector Booster for the winner to take home. It’s dropped to $98.04 recently, and now back in stock at Amazon.
TMNT is Getting a Commander Deck, Here's What's Included
Finally, Commander players can expect a return to precon decks… but just one. After being absent since Edge of Eternities, there’s a new precon coming, which is a five-color deck called Turtle Power! It’s currently up for preorder at $54.89, a fairly sizable $15 plus off its original list price. I'd snap this up at this price ASAP, as that's a great deal.
Wizards has the decklist live now, but the big focus is on teamwork, so you can have a pair of Heroes in a Half Shell to be your Commanders. We’ve not been able to see how the deck plays, but we do know that your Commander of choice can be any of the Turtles, two of them partnered up with the Partner ability, or all five with the Heroes in a Half Shell card.
There’s nothing truly revolutionary about this modular approach (swapping Commander precons to use other Legendary Creatures within them as their leader is part of the fun of the format), but having five options for Turtles means that no one is left behind.
That includes the likes of Splinter (who has the Partner mechanic, too), but also members of the TMNT’s rogues gallery like Baxter, Fly in the Ointment, Leatherhead, Iron Gator, and, of course, Shredder, Shadow Master.
There are also some fun nods to the gaming history of the awesome foursome. Electric Seaweed from the hard-as-nails NES game makes an appearance to strike fear into gamers of a certain age, while other cards reference the squad’s love of arcade machines, like High Score and, uh, Arcade Cabinet.
Will the deck play well? We’ll have to wait to find out, but in terms of cramming as much personality into a single precon as possible, I think Wizards of the Coast may have just nailed the assignment.
This TMNT Card Is a Dream for Artifact Creature Decks Like Warhammer 40K's Necron Dynasties
Artifact Creatures in Magic: The Gathering are essentially just that - a blend of two card types. That means cards that affect Artifacts, and those that buff Creatures, will help power them up nicely.
We mention this because Krang, Utrom Warlord, could be quite ridiculous when paired with a deck focused on Artifact Creatures, like Necron Dynasties from the Warhammer 40K Universes Beyond Commander deck lineup.
Krang, Utrom Warlord is a nine-cost (expensive, yes), but has the keywords Flying, Trample, Indestructible, and Haste. Oh, and it’s a 9/9.
That’s a pain to deal with on its own, but the card also gives other Artifact Creatures you control Flying, Trample, Indestructible and Haste.
For context, almost every single creature in the Necron Dynasties deck is an Artifact Creature, so dropping Kang onto the battlefield alongside them could be a potential game-ender.
It feels like it’ll find a spot in a lot of decks based around that creature type, given it’s colorless, too, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see it climb in value somewhat.
As for Necron Dynasties, you’ll need to find it on the secondary market these days, but the mono-black deck was already plenty powerful already. We also featured another 40K deck in our Top 12 Most Powerful MTG Commander Decks breakdown, Tyranid Swarm.
Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay.
Highguard, the free-to-play PvP raid shooter announced at The Game Awards last year and released only for most of its developers to be laid off just weeks after launch, may have failed because it "leaned too far into the competitive scene."
That's according to former Wildlight developer and level designer Alex Graner, who told Quad Damage Podcast that developers "don't strive to create something that doesn't work out," throughout development, Wildlight "really leaned into the competitive side of it, and that was always one of my biggest fears as a player."
"I can only speak to my side of it as a level designer, but when I joined [Wildlight], it was trying to figure out this new, ambitious game, and this team is always pushing the boundaries," Graner said, as transcribed by PCGN, via Eurogamer. "You don't strive to create something that doesn't work out, but it happens, unfortunately. Throughout development, we really leaned into the competitive side of it, and that was always one of my biggest fears as a player."
"3v3 duos is always the sweatiest version of anything like battle royale, objective modes, wingman, you know it, you name it. It requires such a high intensity of communication with your team, and team play, that it doesn't leave much room for casualness. I think that was the biggest thing that turned a lot of players off Highguard," he added.
The issue, Graner believes, is that Highguard had "all these different rules and stages," which made it difficult for players who don't already have a team to play with, and particularly challenging for new players.
"It's like, 'Oh, you want to loot, now we've got to chase this objective, now we have to plant this objective, now it's overtime… It has all these rules, which I think works at a really high level, but when players are first coming in it's a lot to grasp," Graner explained. "On top of all that, because it was 3v3, that kind of game just requires high-skill movement and shooting, which is already a pretty high [bar to] entry as well. So if you just have a few bad games or your teammates aren't sticking together, you're just going to get rolled, and it's very hard to 1v2 in our game.
"It's all designed to be a team-based shooter. I think that was the biggest thing. People just kind of turned it off because they didn't have the team."
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
God of War developer Sony Santa Monica is reportedly working on a major spinoff focused on Faye — Kratos' wife and the mother of Atreus.
Whispers of what exactly Sony Santa Monica was working on next have been growing over the past weeks, following an earlier tease by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier that the studio's next project was "not a new IP but it might feel like one."
Over the weekend, the LinkedIn profile of a writer who worked on the project was widely shared online, describing it as "a new franchise within the God of War universe." Then, notorious leaker NateTheHate stated that the game would center on the character of Faye — something IGN also understands to be accurate.
"Yes, the game is set within the God of War universe & the lead character will be Fay," wrote NatetheHate, who has a decent track record with leaking video game-related project information. "Current plan: Reveal this year/release first half 2027 — barring any delay."
Faye, otherwise known as Laufey, is an important character in the story of Sony Santa Monica's Norse God of War titles, and particularly God of War Ragnarök, where she is portrayed by True Blood and Daredevil star Deborah Ann Woll.
The 2018 God of War begins with Faye dead, and the entire game is structured as a journey to fulfil her last wish: that her ashes be scattered from the Nine Realms' highest peak. That game's conclusion reveals that Faye had been a Jötunn, or Frost Giant. God of War Ragnarök then features Faye more extensively, with the character appearing to Kratos in flashback-like dreams.
Sony Santa Monica developing a game focused on Faye would suggest its story will be a God of War (2018) prequel — likely with little appearance from Kratos himself.
The Marathon Server Slam is coming to an end, and Bungie has outlined the various hot topics players have surfaced ahead of launch.
Chief among them is TTK (time to kill), which is ultra fast in Marathon. During the Server Slam, players found that they could be killed extremely quickly, with their shields and health bar gone in the blink of an eye. Enemy players are of course extremely dangerous in the extraction shooter, but the AI enemies are just as brutal. Turn around the wrong corner and you can find yourself eliminated before you can react, the run over and all your gear lost forever.
“We've learned a lot from you, watched from the shadows as you've hit snags or found moments of glory, and taken notes the whole time,” Bungie said in its Server Slam weekend feedback recap. “Your input during this time has given us a lot of items to sort through and we'll be doing just that in the coming days, so thank you.”
Within PvP feedback, TTK is “the hot topic,” Bungie acknowledged. “Some of you want longer duels and more Runner contact, others are vibing with the current pace. We're reviewing Runner density on non-beginner maps and keeping a close eye on how Perimeter and Dire Marsh feel all in all.”
A quick glance at the burgeoning Marathon community shows a mix of players who want Bungie to change the game’s TTK and players who want the developer to leave it alone.
"You die before you can even react," said one Marathon player. "I enjoy the game and the difficulty, but I feel like it’s an inflated difficulty with how fast the TTK is."
“I’m fine with the TTK but it makes 70% of the abilities we have pointless,” said another. “We simply don’t get to use them. Destroyer shield you would think could save you if you get hit suddenly but it won’t as by the time the animation finished pulling it out you’re dead two times over. I would make the TTK slower by having the tier 3/4 shields take an extra 10%/15% damage and make them expensive.”
“Base TTK should be higher but is probably better with higher tier shields? Weird that we weren't able to test this gameplay easily during this weekend,” said another fan.
"They really needed to hand out shields to players at an accelerated rate, just for this Server Slam," suggested another player. "The TTK 'debate' is just a result of people not being geared appropriately, dying in 0.5 seconds, and thinking this is how every Run in the game will eventually be.
"If we had been given shields as part of some entry quest, or as part of a pre-release Sponsored Kit, people wouldn't be having this takeaway. Once you're geared appropriately TTK is hardly something you're thinking about, but I understand people not knowing what they don't know and this being their takeaway."
“My biggest fear here is the TTK,” added another. “I’d imagine most players won’t give it enough time to adjust from other shooters and complain and Bungie will change it. It’s great how it is and sets Marathon apart. Currently fights are fast and brutal. Apex eventually got frustrating in how people could prolong a fight easily because the TTK was too high.”
“Yes I hope they don't react too strongly to this point,” another said. “TTK is in a good place right now I feel, it allows for clutch 1v2s and 1v3s in a way that high TTK wouldn't for most players. Low TTK also makes matches more tense, you have to stay vigilant because you can get knocked very easily. That said I think they could tweak it ever so slightly and it would still be fine, I just don't want fights to turn into attrition matches because it's too easy to run and hide and heal repeatedly from just taking a little damage.”
Please do no extend the TTK, it actually rewards good aim and allows us to clutch up amazing 1VX! pic.twitter.com/l3WAJbaTLj
Another point of feedback Bungie acknowledged was on the med and ammo economy. Players have found both sets of items scarce, to the point where it’s easy to run out of ammo, especially, making Marathon an even tougher experience than it already is. When you factor in the in-game cost associated with replenishing med and ammo items for each run, you can see why both are precious commodities.
“We hear you that meds are soaking a lot of your early loadout budget and that back-to-back fights can chew through your med and ammo reserves pretty quickly,” Bungie said. “We've seen some folks for and against the Depleted items as well — along with how rewarding drops off of AI are. If you ran dry mid-fight or at a critical spot in your Run, tell us all about it!”
Bungie once again acknowledged the feedback on Marathon’s UI, which has become something of a sore point for a large number of players. “We do plan to continue iterating post-launch and want to make sure that you're able to easily navigate, read what's happening mid-fight, manage your equipment effectively, and see your pings without any noise around them,” Bungie confirmed.
And Bungie touched on Marathon’s movement and heat generation: “Lots of chatter around slide feel, momentum, and heat alike. The common asks are smoother slide transition, letting downhill speed carry, and lowering heat on core movement for cleaner chases and disengages. Keep your takes coming!”
Generally, it seems people who are soldiering through Marathon’s punishing and initially confusing extraction gameplay are finding it rewarding. But some believe it may be too brutal for its own good and end up putting more casual players off, not just because of how hard it is, but because of the time and effort that will clearly be needed to keep up with the hardcore player base.
The Marathon Server Slam hit a peak Steam concurrent player count of 143,621 when it launched last week, but somewhat surprisingly, that number declined as we worked through the weekend. Marathon hit a peak of 64,128 concurrents on Sunday, just a few days before Marathon goes on sale priced $39.99 on March 5. Of course, Steam concurrents do not paint the entire picture, and neither Sony nor Microsoft makes player numbers public. It will be interesting to see how Marathon does at launch.
“Many Runners have maxed out their Faction Rep, adopted a Rook or two, and braved the haunted hallways of Hauler,” Bungie said. “We've also heard from people saying the deeper they get into progression, the more fun they are having. Tau Ceti can be unforgiving, and we can't wait to see you next week.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Full spoilers follow for Primal Season 3, Episode 8, “The River of Life,” which is available on Adult Swim now and debuts on HBO Max on March 2.
Zombie Spear’s seen this before, back when he was still alive. Specifically in the Season 1 episode “Rage of the Ape-Men,” where he was forced to fight an array of, well, raging ape-men, while also imbibing a mysterious liquid which turned him into something more akin to an Incredible Spear-Hulk. And while the players are different this time around, the rules are the same: Kill or be killed.
When “The River of Life” began and all those creepy, pale-faced figures emerged above the fighting pit, I figured we were in for another slaughter situation (“Rage of the Ape-Men” is one of the most violent episodes of Primal ever, which is saying something). But when Spear defeats his first opponent and then is basically crowned as the reigning champ (and maybe new leader?) of this band of creatures, I realized that it makes sense that this would become a strange new place of comfort – or at the very least respite – for him. After all, the villagers in Mira’s home have rejected him, despite how he saved a bunch of them, so to bring back the Frankenstein monster comparison once more, Spear is landing at a place where he could begin to “love dead… hate living.”
And yet… just as the Karloff Monster in Bride of Frankenstein chose in the end to let Dr. Frankenstein and his wife live – to embrace some aspect of living even if he couldn’t participate in it himself – Spear here can’t really get down with just giving into death. And weirdly enough, it’s all the killing at the “River of Life” of the title that gets him back into the mindset of attempting to connect with Mira again, as he flies over to her village for a quick check-in (even if he leaves before she sees him).
Speaking of which, how sad is it when Mira and Fang and Fang’s pups head back home after determining that Spear has been lost to them? And I certainly didn’t see it coming that her baby with Spear would be born in this episode! Things are moving right along, that’s for sure. But I really enjoy how Mira and Fang have become so close since Spear’s (original) passing, and the moment when Mira introduces the T. rex to her baby while touching the dinosaur’s face is just lovely.
By the time the Celtic-warrior-by-way-of-Heavy-Metal shows up on his pterosaur while a guitar shreds on the soundtrack, you just have to laugh.
The action and fight scenes in this episode are pretty fun. Spear sure has the advantage over his various opponents in the fighting pit, what with already being dead and all, but the array of oddballs and gruesomes who he must face off with are a hoot. Unlike “Rage of the Ape-Men,” which featured a bloody, tense, and worrying combat (Fang’s life hung in the balance for one thing), “River of Life” has fun with its gladiatorial hijinks. By the time the Celtic-warrior-by-way-of-Heavy-Metal shows up on his pterosaur while a guitar shreds on the soundtrack, you just have to laugh out loud.
Of course, Mira being Mira, she realizes something is amiss after Spear’s clandestine visit, and so she breaks out the village maps to go find him. But Fang, on the other hand, also got a sniff of her old friend… and she seems to still be quite anti-zombie Spear, even after everything that’s happened. Two episodes left to the season, so let’s see where this goes!
Questions and Notes From Anachronistic History
What’s with the psychic bond between Mira and Spear?
The various skulls mounted around the fighting arena are a callback to a similar set-up in “Rage of the Ape-Men.”
What is the liquid that causes the Spear to hulk out? Unclear, but it certainly seems to have a similar – if not quite as strong – effect that the substance did in the Season 1 episode. There it was a carefully guarded and seemingly finite amount that the Ape-Men possessed, perhaps acquired from this volcano realm and spirited back to their home turf.
Fang outside Mira’s hut pacing like an expectant aunt!
I love when Fang, Blue and Red Jr. all sniff in the direction of the new baby in unison.
Spear finally understands that Mira is having a baby, and by episode’s end, that it is his baby too! Can zombies be happy? It sure seems like it at that moment.
Is it too much to hope that the River of Life can bring Spear back from the dead?
Scream 7 has enjoyed a huge box office opening weekend, with nearly $100 million secured from theaters globally.
The slasher flick made $64.1 million domestically and $33.1 million internationally, setting a franchise record for opening weekend box office. In total, Scream 7 brought in $97.2 million, making it likely that the movie will blow past the lifetime box office of each of the previous Scream films, this first of which released 30 years ago in 1996. To put Scream 7’s domestic opening weekend into context, 2023’s Scream 6 previously held the franchise’s domestic opening weekend record with $44.4 million.
Nostalgia has played a big part in Scream 7’s opening weekend success. Neve Campbell, who stars as series protagonist Sidney Prescott, returned for Scream 7 after skipping Scream 6 over a pay dispute. According to Variety, Campbell secured a nearly $7 million deal for Scream 7, whereas Courteney Cox, who plays reporter and veteran murder spree survivor Gale Weathers, was paid $2 million.
IGN’s Scream 7 review returned a 6/10. We said: “Scream 7 packs in plenty of satisfying slasher action, even if it gets a little too comfortable playing the hits (and deep cuts and killer tracks).”
Check out our Scream 7 ending explained to find out what it all means for the future. Speaking of which, this week, Scream 7 writer and director Kevin Williamson revealed Neve Campbell already has a “great” idea for Scream 8, which he promised would be made as long as Scream 7 is a success. Well, it already looks like Scream 7 is a success, so Scream 8 feels like a sure thing.
Away from Ghostface’s stabby shenanigans, the very different Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, is now up to an impressive $192 million globally after another $22.552 million this weekend. And for those still keeping score, Disney said that after 11 weekends, Avatar: Fire and Ash has grossed an estimated $1.48 billion worldwide ($401.2 million domestic / $1.079 billion international), after another $5.4 million was added this weekend. 2009's Avatar 1 remains the highest-grossing movie of all time (not adjusted for inflation), earning a staggering $2.9 billion across several theatrical runs. 2022's Avatar: The Way of Water has earned $2.3 billion, meanwhile, cementing its place as the third-highest grossing film of all time. Fire and Ash looks like it will top out at around $1.5 billion. Writer and director James Cameron is yet to signal that Avatar 4 and 5 are definitely going to happen, as box office watchers wonder whether Fire and Ash has done well enough to convince the powers that be at Disney to move ahead.
And finally, Disney's Zootopia 2 has grossed an estimated $1.86 billion worldwide ($425.8 million domestic / $1.433 billion international) after 14 weekends.
Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Another month has ended, and we are now officially in March! Today, there are quite a few solid discounts across the board, including savings on the Twin Peaks Blu-ray, Super Mario RPG, Death Stranding 2, and more. Check out our top picks for Sunday, March 1, below.
Twin Peaks: From Z to A for $43.56
Twin Peaks is one of the most beloved projects of the late David Lynch, inspiring countless creatives across TV, film, and even video games. Currently, the Twin Peaks: From Z to A Blu-ray set is discounted to $52.51. This 21-disc set includes all three seasons of Twin Peaks, the Twin Peaks: Fire Walks With Me film, and over 20 hours of special features.
Super Mario RPG for $35.99
Super Mario RPG is one of the best Mario games on Nintendo Switch, as it brings back the beloved SNES classic in brilliant fashion. This adventure is a collaboration between Square Enix and Nintendo, following Mario, Bowser, Peach, and new friends on a journey to find the seven star pieces. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, "Super Mario RPG is considered a classic for a reason, and this faithful remake makes it easy for anyone who missed it in the SNES era to see why."
Pokémon Pokopia Out This Week
Pokémon Pokopia is finally out this week, and if you've been itching for a new Switch 2 game, look no further. As Ditto, it's up to you to rebuild the world, team up with other Pokémon to complete tasks, grow crops, and more! Pokopia is shaping up to be a big hit for both Pokémon fans and cozy gamers. Now is the time to lock in your pre-order.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach for $49.99
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is an incredible follow-up to 2019's Death Stranding that is one of the must-play games on PS5. Sam Porter Bridges is forced to venture out to the continent of Australia as the world continues to face the challenges thrown at it by the Death Stranding, and this sequel packs together a wild, sci-fi story, ultimate gameplay freedom, and some of the best visuals we've ever seen. Grab a copy this weekend for $49.99 at Amazon.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for $39.88
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch, and you can pick up a copy today for $39.88 at Walmart. If you played Donkey Kong Bananza on Switch 2 and are searching for another adventure with DK and friends, Tropical Freeze is an amazing choice.
Fantasian Neo Dimension for $24.99
Fantasian Neo Dimension is the latest game from a legendary creator who needs no introduction: Hironobu Sakaguchi. This incredible turn-based RPG is a joy to play through, featuring a great story with music from the all-time great Nobuo Uematsu. Pick up a Nintendo Switch or PS5 copy today and add it to your collection for only $24.99.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble for $20
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble was the brilliant return to Monkey Ball we all hoped for, bringing a wonderful adventure to Nintendo Switch. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, "Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is a brilliant return to form with the best stages and controls the series has seen in over 20 years."
Save Big on This Woodkid Death Stranding 2 Vinyl
Woodkid was one of the two main composers for Death Stranding 2, and his work truly shaped the sound and feel of the game. Tracks like 'To the Wilder' and 'Story of Rainy' elevate key scenes throughout, and you can count on this album being added to your playlist. Right now, you can score the gorgeous 2xLP of Woodkid for Death Stranding 2: On The Beach for $40.49. Don't miss out on your chance to add this to your collection.
Scarlet 4K UHD Blu-ray Up for Pre-Order
Scarlet is the latest film from renowned director Mamoru Hosoda, and you can pre-order the 4K UHD Blu-ray starting today at Amazon. This film was directly inspired by Hamlet, following Princess Scarlet on a journey of revenge.
Connexion
PC Gamer
IGN
DSOGaming
