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The 2024 Pokémon World Championships are underway, and they offer more than just head-to-head battles. Pokémon Co. also brings some reveals with them, and one of the first from this year’s big event is for the Pokémon UNITE fans out there.

At this year’s big show, Pokémon Co. announced that a new battle mode is in the works for the game. This new mode has you battling against teams until you reach 500 points, instead of the sometime in Spring 2025.

There are a few other wrinkles and adjustments to overall gameplay in this new battle mode, and you can get a much better idea of how things play out in the teaser video below.

Somehow, its already been 5 long years since Pokémon Masters EX burst onto the scene. In honor of the occasion, Pokémon Co. is cooking up something special for players to celebrate with.

The Pokémon Masters EX 5th Anniversary Event has been announced, and things get rolling on August 18th, 2024 with the addition of the Sync Pair of Nemona & Scream Tail. Along with that, a special Sync Pair event for the duo of Professor Oak & Nidorino will also see release.

There’s even more to look forward to for the 5th Anniversary Event, but you’ll have to hold out a bit longer to learn more. Pokémon Co. has said that more details on the celebrate will be shared on Aug. 25th, 2024.

Back in the early 90s, Mortal Kombat absolutely rocked the entire game industry. It was the game everyone was talking about, which of course meant plenty of other developers were going to scramble to try and cash in. One of the more interesting and noteworthy games clearly inspired by Mortal Kombat was Eternal Champions, which launched on the SEGA Genesis and SEGA CD, before gracing Nintendo fans years later on the Wii Virtual Console.

While there are no doubt gamers who remember Eternal Champions, it’s not like it created a lasting legacy in the game industry. The franchise, outside of re-releases, has pretty much remained dormant since its original launch, which makes it incredibly surprising to learn that the fighter is soon heading to the silver screen.

SEGA and Skydance are apparently teaming up for an Eternal Champions movie, and it’s going to be tackled by Jurassic World writer Derek Connolly. This will be a live-action adaptation produced by Toru Nakahara, the same man who handles the Sonic the Hedgehog films. Outside of that, absolutely no other details about this project have been shared.

We’ll keep an eye out for more Eternal Champions movie news. Until then, place your bets on whether this one will actually see release or not!

Wondering what’s hot on the Switch eShop? Time once again to take a look at the top 30 for both all games on the Switch, and download-only titles. You can read up on the top 30 for August 17th, 2024 below.

All Games

1. Nintendo Switch Sports
2. Minecraft
3. Stardew Valley
4. Overcooked 2
5. NBA 2K24
6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
7. Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Paradise
8. Just Dance 2024 Edition
9. Thank Goodness You’re Here
10. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
11. Hogwarts Legacy Deluxe Edition
12. It Takes Two
13. Among Us
14. Supermarket Owner Simulator: Business
15. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
16. Super Mario Bros. WOnder
17. Mario Party Superstars
18. Little Kitty, Big City
19. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
20. Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box
21. Unravel Two
22. Cult of the Lamb
23. Saints Row: The Big Purple Package
24. Kirby’s Dream Buffet
25. Cuphead + The Delicious Last Course
26. Monopoly
27. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD
28. Windbound
29. A Little to the Left
30. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Download-Only Games

1. Stardew Valley
2. Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Paradise
3. Thank Goodness You’re Here
4. Among Us
5. Supermarket Owner Simulator: Business
6. Little Kitty, Big City
7. Kirby’s Dream Buffet
8. Windbound
9. A Little to the Left
10. Cat Quest III
11. Boomerang Fu
12. Hollow Knight
13. Don’t Starve Together
14. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
15. Escape Backrooms Horror
16. Fate/Stay Night Remastered
17. Goat Simulator
18. Human: Fall Flat
19. Uno
20. The Swords of Ditto
21. Grounded
22. South Park: The Stick of Truth
23. SteamWorld Heist II
24. Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
25. Inside
26. Arcade Archives Vs. Super Mario Bros.
27. Clue
28. Stick Fight: The Game
29. Diablo II: Resurrected
30. Vampire Survivors

Fans of physical game releases are always on the hunt to get the best deals, and often times a unique pre-order bonus can sway someone to lock in their purchase. There are already a handful of interesting pre-order goodies up for grabs when it comes to The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, but one retailer in Seoul, South Korea may have just topped them all.

As you can see in the image above, customers who pre-order Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom from this South Korean retailer will get to take home Link and Zelda Jibbitz! For those who don’t know, Jibbitz are the little charms/accessories that you attach to the holes in Crocs.

The company behind Crocs has quite the extensive line of Jibbitz, and that includes some official Pokémon and Mario collabs. We’ve yet to see anything Zelda-related though, and while we’re not quite sure these are “official” Jibbitz, they obviously more than do the trick. Hopefully we get some more insight on this pre-order bonus soon, and retailers around the world start offering them as well!

When it comes to merch posts on GoNintendo, Pokémon has to take the cake. There’s always some new item in the works at Pokémon Co., but honestly, when it comes to 2023, NieR:Automata merch was a close second. The amount of merch associated with the NieR:Automata line in 2024 continues to be staggering, and today brings us yet another item for the product onslaught.

This time around, NieR:Automata fans in Japan will be able to participate in a NieR: Automata Ver1.1a Ichiban kuji lottery, and the biggest item up for grabs is a 2B scale figure and bust. One entry into the lottery is priced at $5.30, and those who win prizes can expect to see them arrive sometime in June 2024.

The complete lineup of prizes in the NieR: Automata Ver1.1a Ichiban kuji lottery is as follows:

• Prize A: 2B Scale Figure
• Prize B: 2B ArtScale Bust Figure
• Prize C: Illustration Board 2B
• Prize D: Illustration Board 9S
• Prize E: Illustration Board A2
• Prize F: Decorative Plate
• Prize G: Chokonokko Acrylic Stand
• Prize H: Canvas Style Board
• Last Prize: 2B Scale Figure “Last One” Version
• Double Chance Campaign: 2B ArtScale Bust Figure

To get a look at some of the prizes in this lottery, you can check out the official contest site.

UPDATE: In somewhat surprising news, the 2B ArtScale Bust Figure mentioned above has now seen a release separate from the Ichiban Kuji. Even better, the bust is being sold outside of Japan.

The 2B ArtScale Bust Figure measures 7.9 inches tall and is priced at $70. The item is set to arrive sometime between October and November 2024, and you can lock in your pre-order through this link.

Pokémon Co. has released a steady stream of content updates and distributions for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet since they first launched, and that cadence continues today with the announcement of yet another drop for fans.

Pokémon Co. has announced that Pokémon Scarlet & Violet fans can grab a Sylveon distribution starting today, but this isn’t any old Sylveon . This happens to be the Sylveon based on the one used by Tomoya Ogawa to win the 2023 Pokémon World Championships.

Those interested can snag Ogawa’s Sylveon by using the Serial Code “SLEEPTALKW0RLDS”, which will stay active until Aug. 19th, 2024.

It’s that exciting time of year when we get to watch the crowning of a new Pokémon GO World Champion. The entire Pokémon GO community is invited to join the fun with opportunities to watch the 2024 Pokémon World Championships on August 16–18, 2024, on Twitch and YouTube. During the first day of the competition, Twitch viewers will see a special code to obtain a 2024 Worlds Tee for their avatar.

Additionally, Pokémon GO Trainers can channel Worlds competitors’ fighting spirit with Pokémon GO Battle Week, taking place from August 16, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. to August 24, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. local time. As part of the celebration, World Championships 2024 Pikachu will make its Pokémon GO debut, and Pokémon that are competitive in the GO Battle League’s Great League will appear more frequently in the wild, including Mankey, Lickitung, Marill, Paldean Wooper, Skarmory, Swablu, Fletchling, Carbink, Grubbin, and Mareanie.

For Trainers aiming to build a strong competitive team, look out for event bonuses including up to five Special Trades per day and the opportunity to use a Charged TM to help your Shadow Pokémon forget the Charged Attack Frustration. This latter bonus is rare, so be sure to stock up on Charged TMs to take advantage of this window of opportunity.

During the event, certain Pokémon that you encounter or evolve will know featured attacks.

• Lickitung will know the Charged Attack Body Slam.
• Mienfoo will know the Charged Attack High Jump Kick.
• Evolve Wooper during the event to get a Quagsire that knows the Charged Attack Aqua Tail.
• Evolve Swablu during the event to get an Altaria that knows the Charged Attack Moonblast.
• Evolve Grubbin during the event to get a Charjabug that knows the Charged Attack Volt Switch.
• Evolve Fletchinder during the event to get a Talonflame that knows the Fast Attack Incinerate.

Pokémon GO’s 2024 Pokémon World Championships celebration offers plenty of opportunities for research. Complete Field Research tasks to earn encounters with World Championships 2024 Pikachu, Swablu, Mienfoo, and Mareanie. Paid Timed Research is available for US$5.00 (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency). Complete the research to earn one Premium Battle Pass, 25,000 Stardust, and encounters with event-themed Pokémon such as Azumarill, Vigoroth, Cresselia, and more.

Participate in raids for an opportunity to defeat and catch the following Pokémon.

One-Star Raids

• World Championships 2024 Pikachu
• Mienfoo

Three-Star Raids

• Lickitung
• Galarian Stunfisk
• Diggersby

One-Star Shadow Raids

• Shadow Magnemite
• Shadow Dratini
• Shadow Wooper
• Shadow Gligar

Three-Star Shadow Raids

• Shadow Wobbuffet
• Shadow Kirlia
• Shadow Sableye

GO Battle Week: Shared Skies takes place from August 16 at 12:00 a.m. to August 20, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. local time. Take inspiration from the world’s top competitors and battle in the Great League, Ultra League, Master League, and Catch Cup: Great League Edition. The following event bonuses will be in effect during the event.

• 4× Stardust from win rewards. (This does not include end-of-set rewards.)
• The maximum number of sets you can play per day will increase from five to 20 (for a total of 100 battles).
• Free battle-themed Timed Research will be available with rewards including a wig avatar item inspired by Lana.
• Pokémon encountered via GO Battle League rewards will have a wider variance in Attack, Defense, and HP.

Hatch Tales is an action-packed heroic adventure across the mystical lands of Talonreach featuring the titular Hatch, a flightless hawk mountaineer equipped with a powerful hookshot, on a perilous quest to confront the evil Nazar and restore balance to the kingdom. While that will no doubt be the bulk of the experience, it looks like there will also be something a bit nostalgic for Renegade Kid/Atooi fans.

The Hatch Tales trailer above doesn’t explain the how or why, but it’s very clearly showcasing a Mutant Mudds gameplay experience. In particular, this mode is being called Chibi-Mudds, which appears to be a bite-sized take on the classic Mutant Mudds, but with a bit of a visual overhaul. Looks like we’ll just have to hang tight for more details on this new mode!

The many tales of Hatch’s saga will take him from the comfort of his homeland to the far, untamed edges of the kingdom. Encountering powerful foes and dangerous hazards. Unlocking amazing abilities and experiencing wonders never before dreamed of! Whether these tales end in triumph, or become cautionary, rests on the shoulders of our young hero.

You’ll be able to get your hands on Hatch Tales via Switch on August 23rd, 2024.

Developer Kluk Digital has announced that they’re bringing Wasteland Waste Disposal to the Switch sometime in the future. While we don’t have info on a specific release date, we do have a fresh trailer for you to check out above.

Embark on a journey to CLEAN THE WASTELAND, ravaged by a catastrophic event known as the Megapocalypse, that combined every worst-case apocalyptic scenario imaginable. Hop in to the moving waste refinement fortress and enter the small open-world wasteland with a dynamic ecosystem, that reacts and evolves with your actions.

INTERCONNECTED ECOSYSTEM

Acid rains and radioactive storms are a result of poor climate, and will tear holes in your hull if you get too close. As you clean the wasteland and implement upgrades, the biome gets cleaner, making neighboring areas more accessible. The wasteland is filled with useful creatures, some friendlier than others. Collect, farm and maintain the wasteland inhabitants to help you cleanse the world. Not all organisms are created equally useful.

RECYCLE - REFINE - REBUILD

Upgrade, manage and maintain your fortress. Convert collected resources into new materials, machinery, and money. Balance decisions between skipping repairs, ensuring safety, recruiting wastelanders, or investing in better equipment. Build the ultimate wasteland cleansing iron fortress.

TREASURE TROVE OF LOOT

Wasteland full of collectibles. Items you find in the wasteland are unique with different physical aspects and use cases. You find random junk, and rare finds to turn into collections. Curate mixtapes and trade items with the “Lost & Found” shops for valuable rewards. As you progress, your Scrapbook becomes a vast inventory of different collectable sets. Pro tip: Pencils, sawblades, basketballs and glass bottles are best as bullets.

Towering over the other Hunters, Grozz is a furious engine of rampaging Wookiee power. He is already well-known throughout the galaxy from his days as a pro-Huttballer, but Grozz is ready to take his fame to the next level by conquering the Arena.

Choose your Hunter and fight for glory in the Arena! Step into the world of Star Wars: Hunters and battle as heroes of the Rebellion, Imperial stormtroopers and everything in between in this new 4v4 arena shooter.

Join forces with friends and conquer the battlefield on your journey to fame in the Arena. Dive into this free-to-play experience where strategy and skill pave the way to victory. Customize each Hunter by collecting and equipping them with fun and unique costumes, animations, and weapon appearances, making for an impressive competitor that stands out on the battlefield and is ready to challenge for glory.

The wise master, Iroh has joined Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2! Fans of Avatar will no doubt be excited to jump in today and see what Iroh has to offer. You can learn a bit about the character through the reveal trailer above, as well as the spotlight video below.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 lets you duke it out with an expansive roster of over two dozen fighters, including all-new characters like Squidward Tentacles, Jimmy Neutron, the Angry Beavers, Azula, and more! Choose your favorite Brawlers, customize them with iconic outfits, master their unique move sets, and use powerful Supers to land the finishing blow. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 features a single-player roguelike campaign, voice acting for all playable characters, and full crossplay across all platforms.

Cat Cafe Manager 2: Big City Bliss is officially in the works, and the plans are to bring it to Switch. The dev team behind this title are going to launch a Kickstarter to help fund the project on Sept. 4th, 2024, so if you want this sequel to become a reality, make sure to pledge your support once that campaign kicks off.

In this sequel to the hit cozy management sim, build the cat café of your dreams and explore a folkloric city full of secrets and stray cats. After a faerie feline possesses your smartphone (it’s a whole thing), you discover a magical force is twisting people’s hearts to feel lonely and isolated. It’s up to you to ease their worries and fill their hearts with delight using the power of cats, coffee and community.

Take care of your cats so they are happy, healthy and loved, and they’ll delight your customers with their fuzzy company and occasional wild antics. Decorate your café and prepare tasty treats to keep your customers coming back.

Venture outside your café and explore the many colorful regions of an expansive bustling city full of useful ingredients, crafting materials, hidden secrets, and stray cats (of course!)

Approach stray fur-babies using the ancient pst-pst-pst technique and meet them in turn-based cat-counters. Figure out what they like and dislike to slowly win their trust.

Each cat has a unique personality, so figure out their favorite foods, give them little baths and play, cuddle and pet to keep them feelin’ feline– I mean, fine. You can even train them to help you explore using cat companion skills such as:

• Burrow Paws to dig up hidden treasure
• Power Snoot for sniffing out neat secrets
• Mighty Mittens to push aside big boulders and stuff

Join Cuttycrumb Lane’s tight-knit community of shopkeepers. Meet new friends as well as many returning faces from Cat Café Manager. Get to know them, buy from their shops, and make sure they’re doing OK. Over time, learn to work together as a community.

Something old is stirring in the woods, and stirring up trouble. To stop this grim force, enlist the help of tiny cat faeries and uncover the old stories of the witches’ coven.

Inspired by Studio Ghibli, 90’s shoujo anime and our own city lives, experience a fresh vibe combining 2D hand-animated characters and a fully 3D city full of hand-painted details.

Cultists, developer Massive Monster and publisher Devolver Digital have gathered your delicious devotion and prayers over the last 2 years. As a special unholy birthday blessing, they have brought back Cthulhu, for all those who missed out on the pre-order bonus long ago…

You will find this cheeky little fellow upon returning to your Cult grounds, all wrapped up pretty in a woolly gift box, alongside 3 special anniversary decorations - Flower Cart, Prayer Box and the Stone Candle Lamp. The team can’t wait to see your cult of cute Cthulhu’s worshipping the Lamb!

Make sure your game is fully up to date, as Cthulhu and decor will be available in-game as soon as your system clock hits August 16th, 2024. Don’t miss out on this second chance to make Cthulhu a part of your cult!

Looking for something to do this weekend? When was the last time you set foot in a GameStop? If its been awhile, you might want to grab your keys and head out to the closest GameStop today, as they’ve got some fun stuff going on for Nintendo fans all weekend long.

From August 16th to 18th, 2024, GameStop is hosting “Nintendo Demo Days,” which gives fans of the Big N plenty of reason to drop in on a brick-and-mortar location. GameStop is telling Switch owners to bring their system with them to join in with other Nintendo fans to play some Super Mario Bros. Wonder to earn some special prizes from Nintendo.

GameStop is also encouraging Pokémon fans to drop in this weekend as well for some Play & Trade action. If you happen to be a Pokémon fan, there’s no doubt you could get in on some Trading Card Game fun, or enjoy some battles with fellow Pokémon Scarlet and Violet owners.