Key Note Gaming

There is just something about mascot characters and kart racers that makes them fit together like two peas in a pod. Ever since the first Mario Kart game was released on the Super Nintendo, it’s been a genre that continues to delight fans, even in the wild times we find ourselves in. Now, the lizard and bat combo of Yooka-Laylee is hopping into the driver's seat of Super Yooka-Laylee Kart, revealed during this year's Summer Game Fest, and IGN had a chance to get some time on the track with this upcoming racer from some of the same devs that worked on the much-loved Diddy Kong Racing! Yooka-Laylee Kart pits eight racers against each other in a heated race around courses themed after locales from the main games. In an attempt to adopt a look that is a bit of a blend of Nintendo’s 16- and 64-bit eras, Yooka-Laylee’s maps are colorful, flat tracks decorated with 3D assets outside of the tracks. The racers themselves, like my GOAT, Trowzer the Snake, appear as 3D models rendered wit...

Gundam is no stranger to video games, but the various pieces of the franchise have never started out with one. That’s all about to change with Gundam: Rogue Orbit. Following its reveal at Summer Games Fest, I spoke with main producer Yuya Tomiyama and chief producer Shinya Satake about starting a new era of Gundam as a video game first, what they’re hoping to accomplish with it, and how Rogue Orbit differs from what’s come before. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. IGN: Rogue Orbit is the first time y’all are launching a new Gundam thing through a game. A lot of people know what a Gundam is, but they may not be familiar with Gundam as a franchise or any particular series. What were the things that you knew you needed to have to make Gundam Gundam in Rogue Orbit? Yuya Tomiyama : There are lots of different Gundam universes out there, but Rogue Orbit is the first time we've introduced a new world through a video game. And because of this, we created the worldview ...

I’ve been a fan of the Yakuza or Like a Dragon series since the very beginning. As a magazine writer I was lucky enough to visit Sega’s headquarters in Tokyo during the development of the original PlayStation 2 title way back in 2005, and in my years at IGN I’ve reviewed a number of the remakes, sequels, and spin-offs of RGG Studio’s long-running crime series. At this point I’ve invested hundreds of hours into beating the absolute snot out of Japanese mobsters, either via the button-mashing combo-based style of the original adventures or the turn-based RPG form that’s become core to the most recent mainline entries. Thus I feel pretty well-equipped to handle anything that RGG Studio can throw my way at this point, which is why I was so shocked that the new combat system in upcoming series prequel Stranger Than Heaven so completely kicked my arse. At a recent BiliBili Game First Look event in Shanghai, I got some brief hands-on time with a brawling-based demo for Stranger Than Heaven. (...

A new weekend has arrived, and today, you can save on Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Splatoon Raiders, AirPods Pro 3, and more. Check out our top picks for Saturday, June 20, below. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for $44.99 Donkey Kong Country Returns is one of Nintendo's best platformers, and you can score this amazing game on Nintendo Switch for $44.99 this weekend at Walmart. This version of the game includes 80 total levels, with the 3DS-exclusive levels part of that. A Nintendo Switch 2 patch was released earlier this year, so you can play Donkey Kong Country Returns HD in 4K if you have a Switch 2. Save $10 Off Splatoon Raiders Physical at Amazon Splatoon Raiders is officially due out this next week, and pre-orders are still discounted for the series' first single-player-focused game! In addition to physical Nintendo Switch 2 copies, three new Splatoon Raiders amiibo of Frye, Shiver, and Big Man are also set to release on July 23. Tokyo Ghoul Box Set for $77.74 This bo...

If you plan on hopping into Halo: Campaign Evolved split-screen co-op when it launches for PS5 next month, you'll need not just one but two accounts with PlayStation Plus subscriptions to play. Halo Studios clarified the account requirements for the upcoming story remake with a Halo Waypoint Q&A yesterday. It serves as a deep dive into some of the hottest topics to emerge since the game was announced for PC and Xbox Series X | S – and PlayStation 5 – in October 2025, but not everyone is happy with what the team had to say. The breakdown confirms what is needed to play with others, with each platform demanding different requirements. For example, you'll need at least a Microsoft account and Xbox Gamertag, regardless of whether you're a PC, Xbox, or PlayStation user, to enable cross-play and cross-platform progression. Halo: Campaign Evolved's requirements on PlayStation, specifically, however, are especially steep. "If you’re playing split-screen on PlayStati...

Sea of Remnants has come a long way since we first looked at it last year . High on style, but short on details at the time, we praised the aesthetics, even if we needed to see more from the story and gameplay to know if it has the substance to go with it. Thankfully, we got a fresh look at Summer Game Fest 2026, and what a difference a year makes. The turn-based swashbuckling and realtime ship combat, combined with a healthy dose of mystery and outrageous characters, has my spyglass trained squarely on the Sea of Remnants. As the demo begins, it’s just me in a rowboat, the star-filled nights sky overhead, and the sea stretching infinitely in every direction. As I row forward, the ethereal music swells, and luminous sea creatures begin to coalesce around me. Just off my starboard, a whale made of light, shades of navy and turquoise, breaches the surface. A fleet of wraithlike boats join me in formation. Eventually, I come to a solitary ship's wheel extending above what I presume mu...

CD Projekt Red co-CEO Michał Nowakowski thinks the studio has yet to complete a "full redemption arc" after the "heartbreaking" launch of Cyberpunk 2077 , but he's hoping it can win back some fans with The Witcher 4 . Nowakowski reflected on the Poland-based game developer's journey during a recent conversation with Edge (via GamesRadar ). The interview saw him open up about how "heartbreaking" the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 was for the team – and for fans. "I'm not 100 per cent convinced we went through the full redemption arc," Nowakowski said. "I'm convinced that we lost the faith of some people indefinitely, and that's a fair thing." It's been nearly six years since Cyberpunk 2077 undid much of the goodwill CD Projekt Red had accumulated following the release of its 2015 hit, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt . Years of excitement for the futuristic dystopian RPG quickly fizzled out after launch-day players were met wit...