PlayStation has announced a new State of Play dedicated entirely to Final Fantasy XVI.
The presentation will take place on Thursday, April 13th at 2pm PT/5pm ET and feature “more than 20 minutes” of new gameplay from the highly-anticipated Square Enix RPG. Those interested in tuning in can do so via PlayStation’s YouTube and Twitch channels.
It makes sense that PlayStation and Square Enix have partnered on this special State of Play. For one, it marks the first single-player Final Fantasy effort from Square Enix’s Creative Business Unit III, the celebrated studio behind the beloved Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and its expansions. It’s also one of the only games that have been developed exclusively for PS5, whereas many others, like God of War Ragnarök and Horizon Forbidden West, have also come to PS4.
Set in the divided world of Valisthea, Final Fantasy XVI follows a young man named Clive who sets out of a revenge quest after his kingdom is destroyed. Notably, the story hails from Kazutoyo Maehiro, the writer of FFXIV‘s acclaimed Heavensward campaign. On top of that, Devil May Cry designer Ryota Suzuki serves as battle designer, giving the game an added level of action credibility.
Final Fantasy XVI will release exclusively on PS5 on June 22nd.
As first reported by TorrentFreak, the Japanese gaming giant is trying to subpoena Discord, the instant messaging platform to which images of the yet-to-be-released artbook were published. The artbook is included with the Tears of the Kingdom collector’s edition, which is set to launch on May 12th alongside the game. In February, a leaker shared images from the artbook on Discord that they claimed were sent by a friend, and these were later posted to Reddit and other platforms.
“NOA [Nintendo of America] is requesting the attached proposed subpoena that would order Discord Inc. (“Discord”) to disclose the identity, including the name(s), address(es), telephone number(s), and e-mail addresses(es) of the user Julien#2743, who is responsible for posting infringing content that appeared at the following Discord channel Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” reads Nintendo’s application for a subpoena.
It remains to be seen how Discord will respond, but in any case, it makes sense that Nintendo would be so protective of what’s sure to be its biggest game of the year. 2017’s Breath of the Wild, the predecessor to Tears of the Kingdom, has sold around 30 million copies across Switch and Wii U, making it the fourth best-selling Switch game. Meanwhile, Nintendo has been quite secretive about the game, with the few trailers we’ve seen having been primarily focused on gameplay.
All will be revealed soon, though, as the game will be officially released on May 12th after a few delays. Unlike most Switch games, though, it will be priced at $89 CAD.
In other Tears of the Kingdom news, MobileSyrup is currently running a contest with Nintendo of Canada to send you and a friend to the Nintendo New York launch of the game. More details can be found here.
A new mobile game based on the epic fantasy franchise Lord of the Rings has released its first official gameplay trailer and May 10th, 2023 launch date.
The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth is an upcoming turn-based strategy combat, free-to-play RPG modelled after J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Hobbit works.
The reveal showcases the first gameplay footage since the titles reveal last year. It gives viewers a closer look into the combat, gameplay modes and character development set to feature in the game. It also offers a sneak peek into the new races, factions and stories being introduced.
Users can expect battles and adventures featuring the series classic characters. Glimpses of the player menus detail hero preparation, team building, and exciting campaign selections.
Players looking to be the first to know about the upcoming launch and receive behind-the-scenes content and exclusive offers can pre-register via the game’s EA Mobile site.
The game is set to release on May 10th, 2023 on Apple devices via iOS and Android-based mobile devices.
The full lists of nominees for this year’s Canadian Game Awards and Canadian Indie Game Awards have been revealed.
As in previous years, organizer Northern Arena has opted for two shows to spotlight both bigger AAA games and smaller indie games. Both AAA and indie titles are eligible for the Canadian Game Awards, while only the latter has been nominated for the Indie Game Awards.
The nominees
To start, here’s what’s up for the coveted Game of the Year at the Canadian Game Awards:
Drinkbox Studios (Nobody Saves the World) [Toronto]
Silverstring Media (Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between) [Vancouver]
Tunic Team (Tunic) [Halifax]
Altogether, there are 17 Canadian Game Award categories and 13 Canadian Indie Game Award categories. The full list of Canadian Game Awards nominees can be found here. The full list of Canadian Indie Game Award nominees is available here.
How to watch
The Canadian Indie Game Awards will be held on Thursday, April 20th at 7pm ET, while the Canadian Game Awards will air on Friday, April 21st at 8pm ET. Both events are taking place in Toronto, and you can register to attend the Indie Awards here and purchase tickets (starting at $27.96) for the Canadian Game Awards here.
Many people will celebrate Easter or Passover this long weekend, but some folks might also be celebrating the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie in theatres.
The film features the voices of Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad and many more. The Illumination film has a pretty low 53 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but the ‘Audience Score’ is 96 percent, indicating that critics and fans are split on the new movie.
I haven’t seen The Super Mario Bros. Movie yet, but MobileSyrup‘s Brad Shankar watched the film, and you can read his thoughts on it here.
So, our question this week: did you watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and if you did, how was it? Let us know in the comments below.
In related news, MobileSyrup just kicked off a contest with Nintendo of Canada to send you and a friend to New York City for the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. More information can be found here.
After 1993’s abysmal live-action Super Mario Bros., it almost seemed as though Nintendo would never again allow its mascot to hit the big screen. It wasn’t until January 2018 that Nintendo confirmed it would indeed try again with a Mario movie, but this time, it’d be through an animated movie produced by Despicable Me studio Illumination.
Fast forward over five years and The Super Mario Bros. Movie is finally here. While critical reception has been pretty mixed, fan response has been overwhelmingly positive. Regardless of how you feel about the movie’s quality, though, it’s certainly noteworthy that gaming’s biggest icon finally has his own authentic movie, especially since video game adaptations have historically not been stellar.
With that in mind, we wanted to celebrate some of the other decent movie and TV adaptations of games that have come out. So, here’s where you can stream a bunch of them in Canada.
Arcane
French animation studio Fortiche (Rabbids Invasion) delivered one of the most acclaimed gaming adaptations of all time in this steampunk action-adventure series based on Riot’s massively popular League of Legends.
The series, which follows two sisters on rival sides of a magic-fuelled war, won immense praise for being a high-quality production that appeals to both LoL fans and newcomers alike.
Konami may not have done much with its acclaimed gothic horror series in recent years, but Powerhouse Animation Studios’ Castlevania series sure is excellent.
It follows Trevor Belmont, Alucard and Sypha Belnades as they face off against Dracula and his minions.
One of the most popular indie games in recent years was Cuphead, a gorgeous run-and-gun platformer from Canada’s own Studio MDHR, so an animated series based on that certainly made a lot of sense.
It also helps that the series, which follows the misadventures of brothers Cuphead and Mugman, faithfully captures the charm and style of the game.
While Cyberpunk 2077 had a rough launch, Studio Trigger (Kill la Kill) gave us an anime prequel that, like Arcane, works brilliantly on its own, telling a compelling story about a reckless young mercenary in Night City.
While many of the best gaming adaptations are animated, HBO’s Alberta-shot The Last of Us proved that teaming up one of the key creators (original writer and co-director Neil Druckmann) with an experienced screenwriter (Chernobyl‘s Craig Mazin) makes all the difference.
In doing so, it also showed that Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey)’s story of survival and connection in a post-apocalyptic world was universal, helping to demonstrate to non-gamers why The Last of Us is one of the most celebrated games of all time.
Paul W. S. Anderson might have a bad rap among gamers for his Resident Evil movies, but Mortal Kombat fans actually do like his eponymous 1995 adaptation of the iconic visceral fighting game series.
Taking cues from the original 1992 game, the film follows a group of heroes who take part in a tournament to protect Earth from malevolent forces.
Stream Mortal Kombat on Crave. It’s worth noting that the 2021 reboot — which does have its own defenders — is on Netflix.
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
Live-action, photorealistic Pokémon initially sounded offputting, but Pokémon: Detective Pikachu ended up winning people over through its charm, led by the ever-likable Vancouverite, Ryan Reynolds.
A sequel is also in development, so hopefully, we’ll see more of Detective Pikachu, Trainer Tim and friends before long.
Unfortunately, Detective Pikachu isn’t on any subscription streaming service at the moment, so you’ll have to rent or buy the movie on platforms like iTunes and Google Play, starting at $4.99.
Silent Hill
This adaptation of Konami’s beloved horror franchise was initially panned upon release, but retrospective reviews have generally been much more positive.
The spooky Hamilton, Ontario-shot movie follows a woman as she looks for her adopted daughter in a mysterious town occupied by a cult.
What was once the internet’s punching bag due to a hideous Sonic design ended up being a surprisingly fun and even touching movie about a lonely hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) finding a human family and saving the world from the evil Dr. Robotnik (Canada’s own Jim Carrey).
The sequel meaningfully expanded on that with the addition of two fan-favourite characters, Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessy reprising her role from Sega’s games), paving the way for a third movie and Knuckles spin-off.
This isn’t actually a game adaptation, but it’s still worth mentioning since it’s based on the true story of Henk Rogers, a developer and entrepreneur who teamed up with Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov to bring his block-stacking game to the masses.
The movie stars Taron Egerton (Rocketman) as Rogers and has garnered buzz for its surprising thriller vibe.
What are your favourite game adaptations? Let us know in the comments.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering — SuperMario Bros. isn’t actually streaming anywhere, and you can’t even rent or buy it on iTunes or Google Play. Sorry, Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo.
In terms of video game icons, it doesn’t get any bigger than Mario.
Since 1981, Nintendo’s Italian plumber has won the hearts of millions with his charming adventures, eclectic roster of supporting characters and top-notch gameplay experiences spanning everything from platforming, racing and golf to soccer, fighters and even horror. “There’s probably not a single person who doesn’t know Mario. He’s that famous,” explains Colonel Roy Campbell rather aptly to Snake, another video game legend, in a delightful Metal Gear easter egg in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Surely, then, that would mean he’s due for a good movie, right? One that’s worthy of the legacy of the best-selling video game franchise of all time? Sadly, that isn’t the case with Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the long-awaited animated take on the beloved gaming hero. After the atrocious 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. film, Nintendo and Illumination have understandably gone for a far more faithful interpretation of the Mario series, but unfortunately, that reverence ends up being its fatal flaw.
Hey kids, remember Mario Kart? Image credit: Illumination
Indeed, The Super Mario Movie is, at the end of the day, just an animated recreation of the Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. From Mario’s specific jumps and twirls and Princess Peach’s Mario Kart hoverbiketo the “DK Rap” from Donkey Kong Country and green warp pipes galore, pretty much everything on screen at any given moment is meant to remind you of Nintendo’s rich games catalogue. Of course, it’s only natural to want some of that in a Mario movie, and it helps that Illumination renders it all through such crisp, detailed and visually stunning animation. That’s to say nothing of composer Brian Tyler, whose arrangements of Koji Kondo’s classic Mario themes are nothing short of incredible.
But fan service is a lot like sugar — nice and sweet in moderation, but deadly in high doses. And really, there’s very little to The Super Mario Bros. Movie beyond its near-overwhelming levels of winks and nods that feel meticulously chosen to pander to gamers’ nostalgia. The story, in which Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) find themselves lost in a mysterious land threatened by the villainous Bowser (a genuinely excellent Jack Black), is as basic as it gets. That in itself isn’t a problem, as the plot is hardly the most important thing in a story so long as the characters are compelling.
But The Super Mario Bros. Movie feels like a grab bag of thin sketches of familiar faces from the games through which the filmmakers can wring the dullest and most obvious bits of humour. Let’s have a running gag about Mario hating mushrooms because in the games he eats a lot of them! Haha, get it? Luigi is often regarded as playing second fiddle to Mario, so let’s have him be captured and absent for most of the movie because we don’t know what else to do with him beyond a brief Luigi’s Mansion homage. Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) used to be a damsel in distress, so let’s have her be an exceptionally skilled warrior now.
The Mario Bros. are separated for so long that their relationship feels thin and weightless. Image credit: Illumination
That latter point actually would be a positive, as it’s a solid, forward-thinking update on the tired “save the princess” trope, if not for the fact that the film also decides to render Mario a bumbling idiot who’s completely irrelevant for most of the runtime. And instead of mining any meaningful character growth from the actually intriguing idea of Mario’s fallibility, the filmmakers simply give Mario a training montage set to “Holding Out for a Hero” in one of the movie’s many unbelievably trite and uninspired needle drops, among other underwhelming character moments.
That also feeds into the movie’s largest issue — it’s pretty shallow. It should go without saying that even “kids’ animated movies” have some sort of overarching theme, a moral or arc that defines our character. Pixar’s Toy Story series digs into existentialism through the lens of sentient toys. Studio Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service unpacks the stresses and burnout associated with growing up. Dreamworks’ Puss in Boots: The Last Wish leans into the fact that the Shrek franchise is old by weaving a gorgeously animated yarn about mortality. Even a lesser Disney movie, like the recent Strange World, at least goes for a story about a reconnecting father and son. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, however, is too content with breezing through video game iconography at a breakneck pace to even attempt to do anything more with it. The movie introduces the flimsiest shred of an arc — Mario and Luigi feeling like unsuccessful losers and discovering self-worth — but does absolutely nothing with it.
Now, I’ve noticed some go-to responses to these kinds of criticisms. “Well, the Mario games don’t really have a story,” you might say. “It’s just a kid’s movie!” some others have argued. But to me, such statements are a tad bit insulting to both Nintendo’s wondrous games and the limitless potential of animation as a medium. First, the fact that the Mario games are historically light on narrative and three-dimensional characters shouldn’t be an excuse for the film to do the same. Gaming is defined by interactivity; you don’t need to have a strong story in Mario because the appeal is the tight, well-crafted platforming. Cinema, on the other hand, is a completely passive medium that can’t rely on clever gameplay mechanics, so it needs to do something different. This is actually something The Last of Us series creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin wisely understood when they toned down the action — which was necessary for the original 15-hour third-person shooter game — to focus more on character and world-building.
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) actually had some sweet moments between characters, which is more than can be said for The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Image credit: Paramount
That’s the hallmark of a good adaptation — translating what works about the source material and making necessary changes elsewhere. And The Last of Us is hardly the only good example. The Sonic the Hedgehog games aren’t exactly known for deep stories and characters, but that didn’t stop director Jeff Fowler from delivering two fun movies centred around a surprisingly touching found family story — with some original characters, no less. In Arcane, Fortiche gives us an affecting standalone story of sisters Vi and Jinx that also expanded the popular universe of League of Legends. Rob Letterman’s Pokémon: Detective Pikachu injects the universal love and nostalgia we’ve all had for going on monster-catching adventures into a heartfelt original coming-of-age story for Trainer Tim. In all of these game adaptations, the source material was a way to enhance everything else; it wasn’t used as a crutch like it is in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Fans could appreciate those added referential nuggets, but everyone could still enjoy the work as a whole. In many of these cases, we’re not even talking about some ground-breaking, world-class writing, which isn’t what anyone legitimately expected from Mario — just, you know, something decent.
Hell, let’s go beyond the world of game adaptations and look at another animated movie based on a popular property in which Chris Pratt voices a blue-collar protagonist with confidence issues in a big city: The Lego Movie. This could have easily been nothing but a toy commercial, but the ever-brilliant Phil Lord and Christopher Miller opted for a thoughtful, sincere tale about an everyman discovering what makes him special while still including some fun pop-culture cameos. The fact that the movies share some concepts and talent — most notably, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was also penned by The Lego Movie: The Second Part co-writer Matthew Fogel — only further highlights the comparative lack of imagination in Illumination’s film.
The LEGO Movie showed you could mix fan service with genuine creativity. Image credit: Warner Bros.
Likewise, the notion that The Super Mario Bros. Movie “is for kids” feels so disingenuous. Since when does something that’s suitable for kids have to solely be for them? Such an insinuation feels woefully dismissive of the countless quality animated pictures that have come along in the past few decades that have universal appeal. Pixar’s Inside Out tackles the volatile emotions of a pre-teen girl in a way that hits close to home for kids and adults alike. Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away unpacks greed and consumerism with nuance and care without being impenetrable for children. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse mixes a heavily stylized comic book aesthetic with a heartfelt story about everyone’s capacity for good that resonates with us all. I could go on.
Was I expecting The Super Mario Bros. Movie to be on the level of the animated classics I’ve mentioned? Certainly not. And despite what some have hilariously suggested, those critical of The Super Mario Bros. Movie aren’t some hateful cynics who expected some Scorsese-level Oscar-worthy movie. Undoubtedly, kids will certainly love this movie, which is great, and if you still enjoyed it for what it was, more power to you! But why is it such a crime for others to ask for more?
As mentioned, Mario is the rare property that transcends age and genre to connect with everyone, a timeless icon that will continue to be loved by generations to come. The magic of Nintendo’s games is that they simultaneously strike that “family-friendly” line while retaining depth and ingenuity. There’s a reason why the Mario games consistently rank among the highest-rated and best-selling the year they release, and that all comes down to Nintendo’s constant drive for creativity and inventiveness. They really are super. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, on the other hand, only aims to be safe and inoffensive, resulting in a painfully bland work that does a huge disservice to gaming’s most beloved series.
Header image credit: Illumination
In related news, MobileSyrup just kicked off a contest with Nintendo of Canada to send you and a friend to New York City for the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. More information can be found here.
Show us what makes you Canada’s biggest The Legend of Zelda fan for your chance to win a trip to New York City to celebrate the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in style. Win a two-night stay at a hotel in New York City for 2 guests, including round-trip airfare, so that you can pick up your physical The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Collector’s Edition game in person from Nintendo New York, over the launch weekend.
Plus, everyone who enters will have the chance to win a secondary The Legend of Zelda prize pack, including a The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game, a The Legend of Zelda Triforce light, a The Legend of Zelda compact stand and a The Legend of Zelda-themed pro controller.
To enter the contest, follow @MobileSyrup on Twitter and post a photo with a short message explaining why you think you’re Canada’s premier Zelda fan with the hashtag ‘#BiggestCanadianZeldaFan.’
Maybe you have a room in your home dedicated to The Legend of Zelda series or a full arm sleeve of tattoos showing off your love of Gorons? Perhaps you’re a hardcore collector and own every game in the franchise, like The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition for GameCube?
Above all else, show us why you feel you’re Canada’s biggest Zelda fan! All before The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches for Nintendo Switch on May 12 – available for pre-orders now.
All submissions are due by April 20th at 11:59pm ET. A winner will be selected and contacted on April 21st.
The contest’s rules and regulations are available here.
Square Enix has announced that the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection will launch on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on April 19th.
As the name suggests, the series offers updated 2D pixel graphics for the first six Final Fantasy games. The enhanced visuals were supervised by Kazuko Shibuya, who created the original sprite work for the games on NES and SNES. As well, the Pixel Remaster series features a rearranged soundtrack overseen by original composer Nobuo Uematsu.
The Pixel Remaster series first debuted on Steam, Android and iOS in 2021, so fans have been waiting for a while for a console port. Thankfully, the console versions actually have some new features, including, most notably, a new font option. The PC and mobile versions of the game sported a garish, cheap-looking text style, while the console counterparts now offer a more retro-inspired alternative.
What’s more, the console versions offer a number of toggles, including the ability to switch between the OG and rearranged soundtracks, turn off random encounters and increase the experience you gain by up to four times.
The Pixel Remaster games will be sold individually on the PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop or as a $99.99 CAD bundle. The first three games (which were released on the NES) will cost $15.99 each, while the latter trio (which hail from the SNES) will be priced at $23.99 a pop.
Sony is developing a new PlayStation handheld that will offer Remote Play functionality with the PlayStation 5, according to a report from the often-reliable Insider Gaming.
For the uninitiated, Remote Play is a long-running PlayStation feature that allows consoles to connect with handhelds and mobile devices. Per Insider Gaming, the new device — codenamed the Q Lite — won’t be a dedicated handheld, but will instead be a PS5 peripheral that requires a constant internet connection. VentureBeat‘s Jeff Grubb, another reliable industry insider, also tweeted that he’s heard about a PlayStation cloud-streaming handheld.
In terms of design, Insider Gaming says the Q Lite is expected to resemble a PS5 DualSense controller, but with an added 8-inch LCD touchscreen at the centre that supports 1080p and 60fps. It will also sport adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, two of the DualSense’s signature features, as well as a headphone jack and speakers.
PlayStation going the PS5 accessory route for a new handheld would also be a more understandably cautious approach for the company after its last portable gaming device, the Vita, was a failure. While Sony didn’t reveal official sales figures, estimates peg the now-discontinued system at around 16 million units as of 2018, a massive drop from the 80-plus million units sold by its predecessor, the PlayStation Portable.
When it launched in 2011, the Vita was sold on the promise of being able to take console-quality games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Killzone: Mercenary on the go. However, a variety of factors — namely, poor first-party support, expensive memory cards and strong competition from the likes of the Nintendo 3DS and mobile games — led the Vita to struggle immensely during its lifecycle.
At this point, other devices have successfully capitalized on that “high-quality portable gaming” promise. Most notably, there’s the Nintendo Switch, a console-handheld hybrid that’s already become the third best-selling console of all time at over 120 million units sold. And more recently, beefier products like the Steam Deck have taken a similar approach to PC games. Therefore, the Vita brand doesn’t seem to have a place in the modern market, even as some fans call for a successor.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen if and when PlayStation goes through with Q Lite. Insider Gaming also didn’t indicate other key details, such as pricing and release timing. However, the outlet says it’s believed to be part of PlayStation’s “second phase” of the PS5, which includes a rumoured PS5 Pro that’s targeting a holiday 2024 launch.
