PCGamesN Wednesday, March 25, 2026 7:17 AM Portal and Half-Life Alyx writer Erik Wolpaw is testing how generative AI could help game NPCs react at Valve, but admits it's "scary." |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 25, 2026 6:09 AM Sure, it's not a great train sim, but the all-new Thomas and Friends Wonders of Sodor would have amazed my Thomas-obsessed toddler self. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, March 25, 2026 4:00 AM Pacific Drive delivers a Stalker-style atmosphere through the eyes of a driving simulator, and this underrated indie deserves your time - especially when it's ridiculously cheap. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 25, 2026 7:51 AM  Like many people at companies preoccupied with discovering the next "goose that lays the golden egg", Half-Life 2 and Portal writer Erik Wolpaw has been "poking around" with generative AI. He and a small team at Valve have been testing out different applications, in what Wolpaw assures us isn't a "concerted" effort at implementing the soul-regurgitating, workforce-abrading gadgetry in any particular new game. Wolpaw's current feeling is that generative AI isn't very good at anything "creative", like cracking jokes. But he does think Large Language Models could make for entertaining NPC voice reactions in games such as Grand Theft Auto and, indeed, Wolpaw's own Left 4 Dead, because AI is marvellous at being a fawning little gopher. It is fantastic at "going along with whatever insane thing you say and kind of adjusting to the flow of that". |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, March 25, 2026 6:17 AM  Around the turn of the new year, Fallout: London developers Team FOLON teased plans to drop the second of the brilliantly British Fallout 4 mod's second DLC in early 2026, assuming no hiccups got in the way of those plans. Sadly, it seems that's exactly what's happened, necessitating the "skeletal crew" still working on the mod to push Last Orders beyond a projected April release window. |
Siliconera Wednesday, March 25, 2026 7:01 AM
Back when Super Mario Bros Wonder showed up on the Switch, it felt like a fresh take on the platformer that ensured players of all skill levels could enjoy it. Just under three years later, it's back. Except this time, the focus feels like it's on the multiplayer experience. Yes, there's new single-player stuff in Super Mario Bros Wonder - Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park, but this is primarily about facing off against others.
The storyline in Super Mario Bros Wonder remains unchanged. Mario and company showed up for the Flower Kingdom Ceremony to see Wonder Flowers. Bowser stole it and ended up powered up as a result. We explore alongside Prince Florian to set things right. The difference is that after getting into the story, we learned that Captain Toad and his Toad Brigade found the Bellabel Park ruins. Shortly after, the Koopalings stole the flowers from it, then went to hide out in various stages on the map to act as new boss fights with Wonder Effects.
In the case of the Toad Brigade Training Camp stages and Koopaling stages, both feel like an attempt to add a little more challenge to Super Mario Bros Wonder - Switch 2 Edition for those who are used to the existing game. The Koopaling stages act as remixed Wonder Effect stages, as there will be new enemy elements as you head toward the confrontation to recover the Bellabel flowers. For example, the Wendy stage involves her rings teleporting Cheep Cheeps that head right toward you, before facing her at the end. Then when those fights do happen, they end up being a bit more extended than just "hitting the boss three times" to end it.
Meanwhile, the Toad Brigade Training Camp sort of feel like they're attempting to bridge the game between beginner players and more advanced ones. This is because you'll be placed in a situation and tasked with completing an objective. There are over 70 of these, and they feel designed to get you comfortable with attacking enemies, using certain power-ups, or handling situations. (This can be done in local multiplayer or alone.)
It's a stage in which the new Flower Transformation feels especially helpful. That's added for the Switch 2 release, and it turns the character into a flower that can spawn more flowers. You can unleash one with the action button, which immediately floats up toward the top of the screen and damages enemies along the way, or press the should trigger to send one out of each hand on both sides. If you hold the jump button, you also flutter a bit, then get a slight height boost. Honestly, I found it feels very situational. It's a big help in the aforementioned Wendy Koopaling stage, for example. The floaty jump can be handy too. But I didn't find it as revolutionary as the Elephant power-up.
While the extra challenge from the Toad Brigade and Koopaling courses feels like they're added for more experienced folks, there are other elements that seem geared toward newcomers again. For example, if you're playing locally, then Luma could be selected as a co-star. That feels like a roll a parent, guardian, or more experienced player would take to protect the person who selected another playable character to allow them to focus on platforming through the stage safely and not worry about collecting coins or attacking enemies. Likewise, being able to select two badges at once is an option and someone could select the Assist Mode when starting to ensure every character ends up feeling like Nabbit and the Yoshis and doesn't take damage or die if they fall into a pit.
But as I said earlier, the Meetup in Bellabel Park part of Super Mario Bros Wonder multiplayer segment feels like the biggest addition in the Switch 2 release, and if you can't take advantage of that it might not feel as exciting. Because sure, now we can see the "ghosts" of up to 12 other players online in a main campaign stage, with them leaving standees to assist o share power-ups, but it isn't the same sort of true online multiplayer experience.
The Local Multiplayer Plaza portion is the most diverse option in Super Mario Bros Wonder - Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park. This is due to a number of elements. First is that there are both competitive and cooperative stages there. The former can involve elements like races to get through stages with obstacles or maze-like elements first, hide-and-seek paired with tag elements, coin-collecting frenzies, or trying to feed baby Yoshis more fruit than anyone else. The latter might add features like using Mouse Mode with a Joy-Con 2 to draw block paths to help someone with a more traditional playstyle get through a stage or trying to all safely take turns carrying a bomb to the goal. On the online side, we have a number of stages that are competitive and tend to rely on racing through courses with certain power-ups or conditions at play. Both have a Tour Plaza option that involves everyone going through three or five random stages from different categories to see who gets the most points on the leaderboard for their performances.
I still feel Super Mario Bros Wonder - Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park is a 9 out of 10 game, but the upgrade is really geared toward the multiplayer experience. Especially if you have folks who can play with you locally for the new Luma co-star, Toad Brigade Training Camp, or Bellabel Park stages that highlight co-op and versus elements. If you don't have that kind of community around you, then I think the base version of the game would meet your needs.
Super Mario Bros Wonder - Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park will come to the Switch 2 on March 26, 2026, and the original game is on the Switch worldwide.
The post Review: Super Mario Bros Wonder – Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park appeared first on Siliconera. |
MonsterVine Wednesday, March 25, 2026 2:14 AM EverQuest Legends has been officially announced, offering a new way to experience EverQuest with a focus on solo play and modern updates. Daybreak Game Company is partnering with indie studio Game Jawn on a project that aims to revisit the early days of EverQuest while making it easier to jump in today. A classic experience […] |