While we, the gaming world, often give Nintendo a ton of criticism (and rightfully so), they know their audience. Their latest announcement looks to expand that audience, and quite frankly, it is pure genius. Nintendo has revealed the My Mario line of products, aimed at small children and toddlers, which is now available at both the Nintendo New York and San Francisco stores, as well as select retailers.

My Mario products deliver a variety of products meant to introduce children of the world of Mario long before they pick up their first controllers. Offerings include a Mario themed building block set, various board books, stop motion animation shorts, and a simple smartphone and Switch app that will keep kids occupied for hours.

No, this isn’t meant for you and me… this isn’t for gamers. This is meant for the next generation of gamers. Long-story short: this is pure marketing genius. Mario already has appeal to children, and that appeal is about to start a whole lot earlier. Making products that are accessible to kids who aren’t ready for gaming yet simply creates a queue of potential customers for their video game products. The kids will grow up to love Mario and friends early, and then when they’re old enough to realize that there is an entire gaming universe to explore, they’re already hooked!

It's here! Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. open beta is now out for the Nintendo Switch 2. You can download it straight from the Nintendo E-shop, and you will have to search for it. If it wasn't there earlier today, no worries. It's there now. And it's free. 

You get to join the open beta, and try out all the online features until February 23rd, and has full crossplay with Playstation, Xbox Series, and Steam. If you love it, you can go pre-order it now. The base version is 19.99, while the 30th anniversary version is $39.99, and includes all that beautiful DLC, and a soundtrack. There will be a physical version, for you collectors out there. 

I'll be able to fight you in a second. I have to go back and change all my posts to reflect VIRTUA fighter, instead of VIRTUAL fighter, more so my editor in chief doesn't give me the old "ring out". Sheesh. 

With the next college basketball game on the horizon, 2K didn't want you to wait too much longer to get the college experience. In fact, they're sending you back to school earlier than 2027. 

Today's NBA 2K26 announcement for Season 5 includes college themed content for the game. This content spans actoss the MyTeam and MyCareer Modes, and includes 16 universities. There will be up to 40 current college athletes available to play, via MyTeam player cards. This means you get to play them before they come to the pros. 

According to the courtside report, When you open the game Friday, you'll get a college celebration box with 5 agent option packs. Just open the market, and it'll be there. You'll be able to choose a player from each pack to make your starting 5. Hamilton Station is the featured Park

Through March 30th, if you beat the spotlighted daily player in Challenge Games, you'll get an Evolution 94 OVR version of the player you defeated. If you win 5 games with that player, they will evolve to a 96 OVR Pink Diamond. There are even ways to get an OVR Galaxy Opal Version. Update all of them for a BIG reward. 

There are new MyTeam and MyCareer also has new rewards across the college board. Diamond Evolution V.J Edgecombe (Baylor) is at level 1, while you get uniforms, college courts and logos at level 2. My Career gets you rewards at level 9. That milestone nets you the Ohio State Gameday Bundle, level 18 gets you the Quadcopter, and you get more college gameday bundles, at higher levels. Michigan at level 21, Texas at 31, North Carolina at 36, and the UCLA bundle with the Joe Brun UCLA Mascot comes at level 37. 

They haven't forgot about the WNBA. Even though it's in it's off season, there are still weekly rewards for you, including Alyssa Thomas's Nike V305 shoes, a Seattle Storm Ball, and...gross...chocolate Crocs.

There's so much more to check out, but they summarized it better than I could in this video. Of course the Pro Pass gets you more things, so check this out and the pics below. Oh, and it's probably on sale right now, too. I saw it as low as $19.99, fresh off the all-star game. 

2K dropped a new Ringside Report today for WWE 2K26 and I am extremely excited about this one because two game modes that have desperately needed updates for years are finally getting some love. 

First up Universe Mode is finally getting a number of updates. The biggest one being that the draft is finally coming back to Universe mode and there are a number of options here. The draft will take place as a show on your yearly calendar and you will have the Raw and Smackdown General Managers out there making their selections. You can choose a number of options such as groups being selected together, locking out champions and certain wrestlers from being drafted. There are also brand new promo types including being able to cut promos turning babyface or heel, challenging champions to a title match and post match promos where you can switch divisions or declare your intent for a title match. The new Universe wizard allows you to set up your Universe mode before you even start 

In terms of the creation suite, create a wrestler, arena and entrance all got some big updates. In create a wrestler we now have the ability again to do body morphing so we can choose how big or small we want someones arms or legs will be. We also get two toned hair styles now where you can have to colors blending together. Create an arena now gets LED barricades to customize and the biggest addition to the creation suite is now that finally, after so many years of begging and pleading, create an entrance has finally been updated. The advanced creation tools, which allows you to mix and match entrance parts, will now be available for championship entrances along with tag team, trios, four man and five match entrances. 

These updates to me are worth the full price of the game as these are things that I have wanted in the game for so long, especially those updates to create an entrance. It was always so annoying when you spend hours fine tuning an entrance for your created wrestler with timed pyro and lighting only to have to select from a generic entrance when they have a championship. As for Universe mode, doing a draft manually via a spreadsheet was ridiculous. This is going to save so much time when a new year rolls around in the mode and I can just do the draft in game. 

A full in depth breakdown of all of the additions to Universe and Creation Suite can be found on their official website.

WWE 2K26 launches on PS5, Series X, Switch 2 and PC on March 13th.

I skipped the Virtual Boy back in the day. There was no way I was going to get it. It was doomed from the start. Some would say it was ahead of it's time. Others would complain it gave them more headaches than being in bed with their significant other. Either way, the all red, stereoscopic game CONSOLE by Nintendo was one of it's least sold products.

As a surprise to everyone, the Virtual Boy is back, and yes, you can put your whole Switch or Switch 2 in a replica Virtual Boy, available only to Nintendo Switch Online members. If you don't want to pay the $90 for it, no worries. I opted for the carboard version for $25. And while my kid thought it was cool, I was already over it in minutes.

Like clockwork though,  I seem to have picked the right one. See, Nintendo once went all in on something called Nintendo Labo, and they let you put together cardboard peripherals, including a piano, a full backpack, and a VR headset. With that VR headset came VR experiences for certain games. 

Those VR experiences can apparently only be duplicated via the Cardboard version of the Virtual Boy, and are nestled inside Super Smash Brothers, Super Mario Odyssey, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In fact, Breath of the wild lets you play the entire game in VR. I now have champagne wishes of 2DS/3DS games coming to the service. Could you imagine?!

The downside is that neither versions of the Virtual Boy come with a strap, so you have to either use the stand with the real replica, or HOLD THE CARBOARD REPLICA TO YOUR FACE! I don't like it at all, but my 5 year old did. Check the video from GameXplain below, and look at this adorable picture.  

You know, between Digital Eclipse, and Tribute Games, my video game back log is increasing lately. This list will increase with the release of Scott Pilgrim EX, unless I get to review it, Eric. 

You see, I was one of those people who held on to my XBOX 360 version of the game, and when it was announced that it would be re-released, I streamed the older version, got the new version, and double dipped on multiple systems. Scott Pilgrim VS The World: The Game will always have a place in my beat-em-up heart. 

The aforementioned new title will be released March 3rd on practically everything, and from now, until the 2nd, you will be able to access a demo for the free, via Steam. So I don't know why you're still reading this. Go Go! Now I gotta find my Scott Pilgrim Manga that I bought from Humble Bundle. Needless to say, I'm a fan. 

The team at GRIP Studios announced yesterday that the console version of its survival game ICARUS has been delayed, from February 26^th to March 26^th. This additional time will allow them to work out the kinks on a few known issues rather than launching with them out of the gate. First impressions are critical when launching a new game, so I don’t blame them for taking a little extra time.

ICARUS: Console Edition will be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. GRIP Studios issued the following statement regarding the delay:

“We want to share an important update regarding the release of ICARUS: Console Edition.

 

After careful consideration, we’ve decided to move the release date to Thursday 26 March. This additional month will allow us to polish the gameplay and ensure the best possible launch.

 

While the game is in a strong and stable state, we’ve identified a few areas that need further refinement. Rather than launch with known issues, we believe taking these extra weeks is the right decision for the game and players.

 

Our team is fully focused on polishing the experience and game content to ensure it plays as intended across Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

 

Thank you for sticking with us, we’re looking forward to welcoming you to Icarus soon.”

At the PlayStation State of Play, film production company Lionsgate and video game publisher-developer Saber Interactive announced that a single-player, third-person action game set in the John Wick universe is in development. Please pinch me. Is this real? Are we really getting a proper, AAA, John Wick game? You had better believe it.

The currently untitled John Wick game will see Keanu Reeves reprise his role as the brooding assassin. Additionally, film franchise director Chad Stahelski is advising on the game’s development to ensure that Mr. Wick’s signature “gun-fu” fighting style gets properly translated, as well as to help craft an original narrative set years before the Impossible Task timeline from the films. Pinch me again.

There is currently no release window for John Wick. Hell, it doesn’t even have a real title yet. But we do know that it is being made for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, so perhaps it is not terribly far off if it is planned for the current generation of consoles. Be seeing you, Mr. Wick.

At this week’s PlayStation State of Play event, Bungie popped in to share a new trailer for Marathon, its upcoming PvPvE extraction shooter. Not only did we get some fresh gameplay, but we also received an open invitation to slam Marathon’s servers (whoa) from February 26^th through March 2^nd. This Server Slam will be free and open to all players across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox as Bungie looks to drum up additional interest, as well as test their capabilities right before launch on March 5^th.

In Marathon, players explore the lost colony of Tau Ceti IV by inhabiting bio-cybernetic Runner shells (think Netflix’s Altered Carbon), gathering loot and battling both hostile AI-controlled forces and other human players along the way.

The Server Slam will feature a limited selection of maps, Runner shells, and contracts, as you might suspect. But players who complete the introductory mission during the playtest will unlock a special emblem and banner for full launch.

Pre-orders for Marathon are available now across platforms, with the Standard Edition setting you back $39.99, and a Deluxe Edition for $59.99. Myself and some of the Gaming Nexus homies are locked-in for Marathon – not much longer now.

Arc System Works has announced that its action-adventure top-down shooter, DAMON and BABY, will launch on March 26^th for Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. Pre-orders are available now for $19.99, with a pre-order discount dropping that down by 10%.

In DAMON and BABY, you play as the demon lord Damon, who has found himself responsible for the care of a mysterious child after fulfilling the last request of his best friend. Damon and the child (Damon and Baby, if you will) embark on a heartwarming adventure featuring exploration, quirky characters, and twin-stick shooting action. Between exploration, shooting bad guys, and boss battles, you will upgrade your base and customize your playstyle by unlocking skills. It also features offline two-player co-op, with the second player controlling a canine companion capable of collecting items and assisting in combat. Interesting.

Check out the new pre-order trailer below, or head over to Steam on February 19^th to download a free demo for DAMON and BABY as a part of Steam Next Fest.