Pop News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

In a year overflowing with great-looking Metroidvanias, Minishoot' Adventures popped out to me for the sheer oddity and novelty of its premise. It's a top-down twin-stick shooter where you play as a small spaceship in a bright, colorful world under attack from a shadowy villain called the Unchosen. And I do mean you play as a spaceship, not someone piloting a spaceship, which really adds to the charm of the world. I've only played the opening act, but it's officially my next weekend game, because it's immediately clear why it's been so well-received on Steam, with over 1,500 97% positive user reviews at the time of writing. 

Alright, so Best Buy just happened to drop an insane deal on the WD Black SN770 (2TB variant) out of nowhere. This beast of an SSD, which usually goes for around $240 a pop, is now available for just $140. Yep, a whopping $100 right off the top.

Invincible's second season has wrapped and if you're not all caught up on what Atom Eve and the cast have been up to, don't panic, you'll find no spoilers here. You might find a few spoilers for plot points from season one though but since the first season ended almost three years ago, and you've clicked on an article based on a key moment from its finale, I'm assuming that won't be a problem. The brutal train scene from season one's epic finale has been turned into a Youtooz figure you can pre-order now.

Japanese anime, manga, and games are popular in Japan, but Western media also has its place in Japanese pop culture. One of the most popular companies in the country is Disney, and Disney characters, movies, and theme parks are beloved by a huge number of people in Japan. Disney spans across ages, genders, and walks of life in modern Japan, with all kinds of different fans.

Thanks to the newly released Fallout TV series, everybody is flocking back to the games, but some people just can't let go of Baldur's Gate 3.

In, players can combine different elements to create Peter Griffin, the main character of Seth MacFarlane’s comedy sitcom Neal Agarwal’s browser game is an endless crafting simulator, challenging players to combine basic elements such as Water and Fire to create a practically infinite library of new, more complex elements. is just one of the many pop culture franchises featured in-game.

Some cool skins in Arknights are heading your way. After the Chinese servers, the ‘City Rider’ skin collection will soon drop for the global server. Yep, these outfits first popped up between November 11th and 19th in 2019 exclusively in China. Keep reading to know more about the Arknights City Rider series outfits.

Star Wars Day is coming up and some of you will likely have ways you mark the occasion each year. While rewatching the original trilogy again is a great way to celebrate May 4, adding a few items to your Star Wars collection isn't a bad idea either. An array of brands have got Star Wars stuff for sale in the build to this year's Star Wars Day, whether you're after a Darth Maul Funko Pop! or a Darth Vader basketball shirt.

Epic Games has announced that FortniteFestival season 3 will feature pop star Billie Eilish.

This year’s EGX games event will take place alongside MCM Comic-Con in the UK.

The first trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's Trap is here – and it looks like a wild ride.

M. Night Shyamalan has long been known for his twists, but those twists are normally reserved for the ends of his movies, not the trailers. But it seems like he’s branching out into unexplored territory with his new thriller Trap, which has a first trailer that feels worthy of the Shyamalan name.

Given that they worked together on two Scream movies beforehand, it's impossible not to compare Melissa Barrera's newest horror collaboration with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett to the Ghostface-fronted franchise. Abigail, the trio's latest, is similar in tone, too, as its characters try to make sense of the bonkers situation they've found themselves in through vampire pop culture.

Nintendo has announced that it will be having an Indie World Showcase tomorrow, April 17th, and it will last approximately 20 minutes. The showcase will feature new announcements and updates for games that will be launched on the Nintendo Switch in 2024. The Nintendo Indie World Showcase will start at 7am PT/ 15:00 BST/ 16:00 CEST.

NVIDIA seems to have been shipping A100 "Ampere" GPUs with higher core counts than the original spec in China as per recent retail listings.

The year is 2006. PlayStation's first handheld console, the PSP, is a few months old and you want to know what it feels like to play before you buy one. Lucky for you, the PlayStation Experience trailer is in town, and you can pop by to try out the PSP and play the latest games on it and the PS2. Fast forward 18 years and not only is the PlayStation Experience back, but it can be in any town you want it to be, whenever you want, as someone is selling it for $70,000.

As part of the Fortnite Avatar Elements crossovers, Cai the cabbage merchant's Cabbage Carts have popped up across the map — and we’ve got the locations and how to destroy them explained.

One of the biggest annual trade shows for the movie industry, CinemaCon is an event that has become more and more of a mainstay in the annual pop culture sphere. Specifically dedicated to both movies as well as the craft of physical movie theaters, there was no better stage for Crunchyroll to announce a large slate of theatrical film releases for the North American market and beyond.

Deadpool's whole thing is poking fun at pop culture, from the 2018 movie's post-credits scene where he went back in time to stop Ryan Reynolds from signing up for Green Lantern, to what looks like a jibe at the Disney/Fox merger in the Deadpool 3 trailer. 

Noodlecake and Big Green Pillow Studio just dropped Slash Quest on Android, an adventure puzzler that’s as adorable as it gets. Originally available only on Apple Arcade, it’s now available for all Android users. It’ll be relaunched on iOS in a few weeks (shedding its Apple Arcade exclusivity). Apparently, a Steam version is on the way too.

At this point, most of us have some kind of VPN installed on our home PCs. Once the sole preserve of the nerdiest and most paranoid internet users, VPNs are now entirely commonplace. 

Zenless Zone Zero is the latest free-to-play action-RPG from the makers of Genshin Impact, but unlike some of their other games, console players won’t be left waiting to get into the action, as the PC and PlayStation 5 versions of the game will launch at the same time. Despite this, HoYoverse has yet to run any tests on the PS5 (they have run a number of betas on PC).

The Rock hit pause on his acting career a few months ago so he could return to WWE. Not only the company that made him famous, but one where he is now a part of its board of directors. Quickly discovering fans didn't want Rock disrupting Cody Rhodes on the way to finishing his story, The People's Champ pivoted, siding with his cousin Roman Reigns to become a heel and labeling himself The Final Boss in the process. Now the latest version of The Rock has been turned into a Funko Pop!

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League hackers have all but confirmed that Deathstroke is going to be coming to the game in the future, as they've managed to make his icon and name pop up on the leaderboards.

Crypt of the Necrodancer just won’t die — and that’s a good thing. The nearly decade-old roguelike rhythm game received new content on Thursday, bringing virtual pop star Hatsune Miku into the fold as a playable character.

Remember at the end of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, when the clone army is headed off to battle and Yoda gravely intones, “The shroud of the Dark Side has fallen. Begun, the Clone War has”? That was the first thing that went through my head when I saw Regal Cinemas’ official post on X (née Twitter), revealing the official popcorn bucket for The Garfield Movie.

One of the best parts of Classic Hardcore was absolutely the hilarious death clips that popped up. Entire channels were able to skyrocket themselves with death compilations alone. One of the most iconic of these was Guzu's hole in one in Sunken Temple at level 52. A perfect storm permanently killing his character by threading the needle into the infamous pit of death. It looks like the Season of Discovery team were watching the same clips we were, and a new NPC, the Unfortunate Adventurer has shown up in our datamining. Looks fairly familiar, doesn't he? While we don't know for sure where this NPC will pop up, I'd say it's a fairly safe bet to assume you can find him in the Sunken Temple raid.

Last year, Sega revealed a newfound commitment to its wide catalog of franchises. In December, it announced that several series would get the revival treatment, including long-dormant franchises like Crazy Taxi. We’d even get a tease at that IP comeback with three new Samba de Amigo games, which were released across Nintendo Switch, VR, and mobile.

The Cabin in the Woods director and The Martian writer Drew Goddard is set to helm a new installment in The Matrix franchise.

In order to make the best viral video possible in Content Warning, you need the proper equipment. Once you and your crew of friends go down into the Old World, all manner of spooky monsters and events will start popping off, but you only have so much air and battery life to get the best shots. Each video you post to SpookTube earns you cash to invest in better items to catch even scarier stuff on tape next time, but not all the items are very clear in how they will help you rack up the views. These items can get quite pricy, so save up that ad revenue and check out what all the items are in Content Warning before quitting your job to be a full-time SpookTuber.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth players who picked up the game digitally and are currently working towards unlocking the game's Platinum Trophy might want to rein in their chocobos, as the game's most recent patch introduced an issue preventing it from popping.

Blizzard has updated the PTR patch notes to include a new visual accessibility option coming to Diablo 4. This new option will change the contrast of character highlights to make them pop out more and differentiate them from the environment. Diablo 4 PTR Patch 1.4.0 Patch Notes How to Play Diablo 4 on Game Pass

A lot was going on in the Stardew Valley community over April Fool's Day, and it all comes back to drinking mayonnaise... again. 

Pokemon has a deal with Mattel that means you can't build the likes of Pikachu and Charizard out of Lego, at least not officially. That's because you can build them out of Mega, Lego's toy brick rival. Several Pokemon and iconic locations from the games and the anime have been turned into Mega sets, and the next one coming to Pokemon's Mega collections might be its most elaborate to date. An Eevee made up of almost 1,400 pieces that actually moves.

Mere hours after liberating Malevelon Creek, Helldivers 2 players have a new threat to contend with: mysterious cloaked ships.

This week, it’s all about cars and Lucy Liu in VR. Devindra chats with Senior Writer Sam Rutherford about his visit to the New York International Auto Show, where he saw the Polestar 4, a unique new EV without a rear window. Also, Cherlynn pops in to chat with Lucy Liu about her new VR game, The Pirate Queen. We also explore the issues around Florida’s bill banning young kids from social media sites, and Sam tells us why he likes Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender adaptation.

It looks like Minecraft could finally be getting a native PS5 release, as several files have been spotted on the PlayStation Store's backend that indicate a current-gen version is coming soon.

At long last, Baldur's Gate 3's physical PC Deluxe Edition has begun making its way into fans' hands, and for anyone who loves filling their shelves with games, this one is an absolute beauty. Especially if you're someone who already owns boxed editions of other classic Dungeons & Dragons RPGs.

It's time to wake up late, brew some coffee, and sit down to solve the Sunday . The weekend is ending and today's game has brought some solid brain-burner categories. Luckily, we've already scored our win for the day and can now help out others who may be struggling.

X-Men '97 debuted on Disney Plus this week, reviving the iconic animated show after more than two decades and having watched the first two episodes, I can confirm it's off to a great start. The relaunch of its animated show isn't the only thing X-Men has to celebrate this week, though. It has also been 50 years since the introduction of Wolverine, the most famous member of the X-Men, and to celebrate, four new Funko Pops modeled after the anti-hero's various looks are now available on Amazon.

Simon the Sorcerer Origins is bringing the classically sarcastic wizarding hero back to video games for the first time in decades, and the Future Games Show can reveal that he's not the only one making a glorious return, as none other than 80s pop sensation (and ultimate internet meme) Rick Astley will be making a guest appearance in the game's soundtrack.

An upcoming cozy Lord of the Rings game has shared a first look at its artwork after being announced in September, and there's "more to come soon."

The blooming days are back. Yes, Sky: Children of the Light is rolling out their Days of Bloom 2024 event once again. From March 25 to April 14, get ready to see the lands of Sky burst into life with the return of spring. Keep reading to get the full scoop!

Ever wanted to play a trio of PS1 games in native 4K at an unrelenting 120 frames-per-second? Well, now you can. A new update for the likeable Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered collection fixes a bunch of graphical and bug issues across all three titles – and quietly bundles in 120fps support on Sony’s new-gen console. You’ll obviously need a compatible television to take advantage of the rapid refresh rate, but if you’ve already got a top-of-the-range screen, you should be good to go.

Action figures come in varying descriptions and levels of quality, and some of the highest-quality action figures you can get are part of the Figma line. Made by the Good Smile Company, several video game characters have been given the Figma treatment, and now Link's look from Tears of the Kingdom is joining them. This is more than just a toy that will stand on your shelf with the rest of your figures, though. Figma Link's DX Edition comes with so many accessories, it can do almost as much as the Link in Tears of the Kingdom.

It took more than usual to really make a mark in the video game world in 2023 due to the sheer volume of huge titles released. If you wanted to stand out among the Tears of the Kingdoms and Baldur's Gate 3s, you needed to be something pretty special, and of course, Spider-Man 2 was that. A sequel to the PS4's best-selling game, some of its leading heroes and villains have now been turned into Funko Pops.

2024 is a big year for Sonic. Actually, it's a big year for Sonic's friends, and it's been a long time coming. While Sonic's name might be the one up in lights for Sonic 3 and the Generations remaster, it's Knuckles and Shadow who are the supporting characters hogging most of the spotlight. Knuckles in particular right now as his spinoff show comes to Paramount next month, hence the world's most famous echidna finally getting a new Funko Pop!

Nintendo potentially brought the curtain down on its amiibo era last month by releasing its Sora amiibo. The addition of the Kingdom Hearts hero to its Smash Ultimate collection means every fighter in the game now has their own amiibo. For figures released alongside a new game, you have to go back even further. Zelda and Ganondorf's Tears of the Kingdom amiibo were released last year, and after selling out fast wherever they pop up, the figures are back in stock at Best Buy.

If you’re a fan of Candy Crush Saga or other similar match-3 puzzle games, then I have a new one for you to try. N-Path Games has just dropped their latest match-3 puzzler, Queen Link on Android devices. It’s free to play and comes with in-game purchases like Queen’s Treasures.

The latest Fortnite character survey hints at crossovers with One Piece, Grand Theft Auto, Yakuza, Taylor Swift, and, strangely of all, Disney's long-abandoned Club Penguin.

When Paul Atreides moved from his home planet of Caladan to Arrakis, his life changed in countless ways. His dad died, he met a girl, and he… maybe became a dark messiah who will be responsible for the deaths of 61 billion people. But the most immediate change for Paul was that he moved from a gorgeous planet with oceans and cliffs to Dune, which is just a giant desert. That sucks.

Everyone loves building gigantic castles and mountain-side lairs in Minecraft. These give you a cozy place to rest between adventures — and if you're a seasoned builder, you'll want to upgrade your home by personalizing it with decorations. Few decorations are as timeless as flowers, which have been available in Minecraft for years and add a nice pop of color to your foreboding fortress or countryside cabin.

Funko Pops are all well and good, but sometimes, every now and again, you really just want someone to turn your favorite video game characters into collectible rubber ducks. If you don't, then you really should, and you will after you learn about Tubbz. Tubbz are duck versions of video game characters from throughout history, and Like A Dragon's Goro Majima is one of the latest characters to receive the Tubbz treatment.

The Helldivers 2 devs have a pretty simple process for designing new Stratagems: they just make a new one whenever they get bored of the old selection. That's perhaps oversimplifying the process a bit, but Arrowhead Studios CEO and creative director Johan Pilestedt says it's all about having a fun idea and iterating on it until it makes sense in the game.

Helldivers 2 has exploded onto the gaming scene in a massive way. This co-operative third-person shooter packed with danger, action, humor, and surprises has already become one of this year’s most talked-about games. What some people may be less familiar with though is its progenitor. The original Helldivers, which debuted in 2015 (and is still active) is a co-op, multiplayer overhead twin-stick shooter packed with action, intensity, and plenty of challenging situations that a player might find themselves in.

Production artwork for the Super Mario Bros. Movie shows a number Mushroom Kingdom characters who didn't make it into the final film — including Princess Daisy, Toadette, Eurogamer favourite Birdo, and the loyal Toadsworth.

Bungie’s latest Destiny 2 pop culture crossover is nearly here. But this time it isn’t skins or armor sets from another video game, it’s items from an upcoming movie — Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, to be precise.

The year kicked off with a bang, with the eagerly anticipated Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the ninth mainline entry in developer RGG Studios' long-running crime melodrama, released in January. We loved it, and it was so crammed full of content that it always felt like there was something new to do or see. The game's chief producer, Hiroyuki Sakamoto, agrees, reflecting on the game now that things have settled down a little.

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Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama has passed away. On Thursday, March 7, a statement published on the official Dragon Ball website announced that Toriyama had passed on March 1 due to an acute subdural hematoma. He was 68 years old.

While Lego has plenty of products featuring the various iterations of Batman, its latest set based onBatman: The Animated Series might be their best yet. The massive 4,210-piece set will set you back $299.99 when it becomes widely available on April 4. However, members of the free-to-join Lego Insiders program will be able to purchase the set early, starting April 1.

In the world of toys and collectibles, whether a video game, movie, or TV series has truly made it can be determined by how many Lego sets and Funko Pops it has. The more time passes, the more Squishmallows can be thrown into that melting pot along with them. Pokemon has Squishmallows, Marvel has Squishmallows, and to mark Squishmallows Day 2024, Jazwares has announced Stranger Things will be joining its Squishmallows family too.

The world has been gripped by Dune after Part 2 hit cinemas last week, chalking up almost $100 million during its opening weekend. If you have already seen Dune: Part 2, and you're anything like me, you'd have spent the last few days chuckling at memes about giant worms and poking fun at Stilgar's obsession with Paul Atreides being Lisan al Gaib. Now you can take those memes a step further by owning both those characters, and four more from Dune: Part 2, in Funko Pop! form.

El Paso, Elsewhere developer Strange Scaffold has announced a five-game deal with publisher Frosty Pop. As part of the announcement, they’ve revealed a trailer for their next game, Life Eater, which is out on April 16, 2024.

PowerWash Simulator is a chill-out game that captures the simple joy of scrubbing dirt and grime from the side of a house, statue, or playground. But what if you’re bored by the humble scene of a garage door or muddy truck? What if you yearn to gain the same satisfaction as a miniature painter gets from airbrushing an elaborate figurine? PowerWash Simulator occasionally does pop culture crossovers to introduce a little bit of variety — like SpongeBob SquarePantsand Final Fantasy 7 Remake— but none of them are as grim and dark as the Warhammer 40,000 pack.

Connections is the latest puzzle game from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends.

A brand new is here and with it comes some great new word groupings, including one we still aren't one-hundred percent sure we understand. The best thing about Connection though is that you don't need to figure out all four categories, you really only need three and it's a win with the leftover words.

MultiVersus has popped back up in the "Free Games" section of the Epic Games Store, which supports the rumours and fan theories that it could be re-revealed at some point this month.

MultiVersus fans are hopeful that we'll finally see the game re-revealed this month, and there's a surprising amount of evidence supporting that idea.

There’s a lot to take in during the opening hours of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Not only do you have an entire cast of characters to play as right away, but a fast hub world to explore. One thing you’ll get very familiar with right away is collecting resources for crafting items. These things are littered all over the world, begging to be collected. However, there are rare parts out there, such as the Quetzalcoatl Talon, that you can only get from one specific source. If you’re trying to finish the “Where the Wind Blows” side quest specifically, you’ll need this fiend’s claw to complete it, so let’s hunt it down.

Like Dune before it, Dune: Part Two is a feast for the eyes. But even in a movie full of tantalizing visuals, there’s one scene that stands apart: the starkly glowing Harkonnen arena.

Do you love playing Kingdom Rush? Well, then you’ll be happy to know that Ironhide Game Studio is busy making the next sequel of the series. They’re bringing out Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance, which is the fifth instalment in their much-loved tower defense series. It’s slated for release on Android, iOS and PC later this year.