Netflix has announced a new SpongeBob SquarePants movie titled “Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie,” featuring the beloved character alongside SpongeBob on a journey to Texas to save their town from a villainous plot. The official synopsis reveals that when Bikini Bottom and its inhabitants are suddenly removed from the ocean, Sandy Cheeks and SpongeBob SquarePants must team up to save the day. Liza Johnson, who directed “The Left Behind” episode of “The Last of Us” on HBO and two episodes of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” on Netflix, is set to direct the film. The story was written by Kaz, who worked on the SpongeBob series, and the film is executive produced by Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller. Carolyn Lawrence, who plays Sandy in the series, returns to reprise her role, along with Tom Kenny as SpongeBob. The film also features an all-star cast of voice actors, including Wanda Sykes, Clancy Brown, Bill Fagerbakke, Mr. Lawrence, Rodger Bumpass, Johnny Knoxville, Craig Robinson, Grey DeLisle, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, and Matty Cardarople. A teaser image released by Netflix shows Sandy and SpongeBob riding clams through the ocean.
On Tuesday, Netflix declared that their forthcoming Ultraman CG animated feature film, created in collaboration with Tsuburaya Productions, is scheduled to be released in 2024. The movie marks the feature directorial debut of Shannon Tindle, the animator of Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, with co-director John Aoshima. Tsuburaya Productions and Industrial Light and Magic are credited as the production companies. The film’s screenplay is co-written by Tindle and Marc Haimes, with Tom Knott as producer and Lisa Poole as co-producer.
The team is planning to cast “a mix of Japanese and western stars, coupled with a large number of below-the-line talent from Japan.” The film follows the story of Ken Sato, a baseball superstar who returns to his homeland, Japan, to become the Earth-defending superhero Ultraman. However, things get more complicated when he discovers he must raise the offspring of his greatest foe, a newborn Kaiju. Struggling to balance his roles as a teammate and a new father, Ken must confront his ego, his estranged father, and the conniving Kaiju Defense Force to rise up and discover what it truly means to be Ultraman.
In April 2019, Netflix launched an Ultraman CG anime based on Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi’s Ultraman manga, with Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki directing the anime at Production I.G. The anime’s last season, Ultraman Final, will be available globally on Netflix starting May 11. Studio Khara’s Shin Ultraman movie debuted in Japan in May 2022 and achieved the top spot in its first weekend, earning a combined total of $601,490 in its U.S. screenings on January 11 and 12. The film was also shown in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada on January 11-12.
Disney Speedstorm, a new kart racing game from Gameloft, was launched last week via paid early access. The game features a wide array of Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse, Belle, Jack Sparrow, and Goofy, among others, and offers exciting racing action that feels responsive and fast. The game offers power-ups that let you damage your opponents, increase your speed, or defend yourself from attack, just like in Mario Kart.
One of the game’s unique features is that racers are grouped into various roles, each offering different bonuses and advantages. For instance, Mickey is a speedster, a role focused on going fast, while other roles focus on damaging opponents or being a mobile tank.
However, the game has some shortcomings that might put off non-Disney adults. For one, it only has about nine courses, some of which recycle bits from other tracks or just flip the direction you take. While the developers plan to add more tracks and racers each season, it’s a bummer that it launched with such a small list of courses. Additionally, the game has a free-to-play grind that might feel overwhelming for some players who want to unlock everything, complete every challenge, and finish the season pass.
Although the awesome kart racing is likely to appeal to Disney fans, the lack of tracks and the endless grind may deter non-Disney adults. Nonetheless, after Gameloft adds more content, the game might become more appealing to a wider audience.
The LEGOLAND Discovery Center Bay Area in San Francisco, California, is home to the world’s largest LEGO rollercoaster, built with an incredible 30,000 LEGO pieces. The coaster stands an impressive 9 feet tall, making it a remarkable feat of engineering and design. The coaster’s awe-inspiring structure is a testament to the creativity and skill of its builders. With its intricate details and impressive height, the LEGO rollercoaster is a must-see for anyone who loves LEGO and roller coasters. Whether you’re a LEGO enthusiast, a roller coaster fanatic, or just looking for a fun and exciting way to spend an afternoon, the world’s largest LEGO rollercoaster is sure to impress. So head to the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Bay Area and experience the thrill of the biggest LEGO rollercoaster ever built!
If you’re searching for challenging puzzle games to exercise your brain, then look no further than the Steam Puzzle Fest, where dozens of mentally stimulating games are available at discounted prices until May 1 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Puzzle games are an excellent way to improve cognitive skills and provide a great source of escapist entertainment.
Among the standout titles on offer, Tetris Effect: Connected is available for just $20 and is considered by many to be the best version of Tetris. With a classic design, stunning visuals, and an immersive soundtrack, this game offers pure synesthesia delight. Portal 2, on the other hand, is a timeless puzzle game that features robots, lateral thinking, and non-existent cake, and is currently on sale for just $1.
If you’re looking for a more colorful challenge, consider Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, Sega’s quirky fusion of Tetris and Puyo Puyo, which is available for just $7.50. For a more sinister puzzle experience, Catherine: Classic is available for only $5 and mixes bizarre puzzle-platform action, anime, and the dangers of adultery. The Witness, which is currently on sale for $8, is a haunting tale of solitude that will challenge and surprise you with clever line puzzles.
Machinarium, with its enchanting art and conundrums that’ll make you feel like a genius when you solve them, is another great game to consider. It’s currently available for just $4, a steep discount from its regular price of $15.
Steam’s Puzzle Fest also offers many other great deals, including Superliminal, The Talos Principle, and The Room, among others. Check out the full catalog to find the perfect puzzle game for you. Additionally, if you’re a mystery fan, don’t miss the $6 bundle of 11 games on offer. And for more action-packed games, check out the current crop of specials on the Xbox Store.
Can your rewrite this headline using SEO keywords: World’s Largest LEGO Rollercoaster is 9 Feet Tall and Made from 30,000 Pieces!
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is an upcoming video game based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic character, set to release on May 25th for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. The game promises impressive visual features, including Nvidia’s ray-tracing technology, which enhances the gaming experience with atmospheric lighting, reflections, and shadows. However, the demanding GPU requirements mean that you’ll need a newer Nvidia 40-series GPU to render the game in 4K with ray tracing on. Even at the minimum requirement of 1080p and 30fps using low to medium settings, you’ll need at least a GeForce GTX 1060 or RTX 2060 GPU, along with an Intel i5-4660 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 and 6GB RAM.
To experience the game at 1440p with a high preset and 60fps, you’ll need an RTX 3070 GPU (with DLSS Quality Setting), Intel i7-4770 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600, and 8GB RAM. And if you want to push it to the limit and play at 2160p with an epic preset and 60fps, you’ll need an RTX 4080 GPU (with DLSS Performance Setting), Intel i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600, and 16GB RAM.
The game’s latest trailer showcases Gollum’s journey across Middle-earth, highlighting the impressive visual features, including ray tracing and DLSS upscaling technology that enables gamers with GeForce RTX hardware to experience the highest possible frame rates. While the sizzle reel promises good-looking atmospheric lighting and reflections, unfortunately, Gollum himself looks even greasier than before. But, the rest of the game looks easier on the eyes than Gollum’s filthy frame, as Nacon delayed the game after the 2022 gameplay trailer faced criticism over its graphical performance.
If you’re planning to buy The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, keep in mind that it has fairly small storage capacity requirements compared to other games like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Preorders are now live, and if you want the version of the game that includes authentic Elvish language, you’ll need to pay extra to knock down that paywall. With its impressive visual features and fresh retelling of the iconic character, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum promises to be a fantastic adventure for Tolkien fans and gamers alike.
Recently, a rare Pikachu Pokémon card was sold for an astonishing price of $300,000 at a multi-national auction held by Heritage Auctions. The card in question is a 1997 Trophy Pikachu, which was issued to the third-place winner during the first-ever tournament of the Pokémon Trading Card Game in Japan. The card is considered to be extremely rare, as only a handful of them were ever printed, and according to the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), less than 100 of these cards exist today.
What makes this particular Pikachu card even more valuable is its near-perfect condition. The PSA graded the Trophy Pikachu card an NM-MT 8, which means it is in almost pristine condition. The rarity and condition of the card have made it highly sought after by collectors, and it sold for an unexpected price that exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Pokémon cards are collectible and playable cards that are part of the Pokémon TCG. While most cards are just printed art on cardstock, some limited-edition cards can fetch high prices, as evidenced by the recent sale of a Grusha and Iono double-set pack that caused Japan to run out of stock. However, the Trophy Pikachu card sold at Heritage Auctions is considered an “extraordinarily rare” card that only a few lucky trainers who placed high in the tournament in Japan could get their hands on.
According to Heritage Auctions’ trading card games consignment director Jesus Garcia, the card is now the centerpiece of the winning bidder’s collection. The card was not available in booster boxes and was only given to trainers who finished in third place at the tournament. For those interested in buying the card, the current owner is accepting offers starting at $450,000, although the owner’s willingness to entertain offers has not yet been verified.
In summary, while $300,000 is a substantial amount of money that could buy several luxury items, for a lucky collector, it was the price they were willing to pay for a rare and valuable piece of Pokémon history.
The Veiled Collection Event in Apex Legends is a new premium cosmetic event that includes 24 epic and legendary-tier cosmetics with a unique steampunk-meets-masquerade-ball theme. These Veiled Collection Event cosmetics can be obtained by players through in-game purchases or completing event challenges to earn free rewards. Players who collect all 24 cosmetics will unlock Caustic’s new Apex Contagion Prestige Skin, as well as an exclusive, acid-spewing finishing move.
Aside from the 24 premium cosmetics, the Veiled Collection Event also features new store bundles that allow players to unlock previously released skins and Veiled Collection skins with extra loot included. For players who prefer not to spend money, the event’s free reward track offers plenty of content, including Apex Packs, Legend skins, and other rewards that can be unlocked by completing event challenges.
The event’s epic-tier items, priced at 1,000 Apex Coins or 800 Crafting Metals, include Deco Droid Pathfinder legend skin, First Class Valkyrie legend skin, Unseen Void Wraith legend skin, Haute Disguise Loba legend skin, Smell The Roses Seer banner frame, Palace Of Prosperity Rampart banner frame, Secret Soiree Gibraltar banner frame, The Silva Study Octane legend frame, I’ll Lead Loba emote, Scorpion Sting Rampart emote, Tropical Tune Gibraltar emote, and Maraca Madness Octane emote.
On the other hand, the event’s legendary-tier items, priced at 1,800 Apex Coins or 2,400 Crafting Metals, include Solar Static Wattson legend skin, Soiree Away Rampart legend skin, Court Executioner Gibraltar legend skin, Fiendish Filigree Octane legend skin, Solar Flare R-99 weapon skin, Belle Of The Ball Spitfire weapon skin, Platinum Aegis Sentinel weapon skin, Devilish Artistry CAR SMG weapon skin, Slice And Dice Ash emote, Telekinetic Energy Wattson emote, Out Of The Park Octane emote, and Eau De Nox Caustic Emote.
To unlock Caustic’s new Apex Contagion Prestige Skin, players need to collect all 24 epic- and legendary-tier cosmetics. Players can also earn free rewards by completing event challenges and racking up Event Points. These rewards include Veiled banner badge (Epic), 25 Crafting Metals, 10 Battle Pass Stars, 3 Battle Pass Stars, 1 Apex Pack (Rare), A Match Made In Heaven universal holospray (Epic), Court Jester weapon charm (Epic), Onyx Hammer Mozambique weapon skin (Epic), and Griffin Guard Newcastle skin (Epic).
The Veiled Collection Event ends on Tuesday, May 9 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Apex Legends is a free-to-play game available on consoles and PC. The game’s mobile version, Apex Legends Mobile, can be played on Android and iOS devices, but it will be sunset on May 1.
In Diablo IV, respeccing will be easy and cost-effective up to a certain point, according to Adam Jackson, the game’s lead class designer. Respeccing, which is the process of redoing your character build without having to start over the game, will be balanced between Diablo II’s strict system and Diablo III’s flexibility. In Diablo IV’s early stages, players will likely rely on the loot they come across to shape their character, hence the lenient respec system. However, once players reach a higher level, they will be required to commit to a particular vision and will intentionally seek out specific loot and make deliberate decisions based on an end-game leveling system that relies on Paragon points and legendary skill modifications.
In an interview, Jackson emphasized that Diablo IV emphasizes intentional choices and a commitment to fulfilling a specific fantasy, which comes at the cost of freeform respeccing. According to him, allowing players to change their minds at any moment undermines the attachment they have to their character and their fantasy. Diablo IV’s respec system will be somewhere in between the anything-goes respeccing of Diablo III and the rigid “choose once, no takebacks” approach of Diablo II. If players are dissatisfied with the game’s respec and character building options, Jackson stated that they could be revisited in the future based on player feedback.
Funko, the company behind the popular Funko Pop figurines, has announced an upcoming video game called Funko Fusion that will feature characters from various Universal-owned intellectual properties. This colorful, third-person action game is being developed by 10:10 Games, a new studio founded by former members of TT Games, the team responsible for popular Lego video games like Lego Star Wars. The game is expected to be released in 2024 for PC and consoles.
Funko Pop figurines have been a popular collector’s item over the last decade, with the company securing deals with major IP holders to create figures based on various movies, TV shows, comics, and video games. The upcoming Funko Fusion video game will mix together characters from these different properties, creating a pop-culture mishmash that is sure to excite fans.
The new trailer for Funko Fusion shows a strange mix of characters and themes, including a gory scene from The Thing and Back to the Future characters having family-friendly fun. While the mishmash of IP may not make sense thematically, it does provide a fun and unique gameplay experience.
Arthur Parsons, the game’s design director, expressed his excitement in a press release about the team’s ability to showcase what they have been working on. He also mentioned how the studio was “entrusted” by Universal to harness their various properties and present them through a “Funko lens.”
Funko Fusion is the first game from 10:10 Games, and it seems to be following in the footsteps of the popular Lego games with its colorful and action-packed gameplay. The release date for the game is not yet set, but it is expected to be released in 2024. Funko Fusion will be available on PC, and there is no confirmation yet if it will be available on consoles. Fans of Funko Pop and Universal-owned intellectual properties are sure to be excited about this upcoming video game.
