Nintendo’s manic minigame compilation Rhythm Heaven Megamix is out now in the 3DS eShop in North America following its debut appearance at the Electronic Entertainment Expo this week.
Nintendo’s latest digital release collects dozens of minigames featured throughout the Rhythm Heaven series over the past decade, upgrading many fan-favorite levels with enhanced graphics and remixed music.
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The fourth entry in Nintendo’s Rhythm Heaven series, Megamix includes more than 70 minigames that each feature unique music-driven gameplay mechanics. Many levels require players to tap a button in time to a backing music track, with oddball characters dictating changes in rhythm and timing throughout.
The series found its origins on the Game Boy Advance in 2006 with the Japan-only launch of the first entry in the series, Rhythm Tengoku. Localized versions of Rhythm Tengoku never surfaced in North America or Europe, and many stateside fans will see its minigames for the first time in Rhythm Heaven Megamix.
In addition to a collection of remixed tracks from Rhythm Tengoku, Rhythm Heaven Megamix also features levels and music from 2009’s Rhythm Heaven for the Nintendo DS and 2012’s Wii release Rhythm Heaven Fever. It also includes a selection of all-new minigames not seen in previous series releases.
Rhythm Heaven Megamix has a lot to offer for longtime series fans. Dozens of additional music tracks, levels, and memorabilia items are unlockable via an in-game shop. The game also features a dual-audio option, letting you hear the original Japanese versions of its included music tracks in addition to English-language remixes. Other new features include StreetPass functionality and a collection of multiplayer minigames that can be shared with others through 3DS Download Play.
Rhythm Heaven Megamix is available exclusively via Nintendo’s eShop in North America. A free demo version is also up for grabs. A European version will launch digitally and at retail on October 26.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.