Kalakshar US

It’s been about a decade since Nintendo released a new game in the Donkey Kong Country series — and while there isn’t a new one coming any time soon, there is a port of one you may have missed on its way. Donkey Kong Country Returns, originally released for the Wii in 2010, is hitting the Switch on January 15, 2025. It was a fine game for its time, and I’m hopeful it’ll hold up well some 15 years later. At the very least, the controls should be simpler, as Nintendo won’t be forcing motion controls into the mix with this remaster as they did with the Wii original.

This game joins Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze as the other modern-ish interpretation of the franchise. Tropical Freeze was first released for the Wii U in 2014 — but since no one owned that poor console, its arrival on the Switch in 2018 meant that a much larger audience got to give the game a shot. That’s not exactly the case with Donkey Kong Country Returns, which sold well for the original Wii. Still, Donkey Kong Country fans are starved for a new game, so this will have to do for now. I’m sure it’s been years since many people have checked it out, so hopefully it’ll feel somewhat fresh.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/donkey-kong-country-returns-originally-released-for-the-wii-in-2010-is-coming-to-the-switch-153629092.html?src=rss 

Amazon workers have taken another step towards fighting for worker protections. The Amazon Labor Union (ALU) is teaming up with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), a century-plus-old labor union active in the United States and Canada. The duo announced the partnership in a joint statement on X (formerly Twitter) following a vote that saw 98.3 percent of ALU members in favor of it.

“Together, with hard work, courage, and conviction, the Teamsters and ALU will fight fearlessly to ensure Amazon workers secure the good jobs and safe working conditions they deserve in a union contract,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement. ALU-IBT Local 1 will represent about 5,500 JFK8 Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island but will “have jurisdiction” for warehouse workers throughout New York City.

Staten Island served as a point of pride when, in April 2022, the ALU secured enough votes to make JFK8 Amazon’s first unionized warehouse in the US — one year after the ALU formed. However, Amazon tried overturning the vote, alleging “inappropriate and undue influence” from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The conflict has since escalated, with the NLRB accusing Amazon of discriminating against the unionized workers in Staten Island and Amazon claiming in a legal filing earlier this year that the NLRB is “unconstitutional.”

As the fight continues, ALU President Chris Smalls states that “having the support of 1.3 million Teamsters to take on Amazon gives us tremendous worker power and the opportunities to demand better conditions for our members and, most importantly, to secure a contract at JFK8.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-labor-union-partners-with-international-brotherhood-of-teamsters-in-new-york-140026309.html?src=rss 

Sony released the Playstation Portal late last year as a way to remotely play titles from your PlayStation 5. The device — which we frankly called “a baffling handheld for no one but Sony diehards” — relies entirely on a solid Wi-Fi connection. Well, as we all know, even in the year 2024, that can be challenging to find and annoying to connect to. Sony is attempting to streamline this process with a software update that should allow you to connect to Wi-Fi from a phone or tablet. 

Starting June 19, you should see a QR code come up on the PlayStation Portal after attempting to connect to a public Wi-Fi network, such as when it requires more than a password (like a sign-in screen). You can scan that on your device and use it to connect more easily. However, Sony is careful to state that it will work for “a range” of public Wi-Fi networks and that the device requires at least 5Mbps to work, but ideally at least 15Mbps. 

This feature comes alongside an update to the PlayStation Portal’s touchpad which provides new visual feedback. Plus, you can now display the device’s battery percentage at the top right corner of your screen. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/playstation-portal-update-aims-to-make-connecting-to-public-wi-fi-easier-141304117.html?src=rss 

Nintendo kicked off its latest Direct showcase with quite a surprise. The company has revived the Mario and Luigi RPG series with the first new entry in nearly nine years. The upcoming title is called Mario and Luigi: Brothership, and that title just about melted my darn heart when I saw it pop up. 

The reveal trailer shows Mario Mario and Luigi Mario working together to explore islands, overcome obstacles and stomp out enemies. They’ll be able to use “evolved bros moves” to take out bad guys and as in previous entries, it seems like you’ll control both brothers simultaneously. It all looks extremely adorable. Mario and Luigi: Brothership is coming to Nintendo Switch on November 7.

The last entirely new entry in the series came in 2015 with Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam on the 3DS, a game that also drew inspiration from Paper Mario. Mario and Luigi: Brothership is the first game in the series made for the Switch, though Superstar Saga is available via Switch Online + Expansion Pack. It’s not clear which studio is developing the latest game — Nintendo has been keeping strangely quiet about such details of its first-party games recently — but original studio AlphaDream shut down in 2019.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mario-and-luigi-brothership-is-coming-to-nintendo-switch-this-november-142509633.html?src=rss 

Did you think Nintendo would simply only release remakes and second-tier games until the Switch’s successor finally comes along? Guess again. During Tuesday’s Nintendo Direct stream, the company revealed a brand-new Legend of Zelda game. Nintendo is making many fans’ long-held dreams come true, as you’ll get to play as Zelda herself.

Developing…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-legend-of-zelda-echoes-of-wisdom-will-finally-let-you-play-as-zelda-herself-143612318.html?src=rss 

At MWC earlier this year, Google announced Gemini’s integration with Messages, giving you a way to access the chatbot from within the texting app. The feature was limited to newer Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones at launch, but now Google has updated its Help page to say that all you need to access it is an “Android device with 6GB of RAM or higher.” 9to5Google first reported the change, along with the news that the feature is launching in India. 

At the moment, Google Messages only supports Gemini in the English language in 164 countries where it’s available. The only exception is Canada, where it also supports French. (If you’re curious, the feature hasn’t made its way to France just yet.) Google says it’s “working hard” to make it available in more languages and more territories in the future. But for now, your phone has to be set to English — or French, if you’re in Canada — if you want to be able to get Gemini to draft messages, plan events or even just chat with you to pass time. 

Take note that you also have to be 18 or over and be using Google Messages with an account you manage on your own to be able to access the feature. You’ll also need to make sure your RCS chats is switched on. To access Gemini, simply open the Messages app and start a new conversation to see the option to talk with the chatbot. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gemini-in-google-messages-now-works-on-any-android-phone-130034890.html?src=rss