Hello, fam. In these unprecedented times, I have noticed an (appropriately) also-unprecedented uptick in my own video game consumption. This week marks what I thought was an impossible milestone: I have hit 400 hours of gameplay in Animal Crossing. I never could have imagined I would spend that many hours playing any video game, but here we are. Whenever I do look up from my Switch, however, I try to keep abreast of current events, especially about what’s new in video games. So here I am again, ready to share some of the tidbits I’ve gleaned this week. Welcome to GYGO.
Paper Mario: The Origami King Announced Unexpectedly, to Mario Fans’ Delight
This week, Nintendo announced that it has been working on a secret project: a new sequel in the extremely popular Paper Mario series of games. Origami King will launch on July 17 for Nintendo Switch, and I, for one, will be waiting with bated breath. For now, all I ask is that you check out the inexplicably creepy and undeniably awesome announcement trailer:
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 Are Getting Remastered
I don’t know about you, but I grew up playing the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games. I absolutely loved almost everything about them, from the incredible soundtrack (I felt like such a punk) to the glitchy graphics and cheat codes. I started with games 3 and 4, but I later went back and played 1 and 2, which were (predictably) much, much clunkier. So I am just thrilled that Activision announced this week that it’s remastering the first two games, which are set to come out as a package in September of this year. Again, bated breath.
Gen Con Officially Canceled Due to COVID-19
After drawing out their decision, organizers of Gen Con have finally announced that Gen Con 2020 is canceled. The convention was to take place from July 30 through August 2 in Indianapolis, Indiana, but in lieu of an in-person event, Gen Con will instead be hosting a virtual event, which is set to take place during the same timeframe. Europe’s largest board gaming convention, Essen Spiel, has also been canceled.
Nintendo of America Files Lawsuit Against Switch Hackers
On Friday, Nintendo of America filed two lawsuits against Nintendo Switch hack resellers that sell software to play pirated video games. According to the report by Polygon, the lawsuits were filed against Tom Dilts Jr., the alleged operator of the website UberChips, and a group of anonymous defendants who reportedly sell products from a group of anonymous hackers called “Team Xecuter.” Nintendo claims that products sold by these defendants allow users to get around Nintendo’s “technological protection measures” designed to protect its products from “unauthorized access and copying.” Once those measures are disabled, players can download the unauthorized operating system and play pirated video games, lawyers said. In 2018, Nintendo filed a similar lawsuit against a Team Xecutor hack reseller, and in January, it won an injunction against the defendant of that case, Sergio Mojarro Moreno, who was ordered to stop reselling the hacks.
Speaking of Hackers, ACNH Hackers are Selling Impossible Star Fragment Trees
On the lighter (and more legal) side of hacking, Animal Crossing: New Horizons modders are selling star fragment trees, which are not usually possible to obtain. For those who don’t know, in Animal Crossing you can sprout trees by burying certain items in holes: apples sprout apple trees, cherries sprout cherry trees, et cetera. One of the special trees you can grow is a “money tree,” which you get by burying a bag of Bells in a hole dug at a glowing spot on the ground. Theoretically, burying star fragments could produce a star fragment tree, but… that’s just not how it works. Normally. But these modders have bloomed and begun selling a beautiful impossibility: trees covered in these twinkling celestial lights. But once you shake them, they (like money trees) won’t regrow the star fragments over time. People are reportedly purchasing these trees through black market Discords and giveaway posts on social media (which are often just scams) using Bells, Nook Miles Tickets, and even real-world money.
In Other News…
- Exploring grief in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Pokemon Go players to vote on Community Day Pokemon
Emily Durham is a freelance writer by day and a Sidequest copyeditor by… also day. When they’re not editing or playing with cats, you can find them playing Celeste or Hollow Knight, sewing korok cosplays, or… playing with cats. You can find their tweets at @sedimentalvalue.
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