Despite closely adapting many aspects of an originalStephen Kingnovel, a new sci-fi show based on the author’s book surprisingly deletes a terrifying villain’s role. Book changes are sometimes necessary for television shows because not all story beats from novels translate well to the screen. Owing to this, when TV shows and movies based onStephen King’s bookstake creative liberties, even the author often agrees that they were necessary. SomeStephen King adaptations, like11....

It’s hard to imaginePokémonwithout its cute and cuddly mascot, Pikachu. Pikachu is easily one of the most iconic Pokémon, and it has become as synonymous with the brand as Poké Balls. Given what we know about Pikachu now, it’s a little surprising to learn that everyone’s favorite electric mouse almost got a major redesign when coming to the States. Not only would Pikachu have been less adorable, the new design would likely have done major harm to the marketability of the franchise....

Open world delivery gameMika and the Witch’s Mountainhas absolutely demolished itsKickstarterfunding goal, exceeding it by over 1,000% and earning roughly $1.38 million. While bigKickstartergaming projects were more common a few years back, there are still plenty of success stories on the fundraising platform. Kickstarter has been used to fund all kinds of gaming projects over the years, with varying degrees of success. Sometimes Kickstarter-funded projects end up like thedisappointingMighty No. 9, but other times they earn a great deal of praise at launch, likeBloodstained: Ritual of the Night, for example....

But not Ultimax… Fans of Arc System Works’Persona 4 Arenanow have a reason to ditch their Xbox 360’s. The game is finally backward compatible on the Xbox One, along with a bunch of random games that have nothing to do with fighting. For some odd reason, this update does not includePersona 4 Arena Ultimax, but that can’t be too far behind. Persona 4 Arena, Cars: Mater-National, Jewel Quest and Tecmo Bowl Throwback are coming to Xbox One Backward Compatibility todayhttps://t....

Aftera slight delay due to technical issues,Pokemon GO’sone year anniversary event is officially underway. Trainers are able to get a deal on a bundle of for-pay items and can find special Pikachu throughout the world, who are rocking a hat that is a reference to Ash Ketchum. As it turns out, Pikachu’s Gen 2 baby evolution, Pichu, can also wear the cap. MultiplePokemon GOplayers on Reddit have now confirmed that in addition to finding Pikachu equipped with hats in the wild, they have also beenhatching eggs that contain Pichuwho are wearing the hat....

Six years after the release ofStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, theStar Warsfranchise has made a futureRey Skywalkerchallenge even bigger thanks to her “Sith” name. In the final chapter of the Skywalker saga, Rey was revealed to be the secret granddaughter of Sheev Palpatine, the resurrected Galactic Emperor seeking to reclaim the galaxy once more with his Final Order. While Rey eventually resisted his influence and rose with the power of multiple generations of Jedi flowing within her, there were initial fears she was destined to inherit Palpatine’s dark legacy as a Sith Lord....

With a rise in the popularity of life-sims lately,Animal Crossinghas more competition than ever for keeping its loyal player base around. Unfortunately, with the increase in competition and players' constant requests for evolution and quality-of-life improvements,Animal Crossinghas now drifted far from its original form. WhileAnimal Crossing’s original intent was to create a cozy atmosphere and steady gameplay that could be thoroughly enjoyed over a long period, that is no longer the case....

Since launch,Super Smash Bros. Ultimatehas had a number of mods made for it. Typically these mods add new characters to the game’s massive roster,like Waluigior even Deadpool. And now Shrek, the world famous ogre, has been modded into the ambitious crossover fighting game. The mod, made by modder Hefty, is essentially a re-skin of Ganondorf inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. Shrek has Ganondorf’s moveset and unfortunately lacks any voice lines from the film series....

A dedicatedStardew Valleyplayer has created an incredible corn maze on their farm that not only looks cool but also has a collection of landmarks to find. This massive corn maze is one of the largest and most creative mazes created inStardew Valley. One of the more impressive feats in video games is the longevity of the independently producedStardew Valley, a game that was produced in 2015 and still manages to captivate new players every day....

DC’s Stargirlhas cast the role of Alan Scott/Green Lantern’s son and Jennie-Lynn Hayden/Jade’s long-lost twin brother Todd Rice, a.k.a Obsidian. Tim Gabriel —best known for appearances on TV shows likeS.W.A.T,Why Women Kill, and, most recently,Better Things— will portray the character in the series' upcoming third season. Details regardingStargirlseason 3’s plot as well as its release date remain under wraps, but the news of Obsidian’s introduction doesn’t come as a surprise. The character was mentioned multiple times throughoutStargirlseason 2, as Jade (Ysa Penarejo) was on a quest to find and reconnect with her missing brother....

The unexplored consequences of Steve Rogers' time travel fromAvengers: Endgamemight have transformedCaptain America’s abandoned son figure into his most dangerousMCUenemy, drawing inspiration from Marvel’s Ultimate comics. Chris Evans' Steve Rogers played a key role in Thanos' defeat, but he survived the events of the Time Heist and the Battle of Earth unscathed. Despite being able to continue leading the Avengers for decades, Steve decided to travel back in time and spend the rest of his life with Peggy Carter in the past before returning to pass on the Captain America mantle to Sam Wilson....

Modern Wolfhas announcedthat Afterschool Studio’s tactical space game,Cantata, is leaving Early Access and getting its full release on August 15. Cantatais about a future war between the dickish humans and the oppressed robot masses. It takes place on the planet of Shoal, where the wildlife isn’t too happy that their habitat is being fought over. The game was pitched to me asAdvance WarsmeetsDune, and I can see it. But beyond the turn-based skirmishes, there’s also some base-building and exploration to be had....

Every Tuesday a bunch of us Dtoiders get together and hop online to play some Team Fortress 2 on theofficial Destructoid server! You should join us! I’m starting to get the hang of this TF2sday nonsense. From what I’ve gathered it’s a collection of the best people around, playing one of the best games around, and making the best poop jokes around. It’s weird to me that there are still people out there who haven’t joined us in this weekly mayhem....