BLOOMINGTON, Iowa — In a throwback to simpler times, local 11-year-old Bennie Fruppen has been relying entirely on Steam to stay alive.
“We tried to raise Bennie the modern way first. We fed him healthy food, clean water, made him go outside in the sun, that kind of thing. But he hated all of that. So eventually we just let him try living on Steam full-time. It’s been months now,” said father Thomas Fruppen, watching his son play Minecraft in a lightless room. “I gotta be honest, I don’t know how he does it.”
Historians have marveled at how successfully Fruppen mimics the societal norms of the 1800s.
“This child lives in the 21st century, but his entire existence is powered by the Steam Engine. He relies on it in his every waking moment, and without it he’d probably just wither away and die,” said Dr. Jerome Vega, professor of Victorian history at Harvard University. “See how he puts in 16+ hour days, using his tiny hands to work with wood and brick and steel, feeding the very machine that sustains him. He’s so incredibly dirty, cheeks sallow, hasn’t bathed in weeks, and if the stuff smeared on his skin isn’t coal, I’m not sure what it is. The accuracy is just remarkable.”
While critics claimed an 11-year-old shouldn’t live this way, Bennie Fruppen insisted that he was perfectly happy with his lifestyle.
“Ah got-a put in me work ev’ry day on this earf,” Fruppen said, before washing down his mouthful of Doritos with a chug of Red Bull. “Guess it’s just my lot in life.”
However, Fruppen was later rushed to the emergency room when it was revealed that he had a Twitch, which is a common symptom of childhood rickets.
Pokémon is the biggest media franchise in the world, looming over not just fellow video game icons like Mario but surpassing the godlike status of Mickey Mouse and his gang of animal friends. Growing from a set of Gameboy games the franchise has evolved into a multitude of anime, manga, movies, and of course every imaginable form of merchandise. Surely, with so much success the games must be universally beloved right?
Of course not. For many hardcore Pokémon fans, the franchise’s golden age was somewhere in the past. Of course, the fandom can’t agree on when exactly the franchise started going downhill. After the first generation? The Switch era? It’s all arbitrary, but my personal point of delineation is the switch from sprites to 3D models with Pokémon X & Y.
Don’t get me wrong I still play every new Pokémon game, but I bitch and moan the whole time like a real gamer. When I see the weirdly plastic monster designs and the lifeless open worlds I can’t help but imagine a world where The Pokémon Company had chosen to stick with sprites but continued to refine and experiment with the gameplay. A magical world where Pokémon looks and feels like the sprite era with all the modern features that make modern Pokémon games so much more user-friendly. Well, a fan-made version of that world exists in the form of ROM hacks.
For the uninitiated, a ROM hack is an edited version of an emulated game. These changes range from adding quality-of-life additions to a pre-existing game to using the original game’s assets to make something almost entirely new. There are hundreds of these ROM hacks for Pokémon games and whatever weirdly specific changes you’d make to Pokémon has likely been attempted in one of them. I’ve only dipped my toes into the world of ROM hacks but let me guide you through some of my favorites.
I was introduced to Pokémon ROM hacks through Pokémon Radical Red, a hack of Fire Red focused on updating the game and making it more challenging. It adds features from later games like mega evolutions, Pokémon up to generation 8, and the physical/special split. It also adds quality-of-life improvements like allowing you to use HMs without wasting a move slot. All of these improvements make the gameplay smoother which is needed because the game is also much more difficult with an updated AI, min-maxed enemies, and no items during boss battles.
My favorite ROM hack is also based on Fire Red and it’s Pokémon Unbound. While Radical Red feels like a vastly improved version of Fire Red, Unbound creates a new game using the original as a basis. It has most of the quality life improvements and additions from later games that Radical Red had attached to a new map with a new, surprisingly good, story. It scratched the itch of exploring a new Pokémon region with the old-school aesthetic and some truly innovative ideas like a robust quest system and unique combat modifiers in every gym making them feel special.
If you’re seeking something that shakes the pocket monsters themselves, Pokémon Fools Gold takes Pokémon Crystal and reimagines every single monster. There aren’t new Pokémon, instead, they take the monsters you know and change their type and moves. While it doesn’t have as many modernizations and quality-of-life changes as other ROM hacks its type-swapped gimmick is a fun way to shake up classic Pokémon and it comes with some fantastic custom sprites and Pokedex entries.
The last ROM hack I want to highlight is also the most radical departure from the source material: Pokémon Emerald Rogue. While the other hacks I’ve written about here follow the standard Pokémon structure, Emerald Rogue turns the game into a rogue-lite. Instead of a region, you’ll journey through a series of procedurally generated maps with randomized Pokémon, trainers, and items. In true rogue-lite fashion, you will frequently die and have to start over, with some ability to take specific Pokémon in as starters or gain access to better items. It’s a great way to shake up the Pokémon formula.
Pokémon ROM hacks are great if
You’re nostalgic for old-school Pokémon
You’re still kind of mad about Dexit
You’re willing to do a little digging to figure out what ROMs to get and how
Pokémon ROM hacks aren’t for you if:
You’re a console-only gamer
You don’t long for the days of sprite art
You think emulating old games is stealing
If you’re on the other side of this, and would rather have less Pokémon in 3D, you may be interested in Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee.
LOS ANGELES — Developers at Player First Games have revealed that MultiVersus, its once popular fighting game that was released to the public last July, is taking the summer off to figure some shit out.
“Look, it’s not as simple as just keeping the game available to play for everyone that’s been playing so far,” said MultiVersus director Tony Huynh, while strapping luggage to the roof of his car. “It just needs some time away from the intense scrutiny a fighting game is subjected to, especially one that’s seen such a dip in players since its debut. We hope you enjoyed seasons one and two, and we appreciate everyone that paid for the battle pass, but we have to go up north and just like, chill out, you know? We’re all just gonna go rent a house up on a lake and figure out some shit. MultiVersus will be back. Eventually. Maybe. I don’t know. We all just need some time, man.”
Fans were surprised at the unexpected announcement regarding the game’s suddenly murky future.
“I get that MultiVersus was kind of the new cool kid for a minute and then the shine wore off,” said local teenager Dave Benton, who didn’t realize the game’s transition from early access to retail version would include an extended blackout period. “But that’s no excuse to run off into the woods for a while. You can’t do that to people. I might not have bought the ‘Founder’s Pack’ if I knew that said ‘Founders’ were gonna dip on me, not gonna lie.”
“It’s really depressing that my favorite game is going away right when I’ll be going on summer vacation,” he added. “I guess I’ll just fall in love or something.”
As of press time, MultiVersus, The Game Awards’ Fighting Game of the Year 2022, is slated to be released in early 2024, possibly earlier if they get their shit figured out.
In an update for GTA Online, there has been an addition of content that will pique the interest of game players as they go through the process of playing the game. In GTA Online, there are five new Last Dose missions for players to complete the Los Santos Drug Wars storyline. Los Santos Drug Wars was split into two parts.
The content first dropped in December 2022 when fans got the first part known as, “The First Dose”, then it was followed by six missions that accompanied it to complete the game. Then, now in March, there is the second half of the new DLC, GTA Online‘s “The Last Dose”.
How to Start GTA Online The Last Dose Missions
To start The Last Dose, you must have completed the First Dose missions. So, if you are a new player who is yet to get into them, then it’s expected to visit Dax at the Freakshop, to begin with, the game. After all this is done, then you start the missions:
Last Dose Mission One – This is an Intervention
Last Dose Mission Two – Unusual Suspects
Last Dose Mission Three – FriedMind
Last Dose Mission Four – Checking In
Last Dose Mission Five– BDKD
In the game, there is a commonly known problem for players which includes the inability to receive calls from Dax or some general unresponsiveness, especially when moving to the first mission marker. If you face this problem, it’s ideal to switch to a new session or in some cases, reload the game and then hold on for a bit to wait for a call to arrive to start the new missions.
In conclusion, to start The Last Dose, complete all the available First Dose missions, then get a car and start driving around Los Santos. In the process, accept the call from Dax when it arrives and finally, meet up with Dax to start the Last Dose missions.
Pokémon– there sure are a lot of them now, huh? With the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the count is officially at 1,015 collectible monsters– a far cry from the original 150 many of us grew up with. If you miss out on even a single generation of games, it can be daunting to catch up on catching ’em all. So whether you fell off after the DS games, or haven’t touched the series since it became an unstoppable phenomenon in the 90s, Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee are for you.
There’s been a lot of backlash around some of the newer iterations of Pokémon games. It’s very possible that Game Freak has bitten off more than it can chew. Most RPGs have pretty robust bestiaries, but nothing comes even close to Pokémon. With over a thousand unique monsters each with their own animations and movesets, it’s no wonder that the seams are starting to show.
I’ve played most of the games in the series, but even for someone like me, Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee were a breath of fresh air. The “Let’s Go” in the title is clearly capping inspiration from the craze that was/is Pokémon Go, and the game incorporates some of those mechanics in here, which may be the one hurdle that fans both new and old will have to overcome. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just different– catching Pokémon in this game isn’t like any other mainline games in the series.
Berries can make angry Pokémon more docile.
This new capture method can be a refreshing change of pace to not have to whittle down a Pokémon’s health, paralyze them, and catch them like usual. Though it does have its own frustrations that come along with it– lining up your Pokéball to throw it can be hit or miss at times, and if you have big baseball mitt hands like me, holding a single joycon to play the entire game can be a little cramping. Yes, even if you play in docked mode, you can only use a single joy con to play the entire game– you can’t use a pro controller or any other option. That is, unless you play the game portably, in which case you can just use the right control stick to aim. But given that this was the first mainline Pokémon game on a home console (or whatever you consider the Switch) I was more interested in playing on my nice HDTV and seeing the Kanto region really pop, so I put up with a bit of hand cramping in order to do so. But again, this won’t be a problem for everybody.
There are plenty of trainer battles to keep you busy enough with the grind though, which longtime fans will be instantly familiar with. And let me tell you, they are quite charming, and look a hell of a lot better than the empty hallways and voids that trainer battles took place in during Pokémon Sword and Shield. Backgrounds and scenery are exactly what they should look like, wherever you happen to make eye contact with an opponent and initiate battle. Speaking of, it’s exactly what you remember: four move slots, turn-based, type advantage battles. And if you’re like me, you already have the type chart saved on your phone to constantly refer to.
Style on your opponents.
Most importantly though, the game pares down the Pokédex to only the original 150 (and a couple new ones) which recall memories of a bygone era, just with a fresh coat of paint. I had been wanting a game like this for some time, and Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee delivered. It may not be the big open world adventure that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are, but it’s nice to have a smaller and more refined experience– a recollection of when Pokémon had to prove itself to sell games, instead of just “here’s a new one, you know you want it.”
Don’t call it a remake, either– this is sort of a pseudo-remake, pseudo-sequel kind of thing. You don’t play as the original protagonists Red or Blue, but they do make appearances throughout the game, implying that this takes place in between the events of Pokémon Red and Blue, and Pokémon Gold and Silver. There are also several nods to more recent games in the series, including cameo appearances from a couple Pokémon Sun and Moon characters, as well as Alola regional variants being available in this game via trades with NPC characters.
Most importantly, you can recreate My Neighbor Totoro in this game.
The one negative thing this game does highlight from these simpler times is the unbalanced roster that was the original 150 Pokémon that “genwunners” hold in such high regard. It isn’t until you revisit this self-contained origin point that you realize “hey, there really aren’t that many ghost Pokémon in here.” Newer games may have an overwhelming amount of ‘Mons to catch, but they also have a lot more variety. The Alola variants in this game do help a bit with type diversity though, and don’t take away from the authenticity of that OG Pokémon feel. Alolan Marowak is a beast.
Still though, the game is surprisingly, and refreshingly, pretty challenging! If you’re tired of the hand-holding that some of the recent games tend to emphasize, this game’s difficulty will spike up at some point and not slow down, meaning Pokémon battles can be grueling affairs where you win by the skin of your Pikachu’s teeth. Gym leader victories feel truly earned once their last Pokémon faints and they hand over that damn Marsh Badge.
Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee might be for you if:
You’re intimidated by the insane amount of Pokémon there are now.
You’re a 90s kid and want a nostalgia fix without the jank that comes with older games.
You’re a completionist and want an obtainable goal.
They might not be for you if:
You’re ready to move on with your life and explore bigger regions with larger Pokédex capacities.
You have no nostalgia for the original games.
You prefer the easier difficulty of the newer Pokémon games.
You can get Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee on the Nintendo Switch. [lasso ref=”pokemon-lets-go-eevee-nintendo-switch” id=”23374″ link_id=”4053″]
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Citing an emergency crunch due to the terrible state of the world, Devolver Digital has reportedly rushed its environmental strategy game Terra Nil to market before the world becomes too destroyed to play it.
“Terra Nil is all about saving a broken, dilapidated landscape, and we’re so excited for people to play it. Although, with recent climate disasters, impending wars, and catastrophic pollution, we had to hurry to get it available before the real world became a broken, dilapidated landscape,” said creative director Evan Greenwood. “Every day, the lifespan of our game about fixing an uninhabitable planet is shortened by our real planet becoming more uninhabitable.”
Terra Nil developers at the company Free Lives went on to explain some of the challenges of creating the environmental strategy game.
“During production, we had to do a lot of problem solving like fixing code errors, streamlining menus, and putting out random environmental fires in our office as a result of climate change,” explained the game’s lead designer. “It was difficult doing bug fixes while landfills expanded into our office, and rising sea levels flooded our conference room. One time we finally had a working test build of the game, but it was useless after spontaneously combusting into flame. Despite all that, the game is pretty fun!”
Early players of Terra Nil noted some emotional responses to the gameplay.
“It’s crazy feeling like you have so much work ahead of you to repair this scorched, awful landscape, but now I can just relax by playing some Terra Nil,” beta tester Craig Grimsby said. “Although anyone expecting a real, down-to-Earth story should look elsewhere, because you really have to suspend your disbelief that anyone would care enough to try and reverse the destruction of humanity, much less for free.”
At press time, sources at Devolver Digital also reported that Terra Nil was crunched in production even harder to make sure the $24.99 price point wasn’t made completely worthless by impending inflation.
This article is sponsored by Devolver Digital! Yes, this article is satire, but there are two things about it that are true: (1) our world is currently being destroyed by devastating man-made climate change and (2) Terra Nil is a super cool game that you can get on Steam right now! Check that shit out, dog.
SAN FRANCISCO — A small independent video game development company has finally put the finishing touches on their long awaited release for the Nintendo 3DS, sources have confirmed.
“Wow, I wasn’t sure we’d get this game done in time,” said Blain Garrison, the director of Shadows of the Wind, a Soulslike Metroidvania game with crafting elements. “But we spent the last 12 months just really working hard, unplugging from the gaming world at large and just focusing on one thing; getting this 3DS game done and into the hands of the public. We’re going to release it right away, we’re just so excited that it’s finally possible!”
Members of the small but dedicated team described the sacrifices they’d made in order to complete Shadows of the Wind, which was released earlier today.
“It was the longest three years of my professional life, no doubt about that,” said Tara Boothe-Wilson, a level designer on the game. “But I believe so strongly in Shadows that I really think the sales and reviews ought to set us up pretty nicely moving forward on our next project. We’re also very excited to be done and to have some time to chill out. I might even play my DS for the first time in ages!”
The Nintendo 3DS eShop, which closes permanently today, features hundreds of video games, all hoping to find an audience in the final moments of the platform’s existence.
“Ooh, I wonder what I should buy before it all disappears,” said Chris Mills, a local gamer browsing the store on the 3DS he still plays daily. “Shadows of the Wind looks really good, but it’s also probably my last chance to ever check out something like Attack of the Friday Monsters! Also in the mix is the ability to pay for Super Mario Bros. 3 for the fifth time in my life. Argh, I don’t know what to do and I only have ten minutes to decide!”
As of press time, the status of Shadows of the Wind’s Google Stadia port was unclear.
The year is 1994. The gaming market is flooded with mascot platformers, turn-based RPGs, and fighting games. Most gamers were preoccupied with Donkey Kong Country, Final Fantasy VI, or Street Fighter II Turbo, instead of a strange game called EarthBound. Little did we know, that this little game “that stinks” would go on to inspire so many “EarthBound-likes” much later on.
EarthBound is considered a cult classic, though some may argue the game is a straight-up classic given its widespread popularity. However, this was not always the case.
For many people, unlocking Ness in the original Super Smash Bros. was their introduction to the world of EarthBound. Among the roster of fighters in the original game, Ness was arguably the least recognizable, and with that came an inescapable air of mystique. Who is this boy? Why does he have psychic powers? Is he a Pokémon or something? This drove children absolutely mad, and seeking answers to their queries, they would eventually stumble upon the critical darling known only as EarthBound.
Or Mother 2, as they call it in Japan. Oh, I’m sorry, did you already know that? Well, did you know that Super Mario Bros. 2also went by a different name in Japan: Doki Doki Panic? Not so tough are you now, smart guy.
The man, the myth, the legend. And also Mr. Itoi.
Most RPGs at the time, such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, usually saw a ragtag team of misfits set out on an adventure across a medieval fantasy world filled with swords, potions, and goblins, on their way to kill god or at least somebody with a god complex. It’s a bonafide recipe for success, considering that many games are still churning out the same formula to this very day. But, EarthBound set out to be different.
Set in the year 199X (90s kids will remember this year fondly), EarthBound follows the exploits of literal children Ness, Paula, Jeff, and Poo, and their journey across “Eagleland”, which is quite frankly an offensive parody of the United States. Instead of swords, shields, and magic spells, our team is equipped with baseball bats, yo-yos, and psychic powers. You square off against a gang leader in an arcade, fight a giant pile of barf, save a town from a group of crazy cultists, and plenty of other scenarios not typically seen in RPGs or video games at the time.
EarthBound, and the Mother series at large, is created by Shigesato Itoi, who inserts a lot of his personal beliefs into the games. “There is a part of the creator’s soul in that game,” said Zion Grassl, creator of the documentary The MOTHER We Share – Our EarthBound Story. “And I think there’s not a lot of games out there that necessarily feel like that.” Itoi’s wikipedia page describes him as a copywriter, essayist, lyricist, game designer, and actor. The man has an impressive pedigree to say the least, one that sets him and his games apart from others in the field.
Typical JRPG dialogue
The plot is best left experienced instead of explained, and it’s safe to say that EarthBound resonated greatly with those who could actually get their hands on it. Nintendo didn’t make the game widely available for quite some time after the SNES release, abstaining from Virtual Console distribution until the tail-end of the Wii U era (in a desperate need to sell Wii U’s) leaving those who played it to feel like members of an exclusive club.
Later on in the 2000s, the gaming market had shifted more towards realism, and shooting people. Grizzled men with guns dominated the medium, and color palettes would become largely desaturated, tinged in deep shades of brown and sometimes even gray. Gamers felt fatigued from the same old militarized mystery meat games and desired something different, and with the rise of indie games in general, we began to see many EarthBound-likes pop up over the years.
So, what exactly is an EarthBound-like? Basically, it’s an RPG that deconstructs commonly held notions of the genre, usually filled with weird enemies, a unique combat system, and offbeat dialogue. Many of these games tend to be musings on depression, or the inner workings of our beings, to the point that it’s become a bit of a meme over the years.
Arguably, the first EarthBound-like was Yume Nikki. Released in 2004 by mysterious Japanese developer Kikiyama, the RPG Maker game takes clear visual and thematic inspiration from Mother while still very much being its own thing. It’s an avante-garde adventure that, also like EarthBound, inspired many up-and-coming developers and was a watershed moment for indie games in general.
A familiar tone.
It’s not surprising that EarthBound inspired so many games. Many people grew up playing JRPGs, and as such they hold a special place in their hearts. EarthBound took that tried-and-true formula and gave it a very personal touch. EarthBound is a piece of art where the creator wears their heart on their sleeve, which lets it resonate a little more with audiences than, say, a high-fantasy world filled with hours of grinding (though that’s not to say the Mother series isn’t guilty of the grind). After EarthBound, there was only one more game released in the Mother series, and perhaps the lack of overseas distribution is to thank for the rise of EarthBound-likes in general.
I am of course talking about that taboo, bad word game that Nintendo dares not to speak of: Mother 3. Originally it was planned to release on the Nintendo 64 as EarthBound 64, but the game was canceled and later revived on the Game Boy Advance, with an obviously different title. The game was tragically only released in Japan– at least officially. Members of Starmen.net (one of the most dedicated fanbases to anything I’ve ever seen on the internet) produced a fan translation of the game, allowing people across the world to enjoy it and sob over the ending together.
Still, a fan translation isn’t exactly considered “wide distribution”, and poses a hurdle to many who either don’t know or don’t care to know how to play the game on their computers. It hasn’t stopped people from begging Nintendo to release the game overseas non-stop (just look at the replies to any Nintendo Direct announcement). However, that unquenched hunger and frothing desire inspired many developers to fill the hole in their hearts themselves. Toby Fox famously created Undertale mostly by himself, and has cited EarthBound as a massive inspiration for his game, which has surpassed its muse in popularity at this point.
Undertale’s unique and quirky battle system.
Other popular EarthBound-likes are LISA, OMORI, and the upcoming title Oddity, which started life as a fan-made successor originally titled Mother 4, which absolutely had no way of being released under said moniker knowing Nintendo’s protective policies towards their IP. EarthBound-likes continue to take the internet by storm, and one of my personal favorites over the years is Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden, a hilarious send-up of the genre. It’s too bad we’ll never get that sequel.
There’s always something to be said about having too much of a good thing, hence the debates centered around the many EarthBound-likes that exist now. Have these games become oversaturated? Or are these masterpieces that are pushing the medium into being considered a legitimate art form? I don’t know, but it’s impossible to deny the impact of EarthBound, as it created one of the greatest video game characters of all-time: Dungeon Man.
The Resident Evil 4 Remake has added a ton of different side quests, ranging from a mini-boss enemy with A Savage Mutt Request to destroying Blue Medallions. Grave Robber is one of the earliest you’ll come across and although it appears difficult at first, it’s surprisingly easy. This guide will cover how to quickly take care of the Grave Robber request in Resident Evil 4 and collect your Spinel rewards.
Where to find the Grave Robber Request in RE4
This request is a tiny bit out of the way, but it’s likely you’ll come across it if you’re exploring every route and area. It becomes available starting in Chapter 3, once you can finally access the Church and cemetery. After getting the cutscene showing the Church doors are locked, you will need to walk around the right side. Skip the door on the left and keep walking until you’re behind the building. The request will be pinned all the way at the end next to some treasure and a bundle of resources.
How to Complete the Grave Robber Side Quest in Resident Evil 4 Remake
In order to complete this request, the emblems on a couple of tombstones will need to be destroyed. To be more specific, the request mentions that the tombstones are for a pair of “traitorous twins” who joined the Los Iluminados cult.
The cemetery in front of the Church has a bunch of graves and quite a few of them have different emblems on them. There isn’t a lot to go off of and the correct ones won’t pop up on the map either.
Before you go desecrating every tombstone in sight, it’s important to recall that the ones you’re looking for belong to a pair of twins. Since they’re related, it would make sense for them to be buried close to each other and maybe even have identical tombstones.
A pair of tombstones near the front of the cemetery fit the bill perfectly. They’re the only tombstones with emblems to be situated right next to each other and they both have the same V-like design. Right behind them are a gate and the fallen tree. If you want to know where they appear on the map, check out the image below.
All you need to do is destroy the emblems. Shooting is of course an option, but at this range, you can save some bullets if you’d like and just use your knife. After you’re finished, head back to the Merchant’s shop near the village and turn the request in. You’ll be rewarded with 2 Spinel.
It may not be much, but every bit counts. If you want to stay on top of these requests and earn more rewards, we’ve got you covered with an easily missable one from Chapter 4 which tasks you with finding the rare Golden Egg!
WWE 2K23 has gained immense popularity in the video game industry, as the popular wrestling title has secured a top sales position in a short time. As more and more players are venturing into the virtual wrestling world, some may need help to defeat their opponents due to the overwhelming number of movesets and signature actions available.
While players can check a wrestler’s moves in the pause menu, selecting the best ones can be daunting, especially for those new to WWE 2K23. To help players dominate the arena, this article has compiled the best movesets for WWE 2K23.
Best WWE 2K23 Movesets: U.F.O.
Claudio Castagnoli is a professional wrestler from Switzerland who is currently under contract with All Elite Wrestling. Claudio executes his unique move U.F.O. by hoisting his opponent into a torture rack position, after which he initiates a series of full-circle spins, accelerating to his desired speed before hurling his opponent onto the ground with immense force.
What sets this move apart is the remarkable balancing act Claudio performs, reminiscent of Dolph Ziggler’s signature “showing off” style. In a recent interview with Metro UK, Cesaro shared that he had been eagerly waiting for nine years to perform his special move called UFO. He also stated that such moves would be reserved for special occasions to keep the audience engaged.
Secret Cody Cutter
It’s undeniable that Cody Rhodes is among the top wrestlers globally, and his matches since returning to WWE have been exceptional. One significant factor contributing to this is his diverse range of moves that players can use to tackle their opponents.
Secret Cody Cutter is one of his best moves, and players have the freedom to use the Cody Cutter move as many times as they want since it is not categorized as a finishing move. Nevertheless, exercising caution while using this move is crucial, as opponents may anticipate and counter it if overused. To perform the Springboard Cody Cutter move in the ring, players should first move Cody to the corner of the ring during a match and then press LB/L1 and X/Square buttons. It is recommended to stun the opponent before using this move.
Best WWE 2K23 Movesets: Double Underhook Brainbuster
The Brainbuster or Avalanche Suplex is a popular WWE move that involves a wrestler lifting their opponent in a front facelock, hooking their pants, and then falling onto their back. The move causes the opponent to land on their head while standing upright.
Furthermore, if the attacker modifies the Brainbuster by double underhooking the enemy, it becomes a ‘Double Underhook Brainbuster,’ which is even more dangerous. This move involves boosting the opponent while hooking both their arms, then sending them crashing down to the floor at high speed.
Lethal Combination
In WWE 2K23, a lethal combination move refers to a sequence of moves executed rapidly by a player’s character. These moves typically involve a combination of strikes, grapples, and finishers that are chained together to create a powerful and devastating attack.
Lethal combination moves can be used to quickly wear down an opponent’s health and stamina, making them more susceptible to being pinned or submitted. The specific moves and button combinations required to execute a lethal combination move can vary depending on the character being played.
Best WWE 2K23 Movesets: Burning Hammer
The Burning Hammer is a notoriously dangerous move that has been included in WWE 2K video games for some time. In the most recent game, WWE 2K23, a modified version called the ‘Burning Hammer 2’ has also been introduced.
The move is an Inverted Death Valley Driver that involves the wrestler lifting their opponent in a Torture Rack position and then dropping them headfirst onto the ground. The force of impact is concentrated on the head and neck, which significantly damages the opponent. Therefore, it’s a brutal and unforgiving move that leaves no margin for error.
Need a little extra something to finish your opponents off? Check out our guide to the best finishers in WWE 2K23.
