Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the most iconic characters in all of video games, but not all of his games were hits. Sonic and the Black Knight is allegedly one of those games, but associate editor Charles Harte remembers playing it as a nine-year-old and feeling like it might be the coolest game of all time. Nearly 17 years later, we're revisiting this medieval adventure to see whether or not he was correct.

Originally released on March 13, 2009, Sonic and the Black Knight is the second and final game in the now-abandoned Sonic Storybook Series, which began in 2007 with Sonic and the Secret Rings. Both games see Sonic get sucked into the worlds of classic folklore, with Black Knight whisking him into the world of Arthurian legend. Armed with the legendary blade Caliburn, he embarks on a quest to save the kingdom. Critics at the time of release were less than enthusiastic about the outing; Sonic and the Black Knight was released to mostly poor reviews, including a 5/10 on page 87 of issue 193 of Game Informer.

Join Charles Harte and Marcus Stewart as they wield a Wii remote and travel back in time to the mythical days of 2009. You can check out today's episode live on Twitch or YouTube at 12 pm PT/3 pm ET, or check out past episodes below:

Sonic And The Black Knight - Part 1 | Super Replay

One of the best Fire Emblem games is now available for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers on Switch 2. 2005’s Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is the first game of 2026 to join the GameCube classics library, as promised by Nintendo last year.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance originally launched for the GameCube in the U.S. on October 17, 2005. It was the third game in the series to come stateside, but it is actually the ninth entry overall. Players control a mercenary named Ike, making his series debut, on a quest to free the kingdom of Crimea from the control of the invading nation. Path of Radiance is also the first Fire Emblem game to feature 3D graphics, voice acting, and full motion cutscenes. The game was generally well-received, and established Ike as one of the series most popular characters, to the point he would become a mainstay in the Super Smash Bros. series as a playable fighter.

You can fire up Path of Radiance right now (we checked), though it’s worth reiterating that the GameCube library is only available on Switch 2. To keep up with every other GameCube game available on Switch 2 and much more, check out our complete database of every Nintendo Switch Online classic game. 

For more on Fire Emblem, check out the debut trailer for the next mainline entry set to launch this year, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave. 

Avowed, Xbox's first-person fantasy RPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment and released on Xbox and PC last year, is coming to PlayStation 5. More specifically, Avowed launches on PS5 on February 17, a day shy of the game's first anniversary.

The Standard Edition will cost $49.99, and the Premium Edition, which includes a digital artbook and soundtrack as well as two player armors and eight companion skins, will cost $59.99. The same day Avowed hits PS5, the game will get a new anniversary update on all platforms that adds New Game Plus, new races to play (Dwarves, Orlan, and Aumaua), a new weapon type, Photo Mode, and more. 

"Explore a dangerous and beautiful land shaped by ancient magic," a blog post reads. "Traverse its wilds, reveal hidden truths, and delve into secrets buried beneath its surface. Play your way by experimenting with a wide range of weapons, abilities, and powers in combat that rewards creativity and adaptability. Shape your journey through the choices you make, from how you fight and explore, to how you answer the Living Lands when they push back." 

Check out the Avowed anniversary update trailer for yourself below: 

Avowed hits PS5 on February 17 and is currently available on Xbox Series X/S and PC. 

While waiting for its PS5 release, read Game Informer's Avowed review, and then check out our review of The Outer Worlds 2, which is another game Obsidian Entertainment launched last year. 

Have you played Avowed? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below!

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has revealed the nominees for its 29th annual D.I.C.E. Awards, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost Of Yōtei lead the pack with eight nominations each. The award show will be livestreamed from the Aria Resort in Las Vegas at 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m.  ET on Thursday, February 12. 

Amongst the thousands of games released in 2025, 64 make up the nominations for this year's awards show. At the top of the list with eight nominations each are Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost Of Yōtei, followed by Arc Raiders and Dispatch with six nominations, Blue Prince with five nominations, and Death Stranding 2: On The Beach with four.

Kinda Funny co-founder Greg Miller and media personality Stella Chung (who previously worked at IGN), return as co-hosts of the show this year – the two revealed the nominations during today's episode of Kinda Funny Games Daily before AIAS released a press release with the nominations. 

"First, thank you to our peer panelists," AIAS president Meggan Scavio writes in a press release. "Your dedication and expertise in our judging process, and your work in selecting the best games of 2025, is truly appreciated. And on behalf of all of us at the Academy, I extend my congratulations to all of our finalists. Each of these games has impressed us through its creativity, artistry, and technical achievement, and we look forward to celebrating your accomplishments at the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards." 

Notably, the D.I.C.E. Awards are voted on by a panel of judges who are all game developers, which differs from other shows, like Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards, in which the panel of judges is made up of media outlets (like Game Informer). Unlike The Game Awards, there are never any video game announcements, reveals, or world premieres at the D.I.C.E. Awards. 

You can find the full list of nominations for every award below: 

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
• Ghost Of Yōtei
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• South of Midnight
• The Midnight Walk

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
• Dispatch
• Ghost Of Yōtei
• The Midnight Walk

Outstanding Achievement in Character

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Esquie
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Maelle
• Dispatch – Courtney/Invisigal
• Dispatch – Robert Robertson III/Mecha Man
• Ghost Of Yōtei – Atsu

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Ghost Of Yōtei
• Herdling
• Mario Kart World
• Sword of the Sea

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design

• Arc Raiders
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
• Ghost Of Yōtei
• Lumines Arise
• Split Fiction

Outstanding Achievement in Story

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Consume Me
• despelote
• South of Midnight
• The Drifter

Outstanding Technical Achievement

• Arc Raiders
• Assassin's Creed Shadows
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• DOOM: The Dark Ages

Action Game of the Year

• Absolum
• Arc Raiders
• DOOM: The Dark Ages
• Hades II
• Ninja Gaiden 4

Adventure Game of the Year

• Blue Prince
• Dispatch
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Ghost Of Yōtei
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

Family Game of the Year

• LEGO Party!
• LEGO Voyagers
• Lumines Arise
• Marvel Cosmic Invasion
• POPUCOM

Fighting Game of the Year

• 2XKO
• Capcom Fighting Collection 2
• Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
• Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
• WWE 2K25

Racing Game of the Year

• EA Sports F1 25
• Kirby Air Riders
• Mario Kart World
• Wheel World

Role-Playing Game of the Year

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• The Outer Worlds 2

Sports Game of the Year

• EA Sports FC 26
• PGA Tour 2K25
• MLB The Show 25
• NBA 2K26
• Rematch

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

• The Alters
• Drop Duchy
• Europa Universalis V
• The King is Watching
• StarVaders

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

• Ghost Town
• Hotel Infinity
• Marvel's Deadpool VR
• Star Wars: Beyond Victory – A Mixed Reality Playset
• Unloop

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

• Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked
• Ghost Town
• Marvel's Deadpool VR
• The Midnight Walk
• Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

• Baby Steps
• Blue Prince
• Consume Me
• despelote
• Dispatch

Mobile Game of the Year

• Persona 5: The Phantom X
• Umamusume: Pretty Derby
• What The Clash?
• Where Winds Meet

Online Game of the Year

• Arc Raiders
• Battlefield 6
• Mario Kart World
• Marvel Rivals
• Split Fiction

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

• Arc Raiders
• Blue Prince
• Hades II
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Öoo

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hades II
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Game of the Year

• Arc Raiders
• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Dispatch
• Ghost of Yōtei

And those are all the nominations for the 29th annual D.I.C.E. Awards. 

What game do you think will win Game of the Year? Let us know in the comments below!

Nintendo revealed Mario Tennis Fever, a Switch 2 exclusive, during a Direct that aired last September. Now, with roughly a month to go until the game's February 12 release date, the company has released a new overview trailer highlighting nearly 6 minutes of gameplay, including a look at the series' largest roster of playable characters. 

That's because Mario Tennis Fever features 38 different characters, ranging from fan-favorites like Mario and Luigi to more mischievous players like Dry Bones and Baby Waluigi. Alongside those 38 characters, Mario Tennis Fever features 30 Fever Rackets, which are all-new to the series and allow you to equip your character with unique abilities. The Ice Racket, for example, turns parts of the court into a slippery tundra, while the Mini Mushroom Racket shrinks your opponent to bite size. 

"Just fill up your Fever Gauge to unleash a Fever Shot," a press release reads. "And if you're on the receiving end of one, don't worry – you can try and send it back at your opponent before the shot hits the court, so they feel the effects instead." That's an especially useful skill to learn when up against rackets like the Shadow Racket, which causes the receiving player to see double as it duplicates the player using the racket. 

Check all this out and more in the Mario Tennis Fever overview trailer for yourself below: 

Mario Tennis Fever will feature a single-player Adventure Mode, a campaign in which mysterious monsters turn Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Wario, and Waluigi into babies, forcing them to re-master their tennis skills and overcome challenges to return to normal. Elsewhere in the game, the Trial Towers mode forces players to take on a series of challenges as they climb their way to the top of a tower, and Mix It Up mode allows you to play matches with unconventional rules, like Ring Shot, where you have to hit balls with precision through rings to earn points and Forest Court Match, where you can expand the court's size by feeding Piranha Plants tennis balls. 

Returning modes include Tournament, with play-by-play commentary from Super Mario Bros. Wonder's Talking Flower, and online modes like Online Room for casual play with customizable rules and Ranked Matches, where you can play against players around the world. There's even a Swing Mode where you gently swing your Joy-Con 2 controller to hit different kinds of shots. 

Mario Tennis Fever launches exclusively on Switch 2 on February 12. 

For more, check out the Mario Tennis Fever reveal trailer, and then read Game Informer's Mario Tennis Aces review.