Month: March 2022

Rapper Noname is teasing new music. Earlier today, she shared a photo of herself in what appeared to be a home studio, with a microphone, speakers and a Macbook.

In November 2019, Noname announced plans to quit music after releasing her second album, Factory Baby, feeling frustrated after years of performing for predominately white audiences. She also admitted she wasn’t fully invested in music. “To be honest with you, my heart isn’t fully in it anymore,” said Noname in a now-deleted tweet, replying to a fan asking her to drop new music.”The relationship between ‘artist’ and ‘fan’ is really f*cking unhealthy. Y’all like what y’all like and hate what y’all hate. And I don’t wanna be on either side. I’m just tryna read and organize. After factory baby it’s (peace sign emoji).”

Factory Baby never saw an official release, and Noname shared plans to scrap the album altogether last December. however, Noname released the standalone singles “Song 33” and “Rainforest” in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Despite expressing her frustrations, as well as a desire to redirect her efforts toward supporting local communities, Noname may not be completely divorced from making music.

“maybe 30 is too early to retire,” the Chicago rapper said in an Instagram post. She also shared the flyer for Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, where she’s booked to perform supporting The Roots, Toro Y Moi, and Earl Sweatshirt.

Whether she plans to revisit Factory Baby or start on an all-new project is unclear, however, fellow rappers Denzel Curry and Chance the Rapper shared their support for Noname’s potential return to music in her Instagram post’s comments.

Earthgang released their second album Ghetto Gods at the end of February, completing a rollout that included hype releases for “Options” — and its remix featuring Coi Leray — “Erykah,” “American Horror Story,” “All Eyes On Me,” and “Amen.” However, now that it’s out, they aren’t going to slack off. Instead, they brought one of the album’s poignant crowd-pleasers, “Lie To Me,” to a smooth performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon along with their accomplished backing band.

The Atlanta duo took to a smoky stage in front of a large video screen flashing images of the New York City skyline and streets, with Olu and WowGr8 presenting their usual yin-yang clash of styles. While Olu went typically shirtless, wearing a monogrammed silk scarf as a belt, his partner-in-rhyme sported a Canadian tuxedo with a plain black t-shirt. Meanwhile, their band embellished the hypnotic beat with unexpected flourishes that gave the normally stripped-down instrumental a new gravity that built to an impressive crescendo.

Now that Earthgang’s long-awaited, oft-delayed album is finally out in the world, fans will be able to catch the duo at the upcoming 2022 Dreamville Festival on April 2 and 3 in Raleigh, North Carolina, alongside a stunning lineup including Ashanti and Ja Rule, DJ Drama supported by Gangsta Grillz alumni Jeezy, Lil Wayne, and T.I., Kehlani, Lil Baby, T-Pain, and Wizkid.

Watch Earthgang perform “Lie To Me” above.

In case you missed it (or blinked at the wrong time), John C. Reilly had a cameo in Paul Thomas Anderson’s hit movie Licorice Pizza, though you couldn’t really tell it was him, with all that green makeup. The Step Brothers actor graced the screen for a split second, though there was a lot of time and effort that went into his role of Herman Munster.

The comedian stopped by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to discuss his various roles, including his small cameo in the Oscar-nominated Licorice Pizza. Because the movie was shot at the height of the COVID pandemic, Reilly was forced to do most of the Frankenstein-inspired makeup himself, though Anderson’s three young kids had to help him with the back. To be fair, it does look pretty impressive. But it also looks like an ad for Spirit Halloween. In a good way! Anyway, the fans loved it.

Reilly also discussed his distinguished look for HBO’s Winning Time, where he plays Lakers owner Jerry Buss (the role going to Reilly also apparently caused a rift between creator Adam McKay and longtime collaborator Will Farrell, allegedly). Though he doesn’t have a Frankenstein look, he does have a pretty iconic combover, which he had a team to help him put together.

Watch Reilly discuss his various looks (and basketball) in the clip above.

Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham continued her guest host stint on The View on Wednesday, but things got a little tense as Grisham found herself being grilled by co-hosts Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin over why it took her so long to quit Donald Trump’s administration. It all went down during a discussion on the recent January 6 convictions, which prompted the panel to ask Grisham if she knew what was happening. Grisham denied knowing what was being planned, but she did admit that she had a feeling that “something” was going on. That’s when Hostin hit Grisham with a blunt question about working for Trump: “Why did it take an insurrection to get you to quit?”

After Grisham explained that she tried to resign “many times,” she said that First Lady Melania Trump repeatedly talked her out of it. Grisham also admitted that she believed in Trump when he first ran for office, which is when Behar jumped in. Via The Wrap:

“Excuse me, what did you believe in?” Behar interjected. “His policies? Because you know he was a sexist misogynist, you heard the tapes about grabbing women, all that. So what did you agree with?”

As Grisham explained herself, the hosts pressed further, with Hostin telling her point blank, “You screwed up.”

According to Grisham, her reason for staying was being a single mom and that no one was going to hire her after working for Trump. However, she readily agrees that she messed up, which echoes comments on she made on Tuesday’s episode of The View where she revealed that her gay son was “ashamed” that she worked for Trump.

“He didn’t want to tell his friends where I worked,” Grisham said. “He was ashamed of where I worked, rightfully so.”

(Via The Wrap)

The Phoenix Suns are in a tier of their own at the top of the Western Conference. Even with the team missing Chris Paul for an extended period and Devin Booker in recent days, it would be staggering if the Suns did not finish atop the conference standings, and the reigning Western Conference champs are in a comfortable position. From there, the Memphis Grizzlies are one of the better stories in the NBA this season, with Ja Morant enjoying a superstar turn and the team emanating spectacular vibes. The Golden State Warriors enjoyed a strong start before a downturn that coincided with Draymond Green’s absence but, despite that, the Warriors are terrifying when at full strength and far less so if Green or Stephen Curry are hampered or absent.

The drama in the West truly begins with the No. 4 seed and, in recent days, the teams situated between No. 4 and No. 7 have been red-hot. The Utah Jazz are 10-3 in the last 13 games and, with Rudy Gobert on the floor this season, Utah is 34-16 overall with an elite point differential. The Dallas Mavericks are on a five-game winning streak, further building on a positive extended stretch that includes an 11-2 mark in the last 13 contests. The Denver Nuggets, led by an MVP candidate in Nikola Jokic, are also 11-2 in the last 13 contests, overcoming the absences of Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray to staggeringly impressive results. Finally, the Minnesota Timberwolves are 8-2 in the last 10 games, including a five-game winning streak, and they have proven they aren’t fading away.

While the synergy of the four teams excelling in unison is interesting in its own right, there is also a battle to be waged in the final quarter of the season. Admittedly, the Wolves are four games behind the Jazz, making it difficult to envision Minnesota climbing all the way to No. 4, but the Jazz, Mavericks, and Nuggets are separated by a total of 1.5 games with approximately one month to go. Positioning will also be important in that no one wants to be in the play-in and potentially align themselves with a matchup against the Suns in the first round. From there, a full-strength Warriors team may present a different challenge than other contenders, and the “styles make fights” nature of the Western Conference Playoffs will be fascinating.

What does it all mean? These four teams appear safe to make the postseason, but the bracket could open up for each of them. With attention paid to the play-in races in both conferences and the uncertain picture at the top of the East, it would be easy to overlook the shuffling, but observers should buckle up. Where do these squads stack up in this week’s DIME power rankings? Let’s take a look.

1. Phoenix Suns (52-13, Last week — 1st)

Phoenix isn’t the same team without Devin Booker and Chris Paul. That isn’t breaking news to anyone, but the Suns are staying afloat and the team’s advantage in the standings is undeniable. Phoenix has an eight-game (!) lead on the entire NBA field, and that makes this a pretty easy call at the top, even when taking circumstance into account.

2. Miami Heat (44-22, Last week — 3rd)

Since Feb. 3, the Heat are 12-2. The two losses came against good teams (Dallas, Milwaukee) by a total of nine points. Miami also has the best record in the Eastern Conference, and it is appropriate to send respect their way. Oh, and the Heat get a chance to face the Suns at home on Wednesday.

3. Boston Celtics (39-27, Last week — 8th)

It feels absolutely wild to have the Celtics in the top three, but it is clearly justifiable when considering an extended period of results. Boston is 16-3 in the last 19 games, and the Celtics beat the Grizzlies head-to-head this week. The Celtics now lead the league in defensive rating (105.6) for the full season, and Boston’s net rating (+16.3) over the last 19 games is preposterous.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (45-22, Last week — 2nd)

Memphis still has the second-best record in the league, but the Grizzlies had a weird loss to Houston this week on top of the aforementioned loss to Boston. Still, there is no reason for alarm, and Memphis blasted New Orleans on Tuesday. That helps to lessen the sting of a (minor) drop.

5. Philadelphia 76ers (40-24, Last week — 4th)

The schedule hasn’t exactly been murderous, but Philadelphia is 5-0 with James Harden in uniform. Four of those five victories came by double-digits, and Harden is averaging 12.4 assists per game to go along with efficient scoring. The Sixers may not be this good when things settle in, but Philadelphia is having fun, and any offensive concerns have been muted.

6. Denver Nuggets (39-26, Last week — 6th)

We highlighted the Nuggets last week and they promptly lost a home game to Oklahoma City. That isn’t great, of course, but Denver answered the bell in winning the next three games. As noted above, Denver is absolutely in a groove right now, and the optimism on the potential returns of Murray and Porter Jr. brings even more buzz.

7. Milwaukee Bucks (41-25, Last week — 9th)

There should be appropriate fear of the Bucks right now. Milwaukee is on a five-game winning streak, beating a handful of quality teams in the process, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is a man possessed. Are the Bucks as deep as they were a year ago right now? Absolutely not, but the top of the roster is scary.

8. Dallas Mavericks (40-25, Last week — 10th)

Dallas leapfrogs Utah on the strength of a head-to-head win this week, and the Mavericks also have two victories over the Warriors in recent days. The Mavericks may not have the true talent level of a 24-7 team, but that is the record for Dallas since late December.

9. Utah Jazz (40-24, Last week — 7th)

Losing to Dallas, as noted above, wasn’t the disaster this week for Utah. That honor belongs to a 34-point loss in New Orleans. Most teams have messy performances, but that one clouded the other work going on in Salt Lake City.

10. Golden State Warriors (44-22, Last week — 5th)

When Draymond Green returns, the smart bet would be that the Warriors are better than this. Lately, though, Golden State has been anything but spectacular with a 3-9 mark over 12 games that was actually boosted by a home win on Tuesday. The measured take is to wait and see how they look at full strength, but they are wavering.

11. Minnesota Timberwolves (37-29, Last week — 12th)

Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 30 and 11 in March. Obviously, that is a small sample, but Towns is also shooting 65 percent from the floor and doing it all in 29 minutes per game. When he’s playing like this, the Wolves are clearly dangerous.

12. Cleveland Cavaliers (38-27, Last week — 14th)

It’s not as if the medium-term evaluation of the Cavs is fantastic, as Cleveland is just 3-6 in the last nine games. They did pick up a very nice win over Toronto on Sunday, though, and Darius Garland put together an electric performance (41 points, 13 assists) in a Tuesday night win over Indiana.

13. Chicago Bulls (39-26, Last week — 11th)

Danger in Chicago? The Bulls have lost five straight and lead Boston by only a half-game for the No. 4 seed. Considering Chicago was tied for No. 1 very recently, that is a precipitous fall. To be charitable, all five losses came in tough matchups, with a gauntlet of road games in Miami, Atlanta, and Philadelphia mixed in with home tilts against Memphis and Milwaukee.

14. Toronto Raptors (34-30, Last week — 13th)

The Raps are 2-5 since the All-Star break, and the only two victories came against the Durant-less Nets. That isn’t exactly the start to the second half that Nick Nurse wanted, and Toronto is closer to No. 8 than No. 6 in the standings as a result.

15. Brooklyn Nets (33-33, Last week — 16th)

The biggest news is the return of Kevin Durant and, amid other craziness, the Nets are 25-14 when he plays this season. It was Kyrie Irving that keyed the team’s most recent win, however, as the star guard erupted for 50 points in Charlotte on Tuesday. Now, all eyes turn to Thursday’s showdown in Philadelphia and Ben Simmons returning to Wells Fargo Center.

16. L.A. Clippers (34-33, Last week — 15th)

L.A. is almost in its own tier right now. The Clippers are 3.5 games behind the Wolves and 4.5 games ahead of the Lakers in the West, giving a strong likelihood that they stay at No. 8 when the play-in arrives. But, if you take a look beyond the nuts and bolts, it is clear that the Clippers have mammoth upside, especially amid (at least mild) rumblings that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George may suit up in the coming weeks.

17. Atlanta Hawks (31-33, Last week — 17th)

Every time it seems like the Hawks are turning the corner, they stall out. The latest example was a back-to-back sweep over Chicago and Washington this week, only to lose to Detroit in overtime on Monday. Atlanta’s schedule is quite friendly down the stretch, but this is a team that is struggling to find a consistent level.

18. Charlotte Hornets (32-34, Last week — 20th)

Charlotte lost at its own game on Tuesday. The Hornets gave up 132 points to the Nets and, even on a night in which they were scoring effectively, Charlotte couldn’t win at home. That isn’t a death sentence, especially with the Hornets tied for No. 9 in the East, but the ceiling is limited because of the defense.

19. Washington Wizards (29-34, Last week — 22nd)

Home wins over the Pistons and Pacers won’t excite anyone, and that’s fair. The Wizards still went 2-1 this week and nearly beat the Hawks in the third game. Kristaps Porzingis is now on the floor, too, and Washington is only 1.5 games out of the play-in. This season isn’t over by any means.

20. New Orleans Pelicans (27-38, Last week — 18th)

The Pels are very clearly in pole position for the No. 10 seed and a recent four-game winning streak further established that stranglehold. New Orleans did just lose two games, allowing 270 points in the process, but a four-game homestand begins on Wednesday against Orlando.

21. San Antonio Spurs (25-40, Last week — 19th)

Gregg Popovich is a legend by any description. He tied Don Nelson’s NBA career record this week with 1,335 wins, and he can set a new record as soon as Wednesday. That doesn’t mean San Antonio is great by any means but, after 65 games and a mark that is 15 games under .500, the Spurs still have more points than their opponents for the season.

22. Los Angeles Lakers (28-36, Last week — 23rd)

Los Angeles is still in the No. 9 spot in the play-in, and they are projected to stay in that range. With that said, the Lakers are just 2-8 in the last ten games and the vibes are horrific. It’s worth noting that LeBron James reminded everyone he’s an alien with 56 points in a big win on Saturday, but the positive blips are few and far between for the Lakers.

23. New York Knicks (27-38, Last week — 25th)

A seven-game losing streak all but closed the door on the Knicks making a run at the play-in. New York did bounce back with a weekend sweep on the road over the Clippers and Kings, but the Knicks now have to travel to Dallas, Memphis, and Brooklyn in succession.

24. Detroit Pistons (18-47, Last week — 29th)

Since mid-February, the Pistons are 6-2. That includes three straight wins and victories over the Hawks and Raptors. Cade Cunningham appears to be the real deal and, if nothing else, Detroit is playing hard and not yielding, even when they could easily justify it.

25. Sacramento Kings (24-43, Last week — 24th)

The Kings actually got a nice road win in San Antonio on Wednesday, but the rest of the week wasn’t great. Sacramento lost to a Luka-less Mavericks team before allowing more than 130 (!) points to the Knicks at home on Monday. That is gross, and the Kings are four games out of the No. 10 spot.

26. Portland Trail Blazers (25-39, Last week — 21st)

Portland’s four-game winning streak before the All-Star break seems like a million years ago. To put it kindly, the Blazers have pivoted to the future, losing five straight contests in blowout fashion. All five losses came to playoff-caliber teams, but it wasn’t as if Portland was on the precipice of stealing any games.

27. Oklahoma City Thunder (20-45, Last week — 26th)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up 99 points and 29 assists in the last three games for the Thunder. Sadly, Oklahoma City was 0-3 in those games with an average margin of defeat of 25.7 points. The Thunder also announced that three players, headlined by Lu Dort, won’t return this season, and the focus is ping-pong balls.

28. Indiana Pacers (22-45, Last week — 27th)

With Tyrese Haliburton and Malcolm Brogdon both available, the Pacers have one of the more intriguing backcourts in the league. That doesn’t cure all ills, but that duo at least gives Indiana fans something to watch that could inform the future. The Pacers are still 1-4 in the last five games with a split against Orlando and a loss to Detroit.

29. Orlando Magic (16-50, Last week — 28th)

The Magic have been borderline frisky for about six weeks. Orlando is 8-11 in the last 19 games, and the Magic nearly beat the Suns on Tuesday. Granted, that wasn’t the full-strength Suns, but the Magic aren’t embarrassing. They are competitive.

30. Houston Rockets (16-49, Last week — 30th)

Houston did shock Memphis this week, snapping a 12-game losing streak in the process. That wasn’t enough to escape the basement, though, as that victory was the team’s only win in the last calendar month. The Rockets are 1-13 over that span with a hideous -12.5 net rating.

In the latest video from Pink Sweat$‘ EP Pink Moon, the Philly native dreams of the joys of marriage. In a pastel-colored room on a film set, Sweat$ is joined by singer Tori Kelly, as they croon over the loves of their lives. Clips of Sweat$ and his fiancée are juxtaposed with Sweat$ and Kelly dueting.

“I want couples around the world to champion marriage,” Sweat$ said of the video in a statement. “At the same time, if you haven’t experienced love yet, stay hopeful for it. I’m in the process of getting married this year, and Tori is already married. It was organic because we’re both in a similar space in our lives. We just captured the energy and released it through a song.”

Ahead of the release of Pink Moon, we spoke to Sweat$ last month about the EP, and he revealed “Real Thing” was the first song he wrote. He also shared the secrets to creating a streaming hit.

“If you want a playful hit it usually can be tied to some sort of a movement, whether it’s a dance or some form of moving of the body that people can feel,” Sweat$ said. “And if you want more of a singer-songwriter hit, I think it’s just about the story and the storytelling ability because we all got a story, right? The way you articulate that story through a song, the effectiveness of it, that’s how you get ahead.”

Watch “Real Thing” above.

Pink Sweat$ is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

As the rest of the world watches as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, also watching are thousands of Russian citizens who were traveling abroad when Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, and are now stranded in far-flung locations as sanctions kick in.

In Thailand alone, Reuters reports, more than 7,000 Russians are stuck in transit without any firm answers to their questions about how and when they can return home. And cancelled flights aren’t their only problems; Russian banks have been removed from the global SWIFT payment system, leaving these tourists with credit cards that don’t work. And even if they do have access to their accounts, the currency roller coaster is impacting just how much money they do have.

Fortunately, some tourists are finding help where it matters most. “We have to be good hosts and take care of everybody,” Tourism Authority of Thailand head Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters. Other travelers have gotten more creative.

On Sunday, according to France24, 927 Russian tourists boarded chartered flights from Varadero, Cuba, a resort town approximately two hours east of Havana. Another 940 travelers, some of whom had been in the Dominican Republic, were set to leave Varadero on Monday. At the moment, there are approximately 15,000 Russian and 2,000 Ukrainian tourists visiting DR—some of whom seem to be taking the whole thing in stride.

France24 spoke with one Russian tourist, 48-year-old Alexei Nekrashevich, whose main complaint seemed to be that “It’s unfortunate that we had to fly a little early and that we didn’t get enough rest.”

(Via Reuters)

Ever since Young Dolph was shot to death at Makeda’s bakery in his native Memphis, the site has become the location of a memorial dedicated to his memory. The wall — which Dolph’s protege Key Glock featured in his “Proud” video — of the former bakery has been plastered with messages, flower bouquets, and teddy bears as well-wishers have come to pay respects to the hometown hero. However, that may soon change, according to a report from ABC Memphis, after the owner of Makeda’s decided not to re-open out of safety concerns.

Now, the owner of the building that once housed the bakery is ready to begin leasing the space again and wants the memorial taken down so they can do so. A community activist quoted in the story, Frank Gotti, expressed his understanding, but the report notes that others are not pleased. “I understand you have to lease it out and run a business,” Gotti said. “It’s his building and nobody can argue with him on that. I appreciate him for keeping it up this long.”

The concerns of both the building owner and Makeda’s might be well-founded; earlier this month, Jeremiah Taylor, who helped maintain the memorial, was reportedly shot and killed, while another was also shot to death near the memorial late last year. It’s easy to see why business owners wouldn’t want those associations attached to a property they wanted to lease.

Javier Bardem is an accomplished actor with four Oscar nominations to his name, including one win for No Country for Old Men, but he couldn’t make it more than one day as an exotic dancer.

On Wednesday’s episode of Ellen, the 53-year-old actor said that when he was 20, he “stepped out” out of a friend’s fiancée’s cake before heading to a nearby club. “I did my routine again on the disco dance floor, and the owner of the disco said, ‘Will you do that every Friday?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, of course!’ because I was drunk,” Bardem explained. The club hired him, and the following Friday, he showed up… with his mom and sister.

“I was so nervous, I called my mom and my sister to accompany me to my striptease number,” he continued. “There was nobody — I think there were, like, three people there? And it was very embarrassing, but I did it! I’m a performer, and I have my work.”

In case you were wondering (I know you were), Bardem wore “a tuxedo that I would open” and danced to “You Can Leave Your Hat On” by Joe Cocker. That one Fridat night was the beginning and end of Bardem’s stripping career, which is just as well. Imagine trying to slip a $20 into this guy’s G-string.

You can watch his Ellen interview above.

(Via People)

The Nintendo Switch has been out for five years now and what a legacy it has already created. It’s a clear winner for Nintendo, and one of the main ways it has accomplished that is by having an excellent library of games. Among that library is a strong variety of releases, but since this is Nintendo, we also know that library has a number of excellent releases among its biggest IPs.

At the top of the list are Mario and Zelda. They are easily the two biggest franchises Nintendo has, and as a result, there are a ton of games utilizing those two IPs in some capacity. With that in mind, we wanted to look back and celebrate five years of the Switch by looking at the five best games on the console from those two iconic series.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

A launch title for the Switch, Breath of the Wild took the Zelda formula and completely flipped it on its head. Gone were the themed dungeons with items as the reward, and in its place was the freedom to explore a gigantic world. The player has only one true objective: Defeat the Calamity Ganon and rescue Princess Zelda. If the player chooses, once they’ve finished the tutorial area, they can skip every single dungeon and puzzle to go straight to Hyrule Castle. Of course, doing that will result in missing out on plot details and bonuses to make Link stronger, but that’s completely up to the player.

Breath of the Wild is one, if not the best, Zelda games in the entire franchise. It gives players a sense of freedom that they’ve never had in the franchise before. The open world is dense and despite being huge, it never once felt empty. It being a launch title for the Switch quickly helped solidify the console as legitimate among Nintendo fans and now everyone is eagerly anticipating the still unnamed sequel set to come out some time in 2022.

Super Mario Odyssey

How does a company follow up one of the best Zelda games ever made? Try immediately creating a fan favorite Mario game in the same year. Mario Odyssey was something of a return to form for many Nintendo fans. Not only was it the franchise’s return to a non-linear set-up for the first time since Sunshine on the GameCube, but it managed to once again take the franchise in a new direction.

While previous Mario games were about completing a goal and getting a large reward at the end, such as a Star or a Shine Sprite, Odyssey is instead a game about collecting moons spread out all over the map. These moons are everywhere, and collecting them can sometimes be as easy as stumbling across one and picking it up. But unlike previous levels where the player is kicked out of the world and forced to choose a level again, this Mario game keeps the player in the world after collecting a moon. Play feels seamless and allows the player to really embrace exploration. It’s a great Mario game and one that everyone should play.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

While not technically a Mario or Zelda game, we feel this one still counts because of Mario’s role in the naming structure, plus both he and Link are playable characters. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is, as the name implies, the ultimate Smash Bros. experience. Every single character that has ever been in a Super Smash Bros. game before is in this, and on top of that, there are a plethora of DLC characters. The DLC characters became such a talking point among fans that, until the final character was announced, fans would have intense debates on who should be in the game. This strategy was so successful for Nintendo that it’s been copied by two clones, and Nintendo itself with Mario Kart.

These DLC characters took Ultimate and transformed it from a Nintendo crossover game into an incredible celebration of gaming. Alongside Mario and Link is Cloud from Final Fantasy VII, Sora from Kingdom Hearts, Kazuya from Tekken, and Joker from Persona 5. It’s a really incredible collection of franchises and one of the coolest games on the Switch as a result.

Cadence of Hyrule

What if you took The Legend of Zelda, but made it a rhythm game and kept the Zelda style adventure? Then you would get Cadence of Hyrule. This is a spin-off of Crypt of the NecroDancer, but with Zelda theming to it. The game itself isn’t revolutionary, but it’s a really great example of what happens when Nintendo allows other developers the opportunity to use its IPs to make games. At minimum, it created one of the best remix soundtracks in gaming.

What’s also unique about Cadence is that, unlike Mario, Nintendo doesn’t have a history of spinning off Zelda too often. It happens sometimes, but historically, it’s been far more conservative about making Zelda-themed games compared to how many titles get the Mario franchise slapped on to it. Cadence is not only one of the times where Zelda did get a spin-off, but it got a spin-off that was fun on top of that. This is a really unique Zelda game and one that any fan of the franchise should check out.

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

This game should not be good. It just shouldn’t be. Give Mario a gun, attach him to one of the most annoying mascots that Ubisoft has ever created, and put them on a team together in XCOM tactics combat? That, on paper, sounds like a dumpster fire, but instead, it’s one of the most fun games on the Switch. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is once again an example of the good things that can happen when Nintendo is willing to hand off its IPs to another developer.

This game is really weird, which makes sense because it involves the Rabbids, but it all comes together really well. The XCOM-style combat might not require as much tactical foresight as XCOM, but it does have its charm. Since this is a game involving Mario characters and Rabbids, that means they can do fun and weird stuff that is unique to only their own games. It’s a game that breaks the norms of what a Mario spin-off title looks like and it’s a great one at that. An absolute gem on the Switch.