Games

Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, has been chosen as a symbol for the Chinese New Year. According to CNN, the connection is based on the Mandarin transliteration of “Malfoy,” which is “Ma Er Fu.” The first character, “Ma,” means “horse,” and the third character signifies “good fortune.” This makes the name sound like “horses bringing good luck,” and China has embraced this meaning for their New Year celebrations.

The recent war in Hell, which resulted in Nyx taking power, has thrown everything into chaos. This also meant Cogolistro – the original Spawn, also known as Sinn – lost what he’d been planning for centuries. Now banished to Earth and facing danger from Heaven, Hell, Spawn, and the vampire king Bludd, Sinn is desperate. He’s attempting to bring back his former master, Malebolgia, hoping to reclaim the throne of Hell. In Spawn #372, this iconic Image Comics villain has returned, and the entire Spawn Universe will be forever changed.

The miniseries DC K.O. Knightfight showed Batman attempting to rejoin the competition after being eliminated, even resorting to using special armor to cheat. But the Heart of Apokolips stopped him, punishing Bruce by trapping him in simulations where each of his former Robins had become Batman. Bruce has been trying to guide these new Batmen, but the Heart’s strict rules have made it challenging. Now, Batman believes he’s found a way to help them all succeed.

The year 2000 was a fantastic year for gaming, with hits like Diablo 2, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, and Perfect Dark. However, the most talked-about game wasn’t any of those, or even Pokémon Gold and Silver, which had been popular the year before. It was The Sims. While Pokémon actually sold more copies that year, The Sims stood out because of its huge impact on the gaming world and its ability to attract people who hadn’t played games before. This social simulation game offered a new level of freedom in gameplay, taking inspiration from titles like SimCity. Since its release, The Sims has sold over 40 million copies and continues to be enjoyed by players today.

If you enjoyed Game of Thrones and are looking for something similar, check out Medieval. This 2022 historical drama, directed by Petr Jákl, tells the story of Jan Žižka, a famous military leader from Bohemia. It’s now streaming on Tubi and offers plenty of action and a realistic historical setting – making it a great choice for fans of epic fantasy. Plus, it’s free to watch! Keep in mind that streaming availability can change, so it’s best to watch Medieval on Tubi soon.

Both Xbox and PlayStation are poised to have an exceptionally strong year for gaming. Xbox is releasing titles like Fable, Halo: Campaign Evolved, and Gears of War: E-Day, while PlayStation is launching Marvel’s Wolverine, Marathon, and Saros. However, Nintendo’s lineup for 2026 appears weaker. While Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is their biggest release, and the series is popular, it’s not enough to compete, especially with supporting games like Mario Tennis Fever and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. Nintendo needs a major blockbuster game to stay competitive with its rivals, or it risks falling behind.

David Chase’s The Sopranos was a groundbreaking HBO series that moved beyond typical premium cable and became a major part of popular culture (unlike shows like Oz, which remained popular with a smaller, dedicated audience). The show truly found its footing and connected with a wide audience on February 7, 1999, with the episode titled “College”.

The Pokemon Center was the first to offer pre-orders for Pokemon Pokopia, and I think their bonus gift is still the most appealing. Now, you can also pre-order Pokopia from Amazon and Best Buy, and each store has its own special bonus. If you’re deciding whether to pre-order the new Pokemon game, I’ll explain all the bonus options available.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix has confirmed a sequel is moving forward, but with a change in directors. Xavier Gens, who directed the first film, won’t be back. Instead, Alexandre Aja – known for horror movies like High Tension, the remake of The Hills Have Eyes, and Piranha 3D and Crawl – will take the helm. His experience with creature features makes him a great choice for Under Paris 2. While Gens wrote the original, it’s currently unknown who will write the sequel.

Netflix announced this week that it will stop supporting PlayStation 3 consoles on March 2nd. After the end of February, PS3 users will no longer be able to stream movies, TV shows, or podcasts through the Netflix app. While not unexpected – Sony stopped making the PS3 in 2016 – this means PlayStation users who still rely on their PS3 for Netflix will need to find a new way to watch soon.