Coliseum

Toby Fox is one of the most well-known auteurs in indie games, known for creating Undertale and Deltarune. Despite his works’ widespread popularity, he’s a very private person, hiding his face from the internet, only doing occasional interviews, and having a relatively restrained social media presence. So when he addressed backlash from Latin American fans this weekend, it was especially significant.

Fox works with a small team, where he has a lot of creative control. According to his recent statement, the reason he hasn’t had his work translated into more languages (like Spanish or Portuguese) is because he wants to be sure translations “match” his “vision,” and he only speaks English and Japanese.

Why address the Latin American fans in the first place? On Saturday, March 28, Fox posted on X to help promote the Japanese translation of OFF (a remake of a game that inspired Undertale), since he helped with new version’s soundtrack. Fox’s post includes Japanese text and English text, the latter of which reads, “OFF has an official Japanese translation now. The trailer is cool even if you don’t speak Japanese.”

But since the topic of translations came up, many replies included people from Latin American countries, frustrated that neither of Fox’s games have received localizations into their native languages. It’s especially notable in Undertale’s case, as the game has been out since 2015. Fox doesn’t typically address the people in his replies, but in this case, he followed up with a post to Bluesky the following day, March 29, sharing two screenshots of larger text posts with the caption, “A message for my fans in Latin America.”

The March 29 post makes three points, which include the translation controversy and other related issues. Firstly, Fox says that despite the upcoming Undertale concert series not scheduling any stops in Latin America, he has little influence there, though the organizers have “heard the enthusiasm” from fans. Secondly, Fox acknowledges that, despite preferring otherwise, Fangamer (Undertale’s merchandise distributor) will not ship to Latin America, as the company says it’s “prohibitively expensive.” While Fox says “it would be amazing” if Fangamer found a way to make it work, he also says that he prefers to work with Fangamer “exclusively,” so unless the company finds a workaround, the merch will likely not come to Latin America at all.

Finally, Fox addresses the lack of Spanish and Portuguese translations of Undertale, insisting that the languages aren’t uniquely left out – the game is only available in English and Japanese. Fox goes on to say the following:

I know it sucks that there are no other official translations for UNDERTALE. But I want to make it clear that this isn’t because I have a grudge against other countries. It’s because, if I release something official, I want it to match my vision. I was only able to do this for the Japanese version because I know Japanese myself, and I worked very closely with our brilliant translator to thoroughly check the text. I am not against official translations for other languages if we could make it work the same way… In the past I have looked into various options with my publisher, 8-4, but nothing has come of that yet. Maybe I should try a different approach.

Fox also says Deltarune is unlikely to receive more translations either, writing, “it’s just not feasible from a development standpoint to support other languages right now, since it would make the game take longer to come out…” Fox then goes on to praise unofficial fan translations, saying he’s “very happy” they exist, and that they can exist without being “officially” perfect.

Based on the replies and reactions to the post, the statement is controversial, to say the least. While some defend Fox and his desire to keep the development team small, others say Undertale’s massive success more than justifies the time and cost of adding more languages. Some also say it’s unrealistic to expect such specific creative control over a translation, and that any official localization is better than none. At the time of writing, Fox has yet to post online again.

For more of Toby Fox’s elusive public statements, check out this interview freelancer Ana Diaz did with the developer in The Outer Worlds 2 issue of Game Informer from last September.

In 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie not only set the box office on fire to the tune of more than $1.3 billion worldwide, but also aptly demonstrated the potential of a larger Super Mario Bros. cinematic continuity. The first film wasn’t perfect, but it told a fun, heartfelt, and appropriately nostalgic story featuring the biggest stars of the Mario franchise, demonstrating that respect for the source material can go a long way towards making a strong video game adaptation. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie carries forward the momentum of the first entry, wasting no time in getting to the action, jokes, and onslaught of game references and character appearances, but in the process, sacrifices some narrative cohesion.

Warning: While I try to remain as spoiler-free as possible, certain elements of the narrative and characters are mentioned throughout this article. One cameo, which was spoiled by official marketing, is discussed in this review.

While The Super Mario Bros. Movie focused a large chunk of its plot on the origin of Mario as an unsuccessful plumber in Brooklyn and how he winds up in the Mushroom Kingdom, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has no such setup to worry about. After a brief scene that introduces Rosalina and sets the stage for the story to come, the rest of the movie is almost all gas and no brakes. This results in a somewhat breakneck pace that is at once exhilarating and, at times, exhausting and difficult to keep up with.

After reacclimating the audience with the main characters Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Bowser, as well as introducing a few new faces, including Bowser Jr. and Yoshi, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie launches fans into a spectacular tour through much of Mario’s history. This whirlwind voyage includes references to Super Mario World, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Odyssey, and, oddly enough, a sequence heavily devoted to Super Mario Bros. 2 (Super Mario USA). As a fan of the Mario franchise for more than three and a half decades, I relished in these, at times, rapid-fire references, even as some of them made little contribution to the grander narrative.

Despite those references to other Mario games, this is absolutely a Super Mario Galaxy-centered movie. From the intricately rendered Comet Observatory and recreation of the Star Festival (this time as Peach’s birthday) to the fun use of launch stars and glimpses of recognizable planets from both Galaxy and Galaxy 2, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie lives up to its namesake. The set dressing and cast may spread the love to a variety of Mario adventures, but the narrative backdrop and many of the visual and audio cues are definitively Galaxy.

While on the topic of the audio, one of the biggest complaints many had about The Super Mario Bros. Movie was in its utilization of licensed music when game music would have fit better; the most stark example of this was a scene that took place in Donkey Kong Country that used A-ha’s “Take on Me.” The Super Mario Galaxy Movie features minimal licensed music, save for one brief sequence where it feels organic. This allows the excellent score by Brian Tyler, who continued working in conjunction with legendary composer Koji Kondo, to shine; I smiled on multiple occasions when I heard small musical flourishes and sound effects from the various eras of Mario and Nintendo’s history, though I sometimes wished for just a few more notes of some songs. Honestly, the decision to rely on the original Mario music rather than licensed tracks might be the biggest improvement this sequel makes over its predecessor. And thanks to the already-cinematic quality of Galaxy’s orchestral music, it feels right at home in a grand-scale blockbuster film such as this.

Speaking of the way this movie sounds, the voice cast is largely terrific. Chris Pratt and Charlie Day come across as more confident in their roles as Mario and Luigi, respectively. Jack Black continues to be a perfectly cast force of nature as Bowser, and Anya Taylor-Joy still perfectly captures the essence of Peach. New additions Benny Safdie and Brie Larson can join Jack Black on the list of inspired casting in this franchise, while Donald Glover is unrecognizable (but good) in his limited capacity as Yoshi.

I say limited capacity because, while featured prominently in the marketing and story, Yoshi is kind of just along for the ride with little groundwork laid for why, or interesting things to do. Mario and Luigi find him early in the story, and he’s instantly part of the group (to the point that Toad even makes a snarky comment about it). This is indicative of the larger narrative thinness of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie; yes, there are plot points, motivations, and pivotal events that occur, but so much of the story feels stitched together in the loosest possible way to take the characters – and, by extension, the audience – from one destination or set piece to the next. 

The same could be said of Fox McCloud, who is an enjoyable, albeit shoehorned-in addition to this film. As a Star Fox fan since 1997, I had a genuine “pinch me” moment when a high-profile Hollywood production launched into a brief explainer of who Star Fox is. However, it’s fair to say that Fox is a completely inessential addition to the cast, and by having the marketing spoil his inclusion just one week prior to release, a genuinely shocking reveal turned into a predictable game of “When will he show up?” Unfortunate marketing aside, Glen Powell delivers an excellent performance as the leader of Star Fox, and the movie’s characterization of Fox, which leans more into his arrogant flyboy side than his stoic leader side, injects additional fun into the adventure. 

Though the story sometimes feels disjointed, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a movie made or broken by its moments. And in that regard, Universal and Nintendo hit a homerun. Each scene is lovingly crafted and visually stunning, and the movie delivers more than its fair share of smiles throughout, regardless of your age or when you got into Nintendo. This is a movie that is undeniably made with children in mind – and some of the jokes certainly remind you throughout – but if you’ve ever picked up a controller and turned on a Mario game, this movie is also for you. The novelty of finally seeing a faithful adaptation of Nintendo’s mascot on the big screen may have faded, but the thrill of watching Mario and friends go on a sprawling adventure remains as compelling as ever.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is still the joyful experience of the first movie and continues to respect the source material in ways most other game adaptations fall short, but it’s the cinematic equivalent of a theme-park ride. You’ll pay for your ticket, sit in the chair, and at the end of it all, you’re likely to emerge with a smile on your face. But just like those theme park rides, the experience can feel fragmented, and the events therein can feel arbitrarily pieced together. Still, at a certain point, you have to ask yourself, “What are you really hoping to get out of an animated, family-friendly Mario movie?” The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is unlikely to receive any nominations for its storytelling, but it’s a crowd-pleasing continuation of one of the best video game movies of all time. And for me, that’s exactly what I needed it to be.

8.5

Though Magic: The Gathering’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set was only just released earlier this month, Wizards of the Coast is preparing to release the next set, Secrets of Strixhaven. The beloved mage school in the universe of Magic: The Gathering, known as Strixhaven, is a setting Wizards of the Coast has played around in before, and this set promises a return to the hallowed halls of the unique five colleges that make up the school when it launches on April 24. 

Ahead of its launch, we have an in-depth look at various cards, commander decks, bundles, and more that you can expect in Magic: The Gathering – Secrets of Strixhaven. Before paging through our myriad galleries featuring cards and more below, check out the official Magic: The Gathering – Secrets of Strixhaven trailer below: 

If you want an even more in-depth video discussing this new set, check out the overview trailer here. Okay, onto the cards!

Magic: The Gathering – Secrets of Strixhaven Card Preview

Below, we’ll have various galleries to scroll through, showcasing cards, variants, commander decks, bundles, and more. 

Main Set

Main Set

 

These cards will be available in various bundles, booster packs, collector boosters, and more. 

Commanders

Commanders

These are the various Commander cards that will be available to play with as part of the set’s pre-constructed Commander Decks. 

 

Booster Alts

Booster Alts

These are the alt-art cards that will be available in regular booster packs and collector’s booster packs. 

 

Bonus Sheet

Bonus Sheet

These Bonus Sheet cards are essentially Strixhaven-themed reprints and will be available in packs and bundles. 

 

Bundles and Commander Decks

Bundles and Commander Decks

These are the bundles and Commander Decks available for purchase as part of the Secrets of Strixhaven set. 

 

The full set launches on April 24 and we’re excited to jump in! As I wrote in my last Magic: The Gathering set preview (for TMNT), this type of feature is new for us here at Game Informer – many of us here on staff play Magic: The Gathering but we, as a website, haven’t covered it all too much (though we do post videos about it from time to time on TikTok and Instagram Reels). Part of that is, well, Magic: The Gathering is a paper card game and not a video game. But we recognize that many of our audience’s interests overlap between video games and tabletop/board/card games, so we’re doing our best to bring you more coverage like this. 

I’d love your feedback – what can Game Informer do to improve its Magic: The Gathering coverage? Do you like this preview style? Do you like the galleries? Do you want more details? Less details? Let me know in the comments below!