Lego Indiana Jones Temple Of The Golden Idol Set Gets Big Discount
Everyone’s favorite archeologist, Indiana Jones, has been the star of several Lego sets in the past, but it doesn’t get any better than this set which recaptures the magic of the first film. Available at Amazon, the Temple of the Golden Idol Lego set usually costs $150, but you can grab it for $120 right now. Just remember to start the plane when you’ve got your hands on the tiny golden idol.
Directly inspired by the opening sequence of Raiders of the Lost Ark, you’ll get a model comprised of various sections of the temple Indy investigates in the opening minutes. There aren’t any snakes, but there are four minifigures–Indiana Jones, Satipo, Belloq, and a Hovitos Warrior–traps, interactive features, and a massive boulder for that added touch of authenticity.
It’s a pretty intensive set to build as well, so you’re going to want to clear your schedule when you start sorting through over 1,500 Lego pieces and assembling them into something you can proudly display on your shelf. Once you’re done, this set will clock in at 8 inches in length and is 20 inches wide. For something a little different but also very nostalgic, the Lego Optimus Prime kit is also on sale.
This is a very big and impressive replica of the Autobot leader, as it leans heavily into the character’s G1 aesthetics and even transforms. Normally $180, it’s on sale for $144 and makes for a very fun afternoon of building. The completed figure looks like he jumped straight out of the animated series, and he comes with several neat extras as well.
Palia – How To Solve The Riddle In Ancient Battery Quest
An early task during your time in Palia requires you to solve the riddle during the Ancient Battery quest. The game will still be quite new to you at this time, which can mean you’re not yet used to its language of riddle-solving and how its various temples challenge you on your journey. In this guide, we’ll walk you through what you need to do to solve the riddle in Palia.
Palia Ancient Battery quest and how solve the riddle
When you first arrive inside the temple north of Phoenix Falls, as indicated by your quest marker, you’ll see an expansive and elaborate room with little more than a water basin in the middle and ornate decor on the walls and floor. On the far end, a locked door features a plaque that contains the riddle’s only clue, a short rhyme that reads as follows:
Knowledge grows the mind even in times of strife.
To enter here, you must supply that which grows life.
Once you’ve read it, you may already determine the solution. If not, the game suggests you speak to Jina for more information. You can choose to seek her out if you wish, but you need not do so to complete the quest, and speaking to her won’t actually give you the answer. But the next paragraph below will.
The solution is quite simple; to “supply that which grows life,” you must equip your watering can and pour water into the basin until the meter fills, just like you would while watering your plants at home. If you arrive to the temple without water in your can, you can refill it in any shallow pool of water, such as a pond in town or by your home–just don’t go in too deep, or else you’ll respawn out of the water, since you can’t swim in Palia (yet anyway).
Once the water bowl is filled, the door housing the riddle plaque will open and complete the quest. You can then speak to Jina, who by then should be standing inside the temple with you, to continue on with your main quest, eventually leading you to unlock the game’s all-important glider.
For more on Singularity Six’s game, don’t miss our extensive Palia recipes list and details on the game’s cross-play support.
MLB The Show 24 Review – Base Hit
A lot of people will tell you that Hank Aaron is the greatest to ever play the game of baseball. Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, is one of those people, and it’s easy to see why. You only have to look at Hammerin’ Hank’s stats–755 home runs and 3,771 hits in Major League Baseball–his outstanding consistency across 23 big league seasons, or the fact that he achieved all of this after such humble beginnings. Growing up, Aaron had few opportunities to play organized baseball. In fact, he had few opportunities to even use the right equipment. Instead, a young Henry Aaron would take his mom’s broomstick and use it as a makeshift bat to hit bottlecaps–it’s no wonder he ended up being so good.
I knew of Hank Aaron’s incredible career, but supplemental details like this are part of what makes Storylines such a captivating and enlightening experience. If last year’s game was all about introducing this brilliant and groundbreaking new mode, then MLB The Show 24 is more about fine-tuning the existing framework. This isn’t an uncommon approach for annual sports games, and while Sony San Diego’s latest baseball sim might not seem as fresh or exciting as last year’s offering, it still plays an excellent game of baseball while possessing a tangible reverence for the sport’s rich history and inherent romanticism. Players are more than just stats and numbers, after all.
This is where Storylines comes in, and it’s once again the highlight of the whole package. Like any good TV series, MLB The Show 24 returns with a second season of The Negro Leagues, exploring an era of baseball that has often been overlooked and forgotten. At launch, there are four stories to play through, shining a spotlight on the aforementioned Henry “Hank” Aaron, as well as Josh Gibson, Walter “Buck” Leonard, and Toni Stone, with more set to arrive in forthcoming updates.
Bob Kendrick’s charismatic and insightful narration brings these tales to life, aided by slickly produced videos that weave in historical photographs, original artwork, and archival footage to paint a portrait of these players and their profound impact on baseball and American culture. In between these video packages, you’ll play through pivotal moments from each player’s career, from Aaron’s first hit as a member of the Milwaukee Braves to Josh Gibson’s decimation of MLB pitching in exhibition games–where he batted a ridiculous .426. Perhaps the most interesting collection of episodes focuses on the career of Toni Stone, a true trailblazer who became the first woman to play for a professional baseball team when she took Hank Aaron’s roster spot after he departed the Negro Leagues for the MLB.
Alongside these eye-opening tales, MLB The Show 24 also expands on the Storylines concept by adding a series on legendary New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. By using a New York subway motif as the backdrop for Jeter’s story, the former captain recounts important moments from the first few years of his storied career as you travel along the tracks from 1996 to 2000. Starting with his first steps as an unheralded rookie to achieving legendary status as the Yankees won three consecutive World Series titles, Jeter gives you an insight into his and the team’s mindset during this monumental run. There are also three side stories that center on the other members of the Yankees’ Core Four: Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte. These stories are brief, consisting of a single video package, but completing each additional mission unlocks their player cards for use in Diamond Dynasty.
As a Yankees fan, I enjoyed Jeter’s retelling of the era’s events, along with being able to recreate moments like his iconic jump-throw and a number of his clutch hits. Admittedly, however, it’s not the most interesting collection of stories. This is a team and player that won four championships in five years with little to no adversity, while Jeter himself was relatively drama-free off the field. It doesn’t make for the most compelling narrative, but the inclusion of Jeter’s Storylines does at least set a precedent for the series where we’ll hopefully see more engrossing tales in the future, whether the focal point is on a single Hall of Fame player or an entire team.
Road to the Show, meanwhile, lets you create and play as a woman for the first time. There are specific video packages that differ from those in the male career, with MLB Network analysts embracing the historical significance of a woman being drafted by an MLB team. A separate narrative based around you getting drafted alongside a childhood friend also differentiates the female career from the male side–which lacks any kind of story–while considerations like a private dressing room add an element of authenticity. The majority of cutscenes play out via text message, however, replacing the series’ previous narration with a hackneyed alternative.
The only other new addition to Road to the Show is the return of the Draft Combine, which gives you three games to improve your draft ranking by playing well against other prospects. While it’s good to see the combine back, it’s a fairly superfluous addition for those who simply want to choose which team to play for rather than leaving it up to fate. It also doesn’t take into account starting pitchers, dropping your draft stock because you’re only able to play in one of the three available games. The inclusion of women is a positive one, but Road to the Show is still in desperate need of an overhaul to its tired loadout system and bland presentation.
Franchise remains mostly the same, aside from one new addition with the potential to completely alter how you engage with the mode. Custom Game Entry Conditions is a setting that lets you simulate games until certain conditions are met, at which point you’re able to take control. You can customize these conditions based on how critical the situation is by tinkering with a situation-importance slider that ranges from low to very high.
You’re able to pick the earliest inning you’re willing to enter games, and can also ensure that you’ll always jump into player-highlight moments, such as finishing off a potential no-hitter or extending a batter’s hitting streak. With this setting, you might decide you only want to enter games during high-leverage situations in the ninth inning or play from the seventh inning onwards in tight games. This alleviates the grind of a full 162-game season while keeping you invested and making sure you have an impact on games that might mean the difference between making the playoffs or missing out on October baseball. The one side-effect of this addition is that Road to October and its truncated seasons now feel obsolete, but improving Franchise makes this a worthy trade-off.
Diamond Dynasty, the card-collecting and squad-building mode, is also not too dissimilar from last year’s game. The implementation of Sets and Seasons has been tweaked, with longer seasons giving you more playing time with season-limited cards. The amount of top-rated cards attainable at the beginning of a season has also been reduced to give you something to build towards.
Cards will now gradually escalate in power over the course of a single season so you won’t be rocking a 99-rated team after a single week. These are positive changes in what remains the most approachable of the many card-collecting modes in sports games, such is the ease with which you’re able to acquire great players without spending a dime. The plethora of single and multiplayer modes is also a feather in its cap.
MLB The Show 24’s on-field action remains stellar. For the first time, new rules like the pitch clock, slightly larger bases, and limited pick-off attempts have been implemented. Impact Plays, a new addition that emphasizes great defense, are also new, reinforcing the impact of spectacular diving catches and difficult throws. Impact Plays are possible anytime you’re player-locked, such as in Road to the Show. If there’s a possibility for a highlight-reel play, the game will slow down and task you with completing a quick-time event. How you perform here determines how successful the play will be. It feels great each time you’re able to rob a batter of a base hit by plucking the ball out of the air moments before it touches the ground or firing a laser beam to first base to beat a runner. I only wish Impact Plays were more frequent and were included as an option when controlling a full team.
The continued absence of an online Franchise mode and the stale nature of Road to the Show are disappointing aspects of this release, but MLB The Show 24 still maintains the series’ commendable output with fantastic gameplay and another collection of fascinating stories exploring The Negro Leagues and its players. A journey through the exalted career of Derek Jeter might not be quite as gripping, but it builds on Storyline’s established framework and lays down an exciting blueprint for the mode’s future. The addition of women in Road to the Show is another positive step, further reinforcing the overarching theme that baseball is for everyone, while the ability to customize how you play Franchise mode makes it a much more palatable proposition for those embarking on a 162-game season. MLB The Show 24 might not swing for the fences, but it’s still a great way to spend the looming summer months.
6 Recent Anime Blu-Ray Releases You May Have Missed
March has been a big month for physical releases of popular anime, so it’d be understandable if some of the earlier releases in 2024 slipped past you. Let’s take a look at a handful of the anime releases you have missed in January and February.
Bocchi The Rock – Complete First Season
First up is Bocchi: The Rock, a must-watch anime series for anyone who loves music. Hitori Gotoh, a high school girl and talented guitarist who dreams of rock stardom but is also incredibly introverted, is eventually pulled out of her socially inept shell when she joins a local band. Dubbed Bocchi-chan by her bandmates, Gotoh finally finds a platform to help her grow and face her severe social anxiety, little by little. Bocchi: The Rock is a terrific combination of polished visuals and a killer soundtrack, mixed with endearing characters and hard-rocking performances. The Blu-ray includes all 12 episodes from the first season, promos, and clean credit sequences.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stone Ocean – Part 1 – Blu-ray – Limited Edition
Another anime to check out but with a far more confident heroine is Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean. January’s release for Part 1 of the saga contains 18 episodes, both English and Japanese language tracks, clean credit sequences, and a 48-page booklet in this limited-edition release. This Jojo series focuses on Jolyne Cujoh–and yes there is a Jolyne song reference in one episode–as she finds herself locked up in the Green Dolphin Street Prison. Framed for a crime she didn’t commit, Jolyne has to get to the bottom of a mystery that will bring the war between the Joestar family and Dio to a fateful end.
Like the other Jojo series, it’s not long before Jolyne awakens her own Stand, Stone Free, and finds herself drawn into several battles against other Stand-users, each one using their powers in unique and deadly ways.
RahXephon – Complete Collection
An underrated anime to check out is Rahxephon, a mysterious tale set inside of Tokyo city. For 15 years, humanity fought an ongoing battle against the alien invaders known as the Mu, who have trapped the city of Tokyo inside an impenetrable dome that has altered the flow of time. One inhabitant begins to make brief contact with the outside world, but as he soon learns, nothing’s quite as it seems as reality begins to unravel and he finds himself central to a plan that could alter the fate of our species. This Blu-ray includes all 26 episodes and the full-length feature film, as well as clean credits, production art, and interviews with the cast and crew.
Handyman Saitou In Another World – The Complete Season
For something a little more lighthearted, there’s Handyman Saitou In Another World. If you’re familiar with Isekai anime, then you’re probably bored with the usual power-fantasy show about a high school kid summoned to another world and given incredible power as he builds his own personal army of potential girlfriends. Handyman Saitou changes up that formula with a protagonist who remains as mortal as the average adventurer.
The catch here is that Saitou is incredibly useful thanks to his wide array of handyman skills, assisting his comrades with his craftsmanship, lockpicking skills, and general usefulness as they explore deadly dungeons. It’s a surprisingly heartwarming show with some wonderful worldbuilding, and you’ll get all 12 episodes alongside several extras in this Blu-ray release.
I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills – Complete Collection
Sticking with fantasy anime, if you’re in the mood for something familiar but weird, there’s I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills. After Farmer Al kills a dragon with a carrot like some sort of fantasy-genre John Wick, his life quickly gets turned upside down when he discovers that his high-level farming skills have made him stronger than even the greatest heroes of the land. Still seeking to reach the apex of farming, Al works to keep threats to the kingdom at bay so that his farm can remain safe. This Blu-ray has all 12 episodes from the first season.
Paprika
Lastly, one of the most influential anime movies of all time has just gotten a fresh Blu-ray release but don’t be surprised if this one sells out. Paprika has been cited as a major influence by several filmmakers over the years, and this 4K restoration does an excellent job at bringing this surreal movie to a new audience. Paprika is one of those films you’ll want to go into with as few details as possible for maximum impact, and once you’re done having your grasp on reality shaken to its core, there are a lot of extras to enjoy.
A documentary on the restoration process, a making-of documentary, storyboards, trailers, and several extra featurettes are all included and come packaged inside of a sharp-looking steel book cover. For anyone familiar with this trippy film, this is easily the definitive Paprika package to pick up and add to your collection.
Overwatch 2’s New DPS Hero, Venture, Is As Maneuverable As They Are Deadly
Overwatch 2’s newest DPS hero, Venture, will be excavating their way into the game soon, and Blizzard has now given fans their best look yet at the archaeologists’ game-changing abilities.
Venture is a highly maneuverable DPS who uses their Smart Excavator weapon to both deal damage and overcome enemy defenses. The weapon itself launches seismic charges that explode after a short distance.
The real fun of Venture looks to be using the drill to move around the battlefield in interesting ways. Venture’s Burrow ability allows them to dig underground and emerge underneath enemies, dealing damage when surfacing. While underground, Venture is invulnerable, allowing the ability to serve as both an offensive and defensive tool. Drill Dash allows Venture to, well, dash through the air, pushing enemies who come into contact with the drill back. Taken together, Venture can zip around fights using the two abilities in conjunction.
As for Venture’s ultimate, Tectonic Shock, it sends out large damaging shockwaves in an area in front of Venture. The DPS hero additionally sports two passive abilities. One, Explorer’s Resolve, grants them a temporary shield when activating abilities, while the other, Clobber, increases the damage of Venture’s basic melee attacks.
Venture will be officially arriving in Overwatch 2 with the launch of Season 10 on April 16, but players can take them for a spin early during a trial weekend March 28-31.
Blizzard recently announced some big changes coming to Overwatch 2 alongside Season 10, including making the game more “generous” by making all its heroes free immediately upon release, rather than making players grind to unlock them or pay via the premium battle pass. Moving forward, Overwatch 2 will reward more coins used for purchasing cosmetics and more battle pass XP, and additionally give players a new way to earn the game’s coveted Mythic skins.
Last season brought major changes to Overwatch 2’s gameplay and systems, with a reworked competitive mode, hero HP increases, and new role-wide passives . Blizzard recently introduced a crossover with the legendary anime Cowboy Bebop, adding skins that transform the game’s heroes into members of the Bebop’s crew.
PlayStation Plus Free Games For April 2024 Revealed
PlayStation has announced the next batch of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers. April 2024’s PS Plus Essential lineup includes the following three games: Immortals of Aveum, Minecraft Legends, and Skul: The Hero Slayer. All three games will be available to claim starting April 2. In the meantime, make sure you’ve added March’s freebies to your account.
Released last year, Immortals of Aveum was sadly overlooked amidst the many other excellent releases of 2023. A grand and sweeping tale of elite battlemages banding together to save the world, this game allows you to harness arcane powers within its first-person magic-shooting design. It also has a welcome old-school single-player design, a great cast to interact with, and a fascinating world to explore as you refine your playstyle across three forces of magic and slowly transform into the powerful Triarch Magnus.
Minecraft Legends is a delightful spin-off from the main game, swapping its open-world design for an action-strategy approach. With Piglins on the march, it’s up to you to form alliances with new friends, lead your forces in battle, and defend the Overworld from a sinister threat. For an extra challenge, you can take on your friends in combat or you can team up with them to take down cunning opponents in their fortified settlements.
The third game available to PS Plus subscribers this month is Skul: The Hero Slayer. As the lowly skeleton Skul, it’s up to you to take the fight to a band of heroic adventurers after they attacked the Demon King and imprisoned all of your friends. This is a quirky 2D action-platformer with lush pixel-art graphics and fluid combat, as well as an an ever-changing map. There’s a unique arsenal of weapons and abilities to unlock in the game, allowing you to mix things up and utilize impressive skeletal skills to aid you in your quest.
Lastly, PS Plus subscribers can pick up an Overwatch 2 bundle. This pack contains a free Legendary Beekeeper Sigma skin, Legendary Art Deco Symmetra skin, seven Epic skins, and five battle pass tier skips.
A few days remain to claim the PS Plus March 2024 games. Right now, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Sifu, Hello Neighbor 2, and F1 23 can still be added to your collection.
PlayStation Plus free games for April 2024
Available April 2 to May 6.
- Immortals of Aveum – PS5
- Minecraft Legends – PS5 and PS4
- Skul: The Hero Slayer – PS4
CoD: Modern Warfare 3 Season 3 MP Trailer Reveals The Return Of CTF
Season 3 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 arrives on April 3, and Activision has released a multiplayer trailer for the new season. This trailer shows off new multiplayer maps, more operator skins, and the return of Call of Duty’s Capture the Flag game mode.
Capture the Flag was once a Call of Duty staple, but the mode was not included with the launch of Modern Warfare 3. Finally, Season 3 will let players go for those intense flag captures and defends. In addition to the game mode, players can also expect four multiplayer maps to arrive.
As shown above, the trailer gives glimpses of the season’s new maps. One map showcases close-quarters fights in what appears to be a grow house, and another map takes the fight outdoors at what could be some sort of luxury resort with pools. Sledgehammer Games has also confirmed one of the maps is Sphere from Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Season 3 includes some pretty wild new operator skins, including a bat and a murderous-looking bunny. On the Warzone side, the battle royale’s popular Rebirth Island map is returning with the launch of Season 3. Here we include all the Season 3 rumors and details we know so far.