Evening Reading - February 24, 2023

Hey, everyone! How's the weather out there? Out in here Los Angeles, it's… not great. Doesn't rain like this very often. Plus, I'm hearing the word "blizzard" in a non-Dairy Queen context for the first time… ever? So while I deal with that, let's jump into the latest news, memes, and entertainment. This is the Friday edition of Evening Reading.

In case you missed it at Shacknews:

• CD Projekt RED talks about improving Cyberpunk 2077 post-launch and future plans
• Cyberpunk: Edgerunners producer talks working with Studio Trigger
• 7 Tower Thoughts: The last weekend before Lightfall
• World's best Smash Ultimate player MkLeo is a free agent again
• SEC defends TSLA 'funding secured' settlement, says Elon Musk still needs a 'Twitter sitter'
• Destiny 2's The Witch Queen campaign is free to play ahead of Lightfall's launch
• Rally Adventure revealed as second Forza Horizon 5 expansion
• Intel CEO says Arrow Lake CPUs are 'on track' with no delays
• Elder Scrolls Online creative director answers community questions about Necrom chapter
• Adobe acquisition of Figma may be blocked by the DOJ
• Larian Studios hasn't ruled out Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox [UPDATED]
• Nintendo confirms it will not take part in E3 2023
• Shack Chat: What IP would you like to see come to PS VR2?

And, because it's the weekend, go find yourself something to play!

• Weekend Console Download Deals for Feb. 24: Free Katamari Damacy Reroll trial for Switch
• Weekend PC Download Deals for Feb. 24: Catch up with Destiny 2

Around the gaming horn

We take a closer look at Humanity. Check out our recent playthrough of the demo.

Kerbal Space Program 2 is now available on Steam Early Access.

Halo Infinite has kicked off Season 3: Echoes.

Finally, Octopath Traveler 2 is out today! I reviewed this!

And now... Other Stuff From The Internet!!!

Who wants to be the very best?

The journey towards Ash's swansong continues today on Netflix.

We’re giving you a first look at two new characters from the upcoming, all-new Pokémon animated series!

Introducing Friede and his partner Pokémon, Captain Pikachu, who accompany our protagonists during their adventures!

⚡ Stay tuned, Trainers—more info will be coming soon! pic.twitter.com/U7oAMVs7CL

— Pokémon (@Pokemon) February 24, 2023

And here's a look at what the future holds for the post-Ash Ketchum series.

Under the Umbrella

The Umbrella Academy family is getting even bigger: welcome Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally and David Cross to the cast in the final season! pic.twitter.com/RtOEQHSG9b

— Umbrella Academy (@UmbrellaAcad) February 25, 2023

Umbrella Academy's last season looking to go out on a high note.

Eggplant emoji

I'm a Kid Icarus fan, so I was fascinated by the latest from the Angry Video Game Nerd. Give this one a look, if for no other reason, than to hear his trivia tidbits on Greek (and Egyptian) mythology.

Remember Pit from Kid Icarus? This is him now, feel old yet? pic.twitter.com/YdqRD5TUZM

— Ultima | #вʟм (@UltimaShadowX) February 24, 2023

Oh, that's just mean.

Back on the Banned Wagon

You'd better believe I've been following the Mario Maker community's journey through Super Wagon World. Here are the first three videos from CarlSagan42, as he tries to power through this adventure through the peak of Mario Maker troll garbage.

Nothing but the Hotfix

Randomizers are awesome! Today, let's take a look at this Super Mario spotlight, where we get runs of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World randomizers.

GDQ's Hotfix shows air every week and you can catch them all at the Games Done Quick Twitch account. Don't forget that Frost Fatales begins this Sunday!

Under the learning tree with Masahiro Sakurai

Masahiro Sakurai started a YouTube channel! Let's learn from his decades of experience together by looking at one of his latest videos. This week, Sakurai takes a look at loading screens, their function in games, and how to best take advantage of them if you absolutely can't avoid using them.

This week in Shaqnews

pic.twitter.com/NTVOl3fL4i

— WholesomeMemes (@WholesomeMeme) February 24, 2023

No Shaq on Inside the NBA this week, so enjoy this wholesome meme instead.

IT'S STILL REAL TO ME, DAMMIT!

Relive the epic day that Sami Zayn had last Saturday, as he returned to his hometown of Montreal a hero, prepared for the biggest match of his life, performed in front of his people and his family, and ended the night on top of the wr--

Oh, right, I forgot. He lost. D'oh.

Tonight in video game music

I mentioned earlier that Octopath Traveler 2 is out today. E6 performer and Friend of Shacknews Lacey Johnson already has one of its first covers. Check out her rendition of the main theme.

That's it for the last Friday Evening Reading for the month of February! Be sure to keep the spirit of the classic Evening Reading alive by jumping into the comments about whatever you see here or whatever randomness you'd like to discuss. Join the conversation and dive into the Shacknews Chatty comment thread below. I'll see you all next week!

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?