Box Office Any% Speedrun

The Super Mario Bros. Movie has arrived in theaters, and audiences have already given it enough coins to set records. Since it finally warp-piped its way onto theater screens this past Easter weekend after being announced in September 2021, the film has already become the highest-grossing videogame movie of all time domestically – a record previous set by Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Grossing over $375M globally in 5 days, the movie is on the Rainbow Road to hitting $1B by year’s end.

Surprisingly, Super Mario Bros. gained numerous negative reviews from critics, in heavy contrast to its near-perfect reception from general audiences. Perhaps they Nintendon’t see the movie-magic that the average viewer Nintendoes. Regardless, its massive success means we’ll surely see Mario hit the screen again soon, though a sequel hasn’t been confirmed.

Middle-Earth Makes Its Return

The hotly-anticipated Lord of the Rings title Heroes of Middle-Earth is nearing its release. The turn-based strategy RPG title will allow players to build their own Fellowship before fighting in PvE and PvP battles. Players can also expect to see the developer’s content schedule and regular updates after the game’s release. Wary gamers may choose to exercise caution, as the publisher has yet to confirm if the title will include microtransactions. The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-Earth comes to Android and iOS app stores on May 10th, 2023.

Bring Me 2 Vita

A new report states that Sony may be dipping their feet in the waters of handheld gaming again. However, it’s not the comeback for the Vita many have hoped for. A project codenamed “Q Lite” will reportedly allow PS5 titles to be streamed via Remote Play. Early prototypes also describe the device as one akin to a PS5 controller with an 8-inch screen. While playing PS5 titles on the go sounds great, the device will unfortunately require PS5 ownership and constant internet connectivity. The device’s value, without truly-portable capabilities, is questionable, but it still makes for an interesting addition to the PlayStation family. Gamers may expect to see this device released before the PS5 Pro, though it is still in its QA phase.

This Dogg Don’t Game

Rap star Snoop Dogg has reportedly resigned from his position with gaming company FaZe Clan. His departure follows a sharp decline in the company’s stock prices and reports of an internal power struggle. Snoop’s time at the company was minimal, having only been on their board of directors for a brief four months. His impact, however, was not, as FaZe Clan’s stock value has been declining since his appointment. The news of his resignation has been met with mixed reactions from the gaming community, and leaves the future of FaZe Clan uncertain.

Want More Respawn?

Click here to find more Weekly Respawn and other content, and be sure to follow us on Twitter and YouTube for the latest AMG news!