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Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a labor of love. You can see it in every pixel, animation and cutscene of the new 2D action game. It might be a surprise then that it's not the work of Team Ninja, the studio most closely associated with the series, but rather franchise newcomer The Game Kitchen. The Spanish studio is best known for its work on Blasphemous, a series of Souls-like Metroidvanias influenced by Spains own Andalusian culture and history with Roman Catholicism. "I'm an '80s kid," says David Jaumandreu, game director and producer on Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. "I still have my copy of the first Ninja Gaiden in the basement." The way Jaumandreu tells it, Ragebound is a dream project for him and his coworkers. The Game Kitchen began working on the game about halfway through the production of Blasphemous 2. French publisher Dotemu, best known for releasing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, approached the studio after seeing its work on Blasphemous. There's some superficial visual overlap between Ragebound and Blasphemous 2, but when it comes to tone and gameplay, they could not be more dissimilar. Where Blasphemous 2 is dark and solemn, Ragebound leans into the franchise's origin as a product of the '80s. It's loud and frequently cheesy, but in an endearing way. It's also a lot faster paced, with levels that grade on how quickly you can complete them, often while taking as little damage as possible. Early on in the project, one of the things the team knew they wanted was to include two protagonists, with one of them hailing from the Black Spider Clan. For the uninitiated, the Black Spider Clan has usually served as the antagonists of the Ninja Gaiden series. Ragebound is set during the events of the 1988 NES game. After series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa leaves for the US to avenge his father's death, demons descend on peaceful Hayabusa Village and it's up to newcomer Kenji Mozu to save his clan. The Game Kitchen / Dotemu "We thought if we're taking the series back to its roots, wouldn't it be cool to control one of the Black Spider Clan?" says Jaumandreu. "It's like when you get to make a Star Wars game, and you fantasize about controlling an Empire character." To the surprise of everyone at The Game Kitchen, both Dotemu and Koei Tecmo Ninja Gaiden's original license holder liked the idea. In the demo I played, I didn't see the exact circumstances of how Kenji and the Black Spider Clan's Kumori end up working together, but the gist of it is that they're forced to merge souls to survive a deadly encounter. From what I can tell, outside of one mission that serves as an introduction to Kumori's skillset, you'll spend most of your time playing as Kenji in Ragebound. However, once the two of them join forces, Kenji's ability to engage enemies at range is greatly increased since he has access to Kumori's kunai. The Game Kitchen / Dotemu Moreover, some of the platforming sections I ran into during the demo required that I play as Kumori to progress through the level. The tricky thing about these segments is that Kumori can only manifest for a short time, a gauge above her head indicating how much time I had left with her before I was back to Kenji and had to try the section again. It's possible to extend her gauge by taking out enemies along the way. At least in the demo, Kumori's segments weren't too difficult, but I could also see how the structure could really test players maybe not to the level of Hollow Knight's Path of Pain, say, but something close. One of the things that stood out about both characters was how nimble they felt. Kenji can pogo off enemies and projectiles to gain additional height over his foes. During her platforming segments, Kumori can use her kunai to teleport across gaps and complete jumps Kenji can't. Most levels also include ceilings the two can climb along, and I frequently had to fight my way through multiple enemies to get to the other end. Speaking of combat, it's frenetic in a way that has mostly gone out of style in modern gaming. Outside of bosses, most enemies will fall after one or two slashes from Kenji's katana. The Game Kitchen / Dotemu Even in early combat scenarios, I often had to fight two or three enemies simultaneously, while dodging and deflecting ranged attacks along the way to my next target. Once the combat system started to click for me, it felt incredibly satisfying to bounce between enemies and use Kenji and Kumori's abilities in unison. I left my hands-on with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound excited to play the final product. Of course, the ultimate test of the game will be how fans receive it. "We really put a lot of effort into creating a Ninja Gaiden game," says Jaumandreu. "We didn't want it to be a Blasphemous game with ninjas. We really hope when players get the controller, they feel at home with the series." Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound arrives this summer on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ninja-gaiden-ragebound-is-a-love-letter-to-the-series-nes-roots-150050773.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
This year marks the 125th anniversary of the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), and despite concerns over tariffs, there are still a lot of manufacturers here showing off new models including a handful of US and global debuts. So without further ado, here are some of the coolest cars on display at the 2025 NYIAS. The 2026 Subaru Trailseeker Sam Rutherford for Engadget First up on the docket is Subaru, which is here today with a first look at its second-ever EV: the Trailseeker. Now I admit that the followup to the Solterra might not be the most exciting announcement, as this model will once again be based the e-TNGA platform, which is shared with Toyota's bZ4x. That said, while the Trailseeker doesn't have the most impressive range (around 260 miles), its updated styling, larger body and improved off-roading capabilities feels more suited to an outdoor lifestyle. The 2026 Kia EV4 Sam Rutherford for Engadget Kia has been on a roll when it comes to EVs thanks to existing cars like the EV6 and EV9. And at the 2025 NYIAS, the company is looking to keep that momentum rolling with the US debut of the EV4, which incorporates many of the headline features from its previous battery-powered offerings, but with an even more affordable expected price of between $35,000 and $40,000. It also features Kia's improved i-PEDAL 3.0 regenrative braking tech which now works in reverse. This story is in progress so stay tuned for more updates throughout the day.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/the-coolest-cars-at-the-2025-new-york-international-auto-show-144832805.html?src=rss
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As TikTok continues to wait for a deal that will secure its future in the United States, the company is embracing a crowd-sourced approach to fact-checking. The service is adding Footnotes, a Community Notes-like feature that will allow contributors to add more context to videos on the platform. Footnotes offers a new opportunity for people to share their expertise and add an additional layer of context to the discussion using a consensus-driven approach, TikToks head of operations and trust and safety Adam Presser wrote in a blog post. The update, which has apparently been on the company's roadmap since last year, makes TikTok the latest platform to add a version of the crowd-sourced notes popularized by X. However unlike Meta, which recently began publishing Community Notes on its apps, TikToks update isnt coming with a change to its moderation policies or its fact-checking partnerships. Instead, the company describes the change as a way for users to add helpful details that may be missing. Footnotes wont affect a videos algorithmic ranking or its ability to appear on the For You page. Presser says that the company will use a bridge-based ranking system designed to find agreement between people who usually have different opinions, inspired by the open-sourced system that other platforms use. Thats clearly a reference to X, which created a ranking system that requires contributors to rate each others notes before they become publicly visible. Meta has adopted Xs Community Notes algorithm for its own apps. But while TikToks approach may be inspired by X, the company plans to use its own algorithm for Footnotes. Its not yet clear exactly what Footnotes will look like on TikTok or how prominent they will be. Like Community Notes on X, Footnotes are required to cite a source, whether it's another TikTok video or a third-party website. The company is kicking off its experiment by allowing users in the US to sign up to become contributors. Footnotes contributors must be 18 or older with an account at least 6 months old and without a recent history of a Community Guidelines violation. Over the next few months, contributors will be able to start writing notes and rating notes from others. It will be a few months before any Footnotes appear publicly in the US. The company hasnt indicated when Footnotes may roll out globally. The change comes at a time when TikToks future in the US is still somewhat uncertain. President Donald Trump recently gave the company another 75-day extension to strike a deal that will allow it to remain in the US. Reports indicate that the White House favors a deal involving TikToks existing US investors, though its unclear how Trumps tariffs on China have affected the negotiations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-is-adding-footnotes-its-take-on-community-notes-140040044.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Kia's first all-electric sedan, the 2026 EV4, is making its official debut in the US today at the New York International Auto Show. The automaker first announced the vehicle in Spain back in February, with the promise that it will release the model in the USA, as well. It's built on top of the company's 400V Electric Global Modular Platform, which serves as the basis for all of Kia's electric vehicles. In the US, the EV4 will come with a built-in North American Charging Standard (NACS) port for compatibility with Tesla charging stations. The Kia EV4 has two battery options: A standard 58.3 kWh battery for the Light model and a long-range 81.4 kWh battery for the Wind and GT-Line models. Kia says its Light and Wind models have an estimated range of 235 miles and 330 miles, respectively. However, they're manufacturer estimates and not official EPA numbers yet. You can charge the car from 10 to 80 percent within just 28 minutes for the Light battery and 31 minutes for the long-range battery. No matter what model you choose, the vehicle comes with a front-mounted 150 kW motor and Kia's Advanced Driver Assistance features. Unfortunately, the automaker didn't reveal how much it would cost you to get one, possibly because it has yet to attach an official price tag to the EV4 due to the tariffs the US government is imposing on cars and car parts made outside the country. In addition to the EV4, Kia is also showcasing the EV9 Nightfall Edition at the Auto Show. The Nightfall edition of the company's three-row electric SUV is covered in a Gloss Black finish, including its 20-inch wheels, and has a dark Kia emblem. Even its interior is in black. The Nightfall EV9 will be manufactured at Kias West Point, Georgia assembly plant and is expected to be available in the US in the second quarter of 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/the-kia-ev4-makes-its-us-debut-at-the-new-york-auto-show-140036813.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
If you've ever tried to buy a digital photo frame, you likely know the market is full of bad products. Aura's frames are an exception they're well-designed, have great screens, the software is easy to use and there are no subscription upsells. Today, the company is diversifying its lineup with the new Aspen frame, which sits comfortably between the 10-inch Carver frame and 15-inch Walden option. With an 11.8-inch, 1,600 x 1,200 display, it's larger and has a significantly higher resolution than the 10.1-inch Carver Mat frame (my current pick for the best digital frame on the market). That display has built-in light sensors to adjust brightness depending on the environment that does a good job of keeping it from feeling like you're staring at a monitor or tablet the viewing experience on these frames is definitely more subtle. It also has a removable stand that lets you set the frame up in either portrait or landscape orientation; the Carver Mat's larger and thicker base means it can only be set up in landscape. Because the stand is removable, the Aspen is much thinner and lighter than I expected. But its more svelte dimensions don't come at the expense of structural integrity. I've tested a bunch of frames with removable stands so they can be aligned in portrait or landscape, and basically all of them have stands that are flimsy, ugly or both. The Aspen's stand, on the other hand, feels impressively solid and well-engineered. The Carver line of frames featured a touch bar for swiping through photographs or adjusting how fast it moves between images. On the Aspen there's two, so the controls are easily accessible no matter which orientation it's in. Getting photos onto the Aspen requires using Aura's app, but it again is probably the best digital photo frame app I've used. It's pretty simple to sync specific images and albums from your phone and you can also add photos by sending them to a specific email address you can set up. There are a few new software tricks in the app now, too. You can add a text caption to any image you've uploaded to the frame that'll display when the picture comes up, and you can also filter by people on the app now. Aura says that all facial processing is done on-device. The app otherwise integrates easily with Apple / iCloud Photos and Google Photos. The Aspen is on sale today for $229 and comes in either ink black or clay white; both have a subtly textured white mat surrounding the image. That's a good bit more than the $179 Carver Mat but a bigger, higher-resolution screen, smaller footprint and the flexibility of going portrait or landscape may be worth it. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/auras-aspen-digital-photo-frame-features-a-bigger-better-screen-but-itll-cost-you-132728549.html?src=rss
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