Technologies

Nintendo’s Latest Updated Switch 2 Game Has Me Hungering for More

Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s Star-Crossed World DLC is fun and looks great, but there isn’t enough of it.

Although the Nintendo Switch 2 is only a few months old, new games, or at least updated ones, keep emerging at a steady, slow clip.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which was one of my favorite late-era Switch games, got an upgraded edition that’s available this week. The full title, Kirby and the Forgotten Land Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World, is unwieldy in name, much like the recent Mario Party Jamboree upgrade. But I found this one a lot more worthwhile.

While you don’t get too much for an added cost, I’ve come to appreciate the entire game all over again. Existing Forgotten Land owners can pay $20 for the extra DLC.

Anyone else would have to pay $80 for the entire game with the extra story mode and upgraded graphics, which feels like an awful lot for a game that isn’t even new. However, spending $20 for the upgrade alone is worth it, especially if you’ve been hoping for improved Kirby graphics and the 12 new stages (only a fraction of what the rest of the game already has). It was a blast to play with my Kirby-loving 12-year-old.

Forgotten Land’s graphics and 3D-level design were already pushing the envelope for the original Switch, and the graphics boost on Switch 2 gives everything a smooth 60-frames-per-second performance and high-res look on big TVs. It’s a welcome remaster.

Star-Crossed World’s new story involves a mysterious meteor that’s covered the land in crystals. The new stages are basically altered versions of existing levels throughout the game, which play differently with new paths, secrets and «Starry» fragments you have to uncover.

There are a few new transforming shapes Kirby can suck up this time (Mouthful Mode, which is different from the standard enemy-power-absorbing abilities Kirby normally has, in case you’ve never played this game before). They’re all fun and kinetic, and I loved discovering what they could do. One of the most unique, a spinning gear, can stick to surfaces for some challenging wall-crawls.

The only downside to this new upgrade is that there isn’t more of it. I appreciate what’s there, and anyone with a Switch 2 who likes and owns the original game should give it a spin. Just be ready for a pleasant bonus extension rather than a whole new sprawling game, mainly so you’ll keep your expectations in check.

I’ve been discovering how much the Switch 2 makes me revisit older games as much as new exclusives. There’s a ton of territory Nintendo can mine for future upgrades to the Switch library. Forgotten Land follows the best template so far in bundling graphics and DLC extras, but I want even more.

Then again, with new games like Kirby Air Riders, Pokemon Legends Z-A and Metroid Prime 4 expected by the end of the year, there will be plenty of other games to lose time in.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for April 8, #1754

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for April 8, No. 1,754.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a tough one. The first letter isn’t the rarest letter ever, but its placement threw me off. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with I.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with T.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a small arm of the sea.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is INLET.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, April 7, No. 1753, was DENSE.

Recent Wordle answers

April 3, No. 1749: SINGE

April 4, No. 1750: SANDY

April 5, No. 1751: ENVOY

April 6, No. 1752: SWORN

Technologies

Crank Up the Tunes With Over $200 Off the Top-Rated Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Earbuds

Woot is offering you the chance to put these Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 ANC buds in your ears for a massive 44% off, but the deal ends soon.

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 earbuds with ANC in anthracite black are now just $280 on Woot. That’s an impressive 44% off the usual $499 sticker price. It’s also the lowest price we’ve seen so far, but this deal won’t last long. Quantities on Woot are limited, so grab yours while the deal is still live.

The design’s comfy enough for long hauls, and the 15-minute quick charge is clutch when you’re heading out the door. The charging case even doubles as a Bluetooth transceiver, so you can plug into in-flight entertainment systems without fuss. These buds are featured in our roundup of the best wireless earbuds of the year, and audio expert David Carnoy called them «easily among the best-sounding earbuds out there,» with better ANC and a more ergonomic fit than earlier models.

If you’re picky about sound, these are worth a look. They have a snug fit, single-button controls and a case that’s been redesigned to feel more premium. They’re splash- and dust-resistant (IP54 rating), and the updated shape fits better than the Pi7 S2 and Pi5 S2. You can also tweak settings using the Bowers & Wilkins Music app for iOS and Android.

If this isn’t quite your vibe, check out our full roundup of the best headphone deals you can add to your cart now.

HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black):

$248 (save $152)
Beats Studio Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black):

$170 (save $181)
Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones:

$398 (save $62)
Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Twilight Blue):

$179 (save $170)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless ANC Over-Ear Headphones (Black):

$200 (save $250)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

These earbuds don’t go on sale often, and when they do, it’s usually not this steep of a discount. The anthracite black Pi8s are sitting at their lowest price yet, and they’re backed by solid reviews and a spot on CNET’s best earbuds list. If you’ve been waiting for a reason to splurge, this is it. We last saw this deal during Black Friday, so there’s no telling when these buds will come back on sale after this deal expires.

Technologies

Apple Reportedly Eyes ‘iPhone Ultra’ Name for Folding Phone Expected This Year

It’s another week and another bunch of rumors about the company’s first foldable phone.

It’s a new week and a new set of rumors for Apple’s first foldable phone. If Tuesday’s reports are true, the device will be called the Ultra, have a bookish shape and launch in September.

The main report comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said the foldable is on track for a September launch, despite Nikkei Asia reporting that the phone might not launch until 2027 due to issues that cropped up during the engineering test phase.

Citing unnamed sources, Gurman said Apple will introduce the foldable phone in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Those phones would likely go on sale about a week after being unveiled.

An Apple representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. It’s important to note that while rumors abound, Apple has confirmed none of them — not even the existence of a foldable iPhone.

Still, the earlier Nikkei Asia report was jarring enough to send Apple’s stock down 5.1% before it rebounded later, Gurman noted. The Nikkei Asia story said unexpected issues had arisen during engineering testing and that more time was needed to make «necessary adjustments.» Under a worst-case scenario, the first shipment of the foldables would not occur until 2027, the report said.

Looks like a book

Meanwhile, consumer tech reviewer Sonny Dickson posted images on X showing dummy models indicating how big the iPhone Fold, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max might be. In the image, the foldable has an almost square shape when fully opened.

Dummy images are useful for phone accessory manufacturers — such as case-makers — so they can get a head start on mass production before the devices are launched. When phones are released, consumers are quick to order cases and other accessories, so the sizes need to be known. It is unclear whether the dummy models shown are actual mockups from Apple.

People who commented on X didn’t seem to love the dummy images, particularly because the models shown appear to lack MagSafe, Apple’s magnetic system on the back of the phone that lets chargers and other accessories snap on.

Stefan Moser wrote, «If the Fold is missing MagSafe, this will be a big NO for me.»

There were other criticisms, too.

An X user going by DasnkiCS posted that the phone looks «too wide, can’t palm that easily in normal phone use.»

And another X user, Brosnan Hoban, wrote, «Fold looks like a credit card from 2050.»

What’s in a name?

Tuesday’s other big rumor concerned the foldable’s name.

A leaker, Digital Chat Station, posted on the Chinese social site Weibo that the foldable iPhone could be called the iPhone Ultra. The post also said Chinese competitors may use the Ultra name for their own foldables to compete directly with Apple on design, specs, and price.

The predominant rumored name has been the iPhone Fold, but others have included Flip, Duo and iFold.

In March, Gurman wrote in his Power On newsletter that Apple was considering a full line of Ultra products, possibly including a foldable phone, an M6 MacBook Pro with OLED, a foldable iPad and high-end Macs. Gurman also said Apple might introduce AirPods with «computer-vision cameras» to send visual data to Siri for its AI assistant feature.

We’ve seen a steady stream of tidbits about the foldable recently. There could be a large inner screen for multitasking, and people could open apps side by side. There might also be two rear cameras, a front-facing camera and a Touch ID side button.

Whatever Apple finally comes up with, it will be playing catch-up. Other major phone-makers already have foldable phones on the market, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, the OnePlus Open, the Huawei Mate XT, the Honor Magic V5 and the Motorola Razr Ultra.