Yesterday's Xbox Developer Direct presentation was a bit of a staid affair. But there was one standout. Hi-Fi Rush is a pop-rock breath of fresh air, a rhythm-based beat-em-up with all the color and attitude of a post-Pokemon kid's anime. And you can play it…right now, on PC and Xbox. Hi-Fi Rush comes from Tango Gameworks, a Japanese studio best known for The Evil Within and Ghotswire: Tokyo.

A nifty optional tutorial outside the bakery allows players to gain a level of comfort with Ms. Chalice's Double Jump, Parry Dash, and Dodge Roll. While the original two protagonists can only jump a single time and take damage while dashing, Ms. Chalice's Parry Dash renders her invulnerable when hitting a parry-able object, and her Dodge Roll provides invincibility during the duration. She also starts with four health points as opposed to the standard three. In a title with as many close calls as this, one piece of health can be the difference between victory and crushing defeat.

Board games are a great gift for anyone who wants to spend time with friends and family without staring at the TV. They're interactive, fun, and you get to tell everyone to put away their phones and tablets for a while. But instead of pulling out the same old classics like Monopoly and Scrabble, we recommend giving some new titles a try. Here, we've compiled a list of games that you might not have heard of, but will still make excellent gifts this holiday season. Some are perfect for fantasy and video game nerds, while others are likely to be a hit with the whole family.

Classic cartoon-inspired video game'Cuphead,' made for Xbox One, PCs and Nintendo Switch will become a TV series on Netflix. Cuphead is making the move to Netflix. The acclaimed side-scrolling video game "Cuphead," inspired by cartoon classics of the Thirties, will become an animated Netflix TV series called "The Cuphead Show," the online video provider announced Tuesday. Like the video game, the TV comedy will star Cuphead and his brother Mugman. In the game, they have made a deal with the devil and must do his bidding.

A series of missteps put Microsoft in second place before the Xbox One even came out. While it's likely to remain there until the next generation begins, there are a lot of people out there who have never experienced what the console has to offer. With the Xbox One X having a clear advantage over Sony's PlayStation 4 Pro when it comes to gaming on a 4K TV, there's never been a better time to jump in. While not all the games on this list are Xbox exclusives, every game is at least better on Xbox than PlayStation, provided you're playing on a One X. Studio MDHR's Cuphead is as beautiful as it is challenging -- and it's very beautiful. Half bullet-hell shooter, half platformer, half classic boss rush... wait that's too many halves.

The Independent Games Festival has revealed the finalists for its 2018 awards, and this year there are a few definite favorites. Infinite Fall's relentlessly witty adventure Night in the Woods is on the short list for not just the Seumas McNally grand prize, but also the narrative and visual art prizes. And to no one's surprise, StudioMDHR's almost fanatical devotion to classic cartoons in Cuphead has earned it some nods: it's up for audio and visual art prizes in addition to getting an honorable mention for the grand prize. A few other games make repeated appearances. The ridiculously silly Getting Over It, the rule-changing Baba is You and the turn-based strategy title Into the Breach are up for more than one award each.

This morning we wait with bated breath for a phone screen that will heal itself, test out Amazon's adorable Echo Spot and kick off our year in review coverage. Over the next two weeks, we'll be looking back on the year that was, and sharing our hopes and predictions for 2018. Join us as we place our bets on AI, algorithms, social-media regulations, green tech, streaming services, robotics, self-driving cars and even space taxis. And, of course, since we're Engadget, you can expect to hear about the upcoming products and games we're most excited about. Accidental.A new polymer could make phone-screen repairs a thing of the past Researchers in Tokyo have discovered a new polymer that may actually heal itself, potentially leading the way to a future of self-healing phone screens.

In-game shops are more than handy outlets to transform random metal scraps and tired old gear into new and useful items. Shops offer a reprieve from the action of whichever digital world you've entered, allowing you to take a moment, breathe and consider the situation from afar. Do you want to play as a gun-toting tank or a sneaky spy? Is your bow powerful enough for the battles ahead? Do you have enough health potions?

Check out the worlds of Destiny 2. Time Fall is approaching, which means we're about to the reach the most wonderful time of year to be a video game player. In late August, Electronic Arts launched its pro-football simulation Madden NFL 18, which has become the unofficial beginning to the holiday video game season. Between now and December, video game publishers will release some of their biggest hits. Here's a look at the nine games players will talk about a lot this fall (Bonus: if you're a parent of a gamer, or have friends who play, consider these for the holiday shopping list). Where can I play it?

It brings the last gasp of eclipse talk (for a few years, anyway), as well as our first close look at the SNES Classic Edition. Oh, and don't forget, check Engadget for all of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 news starting at 11 AM ET. Take that, Amazon Prime.Walmart has a new partner to help take on Amazon: Google The latest attempt by Walmart to get a leg up in online sales is a partnership with Google on two fronts. Also, in late September, Walmart will join the Google Express lineup, allowing for online shopping and fast delivery in supported areas. Meanwhile, Google Express has free delivery for orders above each store's minimum.