Ben Gilbert

<p>Whether you're looking for Nintendo staples like "Mario" and "Zelda," fast-paced first-person shooters like "DOOM", or narrative-driven indie RPGs like "Golf Story," there's something for everyone on the Switch.</p>

<p><strong> Good news!We've put together a list of the best games toenjoy onNintendo'slatest console: </strong></p>

<p>The pure joy of playing "Odyssey" is hard to convey. It's the best Mario game in years, and easily one of the best Mario games ever made. It's certainly the best game on the Nintendo Switch, which is really saying something.</p>

<p><strong> <span id="df0a4cfe-d9a7-361a-aebb-5c6d5bc58a08" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  Read our review of "Super Mario Odyssey" right here </span> . </strong></p>

<h1> Check it out in action right here: </h1>

<h1> 2. "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" </h1>

<p>"The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" is a rare gem.</p>

<p>It's the kind of game that changes player expectations — what they expect of themselves and what they expect from games.</p>

<p><strong> <span id="95a3bab7-e57b-38ab-a0fd-d2578cab1556" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  Read our review of "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" right here </span> . </strong></p>

<p>Whether you've been playing "Mario Kart" games for years or you've never touched one, "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" is a tremendous delight.</p>

<p>It's the definitive "Mario Kart" experience, with a ridiculous number of courses and playable characters. Best of all, the Switch becomes a portable "Mario Kart" machine if you take the console in portable mode — each Joy-Con becomes a gamepad, and the Switch is the screen. Being able to casually challenge a friend to "Mario Kart" by simply having the Switch with you is pretty incredible.</p>

<p><strong> <span id="9751b9c1-f0d9-3dae-ab24-50440e45739b" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  Read our review of "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" right here </span> . </strong></p>

<p>Even if you've never played any games in the "DOOM" franchise, the latest entry is an insanely fast, clever, genuinely funny first-person shooter that puts a premium on gameplay above all else.</p>

<p>It's also a surprisingly violent and bloody game for the Nintendo Switch — a welcome aberration from the usual kid-friendly affair, aimed squarely at the many adults who are buying Switch consoles for themselves. Mario is a blast, no doubt, but so is ripping through thousands of demons.</p>

<p><strong> <span id="0bcc0121-f06c-3cbc-a905-15a96e8a0b3d" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  Read our review of "DOOM" right here </span> . </strong></p>

<p>Think of "Minecraft" as virtual LEGO.</p>

<p>It's a system for fitting pieces together to create something — sometimes amazing somethings — from nothing. "Minecraft" provides endless building blocks and a blank canvas. It's up to you to create something incredible, or silly, or referential, or whatever, using the tools it provides. The tools are blessedly user-friendly, as are the systems for employing those tools.</p>

<p><strong> <span id="d4fe8e8a-68f8-3dfb-a629-268c38ef6ae7" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  Read more about "Minecraft" right here </span> . </strong></p>

<p>Some of the best indie gems of the past 10 years havepulled beloved franchises from the past, like "Metroid" and "Castlevania," into a gloriously updated modernity.</p>

<p>"Cave Story+" istakes the side-scrolling puzzle worlds of classic game franchises andupdates them with modern advances like save points, complex animation, and procedurally-generated worlds — games where the levels are new every time because they're created by algorithms on-the-fly. Smaller, more personal games like "Cave Story+" round out the Switch's strong blockbuster line-up — it's the perfect game to play in the Switch's handheld, portable mode.</p>

<p>Nintendo used to be known for games like "Metroid" and "Castlevania" — games that offered deeply challenging experiences, often in sci-fi or fantasy realms. Games like "Axiom Verge" are helping to restore that status.</p>

<p>Like the franchises mentioned above, "Axiom Verge" features a large 2D world that's unlocked through exploration. It's got the 16-bit graphics to match the games it pays homage to, yet it evolves many of the concepts that made its predecessors so great.</p>

<p>Aside from having a goofy name, "Snipperclips" is a charming two-player game that utilizes the Nintendo Switch gamepad — the "Joy-Con" — in a smart way.</p>

<p>Each player gets one Joy-Con, and you use them as miniature gamepads (held sideways) to control one of two aggressively-silly characters on screen. You can "cut" each of the two characters into various shapes, which can then be used to solve whatever puzzle is in front of you.</p>

<p>Similar to "Snipperclips," the futuristic arcade-style racing game "Fast RMX" provides a much-needed alternative to "Zelda." On a console otherwise bereft of high-speed racing games, "Fast RMX" stands out as a great racer that evokes nostalgia for the days of "F-Zero" on the SNES, "Wipeout" on the original PlayStation, and even some light touches of "Mario Kart" thrown in for good measure. It's also a stark graphical showcase for the notably tiny Switch console.</p>

<h1> 10. "The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+" </h1>

<p>The "Binding of Isaac" games are an homage to an era of gaming that's long passed.</p>

<p>You play as young Isaac, who's dealing with some pretty serious personal demons that manifest in the form of actual demons. The long and short is that it's a top-down shooting game, but that's really underselling the level of depth in this game. If you haven't already played it on one of the many other platforms it's on, scooping it on the Switch is a solid choice.</p>

<p>"Golf Story" takes the whimsical delight of old-school role-playing games and spins it into an endearing, charming game that's focused on — yes, of course — golfing.</p>

<p>Don't worry: "Golf Story" is far from a simulation-style golf game. It's focused on storytelling and world exploration, like so many RPGs before it, with relatively simplistic golfing as a means to an end. If you've ever played an NES or SNES golfing game, you'll be familiar with the kind of gameplay in "Golf Story." And even if you haven't, it's a cinch to pick up.</p>

<p>"L.A. Noire" is unlike most games, both in its style and its gameplay. Though you're able to careen around an open-world, 1940s Los Angeles in a car, the vast majority of the game is focused on detective work: investigating crime scenes, speaking with witnesses, and deciphering suspects. It's a thoughtful, unique game that offers something completely different than everything else on the Switch.</p>

<p><strong> <span id="19139902-91cf-3322-a438-64667d0d558c" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  Check out our preview of "L.A. Noire" on the Nintendo Switch right here </span> . </strong></p>

<p>The "Jackbox Party Pack" — any and all entries in the series — is 100% worth your money.</p>

<p>These are killer party games that turn your Switch into an entertainment device that involves whole groups of people. If you've ever played the delightful, silly, irreverent "You Don't Know Jack," you're already aware of the kind of game I'm talking about.</p>

<p>It's a trivia game that's been a hit for decades across dozens of different devices, from PC to (now) the Switch, but it's support by a slew of excellent games like "Fibbage" and "Drawful." The packs of games take simple board game concepts and turn them into more guided, often morefun experiences.</p>

<p>In its first year, Nintendo Switch has become the new home to indie games. Stuff like "Golf Story" and, now, "Battle Chef Brigade," stand out as highlights among an excellent selection of smaller, less expensive, often more interesting stuff.</p>

<p>"Battle Chef Brigade" merges match-three gameplay (think "Bejeweled" or "Candy Crush") with side-scrolling battles (think NES- and SNES-era beat-'em-ups), and throws in a very silly, surprisingly deep story to boot.</p>

<p>"Skyrim" is still anexcellent game.</p>

<p>It's an action-RPG epic with dragons, magic, and a massive world to explore. It's got dramatic music that pumps you up while you fight dragons. It's got silly characters and endless side-stories and everything else you could want from a fantasy epic.</p>

<p>And now, on the Switch, it's got some sweet "Zelda" gear (seen above). Bonus!</p>

The Nintendo Switch is approaching its second birthday, and there's already a killer line-up of games available.

The Nintendo Switch is the hottest game system this holiday — here are its 20 best games

<p>In what's become an annual tradition during the past five years, The Game Awards mixes an Oscars-like event with a bunch of major game announcements. This year's event, which happened on Thursday night, was no exception: A brand new "Mortal Kombat" game was finally unveiled, and a long-awaited new entry in the "Dragon Age" series was teased by EA's BioWare studio.</p>

<p>And that's just the tip of the iceberg! We've rounded up the most important highlights below:</p>

<p>A new "Mortal Kombat" is on the way from the same folks who have been making "Mortal Kombat" for the last 20-plus years: Creative director Ed Boon and the team at Netherrealm Studios in Chicago.</p>

<p>Boon himself revealed the debut trailer on stage during The Game Awards, which prominently featured franchise favorites Scorpion (seen above) and Raiden. No gameplay was shown, but that's coming in January. Better still: The game is headed to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on April 23.</p>

<h1> Check out "Mortal Kombat 11" right here: </h1>

<h1> 2. "Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled" </h1>

<p>Remember "Crash Team Racing"? It was the "Mario Kart" equivalent on PlayStation 1 that some folks swore by, and in 2019 it's coming back!</p>

<p>The original game is being re-created in loving/ridiculous detail for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. In addition to all the original racers and tracks, the new game is getting online racing — something that didn't become commonplace in gaming until two full game generations after the original PlayStation 1.</p>

<p>Since this game's a reboot of an older game, it comes with a lower price tag: Just $40. It's scheduled to arrive on June 21, 2019.</p>

<h1> Check out "Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled" right here: </h1>

<p>EA's BioWare division is responsible for major franchises like "Mass Effect," the upcoming "Anthem," and — most importantly in this case — "Dragon Age."</p>

<p>The role-playing series has been dormant for years at this point, but work on a new game in the franchise has been ongoing at BioWare. On Thursday night, BioWare finally unveiled the game — albeit in a tease — with a short video.</p>

<p>According to recent reports, the game is still a few years away. There was no name unveiled, or any mention of a potential launch window. It is, however, the first real confirmation of the game's existence from EA, and that's great news for "Dragon Age" fans.</p>

<p>"We have been working on a new 'Dragon Age' game for quite a while now," executive producer Mark Darrah said in <a id="4316c99e-1256-380f-a82b-0f0f7b44c0a9" href="http://blog.bioware.com/2018/12/06/thedreadwolfrises/">  a brief blog post about the teaser </a> . "I am pleased to finally tease the existence of this project!"</p>

<h1> Check out "Dragon Age" right here: </h1>

<h1> 4. "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3" </h1>

<p>Years ago, before the world of Marvel superheroes and supervillains became mainstream, Marvel produced a duo of low-key games under the "Marvel Ultimate Alliance" umbrella.</p>

<p>Those games are getting an unexpected sequel in "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3," a new game coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch. If you've been waiting for a game that unites The Avengers with the X-Men and the Guardians of the Galaxy, this is the one for you.</p>

<h1> Check out "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3" right here: </h1>

<p>Obsidian Entertainment/Private Division/Take-Two Interactive</p>

<p>In a surprise twist, the creative duo behind the original "Fallout" are working together again on a new series that feels suspiciously familiar: It's called "The Outer Worlds."</p>

<p>The kitschy first trailer for "The Outer Worlds" is a delight, and follows in the tradition of irreverent role-playing games like "Fallout."</p>

<p>The story is simple: "You awake from hibernation on a colonist ship lost in transit to its destination on the edge of the galaxy, only to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy the colony." How you play out that scenario is seemingly up to you.</p>

<p>The game is scheduled to arrive at some point in 2019 for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.</p>

<h1> Check out "The Outer Worlds" right here: </h1>

<p>A new "Far Cry" game? Didn't one of those come out, like, in 2018?</p>

<p>Yep! That game was " <a id="46dd5ca1-2bae-3110-abf3-757d3d556ee2" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/far-cry-5-photos-video-2017-6?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  Far Cry 5 </a> ," and it came out back in late March on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The open-world first-person shooter was set in America for the first time ever, and featured a new antagonist: a maniacal cult leader with nuclear ambitions.</p>

<p>"Far Cry New Dawn" is a sequel to that game, set in a post-apocalypse Montana 17 years after the events of "Far Cry 5." The trailer alludes to a period of extreme weather following a nuclear detonation, eventually leading to a new world — a world where people shoot sawblades from crossbows, apparently.</p>

<p>It's arriving less than a year after "Far Cry 5," on February 15, 2019, for $39.99 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC</p>

<h1> Check out "Far Cry New Dawn" right here: </h1>

<p>The same company that brought the world "No Man's Sky" is going back to its roots with a much smaller game: "The Last Campfire."</p>

<p>Here's how the game's announcement describes it: "'The Last Campfire' is an adventure, a story of a lost Ember trapped in a puzzling place, searching for meaning and a way home. Together you will discover a beautiful wilderness filled with lost folk, strange creatures and mysterious ruins."</p>

<p>"The Last Campfire" is a shorter experience than Hello Games' last project, and that's by intention. "We call it a Hello Games Short," says Hello Games' Sean Murray. "Like Pixar shorts it’s a way to foster creativity and new voices in the studio. We started by making 'Joe Danger,' before 'No Man's Sky,' and we want to pay forward our success to give others the opportunity to do the same."</p>

<p>There is no release date for "The Last Campfire," nor are their announced platforms. It will be available on PC at the very least — the game <a id="3b6a58be-6b92-3cfe-aea4-c569042393fb" href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/990630/The_Last_Campfire/">  already has a Steam page </a> .</p>

<h1> Check out "The Last Campfire" right here: </h1>

<p>The small team that created "Bastion" and "Transistor" has a new game that looks to continue the tonal tradition of the studio. "Hades" is a snarky take on the "rogue-like" genre of games that demand mastery above all else.</p>

<p>A unique and, frankly, very cool-looking art style helps "Hades" stand out, and the proven track record of Supergiant Games certainly doesn't hurt.</p>

<p>Better still: <a id="d08e7bf6-b174-3aaf-a682-2b4eb6353303" href="https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/hades/home">  The game is actually availble to playright now, albeit in "Early Access" on the new Epic Games Store </a> . Given the studio's history, it looks like we'll see "Hades" on other game platforms in the not-so-distant future. But for now it's an Epic Games Store exclusive, playable on both PC and Mac for $19.99.</p>

<ul><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-game-awards-2018-leaks-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">'More than 10' new games are debuting at The Game Awards this week, but it looks like a few have already leaked</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ps4-playstation-4-best-games-2017-8?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">The 33 best PlayStation 4 games that every owner should have in their collection</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/super-smash-bros-ultimate-reviews-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Early reviews of 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate' are in — Here's what the critics are saying about the biggest Nintendo Switch game of the year</a> </li></ul>

<p><strong> SEE ALSO: <span id="529c90ad-67f2-371d-a9f4-ef7a1bb9e639" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  The 10 best PlayStation 4 games for your new console </span> </strong></p>

A ton of new games were announced this week at The Game Awards, including a brand new 'Mortal Kombat' — here are the 8 biggest ones

<p>In September 2017, Epic Games added a new "Battle Royale" mode to "Fortnite" — a low-key, third-person shooter that launched earlier that summer.</p>

<p>In the subsequent 15 months, "Fortnite" has become a household name.</p>

<p>Epic Games says that <a id="1776d762-c658-3985-a8e6-1e2c8400cc84" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-people-play-fortnite-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  more than 200 million accounts have been registered </a> in the free game across the many platforms it can be played on; more than <a id="de22562e-46bb-3ccf-ab01-133f5c4eb87b" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-people-play-fortnite-stats-2018-2018-9?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  80 million people are playing monthly </a> .</p>

<p>And if you're one of the millions of people playing the game on PC, Mac, or Android, you're already using your Epic Games account with the Epic Games launcher — software created by Epic Games to manage your account and game library. It's a service that's very similar to Apple's App Store, or Google Play, or Valve's Steam. The software keeps games updated, allows you to communicate with friends, and tracks your progress, purchases, and more.</p>

<p>In the near future, the Epic Games launcher is turning into the Epic Games Store.</p>

<p>"Soon we'll launch the Epic Games store," Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said <a id="c7505c4e-6569-3d0d-a3db-1c8727a2305c" href="https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/announcing-the-epic-games-store">  in a blog post this week </a> . "The store will launch with a hand-curated set of games on PC and Mac, then it will open up more broadly to other games and to Android and other open platforms throughout 2019."</p>

<p>Make no mistake: This is a direct shot at Apple, Google, and — most directly — video game industry heavyweight Steam.</p>

<p><strong> Read more </strong> : <a id="526694a2-ac35-3d6c-a959-32da677309ff" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-people-play-fortnite-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  How big is 'Fortnite'? With more than 200 million players, it's now equal to nearly two-thirds the US population </a></p>

<h1> Epic is offering a deal that game makers and publishers cant refuse </h1>

<p>If you make video games, either as a developer or publisher or both, you need distribution services like Apple's App Store or Valve's Steam. Not only do these services offer exposure to massive audiences, but they offload the management of a lot of technical stuff.</p>

<p>And for that, the services take a cut: For every game sold on Steam, Valve gets a percentage of that sale price.</p>

<p>The industry average, whether you're on Valve's service or Apple's or Google's, is 30% — a significant cut of the profits. So it's no surprise that when "Fortnite" launched on Android this summer, it didn't go through Google's Play Store.</p>

<p>"The 30% store tax is a high cost in a world where game developers' 70% must cover all the cost of developing, operating, and supporting their games," Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney <a id="9edd0a68-d03b-3bd8-ab5b-6952b71b6c06" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fortnite-android-google-play-store-2018-8?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  told Business Insider earlier this year </a> .</p>

<p><strong> Read </strong> <strong>  more </strong> : <a id="5284a59a-265e-34c6-af79-ff2acec4666c" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/epic-games-1-billion-funding-largest-ever-gaming-investment-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  The creators of 'Fortnite' just landed $1.25 billion in new investments, the largest ever financing round for a video game company </a></p>

<p>And now, with the Epic Games Store, Sweeney is putting that argument into practice: Epic will take just 12%, well below the standard 30%. "Developers receive 88% of revenue," Sweeney said in the blog post this week. "There are no tiers or thresholds. Epic takes 12%."</p>

<p>In addition to making the most popular game in the world, Epic Games produces the Unreal Engine — a set of tools that developers use to create games. Unreal Engine 4, the latest version, is widely used in the game industry. Everything from "Street Fighter V" to the upcoming "Yoshi" game uses Unreal Engine 4 — and yes, "Fortnite," too.</p>

<p>The Unreal Engine tools are free to use; Epic Games gets a 5% cut of profits from any games created with those tools. But if that same game is sold on the Epic Games Store, Epic will waive the engine fee. That means that for a developer using Unreal Engine 4, the difference between selling a game on Steam and selling a game on the Epic Games Store is a whopping 23% difference in profit.</p>

<p>Those are some pretty strong incentives to sell your game through Epic's storefront rather than those run by Valve or Google. In the case of the PC, that same logic applies to the digital storefront run by Microsoft, the Windows Store.</p>

<p>In the case of Apple's iOS devices, there is no choice but the App Store — Apple outright doesn't allow third-party storefronts on iOS devices. Still, Epic Games pushing back on the industry standard could put pressure on Apple to take a smaller slice from publishers on the App Store. And on the Mac, Apple's storefront is far from the only game in town — anyone playing "Fortnite" on a Mac already has the Epic Games launcher, which will now become the Epic Games Store.</p>

<p>The Epic Games Store is a smart, logical move for Epic Games.</p>

<p>The company is already processing millions of digital sales through "Fortnite," and it's already scaled across every game platform. Epic is also in a financial position to take the risk: A <a id="9202feb0-163a-3d40-a6a9-c3b8ea18d67c" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/epic-games-1-billion-funding-largest-ever-gaming-investment-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  recently announced $1.25 billion funding round </a> , in addition to the hundreds of millions in monthly revenue generated by "Fortnite," are enabling Epic to make the risky push from game publisher to platform operator.</p>

<p>Whether game makers and players flock to the Epic Games Store remains to be seen, but Epic is in the rare position to actually give it a shot.</p>

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<ul><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/destiny-2-exotic-weapons-ranked-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">There are 43 exotic weapons in 'Destiny 2' right now — and we've ranked them all, from worst to best</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-game-awards-2018-leaks-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">'More than 10' new games are debuting at The Game Awards this week, but it looks like a few have already leaked</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fortnite-milly-rock-lawsuit-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Artists are slamming the creators of ‘Fortnite’ for allegedly making money off of stolen dances, and one rapper says he plans to sue</a> </li></ul>

<p><strong> SEE ALSO: <span id="526694a2-ac35-3d6c-a959-32da677309ff" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  How big is 'Fortnite'? With more than 200 million players, it's now equal to nearly two-thirds the US population </span> </strong></p>

The company behind 'Fortnite' is taking on Apple, Google, and Steam with its next move: a digital storefront for games (AAPL, GOOG, GOOGL)

<p>And, occasionally, New York City acknowledges the delightful mystery surrounding its 24-hour transportation system. The annual "Holiday Nostalgia" train line, seen above, is a perfect example of this.</p>

<p>The train line, consisting of eight vintage New York subway cars from several different eras, runs for a few weekends each year — from the Sunday after Thanksgiving to the end of the year, only on Sundays. It costs the same $2.75 as any subway ride.</p>

<p>So what'd we do? We got on the train and took a ride, of course! This is what it's like.</p>

<h1> I got on at the Second Avenue stop in Manhattan — when I snapped these photos in 2016, the train ran between the Second Avenue stop in Manhattan and the Queens Plaza stop in Queens. </h1>

<p>In 2018, the holiday train is running onthe F line starting at the 2nd Av station, and via the A/C/D line from the 125th St station. It makes a handful of stops at major stations along the way — like Columbus Circle and Herald Square — "as an ode to the holiday shopping season,"</p>

<h1> As you can see from 2016s schedule, the train ran throughout the day starting at 10 a.m. and concluding at about 5 p.m. Its similar in 2018, but there are a few changes. </h1>

<p>The schedule is slightly different for 2018. According to the Metropolitan Transit Authority, the train "will depart from 2nd Avenue on the F line in Lower Manhattan and run along 6th Avenue in Manhattan to 47th-50th/Rockefeller Center before heading up the Central Park West line, where the train will stop at 59th St – Columbus Circle before making its way up to 125th St on the A/C/D lines in Harlem."</p>

<h1> Even though we arrived at 12:30, there were already a bunch of people waiting — some were clearly tourists; others were clearly New Yorkers. </h1>

<h1> A ton of people on the train were dressed in period-appropriate clothing. Of note, these are  not  paid actors. </h1>

<h1> The gentleman here in the white hat told me that he and his crew were going to a party afterward at Webster Hall, an event space/concert hall in Manhattans East Village. </h1>

<h1> But youre here for the train, right? So was I! It arrived about 10 minutes ahead of its 1:03 p.m. departure time — plenty of time for photos! </h1>

<p>There's no running to the train given that no one's using the vintage subway line like an actual subway line. Subways in New York don't usually stand in a station for longer than a minute or two, but this one stops to pose for photos for at least a few minutes.</p>

<h1> Just like any New York subway, the "Shoppers Special" (as it was called in 2016) rolls into the station at high speed: </h1>

<h1> Since the vintage subway line runs during the holidays, its festooned with Christmas wreaths on the back and front: </h1>

<h1> While the train was stopped, people dressed in anachronistic clothing posed for photos next to the antique train cars: </h1>

<h1> There are some amazing details on these old train cars: </h1>

<h1> OK, enough is enough: Its time to get on this train and take a ride through history! </h1>

<h1> Right off the bat, the level of detail is stunning. Old advertisements run through each car: </h1>

<h1> Many of the advertisements on the first train car were from the 1940s, such as this advertisement for war bonds: </h1>

<h1> The cars are near-perfectly restored, from the metal "straps" to the yellow-orange seats. </h1>

<h1> The lightbulbs have all been replaced, and the ceiling fans are all running (pushing air out of the vents along the top of the car). </h1>

<h1> This car was built in 1932 by the American Car and Foundry company, so its assuredly gotten some love in the past 80 years. </h1>

<h1> In addition to restoring the lighting and ventilation systems, the MTA also restored the station ID placard. Remember how there werent always screens everywhere? </h1>

<h1> A lot of the fun is in the details. I couldnt stop gawking at every old advert, like this adorable Wrigleys ad: </h1>

<h1> And this amazingly inexpensive soap. Just five cents! </h1>

<h1> Theres something inherently more classy about calling it the "City of New York" instead of just New York City, isnt there? </h1>

<h1> Nearly 100 years later, and the New York subway is still running ads for New Yorkers (and tourists!) to visit Coney Island. </h1>

<h1> Some of the ads are for events long passed, like this "I Am An American — Citizenship Day" — an apparently free event in Central Park. </h1>

<p>And yes, Citizenship Day is <a id="1eefcc62-92c3-3e1f-aea4-7d574709ff34" href="https://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/constitution-day.php">  a real American holiday </a> that you've probably never heard of (I certainly hadn't).</p>

<p>It takes place on September 17 every year and serves to commemorate the signing of the US Constitution (on September 17, 1787). The holiday was originally called "I Am An American Day," which was celebrated during the 1940s; it became "Citizenship Day" in the early 1950s. Probably not a bad idea considering America's history as a nation of immigrants.</p>

<h1> To the next car! The line keeps the doors between cars open, so you can freely walk through its eight cars: </h1>

<h1> The next car was even older, from 1930, also built by American Car and Foundry. </h1>

<h1> This is  not  a bathroom — this is for subway operators, despite looking like some sort of nightmare prison: </h1>

<h1> This MTA worker even dressed the part: </h1>

<h1> The sliding doors were far less safe on these early trains. If you got caught in between, it felt as if two metal doors were closing on you! </h1>

<h1> Despite the subway car being from the 1930s, advertisements in this car started erring toward the 1960s: </h1>

<h1> This older car looked a bit worse for wear — the metal "straps" were extra worn, and the fans were worryingly close to riders heads: </h1>

<h1> The seats have clearly been replaced, but they still retain the same charm of their original form: </h1>

The New York City subway system is one of the most fascinating curiosities in a city full of mysteries. Miles of underground track shrouded in darkness, littered with abandoned stations and secret passageways — it's a common object of desire for the urban explorers among us.

New York City's secret subway line with antique cars is back in service — here's what it's like to ride it

<p>2018 was an absolutely killer year for music, and there's no better way to look back on that year than Spotify's annual Wrapped tool.</p>

<p>More than a year-end music chart, the Spotify tool offers Spotify users a personalized rundown of their year in music. After entering your Spotify login information, the Spotify 2018 Wrapped website analyzes your account and walks you through your past year of listening step-by-step — starting with the first song you played in 2018.</p>

<p>It's a beautiful audio tour of the year for the tens of millions of Spotify users out there, and it comes with a gift at the end: A playlist of your most-listened to tracks. If you're anything like me, the playlist is sure to be full of youractual favorite tracks of 2018.</p>

<p>As you might expect, there's a shareable little placard of information at the conclusion of the tool's slideshow.</p>

<p>And people are doing exactly that — sharing that information — all over the place.</p>

<p>And that's just the standard chart that Spotify makes easily shareable.</p>

<p>More hilarious are all the reactions to what these personalized charts reveal about listening habits.</p>

<p>Are you ready to face the hard truth?</p>

<p><strong> <span id="dfedc8f5-0170-3c93-aaa1-3fc62c1513ce" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  Head over to the Spotify 2018 Wrapped website right here and see if you can handle it! </span> </strong></p>

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<ul><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-tiny-house-living-pros-cons-2018-9?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Here's what living in a tiny house is really like, according to people who traded their homes for minimalism</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spotify-free-google-home-how-to-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Spotify is giving away free Google Home speakers to subscribers — here's how to get yours</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/surface-headphones-by-microsoft-review-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">I've never had so many people ask me about headphones when I was wearing the Surface Headphones, but I just can't recommend them</a> </li></ul>

Everyone is using Spotify’s sweet new tool to discover and share their top music of 2018 — check it out

<p>That's the question at the heart of Spotify's new promotion: The music streaming company is offering free Google Home Mini smart speakers to anyone paying for a Spotify Family subscription ($15/month).</p>

<p>But the free offer is limited — you've gotta act fast! So, how do you get one? Follow these simple steps:</p>

<h1> First things first, two limitations: </h1>

<p>1. The free Google Home Mini offer applies to both new and existing Spotify Premium for Family customers in the United States.</p>

<p>2. The offer is only available through the end of December, so get in while you can.</p>

<p>Okay, let's get to the directions!</p>

<h1> 1. Log in to your Spotify account on the Spotify website. </h1>

<p><strong> <span id="cb8b1270-2193-3a2d-a7dc-72f59a832759" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  The Spotify website is right here. </span> </strong></p>

<h1> 2. Make sure your subscription is a Family Plan. </h1>

<p>There are a few different types of Spotify paid accounts. <strong>  To get the free Google Home Mini, you have to be a subscriber to the Spotify Premium for Family plan.  </strong></p>

<p>The Premium for Family plan costs $14.99/month, but it allows up to five people to access Spotify Premium (no ads, offline listening, etc.) using individual accounts. That's just $5 more than the usual price of a single Spotify Premium account — it's a no-brainer if even just two people are using the service, let alone five.</p>

<p>If you're already a Spotify Premium Family plan customer, <a id="9ee3c9d7-7ce0-3d21-afb3-2dd0a8af2881" href="https://www.spotify.com/us/googlehome/register/">  head to this website right here to get your free Google Home Mini </a> .</p>

<p>If you're looking to sign up, <a id="a19a07a8-76e1-3cc5-ade7-2ccfebcb982e" href="https://www.spotify.com/us/family/">  head to this website right here </a> .</p>

<h1> 4. Click the link in your email from Spotify when it arrives. </h1>

<p>The free Google Home Mini is ordered directly through Google's online store. At checkout, Spotify automatically applies a code that renders the $50 asking price moot — the cost is covered.</p>

<p>There's no shipping cost either — it's just a matter of choosing your Google Home Mini in one of its three colors (white, gray, and coral), entering your shipping info, and checking out.</p>

<h1> 6. Wait patiently for the Google Home to arrive at your destination of choice. </h1>

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<p><strong> SEE ALSO: <span id="db76828f-7d0a-3ba3-a9ca-0768c8f54a96" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  Amazon Echo vs. Google Home: How the 2 families stack up </span> </strong></p>

Who doesn't like free tech?

Spotify is giving away free Google Home speakers to subscribers — here's how to get yours

<p>"Fortnite" is getting a new "Creative" mode, and it may arrive as soon as this week.</p>

<p>That's according to a leak from <a id="adac08a2-211f-37f3-ad29-0c2007dcfffd" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/CraftBattleDuty">  popular "Fortnite" YouTuber Lachlan </a> , who published a video detailing the mode — then removed the video, likely due to the fact that Epic Games has yet to officially announce the new game mode.</p>

<p>Between Lachlan's popularity and the internet being what it is, copies of the original video are still swirling around. During the introduction, Lachlan explains that Epic Games flew him and "a bunch of creators" to the North Carolina-based headquarters of the "Fortnite" studio. He says that he spent a few days playing with the new mode, and it's, "awesome."</p>

<p>Like the name implies, Creative mode allows players to create custom islands within the trappings of "Fortnite."</p>

<p>Think of it like an infinite version of the building system that's already a crucial component of "Fortnite." You can fly through the air, pick up existing objects and copy/move them, and create from nothing — no need to collect resources!</p>

<p>If that sounds a lot like the creative mode in "Minecraft," that's because it'svery similar.</p>

<p>Along those lines, friends are able to join up with you to help create and play around on the maps. You can add various game modes to your custom levels as well — traditional stuff like Deathmatch — and revisit your custom levels to play later.</p>

<p>For now, it looks like the mode may only head to the PC.That said, without an official announcement, there's only so much info to go on thus far. Epic Games didn't respond to a request for comment, but it sounds like something more official is coming in the very near future.</p>

<p><a id="8cee189c-c541-3f10-afe6-b4dab5823c10" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/FortNiteBR/comments/a392s9/creative_mode_leak_mirror_credit_lachlan/">  Check out a mirror of the video right here </a> .</p>

<p>NOW WATCH: <a id="9d05a59f-ebc2-396f-aa46-08b629ada188" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-autocorrect-iphone-still-sucks-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  Why autocorrect makes so many mistakes, according to the former Apple engineer who helped create it </a></p>

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A huge new 'Fortnite' mode just leaked — here's what we know

<p>In the recent " <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/spider-man?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="cc752b3b-ddad-3b56-a2fb-c813f051ec1c">  Spider-Man </a> " game for the PlayStation 4, you've got free rein to fly across vast swaths of Manhattan's iconic skyline. From Battery Park to North Harlem, the West Side Highway to the FDR Drive, Spidey's able to soar through the air and take in the sights.</p>

<p>What's most impressive isn't just the scale, but how closely that virtual version of Manhattan matches up with the real thing.</p>

<h1> One World Trade Center in "Spider-Man": </h1>

<h1> It's the tallest building in Spider-Man's Manhattan, just like in real life: </h1>

<h1> And here is One World Trade in real life. A slightly different design, but not too different. </h1>

<h1> The Battery Park in Spider-Man's Manhattan is slightly smaller than the real thing: </h1>

Forget "Sex &amp; the City" — HBO's version of Manhattan never let Carrie swing majestically from the skyscraper rooftops, like some sort of magical bird.

Ben Gilbert

Articles written by the author

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