In a curious twist, a bat has won New Zealand's Bird of the Year poll for 2021, raising eyebrows among those confused as to how a flying mammal could win a contest nominally devoted to celebrating the avian population.
"I thought Bird of the Year should actually be you know a bird?!" One Twitter user wrote. "What's winning next year, a fish?"
That was the tenor of many of the responses to the annual contest following the victory of the pekapeka-tou-roa, or long-tailed bat, which is a tiny bat native New Zealand. However, plenty of others were happy to see bats get their moment in the spotlight. Either way, it made for lively discussion on social media once the results were announced.
We had 58,561 verified votes, coming from 100 countries. And in stark contrast to previous years, no attempts at voter fraud! https://t.co/4tDfJLaQI7
So how exactly did a bat end up winning the Bird of the Year 2021 award? As it turns out, the contest's purpose is to raise awareness of New Zealand's biodiversity and endangered species. The pekapeka-tou-roa is one of New Zealand's few land based native mammals, and the first to be included in such a poll this year. Bats have been given a less than stellar image over the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but rehabilitating their image wasn't the reason for the pekapeka's inclusion.
"The campaign to raise awareness and support for this little flying furball has captured the nation! A vote for bats is also a vote for predator control, habitat restoration, and climate action to protect our bats and their feathered neighbors," wrote Laura Keown, a spokesperson for Forest and Bird.
Th species is a unique part of Aotearoa's biodiversity, and not many people know that they even exist, so it's important that the contest brought more awareness for conservation efforts.
The pekapeka-tou-roa beat out last year's winner, the kakapo, which received over 4,072 votes. The bat is very tiny compared to the flightless kakapo parrot, which is also the world's heaviest parrot. According to the Forest and Bird environmental group, 56,733 people voted, and more than 7,031 voted for the bat to win the contest.
Image credit: New Zealand Department of Conservation
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey
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Chris Pratt is voicing Garfield in an upcoming animated film, making him two-for-two on iconic characters, having previously been confirmed to be the voice of Mario in the upcoming film by Illumination.
The movie is being written by David Reynolds, who previously wrote Finding Nemo. Mark Dindal will direct, having previously worked on Emperor's New Groove and Chicken Little. Sony Pictures will distribute the movie.
Garfield originated as a comic strip by Jim Davis that debuted in 1978. Garfield is a lazy orange cat who loves lasagna and hates Mondays, and the comic follows his daily life with his owner, Jon, and Jon's dog, Odie. Garfield has previously appeared in two live action/animated movies with Bull Murray voicing the famous cat. Those movies did not receive great critical acclaim.
Earlier this fall, we learned Pratt will voice Mario in the upcoming Super Mario movie from Illumination. Along with Pratt, the film also includes Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong.
An MMO like Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn can take 100+ hours to complete, and that's not even considering its growing list of huge expansions, which add anywhere from another 50 to 100 hours. This is seemingly no problem for Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, who has reportedly played through the entirety of Final Fantasy 14 in a month, setting himself up for the Endwalker expansion that releases on November 23.
As reported by PCGamesN, Sakaguchi started playing Final Fantasy 14 in late September, sharing his progress and screenshots on Twitter. Sakaguchi only needed 16 days to complete the base game and just two days for Heavensward (an estimated 73 to 150 hours on HowLongToBeat). He then completed Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and smaller patch content by October 29. He even managed to squeeze in some time to attend his daughter's wedding, the madman.
A conservative estimate, just counting the base game plus three expansions, puts Sakaguchi at 300+ hours of playtime according to HowLongToBeat. That's assuming he touched absolutely none of the side content in the expansions or smaller patch content updates, which could put him up to a maximum of 1567, which is literally impossible to pull off in a month and change.
Sakaguchi initially started playing Final Fantasy 14 in preparation for a discussion with the game's director Naoki Yoshida at this year's Tokyo Game Show. The chat was hosted on October 1, but Sakaguchi clearly kept grinding beyond that.
Sakaguchi has been playing as a gnome-like Lalafell, but he's been sharing a ton of screenshots on his Twitter account, noting similarities and references to the classic Final Fantasy games he worked on decades ago. Sakaguchi seems particularly fond of calling out classic monster designs, like the appearance of "Mr. Typhon."
Sakaguchi notoriously left Square Enix on pretty rough terms in 2003, with his last official credit on Final Fantasy X-2. He's since founded Mistwalker, which released Blue Dragon in 2006 and most recently the iOS RPG Fantasian.
Read up on Final Fantasy 14's Endwalker expansion in our huge hands-on preview, where we dive into several new areas, two new job classes, and changes to the house hunting process. In the meantime, Sakaguchi is in good hands with Final Fantasy 14, which just cracked 24 million players and has become the franchise's most profitable game to date.
In real life, moving is the worst. In Unpacking, described by its creators as a “zen puzzle game,” settling into a new place is surprisingly comforting. Unpacking takes you through a series of homes representing an invisible protagonist’s life from 1997 to 2018, and as it turns out, you can tell a lot about a person by the things they take with them. Though the mechanics are simple and the campaign can be completed in a handful of hours, Unpacking is a memorable, delightful game that shows that there are still new ways to tell stories in video games out there.
You might not think stacking plates and organizing books is compelling, but strangely, it really is. Part of that might have to do with how often you’ve pulled up stakes. For me, it was a lot: between the ages of 18 and 26, I moved more than half a dozen times. Packing and unpacking became an almost annual ritual as I transitioned through a series of apartments in various neighborhoods throughout the Philadelphia area. None of these places ever felt like home until I started unpacking: taping the David Bowie poster with torn edges to the wall, finding a flat surface for my ancient record player, and lining up my Harry Potter books in chronological order on the shelves. Settling into the next place always felt like a new chapter of my life was starting, and that’s a feeling Unpacking captures well.
When you’re getting started, no time is wasted with explanations, tutorials, or cut scenes. You don’t even see the person whose boxes you’re unloading. Instead, we get to know them through the basic point-and-click mechanics that allow you to move belongings from boxes to their proper places in the home, beginning with a single childhood bedroom and eventually moving on to larger, multi-room spaces. There’s no inventory list so you never know what the next thing you’ll pull out of any given box will be, and that makes for a series of sweet surprises that reveals a little bit more about the character. There are also no timers or scores, allowing you to move at your own pace. Because of that, Unpacking is the kind of game in which it’s easy to lose a couple of hours in what feels like only minutes.
As you fill rooms with possessions, you’re really uncovering clues.
These environments represent different stages of the path to adulthood: the childhood bedroom, a college dorm, a shared apartment, and more. As you fill them with possessions, you’re really uncovering clues: art supplies indicate a creative type, while controllers and board games show what they like to do in their free time. Postcards, photos, and souvenirs hint at a love of travel and a close-knit group of friends.
Speaking of photos, unpacking a camera in the first stage unlocks the photo mode, which I was excited to use. Sadly, though it’s fun to add filters and stickers to certain scenes and capture your organizational brilliance, I was disappointed by how little is done with it. For instance, I thought my photos might show up in the literal photo album that serves as an interface that allows you to store and continue progress, but they did not. It’s a minor annoyance, but in a game that focuses so heavily on the memories we make and keep, being able to incorporate those photos elsewhere would have been a nice touch.
Clicky sound effects subtly and skillfully complement the retro-inspired whimsical art style.
As it turns out, “zen” is a really accurate description of the Unpacking experience. Soothing background music and satisfying, clicky sound effects subtly and skillfully complement the retro-inspired whimsical art style. The only problem I had with the overall look and feel is that it was occasionally hard to identify small items, even when zooming all the way in. It took me several moves to figure out that the gray lump of pixels I kept unpacking in the kitchen was actually a refrigerator magnet.
There’s almost no wrong way to unpack, although you won’t be able to move onto the next stage if certain items aren’t put away properly. Most of the time that makes sense; toilet paper and toothbrushes belong in the bathroom, after all, and guests might find it a bit strange if you store your underwear in the living room. Other times, it’s not clear what’s wrong — is it really such a big deal if a toaster is kept on a counter instead of tucked away in a cabinet? You can actually disable this feature in the accessibility menu and let chaos reign, but it does have some storytelling benefits, like stashing a photo in a drawer instead of putting it on display. It’s not a particularly long game, but moments like that can leave a lasting impression.
The holiday season is nearly upon us, and that means it's time to start grabbing gifts for family members and friends. If you've got a Nintendo fan on your list this year, you'll want to check this out. We've rounded up a number of great gifts that are perfect for Nintendo fans of all ages. From popular Switch games and accessories to LEGO Super Mario-themed sets, we'll make shopping for the perfect gift this year a breeze.
The Top 3 Must-Have Nintendo Gifts
If there's one thing many Nintendo fans will be looking for this year, it's the brand new Nintendo Switch OLED. With its larger, more vibrant display, it's sure to please anyone who can get their hands on one as they are highly sought-after. Aside from that, Nintendo Switch Lite is a great portable option, and you can't go wrong with Metroid Dread – Samus' first proper 2D adventure in nearly 20 years.
Best Nintendo Switch Game Gifts
The Nintendo Switch isn't much without its great collection of games. This year, treat your friends and family to some of 2021's biggest hits including The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD and WarioWare: Get It Together!, or spring for some all-around family fun with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Best Nintendo Switch Carrying Case Gifts
Every Nintendo Switch owner needs a great carrying case to keep everything protected while on the go. We've gathered up some great options from large hardshell cases to small, zippered pouches to satisfy every gamer.
Best LEGO Super Mario Gifts
Experience the Mushroom Kingdom in a while new way with the interactive LEGO Super Mario sets. Featuring iconic characters and locations from across the Mario series, these are sure to be a hit with any Nintendo fan on your shopping list this year.
Best Nintendo Collectible Gifts and More
If you're not sure what to get the Nintendo fan in your life, consider getting them a collectible item they can proudly show off, or themed tabletop games featuring characters from across their favorite franchises.
Best Nintendo Switch Controllers and Accessories Gifts
Make sure the Nintendo Switch owners on your shopping list are ready to game with shiny new controllers or storage solutions to ensure they can take all their favorite games with them.
Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
