Table of contents for January 2023 in K-Zone

Holidays are here and this mag is stacked with our big dreams! Dive into the new Sonic Prime series with show deets and four posters. Psst! You can collect more Sonic Prime posters over the next few issues! Peek at Minecraft updates, get the lowdown on new movies, and uncover our epic crossover wishlist. Minions and WWE? Yes, please! Plus, there’s over $9,300 in prizes this issue! EMAIL THE K-ZONE TEAM AT KZONE@NEXTMEDIA.COM.AU…

LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE Would you befriend a singing crocodile hiding in your attic? Josh Primm does, and what follows is a wild adventure. There are loads of surprises (there really is a giant croc in your bathtub, Mrs Primm), a villain next-door (who wants Lyle out of the house and into the zoo), and epic musical numbers. RATING: THE AMAZING MAURICE A movie about a prankster cat? Save a seat for us! Maurice is a scheming, scamming, streetwise tomcat with a big plan to make serious cash. What could go possibly wrong with a plan that involves tricking an entire town into paying for an expert they don’t even need? Hmm... You’ll see! RATING: TAD, THE EXPLORER: THE MUMMY ADVENTURE When Tad accidentally destroys a rare sarcophagus, he also unleashes…

SCIENCE WRITER Name: Kaya Heroic feat: Placing in the top three for the UNSW Press Bragg Student Prize for Science Writing in 2022. Kaya was a Runner Up for her essay ‘The Two-Way Science’! FAST THREE WITH KAYA K-Z: Hi Kaya! Tell us about your essay! K: My essay, ‘The Two-Way Science’, explores the role of Indigenous science in the development of modern science, and explains why we would benefit from learning more. I compared Indigenous science with ‘Western’ science, described their different views on the world around us, and emphasised the importance of awareness of Indigenous science knowledge in modern science. I noticed the competition topics included 'Reflection on First Nations Science'. I was interested as I've learned about Australian Indigenous culture at school, and from my mum (who…

MINECRAFT MOB There were three new mobs in the annual Minecraft mob vote. We had the extinct surface-dodging Sniffers; gentle giants with peak plant skills from ancient seeds. There was the tuff Golem, which was a statue that loves to move. The Golem was built to display treasures, strut around, and nab dropped items while awake. There were also mine-dwelling Rascals that love hide-and-seek, and gift special prizes if you play. Only one mob can make it to the game, and the Sniffer won with over half of the 3.5 million votes! RAD REPRESENTATION The camel mob and bamboo wood set are part of the push to represent our IRL world. Developers Mojang want to inspire epic Minecraft stories via self-expression, and that idea includes seven more default skins. Old…

PUSS IN BOOTS LAST SEEN: Fleeing Mama Luna’s DESCRIPTION: Orange striped fur, green eyes, cavalier’s hat with yellow feather, belt, sword, black cape, boots. DESPERATE TIMES The notorious PiB embarks on an epic journey deep into the Black Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star and restore his lost lives. With only one precious life left, he’ll need to turn to his former partner and nemesis, Kitty Softpaws. TIME FLIES WITH NINE LIVES The fear-defying Puss in Boots has managed to burn through eight of his nine lives during his many daring adventures (and sometimes foolish mistakes)! With only one life left, he will have to retire to a quiet life with a cat lady called Mama Luna (and a house full of cats), leaving his life of peril behind.…

K-Z: Hello Gentry! When did you first start using a yoyo? G: I have been yoyoing since I was eight years old, and competing since I was 12. There was a yoyo contest in my hometown and it was my first experience performing in front of people. I was nervous, but once I got on stage and started doing tricks, it was the best feeling ever. K-Z: Do you remember your first yoyo? G: Of course I remember my first yoyo! It was a Yoyofactory yoyo – a gift from my mom. It’s so cool that my first yoyo was from Yoyofactory, and now I’m on tour with Yoyofactory! K-Z: How many yoyos do you have? G: Over 1000 yoyos! I’ve come out with many colours of each yoyo from…

K-Z: Hi Graeme! What is the difference between games for kids and older gamers? G: We’ve never really had that segmentation, but the obvious example would be Fall Guys. You could easily argue it’s a game for kids. We never had that conversation. For us, it’s just how the game plays. K-Z: How much did Fall Guys change from the start of the idea, to the release? G: The scale of the game was originally going to be 100 players. The devs worked out that wasn’t fun, so it dropped to 60. They also dropped some of the levels that weren’t fun. K-Z: Any fave stories about Terra Nil? G: Our reverse city builder. I got to watch people almost falling asleep (in a good way) playing it. It has…

PRO TIP! Sonic loves going fast, but there is a stack of sweet swag hidden on side paths! Use the camera to soak in the sights (it’s handy for spotting tucked-away treasures). Some are EZ reaches with basic jumps, and others will need launch pads or rails to reach. What happens when Sonic speeds into a Breath of the Wild-type world? Sonic Frontiers! It has all the speed of the usual Sonic games, plus an epic world to explore. No fast travel shortcuts are needed when you’re busy hurtling and bouncing at Sonic speeds. Forget about straightforward stages. There are five lush places in the Starfall Islands and they’re waiting for your next legendary speed-run. Fly through forests, whisk over wild waterfalls, and dart across deserts. Keep an eye out…

PRO TIP! Made a mistake and ended up facing the wrong way? No boos needed! Get back on track. Hit jump on every ramp, and hold jump on corners for boost. The longer you hold, the more drift speed you get. The shortcut slime track unlocks on the second lap, so use it to get back into first place! Mario Kart racing games are all the rad rage. There’s Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled and Team Sonic Racing too. Now, Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway has joined the crew. Already a kart veteran? Speed those skills into Slime Speedway! Newbie? This game has ace training wheels. Thrash the tutorial, then speed into single-player Slime Scramble mode. Slow races down or speed them up. Faster is definitely more fun (at least…

My Tech Deck is inspired by Spider-Man vs three archenemies. Spider-Man is my favourite superhero; if you had his powers, it would be amazing! GRIFFIN, NSW Thank you to all the awesome K-Zoners who used the Tech Deck fingerboard template to create a design and enter the Tech Deck competition! My design theme is peace because the world should be in peace. My design was made with colour pencils. IMOGEN, NSW I like doodling in notebooks, schoolbooks, and anywhere I can. That’s what inspired me to fill my Tech Deck board with doodles. RORY, NSW The design is the Aboriginal flag, with waves of orange and blue at either end. JAIDEN, QLD You can also see the winning entries in the gallery at KZONE.COM.AU Tech Deck rules! – Zak D…

BRICKMAN’S BIG BOOK OF BETTER BUILDS RYAN ‘BRICKMAN’ MCNAUGHT You can find the insider tricks and secret skills that make a LEGO Certified Professional’s builds so epic. This guide shows how to scope any LEGO project, and features Brickman’s builds to help you learn the key techniques. Find how to add intrigue, action and drama to your ideas, and even make a build move, glow, or explode! READ IT... FOR BETTER BUILDS! NICE GARRY BOWLED OVER NATHAN LYON AND MICHAEL WAGNER ILLUSTRATED BY DAVID WILLIAMS Garry is about to discover he has an amazing cricketing ability! Sounds like a dream come true, right? Well, apparently being first-rate can bring many new challenges. Inspired by Aussie Test cricket star Nathan Lyon, this read is the story of an ordinary kid…

Q Why did the baked beans go to Queensland? A They like to live in Cairns! Harry, NSW Q Where do farmers get medicine? A The farmacy! Jaxson, NSW Knock knock!Who’s there?Goliath! Goliath who?Goliath down, you look-eth tired! Miguel, NSW Q Which invention was even more important than the first phone? A The second phone! Asher, Qld Q What do you call a funny penguin? A Comedy cold! Lachie, Vic Q What starts with ‘P’, ends with ‘E’, and has a million letters? A A post office! Aaron, NSW Q What are the strongest days of the week? A Saturday and Sunday. The rest are weak days! Riley, NZ Q Why was the plum mad? A It was prune to jealousy! Luna, NSW Q Why did the flower have to…

1. What is a stud? a. A type of minifigure. b. A large robot or humanoid machine operated by a pilot. c. A bump or knob that’s usually on top of a LEGO part. 2. What does the term 'SNOT' stand for? a. 'Studs Not On Top' b. 'Slimy Nose On Tuesday' c. 'Set Not Over There' 3. When you construct a build that isn't in an official LEGO set, this is called a 'MOC'. What does MOC stand for? a. 'My Own Construction' b. 'My Own Craftiness' c. 'My Own Creation' 4. If you want to strengthen your LEGO structure, what can you try? a. Glue b. Bracing c. Scaling 5. The LEGO part ‘Roof Tile 1x1x2/3’ is also called a... a. Cheese slope b. Wedge c. Skate ramp…

100 % K-ZONER MADE GET YOUR BUILD ON THIS PAGE! Congrats to this month’s ScreenSpace artists! You have scored a copy of Minecraft Master Builder: Ancient Wonders ! We Want YOU! Have you made something AMAZING on your computer, console, tablet or phone? To be in ScreenSpace, visit www.kzone.com.au and click on ‘Be in K-Zone’! Go to ‘ScreenSpace’ to submit your epic gaming screenshot, coding creation and digital artwork. Remember K-Zoners, it’s all about protecting your identity. Be a safe gamer and don’t talk to anyone online who you don’t know for real. We’re so lucky we have K-Zone every month! – Benjamin…

HECTIC HOARDER OF THE MONTH Name: Reuben Collects: Tech Deck Board boss: Reuben started to collect Tech Deck after scoring a Street Hits World Series Element Fingerboard two years ago. Now, Reuben’s fave item is the DGK Ultra Rare Gold Fingerboard! THIS MONTH’S COOL COLLECTABLE GIFT! Better make room for some new additions to your Tech Deck collection, Reuben! The awesome Tech Deck X-Connect Big Vert Wall set is on the way, plus two Tech Deck Fingerboard Packs – Blind and Stereo! Collect something cool? Consider yourself a mega fan? Tell us all about it at KZONE.COM.AU K-Zone makes K-Zoners so happy! – Andrew…

SUPER MARIO HEROES Bowser doesn’t stand a chance against a Marvel line-up. Thor’s hammer (Mjolnir) is great for warding off Goombas, and could double as a plunger for plumbing emergencies. Spidey would web sling pesky Piranha Plants, giving Mario and Luigi a clear path to Peach. Meanwhile, Captain Marvel could carry the whole superheroic crew through poison and back to safety without taking any damage. CATCH THE POKÉMOBS A wild Pikachu appeared and… Wait? What’s that noise? Ahh, it’s a Creeper-chu! In an epic Minecraft + Pokémon mashup, the regular mobs would be out; replaced with creations like Skeleton Bulbasaur, Wither Gengar and... the Ender Charizard. Ooh. In this world, you have two options – craft a lot of Poké Balls, or run! THE ROAD TO MINIONMANIA…

DID YOU KNOW? Park Beyond is all about rad rides. The newest contender for fastest roller coaster is the DC Rivals HyperCoaster at Warner Bros. Movie World in Queensland. It’s actually the fastest roller coaster in the Southern Hemisphere, and can hit 100km/h in two seconds! Going to the park is cool. Heading to a theme park is cooler. Making the wildest theme park ever is the coolest. Park Beyond is like a sci-fi take on Planet Coaster, and that’s an excellent place to start! Think of the coolest coasters, make ’em, then add huge drops, tight turns, and twisting tracks. That tracks for the basics. Now ditch the tracks. Make those cool coasters hit a cannon that shoots riders across a giant gap. Why not try slapping a pinball…

PRO TIP! Snapping some one-star and two-star pics is easy enough. Line up a critter, then take a picture. What you really want are those three-star ratings. The EZ way is to ensure you have the creature in the middle. Keep obstructions out of the shot. Zoom in. Get ‘em to pose. Snap away! Penko Park has had a cheeky peek at Pokémon Snap’s homework. Check it out! Chill on-rails gameplay? Tick. Epic place to explore? Tick again. Lots of curious critters to photograph? Triple tick! However, Penko Park has a spoo-ooky twist waiting to be seen in this abandoned wildlife park. Trade Pokémon for poltergeists, and it’s time to take happy snaps of ghosts. Thankfully, these Penko pals aren’t scary. The posse just likes posing for a pic. Picking…

JUST JUMP Use jump, dash, and jump-dash. Next, try dash-jump or dash-jump-dash to navigate levels fast. Use dash followed by jump to climb up walls. Wall jump off players trapped in a stasis or water bubble. On the Castle level, soar long distances by launching the chalice midair and using a dash-jump boost! BRAWLER BUILDS Be prepared! Build custom Brawlers that you can use in any occasion. You never know which level will be chosen before a match, so it’s best to have a Brawler ready for any scenario. Experiment with power-up combos and find one that best suits your play-style. POWERFUL PICK-UPS Picked up a power-up? Don’t feel like you need to use it immediately. It can be good to hold onto some power-ups for just the right moment…

BARRUMBI KIDS FRIDAYS AT 7:30PM ON NITV, AND STREAMING NOW ON SBS ON DEMAND Tomias and Dahlia are best friends, both growing up in a magical and remote Northern Territory community! Through fishing, schooling, and much more, the pair are learning about living with the consequences of their shenanigans, engaging with the physical world, and being a part of the community. This 10 episode series is filled with action, humour, and friendship! WATCH OUT FOR: ACTION! GHOSTWRITER STREAMING NOW ON APPLE TV+ When a ghost haunts a bookstore and releases fictional characters into the real world, a group of kids must work together to figure out the ghost’s unfinished business! The young friends will be taken on six incredible and timeless adventures, alongside characters inspired by The Wonderful Wizard…

SPEW CREW I was on a whale shark and snorkel tour. I needed to vomit while I was on the boat, and tripped when I ran to the side to throw up. I missed out on snorkelling! Ethan, Qld UNLUCKY! QUEUE CHAOS We were waiting for ice cream in a huge queue. When we finally got to the end, we had to wait in another queue to get it! When we finally got to the end of that queue, the ice cream machine was broken! Horatio, WA SO UNLUCKY! ENTITY ISSUE I was working on a secret base in Minecraft in Creative Mode and made lots of progress. It had piston doors, secret rooms, and cool aesthetics everywhere. I used command blocks to make a repeating block that kills all…

GET INTO 1st New Year’s Day1st Blueback in cinemas3rd Festival of Sleep Day6th Bean Day8th Bubble Bath Day10th Peculiar People Day12th The Amazing Maurice in cinemas13th Friday the 13th13th Make Your Dreams Come True Day18th Thesaurus Day22nd Lunar New Year24th Compliment Day24th Global Belly Laugh Day25th Opposite Day31st Backward Day SPORT 16th 2023 Australian Open begins29th 2023 Australian Open ends HAPPY BIRTHDAY 3rd Florence Pugh, AKA Yelena5th Bradley Cooper, AKA Rocket Raccoon6th Eddie Redmayne, AKA Newt Scamander7th Jeremy Renner, AKA Hawkeye7th Lewis Hamilton13th Michael Peña, AKA Luis18th Dave Bautista, AKA Drax SCHOOL 23rd Back to school in Qld27th Back to school in ACT, parts of NSW, and parts of Vic30th Back to school in SA, and parts of Vic31st Back to school in NT OH AND...…

SONIC PRIME PARADOX PROBLEM When Sonic catches Doctor Eggman with the Paradox Prism in his robotic hands, a fierce battle erupts. Sonic plunges headfirst into the action, but that enthusiasm eventually leads to a universe-shattering event. Sonic is thrown through space and time, before ending up in a completely different universe to his own. Welcome to the Shatterverse! NEW CREW Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge were also helping to battle Doctor Eggman and his buzzing cronies at the Paradox Prism’s cave, so Sonic’s buddies were sent spiralling into another dimension too. Where did they land? In Sonic’s adventure, he meets versions of his pals, and realises he took his crew for granted! ENHANCED ENEMIES Among the new universes, Sonic quickly finds that Doctor Eggman is still around. It seems some…

CROCODILE CHAOS When the Primms move to New York City, Josh has a hard time making friends at his new school. When he discovers a singing crocodile living in his attic, everything changes. Lyle and Josh become best mates, but some people aren't happy about Lyle’s sudden appearance. Menacing neighbour, Mr Grumps, wants Josh's new friend to be sent to the zoo! With help from the Primms and showman Hector P. Valenti, Lyle must prove that he is amazing. Expect mayhem, magic, music, and more! MEET THE CREW LYLE He might be a giant, 300kg croc with razor-sharp teeth, but under his tough (and scaly) appearance, Lyle is super sweet. He loves to express himself through song! HECTOR P. VALENTI This showman found Lyle when he was a baby crocodile…

K-Z: Hi Jack! What do you admire about your character, Spider? J: I admire Spider’s physical confidence; being able to run and swing on vines thousands of feet in the air, then jumping onto another root that could potentially be mossy and slippery. Physically, I wish I could be as cool as him. K-Z: Did you learn any new skills while filming the movie? J: I learned to hold my breath for five minutes and 33 seconds with the free diving team, and I also worked with the scuba team for four years. Jim [director James Cameron] is vegan, so I also learned that one vegan meal a day can help save the planet from climate change. K-Z: Who is the funniest cast member? J: Sam Worthington (AKA Jake) is…

UNEXPECTED HEROES There are rad heroes in wacky places, like the legendary dragons found in Dreamworks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms, or the totally tough-stuff pink puff in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Want more weird heroes? Play as a cat in Stray, a fox in Tunic, or a drawn character in RPG Time: The Legend of Wright! COLLECT-’EM-ALLS Wanna collect cool and quirky critters? You deffo wanna dive into Pokémon Legends: Arceus. You can also sniff out more Poké-pals in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. For more creature collecting, try Temtem, or dig into Digimon Survive. Plus, you can snap up a roster of rascals in rad Penko Park, and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope! PARTY PEEPS Got mates over? Dance up a storm in Just Dance 2023,…

K-Z: Hello Pere! What did you love about working on Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova? P: For me, the most fun part is when the prototype is coming together. To see that all the ideas we had on paper actually work in-game, it’s an amazing feeling. If the gameplay in the prototype is fun, even without art (all grey boxes, no textures, no animations), it means the core gameplay is right. K-Z: What was the most challenging part of the game to design? P: The puzzles. These aren’t hard to create, but when we need to change anything, re-doing any puzzle is very time consuming,. You already have a limited space because of the previous puzzle, and a limited set of tools to create it. K-Z: Any tips for playing the…

PRO TIP! Shake trees and bust into bushes to find secret stuff! Coins are great for healing, and there are heaps to uncover – even in the opening section. There are new Sparks to seek out too, so pop open the map and chase down the yellow icons (Spark missions). More Sparks means more combat combos! Those bright sparks at Ubisoft have done it again. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a shiny sequel to Kingdom Battle, but the Mushroom Kingdom is in the rear-view mirror. Actually, the planet is waaay behind! The battle’s out in space now, and the story is Avengers-level epic. Creepy Cursa is Thanos-ing the galaxy with Darkmess (nope, not a typo). It’s up to your legendary Mushroom Kingdom mates to shine a light on…

SPLASH START Hit the ground splatting in fun Splatoon 3 multiplayer bouts. As soon as you land, pop out a secondary weapon. Spray your base with friendly-coloured ink. Fizzy Bombs and Sprinklers are ace set-and-forget inkers. This way, you have a super easy method to re-ink and speedily squid away! SQUID SPEED Pop Squid Surge when ‘ZL’ scaling walls by holding ‘B’. Use that at the right time for a speed burst, plus a higher jump! Squid Roll is ace for getting out of trouble. Hold ‘ZL’ to squid swim, then flick the left stick to change your direction in a flash. GROOVY GEAR Finding the freshest-looking duds is fun in Splatoon 3, but deffo upgrade gear to score ace gameplay advantages. Start with Swim Speed Up, Ink Saver (Main),…

FIVE EMOJIS I WOULD USE TO DESCRIBE THE SHOW ARE… SEASON TWO GROWS IN AN UNEXPECTED WAY BECAUSE… A lot of fantasy storytelling has a big bad guy, and the bad guy is just evil. The good guys have to beat the bad guys and that’s what it is. Wolfboy, Xandra and Sprout make a new friend, Seth, who is a Disarray, not a Spryte. Wolfboy goes to the realm of the Disarrays; he was taught it’s a terrible place, but finds it’s different than what he was told. PROFESSOR LUXCRAFT IS… A wizard but he’s also a teacher… It’s such a glorious relationship to have a teacher that you really connect with, the way that Wolfboy connects with Luxcraft. If you have a teacher that you look forward to…

ACROSS 1. These animals traditionally become samurais. 5. Hank is sent to this town. 9. Don’t be fooled by this character’s cuteness! 10. This warrior likes butterflies. 11. Another name for the ruler of the kingdom. 12. Look out for the N.W.A. (Ninjas With ___________)! DOWN 2. Complete the samurai advice; 'Defeat strength with _____.' 3. Name Ichiro’s best friend. 4. The leader of Ika Chu’s army. 6. Samuel L. Jackson (Marvel’s Nick Fury) voices this character in Paws of Fury! 7. This giant item is important to Ika Chu. 8. Hank is this dog breed. Check your answers me-ow at KZONE.COM.AU Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank is out now on Digital and DVD! Shout out to Luke and Jasmine! – KJ…