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Games and gear you need to have for the fall

Consider the yearly gaming rush in full swing. Here are the absolute must-haves for what's going to be a jam-packed gaming season.

Jeff Bakalar
Jeff is CNET Editor at Large and a host for CNET video. He's regularly featured on CBS and CBSN. He founded the site's longest-running podcast, The 404 Show, which ran for 10 years. He's currently featured on Giant Bomb's Giant Beastcast podcast and has an unhealthy obsession with ice hockey and pinball.
Jeff Bakalar
SNES Classic
1 of 8 CNET

SNES Classic

Price: $80

On sale: Sept. 29

The outlook: The mini SNES will be one of the hottest gifts this holiday season, but we're worried Nintendo hasn't made enough for all those who want one. That's a shame, because the SNES Classic has an amazing lineup of games on board, including the North American debut of Star Fox 2.

Xbox One X
2 of 8 Josh Miller

Xbox One X

Price: $500

On sale: Nov. 7

The outlook: Xbox's answer to the PlayStation 4 Pro is undoubtedly a more powerful piece of hardware, but we're skeptical about Microsoft's ability to assemble a lineup of truly compelling software to be played on this juggernaut.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
3 of 8 Bethesda

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Price: $60

On sale: Oct. 27

The outlook: Nazis have taken over America, and it's up to Billy Blazkowicz and his band of resistance fighters to stop them.

Star Wars Battlefront II
4 of 8 EA

Star Wars: Battlefront II

Price: $60

On sale: Nov. 17

The outlook: The sequel to 2015's Battlefront promises to up the ante in nearly every category, especially where the game needed it: a single-player story mode.

Super Mario Odyssey
5 of 8 Nintendo

Super Mario Odyssey

Price: $60

On sale: Oct. 27

The outlook: Mario is back in a new adventure that takes him to worlds he's never been to. Using his hat (!), he can transform into objects in the world and combat enemies at the same time.

Cuphead
6 of 8 Microsoft

Cuphead

Price: $20

On sale: Sept. 29

The outlook: This highly anticipated indie darling takes inspiration from the cartoons of the 1930s, but we're most excited to see how Cuphead plays.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
7 of 8 WBIE

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

Price: $60

On sale: Oct. 10

The outlook: Shadow of Mordor was a surprise when it debuted in 2014, and its follow-up Shadow of War looks to push the open world Lord of the Rings tale even further.

Assassin's Creed Origins
8 of 8 Ubisoft

Assassin's Creed Origins

Price: $60

On sale: Oct. 27

The outlook: After a year off in the release schedule for the franchise, Assassin's Creed takes players back to the start: ancient Egypt.

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