Rayman fans are over the moon after the announcement that the limbless hero will be featured in the next Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope DLC. However, there might be more to look forward to. The game's director, Davide Soliani, teased a return to glory for the French platforming mascot Wednesday. He also confirmed there will be a secret message if you finish the DLC with a 100% completion rate. The prospects of the first Rayman game since 2013 might come to fruition.

According to fan community leader ItzalDrake from Rayman Together, Sparks of Hope director Davide Soliani sent a message to the character's fanbase just before the launch of the Phantom Show DLC:

"I hope that all the community and all Rayman players support us as much as possible because I'm on a mission: my mission is to be able to bring Rayman back to the glory he deserves."

https://twitter.com/RaymanTogether/status/1694386555723342118

When was the last Rayman game released?

The limbless hero has been absent for a long time, which is strange as he was an important mascot for Ubisoft during the beginning of the studio's history. The last true game in the series was Rayman Legends, released back in 2013: a decade ago this month. If you want to go all the way back, the last 3D platforming adventure Rayman 3 came out in 2003. A fourth entry or even a follow-up to the 2D platforming subseries would be a dream for many fans of the series.

Soliani did not outright confirm a new game in the series, but as previously mentioned, he has teased a secret hidden message for those who 100% complete the DLC. "I hope for your support and I hope you like it!" he concluded in his message to the fans.

The post Sparks of Hope director teases return to “glory” for Rayman and secret DLC message appeared first on Destructoid.

With its full release on PC happening back in October 2022, Vampire Survivors has quickly become a runaway success. Already, there are imitators popping up trying to duplicate the game’s special sauce. As with many games that have spurred a sudden explosion of similar titles, it tantalizes developers with its simple but malleable gameplay.

I did play the PC version a few months back and was lucky enough to eventually claw my way from its grips. But with the Switch version dropping, I felt it was time to fall back into its embrace for the sake of the review. Hopefully, I can one day escape again.

[caption id="attachment_396801" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Vampire Survivors (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch [Reviewed])
Developer: Poncle
Publisher: Poncle
Released: October 20, 2022 (PC), August 17, 2023 (Switch)
MSRP: $4.99

Vampire Survivors looks like a bootleg. It has an appearance like someone took one game, then changed all the characters to look like another game to capitalize on people’s affection for the property. In this case, it looks like a bootleg with Castlevania sprites.

The character movements also feel like they’re unchanged from that game developer milestone of putting a sprite on the screen and having it react to input. They just glide across a sparse, repetitive background. It’s minimalistic. Extremely so. Your character attacks automatically based on a growing number of cooldown timers, and you’re just left in charge of navigating the enemy-infested environments.

You don’t even have to press a button unless you want to skip the chest-opening animation. You just slide your character around the background, having them pick up items and slipping through the cracks that open between groups of enemies. It’s dead simple, but weirdly, there’s a learning curve and strategizing to be done.

https://youtu.be/ZZZArNBLrsA

Holy water, Batman

For the main levels, you pick your hero and get dropped into a big open area. Enemies start streaming in from all sides. As you defeat them, they drop XP crystals that you pick up. Each time you gain a level, you get to choose an upgrade between a number of passive and offensive abilities.

As the level progresses, larger groups of more powerful enemies start piling in. The goal is to power yourself up faster than the enemies can grow in strength. Ultimately, you need to last 30 minutes before the Grim Reaper takes things into their own hands.

While this is an incredibly simple formula, a lot of strategy develops in a lot of areas. You need to experiment and discover what sets of weapons work best for you. Since the upgrades are somewhat randomized, you then need to figure out what to prioritize. Then there’s a bit of risk and reward. Do you take a new weapon now or spend the upgrade on boosting the level of an existing one? If you decide to skip on a specific upgrade now, is it going to reappear later on when you need it? Do you need more attack power now, or can you spend some points on boosting stats like luck or attack strength?

And that’s before you incorporate the rather clever combination mechanic, where if you’re carrying two particular items and improve them to their maximum level, you can evolve the weapon into something more powerful.

[caption id="attachment_396802" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Cerebral bore

Then, after each run, you can spend money that you collected on permanent upgrades and new characters. There are also achievements you can aim for that unlock additional weapons and characters for each run. Both during a run and in the gaps between, you’re always improving.

It’s quite a well-executed mess of progression that creates an addicting experience. I don’t use that word lightly, and I don’t necessarily mean it as a positive. Vampire Survivors employs some pretty devious tactics to dig into your brain matter and make it difficult to stop playing. You’re constantly making progress, and you’re perpetually on the cusp of bigger and better things. Every upgrade promises some advantage for your next run, and every run provides a learning experience to employ.

And then luck is a factor, which means that after a bad run, you’re not necessarily going to want to take a break. Sure, maybe things didn’t go your way last time, but this time is statistically more likely to go better. It comes as no surprise to me that developer Luca Gallante has a history of working in the gambling industry, as Vampire Survivors incorporates a lot of the same tactics to keep people glued in place.

That would be awful, but Vampire Survivors doesn’t seem to have that much interest in your money. The price for the base game is relatively low, and the only microtransactions are DLC expansions. Even then, the DLC is very cheap and not essential. If Vampire Survivors had the clear goal of getting you hooked and sucking you dry, I’d be disgusted, but that’s obviously not the intent here. Instead, it just cracks open a can of dopamine and pours it over your brain. The only thing you’ve got to lose here is your time.

[caption id="attachment_396803" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Lots of math

The Switch port is exactly as it says on the tin. I played the PC version previously, and this isn’t really an upgrade. It’s just the same game on a new platform, which is fine. There is some slowdown when the enemies envelop every pixel of screenspace, but I didn’t find it to interfere with the gameplay. Cut the Switch some slack. There’s a lot of math going on in any one moment.

There’s also the new co-op mode for up to four players. It works better than you may think, as XP is pooled between players, and upgrades cycle between them. It’s a surprisingly laid-back multiplayer experience, and I’m actually tempted to break it out next time I’m visiting my parents. Although, I’m afraid everyone would just delegate upgrade choices to me since I’m the experienced one.

As an added challenge, you could just play co-op by yourself. Since you only use the left stick, that’s one for each thumb. Quite a brain tickler.

[caption id="attachment_396804" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Brain tickler

Vampire Survivors is also not content to just accomplish the bare minimum either. A lot of love has gone into crafting it, even if it’s not immediately reflected through the bootleg aesthetics and simple presentation. There are lore entries for each character and enemy, and there are plenty of bonus levels and secrets to tackle. There’s some depth an meat here.

I think it would be very difficult to dislike Vampire Survivors. Typically, I hate when a game just drills into my brain and starts pressing all the feel-good buttons. I usually feel manipulated. However, the fact that it doesn’t ask for money beyond the admission fee, and the fact that there’s something of a clear endpoint to the entire game, makes it feel benign. It wants to entertain you for a while but will eventually let you get back to your life.

Vampire Survivors is well worth checking out, whether you’re playing it on Switch or any other platform. Its simple gameplay hides an irresistible depth. Just keep in mind that once you’re in its clutches, it can be a struggle to get free.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Vampire Survivors appeared first on Destructoid.

The September 2023 games list is one of the hottest in recent memory. From the massive Starfield to the promising Soulslike Lies of P, there's something for everyone. Even motorheads will be happy this month. Here's what's coming out in September 2023, including some honorable mentions.

[caption id="attachment_396332" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Ubisoft[/caption]

The Crew: Motorfest (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Ivory Tower
Price: $69.99
Release Date: September 14
Trailer

Just when you think the summer season is over, Ubisoft brings us back to the heat and smell of fuel in The Crew: Motorfest. This time we're traveling to the Hawaiian islands. In this open-world game, we'll be racing through the city of Honolulu. Additionally, we'll be able to "test [our] off-road skills on the ashy slopes of a volcano [and] master the perfect curve on the tracks," according to the game's official website. We'll also be able to drive on the beach and adventure through "hidden paths of the luxurious rainforest." With over 400 cars as well, Ubisoft's racing open-world title sounds like a nitro boost to the soul.

[caption id="attachment_396327" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via CD Projekt Red[/caption]

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: CD Projekt Red
Developer: CD Projekt Red
Price: $29.99
Release Date: September 26
Trailer

The highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 DLC Phantom Liberty is releasing this month. Starring Idris Elba as Solomon Reed, V and Johnny Silverhand are taken into a new follow-up adventure. This time, you'll be trying to save the NUSA President in a new area called Dogtown. The game's Steam page teases that "your decisions impact not only the fate of the characters around you, but also yourself" when it comes to the ending. It's one of the most anticipated September 2023 games because we can't wait to see how it ends.

[caption id="attachment_396548" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via NEOWIZ[/caption]

Lies of P (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: NEOWIZ
Developer: NEOWIZ
Price: $59.99
Release Date: September 19
Trailer

After a lengthy and promising demo, Lies of P is finally releasing this month. This Soulslike is set in a beautiful European-inspired world full of creepy machines and gothic architecture. You play as Pinocchio, a puppet that's trapped in a horrific world. As he explores it, he'll "untangle the unfathomable secrets of the city's elites and choose whether to confront predicaments with the truth or weave lies to overcome them on the journey to find [himself,]" according to the Steam page. Hopefully, the game lives up its impactful demo from earlier this year.

[caption id="attachment_396553" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via WB Games[/caption]

Mortal Kombat 1 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: WB Games
Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Price: $69.99
Release Date: September 19
Trailer

Mortal Kombat 1 continues the fighting game hype this year. WB Games and NetherRealm Studios are bringing a new origin to the series with a fresh reset of the MK timeline. It will also introduce Kameo Fighters that can be summoned to help you pull off incredible combos or get you out of a bad situation. Hopefully, the game lives up to its high expectations. Homelander and Peacemaker will be a few of the DLC characters as well.

[caption id="attachment_396555" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Bethesda[/caption]

Starfield (Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Developer: Bethesda
Price: $69.99
Release Date: September 6
Trailer

Starfield is the kind of game you desperately want to be good before it releases. There's so much potential. You can travel to over 1,000 planets with all manner of cities and environments to explore. There are quests to complete, hopefully with many intriguing characters to meet. You can even customize your own spaceship to your liking. It's a sci-fi fan's dreams come to life. I really hope it lives up to everyone's expectations, just like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim did in 2011. It would be a huge win for Xbox Game Studios if Starfield lands with players and critics.

[caption id="attachment_392728" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via EA[/caption]

Honorable Mentions

These five titles aren't the only highlights from the September 2023 games list. It's going to be a very busy month. You can also play the following:

• Rune Factory 3 Special (Switch, PC) - September 5
• Enchanted Portals (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 6
• Fae Farm (Switch) - September 8
• NBA 2K24 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) – September 8
• MythForce (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 12
• Super Bomberman R 2 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 12
• Eternights (PS4, PS5, PC) - September 12
• Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster (Switch) - September 14
• Monster Hunter Now (Android, iOS) - September 14
• Gloomhaven (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 18
• Party Animals (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC) - September 20
• Witchfire (PC) - September 20
• PayDay 3 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) - September 21
• EA Sports FC 24 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 22
• Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 26
• Mineko's Night Market (Switch) - September 26
• My Time at Sandrock (PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 26
• Paleo Pines (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC)
• Disney Speedstorm (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 28
• Gothic Classic (Switch) - September 28
• Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC) - September 28

The post Most anticipated game releases – September 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

The first DLC excursion of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have a release date. Part 1, The Teal Mask, arrives on September 13, and its follow-up The Indigo Disk arrives in winter 2023.

A trailer shown during today's Pokémon Presents dove into what we can expect from Scarlet and Violet's two-part DLC, both set to arrive this year. The Teal Mask follows two trainers, Carmine and her younger brother Kieran, as we get wrapped up in a festival and local folklore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QiLe4pTHAE

Of course, there are new Pokémon to catch. Dipplin is a dipped version of Applin. It looks like some special Pokémon are also tied into the folk tale surrounding the Festival of Masks we can attend.

Perrin, a Pokémon photographer, will also be around to give players missions to snap shots. A racing minigame will also garner Mochi, which lets you train Pokemon as you want. A Roto Stick upgrade also gives players  some new photo mode options. All of that is part of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's The Teal Mask DLC, arriving on September 13.

The BB League awaits

For The Indigo Disk, the second part of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC, the player heads to the Blueberry Academy as an exchange student. Here, you basically get wrapped up in a battle anime plot, as the students seem to like battling in their own BB League.

[caption id="attachment_395423" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via The Pokémon Company/YouTube[/caption]

There's also a new open area with different biomes, new classes to take, and a special trial that will let your Koraidon or Miraidon fly instead of glide. A few other neat features await in The Indigo Disk, including new Pokéball throwing styles and a way to hang out with trainers from Paldea.

All of the DLC adventures lead back to where Pokémon Scarlet and Violet concluded in the base game: Area Zero. As the entire DLC pack is called The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, it looks like there will be more mysteries to uncover in that deep crater.

Though the base game arrived a bit rough, I'm still interested to see where Game Freak takes the story from here. Area Zero was one of the most interesting parts of Scarlet and Violet, and these two DLC packs seem to be leaning into some strong areas. It'll be interesting to see how these additions come together.

The post Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s first DLC The Teal Mask arrives on September 13 appeared first on Destructoid.

Evo is a major event for fighting game tournaments and news. This year, we've seen updates announced for some of the biggest games in the genre, including Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Mortal Kombat 1. There's even a brief teaser for SNK's next bout. Here's all the news at Evo 2023 you should know about.

[caption id="attachment_395265" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Capcom[/caption]

Street Fighter 6 x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

After a musical performance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song, Capcom announced a new crossover for Street Fighter 6. Starting August 8, there will be four skins for your custom characters based on the radical reptiles, pizza-riffic emotes, new titles, stamps, mobile wallpaper, and camera frames. This bit of EVO 2023 news was one of the highlights of the show for me.

https://youtu.be/TY-k6jYzXtg

A.K.I. joins the battle in Street Fighter 6

Capcom also teased its next Street Fighter 6 character, A.K.I. She looks twisted, and poisons your custom character in the trailer. No gameplay was shown, but we do know she'll be available sometime this Fall.

[caption id="attachment_395269" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via Mortal Kombat YouTube channel[/caption]

Ashrah, Havik, and Reptile are in Mortal Kombat 1

Three new characters were announced in a stellar Mortal Kombat 1 trailer. You'll be able to play as Ashrah, Havik, and Reptile when the game arrives on September 19, 2023. Ashrah is a surprising choice, as she hasn't been in the series since the PS2 game Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. Regardless, she looks like she fits in with her brutal Fatality. Sareena is also coming back, but as a Kameo fighter this time around.

[caption id="attachment_395273" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via arcsystemworks YouTube channel[/caption]

Johnny returns in Guilty Gear Strive's Season Pass 3

Shirtless and ready to strike his foes, Johnny returns as the first character of Guilty Gear Strive's Season Pass 3. He swings his katana with a quickening pace, and also unleashes cards, even turning people into them and slashing them up when the opportunity arises. He'll be available to play on August 24.

Season Pass 3 will include one more character in 2023 and an additional two in 2024. It will also come with two more stages, more color variants for your characters, and two extra colors for the Season 3 characters.

Arc System Works also confirmed that the game's reached 2.5 million players, making Guilty Gear Strive a huge success for the studio.

https://youtu.be/cTyy0kgQ8Ug

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves hypes up the crowd

After The King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown getting acclaim from fans and critics alike, the Fatal Fury series is returning with City of the Wolves. Not much was announced, but there was a little teaser by SNK, showcasing Terry and Rock Howard in the game. The graphics seem to be an upgrade too, with more visual details and improved lighting.

No release date has been given, but SNK fittingly said it is "furiously in development."

[caption id="attachment_395281" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via SNK OFFICIAL YouTube channel[/caption]

The King of Fighters XV adds Najd and Duo Lon, and KOF XIII gets a re-release date

On August 8, Najd will be available as a DLC character in The King of Fighters XV. Duo Lon will then follow her sometime this Autumn, which starts on September 23 and ends on December 21.

Additionally, The King of Fighters XIII Global Match will hit PS4 and Switch on November 16 with rollback netcode.

https://youtu.be/30GpU_0A8Rg

Raven and Azucena join the Tekken 8 roster

Fan favorite character Raven and the coffee-obsessed newcomer Azucena are a part of the Tekken 8 roster. Raven is using his shadow skills that might remind you of Naruto's Shadow Clone Jutsu. Meanwhile, Azucena has an intriguing dodge feature with some tasty counters shown off in the trailer. Tekken 8 still has no release date attached.

[caption id="attachment_395287" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via RIot Games' YouTube channel[/caption]

League of Legends fighting game Project L adds Yasuo

The in-development 2v2 fighter Project L is adding the champion Yasuo into the mix. His move set includes a far-reaching sword and quick attacks in the air. He can also release tornados and wind walls against his opponents.

"He can outplay with mix-ups, he can go to the air for really technical combos, play defense with his wind wall, or honestly just win neutral with his huge normals," said lead champion designer Alex Jaffe. Sadly, no release date for Project L was announced amid all the news at Evo 2023.

https://youtu.be/GYIOUxYBukw?t=354

Plankton is a new character in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2

The tiny Plankton from Bikini Bottom is joining the bout in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 in a mech. He has all sorts of weaponry to fight off the likes of Aang, Reptar, and Spongebob SquarePants. He, alongside Squidward, will be a part of the main roster when the game launches later this year.

https://youtu.be/2Dc4F_fC0nc?t=42

Killer Instinct is getting a huge update

Cult-favorite Killer Instinct is getting a major update from Xbox Game Studios and Iron Galaxy for the first time in years. It will include better matchmaking, a balance update, and all-new 4K support on Xbox Series X|S. It will be coming this Fall. Now that Iron Galaxy and Xbox are working together on this, perhaps talk of a sequel could arise between the two companies after Rumbleverse's shutdown in February.

https://youtu.be/m55Ju_OmSvU

Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes is bringing "Dramatic Stylish 2D Fighting Action" in 2024

After more than ten years and many versions, Under Night In-Birth is getting a sequel. It will be launching early next year for the PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Sorry, Xbox fans. Additionally, there will be rollback netcode.

Arc System Works says there will be "completely redesigned visuals" and "even more playable characters to be added" down the line. The trailer's description also touts that there will be "new moves and new battle systems" that further evolve the battle in Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbI26Ehde3g

GranBlue Fantasy Versus: Rising gets a release date

The release date for the sequel Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is November 30, as announced at Evo. As the festive season begins, we'll be battling it out as Gran and other characters in a three-part story and a new mode called Grand Bruise. Additionally, there is crossplay and rollback netcode available in this new version of the game. More characters are available too, including Anila, Grimnir, Nier, and Siegfried.

https://youtu.be/yKUH3zTNWMk

Maypul comes to Rivals 2

Finally, the fox-like combatant Maypul joins the Smash-like Rivals 2. She brings three different plants with her to the battle, including Lily, Terry, and Poppy. She'll also be the fastest character in the game. Maypul's combos look thrilling in the trailer itself. The game launches sometime next year.

That's it for Evo 2023 news cycle. Which fighting games are you most looking forward to next year, and will you be playing as Michelangelo in Street Fighter 6's avatar battles?

The post All the fighting game news from EVO 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Developer French-Bread has officially announced its next entry in the Under Night series. French-Bread and Arc System Works will launch Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes in 2024 for PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.

Set as the sequel to the first Under Night In-Birth, UNIB II will feature the "final chapter" of the Hollow Night storyline that started over a decade ago with the original release. Under Night mixes light novel story with fighting game action.

https://youtu.be/m55Ju_OmSvU

As far as fighting games go, Under Night is squarely in the anime fighter subgenre and is a pretty enjoyable one, too. For Under Night In-Birth II, there will be an expanded move list, new character abilities, and updates to the battle system. There's also an EXS button, which sounds like a beginner-friendly control scheme similar to auto-combos.

For fighting game players, the big news is that yes, Under Night In-Birth II will have rollback netcode. It's always nice to have, as it lets players meet up and fight online with a solid connection. It's quickly becoming the gold standard, but it's nice to see French-Bread and Arc System Works emphasize its inclusion.

Into the Under Night

Those at Evo 2023 this weekend will get to play some Under Night In-Birth II, as Arc System Works' booth is hosting gameplay demos. It's not the only brand-new fighting game in town, either. Mortal Kombat 1, Tekken 8 and Riot Games' Project L are all in Las Vegas this weekend too. That's not even counting all the currently released fighting games at Evo, hosting tournaments.

It's going to be an exciting weekend for fighting game aficionados, for sure. I'm also pretty happy to see Under Night get a sequel like this. It's a fighter I frequently enjoy going back to, and I'm interested in seeing what French-Bread's got in the oven.

Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes will head to PlayStation, Switch, and PC sometime in 2024.

The post Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes arrives next year appeared first on Destructoid.

Persona 4 has a treasured soundtrack with many great tunes that'll get you pumped for battle or grinning from ear to ear as you hear the Junes Theme playing. It also helps establish the season as the school year passes, like "Snowflakes," which plays during the final months of the game. While you're in battle, on the other hand, the rocking beat of "Reach Out To The Truth" keeps you focused on every attack. I am thou, thou art I, here are the best Persona 4 songs, ranked!

Note: This list includes Persona 4 and Persona 4 Golden tracks, no spin-off titles.

10. "Specialist"

https://open.spotify.com/track/0nAeo4gKT75vw5QmkZLdHB?si=da8e4145411d4e78

There are very few shopping video game themes that are cooler than this. This piece has a pleasant, chill melody highlighted by a jazzy piano and an awesome percussion beat that will put on a smile on your face. You can't help yourself while you bob your head up and down to the rhythm.

9. "Reverie"

https://open.spotify.com/track/28AYf50QPbB8AhC4OYU7uQ?si=2a4960c3020c43c7

Honestly, there's not much to say about this piece. "Reverie" plays when Yu and the gang reflect on what just happened. The piano plays a beautiful tune while whirring instrumentals that float above the piece give a melancholy vibe. It's a striking song that perfectly reflects the situation the team is in whenever it plays.

8. "Never More"

https://open.spotify.com/track/7wsNi1SE40YS9YYCj44EQ4?si=b3462e0c7a264256

This ending credits song is a wonderful track that establishes the strong bonds between Yu and the friends he's made along the way. The vocals are lovely as Shihoko Hirata sings about the memories the investigation team has made over the past year. The piano in the track also gives a neat reference to "A Corner of Memories" from the beginning of the game. As Persona 4 is such a long game, it actually feels nostalgic in a sense as you've known these characters for weeks, maybe months.

7. "Your Affection"

https://open.spotify.com/track/6idKSeBnFz49htgvyWoMro?si=44ac27cc45d54733

Rolling through Inaba, it was always a delight to listen to "Your Affection." It's a happy-go-lucky song as it encourages you to turn "your misery into meaningfulness" and take "pride from fear." This song is the levity we need after going through all the dungeons during the Midnight hour. During sunny days, it matches perfectly with the colorful visuals of this lovely small town.

6. "The Almighty"

https://open.spotify.com/track/2SzaLThldhzZgZBOLJoYuK?si=9ca468f6c8db4e3b

This song is steeped with so much drama. The strings and heavy bass at the beginning illustrate a great tension, and then the gripping main melody from the guitar seeps in. About a minute in, the percussion goes faster, adding stakes to the boss battle. You then get a soothing, echoed piano and guitar taking over the piece, likely showcasing who you're fighting for, like Nanako and all the residents of Inaba. Later on, the main guitar and the soothing section collide in an epic clash that somehow works together. It's a unique take on a boss battle theme as it switches between the two styles constantly; it's like a tug of war about who's winning the fight.

5. "Signs of Love"

https://open.spotify.com/track/32NyN0Tby1YpKObfd8nrzN?si=3554fce9e1514dfc

"Signs of Love" has everything I love about the Persona 4 soundtrack: a funky beat, charming lyrics, and some entertaining jazzy overtones that keep the track riveting. There are also strings in the background that reflect the slight tension that befalls the teenage protagonist. It's a great track that I'm happy to listen to over and over again as each in-game day passes.

4. "Reach Out To The Truth"

https://open.spotify.com/track/7JR73H8enwnGiYFS2I6eWW?si=183dea8a012f4691

"Reach Out To The Truth" is a fantastic battle theme. The rocking guitar gives tasty jams, while the jazzy keyboard provides more character to the piece. The drums also keep up the intensity while the Hirata nails her performance. It does get more repetitive than the other battle themes on the list, but it's still an exciting piece for many Persona 4 players.

3. "Snowflakes"

https://open.spotify.com/track/3Ybug08EbRV4RZfcw8WZMk?si=7f97b3f31c7e4ce9

Persona 4 Golden adds a beautiful track called "Snowflakes" that establishes the journey is almost over. It's a sad, yet calming track that fits into the winter season. It talks about the "friendship that is built to last" and the "laughter from this treasured place" that will stay in each character's memories. Similar to "Never More," it gives us a nostalgic feeling, reflecting on the past year, similar to thinking back on the past year during New Year's Eve. The tune from the piano, vocals, and beats are also stunning to listen to.

2. "Time to Make History"

https://open.spotify.com/track/3fHtkMIsiv9kC0Tv2iSS3h?si=f25f817629ac422b

Goodness, I love this song! The bass absolutely slaps as the delightful vocals get us hyped to "step on up to the plate" and "time to make history." It's an absolute jam.  It's fun how all of the instruments ramp up together during the chorus, and the drums once again make their presence known in the best way. When I played Persona 4 Golden, I was always more excited to hear this number over "Reach Out To The Truth."

1. "I’ll Face Myself (Reincarnation)"

https://open.spotify.com/track/1PraA0CrjHLo16lwUw6NSq?si=814328a804dd47bd

Drama. Intensity. High stakes. This is what "I'll Face Myself (Reincarnation)" brings to Persona 4. You have a slow unassuming beginning that ramps up quickly to an intense battle theme. The emotional strings play well with the intense drums. The flow also keeps changing, giving you unexpected twists and turns in this epic boss battle music. Composer Shoji Meguro wasn't afraid to include slower pieces to this boss battle theme, adding an emotional element to the track. He went all out with the ebb and flow of this piece. It's remarkable and is one of the best Persona 4 songs, absolutely.

The post Best Persona 4 songs, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Think you can beat the ads?

Have you ever been absent-mindedly scrolling, or maybe watching YouTube, and been pulled in by the sudden and absurd interjection of a mobile game ad? Maybe even thought to yourself, 'hey, I can solve that.' Well, Yeah! You Want "Those Games," Right? So Here You Go! Now, Let's See You Clear Them! might be for you.

This collection is a video game that I'm going to shorthand down to Those Games, and it is indeed centered on 'those games': the kind of absurd logic problems that you see pop up over and over again in dime-a-dozen mobile game ads. Well, rather than download something that might be filled with extra transactions and bizarre stories, Those Games lets you have at it right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixmG35AhgFI

Climb the towers! Mix the solutions! Escape parking lots! Do...  I'm really not sure what you're doing in some of these, but you can certainly slide and tap your way through them. Those Games is on both PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch, for a fairly reasonable $9.99 at that.

Clear Those Games off

Interestingly enough, the developer behind this isn't just anybody. Studio Monkeycraft Co. Ltd. worked on the Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series and Katamari Damacy HD updates. Seems like they did a pretty alright job, too.

Is this what we expected from the folks working on Klonoa and Katamari to move onto? Maybe not quite, but it's certainly whimsical and interesting. And now, I can finally see if I can pull all those slider bars right, to keep the puppy safe. Or clear the parking lot, or safely travel across a long walkway using only a giant stack of wooden beams. There's even a little gacha-style machine in there, for collecting titles. Guess you can't avoid every segment of mobile games, but at least there doesn't seem to be an energy meter in sight.

The post Those Games lets you play all ‘those games’ you’ve seen in ads appeared first on Destructoid.

Starring Kamek

It's interesting to see how public perception of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass has changed since we've actually gotten our hands on the tracks. Before the first wave hit the Switch, there seemed to be a lot of animosity toward the DLC. People were mad that it wasn't a new game or that the added tracks didn't have the same vivid art direction as those native to Deluxe.

Yet here we are on Wave 5 and all that negativity is gone. I'm not seeing it on the socials as much as I used to. And while that might be because my main social is being driven into the ground by a butter-bodied billionaire who names his kids like they're fan-fiction Star Trek characters, I'd like to think that people are realizing more Mario Kart is always good and just having fun with it.

Which is why it's good Nintendo didn't start this DLC campaign with the tracks of Wave 5. Because overall, this set's pretty mid.

[caption id="attachment_392198" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 5 (Switch)
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: July 11, 2023
MSRP: $24.99 (or part of Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack)

I know not every Mario Kart track is a masterpiece. With the Booster Course Pass adding 48 tracks to the game, we were bound to get some duds in there. But there is something about this wave that just didn't click with me. Even with a brand-new track in the mix, I'm not sure the Feather Cup and Cherry Cup hit on all cylinders as they should as the penultimate wave of the DLC. Nevertheless, like the other waves in the Booster Course Pass, I am ready to rank and review these eight tracks.

To see our rankings of the previous waves, click one of the following links: Wave 1, Wave 2, Wave 3, Wave 4.

[caption id="attachment_392199" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

8. Moonview Highway (MKWii)

There was very little question in my mind where Moonview Highway would rank on this list once Nintendo revealed it would be part of Wave 5.

Yes, aesthetically it looks nice. Your trip around this traffic track alternates between a serene moonlit highway and a pulsing, neon city. However, I considered the track's layout boring on the Wii and it's no different here. Despite the presence of other cars and bob-omb mobiles on the highway, it's far too simple of a design. The track layout ensures you never have to use the brake, even when you're playing in 200cc.

It still looks nice, but there is a far better late-night city course that could have been added in its place. Or heck, even Toad's Factory as that one has yet to appear as a retro track.

[caption id="attachment_392196" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

7. Los Angeles Laps (MKT)

Of all the tracks added from Mario Kart Tour, this is the first one where I've actually been able to point out the city's landmarks by memory. I spent a couple of years living around Los Angeles, so when I drove through Rodeo Drive, the Santa Monica Pier, Dodger Stadium, the oil fields of Culver City, and Venice Beach, all those memories came rushing back in.

Unfortunately, just because it was a tour of my past doesn't mean it's that great of a track. It suffices in turning Los Angeles and the surrounding area into a Mario Kart track. But as somebody once lived in the city, it's missing the one thing I most associate with LA: traffic. If any city that should become a traffic track, it should be LA.

[caption id="attachment_392194" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

6. Daisy Cruiser (MK:DD)

It feels weird to put Daisy Cruiser this low on the list as I have a lot of great memories of this track back on the GameCube. It's still a great concept, but I don't necessarily agree with all the changes that have been made to it.

The original Daisy Cruiser was a rather restrictive experience. At the starting gate, you could only go right and you had to drift around the pool on the top deck (or master the sliver shortcut on the right-hand side of it). In the dining hall section, the tables in the dining hall were massive and numerous, and the Item Boxes would roll independently of the tables.

Since it appeared in Mario Kart 7, a lot of those designs have changed. You can now drive through the pool, and the tables in the dining hall are smaller. I appreciate the changes made to the lowest deck, transforming it from an empty shipping container compartment into an aquarium. Still, I think Nintendo made too many changes that make the course less interesting than when it first debuted. Even the addition of toobin' Goombas in this iteration of the track can't lift it up. Also, I miss the clouds with smiley faces.

[caption id="attachment_392193" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

5. Sunset Wilds (MK:SC)

If there is one thing that sells me on Sunset Wilds, it's the soundtrack to the course. The music here is absolutely alive with a 90s western-comedy vibe (think City Slickers) that I can't get enough of. The course itself has a nice layout with mud traps to slow you down, but where the heck is the sunset? How do you have a course called Sunset Wilds and not include a sunset? For Pete's sake, there was a sunset in the Game Boy Advance and Mario Kart Tour versions of this track.

I hope this is just an unfortunate oversight on the part of the developers and the sunset gets patched in, because it really does add to the ambiance of this American Southwest-themed track.

[caption id="attachment_392191" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

4. Athens Dash (MKT)

Mario Kart Tour added Athens Dash during the Spring Tour that ran between April and May of this year. The Tour version of the track has two routes tied to it, both of which are combined here with a third route for this intro course to the Feature Cup. There is a lot of verticality here as the track takes racers around the Acropolis, Parthenon, and Hadrian's Arch. Like with Bangkok Rush, the landmarks of Athens Dash aren't condensed. A tremendous number of columns stand in your way, making this one of the trickier tracks of Wave 5.

I don't think there's anything particularly special about this track, but as someone who loves antiquities, I appreciate its inclusion. Once this one hits online, I have to imagine it'll be a tremendous pain as heavier racers can easily knock you into those columns and pillars that'll bring you to a halt.

[caption id="attachment_392197" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

3. Vancouver Velocity (MKT)

Vancouver Velocity almost got me to reinstall Mario Kart Tour before I realized what a bad idea that was.

As a big fan of the Winter Olympics, I felt eager to see its design knowing the city's Olympic anniversary heavily influenced the track. The Olympic Cauldron is one of the first notable objects from the city you'll see, and it looks spectacular with the aurora borealis in winter aesthetics. Flat background forest aside, Vancouver Velocity looks wonderful. The track takes you to enough locations that it feels like a complete trip rather than a brief visit.

I'm not sure if a trip through Massey Tunnel was necessary, or the two trips to the ice rink. I still enjoyed this track, though like most other courses in this wave, it remains okay at best. The addition of an anti-gravity section to the Capilano Bridge is a nice touch and arguably the best use of the feature in all the Tour tracks of this wave.

[caption id="attachment_392200" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

2. Squeaky Clean Sprint (MK8DBCP)

The first time I drove through Squeaky Clean Sprint, I didn't really care for it. I thought it was too basic in design and the concept didn't really wow me. In the first draft of this list, I had it all the way down at #7.

But as I replayed all the tracks throughout the weekend, it really started to grow on me. Aesthetically, Squeaky Clean Sprint has a lot going for it. It presents a world where Nintendo realizes the full potential of merchandising possibilities it has with its Super Mario IP. This giant bathroom (or regular-sized bathroom and all the racers are shrunk down to the size of Hot Wheels) is brimming with so many cute little design choices implementing elements from the Super Mario series that it looks like the type of bathroom I would have wanted when I was 10. And the track really does take the concept and run with it. I particularly like the bath balls in the tub that fizz up to give you extra air but also bounce if you run into them. There are also a few good shortcuts and alternate routes to use.

It's a fine layout. Overall, I'd rank it between Sky-High Sundae from Wave 2 and Yoshi's Island from Wave 4.

[caption id="attachment_392192" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

1. Koopa Cape (MKWii)

Mario Kart Wii is arguably the most maligned entry in the franchise by long-time fans of the series. Yet it has great tracks, several of which have already appeared in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass. Koopa Cape is another solid course from that entry, boasting a running river that tests your handling around corners, a drop that goes straight down like a roller coaster, and an underwater section that's improved here with the addition of anti-gravity.

In truth, I haven't really thought about Koopa Cape all that much (and yes I do spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about Mario Kart tracks) likely because I confuse it with Rock Rock Mountain. But I'll do a better job of remembering this track now thanks to how insane it is at 200cc. I play all the tracks in all the different modes when doing these reviews and I cannot stress enough the bonkers nature of Koopa Cape when going that fast. It is the best test of your braking skills in Wave 5 and I cannot wait to take this online to see how other players adjust to its speed.

Of all eight courses, I only really like Koopa Cape and Squeaky Clean Sprint. Everything else is just okay or mediocre, which is why I'm arguing this is the weakest wave of the Booster Course Pass so far. If there's one element keeping me from scoring it any lower, it's the addition of three new racers: Kamek, Wiggler, and Petey Piranha. Wiggler is a great addition with the way he turns red when an item hits him, but I spent most of my time karting as Kamek. As a medium-weight-class racer, he's right in my wheelhouse.

With this, we have just one wave of tracks to come. That's eight more chances for some of the best tracks in series history to still make an appearance. If they don't, I can always take solace in the fact that Mario Kart 9 is probably on the horizon at this point for whatever the successor to the Switch will be.

_{[This review is based on a retail version of the DLC purchased by the reviewer.]}

The post Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 5 reviewed and ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Sales are good, right?

It can be quite exhausting keeping up with all the different sales. In an effort to compete with Prime Day, Best Buy has launched a "Black Friday in July" sale. A lot of the discounts pertaining to video games are paltry to say the least, but there are a few decent sales to be found.

The sale ends on Wednesday. Some of the sales are exclusive to My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members, which are apparently memberships. Thankfully, most of the good discounts I found did not require either of them.

Best Buy Black Friday in July deals

First, you can get a $25 gift card when you purchase a non-OLED Nintendo Switch. This certainly isn't anything special, but is the only real console-related deal.

Here are some of the hardware deals worth checking out:

PS5 Compatible Samsung 980 PRO 2TB SSD — $99.99 ($100 off)

Xbox Series X|S Seagate Internal 1TB SSD — $139.99 ($80 off)

Xbox Series X|S Seagate Internal 2TB SSD — $279.99 ($120 off)

PS5 Compatible WD Black 1TB SSD — $89.99 ($150 off)

Seagate PlayStation 4TB External Hard Drive — $104.99 ($20 off)

Seagate Playstation 2TB External Hard Drive — $69.99 (22.50 off)

Astro Gaming A50 Wireless Headset — $249.99 ($50 off)

Of course, there are also some quality software deals as well. Oddly enough some of the games listed under the specific sale page don't appear to be on sale, so they might go in affect later today or tomorrow.

Here are some that stick out to me:

Soul Hackers 2 (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X) — $14.99 ($45 off)

Persona 5 Royal (Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X) — $29.99 ($30 off)

Shin Megami Tensei V (Switch) — $19.99 ($40 off)

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster (PS4) — $22.99 ($27 off)

FIFA 23 (PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S) — $29.99 ($20 off)

Sonic Frontiers (Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X) — $34.99 ($25 off)

Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X) — $29.99 ($30 off)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS5, PS4, Xbox One) — $19.99 ($40 off)

There are some other good-value items available with the sale if you're not specifically looking for gaming-related products. You can view the entire Black Friday in July sale here.

The post Best Buy has a few decent game sales right now appeared first on Destructoid.

I wish there was a hole I could just crawl into and die

By 2004, the Gamecube was running out of steam. Nintendo had come out swinging with their new console, but their fists had hit very little meat. A number of certifiable classics beloved to this day came out in its first few years, but the console still managed to lose further ground to its competitors. Still, that year we got some memorable titles like Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Pikmin 2, and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

Of those games I just named, I only love one of them, and it’s not the one we’re talking about.

In preparation for Pikmin 4, Nintendo surprise-dropped HD versions of Pikmin 1 and 2. I’ve already covered their shiny new port of the first game, and now it’s time to delve into Pikmin 2. Delve deep down. Deep into its endless labyrinths that don’t end and drive me completely mad.

[caption id="attachment_390203" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Pikmin 2 (Switch)
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: June 21, 2023
MSRP: $29.99

Okay. Deep breath. Pikmin 2 starts off strong enough. Olimar finally manages to return to his home planet of Hokotate after being stranded on a Gods-forsaken planet for a month (or 18 days). Rather than immediately taking the chance to spend time with his family, his boss turns him right back around. The company he works for was mismanaged and is deeply in debt. It’s Olimar’s job to collect enough treasure from his former prison to pull the company out of the red. Because shit rolls downhill, and it’s never the people in charge that have to take responsibility for their mistakes.

Anyway, while Pikmin was about trying to retrieve all the parts of your ship, Pikmin 2 is about collecting as much treasure as you can get your mitts on. By treasure, I mean garbage, because one person’s garbage is another person’s ticket out of debt. Apparently, all our litter is worth something on Hokotate, so those little spacemen are here to pick it up for us. Wouldn’t that be convenient?

So, really, you’re looking for things like discarded bottle caps and Famicom Disk System games. This is easily my favorite new part of Pikmin 2. However, the Switch port does something blasphemous and removes the game’s product placement.

https://youtu.be/_kKLW7_218s

Executive responsibility

As with the port of Pikmin, Pikmin 2 is largely just a straight port that is now in a higher resolution. It plays largely the same but offers motion controls if you’re into that sort of thing. It’s a pretty nice port, even if it doesn’t really change anything. However, I want the product placement back.

I hate advertising, but I’ve always thought it was a nice touch that all the garbage in the game utilized real-world brands. You weren’t just collecting bottle caps. You were collecting them from drinks like A&W Root Beer. A plastic lid would be from a recognizable yogurt brand. It never really felt like Pikmin 2 was actually trying to sell you things, it was just an extra touch that hammered home that the alien planet you were exploring was Earth all along.

Getting rid of the product placement didn’t kill me inside like I thought it would, but it does make the discovery of treasure a smidge less interesting. If you never played the original version, the change will be entirely lost on you, but for me, it feels like a part of the game’s personality has been excised.

[caption id="attachment_390204" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The value of life

Unfortunately, that’s not Pikmin 2’s biggest issue. Its real problem is going to be one that some people appreciate and others (like me) will absolutely hate: That’s its change in focus to being more about combat. This culminates in the introduction of underground dungeons. As you explore the various areas, you find holes in the ground that lead to isolated labyrinths buried in the ground. In these, you go floor by floor and try to loot each one of its treasures.

The floors are all procedurally pieced together. Rather than giving you the challenge of figuring out how to safely use your Pikmin to grab out-of-reach items, you instead must try and take down enemies while losing as few of your carrot-people as possible.

The most annoying part of this is that it gets really aggressive about killing your Pikmin. Bombs drop from thin air, enemies pop up in precarious spots, and some bosses make it feel that losing Pikmin is an inevitability rather than just the result of mistakes or poor judgment. In the depths of the world, you’re not given the luxury of taking care of your little helpers. They’re reduced to just a number; a health bar that slowly ticks down.

If you’re someone who treated the first Pikmin title more as a survival experience to be played with empathy toward your units, that’s just not allowed here. Pikmin 2 is more of a game than the first title. A series of challenges rather than an immersive experience.

[caption id="attachment_390202" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

One person's trash

The result is at least, a much longer game. Getting all the treasures, as Pikmin 2 encourages you to do, can take 20 hours or longer. However, you will spend most of this run-time in the dungeons. A comparatively small fraction takes place above ground, so if the caves don’t jive with you, then it’s hopeless.

Beyond that, this is the game that introduces white and purple Pikmin. The white ones are immune to poison and are, in turn, poisonous to anything that ingests them. However, the purple Pikmin are absolute beasts that clobber anything you throw them at. Throughout the series to date, the purple Pikmin are my favorite. So, at least Pikmin 2 has that going for it.

[caption id="attachment_390205" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Okay, throw her in the hole

The thing about Pikmin 2 is that there are some who will appreciate or even love the changes it made. To me, the reliance on procedural dungeons just makes the experience feel wrong-headed and heavily padded. Others are going to see them as something that makes the title feel bigger and badder than its predecessor.

I get that, but to me, Pikmin 2 is a misstep in the series. Pikmin 3 would delight me enough that I’ve been anticipating Pikmin 4 since Shigeru Miyamoto hinted at it back in 2015, and it’s the game release I’m most excited about this year. However, the inclusion of dungeons gives me pause. The demo for the game at least hints that they’ll be short obstacles and not just long chores that I slog through just to check them off the list. However, the first few hours of Pikmin 2 also mislead in that very same way. So, I’ll have to wait and see.

The new port of Pikmin 2 is a fine way to experience this game, but whether or not you think it’s trash or treasure is going to depend on your preferences. It’s at least cheap enough that you aren’t going to be too out of pocket to give it a try. It’s probably worth it just for the first few hours when it’s at its prime. But just beware that after introductions are made, it’s going to throw you in a hole.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Pikmin 2 (2023) appeared first on Destructoid.

Trash Can Children

The Garbage Pail Kids are a bit out of my wheelhouse. I don’t particularly like gross-out humor. Even some of the stuff in Ren & Stimpy is too much for me. I respect gross-out humor. I think it’s probably healthy to find amusement in bodily functions that we all experience but, for some reason, choose to demonize. That doesn’t change things, though. It doesn’t tickle the atrophied humor muscle in my brain.

Except for butts. Butts are forever funny.

However, the NES is part of my domain. So when Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum arrived, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to pick up a physical copy of it for NES. To be clear, I bought this myself. When I covered Blazing Rangers back in February, First Press Games had offered me a copy of it. I’m not sure Iam8bit even has my contact information, and I’m too polite and shy to actually ask for anyone for review copies.

[caption id="attachment_390217" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum (NES, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Developer: Retrotainment Games, Digital Eclipse
Publisher: iam8bit
Released: October 25, 2022
MSRP: $9.99 (Digital), $79.99 (NES)

If you’re unfamiliar with the Garbage Pail Kids, it was an attempt to take the Cabbage Patch Kids and turn it into the most unwholesome, disgusting mutation possible. They were chiefly a series of trading cards, but they eventually spun off into a movie that has been described as “the worst ever” and a cartoon series that got canceled before it even hit the air. My husband says the cartoon is “interesting” but that I “definitely wouldn’t like it.”

Garbage Pail Kids went away for the ‘90s but came back in the ‘00s, as you can’t keep a good property down. They’re the perfect storm of parents hating them and kids loving them that made them memorable.

There was never a video game spin-off of the property, but there probably should have been, so Retrotainment Games got the license and went straight to correcting history. They created Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum for the NES hardware. Iam8bit picked it up as publisher, and last year it hit consoles and PC with the help of Digital Eclipse. Now, it’s been pressed to an NES cartridge, which feels absolutely poetic.

https://youtu.be/E4lcgpH6V88

Butts are forever funny

Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum is a platformer that feels like a mash-up of a lot of different games while also being its own thing. You can swap between four characters at any time, which feels sort of like Little Samson or Bucky O’Hare. However, the levels, while linear, have some exploration elements to them, which prevents the game from just feeling like a clone. It still feels like a license-focused platformer but in a more favorable sense. Like Duck Tales.

Also, like Duck Tales, you get to select the order of levels. There are six in total that cover a range of locations and time periods. Your team of grotesque children doesn’t earn any new skills as they progress, so the order you tackle them is completely up to you.

The children themselves are diverse. They provide the skills of melee, jumping, projectiles, and also projectiles, but these projectiles arc downward. They each have their own health bar, but the different characters are one of the low-points of Garbage Pail Kids’ design.

Leaky Lindsay is easily the most useful, having a direct projectile attack that keeps you out of the way of enemy attacks. Mike is okay for dealing damage to bosses. Patty Putty is exclusively used for jumping, as Garbage Pail Kids doesn’t make for a good hop-and-bop. However, as each kid has their own health bar, they can also die individually. This means you might have to use Leaky Lindsay sparingly, and being stuck with only Patty Putty left alive is just a drag. As you lose children, the experience just gets worse and worse.

[caption id="attachment_390218" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Top of the trash heap

Otherwise, Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum is a pretty solid NES title. Some of the levels drag a bit, but on the whole, they’re diverse and interesting. The sprite work is solid, the music pops, and there’s a well-stocked buffet of bosses to take on. It doesn’t really feel like a homebrew game. You could easily mistake it as a title that came out in maybe ‘91 or ‘92 during the twilight days of the NES.

They even managed to work in trading and collecting cards. You pick them up from knocked-over trash cans and can swap them with NPCs scattered throughout the levels. Some of them help you out by resurrecting kids or nuking the screen, but others are just to collect. If you have them all at the end, you get a little certificate telling you that you managed to get them all. It’s fun stuff.

Of course, it’s also really gross. You could probably guess that by the fact that one of the children is perpetually caked in slime and shoots boogers as a projectile. It didn’t disgust me beyond my tolerance, but the gross-out humor is definitely still here.

[caption id="attachment_390221" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

The grossest gang of goofs ever

The cartridges were done by NESInfiniteLives. Some early images showed the two colors of cartridge, blue and pink, as being opaque. It seems like the production cartridges are transparent, as that’s what I got, which I’m not as much of a fan of. It’s still a quality product, though. They’re just not going to fool anyone into believing these are authentic. The game also doesn’t come with a dust cover, but the boxes are sealed and have stickers on them that look like price tags but really just denote the size of the production run.

Most importantly, though, it works in my NES. The manual it comes with is also very informative and includes a foreword by one of the developers. Iam8bit doesn’t seem obsessive about nailing the authenticity of the product, but they definitely get the job done. Although, it might be a bit more expensive than it should be.

Buying the physical copy also nets you the Steam version of the game if you don’t have it already. The PC version comes with bonus videos and filters that obviously can’t fit on the NES hardware, so it’s nice that you don’t have to miss out on the special features just because you want it on a cartridge.

[caption id="attachment_390219" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Better than the movie (probably)

Really, though, Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum is just a decent game. It’s top shelf for the console, but maybe not tippy-top. Like, it’s not a top 10 game, or a top 20. Top 50 is a bit more believable, but at the very least, it’s a top 100. It’s comparable to, say, Vice: Project Doom’s level of quality. Like Shatterhand or S.C.A.T. Not quite great, but better than good, you know?

In a lot of ways, Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum demonstrates how far the homebrew market has come. Here we have a licensed game released nearly 30 years after the end of the NES lifespan. It contains all the graphical trickery and polished gameplay of a latter-day title, and you could almost believe that it really is a lost prototype brought back to life. It may be gross, but if you’re a fan of the console or the Garbage Pail Kids, you should definitely find some way to rub it all over yourself.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game purchased by the reviewer.]}

The post Review: Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum appeared first on Destructoid.

Humbug!

It certainly isn't a "Silent Night" while playing Ebenezer and the Invisible World. Instead of three French hens and four calling birds, your relatives will hear a ruckus as you scream at the game. There's a lot to like, but the combat needs to be refined before this Metroidvania's release. The visuals call back to those old Christmas specials you watch as a kid, but other than that, there's a lot to be fixed in this holiday-themed game. Here's a preview of the stunning, yet currently flawed Ebenezer and the Invisible World.

[caption id="attachment_389609" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Ten lords a-leaping for a great art style

Set after the events of the Christmas Carol storyline, Ebenezer Scrooge is now fighting for the city's people with the help of the spirits he meets along the way. While the demo doesn't particularly show an intriguing storyline, the environments truly stand out with the premise. You see a prosperous holiday version of London with gorgeous architecture, lighting, and seemingly hand-drawn characters across the city. It really pops on the screen and the art style reminds you of straight-to-video/TV animated movies like Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer and The Snowman.

During the main boss battle of the demo, you can see the shimmer of the ice below while Big Ben is beaming in the distance. Buildings around the area are also adorned with greenery and garlands. The way the game uses the forefront is also striking; for example, the lantern on the bottom left of the picture above adds depth to the scene. It's almost like a painting.

While the visuals look fantastic, it does make me wonder if the London area may get dull after a while. The observatory at the end of the demo and the sewers show that there may be other major environments to find in the game.

[caption id="attachment_389615" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The disappointing combat is certainly a Grinch

While the graphics are certainly promising, Ebenezer and the Invisible World's combat certainly isn't. The biggest issue is how your enemies aren't impacted by your strikes. Like Buddy the Elf jumping through crowds for Santa, your attacks do not stagger your foes during their animations. You can't stun them with your strikes, and that befuddled me so many times. As a larger enemy begins to swing its heavy sword, your strikes should interrupt or slow their movement; however, they still carry on with the heavy thud of their weapon. A dodge feature or a way to counter the incoming strike would be appreciated.

Additionally, there's a frustrating foe that throws grenades at Ebenezer. They're hard to avoid and tough to attack. However, there's one spirit that can provide a diagonal attack, which helps greatly. There is a magic meter, on the other hand, so they might not be able to perform the action. You'll have to conserve your magic, like Scott Calvin in The Santa Clause 2. Other foes have annoying patterns that should be addressed during development. For example, there's a flying lantern that sends fire towards Ebenezer. It's just outside of the old man's reach so you need to jump, and if you come into contact with it, you'll take unnecessary damage.

More checkpoints would be a "Joy to the World."

These issues are compounded by a checkpoint system that is too far apart, and the time it takes to run through empty spaces to get to where I was can be supremely irritating. The light platforming, with the help of a friendly spirit, can be entertaining enough to keep you going. With the new abilities you gain along the way, I expect it will be satisfying to revisit previously inaccessible areas.

Despite this demo featuring 30 minutes to an hour of gameplay, I already witnessed a copied battle stance from one enemy to the next. They slam the hammer toward you and have it stuck to the ground; this happens with two different foes so far. Hopefully, there's more variety in the full game like Bloodstained. 

Please change the music

Christmas movies often have catchy songs and imaginative music that captures your heart. Think of The Polar Express' "Spirit of the Season" and the North Pole theme from the Santa Clause movies. Unfortunately, Ebenezer and the Invisible World lacks that holiday spirit in its soundtrack. There are depressing 30-second loops that have some elements of jingle bells, but the overall composition is such a downer. During my playthrough of the demo, I had to turn off the game's music and put on some Castlevania tracks. It was a much better experience after that.

If it wanted to go for a dark take on the Christmas season, it would be intriguing to hear the composer's creepy takes on classic Christmas tunes like "Silent Night" or "Jingle Bells." Perhaps, it could also take inspiration from Danny Elfman's Scrooged movie score, which has a darker edge than most holiday flicks.

The elves have a lot of work to do

There is so much potential in Ebenezer and the Invisible World. It has a unique holiday-themed world to explore, and the spirits may provide fun Metroidvania elements to the game. The combat system needs to be refined heavily, though, for me to not regift this title.

The post Preview: Ebenezer and The Invisible World doesn’t have a lot of holiday cheer appeared first on Destructoid.

Ray'zing the bar

If you’re only a casual or intermediate lover of scrolling shoot-’em-ups, it’s easy to drown in the deep end. The genre has been unfathomably popular in Japanese Game Centres for decades, so just about every publisher of arcade games at the time had multiple series going. So, you’ll have to excuse me if I haven’t played every game featured in the Ray’z Arcade Chronology. I mean, I’ve heard of them. Not that I could tell you when and where because the names RayForce, RayStorm, and RayCrisis are so laughably similar that I can’t keep them straight.

That’s okay. A lifetime of experience with the genre has given me ample framework to appreciate each of these games, and appreciate them I did.

[caption id="attachment_389830" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Ray'z Arcade Chronology (Switch [Reviewed], PS4)
Developer: M2, Taito
Publisher: ININ Games
Released: June 30, 2023
MSRP: $49.99

Ray’z Arcade Chronology consists of three games in the “Ray” series. This is 1994’s RayForce, 1996’s RayStorm, and 1998’s RayCrisis. This is why you need to be careful with your nomenclature. We’re left with Ray’z to cover the whole series. Who’s Ray? I don’t know. Some guy who likes arcade shooters.

In any case, each of these titles is fantastic and brings something of their own to the table. RayForce is 2D, using a layer stacking technique to give the whole experience some 3D depth. RayStorm takes the series into actual 3D, which results in quite a ride. RayCrisis has the whole thing take place inside a supercomputer. This might sound lame, but there’s a feature where you’re given a specific route through the game, and your initials keep track of which ones you’ve cleared so you’re presented with a different series of levels each time you pick it back up.

The collection was overseen by M2, which should tell astute readers everything they need to hear. M2 is generally considered the gold standard when it comes to porting games, and scrolling shoot-’em-ups are their specific area of expertise. I probably don’t have to tell you they did an immaculate job with the Ray’z Arcade Chronology, but I will anyway: They did an immaculate job with the Ray’z Arcade Chronology.

Rather than just bare ports, each of the games gets a bunch of bells and whistles. You can play with the DIP switches to customize the experience. The borders are filled with more UI stats than you could even need (including one that tells you the name of the music track currently playing). You also get an HD version of both RayStorm and RayCrisis that literally does just that. It increases the resolution so you don’t get a pixellated look. I love the pixellated look, but maybe you don’t, weirdo.

https://youtu.be/dm1DyVDmkV8

RayCast

Anecdotally, I see RayForce as being the most highly respected of the bunch. It’s not hard to see why, as the sprite work is fantastic. It also has a smooth transition from level to level, making the whole thing seem continuous. It introduces the series staple of having a lock-on, which is necessary for hitting enemies that appear in the distance.

RayStorm is a lot of fun too. It might be my favorite in the bunch, but it’s harder to describe why. On paper, it really just sounds like RayForce in 3D, but while it loses the stylish transitions, it still feels like a great trip. It really knows how to make good use of the backgrounds to heighten the action without getting in the way.

On the other hand, I enjoyed RayCrisis far more than I thought I would. It feels more innovative than the other games, and gives more incentive to replaying and building up your skill. Not only do you get a different set of levels on each playthrough, but you’re also graded based on how well you do. You’re given an incentive to prevent enemies from simply exiting the screen unscathed. Considering most shoot-’em-ups are less than an hour long and replay value is usually just reducing continues used and increasing score, I appreciate something more tangible to help elevate it.

The downside is that, because it takes place in a computer, the levels aren’t quite as cohesive. They just sort of happen. In a way, the progression of RayCrisis is the antithesis of the one-take of RayForce. It’s not a deal breaker. It’s more like a compromise to get the sweet, sweet replay value.

[caption id="attachment_389831" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

RayTracing

Unfortunately, if you want to play the prototype for R-Gear, you need to order through Strictly Limited Games. R-Gear was initially in development as a sequel to RayForce that would have retained the 2D art style, but development instead moved to RayStorm’s full polygonal 3D. It’s just a prototype, and it only includes one level, but it would have been cool to have it as part of the digital version. Maybe I’ll just have to pony up for a physical copy. Goodness knows I enjoyed Ray’z Arcade Chronology more than enough to justify it.

Oh, hey, that leads us to this little summary paragraph. Ray’z Arcade Chronology is really good. It’s a great collection of great ports of great games. That’s it. No notes (aside from the ones already provided). If you haven’t played any of these games, you definitely owe it to yourself to check out the collection. If you have played them, this is just a great way to get all the titles together with some bells and whistles. I could scarcely ask for more.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Ray’z Arcade Chronology appeared first on Destructoid.

JACKPOT! JACKPOT! JACKPOT!

Loot your change drawer, Zen Studios has confirmed that Pinball FX is going to drop on Switch next week. July 6, 2023, to be precise.

To be clear, this is the–I don’t know–reboot of Pinball FX. Because they got up to Pinball FX3 and then decided to start the sequence over. This is especially interesting because you can already get Pinball FX3 on Switch. Pinball FX is kind of built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 4. I’m not sure why that’s necessary, but it means that your tables don’t carry over from the previous Pinball FX games. That kind of puts a damper on things.

https://youtu.be/GSZYXzYaEaw

But, hey, it’s free to play. You get a one-day pass to try out everything. Afterward, you’re left with three tables you can play in unlimited fashion: West Rampage, Fish Tales, and Sorcerer's Lair. Tables after that are bought a la carte, or in small bundles. Other versions allow you to buy pinball coins or a pinball pass as another way of playing, but this won’t initially be part of the Switch version. The Switch is getting 21 tables that the platform hasn’t had before, so that’s something.

I still feel scorned by the fact that Zen Studios got their hands on the Williams and Bally licenses, which were previously held by Farsight Studios for their game, Pinball Arcade. I loved Pinball Arcade because it felt like it was trying to be extremely faithful to the tables. It was kneecapped after losing those licenses and never recovered. However, Zen Studios seems to have gotten better about their authenticity, so maybe I’ll eventually finally migrate. It just still hurts, you know?

Pinball FX is currently available for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms. It releases on Switch July 6, 2023.

The post Pinball FX flips onto Nintendo Switch next week appeared first on Destructoid.

Of course, you realize this means war...

Publisher Warner Bros Games and developer Player First Games have officially called time on both Wabbit Season and Duck Season — The extended "beta" for platform fighter MultiVersus has been officially taken offline, bringing brings an end to one of the most questionable fighting game debuts in recent history. MultiVersus is currently expected to relaunch in "early 2024".

The free-to-play scrapper's servers are closed, ending a bizarre "test" phase that simultaneously had multiple seasons and additional paid DLC characters, skins, and stages. While MultiVersus players still have access to local Vs. matches and the fighter’s training mode, (known as “The Lab”), the community is now unable to play online in any capacity. Additionally, the studio has already noted that no refunds will be offered for any items purchased during the beta test, or the paid "Founder's Edition" of the title.

https://twitter.com/multiversus/status/1671966638000709645?s=20

Until the game's eventual relaunch, Player First Games is unlocking every character of the MultiVersus roster. While this could be seen as a form of damage control for the bizarre handling of the title, it no doubt leaves players who had invested their money in the title wondering why they even bothered. These players cannot enjoy the fighter online anymore, and now the characters/skins/content they purchased with real money are now readily available to everybody for the foreseeable future.

The MultiVersus story is morbidly curious. Launching its open beta in July 2022, the title saw incredible success out of the gate, and still holds the Steam record for the most concurrent players of a fighting game in history, as well a reported 20 million total downloads. This was mostly deserved, as MultiVersus is a fun and enjoyable fighter with plenty of character and charisma. Dataminers would also discover solid evidence of some big plans, which included some interesting DLC characters, alternate commentators, and placeholders for franchises such as The Goonies and The Wizard of Oz.

But, as the weeks and months passed, the beta's playercount fell off in staggering fashion, as the more dedicated members of the community were left frustrated by a lack of both content and communication, both of which became sparse by the end of 2022. When 2023 rolled around, the success of the previous summer seemed a distant memory. And, come spring, Player First Games announced that it would close the servers ahead of the title's still-undesignated launch. This left the MultiVersus community with myriad questions. Why was DLC even sold? Why were additional skins, stages, and modes developed? Why even launch a beta in seasons, with paid content if it was, in essence, just a testing phase?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvborgKG7fw

But the big questions, hanging over the situation like a fucking vulture, are When is it coming back, Is it coming back, and Who is it coming back for? If MultiVersus ended its testing phase as, essentially, a "dead game", then why would Warner Bros. have any interest in committing time, money, and marketing into a relaunch? We don't live in an era where publishers release games simply because "They owe it to the community" or just because "They said they would". We arguably never have.

The whole scenario reeks, and only time will tell how this MultiVersus scenario plays out. Either the fun fighter returns, in which case it has to essentially reignite the interest of a market that has already left it in the dust, or it gets quietly canned, in which case it disappears like a thief in the night, holding the cash of those players that showed passion and support in the project and its future.

At this point, MultiVersus essentially has no choice but to continue on its road to release. But, when that release comes, the franchise is essentially starting from scratch all over again. The casual audience has long moved on from the excitement of that record-breaking summer, while the brand's dedicated, money-paying audience understandably feels somewhat abandoned at best and ripped off at worst.

That's all, folks?

The post MultiVersus beta now offline, to return ‘Early 2024’ – but for whom? appeared first on Destructoid.

Accidental tourism

The Gamecube started off with a bang in 2001. As if Star War: Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader, Luigi’s Mansion, and Wave Race: Blue Storm weren’t enough to get fans through the year, Pikmin and Super Smash Bros. Melee dropped on the same day on December 3, 2001. It would be crazy to pit any game against such a titan today, but Smash Bros. wasn’t yet the institution it would soon become.

I have a lot of warm memories of Pikmin. I remember failing to get the last piece of the Dolphin on my first attempt and arguing about the existence of purple Pikmin on message boards. Good times.

In preparation for Pikmin 4 (which is one of my most anticipated games of the year), Nintendo has released the first two games on Switch in a nice, clear HD update. There's precedent. They previously surprised us with Metroid Prime Remastered, which was far more than just an HD port. Did Nintendo go to the same effort with Pikmin 1? No. Did I get the last piece of the Dolphin? You better believe it.

[caption id="attachment_388240" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Pikmin 1 (Switch)
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: June 21, 2023
MSRP: $29.99

Pikmin is the story of the intrepid Captain Olimar, whose intelligence is not up to par with his intrepidness. While cruising the galaxy in his favorite ship, he’s hit by an asteroid and sent crashing onto a nearby planet. With his only hope of escape in tatters, he enlists the aid of some indigenous root vegetables to help him piece it back together.

The original Pikmin is perhaps the most anxiety-inducing. You have 30 days to assemble your ship before Olimar’s life support runs out. There are 30 parts, though only 25 of them are necessary to prevent the spaceman’s posthumous metamorphosis. When you’re new to the game, maintaining a pace of obtaining a ship part each day can be a bit of a tall order. It’s sufficient enough, though. This time through the game, I managed to get everything in 18 days.

https://youtu.be/_kKLW7_218s

A new pair of glasses

While Pikmin 1 is largely a straight port of the Wii version played at a higher resolution, it’s been touched up. Mainly, this is just the interface, which displays in HD rather than simply upscaled from its original resolution. You can also play using either motion controls or joypad. Some people swear by using the pointer, but I feel most comfortable with two sticks.

At least I would, but the port also changes the use of the right stick. On the Gamecube version, simply pointing the stick would rally your Pikmin in that direction to attack or grab anything they ran into. In the port, it moves the camera. This makes a whole lot of sense to everybody except my thumbs. Holding the L button results in the right stick functioning as it did originally, but my muscle memory is so ingrained that I’d forget to do this when under pressure.

In any case, the point here is that you shouldn’t expect Pikmin 1 to have been given the tender, loving care of Metroid Prime Remastered. A closer expectation is that it’s more on the level of Super Mario Sunshine from the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, which I still can’t believe is no longer available. That is screwed up.

[caption id="attachment_388241" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Root vegetables

In any case, Nintendo hasn’t imposed the same time limitation on the Pikmin remasters, which is nice. Pikmin maybe doesn’t top my list of favorite Gamecube games, but I still love it very much. It’s a survival game with none of the features that we would normally associate with the modern survival genre. It’s also interesting in the fact that you can grow hundreds of the little carrot people, and still, it’s hard not to feel bad when your judgment fails and a few dozen get squashed by a Wollyhop.

Poor identical little dudes.

Pikmin 1 is also the most straightforward in its concept. The only gating you run into is when it comes to collecting Pikmin abilities. You start off with only red, which are immune to fire and hit harder. Then there’s yellow that can carry bombs and fly farther when thrown. Finally, you obtain blue, who can breath underwater and that’s good enough. Once you have them all, the world is your oyster.

Actually, not quite. The different stages are unlocked after obtaining a certain number of ship parts, but the point is that, very early, you’re essentially let off the leash. The only thing between you and success is your vegetables and your brain. It’s quite refreshing, even if that means you can finish the game in 18 in-game days (8-ish hours for a fresh run).

[caption id="attachment_388243" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Carrot-kind

Pikmin’s unique premise and tight design have ensured that it remains rather ageless. Even the graphics, as aged as they are, still convey everything they need to. It’s every bit as enjoyable now as it was back in 2001. Pikmin nailed it so hard on the first try that its sequels could only really iterate on the concept.

Pikmin 4 is looking like it may be the biggest evolution the series has seen, but it’s unlikely you’ll need any prior experience with the earlier titles. Nonetheless, I absolutely recommend you check out Pikmin 1 if you haven’t already. If you are familiar with the original, just know that this is a solid port, but it doesn’t really add anything that wasn’t in the GameCube version. However, with its bumped-up resolution, it’s easily the best way to play this absolutely timeless fight for carrot-kind’s survival.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Pikmin 1 (2023) appeared first on Destructoid.

Rick-rolled

We've had some real treats join the humongous Arcade Archives range this past month. Not only did we get rare puzzler Tetris: The Absolute Grand Master 2 and run 'n' gun classic Rolling Thunder 2, but this week sees Hamster delve back into the Namco catalog and emerge with its controversial horror scrapper, Splatterhouse!

Released to Japanese arcades in 1988, before heading west the following year, this ultra-iconic release has managed to retain its brand power over the ensuing decades, despite ultimately being a series of visually exciting, but fairly average titles. Inspired by an array of hyper-violent horror franchises, Splatterhouse sees hero Rick sally forth into the mansion of Dr. Henry West, on a do-or-die mission to rescue his girlfriend, Jennifer, from the truly unholy creatures that reside within.

Imbued with the power of the mysterious "Terror Mask", and armed with an array of improvisational weaponry, Rick presses on through seven surprisingly tough stages, (though this is frequently down to his sluggish movement rather than challenging design). Going beyond your regular ghouls 'n' ghosts, Splatterhouse boasts a disgusting array of enemies, from strange-skinned fetuses to creepy water ghouls, possessed furniture, limbless demons, and grossly vulgar body horror monstrosities.

You get check out all the guts 'n' gory glory in the trailer below, courtesy of Hamster itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRlxd6O1CW8

Splatterhouse is hardly a deep or even competent title, but it is, undeniably, arresting from a design standpoint. Shamelessly horrific and as unashamed of its own violence as much as its plagiarism. It also features a monster wielding a chainsaw and wearing a sack on its head before Leon S. Kennedy had even brushed his first fringe. Splatterhouse walks a line between being repetitively easy and hard-as-nails and, while flawed, is oddly compelling in its own clumsy fashion.

The arcade edition of Splatterhouse would receive heavily censored home ports on the PC Engine and several Japanese computers, before receiving two sequels on the Sega Mega Drive. Perhaps one of its most enjoyable iterations is the very silly Famicom version, known as Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti, which is well worth checking out. In 2010, Splatterhouse returned in a hack 'n' slash remake for PS3 and Xbox 360. This release was critically panned, but fans of the series were able to find fun in its janky nature, which seemed oddly fitting given its predecessors.

Whether we ever see Splatterhouse again remains to be seen, but it would be a shame for the franchise to remain undead and buried for too long.

Splatterhouse is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8.

The post Namco’s iconic gorefest Splatterhouse hits the Arcade Archives appeared first on Destructoid.

'80s titles planned for rerelease on Switch and PC

Old-school cool developer Sunsoft has announced that it is planning a crowdfunding campaign in hopes to bring three of its Japan-only Famicom releases to modern platforms. The campaign will officially launch on the Japanese crowdfunding site Campfire between July 14 - August 31.

The three titles up for rerelease are Edo-set platformer Kanshaku Tamanage Kantarou no Toukaidou Gojuusan-tsugi (1986), side-scrolling fantasy adventure The Wing of Madoola (1986), and finally the casually-paced text adventure Ripple Island (1988). None of the titles ventured outside of Japan and thus have since faded into obscurity, a status that Sunsoft is hoping to revitalize.

[caption id="attachment_388355" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Shmuplations[/caption]

Should the Campfire campaign prove successful, the three titles will be ported to PC and Nintendo Switch. In addition, the publisher is hoping to release physical gold cartridges of the games for the Famicom platform. Way back when, Sunsoft was one of the few companies allowed to release its titles on specially branded cartridges, (see image above), and while many of the studio's games were awarded this prestige, gold-tinted cartridges were a goal never achieved by the studio. Hopefully, Sunsoft will be able to realize its glittery dream, if 40 years after the fact.

Localizations for the titles were not confirmed, and seem unlikely, but we will let you know should this change.

Sunsoft plans crowdfunding campaign to port three Famicom titles to Switch, PC [Gematsu]

The post Sunsoft to crowdfund ports of three forgotten Famicom releases appeared first on Destructoid.

Yay or neigh?

Cygames revealed Umamusume Pretty Derby: Nekketsu Hachamecha Dai Kasha-sai as part of Japan’s Nintendo Direct yesterday, but there was little indication of its release plans. The publisher has now confirmed that the game will be coming to North America as Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash.

The pixel art visuals are cute, but what grabbed my attention is the obvious nods to the Nekketsu/Kunio-Kun series. There are four events in this party Grand Prix: Hurtling Hurdles, Blazing Baskets, Dodgeball Demolition, and Gourmet Gauntlet. Alliterations are fun. Three of those events bear a resemblance to games in the Kunio-Kun series. In particular, the Blazing Baskets game has three nets stacked on top of each other, which was part of Nekketsu Street Basket.

https://youtu.be/M8SzQG-VLjU

Homage aside, it’s definitely not just a straight copy. There are a lot of new things mixed in with these games, like turning someone into a penguin for some reason. Collectibles of some sort are on the playing field. It looks like all events are a free-for-all. There actually isn’t a whole lot to go on in this press release, but I think the trailer speaks for itself.

We’re promised a “star-studded cast of Umamusume to play as.” I don’t know what that means beyond them being horse girls. I’m going to be honest with you, I know nothing about Umamusume. This is actually the first time I’ve heard of it. I do watch anime from time to time, but it’s part of a very sparse likelihood that I’ll watch a TV show at all. This trailer doesn’t really get me interested in the show, but the game looks fun.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash is coming to PS4, Switch, and PC sometime in 2024.

The post Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash is galloping westward in 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Looking into other Directs

Nintendo Directs are always chock-full of information on games coming to different regions. And while the North American Nintendo Direct had a bunch of games to show off, today's Nintendo Direct for Japan also had some surprising, intriguing games on display.

I try to make a habit of watching the Japanese Nintendo Direct after the North American one airs. For one, it's an interesting way to see how Nintendo organizes these shows for different regions; some games move further up in the rundown, or feel like they get a little more time. And in other cases, some games only show up in certain regions' Directs. It's a handy way to spot games you might have otherwise missed, and has put me onto early stand-outs like Gnosia's Switch port.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTMMSC4xP1c

Today's Nintendo Direct for Japan certainly had some surprises, too. I normally wait until later in the day to take a look, but after seeing some Twitter chatter about a few trailers, I looked over and found that quite a few games showed up here that didn't appear in the North American Direct. So I put together a quick look at the key differences. An important note: I do not speak Japanese, and am mostly relying on info I can ascertain from English outlets or otherwise noted sources.

[caption id="attachment_387980" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Nekketsu Hachamecha Dai Kasha-sai!

Shoutouts to our sister site Siliconera for getting the details on this one. Shown near the beginning of the Direct, it looks like a party game featuring various athletic competitions starring... horse girls? I have done some research and ascertained that this franchise is, indeed, about literal horse-girls. Either way, the anime horse gals slamming dunks and playing dodgeball looks pretty fun.

[caption id="attachment_387983" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Fashion Dreamer

Shown off at a North American Nintendo Direct earlier this year, Fashion Dreamer is a new game from the Style Savvy studio. It got a November 2 release date in Japan's Nintendo Direct, but did not appear in the North American version.

We contacted Marvelous and were told that there hasn't been an update on the formal date for Fashion Dreamer in North America beyond a stated window of 2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o36dy9atoSw

This Goemon-style game

A video that was going around of this game is what got me to immediately jump over to the Japanese Nintendo Direct. A Google translation has it as "Mametanuki no Buckel ~ Festival of Oracle Festival Taro!" It definitely has some Goemon style, and looks like a pretty fun action-platformer. It's planned for 2023 sometime in Japan.

[caption id="attachment_387987" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Game of Life

Yes, the Game of Life. The classic board game of getting a car, filling it with spouses and offspring, and spinning the most ornate spinner your child-brain could conceive. Seriously, that thing was a subtle work of art to a small child, at least until Mouse Trap came along. Anyways, we have some versions of this already available on the Nintendo eShop, but I do like the look of this version.

[caption id="attachment_387989" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Ketsugou Danshi: Elements with Emotions

Okay, I had to do some digging on this one. After a bit of searching, I found a Gematsu article (thanks Sal!) about this game from a few months ago, describing Ketsugou Danshi: Elements with Emotions as an adventure simulation game. It launches with a few characters, with additional members available later as DLC. Apparently you have to stop the world from being destroyed, using the power of anime boys. Sure!

This is why I like watching the Nintendo Direct for Japan, because I doubt I'd have known about this game otherwise. It arrives for Switch in Japan on June 29.

[caption id="attachment_387982" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

A few quick clips

Alongside Ketsuogou Danshi, we also got brief glimpses of the Atelier Marie remake, which hits Switch on July 13, and Crymachina, FuRyu and NIS America's new action RPG. That's coming to the west in Fall 2023, but Japan will get Crymachina a little earlier, on July 27.

We also got a look at The Wonderful One: After School Hero, which happened to release today for Switch, PS4, and PC. It's a standalone version of the free DLC for The Wonderful 101: Remastered.

[caption id="attachment_387981" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Momotaro Electric Railway World ~The Earth Spins with Hope! ~

Another board game, and this one seems to have some train antics involved. Not sure what else it entails, but I do wish we had some more wacky party games available over here. That heads to Japan on November 16.

[caption id="attachment_387985" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Fate/Samurai Remnant

Boy, was I bummed we didn't see this in today's Nintendo Direct over here. I do enjoy some Fate from time to time, and this entry looks fascinating. It's got some serious Like a Dragon: Ishin! vibes, but within the world of Fate where heroic spirits can clash in big, flashy battles. A trailer debuts soon (as of this writing) for the English version, but thanks again to Gematsu, it looks like we are getting a worldwide release in line with Japan's launch.

Fate/Samurai Remnant will arrive on September 29. And yes, you can pet the dog.

[caption id="attachment_387988" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Natsu-Mon

Via the official Nintendo site for the Direct in Japan, this appears to be Natsumon! 20th Century Summer Vacation. Much like other Summer Vacation games, this looks like a relaxing sojourn to the rural countryside of Japan. Check out Tim Rogers' lengthy video essay on it for more info, but I do hope we get this in North America.

That's all for today's Direct, but I hope y'all enjoyed this look at what's happening in other regions. Let us know if any stand out to you down below!

The post Japan’s Nintendo Direct had some really cool reveals today appeared first on Destructoid.

Take a breather

Gaming hasn't slowed down since 2023 began. Hit after hit after hit has ensured that cash has been frequently relinquished from our wallets. Fortunately, the industry is cooling down a little with these July 2023 games.

[caption id="attachment_387557" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Disney Interactive[/caption]

Disney Illusion Island (Switch)

Publisher: Disney Interactive
Developer: Dlala Studios
Price: $29.99
Release Date: July 28
Trailer

Mickey Mouse is a keyblade wielder, a mascot at Disney's theme parks, and a part of the Funhouse Friends, but he hasn't been in a platformer for a long time. Thankfully, he and his pals are featured in an all-new 2D adventure on the Nintendo Switch. Developed by Dlala Studios (Battletoads), Disney Illusion Island's visuals are brimming with color. In fact, the Nintendo eShop listing states that you can "be a part of an authentic Mickey cartoon." With four-player co-op, you can bring friends and family to an island that has running, swimming, swinging, and jumping platform action along with bosses to defeat and puzzles to solve. There are also "hidden secrets" to find along the way.

[caption id="attachment_387560" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Capcom[/caption]

Exoprimal (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Price: $59.99
Release Date: July 13
Trailer

Sometimes it's cool to mix two unlikely things together. Pineapple and pizza, carrots and peanut butter, and fries with gravy are all examples of this. That's also the case with Exoprimal as it features mechs fighting massive waves of dinosaurs. The mixture perhaps shouldn't work, but the intense action of gunfire and high maneuverability of the mechs seem to work well against the rampaging dinos. There are three classes to consider as well, adding more depth to the seemingly simple gameplay. The game's coming to Xbox Game Pass, so hopefully, you can team up with your Xbox buddies and succeed.

[caption id="attachment_387675" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Netflix[/caption]

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (Switch, PS4, PS5, PC, Netflix)

Publisher: Netflix
Developer: Night School Studio
Price: $19.99
Release Date: July 12
Trailer

One of the most anticipated July 2023 games in the indie scene is Oxenfree II: Lost Signals. In this sci-fi follow-up, you will meet and shape the stories of those around the protagonist Riley. "Your choices impact who Riley becomes, your relationships, and the story options available to you at every turn," says Netflix on the game's Steam page.

Thankfully, for myself and others, you don't need to play the original to understand the sequel. However, Netflix suggests you'll be able to "dive deeper by playing the original." You'll explore the town of Camena, will discover the strange source of radio signal disturbances, and will try to thwart the Parentage from making a new portal. It sounds like an exciting, narrative adventure full of danger and mystery.

[caption id="attachment_387677" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Pikmin 4 (Switch)

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Price: $59.99
Release Date: July 21
Trailer

The long-awaited Pikmin 4 finally touches down on Switch systems next month. In this adventure, you'll be creating your own explorer and, with the help of the Pikmin, rescue others like yourself. The unique spin on this sequel sees players explore a world of huge household items. Plants, benches, binoculars, you name it. You'll be collecting treasures and taking them to your ship as you solve environmental puzzles and have the Pikmin escort your objects safety.

The new ice Pikmin freeze enemies and immobilize them quickly. There's also a space dog named Oatchi who can take out obstacles in your way. It's not my personal cup of tea, but hopefully, the long wait for Pikmin 4 will be worth it for fans. Let's gather in the "Forest of Hope."

[caption id="attachment_387678" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Gearbox Publishing[/caption]

Remnant 2 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: Gunfire Games
Developer: Gearbox Publishing
Price: $49.99
Release Date: July 25
Trailer

Remnant: From the Ashes kicked ass when it released in 2019. The follow-up is hoping to continue the excellent third-person shooting gameplay. Each biome requires different gear and weapons as you approach "cunning enemies and large-scale boss battles," according to the game's Steam page. The sequel touts "endless replayability" as there are branching quest lines, lots of crafting options, and like many other live service titles, awesome loot. Gearbox Publishing says that "playthroughs will feel challenging, varied, and rewarding as players succeed against unrelenting odds." Hopefully, it will live up to the fantastic first game when it releases in July.

[caption id="attachment_387679" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Thunderful Publishing[/caption]

Honorable Mentions

• Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC) - July 13
• Jagged Alliance 3 (PC) - July 14
• My Friendly Neighborhood (PC) - July 18
• Viewfinder (PS4, PS5, PC) - July 18
• Punch Club 2: Fast Forward (PS3, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC)  - July 20
• The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 1 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC via Epic Games Store) - July 27

The post Most anticipated game releases – July 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Do not directly touch fuzzy

Today was a new Nintendo Direct, with a whole host of news for Switch owners on what's coming for the rest of the year on Nintendo's handheld hybrid.

It was, honestly, a pretty up-and-down Direct. I don't think there was a lack of big reveals; we got a new 2D Mario, an absolutely gorgeous remake of a classic Mario RPG, and the first two Pikmin games are hitting the Switch later today.

Still, for those with high hopes—especially given that this Direct is happening within the Not-E3 window—or those who don't care too much about Mario, I could see this falling a bit flat for them. Me? I'm personally into a lot of the third-party reveals we saw, like XSEED's new action-RPG dungeon-crawler and more Persona 5 Tactica footage.

But enough preamble. Let's run down the highlights. Here's everything we saw during Nintendo's show today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7t5jnpkCkI

Everything shown at the June 2023 Nintendo Direct

• We open with a preview of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's upcoming DLC, which arrives in two parts. We get a look at both Part 1, The Teal Mask, which seems like it might finally offer a different outfit from the usual school uniforms. And Part 2 heads to oceanic Blueberry Academy for The Indigo Disk, which gives me anime tournament arc vibes. Rad. No date on either one yet. aside from the known fall and winter windows.
• Sonic Superstars makes an appearance! I got some hands-on time with this at Summer Game Fest 2023, and thought it was rad. That arrives fall 2023.
• Build houses, grow crops, and adventure with pals in Palia in holiday this year.
• Persona 5 Tactica is back with more footage and looks fantastic. I'm pretty excited for that to hit on November 17.

[caption id="attachment_387883" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

• Saturday morning cartoon brawler MythForce certainly has a unique style to it. The first-person partying can begin sometime this year.
• A new Splatoon 3 Splatfest is on the way, and it's ice cream flavors. Vanilla, strawberry, and mint chip duke it out in the next Splatfest. No love for chocolate ice cream?
• Tim Goodman and his trusty pal Pikachu are back to solve some mysteries in Detective Pikachu Returns on October 6.
• Bah gawd, that's Super Mario RPG's music! Yes, the Super Mario RPG Remake is real, it's happening, and it looks fantastic. Geno may not be in Smash, but he's still getting the HD treatment when the remake arrives on November 17.

[caption id="attachment_387888" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

• Also, Princess Peach has a game on the way. I dig the stage play look of this! More details at a later date.
• Plus, Luigi is getting a spotlight too, Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon is getting a digitally enhanced version for Switch. Both that and the Peach game hit in 2024.

[caption id="attachment_387891" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

• The Arkham trilogy comes to Nintendo Switch in one big bundle this fall.
• Board game hit Gloomhaven heads to Nintendo Switch with its cards and hexagonal tiles on September 18, 2023.
• Here's Just Dance 2024. I'm happy for all the dance-heads out there. And a pirate dancing to "Sail" by Awolnation is very funny. That's on October 24.
• Silent Hope is a new roguelite-ish action-RPG from XSEED and Marvelous, where heroes dive into an abyss for resources and goods, bringing them back to the surface to build a home base. I dig it! Silent Hope arrives on October 3.

[caption id="attachment_387808" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

• Fae Farm has more farming and co-op in store for November 8.
• Rev up those wheels, as Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 hits on October 19.
• Manic Mechanics looks like Overcooked for car repair, and doesn't seem OSHA compliant. It arrives on Switch on July 13.
• Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope gets its second DLC pack, The Last Spark Hunter, later today.
• Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is here, and looks fantastic. Wrangling the monsters of Dragon Quest looks to be a good time when it arrives on December 1.

[caption id="attachment_387818" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

One of the known stars of this June 2023 Nintendo Direct, Pikmin 4, is here. It looks like this fourth entry is really coming together, and with a July 21 release date, it's not that far off either.

And if you're not caught up on Pikmin, the first two games are hitting Nintendo Switch later today! Plus, a Pikmin 4 demo is hitting on June 28.

[caption id="attachment_387835" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

• The first volume of the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection is coming to Nintendo Switch with a bevy of Metal Gear content on October 24.
• If you haven't been bitten by the Vampire Survivors bug just yet, here's your chance: Vampire Survivors is coming to Nintendo Switch on August 17, with four-player couch co-op.
• Headbangers Rhythm Royale is a pigeon-based musical battle royale. Don't really know what more to say about that. It arrives on October 31.
• The team behind Sonic Mania is back with Penny's Big Breakaway, which looks like a wonderful new platformer arriving in early 2024.
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is getting Wave 5 of its DLC roll-out, which includes a new track and returning racers Petey Pirahna, Wiggler, and Kamek. That hits this summer.
• The Star Ocean 2nd Story remake is real, and it looks really good. RPG fans are really feasting on this Direct! That arrives on November 2.

[caption id="attachment_387902" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

• It's WarioWare time! WarioWare involves your whole body with the power of Joy-cons in WarioWare Move It! on November 3.
• Here's a reminder that Nintendo Live is heading to Seattle this year, coinciding with PAX West 2023.
• New Zelda amiibo are on the way, featuring Princess Zelda and Ganondorf, set for holiday 2023.
• And lastly, here's that 2D Mario y'all were waiting for. Super Mario Bros. Wonder makes it look like all the mushrooms are finally getting to Mario. This shapeshifting platformer seems trippy, but maybe in a good way? It arrives on October 20, 2023.

And that's all for the June 2023 Nintendo Direct? Any highlights or favorites? Let us know down below.

The post Everything shown at the June 2023 Nintendo Direct appeared first on Destructoid.

Use your body

As part of today’s Nintendo Direct, Nintendo spoke to me directly as they announced WarioWare: Move It!. They know my weakness. They will be targeting it on November 3, 2023 on Switch.

As the name implies, you’re going to have to get off the couch. Personally, this is not something I would be excited for, but WarioWare certainly has a way of making me willing to embarrass myself.

https://youtu.be/z4kkqicAeG0

It honestly looks great. The trailer shows off the poses you’re supposed to take. True to the series, they’ve been very careful to make you look ridiculous. There’s a person doing a mad squat and another just wiggling. You can also see a whole bunch of cameos from Mario titles and Pikmin. There also appears to be some modernized versions of older Microgames.

There’s also going to be local co-op, and there will also be 4-player modes. For 4-players, there's a board game style party mode. I really hope they call the mode "Super Wario Party." I can't be the only one who thought of that.

I am definitely on board with this. I actually skipped the WarioWare: Get it Together due to a lack of funds, but I really need to get around to it. I need to "get it together," if you will.

I suppose I have time, as WarioWare: Move It! will be releasing on Nintendo Switch on November 3, 2023.

The post WarioWare: Move It! is moving toward a November 3 release appeared first on Destructoid.

Bang your... beak?

For Nintendo Directs, it's always good to expect the unexpected. I don't think I really expected Headbangers Rhythm Royale, though.

Shown during today's Direct, Headbangers was actually revealed earlier this month at the Future Games Showcase. Though I missed it at the time, amid all the sound and fury of Summer Game Fest, I very much noticed this bird-based battle royale during today's Direct.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RhYKb0IzNs

Headbangers Rhythm Royale seems to pit a bunch of pigeons against each other in a musical battle royale. It looks absolutely wild. And it joins an increasingly stacked October lineup, hitting on October 31, 2023.

The post Headbangers Rhythm Royale looks like a musical pigeon fever dream appeared first on Destructoid.

Don't speak

Fans of dungeon-crawling and base-building seem to have something to look forward to. Silent Hope is an action-RPG with roguish ideas and at-home base progression, and it arrives on October 3, 2023.

Revealed at today's Nintendo Direct, Silent Hope stars seven champions trying to save a princess from a prison of her own tears. (That's a big mood.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDmS6Nk0P50

The goal is to plumb the depths of the abyss, recovering resources and bringing them back to the surface. Then, back up top, you can do a bunch of base-building and home upkeep. This looks to include forging, farming, animal caretaking, and more.

It seems vaguely Rune Factory-ish, with a roguelite twist, and that's a good pitch in my opinion. We'll see how the whole venture comes together later this year, when Silent Hope hits on October 3.

The post Silent Hope dives into the action-RPG depths in October appeared first on Destructoid.

A hardboiled PokeDetective story

The mystery-solving, coffee-drinking Detective Pikachu is back on the case. Detective Pikachu Returns is set to arrive later this year on October 6, 2023.

Revealed at today's Nintendo Direct, Detective Pikachu Returns looks to be a follow-up to the original game. Not much is obvious about the plot or direction of the game, other than Tim and his partner returning to solve some mysteries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAFr2iTy2sg

We're set to learn more about these mysteries later on this year.

The post Detective Pikachu Returns in October for Nintendo Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

The summer ain't over yet

We've seen several major publishers showcase their big streams in the month of June, and now, it's Nintendo's turn. A new Nintendo Direct is set to air on June 21, 2023.

Announced this morning on social media, Nintendo will host the new Direct at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET on its video channels. You can watch along through the embed below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7t5jnpkCkI

As for content, Nintendo says there will be "roughly 40 minutes" of information on Nintendo Switch titles, mostly launching this year. A specific focus is Pikmin 4, one of Nintendo's already announced titles set to launch on July 21, just a month after the Direct. No other games were specified in the tweet.

The year ahead for Nintendo

There is space ahead for Nintendo to fill with some new game announcements. Outside Pikmin 4 and the roll-out of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's DLC, there isn't too much on Nintendo's docket at this point in time.

Hopefuls are likely crossing their fingers for either Mario or Samus to make an appearance with a brand-new game. Metroid Prime 4 has been sitting on the sidelines for a while, and speculation always seem to swirl around Directs about its next appearance.

There's no shortage of third-party or indie hopefuls either. Square Enix often has news to share at these events, games like Metal Slug Tactics have been quiet for a while, and of course, there's always Silksong.

With Nintendo looking at the year ahead, I'm personally hoping for some firm dates set and titles locked for the coming fall. PlayStation, Xbox, Capcom, Ubisoft, and many others have already announced held their summer streams. This is, judging by the relative time-frame, a Direct that would've lined up with E3. So my own hope is for at least one or two E3-caliber reveals.

We'll find out tomorrow during the June 2023 Nintendo Direct at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET.

The post A new Nintendo Direct arrives on June 21 appeared first on Destructoid.

Back to the Little Tail Bronx

It felt like we weren’t going to see a sequel to 2021’s Fuga: Melodies of Steel. For starters, it ended rather conclusively. It also only sold modestly, and it feels like Cyberconnect has been trying unsuccessfully to get the Little Tail Bronx series to take off since Tail Concerto in 1998. Yet, here we are, with Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2.

I couldn’t be happier. The original Fuga was a surprisingly well-executed design that got a lot of mileage from what could be considered very simple mechanics. So, how do you expand on that? What can you do to improve what has already been polished to such a gloss?

Not much, I guess.

[caption id="attachment_387012" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Fuga: Melodies of Steel (PC, PS4, PS5 [Reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch)
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: CyberConnect2
Released: May 11, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

Taking place one year after the events of the first game, Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 sees the children reunite. However, before they even have time to catch up with one another, an ancient evil is re-awakened, a friend of theirs is killed, and they’re left chasing a new foe. Surprisingly, even though the kids still find themselves at the wheel of the giant Metal Slug-like Taranis, the plot manages to be mostly different.

In particular, I like the way Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 improves on its cast. While the children are all still children, one year is an eternity when you’re pre-teen. They’ve all grown from their experiences during the war and now have new strengths and insecurities. Characters who I maybe didn’t love in the first game, like Jin and Wappa, are given the chance to shine anew. Likewise, two boss characters from the previous title make their way aboard the Taranis, and in the new light of their diminished status, they add a nice flavor to the happenings on the tank.

That said, the narrative still has some of the same problems as the first game. The overarching plot seems to be stretched out to accommodate character growth. This time, it has trouble focusing on any significant event. Something happens to shake things up, and then it’s quickly resolved, and we move on. It’s definitely not terrible, but it’s not as interesting as the previous story, and that one was already not spectacular, to begin with.

https://youtu.be/hydneoxIkJ0

That's a big metal slug

The gameplay is more-or-less remixed rather than changed. Each of the characters has been gutted of their old skills, and they get an entirely new set of them. Once again, they commandeer either a machine gun, grenade launch, or cannon on the Taranis, and they may have something different this time around.

There are more widespread changes. The grenade launcher, for example, is where you’d commonly find the attacks that hit multiple targets in the first game. In Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2, these are spread out across the machine guns and cannons. The changes don’t make the game dramatically different, but they do mean that you’ll need to adopt new strategies to succeed.

The enemies have also been tweaked. While the enemy was defeated in the previous title, you still largely fight their tanks. This (along with many other questions raised at the beginning of the game) isn’t initially addressed, but you eventually do find out why you’re fighting zombie tanks. But while they’re the same old machines of war, various mutations within them mean that they have a lot of new tricks up their sleeve. Overall, there’s more variety here, even if some of the units are quite familiar.

[caption id="attachment_387013" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Powered by a forsaken child

Perhaps the most harrowing difference is with the Soul Cannon. In Fuga: Melodies of Steel, you could chamber a child in this massive metal appendage and destroy anything in your path with a single blast of terminated innocence. However, doing so would net you one of the less satisfactory conclusions to the game. Less tragically, it would kill the child.

That wouldn’t cut it for Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2. You’ve already had one game to build up your skills, and it’s less likely you’ll need to lean on a “get out of failure-free” card. Now, if you find yourself on a losing trajectory – say, your health drops below 50% in a boss battle – the Taranis will select a child at random to load into the cannon. You then have 20 turns to finish the battle, or that child gets a one-way ticket to the other side of your opponent.

To offset this, the Taranis also has access to the Managarm, which uses children as ammunition. However, the Managarm only leaves the child injured and isn’t a guaranteed win like the Soul Cannon. It also means you don’t get experience points from the battle you used it in, but it might be better than having to scrap unrealized potential off the wall.

[caption id="attachment_387014" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Unconventional ammunition

You’ve probably figured this out already, but it’s best if you play Fuga: Melodies of Steel before moving on to the sequel. There’s a recap available if you want to know what happened in the first game, but Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 works more as a continuation of the story rather than a completely new entry in the series.

To that extent, Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 might be a bit too conservative when it comes to advancing forward. Many of the assets are completely recycled, which I don’t usually count as a bad thing, but they’re not repurposed, just reused. So, many of the stages take place in the same areas of the first game, and the backgrounds feel mostly unchanged. Aspects of the game have been touched up but otherwise left the same. I feel like the intermissions and the plumbing of ruins for loot could have been completely revamped just to give players something fresh to do, but they weren’t. They feel the same.

To be fair, I played the two games back to back and didn’t really feel bored or underwhelmed. There’s an extreme sense of deja vu in Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2, but the core gameplay still proves to have longevity beyond its simple mechanics.

I have mixed feelings about how similar it is to the previous game. For one thing, the $39.99 asking price – while reasonable when you consider the length and quality of the game – feels like a lot when held up to its contemporaries in the small-budget space. On the other hand, if cutting corners was needed just to allow the series to continue, then I’m all for it.

[caption id="attachment_387016" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Old friends

That’s the most important thing to keep in mind: Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 is a continuation of the first game. While it remixes a lot of things to give you a fresh experience, nothing has been overhauled or upgraded to give you something new. If you wanted more Fuga – and who could blame you? – then that’s what you’re getting here. However, if you didn’t enjoy the first title, then there’s no hope for you here.

Yoann Gueritot, one of the directors who has now moved on to Platinum Games, has stated that Fuga is planned as a trilogy. I’m definitely on board with that, but I also kind of wish the series was doing more to earn that. A cohesive series of games is fine, but I prefer to see things evolve, expand, and reach for perfection as CyberConnect2 soldiers on. Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 is complacent. It’s great, but we’ve already seen its greatness. Eventually, it’s going to need to load something new into its cannon if it wants to get its dazzle back.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

In my armor-plated womb

The Phantom Limb from Venture Bros. explained to someone that “The Mona Lisa isn’t a better painting, merely a more famous painting.” It’s a quote that is an effectively concise way of explaining that something being mainstream is not necessarily an indicator of its quality. In the realm of video games, it is particularly useful, as the hyper-commercialized nature of it ensures that the cream doesn’t always rise to the top. Year after year, my favorite games are rarely the ones that are considered the period’s “big releases,” and that isn’t because I’m a snob. Sorry, I mean, that isn’t solely because I’m a snob.

2021’s Fuga: Melodies of Steel is an example of that. I personally overlooked the game for a couple of reasons. The first is that it didn’t get a whole lot of press, and the second is that, at $39.99, it has a high price tag compared to the games it appears to be competing against. Largely, the latter reason is a combination of me not having any money and small-budget games having been undervalued by a race to the bottom in mobile, PC, and XBLIG markets.

If my meandering around the point hasn’t made it clear, I think that’s a shame. Fuga: Melodies of Steel is a wonderful RPG experiment that shouldn’t be missed.

[caption id="attachment_386955" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Fuga: Melodies of Steel (PC, PS4, PS5 [Reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch)
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: CyberConnect2
Released: July 28, 2021
MSRP: $39.99

Fuga: Melodies of Steel takes place in the Little Tail Bronx (Tail Concerto, Solatorobo: Red the Hunter) universe’s world of floating continents and furries. Unconnected to the previous games in the setting, Fuga: Melodies of Steel is a thinly veiled parallel to World War 2. The country of Gasco is suddenly invaded by the Berman Empire (I’m serious), who go to work rounding people up for unknown reasons. A group of children, narrowly escaping capture, find a massive abandoned tank – the Taranis – in a cave and set out with it to save their families.

Between this and Blaster Master on NES, video games really make it seem easy to just come across buried tanks. I feel like this is a widespread childhood experience that I’m angry I missed out on.

It may sound somewhat trite, but the mix of storybook whimsy and harsh reality is one of the things that makes Fuga: Melodies of Steel so interesting. Early on, you’re presented with a mechanic that allows you to load one of the children into a cannon that allows you to instantly kill any enemy at the expense of the child. Literally, and according to lore, someone developed a giant cannon that specifically uses children as ammunition. Finally, a way to make children useful.

I can make it sound as amusing as I want, but the soul cannon, as a concept, is dark as heck. Forget a good/bad morality system, Fuga: Melodies of Steel just allows you to sacrifice a character to prevent losing progress. It’s made somewhat obvious that by using the cannon, you’re setting yourself up for a less desirable ending, but there’s always new game plus.

https://youtu.be/CbjXMMH0JzI

Rhythms of Iron

Despite setting itself up as a narrative-focused game, Fuga: Melodies of Steel isn’t super heavy with exposition. There are plenty of cutscene interruptions, but most of them are quite brief. It makes the smart choice of spreading the tale out across the entire experience so it doesn’t get too bogged down.

The gameplay itself is quite unique. You build up a cast of 12 children, field 6 of them at a time, but only three are active in battle at a time. The other three you have in the immediate wings are there as emotional support, building up a gauge based on their relationship with the current gunner ahead of them, allowing you to unleash powerful attacks based on your combination once the gauge is full.

Each child commandeers one of three types of weapon: machine gun, grenade launcher, and cannon. While these are largely stacked in the order you’d expect – machine gun is light and accurate, cannon hits hard but is less reliable, and grenade launch is an all-arounder – that’s only part of the story. Enemies all have icons on them that denote a specific weakness, but they don’t take more damage from the indicated weapon. Instead, if they have three blue icons on them, for example, hitting them three times with a machine gun delays their next attack.

It’s a lot to get into, with the children’s skills, additional ammunition types, statuses, and good old-fashioned luck playing a role. The end result, however, is a deceptively engaging layer of strategy. In RPGs, I’m used to just leaning against a few moves and largely brute-forcing everything. In Fuga: Melodies of Steel, that isn’t really an option. I had to think ahead and consider my moves. Otherwise, I’d be firing children out of a cannon.

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Juvenile artillery

Each chapter has your tank lumbering along a set path, and you simply choose which direction you take whenever it branches. Again, this is deceptively simple. Tracks are clearly labeled as “Safe, Normal, and Dangerous.” Dangerous paths will put more enemies in your way, but you’ll also collect more loot for upgrading your tank. If your tank has gone through the wringer, it might be better to choose a safer path, but it’s always tempting to embrace the danger when it means it might make things easier later on.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel’s greatest strength is making the most out of very little. You alternate between upgrading your tank and keeping the children’s spirits up, making choices on the world map, plumbing ruins for loot, and being in combat, and that’s about it from start to finish. However, because it’s so highly polished, it feels like more than enough to carry it through its 20-or-so-hour length.

Its only real vulnerabilities are in a couple of areas. The first is that the narrative isn’t that great. It’s told with care for its characters and love of its settings, but the overarching plot isn’t anything special. It’s not bad, but it’s a lot of being led from location to location with nothing substantial happening.

It also has really specific criteria for reaching the best ending. It’s something that you’re given little heads up on, and unless you’re trying to achieve it, you’ll probably miss it. Originally, this almost necessitated going through again in new game plus, but a later update relaxed this a bit. Now, if you get the worst ending, you can start again from where you’re required to start working toward a better conclusion. It’s not exactly the most heinous sin committed by a game, and I’m not sure them blatantly telling you what the requirement is would be a better solution; but if you’re set on not getting a bad ending, you may want to look up the criteria beforehand.

[caption id="attachment_386957" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

King Tiger

Fuga: Melodies of Steel is a masterclass of efficient design. A lot of breadth in gaming is achieved through padding, and a lot of depth is created through the layering of mechanics. It’s rare to see a game that achieves so much simply by polishing its core to an absolutely lustrous shine. It manages to earn its considerable longevity despite having a very tight loop. I can't help but find it admirable.

That’s not to say it’s going to appeal to everyone. Its deceptively simple gameplay won’t likely appeal to a more action-oriented and straightforward mindset. Likewise, the cute animal children might be a difficult taste to swallow for those who prefer their drama to be between hairless bags of flesh and chemicals. However, there’s a thoughtful earnestness to Fuga: Melodies of Steel that should really connect with anyone whose soul hasn’t been used as ammunition.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game purchased by the reviewer.]}

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