It began with a dog and an onion.

Sure, NanaOn-Sha’s PaRappa the Rapper wasn’t the first video game to demand players sync button presses to a basic beat via on-screen prompts. For instance, the early Bandai dance mat peripheral-based game Aerobics Studio – a primitive NES precursor to the likes of Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution – was first released in Japan in 1987 and handily pre-dates PaRappa. It wasn’t the first to intrinsically weave music into the core of the game itself, either, as anyone who had the misfortune of, say, waking up during 1992 and unwrapping a copy of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch: Make My Video can probably attest.

But Aerobics Studio is overtly an exercise game set to some bleeps and bloops, and the Make My Video trio of FMV games (INXS, Kris Kross, and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, all released in 1992) are famously regarded as some of the worst ever inflicted upon humanity.

If you’re really looking for the flame that truly lit the rhythm game fuse – a genre that would later go on to become one of the most lucrative in the industry throughout the mid- to late 2000s – look no further than this love-struck, two-dimensional dog and his onion-headed karate mentor.

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Kick! Punch! It’s All in the Mind

Development for PaRappa the Rapper began in 1994, just after the original PlayStation was announced. It was launched in Japan in 1996 and a worldwide release followed in 1997. Created by Japanese music producer Masaya Matsuura and American graphic artist Rodney Greenblat, PaRappa the Rapper was a game like no other that had come before it.

People Can Fly's Outriders was originally slated for a holiday 2020 release, but unfortunately things change and we did have a massive global pandemic this year as well. With a new Outriders trailer comes a confirmed release date as well as a confirmation that spells out good news for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S hopefuls.

Outriders will be launching on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC on February 2, 2021. It will also be arriving on Google Stadia, though at a later date. 

People Can Fly also confirmed that crossplay will be available for all and that Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the game will be upgradable to next-gen fro free. For those that opt into a physical PS4 game purchase, the non-digital PS5 system is required. For Xbox fans, the upgrade will happen courtesy of its Smart Delivery. 

A Super Mario Sunshine fan has recreated the iconic Delfino Plaza by using the park editor feature in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.

Gunderstank16 posted a video of the custom map on the Super Mario Sunshine subreddit early this morning and it’s quite impressive how they managed to capture the essence of the sun-soaked tropical area.

Now of course it’s not a 1:1 remake of the plaza but it comes pretty close. Gunderstank apparently spent around 3-4 days working on this creation and they plan on creating even more Mario-themed maps if enough people like and share the video.

You can check out some gameplay of the Delfino Plaza area down below via Ian’s YouTube channel. They even threw in a Mario costume and the Delfino Plaza theme music in the background to make the entire thing even more authentic.

Please give it a like so they can recreate even more Super Mario Sunshine stages.

An examination of classic level design and techniques for inviting the player into arenas instead of fighting from the doors. ...

Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange will be joining the cast of Spider-Man 3. A stand-in for Nick Fury and the late Tony Stark, Doctor Strange will serve in a father-figure/mentor role for Peter Parker as he takes on Jamie Foxx's Electro and any other unannounced super villains. Doctor Strange's appearance will continue to tie the Spider-Man movies to the extensive MCU. Additionally, Spider Man: Homecoming and Far From Home Director Jon Watts is returning to helm the third film with shooting slated to start in October.

Doctor Strange's involvement might mean that Spider-Man 3 will explore alternate universes, but that's just speculation. What do you think the third web-slinging film will be about? 

[Source: The Hollywood Reporter] 

Goonswarm has pushed the invaders back into the sea, but for how long?

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It feels like every month we are learning about another video game getting the movie adaptation treatment and today, another one has been added to that lineup. A live-action Kingdom Come: Deliverance adaptation is confirmed to be in the works from Warhorse Studios. 

According to Variety, former Netflix executive Erik Barmack is working alongside Warhorse Studios to adapt the Kingdom Come: Deliverance game. This game is set during the Medieval Holy Roman Empire and while it sold over 3 million units, the reception to the title itself was less than stellar. Over time, the title garnered more positive feedback after several major updates were pushed and while it is one of the more successful games set during this particular time period, it's not one many would expect to get a full movie adaptation. 

This RPG was developed by Warhorse Studios and was published by Deep Silver for this gen. This open-world adventure does have a lot of side stories and a bases tale as well that could supplement an adaptation, but it looks like this project is still very early on in its development. 

Thursday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

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I was worried about being overcautious after yesterday’s terrible run, in which I died on the second level. Spoilers: I was not cautious.

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It’s been of my understanding that getting cats under control is an impossible task. And yet, I thought I’d managed it with the help of Cats Organized Neatly. The delightful free demo had me thinking myself a master cat-wrangler right up until this massive dozing kitty slumbered its way into my life. With a free demo for the adorable pet puzzler out now, I am begging your help – where am I supposed to put this absolute unit of a feline?

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In a new report by GamesIndustry.biz, current and former Twitch employees recount issues of racism, sexism, and assault at the company that they say were never properly dealt with and often even enabled by a white bro tech startup culture.

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Earlier today in a press release, Gamestop announced a major strategic partnership with Microsoft which is aiming to essentially improve the customer experience with the game store on all fronts. That includes revamped in-store and online experiences.

First off, the back-end of all the in-store software will be moving over to Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 platform. The biggest customer-facing differences will be an improved ability to track real-time product availability numbers and a more personalized in-store customer experience based upon individual consumer data.

There are no details on exactly how these personalized experiences will be compared to the current system, but we will certainly report on any new information as it becomes available.

A major visible difference will be the move from sales associates accessing everything on desktop PCs to being more mobile around the store with a Microsoft Surface in hand. This mobility issue isn’t a problem for smaller stores, but it could help with customer engagement in the locations with a larger footprint.

Gamestop’s CFO, Jim Bell, seems confident that these changes will not only help improve the GameStop experience on the consumer end, but also for their associates.

By standardizing on Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365, all accessed with Microsoft Surface devices at our fingertips, we will be able to create a better connection with our associates and provide them with powerful new tools to deliver rich engaging experiences to our customers while significantly enhancing our cross-channel view of inventory ensuring the most efficient delivery of products to our customers.

At the end of First Blood, the 1982 movie adaptation of the David Morrell novel of the same name, John Rambo tells his former commanding officer that there’s no turning off the violence he was taught to inflict as a veteran of the Vietnam War. He breaks down. He weeps. It’s a powerful image: the quintessential action…

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Our NYCC panel asks: Just how canonical is the Fall Guys Twitter?

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Pokemon is not just an anime, video game series, and merchandising powerhouse, it’s also a cultural phenomenon. Created in 1995 by Satoshi Tajiri, Pokemon has been a hit ever since.

Whether you got your start with the original Game Boy games or started with the mobile hit, Pokemon GO, the Pokemon anime has been a staple of Saturday morning cartoons ever since its inception.

Unlike the games, the anime focuses on one single character, Ash Ketchum, a 10-year-old boy who dreams of becoming a Pokemon master. As he travels across various regions, he is joined by different companions who come and go.

The anime has become an integral part of many childhoods and probably will be for a very long time. So are you a true fan of the franchise and its everlasting anime? Take our trivia quiz to test your knowledge!

And if you like this quiz, we have an entire section on the site dedicated to them. You can find more right here.

(All images via Bulbapedia)

I’m afraid there’ll be no muscle-bound spacemen down the chimney this year, children. Outriders, the brutal third-person roadie-runner from the folks behind Bulletstorm, has had its plans for a Winter release scuppered by the mess that is 2020. People Can Fly’s RPG shooter is now slated to arrive this February – but at least there’ll be full crossplay when it finally arrives.

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New Rounds

The biggest feature that most people will be excited about in Fall Guys Season 2 is the addition of four new rounds. Hoopsie Legend is a solo-player take on Hoopsie Daisy. No teams are required this time around, which means that you’ll have to work even harder to make sure that you end up qualified for the next round.

Knight Fever is also new gauntlet stage that has you racing towards the finish line but, of course, there are tons of obstacles in the way for players to overcome.

There’s a new egg-collecting round called Egg Siege, and thanks to the elements added here, it makes the Egg Scramble level seem like a breezy afternoon picnic.

Going with the medieval theme for Season 2, there are moving drawbridges, axes, and other troublesome obstacles to knock you off your feet. I personally do not like any of the older Egg-based rounds, but this one seems way more tactical, messy, and outrageous –sign me up!

And last but not least, we have one called Wall Guys, which will test your cooperation with fellow combatants. Will you work together to create a staircase to victory or will you choose to push everyone out of the way to get to the top by yourself? Whatever you decide to do, just make sure to not fall off the platforms.

The post What’s New in Fall Guys Season 2? Everything You Need to Know appeared first on Twinfinite.

It’s a detective neo-noir fantasy where everyone is maybe dead?

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A blast from the past

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In today's contest you can win a Switch copy of Darkwood from Super Rare Games!

Super Rare Games is at it again! This week they're keeping in line with the Halloween spirit and offering up Darkwood, an atmospheric top-down survival horror joint.

You know the drill, y'all -- read all about it, and enter to win below!

Last April I bought a PC copy of Fallout 76 for $17. It was such a cheap price that I finally couldn’t resist trying it out. After five or so hours of doing some quests and building a small shack I called home, I moved on. While I enjoyed exploring the world, the performance issues, lack of NPCs, and numerous other…

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The Grand Blues anime series, based on the Granblue Fantasy 4-koma "joke" manga series, is being simulcast on Crunchyroll.

The post Granblue Fantasy Grand Blues Anime Heads to Crunchyroll appeared first on Siliconera.

Sorcerer Supreme to mentor Spidey

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Today Cloud Imperium Games is rolling out update 3.11 of its growing space simulator Star Citizen, and it’s celebrating with plenty of new assets.

First of all, we get a brand new look at Squadron 42, the single-player campaign that is being created for Star Citizen. This is a teaser of a longer video that will be broadcasted on Saturday Oct. 10 at 9:00 am PDT.

Today we get to see a brief fly through of the Aciedo Space Station in the Odin system. It’s one of the first major locations players will visit during Squadron 42’s campaign.

Moving on to the persistent universe, we get to see a trailer for the update and one for the revamped Origin 100 series that is also getting implemented today.

The press release comes with a comment directly from Creative Director Chris Roberts.

The Trek cast took to New York Comic Con to tout new details about season 3

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If unveiling their next generation of Ryzen 5000 CPUs wasn’t enough this evening, AMD also gave us a sneak peak at their upcoming [cms-block] GPUs during tonight’s Zen 3 event. Not only did they give us our first glimpse of AMD’s upcoming 4K graphics card in the flesh (as opposed to looking at a giant floating model of it in Fortnite), but they also teased some very tantalising-looking 4K benchmark results.

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People can try Street Fighter V DLC characters in October and November. Each week, a different season will be free.

The post Street Fighter V Free Characters Season Pass Trials Announced appeared first on Siliconera.

CD Projekt Red has given us a lot of looks at Cyberpunk 2077 over the past few months. For instance, we've gotten insight to all the different role-playing Lifepaths, we've learned how the detective-like Braindancing works, and we've been introduced to the gangs of the city.

As we barrel toward Cyberpunk 2077's November 19 release date, CD Projekt is kind of running out of things to show us. That's why an entire episode of Night City Wire is dedicated to how the cars go vroom.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is out in early access this week. While noted Divinity: Original Sin II enthusiast Nathan Grayson and I (noted Divinity: Original Sin II hater Ash Parrish) suggest you wait for the full release before diving in, we wanted to talk about some of the different in-game story choices we made and how those…

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Nintendo announced that next month, Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion pass bundles will go on sale. Priced at $90, the bundles include both the base games and their respective expansion passes on one game card. Additionally, bonus content will be available: 100 Poké Balls as well as the Pikachu and Eevee Uniforms. The items will come as redeemable Mystery Gift codes and can only be used on one save file. 

The Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion pass bundles will be available for purchase starting on November 6. If you haven't played the games or expansions, next month will be the perfect time to set out on your own Pokémon adventure and experience all of what the Galar region has to offer. 

[Source: Destructoid] 

The movie is one of the year’s must-sees

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Ready to add a Spoony Bard to your team? FFIV's Edward is about to join Dissidia FFOO's roster outside Japan.

The post Dissidia FFOO’s Edward Will Make His Global Debut on October 9, 2020 appeared first on Siliconera.

Sucker Punch Productions is putting in work for New Game+ mode in Ghost of Tsushima.

Along with armor loadouts (!), a new horse, Ghost Flower-fueled vanity items, another upgrade tier for your sword, bow, and armor, and "extremely powerful charms that can help Jin unleash devastating attacks and may change the way you play," there's this: the Charm of Canine Recruitment.

Starting on October 16 with #GhostOfTsushima version 1.1, you can equip the Charm of Canine Recruitment in New Game+ to pet dogs and turn them into allies... pic.twitter.com/RLFSut8aqN

— Ghost of Tsushima 🎮 OUT NOW (@SuckerPunchProd) October 8, 2020

If you felt bad about slaying all those Mongolian dogs in Ghost of Tsushima – especially back-to-back with The Last of Us Part II – then you'll want to unlock this charm in New Game+ to befriend them.

The other big part of update 1.1, the co-op Legends mode, also has dog petting. This might seem like a small detail in the grand scheme of things, but it goes to show that they're passionate about NG+.

I'm glad I wrapped up the platinum trophy grind last week. I'm ready for all of this.

Popular game, tough crowd

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Today, during a livestream dedicated to For Honor, Ubisoft announced its next-gen plans for the game.

Project lead of programming Laurent Chouinard shared that the game will work on next-gen consoles via backward compatibility and an upgraded version with graphical enhancements will be made available for free at launch for the new consoles.

This will include improved water reflections, improved distance level of detail, improved shadow resolution, and improved texture filtering. These enhancements will actually carry over from PS4 Pro and Xbox One X.

On top of that, For Honor will run at 4K resolution on PS4 and Xbox Series X, and at 1080p on Xbox Series S.

This is different from what we have in current-gen consoles. On PS4 Pro and Xbox One X you had to choose between 4K and the graphical enhancements. On next-gen consoles you’ll have both.

At a later date, we’ll get 60 FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series X.

The transition to next-gen will be seamless and free. All of your stuff will carry over as long as you stay within the same brand of console.

For Honor is currently available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

If you’d like to learn more about the game, you can check out our review.

The post For Honor Reveals PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S Enhancements; 60 FPS Coming Later appeared first on Twinfinite.

AMD have officially unveiled their next generation of Ryzen 5000 CPUs and their new Zen 3 core architecture. Launching worldwide on November 5th 2020, AMD’s new Ryzen 5000 CPUs will be headlined by the 12-core Ryzen 5 5900X, which promises up to 26% faster gaming performance compared to AMD’s previous flagship CPU, the Ryzen 9 3900XT, and record-breaking single core performance that beats Intel’s Core i9-10900K. Here’s everything you need to know from tonight’s Zen 3 event, including how much the Ryzen 9 5900X, Ryzen 7 5800X and Ryzen 5 5600X are going to cost, and their individual specs.

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Outriders cross-play will be available across consoles and generations when it launches in February 2021.

The post Outriders Will Head Into Battle in February and Support Cross-Play appeared first on Siliconera.

Supraland is one of countless cool-looking games that got away from me in 2019. The timing wasn't right – and to be honest, it still kind of isn't! – but my interest in this 3D metroidvania persists.

If you're intrigued by a first-person sandbox adventure game with secrets to find, puzzles to solve, and skeletons to clobber, you might be pleased to hear that it's coming to consoles. After gaining traction on Steam, Supraland is releasing for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on October 22, 2020.

The solo developer, David Münnich, teamed up with Humble Games for these console ports.

There's still a PC demo to check out on Steam if you're curious about this stick-figure world. I appreciate the user reviewer who called Supraland the "platonic ideal of a late '90s/early '00s game." I hear that.