November 2020

Square Enix has another remaster on the way, this time with SaGa Frontier Remastered. While we don't have a release date quite yet, we do have a trailer showing off the latest nostalgia play from the studio. 

The below announcement trailer offers a glimpse at what the remaster will have to offer fans of the original, an experience that made its debut back in 1997. 

“The team of eight have returned – now with Fuse added as a playable character,"  reads the official reveal made by Square Enix. "Choose your favourite character and embark on your own unique journey. Each of the eight characters have different goals and endings. Your choices will affect how events unfold using the Free-Form Scenario System. This in-depth system will allow you to manipulate and expand a story all your own.

"Challenge yourself in nail-biting battles by using ‘glimmer’ as well as learning new skills such as the ability to fire consecutive special attacks from multiple team members. With beautiful graphics, as well as the addition of new events and features, SaGa Frontier Remastered is an experience not to be missed!”

Universal Studios Japan will open its new Super Nintendo World attraction on 4th February.

That date was announced this morning alongside the first official photos from inside the area, which includes Mario Kart and Bowser's Castle-themed rides.

An early February date feels an ambitious target for the attraction, which has stood mothballed since the summer as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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So uh, does anyone else love theme parks? Because this guy loves theme parks.

Among the many other things I've missed this year, riding rides with family is one of the things I've lamented the most, but we're all sort of hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel...eventually. Nintendo is banking on February 4, 2021.

That's the date of the grand opening of Super Nintendo World: which was originally supposed to debut during the Olympics in August of 2020. For obvious reasons it was pushed back to August 2021, but the theme park will open separately a bit earlier. In one word, it looks incredible.

Although we've had plenty of "over the fence" peeks at its construction, Universal Studios of Japan just put out an official video (below) that showcases it in all its splendor. While the outdoor zone is impressive on its own, the indoor areas are really where this park shines, like the giant red staircase leading to a Bowser statue for the "Koopa's Challenge" Mario Kart ride queue. As a reminder, the other ride is Yoshi-themed.

Eventually, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida (under the "Epic Universe" umbrella) will get their US versions, expected to launch in mid-2021 and 2024 respectively: minus any delays.

[Update: The very same intrepid user who found the logo also noted the "Wumpa League" banner in the background of a new Crash Bandicoot ad. A Crash Battle Royale is suggested as a possible spinoff/outcome from this cute little scavenger hunt. Again, bring on anything Crash. I'll try it once! They could even use the Crash Bash name again.]

So Crash 4: It's About Time is fairly manageable if you're a platforming hound, but if you want to get the full 106% completion rate: good luck!

The extra content and time trial/limited life requirements are among the hardest activities I've played in 2020, and it looks like all those efforts do pay off; to some small degree. Sharing their discovery on Twitter, Kevin Fagaragan managed to uncover a secret logo that appears on the first level's television set.

The kicker is that the logo only appears when you've reached the aforementioned percentage. Like all secrets that pop up out of nowhere the solution was crowdsourced, and it seems like it doesn't work for a mere 100% completion rate: only 106%. It explains why it hasn't been as widely known this far out from launch. It's also a "blink and you'll miss it" moment, as it only appears on the screen for a split-second after you cycle through all of the main entry logos.

So what is it? Well, a tease of a new game, some DLC, or a Super Smash Bros. appearance would all work for me. I'm just happy to see Crash back and actually relevant again with a good game.

Kotobukiya announced three new Mega Man model kits, which are currently in production.

The post New Mega Man Battle Network and Mega Man X Models Announced appeared first on Siliconera.

The next Nendoroid for the super-popular anime series, Demon Slayer, will be based on Tanjiro Kamado's Final Selection outfit.

The post New Demon Slayer Tanjiro Kamado Nendoroid Sports His Final Selection Outfit appeared first on Siliconera.

CERO claimed that the Japanese digital version of Assassin's Creed Valhalla included unrated content.

The post Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Japanese Release Included Unrated Content appeared first on Siliconera.

These adorable new Pokemon plush toys are made out of extra soft material, making them extremely huggable.

The post New Huggable Pokemon Plush Toys Will Be Available Soon appeared first on Siliconera.

Godfall on PC

The first thing that struck me when I booted up Godfall — which I’m sure was also the case for many other players — was just how utterly gorgeous the game looked. The color palette is vibrant, the world looks completely inviting and warm, and I was more than ready to start my new adventure looting and slashing and repeatedly farming missions for new gear.

That glossy first impression quickly peeled away once I’d beaten the tutorial and got a taste of what the campaign would be like. Godfall is beautiful and stylish, and that’s all it’s got going for it.

I’ll say right now that the story is pretty much completely dead in the water. Right from the start, you’re introduced as a character named Orin, who’s been betrayed by their brother Macros as he seeks to use the power of the gods to take over the world. There’s no sense of urgency, no concrete idea of who Macros is and why he’s such a threat, and you’re just expected to embark on this mission and be invested in Orin’s cause.

Fine. Sure, whatever. I don’t need a good story to enjoy some looter gameplay. I barely paid attention in Destiny 2 and still got a thousand hours out of that franchise, I can do the same with Godfall.

Except, not really.

I’ll start with the things I do love about Godfall. The HUD and UI are really pretty. Readability and overall presentation is important to me, and on that front, Counterplay Games really nailed it here. The menus look sleek and stylish, the fonts are futuristic-looking and pretty to look at, and even the equipment art is pleasing to the eye.

If you fancy having a go at Mass Effect‘s daft hacking minigames without loading up BioWare’s big old space RPG, then look no further. Someone has made a virtual museum with recreations of the hacking puzzles from both Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2. It’s inspired by the virtual lock picking museum I reported on a few months back – a post in which I said the exact words: “I’d love to see a hacking museum with all the awful minigames from Mass Effect.”

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The Fnatic miniStreak continues to be one of my all-time favourite tenkeyless gaming keyboards, and the Speed Silver version of their new Kailh-based model is currently £20 off for Cyber Monday. Down to £80 from its usual £100, this sleek, compact gaming keyboard is one of the few miniStreak variants still available these days, as the older Cherry MX models have been slowly going end of life for the last couple of months, making it a great time to snap one up before it disappears for good.

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Universal Studios Japan will open Super Nintendo World on February 4, 2021 after some delays. ...

Launching just in time for Pokémon Day, February 27, The Wand Company has turned everybody’s favorite pocket monster prison into a $100 metal replica, complete with proximity-sensing lights, a numbered collector’s case, and a warning for it to never, ever be thrown.

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Nintendo Switch Fortnite Wildcat Bundle | $300 | Best Buy

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Online retailer Zavvi has unleashed - or maybe just hatched - a new range of Pokemon clothes, with t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies featuring various beloved Pokemon (all from the first generation right now).

There's some pretty good options out there. Our personal favorites include a green Bulbasaur jumper, a rather intense Psyduck hoodie, and a Margikarp t-shirt that's likely to cause a splash. Have we done enough Pokemon puns yet? Maybe time to give it a Nosepass.

Regardless, you can find the best examples of their collection just below, or check out the full collection here.

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A new raid tier, a fight against Emerald Weapon, and more

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Coming to Universal Studios Japan

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You can't really predict how Koei Tecmo or Nintendo will present DLC, but you can count on a Warriors game getting some form of paid add-ons.

That's currently the debate behind Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, as folks are wondering when the duo are going to announce the inevitable DLC to this highly successful Warriors entry: the most successful, in fact. We know DLC is coming, of all the games Koei Tecmo has ever released, this one is the most ripe for extra stories that are actually justified.

So who is coming? Well, according to datamining efforts, the first wave of choices seem pretty obvious. Minor spoilers below.

I don't think anyone was quite expecting Paramount Pictures' cinematic adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog to be one of the most successful movie releases of 2020, especially given its shaky start, and yet here we are - with The Blue Blur sitting on a bank of $320 million USD.

Unsurprisingly, Paramount couldn't get sequel plans in motion fast enough, but given the production woes brought about by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, cameras are yet to roll on another of Sonic's dynamic, high-energy adventures. However, as reported by Comic Book, Creative BC, (overseers of all film production in British Columbia), have a new listing for a production known as "Emerald Hill", a recognizable phrase to all Sonic fans I'm sure.

According to the Creative BC listing, Paramount's "Emerald Hill" has a shooting schedule of March 15, 2021 to May 10 in the same year, with the final film still tentatively set for release on April 8, 2022. Of course, all of this is subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic and any other hurdles that might also be placed in the production schedule's path.

It's still weird thinking about a Bethesda release being a "Microsoft" release. But this is one of the first major ports or game launches since the big publisher acquired the smaller one.

We were worried about Doom Eternal on Switch for a second! It never had a firm release date out of the gate, and it chucked its physical release into the sun. But Bethesda has confirmed this morning that Doom Eternal will arrive on Switch on December 8.

As a reminder, this pretty good Doom game (itself a sequel to Doom 2016) came out in March of this year on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Stadia (did you think I'd leave you out, Stadians?), and has received one DLC micro-campaign so far. It's due for another, but for now, Bethesda is poised to give us their Switch version.

Want the rundown? Bethesda stresses that it's still a digital-only release ("at this time?" So you're saying there's a chance). The exact launch time is midnight on December 8, ET, and the aforementioned Ancient Gods: Part One DLC will come "at a later date," so it's going to be behind the other versions. I'd put money on it coming alongside of the second part. You can read all about the other known issues and glitches here.

It's still strange to see violent games like this on the innocent Nintendo YouTube channel! It even has that little Mario head logo pop up while Doom Guy is ripping and tearing. Jarring!

If you've been slipping under the new Destiny 2: Beyond Light era, you aren't alone.

The "wow" factor and splendor of expansions has been missing since Forsaken, as Bungie is struggling to deliver content with a big impact ever since it went off on its own and jettisoned Activision. But if you're a Prime Gaming member, at least you can grab some free stuff in case you feel like logging in again. Or maybe you're enjoying Beyond Light, and even tried to snag that snazzy new jacket this past weekend! More power to you.

In that case, you can enjoy the new Prime Gaming rewards now. Here's the full list: An Unchained Exotic Emote, the Regal Howl Exotic Sparrow, a Transpose JT-24-X Exotic Ship, and the Arch Shell Legendary Ghost Shell.

As a reminder, Ghost Shells are now completely opened up by a new talent mechanic, so you can customize them to your heart's content without worrying. I'm really hoping the new transmogrification (transmog) cosmetic system gets here sooner than later though. The Ghost upgrade is a mere taste of it.

Bungie says there is another "12 months" of drops, so if you have an Amazon Prime account, log in and accumulate them even if you don't play Destiny 2 at the moment. If you ever pick it back up one day, you'll have a ton of free stuff.

Prime Gaming Rewards [Bungie.net]

The long-lost Pokemon Kadabra is set to return to the Pokedex after the end of a dispute that has lasted some two decades. The Psi Pokemon has been missing from the famous card game decks since 2003, when British-Israeli illusionist Uri Geller claimed that the spoon-carrying creature infringed upon his brand and likeness.

At the weekend, the "originator of spoon-bending" apologized for ever kicking up a fuss, and stated that it was now up to Nintendo whether it wanted to bring Kadabra - originally known in Japan as "Yungerer/Yungeller" - back into the fold.

"I am truly sorry for what I did 20 years ago," said Geller on Twitter. "Kids and grownups I am releasing the ban. It's now all up to Nintendo to bring my Kadabra Pokemon card back. It will probably be one of the rarest cards now! Much energy and love to all!"

Speaking with The Gamer, Geller cited the voluminous amount of emails he has received over the years, which encouraged him to contact Nintendo and give them "permission to relaunch the Uri Geller Kadabra/Yungeller worldwide." Nintendo is yet to comment on the situation, so we'll just have to wait and see whether Kadabra makes a mystical comeback.

Uri Geller gives permission to print Kadabra on Pokemon cards again [TheGamer]

A building-high mural, painted in England to celebrate the launch of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, has finally been removed after impressing city visitors for seven glorious years.

The painting of Revengeance protagonist Raiden has adorned the side of Aireside House in Leeds since 2013, when artist collective EndoftheLine was commissioned by Konami to create three separate works in Leeds, Liverpool, and London to promote the hack 'n' slash spin-off.

While the London and Liverpool murals were repainted years ago, this giant image of Raiden - in the style of the legendary Yoji Shinkawa - has continued to stand tall over the city's streets. That is until recent weeks when, as noted on Twitter by user @kraker2k, the building was finally repainted.

I personally stumbled across this mural quite by accident in 2017, while visiting Leeds for a fighting game tournament. Having decided to walk to the venue rather than take a cab, I was struck in awe upon turning a corner and immediately coming face-to-face, (or face-to-ankle) with the stories-high portrait, which hadn't weathered a day from its creation.

It's sad to see Raiden finally vanish back into the shadows, but congrats to EndoftheLine for creating such an impressive and enduring image. For more information on their work visit the official EndoftheLine website.

You're DOOMed, Switch owners! DOOM Eternal will be in the eShop next week.

The post DOOM Eternal Switch Will Debut in December 2020 appeared first on Siliconera.

Everyday: Today's Menu for the Emiya Family isn't ready to leave the kitchen just yet, so the cooking sim is delayed once again.

The post Everyday: Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family Needs More Time to Cook appeared first on Siliconera.

Nothing particularly unusual about the change, bar the timing.

The post NieR: Automata Streaming Rules Get a Tiny Update appeared first on Siliconera.

Happy Cyber Monday! Remember that Nintendo Switch Fortnite bundle every other region already has? North America got it now too.

The post Cyber Monday Nintendo Switch Deal Is a Fortnite Bundle appeared first on Siliconera.

A Mario Kart-themed AR ride and a Yoshi Adventure ride are some of the attractions coming to USJ's new area.

The post Universal Studios Japan’s Super Nintendo World Will Open in February 2021 appeared first on Siliconera.

Today Koei Tecmo and Gust released a new trailer of the upcoming JRPG Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy.

The trailer focuses on showing off the costume sets coming to the game as part of the Digital Deluxe Edition.

37 costumes are included, and there’s even some from the previous game making a comeback.

You can check them out below.

If you want to learn more about Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy, which is the second game of a trilogy, you can read our interview with producer Junzo Hosoi,

Doom Eternal is one of 2020’s best shooters, and it’s finally making its way to Nintendo Switch in early December. The news comes by way of an announcement from Nintendo’s official channels, revealing the Dec. 8 release date as part of a new trailer.

The wait is almost over! Get ready to conquer demons when DOOM Eternal comes to #NintendoSwitch on Dec. 8! pic.twitter.com/rqe9SlP580

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) November 30, 2020

You can check out the new trailer below.

There’s no word yet on what sort of performance we can expect on Nintendo’s hardware, but if it’s anything like Doom 2016 it’ll probably offer 720p resolution at 30 fps in docked mode. Hopefully, Eternal runs more smoothly from launch, as opposed to its predecessor which required some patching to get right.

There’s a new reason to own Xbox Series X/S that’s likely to prove very compelling to some: thanks to the console’s developer mode, the Xbox Series S is capable of running emulation software like Retro Arch’s PCSX2, which, thanks to a recent new update, means that for the very first time you can get PlayStation 2 games running on an Xbox platform.

A new video by YouTuber Modern Vintage Gamer (MVG)has showcased the software running across a number of different games, including Metal Gear Solid 2: Guns of the Patriots, God of War, Ico, and many more. The results are really impressive, with the console’s emulation performance standing toe-to-toe with the very best emulators out there on select games.

At least, if you can get it working.

Indeed, PC SSX2 in Retro Arch is still very much in active development, and the current build has plenty of bugs and stability issues. As noted by MVG, it takes time to get yourself set-up properly, and it probably isn’t something you’ll be able to do without some study. It’s also worth noting that unlocking developer mode requires an application and a $20 one-off payment to Microsoft.

One major issue that’s currently limiting the emulator’s potential is that in dev mode, PC SSX2 is limited to 2GB or smaller for its ROMs. That means you won’t be able to play the largest and most demanding games. There’s a workaround, but as MVG has noted, there are some legality issues associated, so it isn’t something we’ll be touting here. Better to wait for the support to arrive as and when…

Next-gen is finally here. The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are available worldwide… well, they would be if stock wasn’t flying off the shelves faster than Usain Bolt at a 100m start line. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on both next-gen consoles, and while my experiences have largely been positive, my biggest gripe comes from the Xbox Series X’s slightly revised controller.

Where Sony sought to introduce new and exciting innovations with its DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, Microsoft played it safe with the Xbox Series X’s redesigned controller.

In fact, they’ve played it so safe that — aside from the ‘Share’ button — it looks almost the exact same as the Xbox One controller we’ve spent the past seven years growing accustomed to.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the Xbox One controller was and still is one of the best-performing and most comfortable you can get your hands on right now. Rather than going back to the drawing board, Microsoft opted to iterate on its existing controller. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. It makes sense!

These iterations are minor, but largely welcome. The d-pad’s got a new dish-shape and feels far more responsive as a result. It also feels clicky, as do the new face and shoulder buttons.

In terms of connectivity, Microsoft’s introduced Bluetooth Low Energy technology alongside its new Xbox Wireless Radio to ensure it’ll work with iOS and Android phones while ensuring doing so won’t drain the battery at a rapid rate. There’s even Dynamic Latency Input which matches your button-presses to frames on-screen, minimizing any possible input lag.

All of this, combined with the aforementioned ‘Share’ button make the Series X controller a nice revision of a tried-and-tested gamepad. Alas, there’s one more, minor change that’s put me in a painful predicament.

Bluepoint Games and Sony have just released the brand new Demon’s Souls remake as a launch title for the PS5. With that in mind, now’s the perfect time to revisit the PS3 cult classic and dive deep into the nitty-gritty details and little tidbits that made this game so iconic and beloved.

We’ve put together a quiz that will test your knowledge of Demon’s Souls. It’s not enough to just have just beaten the game once; you’ll need to be familiar with its various mechanics and gameplay systems, and you’ll need to have sufficient knowledge of both the remake and the original PS3 release as well, along with a passing knowledge of From Software’s other Souls games.

If you truly think that you know everything there is to know about Demon’s Souls, check out the quiz and see how you fare.

Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be any more [cms-block] worth looking at, Samsung have swooped in with one last offer on their enormously wide CRG9. It’s been one of the many ultrawide monitors on sale during this seemingly never-ending [cms-block] period, but Samsung are shaving an additional 10% off its already discounted £899 price with their own special promo code, taking this monitor down to an even more appealing £809.

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I have some bad news for all you Wraith mains out there. Not only have her abilities been nerfed and her Naruto-style run taken away, now it sounds like Respawn plan on making her even easier to shoot in Season 8. A developer says they want to bring the most popular Apex Legends character “under control” next season, potentially increasing her hitbox. It’s not all doom and gloom, though, because there’s a tiny possibility she could get a buff if it all goes to plan.

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Welcome to Chicago in the 1920s; the last known time that fedoras were actually cool. The city is dry, thanks to prohibition, but there’s a rich underworld of gangsters ready to sell you dodgy spirits on the sly. Amid the cigar smoke and whisky-breath, notorious criminals go to war over every street and every establishment.

Speakeasies, casinos, and brothels are the money-makers of the moment. Empire Of Sin lets you take the role of one of 14 criminal masterminds of the time – some real, some fictional – to take control of the city in XCOM-style turn-based combat. I’d do the game an injustice to describe it as gangster XCOM though. Empire Of Sin blends combat with detailed business management, and moonlights as a roleplaying game when your chosen kingpin has a face-to-face sitdown with a rival. You can pay your rival off; intimidate them with some ‘20s tough talk; or pull a gun and wade into their headquarters with a ragtag band of gangsters to take the place by force.

Sega has pulled back the curtain on a prototype handheld called the Venus that served as the precursor to the Genesis Nomad. ...

Doom Eternal joined some of this year's most stellar gaming experiences in The Game Awards' Game of the Year category. Despite FPS experiences being one of the most popular genres on a yearly basis, Doom Eternal added to the formula with intense, satisfying, and fast-paced gunplay. Now that same acclaimed title is coming to Nintendo Switch next month. 

The wait is almost over! Get ready to conquer demons when DOOM Eternal comes to #NintendoSwitch on Dec. 8! pic.twitter.com/rqe9SlP580

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) November 30, 2020

We loved Doom Eternal. As Andrew Reiner said in the review: "From a combat standpoint, you couldn’t ask for much more...It roars with excitement, and just keeps getting bigger and better as it goes." Now that Doom Eternal is coming to Switch, a new populace of players will have the opportunity to dive into the game's bloody hellscape and cut down the hordes of demons standing in their way. Additionally, veterans of the game will get the chance to do all of this and more on the go.