February 2022

Pac-Man Museum+ launches in May

2 years 2 months ago

Pac-Man's upcoming compilation of pellet-munching puzzles will launch for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation and Xbox on 27th May.

If you have Xbox Game Pass, you'll be able to play it on day one as part of your subscription.

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Author
Tom Phillips

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Save £100 on this Acer Nitro 5 laptop, equipped with a QHD display and RTX 3060

2 years 2 months ago

We've heard the advice given to all PC gamers in the past couple of years that it's almost become a mantra: get a gaming laptop instead. With graphics cards being sold for excruciatingly high margins at third-party marketplaces and simply being unavailable for most of the time recently from known retailers, a laptop is looking to be a great high-value proposition. Whether it's for upgrading your old PC setup or jumping into the world of gaming for the first time, this Acer Nitro 5 laptop is a great option.

Shaving off a sweet £100 for a deal price of £1149.99 over at Amazon, the Nitro 5 is a beast of a laptop. Firstly, it has an 11th gen Intel Core i7 processor. With eight cores and 16 threads, it'll chew through anything that's limited the older CPU you might be replacing.

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Author
Emad Ahmed

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Morbius Final Trailer Has Arrived for Last Look Before April Release

2 years 2 months ago

The final trailer for Morbius was uploaded by the Sony Pictures Entertainement YouTube account and gives us one last look at the movie before it hits theaters on April 1.

The trailer gives a good feel of the action you can expect from Jared Leto’s take on the Living Vampire. As an added surprise, Michael Keaton’s return as Adrian Toomes/The Vulture will have more screentime in the movie than what was previously hinted at in trailers. The appearance of the Adrian Toomes does mean that Morbius takes place in the Sony Spider-verse, whereas Venom was proven to be its own side universe. It’s a little messy.

The Morbius site describes the movie as:

Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed. Will good override evil – or will Morbius succumb to his mysterious new urges?

The trailer clocks in at 2:12 and despite showing a fair bit of action, does certainly keep many secrets under wraps. You can see it for yourself here or below:

Author
Cameron Waldrop

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Pac-Man Museum+ Arrives in May; Will be Day One Game Pass Release

2 years 2 months ago

Today, Bandai Namco Europe revealed Pac-Man Museum+, a revitalized arcade experience that allows you to build your very own virtual shrine to everyone’s favorite pellet and ghost-eating Puckman. Set for release on May 27, 2022, the title will feature in-game wallpapers, figures, and arcade machines that you can add to your museum via completing missions.

In total, there will be 14 games included in this collection, including plenty of classics that fans of the series will surely love. You can check out the full list of included titles and the brand new Pac-Man Museum+ trailer below.

Author
Andrew McMahon

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Fire Emblem Heroes A Hero Rises 2022 Voting Gauntlet Goes All Green

2 years 2 months ago

Fire Emblem Heroes A Hero Rises 2022 Voting Gauntlet Goes All Green

Now that the first round of the Fire Emblem Heroes A Hero Rises 2022 Voting Gauntlet is over, it is confirmed this event will result an all green focus unit banner. The four remaining units are The Fodlan Star Byleth, Hatari Duet Azura, Nightfall Ninja Act Corrin, and War God Thorr. Rounds 2 and 3 will determine which one of the four will be given away to all users for free.

Going into Round 1 of the A Hero Rises 2022 Gauntlet, some Fire Emblem Heroes players began coordinating to eliminate the two outlier units. Those were Fated Holy Knight Sigurd, a red cavalry unit, and Hegemon Husk Edelgard, a colorless beast unit. This meant in the first round that the Azura Duo unit and Legendary Byleth both needed to win their rounds to make an all green Fire Emblem Hero banner happen. The other units eliminated during this phase were New Year Jotnar Dagr and Youthful Sage Eitri.

Author
Jenni Lada

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HoYo-MiX Year in Review Features Genshin Impact, Honkai Impact Music

2 years 2 months ago

HoYo-MiX Year in Review Features Genshin Impact, Honkai Impact Music

To offer a look back at what its HoYo-MiX team did in 2021, miHoYo shared a 2021 Year in review video. The almost five minute trailer goes over music from Genshin Impact, Honkai Impact 3rd, and Tears of Themis. Tracks from composers and arrangers Dimeng Yuan, Frex, Gon, Hao, Jiade He, TetraCalyx, Vinchi, Yu-Peng Chen and Zoe appear. Each one only offers a brief sample of the song, though. However, before it comes up the album it appeared on shows up.

First, here are the songs from the Genshin Impact soundtrack appearing the the HoYo-MiX music video.

  • ”Bard’s Adventure”
  • ”Destined Parting”
  • ”Fragile Fantasy”
  • ”Inazuma”
  • ”Kitsune’s Mask”
  • ”Let’s Go, Crimson Knight!”
  • ”Moonlike Smile”
  • ”Qilin’s Prance”
  • ”Rage Beneath the Mountains”
  • ”Rex Incognito”

The following Honkai Impact 3rd tracks show up during 2021 Year in Review music video too.

  • ”Domineer”
  • ”Gathered Pace”
  • ”Little Ones”
  • ”Moon Halo”
  • ”Oracle”
  • ”Rubia”
  • ”Thunder”
  • ”Yesterday”

Finally, there was one Tears of Themis song there. As a reminder, this is miHoYo’s mobile adventure game with otome overtones.

Author
Jenni Lada

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KOF XV Dolores Concept Art Includes Her Holy Soil

2 years 2 months ago

KOF XV Dolores Concept Art Includes Her Holy Soil

SNK shared another look at a new The King of Fighters character. People can now see the KOF XV design documents going over concept art for Dolores. The two pictures offer a closer look at her outfit, tattoos, jewelry, and Holy Soil earth spirit she can summon during fights.

When Dolores first appeared, SNK focused on her unique KOF XV attacks. Due to her abilities, she can use the earth itself to aid in her attacks. She can summon Holy Soil to have what are essentially earth spirits attack her opponent. As such, the new art shows it both as a blob of mud and what looks like a golem form, to offer a better sense of scale compared to her.

The first image focuses on Dolores herself. It shows detailed looks at her necklace and its medallion. Since her pants normally cover her boots, the boots appear on the side so people can see how they look. Her tattoo designs are shown separately as well, as her clothing can hide them too.

[gallery columns="2" ids="918297,918296" link="file"]

Dolores isn’t the only character whose KOF XV concept art appeared, as Isla’s design documents appeared online too. Hers focused more on her outfit. People could get a better look at her jacket, mask, shoes, and gloves.

Author
Jenni Lada

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Supporter podcast - The Nate Files episode 8: Bah, Humboldt!

2 years 2 months ago

Gather ye close, gentle listener, for this month's supporter funded podcast, The Nate Files. In episode 8 we learn all about the giants on whose shoulders Darwin stands. This includes Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt, a man who has apparently had everything on the planet named after him. Apart from this podcast, and my shoes, and myself, and the cereal and had this morning, and look, I exaggerated for comic effect listener, what do you want from me? A thank you, is it? Oh alright, thank you very much to our supporters for making The Nate Files happen each month. If I could I'd name a penguin species after all of you.

Apologies for this episode of The Nate Files being a few days late. I admit it: Elden Ring week got ahead of me a bit. But now it's behind me, so things should even out. Hopefully, anyway.

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Author
Alice Bell

The Long Road to Perfecting Batman in Video Games

2 years 2 months ago

We love Batman because he’s a multifaceted superhero. He’s a kung-fu master with a cool costume and an arsenal of fancy toys. He’s a billionaire playboy. He’s arguably the world’s greatest detective. And most of all, he’s an orphan with a mountain of trauma who takes it out on the criminals of Gotham night after night.

Plenty of Batman comics, movies and TV shows have explored the many sides of the Caped Crusader, but the video game realm has been a very different story. In fact, it’s only recently that the Batman games have really hit on the ideal Batman formula. Let’s look back at Batman’s long, if not always glamorous, history in games and why it took so long for developers to truly put us in the Dark Knight’s shoes.

The Early Batman Games

Compared to heroes like Superman and Spider-Man, Batman made a relatively late debut on the video game scene. British publisher Ocean Software was the first to bring the Dark Knight to gaming, starting with an obscure 1986 game simply titled Batman, which was released on home computers like the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad PCW.

The very first Batman game is surprisingly different from the ones that would follow, as it’s more of an isometric exploration game than an action platformer. The game tasks players with dodging obstacles, finding the various pieces of the Batcraft and rescuing Robin. The rudimentary, low color graphics weren’t much to write home about even at the time, but the game certainly had its fans.

Ocean followed up Batman two years later with Batman: The Caped Crusader, an action-adventure title pitting Batman against the Joker and Penguin in two distinct chapters. The game is mostly notable for its attempt to mimic the look and feel of comic book panels. Think of it as an early prototype for 1995’s Comix Zone.

Author
Jesse Schedeen

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Anthony Mackie Twisted Metal TV Series Finds Its Home on Peacock

2 years 2 months ago

Everyone’s favorite smart-ass demolition derby milkman finally has his home, as Variety reports that the Twisted Metal TV series will air on Peacock. While no release date has been confirmed as of yet, we do at least know that Anthony Mackie is set to star as John Doe.

Much like the video game that inspired it, the character of John Doe talks fast and drives faster, as he races to try and remember his past while also competing in an onslaught of savage vehicular combat. To survive, he’ll need to compete against deranged enemies, including a certain clown that drives an ice cream truck.

Author
Andrew McMahon

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“Persona 25th Fes” Event Announced in Japan

2 years 2 months ago

Today Atlus announced a new event that will be hosted in Japan to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Persona series.

The event, titled “Persona 25th Fes in Tokorozawa Sakura Town” will be hosted between May 28 and July 10 at the Tokorozawa Sakura Town venue in Saitama, near Tokyo.

The event will include exhibitions like reproductions of environments from the game and 1/1 scale statues of the personas Arsene (which already appeared at Tokyo Game Show 2019), Thanatos, and Izanagi. Visitors will be able to explore the world of persona across the halls of the EJ Anime Museum.

The EJ Anime Hotel within the venue will feature themed rooms, art of Persona characters dressed in the hotel’s uniforms (which you can see in the gallery below), mobile-based minigames, and more.

A collaboration with the Da Vinci Store within the venue also includes art of characters wearing the store’s apron (which you can also see in the gallery), alongside the sale of merchandise.

Tickets will be priced at 1,800 yen on their own and 4,300 yen with merchandise included if bought in advance, and 200 yen more if purchased on the same day.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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People Can Play 14 Pac-Man Games in Pac-Man Museum+ in May

2 years 2 months ago

14 Pac-Man Games Will Appear in Pac-Man Museum+

Bandai Namco promised a new collection of Pac-Man games would be on the way. Now it has a release date. On May 27, 2022, Pac-Man Museum+ will give people on all current consoles and computers a chance to go through 14 different iterations. People can also place on leaderboards and decorate the home “arcade” hub by playing.

Pac-Man Museum+ will include a mix of both conventional and unconventional entries in the series. For example, Pac-Land, Pac-in-Time, and Pac Motos will be there.

Here’s the full list of included Pac-Man games in the collection.

Author
Jenni Lada

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Review: Elden Ring is Promising, but Held Back by Its PC Performance

2 years 2 months ago

Review: Elden Ring is Promising, but Held Back by Its PC Performance

Elden Ring is massive. When FromSoftware announced it would be creating a new open world experience, I expected maybe a handful of areas cleverly linked together in the developer’s usual fashion. But Elden Ring is a sprawling game, laden with mysteries and extremely challenging boss fights that will test the skill of just about any player. No doubt, it has become one of the most anticipated games of 2022. Potentially for a good reason. However, Elden Ring squanders what promise it holds by performance issues on PCs and a lack of deviation from Dark Souls in almost any regard.

It wasn’t until I was roughly 40 hours in that I discovered that I was effectively playing a majority of Elden Ring in reverse. I had uncovered some areas prematurely. Because of the sheer amount of ways to approach certain parts of the map, I was throwing myself against proverbial brick walls. While there were other avenues I could explore, the lack of direction had me convinced that this was the right way to go. But there is no right way in Elden Ring.

You will find world bosses scattered throughout the map, some barring progress in directions you might believe you need to go. Those bosses felt infinitely harder than some story relevant fights. Mostly because, for some reason, my frame rate would dip dramatically during these open world encounters. There was one particular instance against the Tree Sentinel that caused my game to not only freeze, but stutter for more than a few seconds at a time. This wasn’t the first time it would happen. It was a recurring issue within the area and with this particular boss.

Author
Kazuma Hashimoto

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Baelz Hakos Birthday Merchandise and First Original Song Appear

2 years 2 months ago

Baelz Hakos Birthday Merchandise, First Original Song Appear

Though it technically isn’t Baelz Hakos’ birthday, there’s a celebration with merchandise for the Hololive Vtuber. The character’s birthday is actually February 29th, but it is being celebrated with a collection of themed items. This also comes one day after the debut of the Baelz Hakos original song “Play Dice.”

The Baelz Hakos Birthday Celebration 2022 items are available alone or as a set. The set includes both the digital and physical items. People get a rubber mat they could use as a mouse pad with “Boom Boom!!” art by Mika Pikazo. That same design is also featured on a bonus postcard. There’s a snapback baseball cap with “Bruh” on it. You also get a porcelain coffee mug with Baelz on it. There’s a keychain with a pair of dice and Mr. Squeaks on it too. The digital items include a Birthday Voice Pack with “A Walk Home” situational pack and a Japanese and English system voice pack. The exclusive bonus voiced line is of her saying, “Thank you, Brats!” (Brats are what her fans are called.)

Author
Jenni Lada

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Lost Ark Review - Dungeons And Demons

2 years 2 months ago

Reviewed on: PC
Publisher: Amazon Games
Developer: Smilegate
Release:
Rating: Mature

Smilegate and Tripod Studio’s newly localized Action/RPG Lost Ark initially launched in South Korea several years ago, and thanks to its western publisher Amazon Games, English territories are now getting their hands on it. While Lost Ark may look and play like Diablo or Path of Exile, it’s an MMO through and through, featuring engaging group content like dungeons, raids, and world bosses within a vast, explorable globe. My time with Lost Ark has had some ups and downs, but the more I stuck with it, the more I wanted to spend time in its world.

The open hours of Lost Ark are sometimes dull but necessary, setting the stage for what’s to come. After creating my character, I was whisked away to search for a mythical artifact known as an Ark, which stands at the center of a rather milquetoast fantasy narrative. Much of the leveling experience follows a military campaign to help a prince win back his land and claim his rightful crown as king while battling relentless demonic forces. Despite much of the plot not keeping my attention, it has some great moments. Important characters, such as the conflicted half-demon priest Arden and the magnanimous Prince Thirain, have compelling arcs that occasionally snapped me out of my boredom.

Author
John Carson

Elden Ring: How To Find Malenia, Mohg, And Draglonlord Placidusax

2 years 2 months ago

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: From Software
Release:

Elden Ring has enormous amounts of content hidden away that are quite easy to miss. While the game challenges players to explore extensively, missing a giant area or super boss can be rough. We’ve got you covered! Obviously, there are tons of spoilers here, so if you want to do your own digging, leave immediately! I mean it, get out of here! Again, spoiler warning turn back now!

How To Find Malenia, Blade of Miquella

Author
Daniel Tack

Farthest Frontier Announced from the Developers of Grim Dawn

2 years 2 months ago

Crate Entertainment, the developers behind 2016's excellent action-RPG Grim Dawn, has announced its next project: the city-builder Farthest Frontier. It'll be coming to PC, though no release date or window has been revealed yet. Get your first look in the announcement trailer above.

You'll hunt, harvest, fish, and farm as you craft items and strategize on the best ways to protect your village dwellers (and later town-goers and city residents as you build up your settlement) from both Mother Nature as well as external threats from other humans. A pacifist mode will be available for those who want to build their town in peace.

Farthest Frontier also promises the "most detailed farming system ever," described as such: "Strategically select from 10 crops with unique growing characteristics and configure crop rotations to maintain soil fertility, avoid heat and frost damage, and prevent the accumulation of diseases. Cultivate your fields over time, removing weeds and rocks, raising fertility and adjusting soil mixture to achieve maximum crop production to keep your growing population fed."

Randomly generated maps, resource management, townsfolk with their own unique daily routines, and Oregon Trail-style diseases will all be part of gameplay as well.

Author
Ryan McCaffrey

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Phantom Breaker: Omnia Gets New Gameplay Trailer Introducing Tokiya Kanzaki

2 years 2 months ago

Rocket Panda Games released a new trailer of the upcoming 2D fighting game Phantom Breaker: Omnia introducing another of the playable characters.

To be specific, we take a look at Tokiya Kanzaki, one of the few male members of the game’s waifu-powered cast. You could say he’s the game’s Bruce Wayne, more or less.

“The savvy and charitable 24-year-old “Prince” of pharmaceutical giant, Asklay Group. Wields a longsword named “Setsuna” with ease despite having no previous martial arts experience.

A privileged upbringing masks the tragedy he experienced losing his parents as a child, but this young CEO channels his pain into running his family’s company and helping others. A textbook “good guy” who decides to change history and save his parents—but at what cost?”

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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SNL Showed A Perfect World Where Pokémon Control The White House

2 years 2 months ago

What’s a term for the midpoint between avidly viewing for entertainment, and hate-watching? That’s where I am with Saturday Night Live, as it meanders its way through these peculiar years. But this weekend’s episode was just outright funny, in a way I can’t remember the show being in years. And especially when the…

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Author
John Walker

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In Elden Ring, Even Hugs Can Be Dangerous

2 years 2 months ago

Elden Ring, like many Souls games before it, can be a little coy when it comes to providing you with important information. Case in point, you’ve probably noticed a peculiar icon below your health, magic, and stamina bars depicting a red square with a down arrow. “Where the heck did that come from?” you may be asking…

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Author
Ian Walker

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Digimon Survive Producer Asks Players To "Wait A Little Longer" Following So Many Delays

2 years 2 months ago

It's looking like Digimon Survive is still a ways out, following several delays--the most recent of which pushed the game's launch to 2022. That hold-up seems to be the result of the development team changing mid-way through production, causing Digimon Survive to undergo numerous reworks. The team is now asking players to just wait a little bit longer.

"We are now developing the game with a new development team," Digimon Survive producer Kazumasa Habu said at a Q&A session during Digimon Con 2022. "Changing teams has led to a lot of rework on the game, leading to delays. This caused a lot of uncertainty that prevented us from giving regular updates."

According to Habu, development of Digimon Survive is now "back on track" and the team is getting closer to completing the game. "As for the release date information, it is expected to take a little longer as we are still adjusting it internally," he said.

Habu hopes that fans are able to "wait a little longer," before going into further detail as to what fans would be able to expect of Digimon Survive.

A visual novel with tactics-based turn-based battles, Digimon Survive is described as something similar to Fire Emblem. According to Habu, Digimon Survive will feature 12 chapters, and from Chapter 8 onwards, the story will branch into three directions depending on a player's choices: Morality, Harmony, or Rage route. Reaching the conclusion to any of these three routes will also reveal the potential of a fourth secret route.

Author
Jordan Ramée

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Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier Style Guide: Choosing What Style Fits Best

2 years 2 months ago

Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier implements many elements from the core Final Fantasy experience into a 75-player battle royale, from sword-based melee combat to magic-producing Materia. Nowhere is this more evident, however, than in the class system, allowing players to choose one of six different classes before dropping into battle, each one focusing on a different style of combat.

Whether you're a melee-heavy Warrior or a spell-casing Sorcerer, learning the basics of each class offered in Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier will greatly help your chances of success down the line. This guide will give you basic ideas and strategies, but ultimately the choice of style is yours.

(NOTE: Only one ability and skill can be equipped at any given time. An asterisk next to an ability or skill name is the default skill unlocked when the game starts.)

Author
Jason Fanelli

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Pokemon Go March Community Day Will Celebrate Sandshrew And Alolan Sandshrew

2 years 2 months ago

As usual a new month will bring a new Pokemon Go Community Day, but this time the regular event will continue the celebration of the Alolan addition to the game with a Pokemon who received a whole new look in Alola.

Sandshrew is in the spotlight for the Pokemon Go March Community Day, which is scheduled for March 13 from 11 AM to 5 PM local time. An exclusive special research story called Gritty And Glacial will also be available to players who purchase a ticket via the in-game shop for $1.

Sandshrew is the next focus of Community Day.

Both the Kanto version from the first generation of Pokemon and the Alolan variant will be featured during the Pokemon Go March Community Day, with unique perks given to both forms throughout the day. Trainers that evolve the original Sandshrew into Sandslash during the event will give the evolved form the unique Night Slash move, while Alolan Sandshrews that become Alolan Sandslash will learn the exclusive Shadow Slash attack.

Other perks during the event will include extended durations for both the Incense and Lure Module items, as well as a free item bundle in the shop. The full list of event bonuses is below:

Author
Jason Fanelli

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Pac-Man Museum+ Is Bringing 14 Pac-Man Games To Console And PC This May

2 years 2 months ago

For those who never tire of Pac-Man's special brand of pellet-eating action, Bandai Namco's previously announced Pac-Man Museum+ is set to bring a whole lot of Pac-Man to a console or PC near you May 27. The collection will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, as well as Xbox Game Pass.

Pac-Man Museum+ will include 14 different Pac-Man titles, ranging from arcade classics to newer titles like Pac-Man Battle Royale. Missing from the list of titles included is any mention of Mrs. Pac-Man, and the collection also seems to emphasize Pac-Man's 2D adventures. As a result, games like Pac-Man World are not included.

Below is the full list of game's included in the package. Pac-Attack, Pac-Man Arrangement arcade version, Pac Motos, Pac-Man Battle Royale, Pac-Man 256 will also allow for simultaneous offline play.

  • PAC-MAN
  • SUPER PAC-MAN
  • PAC & PAL
  • PAC-LAND
  • PAC-MANIA
  • PAC-ATTACK
  • PAC-IN-TIME
  • PAC-MAN ARRANGEMENT Arcade ver.
  • PAC-MAN ARRANGEMENT CS ver.
  • PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION
  • PAC Motos
  • PAC’N ROLL REMIX
  • PAC-MAN BATTLE ROYALE
  • PAC-MAN 256

In addition to the list of 14 Pac-Man games, Pac-Man Museum+ will also allow players to create and customize their own arcade. Completing various missions and achievements in various titles will earn players coins, which can then be used to purchase more arcade customization options.

Author
Cameron Koch

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Pokemon Go Season Of Alola Event Marks The Addition Of Gen 7 Pokemon To The Game

2 years 2 months ago

After the initial announcement kicked off the Pokemon Day Pokemon Presents livestream, Niantic has revealed more details about Generation 7 Pokemon from the Alola region making their way into Pokemon Go.

Niantic will be celebrating the Alola region with the new Season of Alola, beginning March 1 at 10 AM local time. The event will add over two dozen Pokemon originally hailing from Alola into the game, including starters Rowlet, Litten, and Popplio.. The full list of debuting Pokemon is below:

  • Rowlet, Dartrix, Decidueye
  • Litten, Torracat, Incineroar
  • Popplio, Brionne, Primarina
  • Pikipek, Trumbeak, Toucannon
  • Yungoos, Gumshoos
  • Rockruff, Lycanroc (Midday Form and Midnight Form)
  • Jangmo-o, Hakamo-o, Kommo-o
  • Tapu Koko (Legendary)
  • Region-exclusive Pokemon: Comfey (only available in Hawaii)

The first event in the Season of Alola will begin right when the season itself begins, March 1 at 10 AM local time. The event is called Welcome To Alola, and it will run until March 9 at 8 PM local time. Specifics about the event are below:

Author
Jason Fanelli

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Pokemon Unite Hoopa Guide: Stats, Moveset, and Best Builds For The Devious Djinn

2 years 2 months ago

Looking at Hoopa's moveset in Pokemon Unite is going to break even the longest player's brain. The ability to create warp points for entire teams is unlike anything Unite has ever seen before, requiring a lot of strategy in order to intercept. Granted Hoopa's endurance means it can be easily dispatched, but that doesn't matter if you can't follow where it's warping on the map. Every new playable character adds a little something to the Pokemon Unite experience, but Hoopa here has set a new bar.

Pokemon Unite Hoopa Stats and Moveset

Here's what we're working with when Hoopa teleports into the arena:

Role: Supporter

Style: Ranged

Difficulty: Expert

Stats

  • Offense - 6
  • Endurance - 4
  • Mobility - 6
  • Scoring - 4
  • Support - 7

Evolution levels: None

Special Moves

Author
Jason Fanelli

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The Internet Reacts To Pokemon Scarlet And Violet's Adorable New Starters

2 years 2 months ago

A new Pokemon game is scheduled for release later this year, and with the reveal of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's adorable new starters, it was only a matter of time until fanart of them went online. Pokemon fans are an artistic collective, and when faced with a game that makes you choose between a grass kitty, a potential lawsuit from Donald Duck, and Fuecoco the friendly Fire-type crocodile, you can bet your Poke Bucks that you're going to get some fine art uploaded.

The Pokemon fandom hasn't disappointed on this front, as art of Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly has begun rolling out. Some of it captures the energetic cuteness of the new Fire, Grass, and Water-type trio, some of it is just plain weird, and everything else is a fantastic collection of illustrative fun.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will be out later this year, and if you're looking to see which pocket monsters have made the cut, you can check out our feature on every confirmed Pokemon in the game so far.

Author
Darryn Bonthuys

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Every Confirmed Pokemon For Pokemon Scarlet And Violet So Far

2 years 2 months ago

A new Pokemon game means a new generation of pocket monsters to hunt, battle and collect. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet looks set to continue that catch 'em all tradition, and ahead of its release later in 2022, you can expect a constant trickle of reveals for the next game in the long-running series.

Three of those new Pokemon--Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly--have already been revealed, and the new region that you'll explore is also filled with other Pokemon from across the entire history of the series. Classic Pokemon such as Meowth and Pikachu are roaming the land, while other Pokemon generations are represented by the likes of Lucario, Stonjourner, and more. It remains to be seen if there'll be regional versions of familiar Pokemon--an idea that first debuted in Pokemon Sun and Moon--but for now, here's every confirmed Pokemon so far, as well as their evolutions.

Sprigatito

Sprigatito

A capricious and attention-seeking Grass-type Pokemon, Sprigatito has a feline design and its special ability Overgrow can amplify its elemental attacks when it's in a bind.

Fuecoco

Fuecoco

A laid-back Pokemon, this Fire-type crocodile does things at its own pace and can turn up the heat with its Blaze special ability.

Author
Darryn Bonthuys

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Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Feels Like More Borderlands 3

2 years 2 months ago

Developer Gearbox is taking a bit of a detour from the exploits of Borderlands' vault hunters with its next game, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. Inspired by the Dungeons & Dragons-influenced Tiny Tina's Assault On Dragon Keep, Wonderlands is aimed at bringing a more tabletop RPG-like experience to Borderlands' loot shooter formula.

Wonderlands sees you dive into Tiny Tina's latest Bunkers & Badasses campaign. Instead of playing as one of four premade characters--a hallmark of the Borderlands series--you can pick from one of six classes and then customize your race, physical appearance, voice, and personality. Tina then narrates your adventure as you explore her fantasy world, making adjustments to the story and your quest on the fly, much like a dungeon master in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

I've now had a chance to play Wonderlands, jumping into a preview build of the game that saw me able to try out the Stabbomancer and Graveborn classes. I went for the latter first, for no reason other than that the name sounds cooler, before replaying the first 15 minutes or so of the preview with the former. Between the two, I ultimately ended up enjoying the critical-hit-focused Stabbomancer (which plays a lot like a D&D Rogue) more than the powerful but risky Graveborn (which, much like D&D's Blood Hunter, can sacrifice health to pull off powerful attacks).

Author
Jordan Ramée

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BTS Mic Drops Their Way Into Garena Free Fire Via A New Collaboration Event This March

2 years 2 months ago

Online games developer and publisher Garena has announced a new partnership for its widely popular mobile battle royale game Garena Free Fire with the also widely popular Korean pop group BTS.

BTS has been named a global ambassador for the game, which crossed 1 billion downloads on the Google Play store alone in July 2021. The partnership also includes an in-game event slated for March that will see the band "enter the world of Free Fire," though specific details on that event have not been specified.

BTS joins the battle royale in this new partnership with Garena Free Fire.

"We are absolutely excited to welcome BTS as our latest brand ambassador," Harold Teo, a producer at Garena working on Free Fire, said in the press release. "Bringing BTS into the Free Fire universe will offer our players more ways to engage with the game, socialize with the community, and enjoy new experiences."

BTS is the latest collaboration with Garena for the game, with other recent partnerships including Ubisoft and Assassin's Creed, Capcom and Street Fighter, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Garena Free Fire is a free-to-play mobile battle royale on iOS and Android where 50 players compete to be the last one standing in 10-minute matches. A second version with updated graphics, Garena Free Fire Max, is also available for download.

Author
Jason Fanelli

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Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier Season 2 Adds Bahamut, Dragoon Style, And More

2 years 2 months ago

After being formally announced earlier this month, Season 2 of Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier has officially begun, bringing in a new summon, new fighting style, and more.

Season 2's biggest addition--in size and in gameplay impact--is the Bahamut summon to the battlefield. Players can attempt to defeat Bahamut if they see it flying around the arena; felling the beast sometimes drops the Bahamut Summon Materia, effectively adding the supremely powerful summon to your squad at your command.

Other major additions to the game in Season 2 are the Teleport Materia, adding a new mobility option when in combat, and a new Dragoon fighting style specializing in lance-based melee attacks, including a flashy jumping ground pound attack that damages multiple enemies. New weapons coming in this new season include the mid-range Flare Thrower and the beam-shooting Inferno Launcher.

Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier launched in November 2021 on iOS and Android devices, adding a new battle royale spin to the Final Fantasy VII universe. GameSpot's Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier review calls it "a battle royale title that's good enough, smart enough, and different enough to attract and keep a healthy player base--it's bursting at the smartphone's seams."

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Jason Fanelli

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