April 2023

The Japanese Mega Man Twitter account revealed that combined sales for the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection have surpassed a million units worldwide. Since the game came out on April 14, 2023, that means it achieved this milestone in about two weeks. This figure includes both digital and physical sales.

Sales for the Legacy Collection have always been strong since its release. On April 21, 2023, Famitsu revealed that Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection had sold over 60,000 units across the Switch and PS4. With over a million sales, that means that the Legacy Collection can already count as a platinum title. This isn’t the first time that a Mega Man title in this series made the list. For example, as of December 2022, Battle Network 4 is #79 with 1.35 million units sold.

Ahead of his playable debut, HoYoVerse released a character trailer, as well as kit information, for Kaveh in Genshin Impact. Kaveh will be a four-star Dendro Claymore character who will be an on-field DPS with high Bloom synergy. He previously appeared in the Archon Quest and Alhaitham’s Character Quest and is a major character in the current A Parade of Providence event.

Kaveh’s Elemental Skill, Artistic Ingenuity, causes AoE Dendro DMG. His Burst, Painted Dome, does the same thing. Both his Skill and Burst will automatically cause Dendro Cores within an AoE to explode. So in order to maximize his damage potential, you will need to run him with a Hydro character. Good Hydro support characters for Kaveh include Nilou or Xingqiu. Aside from damaging enemies, Painted Dome will increase Kaveh’s AoE, change his DMG to Dendro DMG, and increase his resistance to interruption. While Painted Dome is active, Dendro Cores you create will deal additional DMG.

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

Virtua Fighter will be the newest character in the mobile shooting-like RPG 404 GAME RE:SET. She is part of the limited event story Talent-Loving Virtual Fighter. This event will run from April 28, 2023 to May 19, 2023. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Not only does the event have its own story featuring all of the girls (including Virtua Fighter), but you can also complete event quests and boss battles to collect Junk Data. You can then exchange the Junk Data for items and materials. One of the exclusive rewards include the Cathode version of Virtua Fighter.

In 404 GAME RE:SET, Fairouz Ai voices Virtua Fighter. Fairouz’s major roles include Hibiki Sakura from How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, Jolyne Cujoh in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, and Yunaka in Fire Emblem Engage. When Virtua Fighter is in her Anode form, Akira Yuki (the mascot of Virtua Fighter) looms behind her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnDsPQkXFf0&

A Vampire Survivors animated TV series is in the works.

Deadline reports the indie hit is set for a TV adaptation courtesy of Story Kitchen, which is working with Vampire Survivors creator Luca "Poncle" Galante.

In Vampire Survivors you move a pixelly character around a simple top-downish environment that steadily fills with enemies. Your character attacks automatically so you just wander around, avoiding directly connecting with enemies while putting them within damage range. Enemies drop experience orbs when they die for you to collect, and when you level up you get to spend your experience on a random choice of new attacks or perks or buffs.

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The directors of horror movie Talk to Me are reportedly set to helm the new Street Fighter film.

Australian twin filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou are in final negotiations to direct the live-action adaptation of the famous fighting game franchise, according to Hollywood Reporter.

We don't know anything about the movie yet, although Hollywood Reporter speculates that if the up-and-coming Philippous are being hired off the back of Talk to Me (trailer below), "tension and gore may be on the agenda." Perhaps we'll see Ryu split Sagat's chest open with a Dragon Punch?

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What happens if Microsoft's proposed $69bn buyout of Activision Blizzard falls through, as seems distinctly possible following the Competition and Markets Authority's shock decision to block the deal?

It's a question Xbox boss Phil Spencer reportedly answered to staff at an all-hands meeting on Thursday, according to Bloomberg (paywall).

According to Bloomberg, Spencer stressed Microsoft remains committed to getting the deal over the line while acknowledging the damaging impact of this week's events. The company, alongside Activision Blizzard, plans to appeal.

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During a Tuesday earnings call, the bigwigs over at the clown delicatessen, McDonald’s, discussed super important business-y things like the economy and trends among its hungry patrons. Turns out Ronald McDonald’s peckish customers are even bigger ballers on a budget than they’ve been in the past because folks aren’t…

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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is out today and facing tons of issues on PC. A torrent of negative Steam reviews complain about poor performance, while even fans who pre-loaded the game are waiting to install a giant 128 GB day-one update.

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Gym leaders in the Pokémon games are often touted as these great challenges trainers will have to face on their journey, but in a lot of cases, it’s a simple game of Rock Paper Scissors to weaken each gym’s signature Pokémon type. Because most of them are simple affairs, when a gym leader sticks out as a challenge,…

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The Star Wars Jedi: Survivor experience on PC is, at least here on release day, a generally pleasurable Far Far Away fantasy marred by some ugly performance issues. After a few hours' worth of attempts to get it running on the Steam Deck, I can now – with a face similar to that of Ewan McGregor cry-laughing over child murder – report that Jedi: Survivor is in even worse condition on the handheld. It’s unplayable.

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Vampire Survivors is going Hollywood thanks to the announcement of an upcoming animated TV adaptation. 

Developer poncle has confirmed that it's working with gaming consulting company Robot Teddy and media company Story Kitchen to bring the hit arcade bullet hell game to the small screen. Story Kitchen is helmed by names such as Dmitri Johnson (co-producer of the Sonic the Hedgehog films), John Wick creator/writer Derek Kolstad, and APA agent Mike Goldberg. There’s currently no other details about what the series will entail, such as the cast or a premiere date. 

“The most important thing in Vampire Survivors is the story, so it's a dream come true to see what started as a little indie game I made on my weekends come to life as an animated TV show! It’s also great to be partnering up with such experienced and talented people to make the show. I do wonder if they've realised that there isn't a single vampire in Vampire Survivors, though,” says Luca Galante, founder of poncle in a press release.

If you're tilting your head wondering how a pixelated arcade game can be translated into a show, it's worth nothing that Vampire Survivors has been brought to life in animated form before. Its two expansions – Legacy of the Moonspell and the recently launched Tides of the Foscari – both featured slick animated trailers, so those could be reference points for how this series may potentially appear. 

The very first Pretty Cure stage performance in the franchise’s history will air in Fall 2023, with showings appearing in Tokyo and Osaka. It will be called Dancing☆Star Pretty Cure The Stage. Dancing☆Star Pretty Cure will have an original story with dance and battle sequences, and incidentally the entire team will consist of high school boys. [Thanks, ryokutya2089!]

https://twitter.com/precure_stage/status/1651783298832809990

Historically, Pretty Cure utilized girls for its crime-fighting protagonists. However, the 20th installment of the series, Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure introduced the very first male Cure who is a permanent member of the team. His name is Cure Wing, with Ayumu Murase voicing him. Other roles from Murase include Asuto in Inazuma Eleven: Ares, Setanta in Fate/Grand Order, and Hinata in Haikyuu!!.

The next wave of Pokemon Squishmallows is here, with Snorlax and Togepi appearing at the Pokemon Center. The 12 inch varieties of both are available. The product listings for Snorlax and Togepi note each one is $29.99. As of 1:45pm ET on April 28, 2023, the Snorlax was already showing as "out of stock" due to selling out.

Both the Snorlax and Togepi Squishmallows recreate the classic Pokemon characters in that plush line's style. Each one is minimalistic, with only their arms appearing. Due to these being the Pokemon Center releases of both, they each feature a patch from the retailer on their backs.

Here's how the Togepi looks:
[gallery size="full" ids="961183,961184,961185" link="file"]

And here's the Snorlax:
[gallery size="full" ids="961186,961187,961188" link="file"]

As a reminder, this is just the Pokemon Center run. All Pokemon Squishmallows also eventually appear at other retailers. Ahead of their debut here, people were reporting seeing Snorlax at Target stores and Togepi and Snorlax both at retailers like Box Lunch.

The Twitter account for Exoprimal uploaded a two-minute long rundown video from "Leviathan" on what the gameplay will be like. This will be a multiplayer game with cross-play support in which you essentially go around shooting dinosaurs and other mutated prehistoric creatures. It will have both PvP and PvE elements.

You can watch the Exoprimal Leviathan gameplay rundown video here:

https://twitter.com/exoprimal/status/1651617209641492481

To summarize, creatures from the Cretaceous era started raining down from the sky for some reason. Aibius Corporation created Exosuits and the “super awesome AI” Leviathan, which both give humanity a fighting chance in Exoprimal. Despite the fact that you are literally repelling the dinopocalypse, your pay is terrible. Leviathan then teleports you to the past, where the AI forces you into war games. In the war games, you must fight against T-rexes, transport data keys, and beat up your fellow exofighters.

There’ll be many different modes in the game. The main one, Dino Survival, tells the story of the game. It does not appear to be a game that players purchase specifically for the plot though. In the video, the dinosaur representative straight up says to empty your mind, stop thinking so much, and enjoy the action.

While Bandai Namco hasn't announced all of the Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections characters yet, a new Narutop99 trailer for the game showed off many of them. They don't appear in the order they ranked in the poll. In total, footage from 21 playable characters is shown.

First, here’s the trailer. It announces characters in groups, then shows footage of them in the game.

LEGENDARY NINJAS REUNITE

Here is a special collaboration trailer of NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS and NARUTOP99 worldwide character popularity vote!

Fight as your favorites with the largest roster of playable characters ever!

https://t.co/W5skqWvnxI pic.twitter.com/TKRCG5ifOd

— Naruto Video Games (@Narutovideogame) April 28, 2023

Next, here are all the fighters who appear in the Narutop99 Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections trailer.

Sometimes, a Honkai: Star Rail quest will give you a choice during a questline. It'll be one that actually matters, rather than a quip from the Trailblazer. The Honkai: Star Rail "To the Faint Star" mission is one example, as it eventually asks whether you should use a Red Truth or a Blue Lie to complete the quest. While the rewards don't change, the life of the NPC Rocky is altered based on the decision you make.

How to start Honkai: Star Rail "To the Faint Star"

Like “Unexpected Turn of Events,” “To the Faint Star” is one of the side quests you can take while trying to get your Trailblaze Level up to 14 so you can advance the main storyline and get to Trailblaze Mission “In the Withering Wintry Night.” I was at Trailblaze Level 13 when it appeared for me and had finished “Long Wait for the Blade’s Edge.”

Once Rocky sends you a text message and it appears as a possible quest, head to the Master Control Zone at Herta Space Station. Talk to Rocky to kick off the more straightforward portion of the quest that involves going to the Storage Zone, fixing and looking through the Airwave Repeater, checking Monitoring Room, and confronting Bernard.
[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="961176" link="file"]

Earlier in April 2023, Bandai Namco announced AmiAmi would carry a Tales of Arise Shionne Summer figure of the heroine wearing the swimsuit from the Beach Time Triple Pack DLC. Now orders are open. AmiAmi is selling both a ¥16,980 (~$125) standard and ¥19,100 (~$140) limited edition version of it. Both will ship in November 2023. AmiAmi does ship worldwide.

The reveal marks the first full look at the figure and its options. When it was first announced, only a picture showing the back appeared. Now people can see it from the front. It also turns out it can be posed with or without the jacket Shionne wears with the swimsuit in the DLC. She also holds a water pistol, a reference to the fact she fights with guns in the game, and sits on a beachball with Hootle on it. Should someone get the limited edition, it comes with an acrylic standee based on the figure's design and a keychain of Hootle.

Here's a closer look at the Shionne figure both with her jacket on and off.
[gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="961142,961143" link="file"]

The Honkai: Star Rail Unexpected Turn of Events side quest involving Asta and Arlan is a bit different. That’s because while there is still the element of exploring an area and fighting some enemies, there’s also an investigation element. You also don’t immediately get this Herta Space Station mission right away, and need to play a bit before it unlocks. However, once you and Peppy are on the case, it isn’t too difficult to figure out which evidence to present and how to complete it.

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="961167" link="file"]

How to start Honkai: Star Rail Unexpected Turn of Events

First, you need to hit a Trailblaze Level and finish a campaign quest. First, you must finish “Long Wait for the Blade’s Edge” on Jarilo-VI. After that, you need to get to Trailblaze Rank 12. Once you do, Asta will send you a text message and ask for your assistance. You’ll then need to meet her at her usual spot at the Master Control Zone on Herta Space Station to begin Honkai: Star Rail;s Unexpected Turn of Events and start the search for Arlan with Peppy.

What follows isn’t an entirely straightforward quest. You actually need to make some correct choices to continue the case. The game is forgiving and lets you repeat the segments in case you mess up, however.

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="961166" link="file"]

One day after word of its US air date began to circulate, Sony's Twisted Metal live-action television series has received its first trailer.

More accurately, today's first look is being described as an "official teaser", which probably does a better job of managing your expectations. It's short on action - and pretty much anything at all you might think of when you hear the words "Twisted Metal" - but it does introduce Anthony Mackie in his starring role.

Mackie, you might recall, plays a "motor-mouthed outsider" who's offered a chance at a better life, as long as he can deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. We don't get to see much of that in today's teaser, but there is a vaguely amusing musical bait-and-switch, a bit of aerial footage, and thankfully - given the video game series' vehicular combat roots - at least one shot of a car with some guns stuck to the front.

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Lego has unveiled four Donkey Kong sets heading to its Lego Super Mario range this August.

Today's reveal follows the tease earlier this week that Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, Cranky Kong, and Funky Kong would all be getting the Lego treatment, with Lego now confirming three of those characters will receive their own sets.

First up is the £57.99/€64.99/$59.99 USD Donkey Kong's Tree House Expansion Set, weighing in at 555 pieces. Alongside a Lego DK figure and his iconic homestead, this set features palm trees, a buildable TV, radio, and secret compartment, plus a Cranky Kong figure.

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Steam is getting a new update, and it’s bringing pretty handy features to your PC games to allow you to do more without having to leave your game.

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Quantum Break, Remedy Entertainment’s ambitious 2016 video game/TV show hybrid, is back on Xbox Game Pass after a brief removal from digital stores due to a licensing issue. This is good news, particularly if you want to see a great Lance Reddick performance.

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This week on All Things Nintendo, Brian shares his experience of and thoughts after getting his hands on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Outside of that in-depth discussion of Brian's time with the game, he and Wesley also get caught up on all the latest news, do a Definitive Ranking talking about the games they've been the most hyped for in their lifetimes, and talk about an eShop Gem of the Week that launched this very week.

If you'd like to follow Brian on social media, you can do so on his Instagram: @BrianPShea. You can follow Wesley on Twitter: @LeBlancWes.

The All Things Nintendo podcast is a weekly show where we can celebrate, discuss, and break down all the latest games, news, and announcements from the industry's most recognizable name. Each week, Brian is joined by different guests to talk about what's happening in the world of Nintendo. Along the way, they'll share personal stories, uncover hidden gems in the eShop, and even look back on the classics we all grew up with. A new episode hits every Friday!

I got very lucky with the Honkai: Star Rail Departure Warp. As an introductory promotion at launch, there’s a special banner where the first 50 warps are all 20% off. So instead of spending 10 Star Rail Passes for a 10 pull, it’s 8. At the end of it all, you’re guaranteed one of the seven five-stars that are always available. I was hoping for Clara or Himeko, as I’d gotten both in beta phases. However, it was Bailu who showed up as my first Honkai: Star Rail five-star, and now I can’t imagine playing without this incredible healer.

There are basically two healers following the path of Abundance in Honkai: Star Rail right now, which means people need to hope for either Bailu or Natasha. Eventually Luocha will be there too. Given how strong some challenges can be and that you can’t even start to ascend characters and break the level 20 cap until you reach Trailblaze Level 15, someone on hand who can actually dedicate themselves to healing, rather than just shielding an ally and hoping for the best, is an incredible boon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2ciwy6nxTY&ab_channel=Honkai%3AStarRail

Koei Tecmo announced that sales of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty have surpassed worldwide. This takes into account all of the platforms that the game came out on. Plus, when one takes into account players on the Xbox Game Pass, that means over 3.8 million people have played, or are playing, the game.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty came out on March 3, 2023. So it reached this milestone in just a little under two months. News of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s strong numbers might not be a surprise, though. In Koei Tecmo’s financial report for April 2023, it showed that both Wild Hearts and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty had “achieved record high” sales. However, it did not disclose the exact number until now.

Like Koei Tecmo’s long-running Dynasty Warriors series, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty takes place in the Three Kingdoms era of China. Familiar faces show up in the game, but it has an overall dark fantasy atmosphere. Unlike Dynasty Warriors, the gameplay of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is closer to that of a soulslike than a hack ‘n’ slash.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC.

Sony's FY2022 Consolidated Financial Results
(Fiscal year ended March 31, 2023) report seems to confirm that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be released during the 2023 fiscal year. According to the consolidated financial results for the 2022 fiscal year, this game will be one of the major releases. There were also mentions of more PlayStation exclusives rolling out to PC and more content coming for the PS5. [Thanks, Dust on Resetera!]

The official document goes over the last fiscal year’s consolidated results and offers a forecast for the next one to come. In a segment dedicated to the video game market, the company stated that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is planned to release during the 2023 fiscal year. To clarify, Sony’s fiscal year period starts each April 1st until the next year’s March 31st. This news fits the previously expected release window of Fall 2023.

Another notable detail shared in the document is the normalized distribution inventories for PS5 over the world, which is leading to more sales of this last-generation console. According to the report, Sony is focusing on promoting the PS5 as well as “strengthening and expanding” its lineup of first-party titles. On the same note, the company stated that it will continue developing new IPs and developing live service games.

Two new Honkai Impact 3rd battlesuits will debut in the 6.6 update. One is the SP Terminal Aide 0017 for the AI Number 17, which was part of Prometheus. The other is the S-rank Dreamweaver, for the World Serpent member Misteln “Hare” Schariac. HoYoVerse’s newest preview video involves members of the team talking about both playable characters and showing behind-the-scenes looks at their development.

Editor’s Note: The new Honkai Impact 3rd battlesuits trailer features spoilers if you aren’t caught up with the story.

The video began with footage of both Misteln and Number 17. After that, the team talked about Misteln’s Honkai Impact 3rd Dreamweaver and its design inspirations. The art concept team noted Cecilia’s appearance inspired hers, as did art from Mamoru Nagano. The S-rank battlesuit has psychic abilities who plants Seeds of Ideas when attacking with her banner to attack alongside her. When she goes into her “dreamworld,” she uses spears to attack and her appearance changes.

Meanwhile, Terminal Aide 0017’s design involves references to Honkai Impact 3rd’s IMG monsters. The colors are designed to match them. Her being an AI also influenced its design. She’s designed to use as a shield-breaker who uses gauntlets that can transform to attack.

Here’s the full video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWmU_MB-GFA&ab_channel=HonkaiImpact3rd

As Star Wars Jedi: Survivor continues to rack up negative reviews on Steam for its PC performance issues, EA has released a statement to purchasers saying it's "aware [the game] isn't performing to our standards" and insisting it's "committed to fixing these issues".

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor recieved a favourable critical reception earlier this week - Eurogamer called it "really fun" despite a "lack of focus" - but reports of serious PC performance problems soon emerged following today's launch. Currently, the game has a "mostly negative" rating on Steam, with users highlighting poor frame rates, crashes, and more.

Prior to launch, EA had already promised players it would be deploying patches over the next few weeks to fix bugs, improve performance, and expand on accessibility features - hardly an encouraging start for customers expected to pay up to £70 for the game - but now the publisher has addressed Jedi: Survivor's reported PC flaws in more direct terms.

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Elden Ring legend Let Me Solo Her might want to watch his back, as another Tarnished is out here making a name for themselves by killing Malenia, Blade of Miquella in record time. Sure, Let Me Solo Her might have beaten her over 1,000 times, but this guy has killed Malenia in roughly 15 seconds. It’s one of the…

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Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands just passed its one-year anniversary back in March, and in the time since, a team of modders has been working on what it calls an “overhaul” mod for the Borderlands spin-off called Wonderlands Redux. After months of work, the mod is now available to download on PC, and there’s so much new…

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The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) potentially torpedoed the biggest tech acquisition in history this week and hardly anyone understands why. There are plenty of reasons to prevent a giant corporation from trying to buy huge competitive advantages just because it can flood the zone with $69 billion in…

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Nintendo shared on Twitter a new item that will appear in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: the portable pot. This new item allows Link to prepare a dish at any time and in any place. However, because of its simple design, the portable pot only allows for a single use. Players will need to find or craft another portable pot to cook more than one dish or find a permanent cooking spot.

The Japanese official The Legend of Zelda Twitter account shared a screenshot of the game, where Link is seen using a strange looking portable pot to cook. The caption in the tweet describes the portable pots as disposable and only effective for a single use.

You can take a better look at the tweet here:

https://twitter.com/ZeldaOfficialJP/status/1651873893098065920

This new portable pot has some similarities in appearance to the design of the blue-ish colors of Constructs, a new type of robotic enemy set to appear in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Link has previously been shown using body parts of enemy Constructs fused to his weapons and shields, but it remains unclear if this new portable pot is crafted with Construct parts.