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Last week, we reported how CD Projekt RED had run afoul of a "targeted cyber attack," with a party of unknown persons reportedly stealing staggering amounts of data from the Polish developer, including the source code to some of its biggest and most recent releases.

Initially the hackers - a group calling itself "HelloKitty" - tried to ransom the stolen data to CDPR, who went public with the entire affair while clearly stating it had no intent of paying the persons responsible. This weekend, it was reported by cyber intelligence group Kela that HelloKitty held an auction on the "dark web," where it allegedly sold the source code for CDPR's recent release Cyberpunk 2077. Kela reports that the actual sale took place outside of the auction itself, which reportedly had an opening bid of $1 million USD and a sale price of $7 million USD.

Now I know y'all been waiting for this one. Today's Guilty Gear Strive Starter Guide from Arc System Works gives us all our first in-depth look at a heavily hyped, brand new, and already fan favourite character, Giovanna, who will make her series debut when GG Strive launches this spring.

The sexy and stylish new fighter might look like she's stepped off the catwalks of Milan, but is actually, of all things, a federal agent, tasked with bodyguarding some of the highest ranking officials on the planet. Don't let that turn you away from her, as Giovanna maintains her magnetism with a super-cool attitude and a Good Boy by the name of Rei, a spirit wolf who compliments Giovanna's acrobatic fighting style.

Designed as a beginner-friendly character, Giovanna oddly eschews projectiles entirely, fighting with a range of familiar kick attacks. Giovanna has variants on Guile's Flash Kick, Terry Bogard's Crack Shoot and even Chun Li's Spinning Bird Kick. To prevent being zoned out, Giovanna can launch a Cannon Spike-like attack that nullifies fireballs. Without projectiles, it is up to players to pressure the opponent with an active forward progression, before mixing them up with a variety of flashy combos and throws. From this video, I'm a little concerned about Giovanna's range and options compared to other characters, but of course it's the earliest of days, so we'll see. And we WILL see, as you can guarantee a veritable circus of Giovannas online come beta.

Omega Force, as a studio, has carved out a nice little niche for itself. Well, some wouldn't say it's nice! "Repetitive," is the word some might use. But despite their reputation for similar-looking beat 'em ups, hardcore Omega Force fans know that they aren't afraid of innovating, even in small, gradual ways.

Persona 5 Strikers is a little more obvious with its advancements.

Little Nightmares II has this entertaining intensity to it that's as fun to watch as it is to play.

The formula is no secret, but that doesn't make it any less successful. Time and time again, you're going to slowly, safely get a lay of the land – and a few impossible-to-ignore glimpses of some big nasty brute in charge – before needing to fetch a key in plain sight or otherwise cause some racket to progress. There's no other way. You've gotta face your fears. And when you do, the chase is on. It's a mad dash to carve your way through an obstacle course with a boogeyman breathing down your neck.

In the wrong hands, when things aren't tuned just so, this can prove frustrating. You can hit the point of "too many deaths" and, despite knowing what you need to do, still fail to pull it off, shattering the atmosphere. It can feel like the scales have tipped – like you're no longer at fault. I struggled with this feeling in Little Nightmares, but I avoided it in Little Nightmares II. I died loads, yet I never felt cheated.

The sequel is bigger, more elaborate, and better balanced – everything I was hoping to see.

I remember buying the first Style Savvy as something of a lark. My roommate and I were heavily into DS gaming at the time, and for weeks, we'd been inundated with advertisements for Nintendo's new fashion game. We couldn't escape it. It was everywhere, and over time, all of those ads started to work as we became completely addicted to the idea of running our own boutique. The last time either of us felt such a crazed passion about the same game was right before Cooking Mama was released a few years earlier.

We got some funny faces going into GameStop to pick up our copies, particularly because mine was actually preordered. As soon as we got home, we popped our games into our DS Lites and played that day until our batteries died. We shared fashion tips, visited each other's shops, and faced off in runway competitions. It immediately hooked us, and for me, it was yet another Nintendo franchise I would never be able to say no to.

Nintendo followed up the DS original with three sequels, all for the Nintendo 3DS: Trendsetters, Fashion Forward, and Styling Star. I've owned all of them, reviewed two of them, and since last year, I've been saying little prayers in the hope that Nintendo and syn Sophia finally announce the fifth game in the series for Switch.

Super Mario 3D World holds a special place in my heart for several reasons; but chiefly, it was the first game I covered as the head of reviews at Destructoid. That was nearly eight years ago.

As I stated with many, many words, it quickly cemented itself as one of the best modern Mario games ever made, but a lot of folks were quick to mention that they had no intention of owning a Wii U.

Well, now you have no excuse!

Something a little bit different in today's Guilty Gear Strive Starter Guide, as Arc System Works finally raises the curtain on one of the upcoming fighter's brand new characters. Stoic, scary, as just as stylish as anyone in GG history, welcome the nightwalker - Nagoriyuki.

I could just write "Vampire Samurai" and leave it at that, but you deserve more. I'll by noting that Nagoriyuki's enormous frame dominates the battlefield, while his razor-sharp Katana affords him ridiculous reach and astonishing poke ability. Nagoriyuki's vampiric tendencies also come into play via his moveset, with a "Blood Gauge" that fills as he lands strikes on his opponent. Once complete, Nagoriyuki can activate a Rage mode, which extends his reach and damage, at the cost of several special attacks.

Essentially, an efficient Nagoriyuki player will actually become more powerful as the fight progresses, but will also be entering riskier play. This is reminiscent of bloodsucker Mira from Killer Instinct, who also traded out health and options for strength as the fight continued. In addition to this mechanic, Nagoriyuki has shifting/short-teleport abilities, a command grab, and advancing combos. Already Nagoriyuki looks like an absolute force to be reckoned with, and will certainly make his impact felt when he debuts in spring.

Cblogs Recap: Week 6

-OmegaNate shares his thoughts on the Early Access version of ULTRAKILL.

-I picked a username writes about finishing the backlog for PS360 games.

-Kerrik52 reviews Alpha Protocol as part of his Traveller in Playtime blogging reviews series.

-EggsBert writes about the possible outlook of The Legend of Zelda series.

-Gamingnerd notes that 2021 is going to be a huge year for gaming celebrations.

-EggsBert shares thoughts on 10 games they love but cannot recommend.

-EggsBert discusses seven "average" games.

-Black Red Gaming reviews Hitman 3 on the PC.

-NinjaSpeed discusses the huge potential of dormant Nintendo IPs.

-EggsBert confesses being a little bit embarrassed not to play any of these 11 games.

-Black Red Gaming shares details about their gaming collection.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Final Fantasy VI and some classical music selections.

It's shmup time once again, as Hamster reaches into its portfolio of unreleased Arcade Archives and pulls out a Konami classic from the genre's first golden era, Thunder Cross, which is now available to download on Nintendo Switch.

Released exclusively in arcades in 1988, Thunder Cross is a horizontally scrolling shmup that is pretty typical of the era. One or two players pilot the Blue Thunder M-45 and Red Thunder M-45 against an intergalactic attack from the ominous "Black Impulse." Our heroes can choose from a selection of unique weaponry before battling their way through seven stages (twice in a row, as is the Konami fashion.)

Like most of Konami's classic shmups, Thunder Cross holds up well today, with enjoyable action, ground-breaking parallax-scrolling effects, and a typically cool soundtrack. Available to download on Nintendo Switch now at around $8, it should be noted that the title is also included on compendium release Konami Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection.

Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Martinoz.

For this Famicom Friday, I think it’s time to jump straight to the Famicom Disk System. You may worry we’re moving too fast, but I’ve never felt this way before about anyone; I’m ready to take the next step in the relationship.

Once again, we’re looking at some of the games that we never saw here in the West. The world of Famicom was a much different place than the one we saw through the lens of the NES. From absolutely bizarre concoctions that defy logic to literally, actually karaoke, the Japanese really knew how to rock their 8-bit console. If you haven’t yet taken a look, let us open the door for you and show you around.

Arc System Works continues its Starter Guide series for upcoming fighting game Guilty Gear Strive, offering newcomers a short look at each member of the super-cool roster of characters. Today's video focuses on the rugged, no-nonsense warrior Leo Whitefang.

Leo Whitefang is perhaps one of the better starter characters for GG newcomers, sporting a relatively simple moveset which features attacks familiar to players brought up on more mainstream titles such as Street Fighter. With a brief charge, Leo can launch wide projectiles and a powerful anti-air attack, both of which immediately recall the iconic Sonic Boom and Flash Kick of Street Fighter's resident soldier, Guile.

Techniques such as these can help new players find their footing, before exploring Leo's more complex maneuvers, such as his "Erstes Kaltes Gestober", which allows Leo to cross-through his opponent, and his "Brynhilder Stance", a risky setup that expands Leo's attack options at the cost of some defense capabilities. Afforded strong pokes, thanks to his crucifix-shaped sword gauntlets, and with a relatively grounded attack plan, Leo can help players used to other fighters feel out Guilty Gear before they deep dive into some of the title's more complex mechanics.

The Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee is nothing if not a key factor in ascertaining the identity of unannounced ports and re-releases. And this weekend has seen the certification website unveil a host of unannounced releases and ports on a whole range of platforms, as noticed by Gematsu.

First and foremost is the existence of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles for PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. A compendium of The Great Ace Attorney and The Great Ace Attorney 2, both of which launched on Nintendo 3DS in the summers of 2015 and 2017. The two titles deposit the beloved Ace Attorney series in the Meiji Period at the tail-end of the 19th century.

Also receiving a new rating is a Nintendo Switch edition of Telltale Games' Tales From the Borderlands. This popular graphic adventure - originally launched on PC and consoles way back in 2014 - is currently in line for a re-release on PS4, PC, and Xbox One, (and  apparently PS5 and Xbox Series X). This new Taiwanese rating suggests that Switch will be added to this list of platforms at some point in the future.

How are we doing, folks? Already halfway through February, it feels as if we'll be pushing through this year with some speed. No one would begrudge you for thinking it's been a bit of a heavy start, but hopefully things will pick up as the months push on. I hope it's been a great week for all of y'all and that the weekend is a restful one. Keep smilin' be kind to folk, and be sure to treat yourself, and tell 'em The Industry's Chris Moyse sent ya...

...I'm not paying... Just tell 'em I sent ya...

Games-wise, I've bounced between several low-pressure titles. I ran through Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night's Classic Mode, dipped into Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's weirdly off-tone Valentine's Day event, and jumped back into the ring with Street Fighter V, inspired by the recent Winter Update and the ongoing free trial. Can't wait for Rose's arrival. Loved playing as that lady since my old-school Alpha days, and I expect to enjoy her upcoming appearance in SFV just as much.

But now let's hear about you. Before you get stuck into the weekend, take a few seconds to jump into the comments below and let us know what games are currently filling your quiet hours. As you know by now, it doesn't matter if they're old or new, good or bad, PC, console, or mobile - we just like chatting about games, so make sure you're part of the conversation!

Have a safe and pleasant weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

You ever get excited about a game, forget it exists for a year or more, and then randomly see it pop up close to its release? That's me right now as I'm reminded of Battle Axe, a co-op hack 'n' slash arcade adventure with lavish pixel art. It's launching in April 2021 for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.

After covering Henk Nieborg's successful Kickstarter campaign last year, Battle Axe is back in the spotlight today as part of a multi-game presentation from Numskull Games. On a related note, yeah, there's going to be a physical edition from the UK publisher – just PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.

Today's developer commentary overview touches on the three main characters (an elf, a wizard, and a marauder) who specialize in ranged and melee attacks, character progression in the primary Arcade mode (which includes an eventual New Game+), and the more Gauntlet-like mania of Infinite Mode.

If you're looking to play cooperatively, as all good hack 'n' slash games should be, it's local. I also have to give a nod to the spot-on music – the soundtrack was created by the legendary composer Manami Matsumae. The end of the video shows a boss battle, and wow, the "stage clear" fanfare hits just right.

Monster Hunter: World is a worldwide phenom, but sometimes, you'll bump into fellow hunters hailing from a different region who have eye-catching gear you can't access. It's hard not to be jealous! More to the point, if you've ever seen a little floating Kirin, it's a pendant, and we'll be able to get it next week.

[Console/Steam] Free DLC for #Iceborne will be available from Feb 19th (UTC).
Decorate your favorite weapon with the Kirin Rider pendant! pic.twitter.com/enVl8l8k09

— Monster Hunter Information_EN (@MHinfo_en) February 12, 2021

The Kirin Rider pendant was a tie-in for Japan's Monster Hunter Riders mobile game, which is why you've potentially come across it on your treks here and there but haven't heard much about it.

Next Friday, February 19, Iceborne players will be able to claim the Kirin pendant as free DLC.

If the idea behind this giveaway was to get me to log into this game – a game I love but haven't been keeping up with lately – only to become hooked all over again, well, the ploy will work. You got me.

Metroidvania fans, or just those who dig an old school challenge, might want to take heed that Decemberborn Interactive's old-school platform adventure Cathedral will come bouncing onto Nintendo Switch next week, sword in hand. Wannabe heroes will be able to pick up Cathedral from the eShop for around $15, with a handy 20% discount for those who pre-order.

Originally released on PC in 2019, Cathedral recalls the heady days of 8-bit platform adventures, as a brave knight awakens to find themselves trapped in a colorful world filled with dangers and hazards. Teaming up with a spirit guide known as "Soul," it is up to you to guide our hero to the scattered elemental orbs that will unlock the secrets of their past, and hopefully provide a path back to their future.

Featuring a vast map of over 600 rooms, tons of enemies to slay and traps to negotiate, boss characters, logic puzzles, and a cast of friendly and not-so-friendly NPCs - all backed by a delightfully retro score - Cathedral looks like a great way for classic gaming fans to spend a weekend or two. You can check out a new trailer from publisher Elden Pixels below.

In all of the hustle and bustle of yesterday's news about the Kingdom Hearts series exclusively joining the Epic Games Store, I neglected to post a reminder about this week's library padder: Halcyon 6.

If you're in the mood for space-faring exploits, base management, and turn-based battling, you may want to snag a copy of Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander while it's free until February 18, 2021. It's kind of a mishmash of big-brained 4X strategic thinking and a bit of FTL spontaneity, to sum it up.

Case in point, factors like your officers' traits, your base construction, and your diplomatic prowess will generate "story events (often with multiple choice outcomes) that can lead to combat, time-related applied bonuses/negatives, officer attribute changes, or any number of crazy in-game stories."

Halcyon 6 is the only freebie today, but next week, we're getting two: Rage 2 and Absolute Drift.

As prolific as it is, I feel weird for having never touched the Rage series – well, more so the first game, which felt like a big deal in 2011. There's probably no going back, but it's not too late for the sequel.

If you're eagerly anticipating the arrival of Oddworld Inhabitants delayed adventure Oddworld: Soulstorm, then you can at least take comfort in this brand new trailer for the quirky adventure sequel, headed to PS4, PS5, and PC (via Epic Games Store) this spring.

A sequel to 1997 PlayStation classic Oddworld: Abe's Exodus, Soulstorm will see brave Mudokan Abe continue in his efforts to rally his clan against the capitalist machinations of the evil Glukkons and their Magog Cartel empire. Abe's long-awaited return will see a brand new adventure filled with platforms, puzzles, and the infuriating management of a hapless party of stumbling allies. Viva la revolucion?

Originally scheduled for launch in 2020, Oddworld Inhabitants decided to keep the new title in the oven for a few more months in order to better polish Abe and kin for their return. It's already been quite the wait for fans of this cult series, but hopefully this development extension will ensure that the murky, quirky Oddworld universe ultimately returns in style.

That "something" new teaser from Playtonic Games wasn't for a Yooka-Laylee sequel – at least not yet. Today's announcement is a new publishing label, Playtonic Friends, meant to bolster hidden gems.

To start off with, Playtonic Friends has signed three developers: Awe Interactive (BPM: Bullets Per Minute), Fabraz (Slime-san), and okidokico (OK Golf). That's what the creators are known for currently, and the publisher "will soon be able to reveal the first games coming from these partners."

"While everyone at Playtonic has dreams of recreating Scrooge McDuck splashing around in his pool of cold, hard cash, in reality our motivation for setting up Playtonic Friends was to take what we've learned about producing and releasing video games and use it to aid developers of a like mind looking for a fruitful route to market," according to business development manager Steph Darrah.

To be clear, Playtonic is also still doing its own thing, creation-wise. The games must flow.

"There are many more adventures on the way for Yooka-Laylee and friends," the studio said in an FAQ. "We've also heard the cries from our community about doubling down on Vendi... we know you love her really! We've got nowt to reveal just yet, though we can say there are multiple things in the works..."

Indies publishing indies. I love to see it.

A host of Japan's greatest and most influential fighting game developers will gather together once again this month to hold a second Japan Fighting Game Publisher Roundtable discussion, the first of which was held in July 2020 as part of endless summer of live streams.

Guilty Gear's Arc System Works, Fighting EX Layer's Arika, Tekken and Dragon Ball FighterZ's Bandai Namco, Street Fighter's Capcom, and The King of Fighters' SNK will all be in attendance for the presentation, which will see the various developers discuss the current state of the fighting game genre, their respective upcoming wares, and the ongoing issue of esports in the time of COVID.

Fallout 76, it's growing older all the time, and in many ways, it's getting younger in Bethesda's mind.

While you think about that for a second, know that Fallout 76 is getting another PTS (public test server) build fairly soon. Aiming for a release next Tuesday (February 16), it's going to keep trucking with the CAMP enhancements, including more testing on the slot system.

But it's also going to be testing aim assist for controller players, crafting sliders (!), the SPECIAL loadout system (that lets you swap in perk loadouts quickly), and a new mode for Daily Ops, which Bethesda calls a "major expansion." As a bonus for doing all this, you can unlock an extra CAMP pennant just by playing the PTS for "one hour a day on three different days." Leave your game on! No one is going to call the police on you.

Remember, the PTS is open to everyone who owns the game on the Bethesda launcher, which automatically grants you access. In the meantime, another mole miner-presented treasure hunt weekend is happening, which will grant you enhanced loot drops. It runs from now through 12PM ET on February 15.

Test

Inside the Vault [Bethesda.net]

Square Enix has announced that JRPG remake Trials of Mana has surpassed one million shipments and digital sales since its initial release on PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch in the spring of 2020.

Trials of Mana is a 3D remake of the 1995 Super Nintendo release Seiken Densetsu 3, capturing the magic and charisma of the classic fantasy adventure while offering an entirely new audio/visual experience. Built from the ground up, Trials of Mana features a fully realized 3D world, a remastered soundtrack, new character models, a fully voiced cast, and even an entirely new epilogue chapter. A fine way to experience this lost adventure.

Despite all of the above features, I'm personally convinced that more than half of these sales came about due to the title's 1.1.0 update, which added some much-needed bunny slippers. Square Enix released delightful new artwork featuring the Trials of Mana cast celebrating the sales milestone. Good work, guys 'n' girls!

Well, it's come to this. The Borderlands movie was already going for star power with Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Kevin Hart, but now it's adding another Hollywood actor into the mix: Jack Black.

The Hollywood Reporter states that the El Roth-helmed film (red flags) will feature none other than Jack Black as Claptrap, the nervous robot companion. As the outlet points out, Black already worked with Blanchett on the (very alright) The House with a Clock in Its Walls, which criminally wasted Kyle MacLachlan.

There's a lot to unpack here! Executive producer Randy Pitchford is clearly down with adding more star power into the mix, but the casting seems all over the place so far. We know David Eddings is likely out due to his beef with Gearbox, but Jim Foronda did a fantastic job of taking up the mantle in Borderlands 3. Claptrap is a relatively minor character and doesn't even require an on-screen presence, so the decision to not bring Foronda back is a bit baffling.

I'm sure Jack Black will be fine, and I can even imagine his modulated robot yells right now. And voice actors getting replaced by Hollywood actors happens all the time. But the Borderlands film already has a "too many cooks" feel to it, and I don't trust Eli Roth to deliver. This is a wait and see situation if I've ever seen one for a video game film.

Jack Black Joins Cate Blanchett in 'Borderlands' Movie [The Hollywood Reporter]

When we had access to Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury recently for our review, we sadly did not have the brand new Cat Peach and Cat Mario amiibo in our possession.

Now that the game is out and our order is delivered, we do! Let's take a look at these inoffensive additions.

Yesterday, in true Street Fighter V fashion, word was leaked ahead of Capcom's Winter Update stream that brand new character "Eleven" was set to be revealed as season five's unannounced DLC star. This turned out not to be the case, as it has become common knowledge that Eleven is, in fact, a "bonus character" - offered to players who pick up the season five Character Pass or new Premium Pass.

But who is Eleven? Well, in basic lore terms, Eleven is a prototype developed by God-bothering megalomaniac Gill - an amorphous, shapeshifting experiment and the precursor to Street Fighter III's Twelve. This shapeshifting ability is reflected in Eleven's playstyle, as it will be SFV's "mimic" character. That is to say, Eleven will adopt the animations and moveset of a random character from SFV's 40-strong roster before each and every bout.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is out today, so you can dive right into the "plus" part of that moniker and start enjoying its unique open world framework.

Before you do, though, there's probably something you should know.

Square Enix has released a new gameplay video featuring 10 minutes of footage from its upcoming adventure title NieR Replicant, which is currently in development at Toylogic for PS4, PC, and Xbox One with a western release scheduled for April 23.

Titled "The Barren Temple," the video sees our protagonist exploring the hostile desert wilderness of Facade, accompanied by the highly skilled fighter Kaine and the sentient magical tome, Grimoire Weiss. After gaining favor with a guard, the trio enters the titular Barren Temple, where they come face-to-face with a strange boss guardian consisting of a battalion of enchanted cubes. Weird stuff, as one might expect from the Drakengard universe.

Whether I totally overthink the solution or I'm just not in the right frame of mind, I have this silly habit of getting tripped up by the simplest puzzles in horror games – the kind that make you go "oh duh!"

Like clockwork, I got all the way to the final chapter of Little Nightmares II before stumbling – and the puzzle that confused me ended up being dead simple in retrospect. I've got a quick hint if you're stuck.

Early in the fifth level, you'll enter a room with two glowing doors, and you can't go back the way you came in. If you head into the right-most door, you'll end up walking out of the left-most door, and vice versa. It's a classic loop! I instantly recognized that fact, but I couldn't figure out how to break free.

I'm sure most people will quickly latch onto the solution, but I'm even more sure that someone else out there will be stumped. Here's the hint for how to escape: listen to the music, and keep listening.

My first time poking around this room, I kept thinking there was somehow more to it – I thought I needed to look at my protagonist as he warped through the portals – but it's just the music that matters. The "correct" door to walk through is whichever one has the music playing full blast.

In this case, the order is: right door, right door, left door, left door. You'll then appear in this room:

When I played Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury pre-launch, it was pretty smooth! I didn't encounter many major issues at all, so I was surprised to see a day one patch pop up. As it turns out, both Nintendo and prospective players are saying that the patch doesn't do a whole lot, which is good news for day one stability.

According to the patch notes, "some issues" were fixed to "make the game more comfortable to play." Although I didn't notice anything upfront, folks over on Reddit are noting that the sticker menu is less jittery. That seems to be it! It worked before, it just works a little better now.

It's a stark contrast compared to the recent All-Stars re-release, which got multiple control options patched in after launch. Juggling three different old releases is a little easier than just one semi-modern one, but either way, Fury World seems complete at this time, which should help its age for physical collectors.

Super Mario 3D World + Fury World Update Data [Nintendo]

Publisher 505 Games has proudly announced that it will be the publisher for Rabbit & Bear studio's high-fantasy adventure Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes when the title finally releases in 2022.

505 Games released a new video to announce its acquisition of the exciting project's publishing rights, which features snippets of gameplay alongside brief interviews with director Osamu Komuta, studio head Yoshitaka Murayama, character designer Junko Kawano, and producer Junichi Murakami, all of whom, naturally, express their delight at securing a publisher.

Today's Guilty Gear Strive Starter Guide focuses on a very popular character from the GG universe, despite being a (relative) newcomer. Fresh from Arc System Works comes the newest introductory video, focusing on former Guilty Gear Xrd boss Ramlethal Valentine.

An almost emotionless vessel with terrifying, god-like powers, these traits serve Ramlethal well on the battlefield, with a stoic and aloof playstyle befitting players who prefer to pick their moments. Equipped with her twin greatswords, Lucifero, Ramlethal commands the screen at mid-range, thanks to the devastating hitboxes afforded her weaponry. Ramlethal can even send out each blade as an explosive projectile, though they must be collected afterward.

While many Guilty Gear characters' gameplan often revolves around darting in for maximum rushdown damage, Ramlethal benefits a more patient player, locking out opposition with her Slash and Heavy Slash normals, before slowly pressing the opponent into a corner, where Ramlethal's screen-filling special animations can overwhelm any effort to escape. What a gal. But how ArcSys didn't drop this video on the 14th I'll never know.

Surprise! Nintendo just randomly made some huge alterations to the My Nintendo physical reward store on a random US evening: go figure.

The biggest change is the addition of a brand new item: the Cat Mario keychain, from Super Mario 3D World. It's 800 Platinum Points, and if it's anything like the other keychains, it'll go semi-fast. Note that the Tom Nook keychain sold out very quickly and was never restocked, and the Splatoon/Mario keychain was nuked from the store in under a day.

Speaking of restocks, a ton of stuff just came back in. For the past several weeks the only item had My Nintendo had available was the holiday card set. Now, you can find the All-Stars poster set, the Origami King origami set, the Origami postcard set, the Mario zipper case, the Home Circuit lanyard and ID, the Home Circuit decoration kit, the Pikmin 3 decals and coasters, the Mario & Luigi notebook, the My Nintendo 2021 calendar, and the Xenoblade stickers (the latter of which was one of the original My Nintendo items).

Phew! Yep, all of that stuff after the holiday cards was just restocked. Need points fast? As a reminder, you can find our full mega-guide here.

A new Bowser's Fury reward is here [My Nintendo]

Today's Epic Games Store Spring Showcase was a bit of a mixed bag as it had a couple of huge bits of news that have dominated the conversation mixed in with a lot of updates on games you're probably well familiar with. Warframe, which launched on the Epic Games Store late last year, had just a moment in the spotlight during the stream and used the opportunity to showcase what's coming up in the next few weeks for players. Not only are we getting a new Warframe, but one fan favorite is getting reintroduced in their Prime form.

Octavia, who first appeared back in 2017, will make her Prime debut on February 23 on all available platforms. Octavia Prime will come equipped with Prime versions of her Tenora and Pandero weapons, as well as a Shawzin Prime.

Right on cue, the Steam Lunar New Year sale began today and it's carrying into Monday morning.

I'm gonna throw out some suggestions, and hey, maybe a few of them will stick. You probably know exactly what you want – that's what wishlists are for – but if not, here are games to get you started.

After its PC debut in December, Stardew Valley has rolled out the substantial 1.5 content update today on consoles. If you're a Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One player, today's the day. It's huge.

The Stardew Valley 1.5 Update for Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation are out, and should be available on all platforms within the next couple of hours.

— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) February 11, 2021

Update 1.5 includes a ton of new stuff like Willy's boat that you can repair and ride to Ginger Island, another tough dungeon to face with new enemies, a new NPC to befriend, Golden Walnuts to collect, the "beach farm" layout, a bunch of new items and machines like the Geode Crusher, more fish to catch, extra furniture items, further character events, the ability to move your bed, and swimming ducks.

Genshin Impact might have only been on the market for a few months, but it has fast built a roster of fun and likable characters, attracting legions of devoted fans. One such character that has her own army of followers is pyro master Amber, who every player acquires for free at the beginning of the fantasy adventure.

Developer miHoYo has released a short video (as spotted by Siliconera) dedicated entirely to the boisterous and energetic lass, which sees Amber on a jaunt through the lands of Teyvat. This includes a pleasant stroll through the city of Monstadt - where Amber has reigned as Gliding Champion for three years running - as well as the beautiful outlands of Liyue. It's not all sight-seeing though, as Amber also finds herself squaring off against an enemy or two.

You might be wondering what this video is in aid of... Well, nothing really. It's just a spotlight for the beautiful land of Teyvat and one of Genshin Impact's many heroes. And that's ok. Given Amber's dedicated fanbase, and the ravenous hunger of Genshin Impact 30-million strong playerbase, you don't always need a reason to take a break from the world.

I'm genuinely shocked to hear that Spiritfarer is getting three significant free content updates this year, but I'm all for it – the soothing afterlife simulation game really left a mark on its fans. It's a keeper.

Thunder Lotus put out a 2021 roadmap with an overview of what to expect:

As you can see, it's a mix of new story content, game improvements, and new crafting resources and boat buildings. If it were just the latter categories, it'd be cool enough, but the characters are the heart of this game. As for co-op, there's going to be a better interface and opportunities to fish together.

About those four new spirits:

Capcom's flagship fighting title Street Fighter V: Champion Edition has been graced with another free trial. From today until February 25, PS4 players can download a special "trial edition" of the one-on-one fighter from the PlayStation Store before throwing fists and feet in both on and offline warfare.

The trial includes every single character from seasons one through four, amounting to a grand total of 40 fighters. So whether you're a fan of Ryu or Chun-Li, Guile or Alex, Sakura, Falke, or even new weirdo on the block G, you can take your favorites out for a bout of bone-crunching mayhem. Players require a PlayStation Plus account in order to to fight online, and be sure to specifically download the "Trial Edition" of SFV from the PlayStation Store.

Earlier today, Capcom hosted its Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Winter Update presentation, where it previewed new DLC characters Dan and Rose, as well as a new training stage, and an interesting new mechanic called V-Shift, all of which should hopefully help Street Fighter V go out with a bang as it enters its twilight phase.

Curve Digital's very silly platform title Human: Fall Flat has surpassed an incredible 25 million sales since its original release in 2016. The puzzle adventure initially launched on PC, before being ported to PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, and iOS and Android devices.

Entirely developed by a single developer, Tomas Sakalauskas, Human: Fall Flat tasks customizable hero "Bob" with picking their way through a series of cumbersome and highly hazardous environments, equipped only with typically human mobility traits and some hilariously exaggerated physics.

Apart from Nintendo Switch, Axiom Verge 2 has also confirmed a PC version. There's still no date for either platform – it's "coming soon" – but we do know that it'll be an Epic Games Store exclusive.

In a blog post today, creator Tom Happ outlined his reasons for skipping Steam initially.

"I have a wife and child who depend on me and the game," he explained. "I love that I get to work on my hobby all day, but at the same time, I'm always aware of the responsibility I have to my family."

"I don't want to go into too many details about the nature of the arrangement I have with Epic other than to say that I've been able to put my stress about how the game will perform out of my mind for a bit and just focus on making the game I want to make. Making games can be fun, but it can also be stressful. With this deal in place, game development started feeling like a hobby again."

As for other consoles, sure. "I've been lucky that I've had great support from Sony and Microsoft over the years so I hope to be able to talk about my plans on those systems soon," Happ added.

If you missed the Epic Games Store Spring Showcase, you pretty much missed this and Kingdom Hearts – everything else felt minuscule by comparison, and my goodness was the stream a technical mess.