Destructoid

The last time I visited Nintendo's "Ninten Island" in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it was kind of a mess! But it's been slowly improving since launch, and now, it has more of a theme to it.

As Nintendo announced this week on their European Twitter account, the new and improved Ninten Island is open for business. The publisher is calling it a "facelift," and you can visit it now and "grab some new Nook Inc. Custom Designs."

To get in, use the Dream Address here: DA-6382-1459-4417. As a reminder, here's how to navigate the Dream Island system. Basically, you go to bed, select some prompts, and put the code in.

As a whole, the island is a lot cleaner, and things are more deliberately placed. It feels like they took the criticisms of the previously hastily-crafted island to heart! Most of the user creations I've visited are still better, but it's actually worth visiting this time (and even has a little Mario museum).

Nintendo Europe [Twitter]

Google has announced that the VP & Head of Product for streaming service Stadia has left Google. John Justice was one of the faces of the Stadia brand, appearing in interviews and marketing streams in the lead-up to the product's launch in 2019.

Following a report by The Information referencing Justice' absence, 9to5Google confirmed that the executive had indeed left the company. "We can confirm John is no longer with Google, and we wish him well on his next step." reads a succinct statement on the website.

Stadia losing its Head of Product is just the latest in a series of rough optics for both the brand and the service. Justice' departure follows the closing of Stadia's in-house development studio back in February. The closure also saw the departure of high-ranking producer Jade Raymond, who left to found her own studio, Haven Entertainment.

Google has stated that it intends to reach out to third-party studios for Stadia's future titles, noting that it has over 100 titles coming to the platform over the course of 2021. These include major releases such as Capcom's Resident Evil Village. The Head of Product role will be reassigned and, optimistically, there is a possibility that a change of leadership could see the Stadia service change course for the better. But there's no denying that's it's an uphill battle for Google's experimental service.

It seems like Square Enix isn't done with candy bars yet!

After rolling with the Final Fantasy VII Remake theme bonus (which involved Butterfingers, Crunch, and Baby Ruth bars), the publisher is back with the former candy for Final Fantasy XIV. If you submit "$5 worth of receipts for Butterfinger" to this site, you can get a code for the "Chocorpokkur Mount."

There are a few provisos though. It'll take "3-5 days" for the promotion to go through, and some users are reporting that their legitimate receipts were denied. Also, the promo mount is actually just a reworked version of an existing Korpokkur mount, but chocolate-flavored. It's the same one offered in Japan through their Lawson promo, actually.

The Butterfinger brand is no stranger to cross-media promotions, too! Growing up it was kind of a reality: like a Butterfinger-Verse.

Butterfinger [Twitter]

As the "Epic vs. Apple" kaiju-esque courtroom battle gets underway, more and more tidbits are being uncovered regarding what goes on Behind the Curtain at the industry giants. Presented for your consideration: a document that reveals has much money Epic doled out in order to secure titles for Epic Games Store's free game giveaways.

The document, released to Twitter by Game'sDiscoverCo.'s Simon Carless, paints an interesting picture of the dollar amounts certain titles cost over others. For example, old-school indie adventure Torchlight cost Epic $150,000 USD to procure for giveaway status, while Unknown World's Subnautica cost a princely $1.4 million. Ubisoft's multiplayer battler For Honor was a bargain at $63,000, while the most expensive title on the list is Rocksteady's epic Batman: Arkham Knight, which sold for $1.5 million.

As the list specifically concerns 2019's giveaways, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V — a game so in-demand it crashed the Epic Games Store's servers back in the summer of 2020  — is not noted.

Overall, Epic spent just shy of $12 million in the first nine months of its free games scheme. A fortune to the majority of us, but loose change for the Fortnite studio. Epic Games Store continues to operate at a loss, and is unlikely to turn a profit for several years more. But Epic boss Tim Sweeney is fully aware of the costs, and sees the tossed fortunes as a mere "investment" in the company's long-term future.

The Epic vs. Apple antitrust trial continues... I'm reminded of the Alien vs. Predator tag-line.

Nintendo games go on sale pretty much never, so when multiple first-party titles go on sale, it's worth telling people about.

Starting this week, Nintendo has discounted New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, Super Mario Odyssey, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. All of them were previously $59.99 before this week, which is crazy to think about.

Note that this promotion works for both physical and digital copies of games. Plus, the deal is actually live at multiple retailers, including Amazon, GameStop, and Target. So flex those bonuses or gift cards!

You can find a full list below of the games in the promotion, as well as links to reviews/coverage. They're pretty much all worth getting, depending on your tastes. If I had to recommend one, universally, it would probably be Mario Odyssey if you somehow don't have it yet.

Otherwise, Fire Emblem: Three Houses should last you a long while if you're looking for something to stretch your money on. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe will keep a full house entertained with local play, and Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, like Fire Emblem, will keep you busy.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses [Amazon via Wario64]

In one of many tales of panicking billionaires surfacing this morning, Blizzard Entertainment is seeking to block FOX Media from its registration of the term "Diablo" as it pertains to tie-in merchandise related to upcoming animated series HouseBroken.

The new cartoon features a dog that shares a name with Blizzard's hellish video game franchise, and as such the latter is concerned that FOX's trademarking of the name will cause confusion among audiences. FOX' recent application for "Diablo" specifically concerns the usage of the character's name on crockery, beverage holders, pet treats, doggie bowls, and other merchandise — which has gotten Blizzard execs reaching for the 'phone.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Blizzard argues that FOX's registration of "Diablo" in regards to HouseBroken merchandise comes into conflict with Blizzard's own Diablo trademark, which the developer/publisher has held since it launched the hugely successful RPG series way back in 1996. Blizzard has requested that FOX' request, therefore, be rejected by the United States Patent Office.

"Members of the public will erroneously believe that [FOX's] goods offered under the 'Diablo' mark originate with, or are in some manner connected or associated with, or sponsored by, [Blizzard Entertainment], all to the harm of [Blizzard's] goodwill and reputation." reads part of Blizzard's notice of opposition, which was filed on April 25.

_{[This community blog from Destructoid's own RiffRaff made me do a double-take, and I had to see what the headline meant. It's a fun one! Who doesn't have a story to share about janky video game moments? -Jordan]}

Howdy all! Hope all is well.

Originally, I intended this question to be a Qpost, but couldn't squeeze it into 255 characters properly so might as well break my blogging dry spell.

The past week I've been really engaged by a game called The Sinking City (I'm playing the Switch port). I'm absolutely loving it despite it being an absolute mess of a game. Animations are stilted, the lip-syncing is all over the place, movement and locomotion is quirky, menus are clunky, load times are long, the writing fluctuates between engaging to unintentional hilarity, and segues into cut-scenes are non-existent.

By all accounts, it's a terrible game, or as the kids like to call it 'absolutely unplayable garbage.' But I'm having fun and I'm immersed into this weird, Lovecraftian world that Frogwares have crafted. I genuinely want to know where the story goes, the side quests are interesting, and I am intrigued by the characters. I'm having a great time despite its faults.

One could say the game is filled with jank? A term used quite often in modern gaming yet with no real definition. So it got me wondering.

What is exactly is jank? Is jank necessarily a bad thing? Is it possible for a game to be completely jank free? What's your jank limits? Have you ever janked it while PhilKen Sebben watches? Is jank something quantifiable? Are bugs jank?

Microsoft has added even more old games to its FPS Boost lineup, bringing the total up to 97.

FPS Boost is a special feature of the Xbox Series X and S that pumps up the framerate on older games, often either a lift up to either 60hz or 120hz. It's a part of Xbox's backward compatibility plan that's added a nice boost to modern classics, ranging from Dishonored and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to Titanfall 2.

Today, we're releasing our largest drop of games featuring FPS Boost to date, bringing the total titles boosted to 97, many of which are included in @XboxGamePass and @EAPlay (included with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription). https://t.co/eCyB8KgAbQ pic.twitter.com/DDjMbRB9TL

It is 1986. Computers are only just beginning to see widespread adoption, and you the player, as software developer Meredith, are in a mail truck in your hometown, helping the local postman figure out if he needs one.

He remarks that it might help with taxes, as he's never been great at maintaining his books. "Sure, there are programs for that," Meredith says. "But you'll still have to put in some work yourself."

That's how Lake, an upcoming game best described as a narrative mail delivery sim, starts out. Meredith is back in her hometown of Providence Oaks, a town built around a gorgeous lake, to fill her father's spot as mailman for two weeks. Set apart from the hustle and bustle of a city life where she works overtime on life management software (yes, there is a sense of irony to it), Meredith's work-cation is a temporary reprieve. Well, it can be.

Developer Awe Interactive announced that their wild and bombastic rhythm-action shooter BPM: Bullets Per Minute is currently lock 'n' loading for its long-awaited PS4 and Xbox One debuts, scheduled for summer 2021.

Launching on PC in the fall of 2020, BPM is a high-fantasy and very metal first-person shooter which sees players in the role of a heavily armed Asgardian Valkyrie, desperately fighting to keep the realm protected from a demonic invasion. BPM's gameplay sees players rewarded for meting out vengeance to the beat of a hard-rockin' soundtrack — bagging new weaponry and heavy-buffing power-ups while utilizing a complex traversal system to stay one step from harm, and look dang stylish while doing it.

It won't be too long before League of Legends has its own Netflix series alongside the many other video game adaptations on the service. A new teaser today announced that Arcane will arrive this fall.

Announced during Riot's 10-year anniversary stream, Arcane is a new animated series that is about two "iconic League champions," and the power that will eventually tear them apart. Following a delay last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, today we got confirmation that Arcane is coming to Netflix and a glimpse of the action, including what looks like current League of Legends champions Jinx and Vi.

The world of @LeagueofLegends is coming to Netflix.
Arcane drops this Fall. pic.twitter.com/7DJgqHpODM

While Yoko Taro continues to furrow his brow over his new mystery project, the NieR creator has at least revealed one small update in the form of the unnamed game's composer, Keiichi Okabe.

Almost a "no introduction necessary" situation, Okabe is an industry veteran who has written fantastic scores for titles such as NieR: Automata, Ridge Racer, Taiko no Tatsujin and the Tekken series. While Taro's project is expected to be a small-scale, digital-only title, having pedigree such as Okabe on board suggests that we're still looking at something pretty special.

Taro's project has been described by the man himself as being "off-beat" and "nostalgic yet new". Taro also noted that although others have told him the game is sure to be a best-seller, he is unsure of how to get it into the players' hands. One thing is for certain, Taro is doing a great job at being baffling and obtuse, as one would expect from the Drakengard writer. We're just going to have to be patient and wait until the new game is finally unveiled.

In the meantime, fans can check out the recently released NieR Replicant. The updated action-RPG — which includes tweaked combat, re-recorded voice-overs, updated visuals, and a small selection of brand new content — is available now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

New Yoko Taro title composed by Keichii Okabe [Gematsu / Games Talk]

Sony Interactive Entertainment announced today that it's partnering with Discord, the popular social platform and communication service, in order to integrate PlayStation and Discord closer together.

In a letter, SIE President and CEO Jim Ryan said that their teams are already hard at work connecting Discord with the social experience of the PlayStation Network. Ryan writes that the goal is to bring the Discord and PlayStation consoles closer together, on both console and mobile, starting early next year to allow those users to hang out and communicate more easily.

Announcing PlayStation’s new partnership with Discord: https://t.co/W9C8SR7OXx pic.twitter.com/LV4AhwbuBv

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) May 3, 2021

Sony Interactive Entertainment has also made a minority investment, as part of a Series H round for Discord. "From our very first conversation with co-founders Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy, I was inspired by their lifelong love for gaming and our teams' shared passion to help bring friends and communities together in new ways," said Ryan.

As a sheltered and awkward child growing up, I really have to hand it to my childhood friend Tristan. Our friendship was always tricky (he was my best friend, but I wasn’t his), but growing up, he helped me come out of my shell. He also introduced me to so many of the things I love today, like ham and cheese Hot Pockets, orange soda, potato chips on sandwiches, Super Smash Bros., and a giant beast known as Godzilla.

My first exposure to that radioactive lizard was over at his house, watching Godzilla 1985. The American cut, not the superior, Raymond Burr-less The Return of Godzilla on which it’s based. We didn’t know any better at the time. We just saw a giant lizard stomping shit, and it was the coolest thing ever. There would be many weekend sleepovers with VHS-dubs of all the classics, watching Godzilla fight everybody from the Thing to the Smog Monster to Mechagodzilla.

Elden Ring is a huge task for both From Software and Kadokawa Games, who is bankrolling the operation: and it might not see the light of day for another year, at least.

So it's important to build the framework of the story here so you aren't asking "what does Kadokawa Games have to do with Elden Ring?! Well, From Software, of Souls fame, is owned by the Kadokawa Corporation, who also specializes in anime, manga, and many other cross-media projects. They are at the beck and call of their parent company, which includes financial allocations and directives.

Based on their latest financials, it's clear that in a fiduciary sense, games are not a huge focus for Kadokawa (based on their latest breakdown, it's the smallest division they have in terms of net sales when accounting for their publication, video, web service, and even "other" arms), and the pandemic has impacted the company heavily. The document indicates that Elden Ring will likely miss this fiscal year (throughout early 2022), indicating that it might not actually come out until mid-to-late 2022 at the earliest.

Interestingly, Kadokawa stresses that there is a "decelerated demand for repeating former works" in their games division, and cites "delayed development of new works" for gaming specifically. It's kind of a Catch-22! They want to focus on new stuff, but it'll have to wait. Elden Ring is also extremely ambitious, as Kadokawa calls it "From Software’s biggest title yet in terms of sheer volume."

Epic Games Store's one-year exclusivity deal is just about up, and Deep Silver's outrageous crime sim sequel Saints Row The Third: Remastered is getting set to bring its explicit carnage to the Steam platform. According to a quiet reveal on the official Twitter account, the remaster will launch on Steam May 22, joining its PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia siblings.

Nintendo has been busy this past year.

Switch stock was absolutely demolished due to overwhelming demand and the extreme desire for gaming consoles amid isolation. Plus, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which could end up as the number one all-time-selling Switch game overall, completely blew up and caused a further frenzy. Now, the publisher is aiming to get back on track.

Financial outlet Nikkei reports that Nintendo is severely ramping up their efforts to deliver more Switch hardware this year, aiming to push 30 million units this fiscal year (ending in March 2022). The outlet also reminds us that the Switch Pro rumor is still floating around, contending that releasing it this year could help them push toward that goal.

Of note, this gargantuan effort would put them at roughly 110 million hardware units sold, placing them squarely in the top five all-time console list. It's important to remember that this would allow the Switch to surpass the Wii, Nintendo's core goal for basically the past decade or so: and make the Switch the top-selling Nintendo console (only the DS and Game Boy/Color families are above it, system-wise).

Sony is still the one to beat in terms of the top spot of the console market, with roughly 155 million PS2s floating around.

Nintendo raises Switch output to record 30m on stay-at-home demand [Nikkei]

This week saw not one, but two major releases hit the market in the form of two shoot-'em-ups... kinda. Shutterbugs took shots in Nintendo's latest Switch release, New Pokémon Snap, while interstellar explorers focused on a whole different kind of shooting in Housemarque's fantastic Returnal, incidentally the PS5's first exclusive release in months.

In regards to the U.K.'s physical sales, it was New Pokémon Snap that debuted comfortably in the number one spot, edging out Selene's hardcore space-shooting action. This was somewhat inevitable given the popularity of the Pokémon brand, the family-friendly nature of the camera-snapping adventure, and the ongoing shortage of PS5 hardware in the UK scene. As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, this new entry in the photogenic series sold four times as many launch copies as 2000 Nintendo 64 release, Pokémon Snap.

What a combo! East meets west.

While there are several "big" games on offer this May in terms of Xbox Game Pass, arguably the two biggest are Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster and Red Dead Online. The former is notable because Game Pass has been cozying up to Final Fantasy games for some time, becoming somewhat of a premier destination for the series. While the latter is interesting because Game Pass had Red Dead Redemption 2 last year, then promptly removed it from the service by the end of 2020.

You can find the full list below, but there's several other huge names too. Dragon Quest Builders 2 is semi-recent, FIFA 21 is still a top-selling sports game, and Steep is an extremely Game Pass-able "on the fence" type game that could last you a weekend or two.

Plus, who can say no to Psychonauts? It's become increasingly clear that a lot of "Games with Gold" stuff is really coming to Game Pass instead.

In its newest efforts to combat the seemingly insurmountable problem of video game toxicity, developer Riot Games has announced plans to record and/or listen in on voice chatter during games of its online hero shooter Valorant.

Revealed this weekend in a statement to the Valorant community, Riot stated that it will be recording online voice chat going forward, though the League of Legends developer insists that it will only listen to specific recordings once they are flagged as containing racist, threatening, or otherwise toxic behavior. This policy is only rolling out in Valorant, and is not, at this time, extending to Riot's other releases such as League of Legends or Teamfight Tactics.

Riot addressed understandable player concerns that Big Brother might be listening.

"We believe we should collect the absolute minimum data to effectively run our games and continuously improve your experience," reads the statement. "When we collect data, we’ll be transparent, we’ll keep it for only as long as necessary, and we’ll protect it as if it were our own. We know collecting voice data is a concern for many of you, but be assured that we would never ship anything if we weren’t comfortable having our own data treated the same way."

Riot suggests that anyone who does not wish to be recorded cease immediate use of voice chat.

Activision has denied recent reports that it has laid off staff members from Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon studio Toys 4 Bob. The publisher claims that the studio remains operating at full capacity, though does confirm that, currently, the team has shifted into full-time Call of Duty: Warzone support.

"Reports of layoffs at Toys For Bob are incorrect," said an Activision representative to GamesIndustry.biz. "There has not been a reduction in personnel recently at the studio. The development team is operating fully and has a number of full-time job openings at this time. The studio is excited to continue supporting Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, and more recently provide additional development support to Call of Duty: Warzone."

Toys for Bob revealed that it was working on Call of Duty via Twitter, where it stated it was proud to work alongside Warzone's lead developer Raven Software. One of Toys for Bob's former contracted employees then retweeted the message, noting that all their former colleagues at the studio had been "let go". But in light of Activision's statement to GamesIndustry.biz, it seems this may have been either a misunderstanding or a case of splitting hairs over "laying off staff" and "contracts expired".

My interest in romantic fiction really only blossomed after I was married. That may sound a bit backwards, but I always found romance while you’re alone and single to be a bit like eating a big bag of pizza rolls. Your brain may tell you it’s exactly what you want, but it will leave you with a horrible feeling in your stomach and the emptiness will doubtlessly return before long. Now that I have a husband, that emptiness is gone and I can cram as many pizza rolls into my face as I want without feeling the awful side-effects. I can delve into the drama of fictional romance and then escape to my stable real-life one.

I find a lot of romantic fiction to be trite, structurally similar, and mired in common themes and tropes. I still enjoy a good love triangle, fish out of water, or the old “will they, won’t they?” tale, but I understand that’s just brain candy. A truly great romance is taking two characters and telling you why these two imperfect people need each other. Or three or more characters, as the case may be. I’m not judging. But in Perfect Gold’s case, it’s two characters.

A couple of weeks ago, I cold-called Kerri Ann Hoskins, famous for her roles in Mortal Kombat 3 and Aerosmith's Revolution X, to see if she wanted to do an interview for one of my podcasts. A week or so later, she said "Sure." She didn't even ask what it was for! That "who gives a f*ck let's just do it" attitude is a big part of who she is, and I am so grateful for it. 

In just under 25 minutes, she gave an amazing overview of some of the highs and lows of her life and career. I had planned to chat with her for 5 minutes about whether she wanted to play Sonya again and a couple of other light topics, but then a half-hour later, she was still talking about growing up with a step-father with wartime PTSD, the mesh implanted in her bellybutton, being pregnant with twins while playing the pinup girl villain in the Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, and a lot of other parts of her life that make Sonya's struggles in the games look lightweight in comparison. In fact, while we were talking, you may see her check her phone a few times to check to see if her twins had contracted COVID-19. I was amazed that she was willing to take the time to talk to me in the midst of this potential crisis, but as I soon discovered, pushing through difficult times has been her way of life for as long as she can remember. 

The official release date of the Nintendo Entertainment System was October 1985, but in truth, that was a test launch. Most people in North America didn’t have a chance to buy the console until Autumn of ‘86. At that point, the Famicom had been on the market for three years in Japan.

Three years is a lot of time to build up a catalog of games, and the Famicom certainly did that. Most of the important titles would find their way to North American shores, but many during these lost years of the 8-bit platform fell by the wayside, regardless of their relevance. Take Door Door, for example. It’s a game that’s ingrained in the Japanese console player’s mindset, but it’s practically unknown here. It was the title that helped launch Enix into a position as a major player that would be solidified by the release of Dragon Quest.

If that doesn’t tell you how significant this title is, let’s take a closer look.

Doesn't matter which medium you're working with, sequels can be pretty bad. From low-budget cash-grabs to a follow-up that ruins the original work entirely, there are plenty of ways that they can disappoint. Video games have certainly had their fair share of duds, but there have also been plenty of sequels that were so good, they've gone on to become more famous than their predecessors.

All through this list, these games were groundbreaking for their genre, and provided something players had never seen before. With the sequel, the developers took the opportunity to improve upon the foundation they had already built, refining and honing the pre-existing mechanics of the original game to make for an even better experience than before. We wish this is how things could always be, but hey, at least they got these ones right, huh?

Just a note: we're only dealing with direct sequels here, so we'll have to leave titles like Fallout: New Vegas and GTA V for another day. Now, let's check out the list of the ten best video game sequels that were even better than the originals.

Show of hands: who here thought World of Demons was quietly canceled months ago?

I know I did. When it was announced in 2018, I was really looking forward to seeing what PlatinumGames could do with mobile gaming given it's behind the best action titles I've ever played. Shortly following that announcement, the game had a soft release in a few countries, but was pulled from mobile shops by September of that year. From then, it was basically radio silence on the project. No new info, no new trailers; as the months and years passed and the mobile ecosystem evolved, the title quietly drifted from my mind. And just when I had forgotten about it completely, it shows up out of the blue on Apple Arcade.

Clearly, the lesson we should all learn with PlatinumGames is to have a little patience, because sometimes, it pays off.

Cblogs of 4/24 to 4/30/2021

-La Terry responds to April's Band of Bloggers prompt by writing about how Nier: Replicant subverted their genre expectations.

-Black Red Gaming writes about 007 Legends, the James Bond game that almost killed the video game future of the franchise.

-Exber responds to April's Band of Bloggers prompt by writing about several games that exceeded expectations.

-Lord Spencer reviews Klonoa: Door to Phantomile as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.

-Solidsnape writes about how Battlefield 4 still holds the flag of the franchise.

-RedHeadPeak writes about how some videogame storytelling focuses on talking too much instead of showing the story (JRPGs are particularly guilty of this).

-Famutimi writes about the importance of Lidia Sobieska of Tekken 7 in the canon of women video game characters.

-Solidsnape shares their thoughts on Scavengers Early Access gameplay.

-Deatheagle writes about how Epic cross-platform policy without matchmaking parameters ruined Fortnite on the Switch.

-Kerrik52 celebrates finishing their Tales series retrospective blogs and takes a well-earned break.

Finally, another PS5 game!

Yes folks, you heard that right, Returnal is a bonafide PS5 release. Is it worth (gulp) $70? It really depends on your penchant for roguelikes.

In 2000, while humanity was crawling from the wreckage and trying to rebuild after the devastation of Y2K, The Sims exploded on the PC. It was an opportunity for people to look down upon their creations, trap them in the pool until they drown, and have absolutely useless children. It was massively popular, as you’d expect from a product that allows you to watch someone pee, and sold millions of copies.

In typical EA fashion, they immediately began to plot new ways to whore out their cash cow. So, they ported the game to consoles with fresh, 3D graphics and made even more money. Then they did it again with The Sims: Bustin’ Out, which I’m not going to make fun of because it was sort of awesome. Riding high from that, they decided that the franchise wasn’t vacuuming money out of people’s pockets fast enough, so they decided to spin the series off.

They chose to move the game from the weird Edward Scissorhands depiction of suburbia and into the urban jungle where everyone listens to the Black Eyed Peas and the partying never stops. The result was The Urbz: Sims in the City, and if this is the first time in years you’ve heard the title mentioned, I’m not surprised.

If the recent release of R-Type Final 2 isn't enough to quench your shmup thirst, then you might want to take a look at the latest offering from Hamster's Arcade Archives range, Konami classic Thunder Cross II, now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Originally released to the coin-op scene in 1991, Thunder Cross II is the sequel to the suspiciously Gradius-like Thunder Cross, and once again sees the titular defense division go to war with the forces of the invading Black Impulse Empire. As is the case with so many shmup sequels, Konami simply went bigger and better for this follow-up, retaining the horizontally scrolling action of its predecessor, but featuring improved audio/visuals, more varied enemies, and a wider variety of weapons and power-ups.

Thunder Force II is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8. Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Martinoz.

Stardew Valley is such an unstoppable force that you probably know at least one person who has played it. And a good deal of those people are incredibly into the game: so much so, that they put their passion into action.

Like many gifted Stardew artists and crafters before them, Reddit user robotmon shared one of their latest works: Junimo key(board) caps. Stardew fans will recognize these little creatures as the mysterious nature spirits that help the player character along in their journey, and assist them in the very late game via Junimo Huts.

They come in various colors, and nest nicely right above keys, stating that they're more decorative than functional: and would work best on lesser-used keys rather than the center letters on keyboards. It's amazing how much the game's creator Eric Barone supports the crafting community, which allows stuff like this to flourish on the regular.

If you're interested beyond a few quick "ooos and aaahs," there's a video of them in action from the creator here; and they plan on making them available in some fashion, with a link to a future Etsy store on their Instagram.

My passion project from the past few months - Junimo Keycaps [Reddit]

So out of nowhere, Super Mario Party got a new update on Switch that allowed online play. The catch? It was through private parties and friend list connections only.

You see, Nintendo is a little new to this whole online thing. No worries though, the community came up with a solution that works out a lot like the faux lobbies for Pokemon Let's Go. Discovered via Caolan114 on Reddit, the simple solution is to go to the private online play option in-game, then enter "11111." After that, mash A, and you'll eventually come across "matchmaking" parties.

It's basically a community-farmed solution to allow a jury-rigged matchmaking lobby that everyone agreed upon ahead of time. The more the method is shared and proliferated, the longer that Super Mario Party can live online.

It's kind of a weird thing that requires people to get on board early to spark a wildfire, otherwise it'll die out when people get frustrated that there's no one to play with. So for this possibly brief moment in the game's lifecycle, join in on the fun and play Mario Party online!

Despite the community's efforts, it's crazy to think Nintendo is so far behind with stuff like this, even in the era of paid online services.

Mario Party boards with randoms [Reddit]

The Fallout 76 Locked and Loaded update is already...locked and loaded, but now the team is planning something new already. The hustle never ends! Again, Bethesda has done a decent job reviving this game and pulling it out of the dumpster state it launched in (albeit with tons of monetization in the process).

Next up? Another PTS (public test server) round. Bethesda says that it's actually looking to move things along fairly quickly, with a "May" target for more testing. This time the big name is the Steel Reign update, which will continue the Brotherhood of Steel storyline that was introduced in a post-launch patch.

Paladin Rahmani, Knight Shin, and Scribe Valdez will return as you continue the narrative from the original Steel Dawn content, which picks up "immediately" after you left off. New locations, enemies, and rewards are teased. Legendary crafting is also coming, facilitated through the reagent legendary cores. You can alter items and change them into legendary gear through this process.

Legendary power armor is coming as a result, as well as an expansion of the entire legendary attribute system. Steel Reign will herald in a new season of the game too (which means a new track and more microtransactions), in addition to a scoreboard. It's a lot! Especially with the story bit alone.

Just in case you're still overwhelmed by Locked and Loaded, or are curious enough to think about jumping back in, you can check out the quick overview trailer for that below.

Inside the Vault [Bethesda.net]

Konami has announced that it will not be attending E3 2021 in any capacity. The long-time developer/publisher has noted that it is working on "key projects" and that players should expect updates pertaining to these titles over the coming months.

The full statement, posted yesterday to Twitter, reads as follows:

"Due to timing, we will not be ready to present at E3 this year. We want to reassure our fans that we are in deep development on a number of key projects, so please stay tuned for some updates in the coming months. While we are not participating this year, we have great respect for the ESA and know that 2021 will be a great success. We will continue to support the ESA and wish the best to all participants at this year’s show."

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has acknowledged Konami's absence:

"We support our partner Konami's decision to not participate in E3 this year and are excited to see what they'll be announcing in the future when they're ready to do so," writes The ESA. "We can't wait for their return to E3 2022, but in the meantime, we look forward to sharing all of the highly-anticipated reveals, programming and so much more at this year's E3."

Currently, Konami's only publicly known, in-development title is soccer sequel PES 2022.

E3 2021 is scheduled to take place (in an online capacity) between June 12-15.

For silly reasons, you can only play the Resident Evil Village demo on certain days, and for a limited time. If you try to play outside of the strict windows, it won't work. You'll just see a countdown.

After a 30-minute village demo on April 17 and a 30-minute castle tour on April 24, Capcom is opening up the combined demo experience for everyone. You don't need a PS4 or PS5 this time.

All of Village's platforms (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Steam, and Stadia) are getting a "time-limited demo" on May 1 with up to 60 minutes of playtime, and it includes the village and castle. As Capcom has explained, you can spend your time exhaustively exploring one area or try both.

Here are the exact dates and times. This convoluted demo rollout is almost over!

I'm afraid I don't have much of an intro for you this week, folks. I hope you've all had a fine week and that your incoming weekend is a great one. Be good to yourselves and others, and whether you're super-busy or free as a bird, be sure to make some time for yourself doing something you enjoy. If you can rope in others to share the joy with you (socially distanced of course) then get them involved. Spread the love and all that jazz.

[Update: Reposting this as it needs to brighten as many mornings as possible. Capcom has confirmed that a second episode of "Let's Play in Bio Village" will be released on May 7. Huzzah!]

It was originally an April Fools' joke, but nobody's laughing anymore. Capcom has released the first episode of its Resident Evil Village puppet show, which sees the villains of the upcoming horror title brought to life in unbelievably adorable fashion... It's... Something.

The creepy-cute show, which you can check out below, stars Heisenberg, Moreau, Angie, and — of course — the lovely Lady Dimitrescu. Packed with super-cute songs, literal buckets of gore, tinsel-based arterial spray, and a worryingly infectious spirit, this heart/brain-melting take on the Resident Evil universe may be among Capcom's best-ever campaigns. Despite the goofiness, it's really well lit, shot, and produced.

Come for the cuteness, stay for Lady D going ape with an axe.

There's only one thing putting me off playing Returnal right now — okay, two. Three, tops.

This will potentially be the second time I've spent $70 on a PS5 game (the first being Demon's Souls), and honestly, I'm still adjusting to the sticker shock. As someone who already was willing to wait to avoid paying $60 at launch, I now feel even pickier about what's worth getting and when.

I also don't necessarily have a lot of time to sink into Returnal right now, and from everything I know and love about Housemarque games, it takes a while to get into the groove. That was true of shorter arcade romps like Resogun and Nex Machina, and it's definitely true of Returnal given its bigger-budget scope and potentially very drawn-out roguelike runs. I'm expecting to put in dozens of hours, all told.

But really, those are mental barriers I can work through — the thing about saving, though, that's still weighing on me. As Chris explained in his review (and as other players have since complained about on Reddit), Returnal doesn't have a good option for temporary mid-run saves. Basically, you can't — not really. If you're in a run and you need to take a break, you've got to put your PS5 in rest mode.

A new Pokémon Snap game is out today, a sentence I am still honestly surprised I'm typing in the year 2021. The first was a one-off spin-off on the Nintendo 64, a quirky game that let you photograph Pokémon instead of capturing and battling them.

The first Snap still became something of a nostalgic classic and now, two decades later, New Pokémon Snap has hit the Nintendo Switch. It is Pokémon Snap as you remember it, albeit with a few notable changes.

We're still playing it ourselves, but for those picking it up this weekend, there are a few crucial tips you'll want to know:

This is legit folks, I missed it.

Just like I missed that you could see all four divine beasts from the top of Link's house in Zelda: Breath of the Wild. XprtGamer44 of Reddit (apt name) discovered something else a lot of folks had completely missed too: barrel riding. Ah a fellow barrel rider!

Succinctly put, after nearly 1000 hours with the game, they finally discovered this oddity and decided to share it. And like all 1000 other clips, it makes me want to immediately boot up the game and go do it myself.

In case you're curious, you can find one in the Great Plateau near "the Old Man's Hut!" Lanayru Wetlands or Eventide Island are also options. And the barrels do float!

Oh, and in what has become a tradition for a lot of Breath of the Wild clip sharers, XprtGamer44 notes that the outfit in the video is "the Hylian Hood, Climbing Gear, chest, and Royal Guard Boots, dyed white."

975+ hours into the game and I just realized, this is a thing... [Reddit]