Siliconera

Pocky & Rocky is back and, well, it is a slightly different take on a game people might be familiar with. It is all about playing with a familiar formula and adding to it. However, while this is definitely the run-and-gun game people remember, there are also some elements that feel like they’re holding the overall experience back.

Pocky & Rocky Reshrined involves shrine maiden Pocky and Rocky the tanuki dealing with Black Mantle and his yokai minions. The duo are responsible for figuring out how to save the day over the course of eight stages. Though really, the plot is awkward and feels unnecessary. It can also come across as a bit stilted, due to the storytelling decisions and localization. But given the nature of the series and this installment, you don’t really need to pay attention to the backstory. It all serves as an excuse to keep fighting through various levels.

Sony revealed the July 2022 PlayStation Plus games, and Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is leading the pack. The PS4 and PS5 versions of it will be available. It will be joined by The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan (PS4) and Arcadegeddon (PS4, PS5).

Arcadegeddon showed up on the PS4 and PS5 in July 2021. It normally costs $19.99 for a digital copy. It is a PVP and PVE, third-person shooter for up to four people. You can play it alone and without friends, however.

Crash Bandicoot 4 appeared on the PS4 in October 2020 and on the PS5 in March 2021. It normally costs $59.99 via the PlayStation Store. It’s a platformer starring characters like Crash, Coco, Tawna, Dingodile, and Dr. Cortex.

Man of Medan is a PS4 horror adventure game that debuted back in August 2018. It can be played alone or with another person. It normally costs $29.99 to download it.

PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to claim Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (PS4, PS5), The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan (PS4), and Arcadegeddon (PS4, PS5) on July 5, 2022. Until then, people can still claim the June 2022 games God of War (PS4), Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker (PS4), and Nickelodeon: All-Star Brawl (PS4, PS5) until July 4, 2022.

There will be an official English translation for Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher. After being announced during the Japanese Nintendo Direct Mini on June 28, 2022, Bandai Namco’s Southeast Asia branch released an additional trailer. It confirmed an Asia English version will appear. There’s no exact release date offered in that video, but it does mention a 2022 debut. [Thanks, HDKirin!]

As a reminder, Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher is a Monster Rancher game that involves characters from the tokusatsu series Ultraman. Both kaiju from the series and new characters will appear in the game. Folks will get to raise them and send them to fight other kaiju.

Here’s the English Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher trailer. It shows some of the translated menus, UI, and text. It also goes over a few of the notable kaiju people will be able to get, raise, battle, adventure with, and fuse over the course of the game.

There’s a new Legend of Mana: The Teardrop Crystal anime trailer, and this video shows off its cast of characters and pins down a release window. While it previously had a tentative 2022 window, it is now confirmed to appear in October 2022. The new footage also shows off many familiar faces. Even though this story will follow the male version of the avatar, named Shiloh, and its Jumi arc, other people will appear too.

Another Xander alt is heading to Fire Emblem Heroes, and this time he’s Legendary. The June 30, 2022 banner will feature Xander: Gallant King. He’ll appear alongside some returning Legendary and Mythic-type heroes.

Xander: Gallant King is a cavalry unit that wields an axe. His Ebon Bolverk axe can let him use his special trigger quicker and, if allies are around, increase the number of hits an enemy needs to deal to use theirs. He also can inflict Null Follow-Up if allies are nearby due to it. His new passive is Chivalry. It enables Canto for him and also inflicts Atk/Spd/Def-5 on enemies whose health is over 50%. The standard version of Xander appeared as a Grand Hero Battle unit.

Xander isn’t the only focus unit for this banner. Here are the other characters who will appear.

As usual, Bandai Namco has another new JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R trailer for folks. This time, it's looking at a character who showed up in the original game. People can see what JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders’ Iggy looks like in-game.

Though Iggy is a dog, a Boston Terrier to be exact, he's also one of Jotaro Kujo's allies in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. He's also a Stand user. His is called The Fool, and it is able to shapeshift. This is due to it using sand to show up, which is visible in the footage.

The only fool around here is whoever decides to challenge Iggy in battle.

Get ready to forfit your coffee flavored gum when you face Iggy in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R!#JJBA pic.twitter.com/291fd20vbU

— JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R (@jojo_games) June 29, 2022

Bandai Namco is regularly releasing JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R trailers. Each one shows how new or familiar faces look in this version of the game. Here’s the list of ones that appeared so far.

As usual, HoYoVerse is preparing for the start of a new month with a new free Genshin Impact calendar. Each month, it prepares an image folks can use on mobile devices. The July 2022 Genshin Impact calendar features the four-star Hydro catalyst user Barbara. This is because each one features a picture of the first Genshin Impact character with a birthday appearing that month.

First, here's the Genshin Impact July 2022 calendar people can use.

【カレンダー配布】
旅人さんに日頃の感謝を込めて、2022年7月のカレンダーを配布します！
ぜひスマホ壁紙としてお使いください！#原神 #Genshin pic.twitter.com/7ivCJk3hI0

— 原神（Genshin）公式 (@Genshin_7) June 29, 2022

Here’s a list of all the Genshin Impact characters with a birthday in July 2022. If you log into the game on the person's special day, you'll get a "gift" that consists of food and materials.

People in Japan will be able to get FFXIV socks and tights inspired by in-game designs and looks. Square Enix announced a Kiwanda collaboration. The tights will be available in one size described as cover people who wear medium-to-large sizes. They cost 6,600円 ($48). The socks are available in men’s and women’s sizes, are available in three colors, and cost 3,080円 (~$23). All of the items will appear in the country on July 16, 2022.

First, here's a close at the FFXIV Kiwanda tights. They are designed to look like the Valentione Rose Tights. Those are the red variants. In-game, folks can earn them as a Valentione's Day reward. Photos show them both off and on a model.
[gallery columns="2" ids="931268,931269" link="file"]

As for the FFXIV socks, their designs are based on Allagan Empire’s defense systems. The men’s versions fit a foot about 25-27.5cm. The women’s are 22-24.5cm. Both types are available in red, purple, and yellow.
[gallery ids="931270,931271,931272,931273,931274,931275" link="file"]

Nintendo's latest Xenoblade Chronicles 3 details look at the Hero character Fiona. Heroes are people who can join Noah, Mio, Eunie, Lanz, Sena, and Taion's party. In the case of Fiona, also known as Fifi, she fills a healer-type role when she aids the group. In the Japanese version, her name is Mashiro.

First, here's a closer look at her official art and reveal. It notes that Fiona's class is known as Signifier. Like Eunie and Taion, she'll offer back-up. She's also from Agnus, like Mio, Sena, and Taion. She's also described as a kind person.

The caring soldier Fiona, or “Fifi” as she’s affectionately known as by her fellow colony pals, is one of the heroes you can encounter in #XenobladeChronicles3. Her Class is Signifer and she wields a large flag-like blade to boost the party’s morale! pic.twitter.com/52XZTzebZL

— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) June 29, 2022

Next, here’s a story scene featuring Fiona coming to aid some allies.

As part of theJune 2022 Japanese special program, a Star Ocean: The Divine Force release date appeared. It will show up in the region on October 27, 2022. While Square Enix didn’t officially bring up a worldwide launch day, the PlayStation Store also shows that as the release date for the game. It suggests it will unlock at 12 a.m. ET/6 a.m. CET on October 27, 2022. The Japanese limited edition and a new trailer appeared too. Update: The official Twitter account confirmed this is a worldwide release date.

First, here’s the new Star Ocean: The Divine Force release date trailer. It shows off both story segments and gameplay.

Capcom has revealed the last remaining monsters for the upcoming Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak expansion, including Shagaru Magala. The announcement also revealed several new and returning monster variants, such as the Furious Rajang and Scorned Magnamalo. This gives fans a better idea of what to expect in terms of content for the next few months, once Sunbreak releases later this week.

One key reveal of the announcement is the Shagaru Magala. As the name suggests, the six-limbed, winged Elder dragon is the adult form of the Gore Magala. The monster has appeared in earlier Monster Hunter titles, making its debut in Monster Hunter 4. The trailer gives a brief glimpse of the monster's movements and attacks.

Furthermore, new and returning monster variants are set to appear both on Sunbreak's launch, as well as in the coming months. On launch, Capcom is bringing back the Furious Rajang, as well as adding a new Scorned Magnamalo variant. While Furious Rajang has been a staple in the Monster Hunter series for some time, the Scorned Magnamalo is new. Unlike its normal form, the Scorned Magnamalo is equipped with larger arm blades and is constantly covered in hellfire.

In August, the Seething Bazelgeuse will join the roster. The Bazelgeuse variant will join alongside the previously announced Lucent Nargacuga.

The Japanese Twitter account for NieR revealed that sales for NieR: Automata have exceeded 6.5 million copies. This news comes five years after the game’s original release in February 2017. The number includes worldwide sales of both digital and physical copies. It also takes into account all three platforms the game is on.

NieR: Automata serves as a sequel to NieR, which is itself a spin-off of the Drakengard series. However, one can understand the story without needing to play other games in the franchise.  The game has won several awards over the years, as well as received nominations in various categories. These awards include Game of the Year, Best Storytelling, and Best Narrative. Within its first two months, sales for NieR: Automata exceeded one million units. In 2021, on the game's fourth anniversary, Square Enix announced that it had sold 5.5 million units worldwide.

Crunchyroll will handle the global theatrical release of the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime The Movie: Scarlet Bond Movie in early 2023. The film will first appear in theaters in Japan in November 2022. It will air in international territories in the next year. In terms of the movie’s plot, it will take place after the end of the second season.

According to a Crunchyroll press release, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime The Movie: Scarlet Bond will focus on a power called “Queen,” as well as a conspiracy surrounding it. Rimuru will partner up with an original movie character named Hiiro, who is a survivor of the Ogre race. There is no news as of yet regarding Hiiro’s voice actor in English or in Japanese.

As a reminder, this movie takes place after the second season, and thus may contain spoilers for those who have not finished. Here is the trailer for the movie. It features English subtitles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4EPHOfgOdc

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is an isekai anime about Satoru Mikami, an office worker in Japan. One day, someone murders him. However, he finds that he was somehow reincarnated in a fantasy world. The catch is that he is now a Slime. The show is available for streaming on Crunchyroll.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is a Musou game that asks a lot of “what ifs.” What if Byleth didn’t come to Garreg Mach as a teacher? What if someone else ended up aiding Claude, Dimitri, and Edelgard when the three encountered bandits? What if, instead of a traditional tactical game like Three Houses, Three Hopes was a more active one? The answers to all of them, perhaps not shockingly, are rather fascinating.

Shez is a mercenary. Who were they working for? It doesn’t really matter. What does is that they face the Ashen Demon Byleth and Jeralt’s mercenary company on a battlefield, and things go awry. Everyone Shez worked with is killed, and they nearly fall. However, a being named Arval’s fate ends up intertwined with theirs. This grants them extraordinary power. It also leaves the two with a mission. That is, get revenge on Byleth. However, as they go about finding Jeralt’s group again, they end up in the same position as Byleth did in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. That is, they wind up at Garreg Mach and tied to one of the three houses. However, in this case Shez is a student alongside the other characters, and their fate intertwines with Claude’s, Dimitri’s, or Edelgard’s.

LRG 3DS Physical copies of Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson are on the way. The company opened up pre-orders for it on June 28, 2022. It will cost $39.99. While there’s no exact figure regarding how many will be available, there will only be a limited number made. Once sold out, people will not be able to get a copy of the Double D Edition.

The Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson Double D Edition doesn’t just give folks a copy of the game. They also get an extra bonus. A two-disc soundtrack is included. It features songs taken directly from the beat'em up.

Here's a closer look at the 3DS game and CDs that will come with it.

This is essentially a reproduction of the original September 2015 release. At the time, XSEED Games offered a $49.99 special edition that also gave people a copy of the game and the soundtrack.

LRG is now accepting pre-orders for physical copies of Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson for the Nintendo 3DS. It is in pre-production, and there's no exact release date for it yet. Digital copies are immediately available.

Square Enix announced a NieR: Automata fan festival will be held in November 2022. The event will take place at the Tokyo Garden Theater in Japan. It will commemorate the five year anniversary of NieR: Automata. It will be held from November 25-26, 2022. Square Enix is selling tickets through a lottery system through its Square Enix e-Store digital storefront from June 28, 2022 to July 18, 2022. Winners will be contacted on July 26, 2022. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

A total of six seating options for the NieR: Automata fan festival are available. These include a series of standard tickets, which range in price from 12,000 yen (or $88) to 10,000 yen (or roughly $73), depending on their location. The S seat tickets will cost 12,000 yen (or $88), with the A seat tickets costing 11,000 yen (or approximately $80), and the B seat tickets costing 10,000 yen (again, about $73).

A second tier of tickets, which also range from S to B seats, will come with exclusive merchandise which is a black penlight that features Emil's head. S seat tickets, with the mentioned penlight, will cost 15,400 yen (or $113), the A seat tickets will cost 14,400 yen (which is roughly $105), and the B seat tickets will cost 13,400 yen (or approximately $98)

Good Smile Company opened up pre-orders for the Spy x Family Yor Forger Nendoroid. Even though those are starting about two weeks after the Anya and Loid pre-orders, all of the figures will appear at about the same time. First, Yor will show up in Japan in December 2022. After that, she’ll come to North America in February 2023. She will cost ¥6,100/$55.99.

Rather than her casual look, the Yor Forger Nendoroid is based on her Thorn Princess alter ego. While she's an ordinary office worker by day, she's an assassin by night. As such, she'll include a set of blades she can wield. She also has three face plates. One is a serious expression. She's smiling gently in another. In the third, she's blushing and smiling.

Here's a closer look at the Nendoroid.

[gallery columns="4" link="file" ids="931221,931222,931223,931224"]

An Epic Games railroad management sim showed up during the June 28, 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini. Railgrade is on the way. It will show up in Fall 2022. It also won’t be a Switch exclusive. People will also be able to find it on the Epic Games Store for PCs.

In Railgrade, people will go through 50 missions and additional side missions. Your goal in each one will be to ensure materials and power get where they need to go on space colonies. You’ll need to ensure the right trains are used for the correct supply chains and tracks run in such a way that everything arrives in a timely fashion.

Here's the new trailer for the game.

Minakata Dynamics is the developer behind this railroad management sim. While it also worked on Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble, this has been its focus since 2020.

Railgrade will come to the Nintendo Switch and PC in Fall 2022.

During the June 28, 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini, Konami revealed Super Bomberman R 2. This will build on the other recent Super Bomberman R games. It also won’t be a Switch exclusive. It will show up on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC too in 2023.

The first video went over some of the features folks can expect. There will be a Story mode. In it, people will be able to explore the world, build up bases, deal with defense and strategy segments, and take on boss battles. There will also be competitive modes. One will be a Battle 64 64-player battle royal. This will be like the one in Super Bomberman R Online. A new Castle mode will appear, tasking one side with defending a castle and building up barricades and the other with attacking the castle to take it and its treasure. Standard and 3v3 Grand Prix battle modes will appear too.

Here’s the first trailer for Super Bomberman R 2.

We had an idea that a new Bomberman game is on the way. When Konami issued a shutdown notice for Super Bomberman R Online, it teased that “new projects” would be on the way.

A new Sonic Frontiers Cyber Space zone trailer appeared in the June 28, 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini. It showed what to expect in from the Starfall Island first, then highlighted the new area folks can visit.

Here's the full Sonic Frontiers trailer. At the 42 second mark, the Sonic Frontiers Cyber Space zone comes up. If Sonic heads to a certain landmark, he can take on challenges there that look similar to older stages. He can get keys from going through those.

Spin dash into a new open zone and discover the mysteries of Cyber Space in the blue blur's latest adventure!

Sonic Frontiers dashes on #NintendoSwitch this winter. pic.twitter.com/f1dDsq9kM1

— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) June 28, 2022

Past videos looked at the more open area in Sonic Frontiers. In one, people could see Sonic climbing a tower and solving puzzles. Another focused on showing him fighting different sorts of enemies.

Japanese Switch users and fans of Ultraman, and Monster Rancher enthusiasts will soon be able to unite in celebration. Bandai Namco is behind publishing Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher, a spin-off of the popular farming and training-sim game based on the Ultraman franchise.

Check out the trailer from the Japanese edition of the June 28, 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini broadcast. As the series is known as Monster Farm in Japan, the game's formal title is Ultra Kaiju Monster Farm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzMvazb0zV0

In the game, players will establish their own massive farm and build it with the help of various Kaiju monsters from the Ultraman series. In keeping with Monster Rancher tradition, Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher players will recruit new Kaiju by putting random media into the game. However, since the Switch doesn't have a disc drive to take music CDs or DVDs, the recruitment methods are all-digital. Players can search pieces of music by title or artist to generate new Kaiju. They'll also be able to use IC "smart" cards used in transit systems (like Suica or Icoca), or the NFC chips in smartphones, for Kaiju recruitment. Classic Ultraman Kaiju like Zetton, Gomora, and Alien Baltan were shown. Players will train their Kaiju to improve their stats, have them race rivals, build Ultra-size snow sculptures, and even do some sparring. They can also fuse Kaiju to find the ultimate monster.

People can play Portal and Portal 2 on the Nintendo Switch starting today. During the June 28, 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini, Portal Companion Collection was revealed as one of the showcase’s shadowdrops. People can pick it up for $19.99.

As expected, picking up the collection gives people access to Portal and Portal 2 on the Switch. Both are the same games people played before. There is also local and online multiplayer options for the sequel on the system.

At the 21:45 mark, people can see a trailer for the release.

Portal Companion Collection is out for the Nintendo Switch. Portal is also on the PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and mobile devices. Portal 2 can be found on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC too.

The post Portal and Portal 2 on Switch Now Via the Companion Collection appeared first on Siliconera.

One of the shadowdrops that appeared during the June 28, 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini is a new Cygames game. Little Noah: Scion of Paradise is now available. It costs $14.99. While it showed up during a Nintendo presentation, people can play it on the Switch, PS4, and PC.

In Little Noah, players follow an alchemist named Noah as she goes into dungeons to get things to fix her airship. She’ll need to find Lilliputs to help her attempt to survive various ruins. Depending on who goes exploring with her, Noah’s possible combo options will change. There are also roguelike elements, as Noah will need to constantly reattempt the dungeons to eventually get through it all and fix her ship.

Here’s the new trailer looking at Little Noah: Scion of Paradise.

There’s also an official website open for this new Cygames game. It also offers a closer look at the game and its characters.

During the June 28, 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini, the Dragon Quest Treasures release date appeared. People will be able to play it on December 9, 2022. It will be available on the Switch. A new trailer also appeared showing younger versions of Dragon Quest XI’s Erik and Mia exploring alongside monsters.

The video begins with Erik and Mia on a boat, heading to Draconia. The two are dedicated to treasure hunting. People can then see the characters exploring alongside monsters. The two will be armed with Fortune Finders to discover treasures. When used, a compass will appear below your playable character to show which direction the treasure can be found. You’ll also see a text message pop up on screen that will say something like, “There’s a noticeable hint of treasure.” That shows how close you are to it.

Monsters appear alongside them in the field in real-time. You can also see Erik issue directions like “gather round” to dictate their behaviors. So in the new trailer, we see Erik taking on the Flight of the Fallen King quest to head to Mount Greywing. Once he gets there, he’ll face a wight. At the bottom the screen, characters’ stats are shown. Some monsters can be ridden. Others can do things like allow you to jump to higher areas of glide.

Bandai Namco is preparing Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom for the Nintendo Switch. The new farming sim is expected to appear on the system in 2022. Once again, Nobita and Doraemon will be farming alongside new friends. This time, two people can farm together.

The initial trailer went over what folks can expect. After Doraemon and Noby go with Gian, Shizuka, and Suneo in a rocket, they land on a new planet. After using Translation Gummies to talk to Lumis and other characters, the group helps people they meet farm and tend animals. People can also fish and use Doraemon’s gadgets.

You can see the trailer for it at the 18:45 mark below.

Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom will come to the Nintendo Switch in 2022. The first Doraemon Story of Seasons game appeared on the PS4, Switch, and PC.

The post New Doraemon Story of Seasons Heading to Switch in 2022 appeared first on Siliconera.

Get ready to jack in to your Switch, PS4, and PC. Capcom confirmed that it's working on Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection via the June 28, 2022 Nintendo Partners Mini-Direct broadcast. A brief teaser introduced the ten-game series, but did not confirm a release window for outside Japan. The Japanese edition of the Mini-Direct promised a 2023 release window.

Check out the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection  trailer below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5anP8oC-ePY

The Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection (known as the Rockman.EXE Advanced Collection in Japan) is a bundle of all ten main Mega Man Battle Network titles. Originally released on the Game Boy Advance from 2001 to 2006, Battle Network titles posited a different take on the Mega Man franchise. Rather than a robotic reploid, the the series posits the titular character as a "NetNavi", a computer program called MegaMan.EXE. Mega Man and his operator Lan Hikari journey to stop the plans of the WWW (World Three) Organization.

The bundle contains ten games, although Mega Man Battle Network 3, 4, 5, and 6 were each released with two variants, like to the Pokémon series.

Here's a list of the games:

During the June 28, 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini, Square Enix revealed a new farming and life sim called Harvestella. The game will allow people to visit different places, build relationships with people, farm, and tend to animals. Also, like Rune Factory, they will be able to take on classes like Fighter, Mage, and Shadow Walker to deal with enemies. It will come to the Nintendo Switch and PC worldwide on November 4, 2022.

The Switch product page for Harvestella is already live. It notes that it takes place following a calamity. As such, there will be a “Quietus” season of death when a season ends. During that phase, nobody can go anywhere and everything withers. The official page also confirmed folks can visit the Holy Capital Argene, Lethe Village, Nemea Town, and Seaside Town Shatolla.

You can see the English trailer at the 22:25 mark.

During the June 28, 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini, Square Enix and Nintendo revealed a new trial. A Live a Live Prologue demo will appear on the eShop later today. This will allow people to sample three of its scenarios.

The announcement confirmed some details about which ones folks can play. The Imperial China, Twilight of Edo Japan, and The Distant Future chapters can all be tested out. In each case, you’ll be able to make save data. That can then be used in the full version of the game.

You can learn more at the 18:08 point in the video below.

Live a Live’s story takes place over multiple eras. Here’s a full list of adventures people will experience.

During the June 28, 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini, Square Enix revealed NieR Automata: The End of YorHa Edition for the Nintendo Switch. Pre-orders are already open for the port. It will launch on October 6, 2022.

Here's the official video. NieR Automata is announced at the 4:10 mark. Footage shows what the adventure will look like on the Switch.

NieR Automata: The End of YorHa Edition will come to the Nintendo Switch on October 6, 2022. People can immediately play it on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

The post NieR Automata Switch Port Will Appear in October appeared first on Siliconera.

Following an Ubisoft Store leak, the June 28, 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini confirmed the Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope release date and other details. The strategy game that pairs familiar Super Mario characters with Rabbids resembling them will be out on October 20, 2022. Both a standard and Gold Edition will be available, according to Ubisoft's leak the day before. There will also be a dedicated showcase for it on June 29, 2022 at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CET.

The announcement confirmed a new playable cast member. In addition to Rabbid Rosalina, Bowser appears front and center. You can see it at the 11:05 mark.

Ahead of the June 28, 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini, Atlus confirmed Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal Switch versions are on the way. As with the other console and PC ports, Persona 5 Royal will arrive first. That will show up on October 21, 2022. The other entries will follow. The official website for the games updated before the showcase went live. [Thanks, Nibel!]

Three iconic Persona titles are ready to steal your heart on modern consoles!

Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 3 Portable are coming to Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam, and Nintendo Switch! #P25th pic.twitter.com/w7opPDAryu

— Official ATLUS West (@Atlus_West) June 28, 2022

The Nintendo Switch-exclusive Shin-Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation is getting an English global release in 2022. The game will release sometime in August 2022 for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. It will be a digital-only release for both platforms.

The full title of the game is Shin-Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation - The Endless Seven-Day Journey -. The game originally released in Japan back in July 2021 as Crayon Shin-chan: Ora to Hakase no Natsuyasumi ~ Owaranai Nanokakan no Tabi. Developed by Neos Corporation, the company reportedly sold a total of 300,000 copies roughly two months after launch. The game follows a boy named Shinnosuke Nohara as he enjoys a summer vacation out in the countryside.

https://twitter.com/shinchan_summer/status/1541649464892559362?s=20&t=k-uZmY01bzPdF-fbVlIGHw

The upcoming release is the first time the game will appear outside of Asia, as well as on the PlayStation 4. Furthermore, the game will be available in languages other than English and Japanese. Supported languages include German, Spanish, and Portuguese. Neos Corporation has also updated the game's official website to include background information, characters, and gameplay details in English. Notably, fans can also get a glimpse at what the in-game text will look like.

Check out some of the in-game screenshots below:

King Amusement Creative will live-stream anime songs 24/7 every day of the year as part of its Anileap project. A beta stream is now available to listen to on the company’s YouTube channel. The streams will cover keystone songs from anime history, as well as new ones from the Reiwa era. Only songs from anime King Amusement Creative was involved in will be played on Anileap. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

Similar to other YouTube streams in which the channel plays a single genre of music for hours on end, Anileap will play the music while the background is on repeat. In the case of Anileap, you will watch a blue-haired girl floating in a bedroom that appears to double as a spaceship. She and her strange pet are both reading books. The art style is reminiscent of more retro (1970 - 1990) anime.

As this is a beta version of Anileap, it may end without warning. Additionally, the point of the beta stream is to test out the server, animation, and such. Because it is not the official release yet, there may be some issues that pop up in regards to the features. You will not be able to go back in the stream and listen to songs that were played earlier. As of the time of writing, songs from Shouta Aoi, Yui Horie, and Nana Mizuki have appeared.

Bandai Collectables announced a Digimon Omegamon Dynaction figure is available to pre-order. It will cost $300 and will release sometime in January 2023. The figure will come with a cloth cape and several accessories. These will include the Grey Sword, Garuru Canon, two pairs of optional shoulders and optional eyes, and Tai (Taichi) and Matt (Yamato) figures. It will also come with a display stand.

The cloth cape can be adjusted and posed freely in any direction. The figure is also capable of dynamic movement, which means it can be posed in a variety of ways. The included Tai and Matt figures are available to place on the shoulders of the Omegamon figure. Additionally, the extra Grey Sword attachment allows for people to display the hand with or without the blade.

You can take a look at the Omegamon Dynaction figure below.

[gallery columns="5" ids="931121,931122,931123,931124,931125,931126,931127,931128,931130" link="file"]

Omegamon first appeared in the Digimon Adventure movie, where protagonists Tai and Matt fought against the villainous Diaboromon. Since its initial appearance, Bandai released several pieces of merchandise featuring the iconic Digimon. This includes the Ultimate Image Omegamon X-Antibody figure. Pre-orders for that figure ended in May 2020, with its release arriving a few months later in July 2020.

Square Enix opened pre-orders for a Flare NieR: Automata 2B figure. Two versions are available, which include a standard and DX version. The standard version will cost 17,380 yen (or roughly $128). The DX version will cost 25,800 yen (or approximately $191). Pre-orders can be placed through the Square Enix e-STORE. The figure will ship on December 24, 2022.

The figure is based on a prototype by sculptor Mitsumasa Yoshiwaza, also known as Reflect. The standard version of the 2B figure comes with a display stand and features the android holding her signature sword. The DX version will come with several accessories. This will include a second face plate, which features 2B without her blindfold. Additionally, the DX version will include a Pod 042 accessory, a removable skirt attachment, and two display stands.

You can take a look at the figure below.

[gallery columns="4" ids="931109,931110,931111,931112,931113,931114,931115,931108" link="file"]

Square Enix will also release a Flare NieR: Automata A2 figure. Like the 2B figure, a standard and DX version will be available. The DX version comes with an additional weapon and additional accessories to allow for more poses.

Square Enix announced a livestream going over new information about The DioField Chronicle will appear on July 2, 2022. It will begin at 8 p.m. JST/4 a.m. PT/7 a.m. ET/1 p.m. CET. It will be available via the Wasyagana TV YouTube channel. Along with the livestream covering the latest information about The DioField Chronicle, it will also feature a first look at its gameplay. [Thanks, Gamer!]

The channel mentioned that reposting the video or making clips is strictly prohibited. However, linking to the video will be completely fine. While viewers will be given a glimpse of The DioField Chronicle gameplay, there are no specifics regarding what kind of content will be shown. This means it is unknown if there will be a new trailer or breakdown of significant story characters.

If not for Steve Blum's distinctive voice in the slick trailer for Neon White, I would have waited to see what other people thought of this flashy game that immediately made me think of Phantom Dust. But I let myself get suckered in. Blum is a siren for anime nerds like me. The moment his voice hits your eardrums, you're entranced. Which is why I am so disappointed that Neon White just isn't for someone like me.

This action game is a speed runner's dream. In fact, every single mission is presented as a string of bite-sized jobs. The better your time, the better your score and overall rank. Which is great, in theory. I get that these first jobs are all tutorials. However, the start/stop of running a level, then waiting for the next to load, pulled me out of the game. Especially when Neon White's load times took longer than the courses themselves. I thought maybe it was just me. Maybe the reason the game felt like slogging through quicksand was this genre wasn't for me. So I asked my spouse to run the tutorial section. He came back with the exact same response.

Windows PC owners can now play a new Hololive Vtuber fangame called HoloCure. Kay Yu released the first build of the free game on June 23, 2022. It is an action title in which members of Hololive En fight to save their fans. People can get it off of itch.io.

As this is an early build, not everything is implemented yet. At the moment, people can use Hololive Myth members Amelia, Gura, Ina’nis, Kiara, and Calliope, Hololive Hope member Irys, and Hololive Council members Kronii, Mumei, Sana, Fauna, and Baelz as they attempt to save their fans by fighting monsters. Each character has their own movesets and weapons. There is also a leaderboard feature, though it is temporarily turned off. This is due to the number of people playing and resulting scores data load.

Here's an initial trailer for HoloCure. In addition to Kay Yu's efforts, both DuDul and Smpletan worked on its art.

IT'S ALMOST TIME! The first demo of my Hololive fangame project will be soon available for all, free of course. If everything goes well, it will be ready sometime late June.

The first demo will include all of EN for now.

Please look forward to it~
日本語もあります！ pic.twitter.com/3MEgfjH6GV

— Kay Yu (@kaynimatic) May 31, 2022

The new JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R trailer is here, and this time Pet Shop is the star. For those unaware, Pet Shop is both an actual falcon and an ally of DIO who uses the Stand Horus. He shows up in Stardust Crusaders as the guardian of DIO’s mansion.

Here’s the full JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R trailer for Pet Shop. It directly references the events of Stardust Crusaders. In the third part of the story, Pet Shop and Iggy’s battle is quite notable. The video also shows off the various moves Horus is capable of. It uses ice-based attacks, and the video shows how that means Pet Shop can send off icicles to damage a foe.

"SKRAAAAAW"

Pet Shop is soaring into #JJASBR and ready to send icy chills down the spines of his opponents. pic.twitter.com/8mKmiXsHlU

— JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R (@jojo_games) June 27, 2022

In case you missed some of the past JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R trailers, here are other characters Bandai Namco showed off.

Nintendo’s gradually been going over some returning Splatoon 3 weapons, and the latest to show up are the blasters. These are the weapons that are designed to blast opposing players with ink. In particular, two were shown off this time. People can see how the Luna Blaster and Range Blaster will look this time.

First, here’s the Luna Blaster. It’s appeared in the series since the original Splatoon in both standard and Neo forms. A Kensa version also showed up in the sequel. It fires slightly faster than the Range Blaster.

Next is the Luna Blaster. With a rapid fire rate and explosive ink coverage, it’s great for close combat. And it's see-through! We hear the new design is so hot that it’s hard to find at stores. Our intern assures us that she didn’t walk straight past it. But it IS see-through... pic.twitter.com/Ur8wz0chbe

— Splatoon North America (@SplatoonNA) June 27, 2022

The next Splatoon 3 blaster is the Range Blaster. It showed up as a weapon in both of the original games too. It is the slower of the two weapons, but works at a greater range than the Luna Blaster.