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In the PlayStation Blog discussion of the Final Fantasy XVI hands-on session, it came up that the demo save data will carry over to the full game. Senior Specialist, Content Communications Gillen McAllister brought it up while discussing the features of Square Enix's upcoming RPG. However, the announcement only told us that detail and didn't reveal when this trial will appear. It only noted the Final Fantasy XVI demo "drops ahead of the full game’s launch." Previously, Producer Naoki Yoshida noted in an interview that we could expect the trial to appear about two weeks before the game launches.

The reveal did tease what this initial Final Fantasy XVI demo will entail. It will look at early moments from Clive's life. Part of this segment also came up during general preview sessions. This means we'll see Clive when he's younger and potentially serving as a First Shield of Rosaria to protect his brother Joshua.

Atlus shared a new Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection gameplay video, with this one basically attempting to set potential players up for success. It not only goes over existing features and tips, but also points out some of the new additions or updates present in all three games.

The video begins by showing the difficulty options. Picnic, Basic, and Expert all appear when you start the game. Picnic is specifically cited and noted to be the easiest one for people who want to focus on the installments’ stories. After that, it shows the enhanced 2D character designs and UI and 3D dungeons. From there, it shows how to create a guild and get additional quests from the local restaurant, bar, or bistro. Dungeon exploration comes up after that, though the video did cite how we can build a party of any kinds of characters we’d like. From there, the new automap option shows how it fills in floors and walls. It wraps up by showing FOEs and stronger enemies, as well as facing them by ensuring characters learn skills after leveling up.

Aniplex announced that a movie adaptation of Bocchi the Rock will appear in theaters in Japan some time in Spring 2024. Though there aren’t many details about the movie, it appears to be a compilation film. That means that it will retread episodes and events that the show has covered. We don't have a worldwide release date for it yet. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]

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Even if the movie is a recap film, there might still be some new content for fans who watched the show. For example, it might have new songs or scenes. Kerorira, who is the character designer and chief animation director, was the one who drew the key visual for the Bocchi the Rock film. It features the titular Bocchi along with the other members of Kessoku Band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKbfk7vXmc4

The announcement trailer for the Bocchi the Rock movie sounds like a normal preview for the next episode. But the girls aren’t in unison so they decide to try again. Afterwards, they announce the compilation movie.

Final Fantasy is a hallmark series within the gaming sphere, solidified as one of the longest-running RPG franchises in history. Final Fantasy XVI is the next entry that attempts to create a new tone. While its predecessor Final Fantasy XV did have a heavy action-focused combat system, FFXVI attempts to take this up a notch with a more varied combo system that is easy enough for those unsure about the gameplay to pick up. But more importantly, will Creative Business Unit 3 create a narrative as engrossing as its predecessors, allowing Final Fantasy XVI to truly stand on its own legs?

Information on the first major patch update 1.1 for Honkai Star Rail will appear on May 26, 2023. "Galactic Roaming" seems to be the title of the next patch. You can watch the stream from 7:30pm CST, which will be 4:30am PT/7:30am ET. It will be available on both YouTube and Twitch.

If the Honkai Star Rail special program follows the same pattern as Genshin Impact ones, then we will also receive gift codes. These will give rewards such as Stellar Jades. Aside from limited-time rewards, this event should tell us more about upcoming banners and events, as well as tease what’s coming next in the Honkai Star Rail storyline.

Enjoyment of a series can often depend on how successful an author is at getting you to connect with certain characters. In the case of Aka Akasaka’s manga, the stakes are high in the first volume because of how it portrays Ai Hoshino. Given the way the story goes and the parts her children Aqua and Ruby Hoshino will play over the rest of the series, it’s critical to establish why not only they love her, but we should too. It’s wonderful to see firsthand exactly how it accomplishes it.

Editor’s Note: There are Oshi no Ko volume 1 spoilers regarding Ai Hoshino below.

Before we even get to meet Ai Hoshino in Oshi no Ko volume 1, the manga kicks off by letting us see why others care so much about her. In the case of Sarina, we see the hope that she offers. Even though that young girl was sick, she was essentially able to live vicariously through the idol by watching her performances. With the doctor Gorou, there’s the initial connection due to his patient, but then we also see how he appreciates her talent.

NetEase revealed the six skins that will be available when the Angels of Death crossover event goes live in Identity V. Some of the skins will be available in the Essence (gacha). You will be able to get the Gray skin for free by completing quests though. As well, the Zack skin will be in the shop as a package.

The Angels of Death characters that will appear as skins in Identity V are:

• Cathy: Coordinator
• Danny: Professor
• Eddie: Axe Boy
• Gray: Lawyer
• Rachel: “Little Girl”
• Zack: The Ripper

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This will be the first A-tier skin for the Professor character, who debuted as a Survivor version of Evil Reptilian in 2022. Of all these skins, only the Zack skin for Ripper is an S-tier. More details about whether or not they will have unique animations will come out in the future. For reference, Perfumer’s Mio Amakura skin gave her a unique Camera Obscura effect when she uses her Euphoria. That skin was from the Fatal Frame event, which NetEase initially announced along with the Angels of Death one.

Toho Animation uploaded a second trailer for Jujutsu Kaisen season 2. Like the previous one, as well as the key visuals for the second season, it focuses on the flashback arc for Gojo and Geto. You can also hear the new opening in this trailer. It also notes the Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 release date is July 6, 2023

Sakurai Takahiro narrates the season 2 trailer, showing that rumors about his departure from the show as a result of his infidelity scandal were false. Toji is also a prominent figure in the video, with some quick scenes of his fight against Gojo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6qVieflwqs

Takehito Koyasu will voice Toji. Some of his previous roles include Jade from Tales of the Abyss and DIO in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Anna Nagase will portray Riko. In the past, Nagase appeared as Ushio Kofune in Summer Time Rendering.

Kitani Tatsuya is the singer of the opening, which is titled “Blue House.” In his comment on the Jujutsu Kaisen website, Kitani indirectly states that the song is about Suguru Geto and Satoru Gojo’s relationship. This friendship will be a key point in the flashback arc, since we will get to see what happens between them.

Like most healers and shielders in Genshin Impact, Baizhu scales off of his HP, which means that his Artifacts and weapons should improve on that. Even without improving on his Talents or having Constellations, he is a very good healer who can help to facilitate Dendro Elemental Reactions. While it’s totally possible to gear him up as a sub-DPS, his kit makes him more suited to act as a support healer.

Here are the Best Weapons Baizhu Can Use in Genshin Impact

Because Baizhu heals based on his Max HP, he can use any Catalyst that other healers such as Barbara or Kokomi can. His signature weapon, Jadefall’s Splendor, is his best weapon because its main stat is HP and it can restore Energy every time he uses his Burst. He doesn’t need to remain on-field for this either. Other weapons you can consider are:

With otome games flourishing in popularity outside Japan, it means sometimes we see a surprise release worldwide. Dormitory Love was an indie otome project. One single person by the name of Mirin did it all, then released it as a browser-based affair. Shockingly enough, it ended up localized and released worldwide on the Switch. While it’s a very barebones sort of story with only basic elements, it’s still an example of what early steps and someone’s early, solo attempts can look like.

Since its inception, League of Legends has always been about its characters. Whether that be through their kit design and what they can bring to the table regarding gameplay or what a character could contribute to world of Runeterra at large. However, Riot Games effectively succeeded at not only making League of Legends characters interesting through their unique designs, but also through individual skin lines. These skin lines are sometimes purely for aesthetic, but are also tied to totally unrelated alternate universe storylines, and have an incredible amount of production put into them. These four especially are among the best skin lines in League of Legends.

Bilgewater

[caption id="attachment_963989" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Image via Riot Games[/caption]

Despite the fact that Kaveh in Genshin Impact looks and acts like he has never held a weapon in his entire life, he fills in the DPS niche in your part. To make the most of him, you should run him with someone who can apply Hydro. This is because his kit revolves around the Bloom Elemental Reaction. Here are some weapons and artifacts you can consider on your Kaveh in Genshin Impact to take advantage of his Skill and Burst.

Here are the Best Weapons for Kaveh in Genshin Impact

As mentioned earlier, weapons you put on Kaveh should focus on the fact that most of his damage comes from Dendro Cores. The main stat that you should focus on should be either his Energy Recharge or his Elemental Mastery. Weapons that focus on the traditional DPS stats, such as ATK or Crit, will not maximize his potential.

You can consider giving him the Mailed Flower, the Makhaira Aquamarine, or the Forest  Regalia. An advantage Kaveh has is that rare or 5-star weapons are not necessary to bring out his best. Forest Regalia is free in the game through Aranara quests, and Mailed Flower was exclusive to the Windblume’s Breath event. While Elemental Mastery weapons like Mailed Flower and Makhaira Aquamarine help to increase how much damage Dendro Cores deal, the Forest Regalia is probably his best weapon. This is because its main stat is Energy Recharge, which helps him to use his Burst more, and the effect increases his Elemental Mastery when he causes a Reaction.

Though Kaveh has been present in Genshin Impact ever since HoYoVerse granted us access into Sumeru, he only became a playable character in the Version 3.6 update. As a four-star character, he will remain in the gacha even when he isn’t a pick-up character on a banner. In order to properly ascend Kaveh, you will need to have access to the Girdle of the Sands, which is the northern desert region of Sumeru.

In order to fully build Kaveh in Genshin Impact, you will need to collect these Ascension Materials:

Baizhu is a Dendro Catalyst user who can be both a healer and a shielder in Genshin Impact.  He is only available during the Immaculate Pulse Event Wish, which debuted in Version 3.6. In Genshin Impact, you usually need Ascension Materials from a character’s region, but Baizhu mostly takes items from Sumeru. So if you get him, expect to find yourself trekking through the rainforest or desert more than scaling mountains.

Here are the Ascension Materials Baizhu Needs in Genshin Impact:

Ascension 1

• 1 Nagadus Emerald Sliver
• 3 Violetgrasses
• 3 Fungal Spores
• 20,000 Mora

Ascension 2

• 3 Nagadus Emerald Fragments
• 10 Violetgrasses
• 15 Fungal Spores
• 2 Evergloom Rings
• 40,000 Mora

Ascension 3

• 6 Nagadus Emerald Fragments
• 20 Violetgrasses
• 12 Luminescent Pollens
• 4 Evergloom Rings
• 60,000 Mora

Ascension 4

• 3 Nagadus Emerald Chunks
• 30 Violetgrasses
• 18 Luminescent Pollens
• 8 Evergloom Rings
• 80,000 Mora

Ascension 5

• 6 Nagadus Emerald Chunks
• 45 Violetgrasses
• 12 Crystalline Cyst Dusts
• 12 Evergloom Rings
• 100,000 Mora

Ascension 6

Kenichi Kondo’s Dark Gathering is yet another supernatural manga involving otherworldy, demonic sorts of forces. However, there are a number of differences that set us apart. An eerily adorable young girl named Yayoi is involved in collecting ghosts, for example. Also while the protagonist Keitaro can sense spirits, he’s extremely reluctant. But what really intrigued me about the series is how it approaches sharing character motivations.

We know what Keitaro is up to right away, what with him being the protagonist and the reader directly following his adventures. The Dark Gathering manga kicks off by explaining how he was cursed, how a classmate close to him was also hurt as a result of it, and that he only just started trying to integrate into the world again upon starting college and develop more confidence in himself. He even becomes a tutor, which results in his being paired with Yayoi, in an attempt to become more social and reach out to people.

Otomate released new information for three of its upcoming Switch otome games. Cupid Parasite: Sweet & Spicy Darling, 9 R.I.P, and Wand of Fortune R2 FD: Epilogue For You are all on the way in Japan. In addition, it opened up pre-orders for Spade no Kuni no Alice ~Wonderful Black World~. Wonderful Black World is the second part of Wonderful White World. That is the eighth entry in the Heart no Kuni no Alice series. It will come out on August 3, 2023 for the Nintendo Switch in Japan.

Cupid Parasite: Sweet & Spicy Darling will come out on September 9, 2023 for the Nintendo Switch in Japan. Pre-orders are now open. This is a sequel to 2021’s Cupid Parasite and continues the story of Parasite6. This time they are holding a bachelor party, even though none of them are going to get married.

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Animate in Ikebukuro and Akihabara will sell original Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Monsters apparel and merchandise from May 27, 2023. These items are from the brand Arti-Mate, which is a collaboration between Arma Bianca and Animate. Monsters that the goods will feature include signature cards such as the Blue Eyes White Dragon and Dark Magician Girl. However, all the Yu-Gi-Oh items feature references to Yami Yugi and Seto Kaiba. [Thanks, Comic Natalie!]

Familiar motifs such as the Millennium Puzzle and Kaiba Corporation’s logo are abundant on the Yu-G-Oh clothing and merchandise. Aside from apparel, you can get items such as an Airpods case. The T-shirts are all 4950 JPY ($35.95), and the hooded jackets and hoodies are 9900 JPY ($71.90). The most expensive item is unisex stadium jacket with the Kaiba Corporation logo on the back. It costs 10,780 JPY ($78.30).

Here's a closer look at the Yami Yugi and Kaiba Yu-Gi-Oh items:
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We've gotten to spend quite a bit of time with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomnow that it's been around for a week. Granted, given it is a game that could take dozens or hundreds of hours to really master, we might not be sure how we feel about it. Not to mention so many other past installments have offered us all sorts of adventures over the year. So this week, we decided it might be a good idea for us all to share what we like best about some of our favorite The Legend of Zelda games.

One of the greatest things about the The Legend of Zelda series is that there is a game for everyone in it. For me, it also happens to be the first one I ever played as a kid. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a fantastic game, whether you play the original Game Boy version, the Game Boy Color port, or the 2019 Switch remake. There is no wrong way of experiencing one of Link's most interesting adventures. To top it all of, the soundtrack of Link's Awakening is one of the most beautiful ones I've ever heard in a video game. — Daniel

I'd say The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is probably the game I liked best. There are so many silly elements, and it all feels so lighthearted. There can be a lot of darkness in Hyrule, but tempering that with a cap that lets me turn super teeny and see the world from a whole new perspective is pretty great. -- Jenni

Nintendo promised Pokemon Scarlet and Violet would get Pokemon HOME support post-launch, and now it’s about to happen. In the near future, people will be able to access their boxes via the service and pull from the ones they already have. This will also coincide with the launch of the 3.0.0 patch for the Switch games. Also, as usual, there will be special versions of the starters for people who use the service.

May 19, 2023 Update: Nintendo announced that Pokemon HOME support won't arrive for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet on May 24, 2023. It will appear in the near future.

The official announcement noted people who use Pokemon HOME with Pokemon Scarlet or Violet get the three starters with their Hidden Abilities as Mystery Gift bonuses for doing so. This means the Fuecoco would arrive with Unaware, that Quaxly would come with Moxie, and Sprigatito would know Protean. There will be some limitations. You won’t be able to send Paldean Pokemon to other titles where they didn’t exist yet. However, characters from say Let’s Go, Pikachu or Eevee or Sword and Shield that are in the new games could be transferred.

Here's the updated announcement:

Good Smile Company revealed a new Nendoroid based on Madara Uchiha from Naruto Shippuden. This figure comes with various weapons and different faces for the Sharingan and Rinnegan eyes. It will cost ¥7,500 for buyers in Japan, with a release date set for September 2023. People in North America can pre-order it for $53.99, and it will start shipping there in Q4 2023.

This new Nendoroid from the Naruto series presents one of the Konohagakure founders with three different face plates. One features the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan looking just like when he obtained it. The other two show the Sharingan and Rinnegan eyes after being called back with the Edo Tensei.

As for the accessories, Madara will come with his Gunbai fan and scythe to recreate his iconic fighting look. There’s also a special round base with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan design as a bonus for people pre-ordering from the Good Smile Online Shop.

You can check out the Madara Uchiha Nendoroid and its accessories on the Good Smile Company site or here below.

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People are encouraged to avoid the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Chesnaught, Great Tusk, and Iron Treads Tera Raids. Nintendo announced on Twitter that there is a bug that could cause players' problems. Specifically, those who started taking part when the Paradox Pokemon raids appeared reported that not all rewards would appear, with one showing as "none," and the game crashing. It also cautioned us that if we see the three Raids in the game, to not partici

Here is the official announcement:

We have identified an issue that could result in an error after facing 5 star Great Tusk and Iron Treads raids in #PokemonScarletViolet. These Raid battles will be suspended, including Chesnaught with the Mightiest Mark. https://t.co/CqJ4jBqJKg

— Play Pokémon (@playpokemon) May 19, 2023

Capcom shared another "how to play as" character video for Street Fighter 6, and the latest one stars Ken. He's been a part of the series since the original game. The video points out how he can quickly get into an opponent's space to attack. It also pays particular attention to his Jinrai Kick.

Here's the full video, which looks at a handful of his attacks.

Ken is an aggressive character with a ton of powerful kicks to control space on the screen, and plenty of ways to rush the opponent down and overwhelm their defenses. pic.twitter.com/23IoZVHdL3

— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) May 19, 2023

The last two videos to show off how to play as certain characters starred Guile and Juri.

Sega announced the first dates for the Sonic Symphony World Tour. The show will feature orchestral arrangements of music from across the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise's soundtracks. So far dates are confirmed for London, UK and Los Angeles, CA shows.

The first performance of the Sonic Symphony World Tour will take place at the Barbican Hall in London, UK on September 16, 2023. The second performance will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, CA on September 30, 2023. These are currently the only dates announced. Sega will be producing the show alongside Soundtrec and SOHO Live. Tickets for both shows open for presale on May 25, 2023 at 10am local time. General sales open on May 26, 2023.

The tour follows on from the success of previous symphonic performances of music from Sonic the Hedgehog games' soundtracks. In June 2021, Sega held a concert over live stream to celebrate the Sonic franchise’s 30th anniversary. This was followed by a performance at the Brasil Game Show in 2022. A world tour was confirmed at the same time as this second performance, but these are the first dates announced since the show in Brazil.

The Skullgirl herself is about to join Skullgirls 2nd Encore in 2023, and Hidden Variable Games started showing off Marie. The developer is taking to Twitter to regularly share in-progress video clips. All of the Skullgirls gameplay is still in an early phase. This means there may be frames where the character art isn't finished yet. A new clip appears each day on the official Twitter at 4pm PT/7pm ET/12am BST/8am JST.

The first video shared involved a look at Marie on the character select screen.

IT'S ALMOST TIME!

Mini reveals of Marie gameplay footage start... TONIGHT!

We're trying something new with Marie and will be showing progress much earlier than before. Things will be VERY unfinished, and will likely change before final release!#Skullgirls #SkullgirlsMarie pic.twitter.com/wtBmZqxUji

— Skullgirls (@Skullgirls) May 17, 2023

The second showed her attacking Annie of the Stars with her skeletal vaccuum.

Three more classic Super Mario GBA games are coming to Nintendo Switch Online. The Game Boy Advance library will be gaining Super Mario Advance, Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 and Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3. All three games will be released on May 26, 2023.

All three titles are part of the Super Mario Advance series which brought classic 2D Mario titles to the Game Boy Advance. The first Super Mario Advance game is a remake of Super Mario Bros 2. The second and third games are remakes of Super Mario World and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island respectively. They join Super Mario Advance 4, which launched along with the GBA library earlier this year. This was a remake of Super Mario Bros 3.

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

The original versions of all three games are already in the Nintendo Switch Online library. Super Mario Bros 2 is in the NES library, while Super Mario World and Yoshi’s Island are in the SNES library. However, there are some differences in the Advance versions. All the games gained graphical improvements and a few gameplay additions. For example, Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 gained six new levels not in the original game.

All three Super Mario Advance GBA games come with a remake of the original Mario Bros arcade game.

Good Smile Company opened pre-orders for the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Mio figma, and the figure will appear worldwide in 2024. It will first show up in Japan. The release window for it there is February 2024, and it will cost ¥12,000. In North America, there's a more generic Q2 2024 releasw window and $85.99 price tag. The last time we saw it was back in February 2023, when Good Smile Company showed an unpainted prototype.

All of Mio’s face plates and accessories pull from moments in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. For example, she has a neutral, relaxed face, one with closed eyes for when she’s performing her Offseer duties, a face plate where she’s smiling, and another where she’s yelling as if during a fight. You can pose her with her hair long or short. There’s also a flute for offseeing, a diary for keeping her notes as her time approaches, and the Dual Moonblades she wields as a Zephyr.

Here's a closer look at her:
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Square Enix shared the preliminary 6.4 Final Fantasy XIV patch notes, which spend time going over some of the new story quest, sidequest, dungeon, trial, and raid details. As this is just an initial overview, not every detail is there. For example, there is information about some quests and new dungeons and trials. However, specifics for job changes and other alterations don’t come up yet. Those appear closer to launch.

The 6.4 Final Fantasy XIV patch notes start by going over details about new quests. The new Main Scenario Quests kick off with “Currying Flavor.” You’ll need to be a Disciple of War or Magic at level 90 who finished “Gods Revel, Lands Tremble” to take part. If you have, then you can visit Varshahn at Radz-at-Han (X:4.4 Y:9.8) to start it. It’s the first of nine new quests. If you beat Chronicles of a New Era’s "Truth Imperfect,” you can continue that storyline with “Eater of Souls.” People who meet the Disciple of War or Magic requirement can meet Ruissenaud at Labyrinthos (X:8.6 Y:27.5) to start the first of five new quests. There are also three new. Tataru's Grand Endeavor quests, which begin with “Aggressive Expansion.” That requires you to finish both the “previous quest in that line “Small Business, Big Dreams” and the Chronicles of a New Era one "Forever at Your Side."

Square Enix released a new Final Fantasy XVI video, and this one features Clive voice actor Ben Starr talking about the role. For the over 20 minute presentation, he sat down with Producer Naoki Yoshida and Localization Director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox to discuss the character, the story, and other things that came up during recording and the making of the game.

It begins with Starr talking about who Clive is, then goes deeper into topics such as what makes him a hero, and the character’s biggest challenge. It also goes into the actor’s specific experience, such as explaining how familiar he was with Final Fantasy as a whole before playing the role. At that part, Yoshida noted it’d help if the actors playing roles would be Final Fantasy fans. Starr noted how much weight be felt and it all carried due to his background with the story, as he knew the legacy of the crystals and said he grew up with the games. He said, “I understood the weight of it” when talking about being picked to play the role.

Here’s the full Final Fantasy XVI “Creators Make Clive” interview with Ben Starr.

Other games Starr specifically appeared in include Arknights and Quantum Break.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQo2MbHqm9Q&ab_channel=FINALFANTASY
Other games Starr specifically appeared in include Arknights and Quantum Break.

Ahead of her playable debut in Genshin Impact, HoYoVerse released a character trailer for Kirara, as well as more information about her kit. While we do know the basics of it thanks to the Version 3.7 Special Program, details about them are now available via HoYoLab. She will be a four-star Dendro Sword user hailing from Inazuma.

Her Elemental Skill Meow-teor Kick: Press can can create shield that scales off of her Max HP. It also deals AoE Dendro DMG. Holding it will transform her into an Urgent Neko Parcel, which is good for adventuring or exploring. It deals Dendro DMG when she runs into enemies. It also increases her movement and climbing speed, along with her jumping power. Her Elemental Burst, Secret Art: Surprise Dispatch, deals AoE Dendro DMG and then creates Dendro Cores (Cat Grass Cardamoms) that will explode upon contact or after a period of time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkUFz8n4rUU

Lore-wise, Kirara is a delivery girl for Komaniya Express. It is the fastest and most reliable delivery company in Inazuma. However, characters from other regions, such as Qiqi and Kaveh, make appearances in her trailer so it seems like Komaniya Express offers international shipping.

In roguelike dungeon-crawlers, we often need to worry about characters’ energy or stamina, with calorie consumption eventually eating away at their health and ending a run prematurely. Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook takes a closer look at what warriors in a labyrinth might do to survive when starvation is on the line. When you’re trapped and attempting to get out, you need to make do with the resources in front of you. That means your absolutely adorable characters end up either noshing on a corpse that just fell in battle or used their parts to make some horrifying, yet shockingly nutritious food.

In Monster Menu, every adventure starts out with a single character. Your avatar, who you can completely customize, headed into the Sealed Lands dungeon. However, it proved more dangerous and intimidating than it seemed, and now you’re stuck. After resorting to eating the corpse of a days-old monster to stave off starvation, you wind up in a camp. You can then add between one and three custom allies to your group to increase or decrease the difficulty and attempt to escape.

[caption id="attachment_964036" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]

Japanese gaming peripheral company Answer is set to release a Neon Genesis Evangelion fight stick soon. The company has partnered with esports brand EVANGELION e:PROJECT for the fight stick, which is styled after Evangelion Unit-01. It will be available to purchase at stores throughout Japan on June 1, 2023, for 32,780 yen (about $236). Pre-orders are available now on Answer’s website.

The fight stick, which is compatible with Windows 10/11 PCs as well as the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Switch, is colored black and purple. Its buttons and joystick are green, and the buttons have LEDs in them that can be turned on and off. Evangelion Unit-01 and the EVANGELION e:PROJECT logo are featured on the face plate, and it has a non-slip rubber mat on the bottom. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Check out some images of the fight stick below:

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A button on the front of the Evangelion fight stick allows for easy access to the internals, where there are color-coded wires for easy button replacement. Replacement buttons, a button replacement guide, a wire for connecting the fight stick to PCs and consoles, and a Phillips-head screwdriver can also be found inside.

The newly created official Twitter account for Macross: Shooting Insight revealed more details about the game. According to the posts, it will follow Macross 7’s Maximillian Jenius and his team of iconic pilots as they rescue songstresses from the series. Moreover, it was also confirmed that the game will come to PS5 alongside the PS4, Switch, and PC versions we already knew about.

Check out the post with story details from the official Macross: Shooting Insight Twitter account below.

https://twitter.com/MACROSS_SI/status/1659034824802435072?s=20

After a few posts in English and Japanese announcing its recent creation, the Macross: Shooting Insight shared more details about the game’s setting. The story starts by following Macross 7’s main character, Maximillian Jenius, just after the Battle 7 ship crashes in an accident where he got sent to the future.

The game will present a crossover plot featuring many of the most recognizable characters from across the franchise’s movies, manga, and tv series. More specifically, they will join together in order to rescue the series’ songstresses like Sara Nome, Ranka Lee, and Freyja Wion. On the other hand, some of the pilots confirmed are Shin Kudo, Gamlin Kizani, and Hayate Immelmann from Macross Zero, Macross 7, and Macross Delta.

Capcom announced a new Event Quest for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. In “Oooooh Shiny…?”, the goal is to hunt a Silver Rathalos in the Lava Caverns, and players must be at least MR 10. The quest is available now for players on Steam and Nintendo Switch, after they’ve installed the latest update to the game. Players on other systems will not have access to the quest yet.

https://twitter.com/monsterhunter/status/1658990399237640192

The latest Event Quest will reward players with the Arrival Pose Set, as well as additional items that can be sold for a large amount of Zenny. Capcom did not specified what these additional items will be. Players can claim the quest from the Courier in Kamura Village or Elgado Outpost by choosing the Add-On option.

It’s the latest Event Quest to be added to Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. Sometimes these quests can award new items, such as the new pose in the latest quest. Other times, Event Quests simply award points, as in the Gore Magala Event Quest in November.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is available now for the PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The latest event quest is available now, but only for PC and Switch players.

Chiyomaru Shikura, formerly the chairman and executive director of Mages, shared some information of what could have been regarding a live-action adaptation of Steins;Gate. Apparently, there had been talks of a live-action show after the anime for the game ended. The deal ended up falling through due to disagreements over the main actor. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

Shikura had been very optimistic about the live-action show, because the producer who would have handled it was someone whose work he admired. He did not name the producer or the studio that would have worked on the live-action Steins;Gate adaptation. During discussions though, the studio stated that it wanted a Johnny’s actor to play protagonist Rintaro Okabe. Shikura joked that single request caused a divergence in the timeline.

The multiplayer, online, free-to-play game Sword Art Online: Integral Factor is finally coming to the PC via Steam. Although there is no release date set for now, the Steam page is already live. Until now, the game has only been available on mobile devices.

The Steam page currently features a teaser video showcasing some of the characters you can find throughout the story, along with some screenshots. As you can see, the pictures still show the interface from the mobile version, with the attack and skill buttons showing on the screen. Moreover, the page shows that the game will be available with English, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean subtitles and interface options. However, the audio is listed only in Japanese.

Developed by Asobimo and published by Bandai Namco, Sword Art Online: Integral Factor released originally for mobile devices in 2017. It presented a retelling of the original series story where the players can affect the outcome. Just like in the anime’s first season, the player appears as a beta tester trapped in the virtual world of Aincrad just after the truth about dying in-game was revealed.

The first event in Honkai: Star Rail will take place in Boulder Town from May 19, 2023 until June 6, 2023. Boulder Town: Super League will give rewards such as Stellar Jades, Condensed Aethers, and Travelers’ Guides. The Super League will still be available after the event ends, but players will only be able to obtain first-clear rewards and not the time-limited event ones.

In order to participate in the Super League, we must be at Trailblaze Level 21 at the minimum. As well, we must complete the "Ring and Stage I," "Ring and Stage II," and "Gladiator" Adventure Missions. Basically, you need to more or less fully clear the events for Boulder Town’s Fight Club. During Super League in Honkai: Star Rail, the player undergoes five matches which consist of four matches each. The enemy line-up will be random and when you defeat them, you will gain a buff. The event version of Super League will have a timer, and you get more rewards the faster you clear the rounds.

As of the time of writing, Honkai: Star Rail is in the latter half of its launch version 1.0. The Fight Club existed in the first half though, and it played a small part in the Jarilo-VI storyline. You could also visit it as part of the Adventure Missions and fight against enemies. It’s unclear if the Super League will have its own event story or if it will pick up an existing plot thread.

PlatinumGames released the first of a new development diary series for Bayonetta 3. In this initial episode, Series Creator Hideki Kamiya, Director Yusuke Miyata, Producer Yuji Naoko and Animator Takaaki Yamaguchi reflected on the Demon Slave mechanic and the importance of dancing to Bayonetta's character.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w3axyTHbbk

In the development diary, the team first discussed the Demon Slave mechanic. According to Kamiya, the mechanic was devised before Bayonetta 3. He felt it was a good match for Bayonetta and revised it for the new game. Miyata envisioned the concept like a dolphin show, with Bayonetta as the trainer. He also fought with Kamiya over how many demons they were going to be. Kamiya wanted to keep it at five, but Miyata kept revising the number upwards, and won in the end.

Miyata also talked about getting to the essence of who Bayonetta is when designing the game. After asking around the team, the keyword “dancing” came up a lot, and he decided to implement this heavily into her moveset. Both Miyata and Yamaguchi discussed the difficulties they faced trying to incorporate dance moves into combat. Initially Bayonetta felt too light and combat didn’t feel impactful enough, so they had to keep tweaking it.

Nintendo revealed more details about the new Painbrush weapon coming to Splatoon 3. From what can be seen, this fan brush weapon appears to spread ink in wide areas at the cost of big amounts of ink. It was announced as part of the Sizzle Season 2023, along with a blaster reminiscent of the classic Super Scope peripheral for the SNES.

Take a look at a preview of how the Painbrush works from the official Splatoon Twitter account below.
https://twitter.com/SplatoonNA/status/1659182285785030656?s=20

The appearance of the new Painbrush in Splatoon 3 is meant to resemble a fan brush, while its handle looks like a palette cup. As you can see in the video, attacks with this brush will always start with a slow initial swing which are followed by much faster ones. Moreover, just like other brush weapons, you can run holding the brush against the floor by pressing ZR.

Unlike previous brush weapons, this variation is designed for a longer range at the cost of a slower start-up. More importantly, the preview also shows that you can splat enemies with just about two direct hits. However, these attacks seem to be quite draining when it comes to ink usage, as the ink-tank reserve reduces swiftly with each strike.

As for the add-ons, the Painbrush will come equipped with a Curling Bomb as the sub-weapon and a Wave Breaker for the special. This makes for a playstyle more focused on fast, head-on movement with the long narrow strokes and the paths left by the Curling Bomb.

Pre-orders for Tales of Festival 2023 merchandise based on the series' games and characters are open from May 18-28, 2023. This festival is slightly different from some of the previous ones, as it’s the 15th anniversary of the event. There are three categories of merchandise that you can choose from. You can pre-order character goods (character-specific items), event goods, and special goods.

For the character goods, you can buy a “phone tab” (a clear cardholder for character goods that you can attach to our phone to show off who you stan), acrylic stands, acrylic stickers, acrylic coasters, towels, fans, and keyholders. Each game will have two to three characters that are featured. For example, you can get goods of Veigue or Claire from Rebirth, and Kohak or Hisui from Hearts.  As a note, only games starting from Tales of Destiny 2 have character goods.

[caption id="attachment_963992" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Image via Asobi Store[/caption]

FuturLab and Square Enix announced both paid and free updates for PowerWash Simulator would take us to new places, and the next one is a paid piece of SpongeBob SquarePants Special Pack DLC. The add-on will arrive in Summer 2023. When it does, it will cost $7.99.

An initial trailer appeared, acting as a vague teaser, It shows that as PowerWash Simulator employees, we will be under the sea when cleaning up Bikini Bottom in the SpongeBob SquarePants Special Pack DLC. The video teases the new character model, which falls in line with the character style from the series.

The official announcement also included six maps based on locations from the show. People can visit the following places and clean them up.

• Bikini Bottom Bus
• Conch Street
• Invisible Boatmobile
• Krusty Krab
• Mermalair
• Patty Wagon

There are also two screenshots:
[gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="963985,963984" link="file"]