Siliconera

Nintendo has added three new games to its Nintendo Switch Online classic lineup, including Kirby's Avalanche for the SNES and Daiva Story 6: Imperial of Nirsartia for the NES. Fighter's History for the SNES is also available. All three games are available for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.

Kirby's Avalanche is a puzzle game released back in 1995 for the SNES. The game is known as Kirby's Ghost Trap in Europe and is a puzzle game featuring Puyo Puyo mechanics. In fact, the game is a western adaptation of Japan's Super Puyo Puyo, with the game's Puyo Puyo characters replaced with characters from Kirby. Notably, it is the only game in the Kirby series not to receive a Japanese release.

Fighter's History was originally an arcade fighting game, which later received a port to the SNES in 1994. Data East developed the game as well as the sequels that followed. Capcom later sued Data East for infringing on its copyright of Street Fighter II, due to its similarities. The court ruled in favor of Data East, noting that Capcom's copyright did not apply to martial stances, kicks, or punches.

Cloud Strife is the best-dressed person in Final Fantasy VII Remake, and that's about to translate to the real world. Square Enix announced a new Play Arts Kai Cloud Dress Version figure. It's based on Cloud's dolled-up look from Final Fantasy VII Remake's Wall Market segment.

In the segment, Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith infiltrate the lawless, decadent paradise of Midgar's Sector 6 Slums area. Their objective to interrogate local hedonist/crime boss Don Corneo is complicated by the Don's love of his "brides". Cloud is forced to dress the part, with the help of Aerith and the people of the Market, giving rise to the iconic Cloud Dress Version costume.

The Play Arts Kai Cloud Dress Version figure is patterned after a specific look Cloud adopts to get close to Don Corneo. In the game, Cloud's dress design is determined by the side quests the player completes while in the area. Completing no side quests puts Cloud in a basic black dress. Doing quests massage purveyor Madam M unlocks a lavender gown with white frills. However, Chocobo Sam's side quests unlock the dress the figure takes its inspiration from. The figure thus wears saloon girl outfit with a tight bodice and thin sleeves. The color scheme is more purple-and-blue than black-and-blue this time, though.

Check out some photos of the Cloud Dress Version Play Arts Kai figure in the gallery.

[gallery columns="4" ids="932526,932527,932528,932529" link="file"]

During a Q&A between the Persona 5 Royal team and Persona Channel, one of the answers revealed that owners of the PlayStation 4 version of the game will not be eligible for a free or discounted upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version. Even if you own the game on the PS4, you will have to purchase the PS5 version at full price. Other questions on the form are in regards to the game itself.

Those familiar with the game from when it initially came out in 2019 may already know these answers. You do not need to play other games in the Persona series or the original Persona 5 in order to play Persona 5 Royal. There is a new third-semester storyline after the main plot, as well as new characters Takuto Maruki and Kasumi Yoshizawa. There are also new mechanics such as the Thieves Den.

A Blu-ray box, including the soundtrack, of Fate/Extra Last Encore will come out on December 14, 2022. It will include both the Japanese and English audio tracks, as well as English subtitles. This is a separate release from the existing Blu-ray box set, which does not come with the soundtrack. It will cost 27,500 JPY, which is approximately $199.35. [Thanks, Comic Natalie!]

Wada Arco, who provided the original character designs for the Fate/Extra continuity of works, drew the illustration for the box. There will also be two CDs in the soundtrack, with artwork from SHAFT, which is the animation studio behind Fate/Extra Last Encore. It will also include new remixes that were not in the original show. Additionally, Aniplex released two commercials – one for the Blu-ray box and one for the soundtrack – though you can only view them if you are in Japan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF8uQSxlWJ0&t

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-iKEfziQyI&t

Konami has opened pre-registration for a new Yu-Gi-Oh! mobile game. Yu-Gi-Oh Cross Duel is billed as a brand-new experience involving up to four players at a time. The pre-registration campaign promises rewards for all players based on the number of pre-registrations received. Players can pre-register at this page.

Check out a trailer for the game below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jQPX2sF97A&t

Yu-Gi-Oh! Cross Duel is distinct from other Yu-Gi-Oh! titles in that it focuses on four-player battling. Each player in the match will have some of their card slots linked to those of their opponents on either side and across. As in other iterations of Duel Monsters, players will summon monsters and use spells to battle the other duelists. A four-player cooperative mode will pit all four players against a single extremely tough set of monsters. Finally, a more relaxed single-player mode rearranges the structure into a two-on-two setup. Multiplayer lobbies also support up to 32 players.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Cross Duel features 3D graphical rendering for all the game's summoned monsters, as well as ways to customize and unlock their skills for deck-building. Single-player modes will team players up with partners from the anime and manga series. Players can win their partners' trust through cooperation, improving their performance and earning rewards.

Square Enix will release a 1/4 scale Masterline statue of 2B from NieR: Automata based on her 2P alternate color scheme. The statue will have an approximate height of 52.2 cm or 21.7 inches. It will cost over 100,000 yen in Japan and over $1,000 in the U.S.

The statue's package will come with an alternate head. One of them will show 2B's full face, while the other will have a white eye cover. The owner will be able to swap the heads to their liking.

This figure will appear first in December 2022 in Japan, where it costs 121,000 yen. The item is also available for pre-order in North America with a price tag of $1,150 and an April 2023 release window.

[gallery columns="4" link="file" ids="932496,932495,932494,932493"]

The high price tag reflects the statue's larger size and greater detail than other 2B figures and statuettes revealed previously. In June 2022, Square Enix revealed Flare's eleven-inch 2B figure that costs under $200. The company also shipped seven-inch-tall statuettes of NieR: Automata's 2B in her regular and 2P colors in early 2022.

Nihon Falcom has published new Kuro no Kiseki II - Crimson Sin screenshots that show many characters appearing in the latest RPG entry. A majority of the characters shown will return from the prequel, but the company also included a couple of new characters in the mix.

The new character information screenshots include Aaron Wei, Feri Al-Fayed, Quatre Salision, Risette Twinings, and Judith Ranster. These five characters were part of the main cast of the first Kuro no Kiseki.

Falcom also shared screenshots that confirm the combat appearances of Aaron, Feri, Risette, and Judith. The latter's screenshot shows that Judith will fight with her other identity as the phantom thief Grimcats. Out of the eight main party members from the first game, only the veteran martial artist Bergard Zeman has yet to appear in Crimson Sin as of this writing.

[gallery columns="4" ids="932465,932466,932468,932467" link="file"]

The screenshots also revealed more returning characters that will be playable in Crimson Sin. Besides Renne Bright and Shizuna Rem Misurugi, the Central Intelligence Department René Kincaid and Feri's elder brother Kasim Al-Fayed will also be available as playable characters.

As promised by its President, Square Enix has stepped a bit further into its plans to explore NFTs, cryptocurrency, and blockchain-related technologies. While the company previously sold NFTs of relatively obscure properties like Million Arthur, the newest move incorporates one of its most beloved brands: Final Fantasy. A new figure, the Bring Arts Cloud Strife, includes NFTs with every purchase.

Debuting on the Square Enix store, Bring Arts Cloud Strife is a new Final Fantasy VII-based action figure. Unlike other Cloud Strife figures, this new Bring Arts Cloud Strife is directly patterned after the character's appearance in Final Fantasy VII. Cloud's face and hair have a more anime-like appearance and simpler shapes. His clothes are brighter, and the accessories chunkier than the more realistically-sized version seen in FFVII Remake.

Check out some pictures of the figure in the gallery.

[gallery columns="4" ids="932483,932484,932485,932486" link="file"]

Live A Live, developed by Square Enix and published by Nintendo, is a JRPG variety pack. In both its original and remade forms, it offers a collection of digestible tales, each enjoyable in a few hours. It shows a new, valuable use for the “HD-2D” approach, and in many ways sets a template for future remakes. And yet? It’s still very much its own peculiar thing as well.

Prehistory

In this tale, you play the rule of a rather rude little cave boy, using smell to navigate and generally trying to accomplish tasks and communicate without language. Instead of text, this chapter uses images, grunts and gestures to tell you things, and it’s intentionally a bit tough. It adds to the atmosphere, certainly, but it’s also one you probably don’t want to play first as you learn how the game does things. But hey, you could play chronologically and run into it first, we suppose!

The Prehistory chapter makes it especially apparent, but the whole game is largely steered by the minimap and its orange dot. This is a game that would be largely aimless without it, as it doesn’t always explain what you need to do next in any other fashion. And it’s a clear upgrade from the Super Famicom original, which really extended its game time by making players fumble around. Of course, now? Now it does feel like it’s guiding you perhaps to a fault.

Capcom revealed some of the planned content coming with the first free title update for Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak. Specifically, Capcom plans to add a new armor upgrade system as part of the endgame Anomaly Research quests. The new armor upgrade system will allow players to further strengthen their armor sets by adding new skills and modifying elemental resistance stats.

Editor's Note: Minor Spoilers for the ending and post-game content for Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak

Once players defeat the final boss of the Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak expansion, a series of new quests will be unlocked. These Anomaly Research Quests pit hunters against stronger Afflicted variants of previous monsters. Completing these quests allows hunters to collect Anomaly Tickets, which were previously limited to crafting the game's strongest weapons.

That is set to change with the next free title update. Two new posts from the Monster Hunter Twitter accounts reveal that Capcom will add a new mechanic it calls Qurious Crafting. Included images indicate that Qurious Crafting will allow for greater improvement to existing armor. Unlike standard Armor Sphere upgrades, however, Qurious Crafting will augment each armor piece's resistance stats, and could even add new skills.

https://twitter.com/monsterhunter/status/1549703533058039808?s=20&t=LOPjjq4BxOxGWkIvWpAf5g

Shueisha will compile six chapters of Shokugeki no Sanji into a tankobon that will come out on August 4, 2022. The trio behind Shokugeki no Soma, or Food Wars, worked on the book. It is unknown if more chapters will appear in the future. Yuto Tsukuda wrote the story, Shun Saeki provided illustrations, and Yuki Morisaki contributed recipes.

https://twitter.com/Eiichiro_Staff/status/1549227645124022274

Chapters take place within the One Piece canon timeline, with some familiar faces making cameos. They originally appeared as one-shots, with the first having appeared in 2018. Chapters would release in Weekly Shonen Jump alongside new chapters of the actual One Piece manga.

Shokugeki no Sanji will have 234 pages and will cost 506 JPY, which is approximately $3.70. It is currently unclear if an English publisher will license the book for localization. There will also be a digital version of the book in Japanese, which will also come out on August 4, 2022.

With the release of Endling: Extinction is Forever on July 19, 2022, HandyGames uploaded an animated release trailer to the company’s YouTube channel. The trailer is just over a minute long and gives an idea of what the game is about, as well as the general atmosphere and theme.

Endling places the player in the shoes (paws?) of a mother fox. The last mother fox on Earth, in fact. You have three cubs that you need to protect, care for, and teach in order for them to survive. Due to the hostile environment, you must also keep them safe from natural and man-made enemies However, you only have a limited amount of time to do so each day before things become too dangerous. Losing the litter could spell extinction for the species. As you raise the cubs and teach them lessons, they can learn new skills and develop distinct personalities. Some of them may have certain preferences and fears you must work around.

Since the reason behind the world’s state is pollution as a result of human activities, the game has an eco-conscious message. This game is the first from its developer, Herobeat Studios. The website, as well as sales pages for Endling, also note that environmentalism is what the game is ultimately about.

You can watch the release trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZY0Gw70gzU

Touhou Danmaku Kagura, a rhythm game based on the popular Touhou series, is shutting down. Developer UnknownX announced the shutdown during a livestream event on July 18, 2022. The game itself will shut down on October 28, 2022, about fourteen months after its August 4, 2021 launch. It never received an international release.

You can see the announcement itself here at about the 1:22 timestamp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qihelj8eoeM

Twitter user @DanmakuEN, a fan-run news account focused on Touhou Danmaku Kagura, posted translated screenshots of the announcement. These included messages from UnknownX Vice-President Tomohiro Ueda, and Commander-in-Chief Jyunya. The messages thanked players for their support, and explained some of the reasoning behind the decision. Though over 5 million players downloaded the game since its launch, sales ended up "far below" forecasted levels. Despite attempts to boost sales via promotions and updates, things didn't turn around. A plan to continue service at a "greatly reduced" level was ultimately rejected, as it would not match the level of service desired. UnknownX also thanked Touhou Project creator ZUN.

https://twitter.com/DanmakuEN/status/1549013408455876610

In the meantime, players can continue to enjoy Touhou Danmaku Kagura until its end. UnknownX will continue to add new songs, characters and cards, and run scheduled events.

Just four months following the initial announcement, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana on PS5 has a proper release date. That date, according to publisher NIS America, is November 15, 2022 in North America. Europe gets its version on November 18, 2022, and Oceania gets its on November 25, 2022.

In addition to the PS5 port, NIS America is also selling a limited edition physical release of Ys VIII. The physical edition is available via NIS America's online store. It contains an art book, a "Journal of Adol Christin" book, a soundtrack of "Seiren Songs", a steelbook case, and a 24" x 17" poster of the game. Check out pre-order options at this page.

NIS America also uploaded a story trailer for Ys VIII on PS5 to promote the release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brhfKfwtNH0

The story trailer shows off the graphics as seen in Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana for PS5. Environmental and character models remain largely the same as seen in earlier releases of the game. The story is also unchanged. Longtime Ys protagonist Adol Christin is shipwrecked on the cursed Isle of Seiren, after his passenger ship is sunk. He's also haunted by dreams from the past, of a mysterious girl named Dana Iclucia. Adol must survive the island's dangers, as well as explore the mystery behind the stranding of both Adol and his fellow castaways.

Tekken: Bloodline, Netflix's animated take on the hit fighting game series, opens on August 18, 2022. That's the reveal from the show's latest trailer, uploaded to Netflix's official YouTube channel.

Check it out below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6-donCAnCc

Tekken: Bloodline appears to function as an origin story of sorts for Jin Kazama, son of Tekken icon Kazuya Mishima and Jun Kazama. Jin first appeared in Tekken 3 and quickly took his place as one of the main characters of the series alongside his father and Heihachi Mishima, his grandfather.

The Tekken: Bloodline trailer shows a Jin haunted by the loss of his mother to Ogre. He approaches Heihachi to learn Mishima-style karate. He meets characters like Paul Phoenix, Nina Williams, King, and other Tekken alumni. The trailer even sets up a battle between Jin and Leroy Smith, who first appeared in Tekken 7. This encounter would mark the first chronological point in which Leroy appears in the Tekken storyline.

Capcom will release new eau de toilette perfumes designed after characters from The Great Ace Attorney in Japan. The new perfumes will be available for sale physically at Capcom Stores in Tokyo and Osaka on July 22, 2022.

Each perfume will be contained in a 10ml bottle and have a different set of ingredients inspired by the character it represents.

• Ryunosuke Naruhodo: Citrus, Gardenia, Leather, Ylang Ylang, Cinnamon
• Kazuma Asogi: Cassis, Lavender, Black Pepper, Amber
• Herlock Sholmes: Spirit, Leafy Green, Floral, Amber
• Barok van Zieks: Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Musk, Vetiver, Leather

Capcom will split the perfumes into two separate sets consisting of Ryunosuke and Kazuma, and Herlock and Barok. Each set will be available for 4,620 yen (~$33.50). The company also put the items up on Parco Online Store, but online stocks for both sets sold out just a few hours after going on sale.

Kotobukiya will be selling figures of the male and female Traveler from Genshin Impact. While pre-orders are not yet open, the company announced that the figures will be available for pre-order in the "near future." The figures are 1/7 scale. Kotobukiya has not announced an official price for either figure.

The 1/7 scale figures recreate both versions of the Traveler protagonist character from Genshin Impact. Aether, the male version, and Lumine, the female version, are twin siblings that travel the universe. At the beginning of the game, players are required to choose one of the characters as the protagonist.

Notably, the figures are based on each character's character card design. Aether, with his arm outstretched, wields his sword and wears a flowing cape. Lumine wields the same sword and wears her white dress. Both figures feature intricate details, such as Aether's earrings, Lumine's floral hairpins, and various metal buckles and accessories. Furthermore, each figure comes with its own stand resembling the terrain of the game's starting area, with a wooden signpost, fences, and grass.

You can get a better look at each Genshin Impact Traveler figure in the screenshots below:

[gallery ids="932418,932419,932420" link="file"]

The first in-development images of Yakuza 8 appeared in a recent office tour video, confirming the return of a few key characters. The video appeared on the YouTube channel of Japanese YouTuber and celebrity Mikuru Asakura, who visited the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio offices in order to discuss a cameo in the upcoming game. Additionally, the video showed how the company performed motion capture for its games. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

The video starts with Asakura meeting with the CEO of Sega Sammy Holdings, Haruki Satomi. After discussing whether Asakura would be interested in appearing as a cameo character, Yakuza 8 producer Masayoshi Yokoyama gave him a tour of the studio's offices. Notably, the office tour offered fans a glimpse at the studio's development process, from character modeling to motion capture.

Towards the beginning of the tour, we can see several developers working on environments, character animations, and event scenes. One event scene featured Yakuza: Like a Dragon protagonists Ichiban Kasuga, Koichi Adachi, and Yu Nanba. Yokoyama added that footage of the event scene had never been released to the public before. Interestingly, Kasuga appears to have a new hairstyle and is only wearing a tanktop.

You can check out the Yakuza 8 images in the video below (images appear around the 9:58 mark):

https://youtu.be/5BZpiZ3HrCA

Travis Touchdown will touch down on PC this October. XSEED Games confirmed that No More Heroes 3 lands on PC and PlayStation and Xbox consoles on October 11, 2022. The ports were announced back in April 2022.

The No More Heroes 3 PC and console release comes about 14 months after its debut on the Nintendo Switch.

Check out a release date trailer below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itdHpJ3TVio

The PlayStation and Xbox editions of No More Heroes 3 on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S will also be available in a special "Day 1" limited physical edition. The Day 1 pack includes the game on disc, a 70-page art book, a commemorative Santa Destroy "Moe~" license plate, and a CD with 22 songs from the soundtrack. The box and outer box are decorated with new illustrations by series artist Yusuke Kozaki.

Check out a preview shot of the pack below.

exA-Arcadia has announced the release date for Touhou Perfect Sakura Fantastica. The shoot 'em up game will appear in Japanese arcades on July 28, 2022. The arcade port will also have new features that did not exist in the original PC release.

Perfect Sakura Fantastica will be the first Touhou arcade game to be officially released and approved by series creator Jun'ya "ZUN" Oota. This title will also be an arcade port of the PC game Touhou Makuka Sai ~ Fantastic Danmaku Festival Part II, which in turn is loosely based on ZUN's Touhou Youyoumu ~ Perfect Cherry Blossom.

The arcade shoot 'em up game will have new audio features not present in the PC version. It will have a newly arranged soundtrack from veteran composer Keishi Yonao. Sakura Fantastica will also have full Japanese voiceovers. Prominent voice actresses such as Ayaka Suwa and Kanae Ito will voice all four playable characters and eight bosses that appear in this entry.

Nintendo has confirmed the global closure date of the 3DS and Wii U eShops. In mid-February 2022, the company announced that it would close the legacy platform eShops in late March 2023. A new update to the announcement page reveals that the stores will close in the West on March 27, 2023, and in Japan on March 28, 2023.

In the West, Nintendo will no longer let users add funds after August 29, 2022, and purchase anything after March 27, 2023. Nintendo's Japanese website provided a more exact time for the shop closures in the country. Adding funds will no longer be possible in Japan on August 30, 2022, at 1:30 PM JST. The 3DS and Wii U eShops will close in Japan on March 28, 2023, at 9 AM JST, which would be equal to midnight in UTC.

A Japanese Kabuki show will retell the story of Final Fantasy X. Square Enix is working with TBS to hold the Kabuki theater show. It will take place at IHI Stage Around Tokyo in Toyosu in Spring 2023.

Kikunosuke Onoe V will be the star of the Kabuki show. The actor will also handle the show's planning and direction. Final Fantasy X producer Yoshinori Kitase also commented how Onoe brought the project to him with much enthusiasm. The cast list will also include more actors like Shido Nakamura II and Matsuya Onoe II.

IHI Stage Around Tokyo has published a teaser trailer for the Final Fantasy X Kabuki show on its YouTube channel. It shows that the large stage background will feature scenic locations from the original game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJb5sZm8yo

The trailer description also noted that this Kabuki show will help celebrate the Final Fantasy series' 35th anniversary. Square Enix had announced more celebrations for the anniversary, such as Uniqlo t-shirts and the Distant Worlds world tour concert. The latter will take place in many countries, from Japan in August 2022 to the U.S. in March 2023.

PlatinumGames has hired Takao Yamane, the former Managing Director of Nintendo of Europe, as the company's new Chief Business Officer. In a teaser video for an upcoming interview with Famitsu magazine, Yamane noted that his joining would mark a "significant" change for PlatinumGames. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

Yamane is a popular figure within the Japanese video game industry. Before joining PlatinumGames, Yamane worked at Nintendo for over 27 years, holding various high-level positions during his tenure. This included serving as Vice President of Nintendo France until 2007, as well as Managing Director of Sales at Nintendo of Europe for 18 years.

When asked why he decided to join PlatinumGames, Yamane stated that he felt required in order for Hideki Kamiya and Atsushi Inaba "to make their dreams become reality." In the teaser video, Yamane gave Project GG, a project PlatinumGames originally teased in 2020, as an example. Furthermore, Yamane noted that the game was "incredible," with Kamiya hinting at some sort of new direction for the company's creative projects.

https://twitter.com/platinumgames_j/status/1549229014354886658?s=20&t=kDIX9GpvL7zVc-OK5pQkng

Cover has started selling Hololive Error the Game: Complete Edition online. The paid game tells a new horror story different from the free game that appeared in January 2022. People can visit the Hololive Production Official Shop to purchase the game digitally or physically.

The physical Special Set is available for 8,000 yen or $54. In addition to a physical game copy, the set will contain an art and design collection book, a group photo acrylic panel, and four selfie photo postcards.

The Special Set is only available for a limited time. Cover will close orders for it on August 22, 2022, at 18:00 JST (5 AM ET). It will produce sets based on the number of orders received and ship them between mid-November and December 2022.

Players who only want to access the new Hololive Error game can purchase the standalone digital game for 1,000 yen or $7. The standalone game will still be purchasable after the Special Set order period has closed. However, Cover noted that it may cease sales of the game without prior notice.

Tamashii Nations will expand its line of premium action figures with a new Imagination Works release. After two Dragon Ball figures, Bandai is tapping the One Piece vein. That vein will yield Imagination Works Luffy, the 3rd figure in the line and first from One Piece. Revealed back in January, the finalized figure will go on sale in August 2022.

Like the Goku and Vegeta figures in the line, Imagination Works Luffy is built to 1/9 scale. That makes him a bit larger than the more common 1/12 scale. That said, a bigger scale leaves more room for detail and suits flourishes like cloth accessories. After all, flourishes are on-brand for Imagination Works. Tamashii Nations describes the brand identity as "a new pinnacle" of poseable action figures.

Imagination Works Luffy appears as he does in the later chapters of One Piece, following the time skip and well into the Wano Country story arc. The figure wears an outfit that matches Luffy's look as he and his allies ready for battles in Onigashima.

Check out some pictures of the figure in the gallery or on the product page.

[gallery ids="932353,932354" link="file"]

A character from Triangle Strategy will appear in Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent. The collaboration between Square Enix's titles will commence in the mobile game's Japanese release on July 28, 2022.

Square Enix has not specified which Triangle Strategy character will appear in Champions of the Continent. However, it has published a silhouette that looks like Serenoa Wolffort, the protagonist of the Nintendo Switch strategy RPG. All existing players will obtain this character for free. The character will appear as a 3-star character, and players will be able to raise them to a 5-star grade.

A new Japanese official live stream for Champions of the Continent will air on July 25, 2022, at 20:00 JST (7 AM ET). It will reveal more details on the Triangle Strategy collaboration content. The event will also come with a special game board that shows a different story ending based on the player's chosen route.

Triangle Strategy characters will add more to the Octopath Traveler mobile game's in-house collaborations. In March 2022, Square Enix temporarily added NieR: Automata's 2B, 9S, and A2 as guest characters that players could recruit for a limited time.

Kotobukiya will produce and release a new figure modeled after Renne Bright from Nihon Falcom's The Legend of Heroes series. The company has yet to show a prototype of the character, who debuted in Trails in the Sky SC. However, it used Renne's image from Trails Into Reverie when it made the announcement.

Renne Bright will be the fifth character from Nihon Falcom's Trails series to have a figure made by Kotobukiya. The company has previously released figures of Altina Orion and Rean Schwarzer from the Trails of Cold Steel series. In February 2022, it announced new figures based on Rixia Mao and Crow Armbrust's appearances in Trails Into Reverie.

The announcement page for the Renne Bright figure also shows new images of unpainted prototypes for Rixia's and Crow's figures. One of the images of Crow's figure puts him side-by-side with a finished Rean Schwarzer figure.

[gallery ids="932334,932335,932336" link="file"]

The female version of Terry Bogard that debuted in SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy will appear as a figure. Kotobukiya has published a new page for the Terry Bogard Bishoujo Statue on its website. The immovable 1/7 scale PVC figure will be available for sale in Spring 2023.

Kotobukiya had previously announced plans to produce a figure of SNK Heroines' Terry Bogard at the December 2021 MegaHobby Expo. Back then, the company only showed Shunya Yamashita's illustration of the character. The new webpage shows a painted prototype of the figure. However, Kotobukiya also noted that the final product may look different. It is still awaiting approval from SNK as the character's licensor.

[gallery columns="2" ids="932324,932323" link="file"]

The female Terry Bogard is the second character to have a figure in Kotobukiya's SNK Bishoujo lineup. The first figure featuring Mai Shiranui will release in August 2022 in Japan. Kotobukiya will also produce at least two more figures based on SNK's female characters. Athena Asamiya will be the next character to have a figure.

Cover Corp has announced the debut of Hololive English Tempus and the establishment of its new HOLOSTARS English branch. The new branch marks the company's first foray into an English-speaking HOLOSTARS group. The group consists of four new members who will debut on July 22 and 23, 2022.

Hololive English Tempus will consist of four members: Axel Syrios, Regis Altare, Noir Vesper, and Magni Dezmond. Tempus is the name of a fictional Adventurer's Guild and popular pub. Regis is the founder of the guild. Magni serves as the guild's publicist, Axel is the chief of human resources, and Noir is the academic advisor and an arch-scholar at the Grand Library.

Below is the debut schedule for each member of Hololive Tempus:

Starting from the fourth episode of RWBY: Ice Queendom, the show will start to tell its own story. To reflect this, there is a new key visual and trailer. The trailer shows Shion Zaiden, who is a Nightmare Hunter exclusive to the anime version of RWBY. Episode 4 will air on July 24, 2022. [Thanks, Comic Natalie!]

[gallery columns="1" ids="932295" link="file"]

The trailer, which is just over a minute long and is the third for RWBY: Ice Queendom, shows Ruby, Blake, and Yang on a mission to save Weiss from a dream world. She is in the dream world because a Nightmare has trapped her in it, and the only way to get her out is to go inside of her mind to defeat it. After Shion sends them in, there are a few shots of Weiss fighting Blake on the basis of Blake being a Faunus. This seems to be based on a similar conflict between the two characters in the original show.

You can watch the third RWBY: Ice Queendom trailer here:

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

Hiroyuki Asada also provided the end card for episode 3. Asada is the Japanese manga artist behind Tegami Bachi, or Letter Bee. According to Asada, he felt that Shion is similar to his usual art style, and thus drew her.

[gallery columns="1" ids="932293" link="file"]

Japanese actor and voice artist Jun Shison will portray Kurama in the live-action Netflix adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho. This news comes a day after the initial reveal of live-action Yusuke, whom Takumi Kitamura of Tokyo Revengers will portray. An image released alongside the announcement gives us a look at what Kurama will look like in the show. We can see his signature red hair and Chinese-inspired outfit. [Thanks, Comic Natalie!]

[gallery columns="1" ids="932289" link="file"]

Previous live-action roles from Shison include Masa in The Way of the Househusband and Atsumu “Yukiatsu” Matsuyuki in Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day. He also voiced protagonist Hibiki in Bubble, starring alongside voice actor veterans such as Mamoru Miyano and Yuki Kaji.

Shison states that he's been a fan of Yu Yu Hakusho since his student years and was surprised he got the part. While he is happy, he also feels immense pressure because of how many Kurama fans there are. He also states that he thinks the reason Yu Yu Hakusho remains so popular is because of the character dynamics. While everyone fights for their own reasons, they hold respect for each other and fight for each other, which is something everyone in any country or generation can relate to.

Pokemon nerds, listen up: The Pokemon Company is looking for an archivist to create an “internal The Pokemon Company International Company Archive and Museum.” As the archivist, your job will be to develop a company archive to catalog all pieces of lore, both in-game and out. This will include all eight (nine, if you include Scarlet and Violet) generations of games and span around 1,000 species of Pokemon. [Thanks, Vice!]

The Pokemon archivist will need to create both physical and digital archives. They will also need to provide a “descriptive metadata schema” so that others can search through them. This data bank will encompass the games, anime, movies, and trading card game. Since this is a “museum,” the archivist will need to acquire “artifacts” such as cards. You likely will not need to include all of the Pokemon-related goods or jewelry that other companies have released. Lastly, you will have to create a security protocol.

Yostar and Nexon are celebrating 18 months in operation for the mobile RPG Blue Archive. To commemorate the "1.5 Year Anniversary" milestone, animation studio Yostar Pictures created a special Blue Archive anime short. The short stars a number of popular characters from the game's roster having a swimsuit-clad firefight in the middle of a crowded shopping mall.

Check it out below. English subtitles are available via the closed captions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5wNrdOMrNg

The 9-minute Blue Archive anime short features no less than 23 playable students from the game's roster. On the Japanese are about 81 playable chraracters (not including variants of existing ones). Serika, Nonomi, Hoshino, Shiroko, and Ayane from Abydos High School are seen shopping for a summer outing at the mall. They encounter Izuna, Mimori, Tsubaki, Chise, Shizuko, and Kaede of the Allied Hyakkiyako Academy, and try out some swimsuits. They also encounter students from Gehenna Academy's Prefect Team (Hina, Ako, Chinatsu, and Iori) and Gourmet Research Society (Junko, Izumi, Haruna, and Akari). Even Trinity's Make-Up Work Club (Azusa, Hifumi, Hanako, and Koharu) gets involved once the bullets start flying.

Takumi Kitamura has been cast as Yusuke Urameshi, the protagonist of the upcoming live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho. Kitamura previously portrayed protagonist Takemichi Hanagaki in the live-action movie of Tokyo Revengers, which was the highest grossing Japanese film in 2021. There has been no information as of yet in regards to the other members of the main four. [Thanks, ANN!]

[gallery columns="1" ids="932273" link="file"]

Comic Natalie has provided a cast interview with Kitamura in regards to his casting as Yusuke in Yu Yu Hakusho. He states that he thought it was a joke and laughed when he found out he got the role. He also notes that Yu Yu Hakusho is a historical work that serves as the root of Japanese pop culture. In regards to the character, Kitamura hints that this adaptation of Yusuke may be darker than the original depiction in the manga.

With the summer heat rising, it's time to cool off with the Multipurpose Humanoid Decisive Weapon Evangelion Unit-01. The Toei Movie Village theme park has opened up a Neon Genesis Evangelion-themed water park event as of July 16, 2022. The full title of the attraction is “Splash! Evangelion Kyoto Base 2022.” It will consist of two Angels hosing guests with water cannons. Participants will use items like “Eva Ponchos” and “A.T.F. Shields” in order to protect themselves from the spray. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm1a-qs318g

Along with Angels, there will also be a 15-meter tall Evangelion Unit-01 statue present. For those who want some refreshments at the park, Toei Movie Village will offer shaved ice that comes in an appropriately Evangelion-themed cup. It will look like Evangelion Unit-01 forcing its way through an A.T. Field. Each shaved ice will cost 2500 JPY (approximately $18.05).

[gallery columns="2" ids="932267,932268" link="file"]

The Evangelion water park will run at irregular intervals throughout summer. It will be open every weekend from July 16 to September 3, 2022. The exception is July 23 to August 14, in which it will be open every day. You can purchase a rain poncho that resembles Evangelion Unit 01 for 3,480 JPY ($25.15 USD). The kids’ size is 2,480 JPY (about $17.90 USD). As for the A.T.F. Shield, it costs 1000 JPY, which is about $7.20 USD.

[gallery columns="2" ids="932269,932270" link="file"]

The first expansion for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is coming on July 20, 2022, and it's time for Jack to take on the Warrior of Light. Square Enix and Team Ninja revealed a detailed  Stranger of Paradise expansion trailer on July 15th. Titled Trials of the Dragon King,  the expansion will add a new series of jobs, a new weapon type, and a new set of encounters to use them in.

Check out the trailer below.

Note that some of the scenes shown may constitute spoilers for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g9EVPMhOqU

Trials of the Dragon King is the first of three planned Stranger of Paradise expansions. The two others are titled Wanderer of the Rift and Different Future, though they don't have release windows or details as of yet. One wrinkle is that Square Enix isn't selling the expansions separately. Thusly, those interested will need to pick up the Season Pass, which will unlock all three missions as they release.

The Trials of the Dragon King trailer shows a matchup against the Warrior of Light. Here the Warrior is dressed in a suit of armor close to that of his appearance in Dissidia Final Fantasy. That design was in turn inspired by Yoshitaka Amano's original Final Fantasy concept art. The trailer also shows matches against Bahamut, as Jack and the party pursue their deal.

SD Gundam Battle Alliance is just past a month from its August 25, 2022 release date, and excitement is building. To commemorate reaching 50,000 followers on the official Twitter account, Bandai Namco uploaded the SD Gundam Battle Alliance intro movie to its YouTube channel.

Check it out below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaCVRJ1NReU

The intro video emphasizes the multiversal nature of Battle Alliance's premise. Teams of Gundams from across multiple series take on similarly grouped villains. For example, the RX-78-2, Zeta, and ZZ Gundam face off against the Zeong, Quebeley, and The O. The G-Self and Turn A defend against the Turn X, while Reborns Gundam and 00 Gundam fight on the sidelines. Master Gundam calls in several Destroy Gundams to eliminate the God Gundam/Destiny Gundam duo. Wing Gundam and Unicorn Gundam take on the Neo Zeong and Epyon. The SD Gundam Battle Alliance intro also previews the game's large-scale boss battles, where players confront mega-sized enemies. These include the Big Zam, Shamblo, Devil Gundam, Apsaras III, and Calamity War Mobile Armor.

HoYoVerse released three tweets introducing Corin Wickes, a maid who will appear as a character in the upcoming game Zenless Zone Zero. Corin is a maid who is part of Victoria Housekeeping Co. From her quotes and character introduction, she is gentle and humble, but does not seem to realize how strong she is. This strength is likely a reference to her combat prowess.

Some basic information on Corin includes her age (16), blood type (Rh-negative), and star sign (Gemini). She likes to clean, which means that her job as a maid is perfect for her. According to customer feedback, Corin is very good at cleaning as well. However, her timid attitude and chainsaw cost her several stars. In her quote, she seems a little off, such as suggesting using a chainsaw or ax to peel an apple.

Her Japanese voice actress is Hiromi Igarashi. Previous roles from Igarashi include Futaba Anzu from The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls, Jack-O’ from Guilty Gear, and Symonne from Tales of Zestiria. It is unknown who will provide the English voice of Corin, assuming there will be an English dub for Zenless Zone Zero.

Nintendo is buying an animation studio. The company announced on July 14, 2022, that it is acquiring Japan-based Dynamo Pictures. According to Nintendo's press release, the acquisition is intended to "strengthen the planning and production structure of visual content in the Nintendo group." The acquisition is expected to cost 34.5 million JPY (about $250,000 USD).

When the deal closes in October 2022, Dynamo Pictures will be renamed "Nintendo Pictures." It will focus on "the development of visual content utilizing Nintendo IP (Intellectual Property)."

Dynamo Pictures isn't particularly well-known among anime fans. However, the CG animation studio has helped with a variety of productions throughout the anime industry. Dynamo is credited with work on the Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0 film, creating models of the Evangelion units. It assisted with CG animation for Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, Back Arrow, Harlock: Space Pirate, Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, Yuri!!! on Ice, and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. It also performed motion capture for games like Monster Hunter Stories, Persona 5, Death Stranding, and even the remake of NieR Replicant. It's even done MX4D work, adapting films like Demon Slayer: Mugen Train and Evangelion 3.0+1.0 to the environmental effects of MX4D "Immersive Seating."

CyberConnect2 announced that it will release Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2, following the first game's release in 2021. Further details about the game will appear during an anniversary live stream later this month. To celebrate the original game's one-year launch anniversary, CyberConnect2 also released a free demo version of Fuga: Melodies of Steel. [Thanks, Dengeki!]

Released in 2021, Fuga: Melodies of Steel is a tactical RPG based on CyberConnect2's Little Tail Bronx universe. The game features a group of anthropomorphic cat and dog children who use a giant tank to rescue their families from an invading nation. The game was released on Nintendo Switch, Playstation, and Xbox consoles, as well as Windows PC.

The new teaser website reveals that CyberConnect2 will announce more details about the upcoming sequel on July 28, 2022. Furthermore, the company is also hosting a special anniversary live stream on YouTube, where it will discuss the series' development so far. The live stream will begin on July 28, 2022, at 8 PM Japan Time (4 AM PST / 1 PM CEST). CyberConnect2 CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama and Fuga producer Tetsuya Murakami will make an appearance.

Below is a link to the planned special anniversary live stream:

https://youtu.be/0cJxC54p8iY