Siliconera

Sin Chronicle, Sega’s mobile game RPG, will end service on May 31, 2023. There will still be updates to the main story, as well as events, prior to the game shutting down. The full schedule for the game prior to the end of its service is on the official Twitter account for the game. [Thanks, Dengeki Online!]

The first half of the Finale Campaign, as well as the Anniversary gacha, will start from March 17, 2023 until April 18, 2023. From April 18, 2023, the second half of the Finale Campaign will start, along with a Finale gacha. From April 4 to 18, 2023, there will be a collaboration event between it and Gi-Chronicle. Gi-Chronicle is a Mafia (as in Werewolf) spinoff of Sin Chronicle. Finally, the main story chapter Magic City of Time Distortion will run from April 10, 2023.

https://twitter.com/sin_chronicle/status/1635523528756961280

As we can see from the above schedule, there is still plenty of content to come before Sin Chronicle ends. After service ends, you will have until August 31, 2023 to request refunds on any Gems that you purchased. You will also be able to download or view past content from the game so that you can preserve your memories from Sin Chronicle.

A new manga adaptation of Needy Streamer Overload is allegedly in the making. The title for this new manga adaptation seems to be Needy Girl Overdose: Run with My Sick. Nata Okura will be in charge of illustrating the manga, with Itaru Bonnoki writing the original story. Leaker ryokutya2089 said that serialization will start on Mangacross on March 21, 2023. [Thanks, ryokutya2089!]

Manga artist Itaru Bonnoki is well known for creating the manga series The Vampire Dies in No Time. Needy Streamer Overload is a visual novel developed by WSS Playground. They developers are known for creating the Metroidvania games Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth and Touhou Luna Nights, among others.

The story of the game follows Ame, a young girl that struggles with her mental health. She decides to pick up streaming under the persona of OMGkawaiiAngel (or KAngel for short) after dropping out of school in order to make ends meet. The protagonist is tasked with managing her daily life as her follower count increases.

The game was originally known as Needy Girl Overdose, but it later changed its name for its overseas release. Meanwhile, the game kept its original name in Japan. Needy Streamer Overload received a manga anthology under the name Needy Streamer Overload: Absolute Revolutionary Disease: Midnight Streaming Love <3 Ame-chan and P’s 100 Days of Despair.

The sixth end-of-level boss in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is Zhang Rang, the Corrupted Eunuch. He can be a real curveball of a boss, because he's actually one of many enemies, only one of which is the real boss you need to beat. What's worse is all his doppelgangers will continually throw spells your way, and they will often come from unexpected, off-screen angles. It can be a tricky fight, so here are some strategies to help you beat Zhang Rang.

The way the fight works is that killing the clones will not only strip a buff from the real Zhang Rang, but also reduce his maximum spirit gauge so you can more easily break and riposte him. When you do, he will reset his spirit gauge back to normal. Note that you don't need to kill all the clones to begin damaging the boss, but thinning them out will make it much easier to stun him and give you less attacks to worry about.

When the fight starts, don't try to rush down either the boss or his clones straight away. Instead, back up and play defensively. Try to keep as many of them in sight as possible to avoid being blindsided. Then, focus on parrying the lightning bolts and sword lunges as these help fill your spirit gauge. When you have a big chunk of spirit saved up, expend it to wipe out a clone and move on to the next one. Keep an eye out for when they start to wind up a red critical hit attack, those are a high priority because parrying it will let you execute that clone afterwards.

NHK announced that production for Season 3 of the anime adaptation of To Your Eternity started. The announcement came along at the end of the last episode of season 2. The first season of To Your Eternity ran from April 12, 2021 to August 30, 2021, with the second season starting airing in October 23, 2022 and finishing in March 12, 2023. Both seasons consist of 20 episodes each.

https://twitter.com/nhk_animeworld/status/1634863051454160897

Animation studio Brain's Base took care of animating the first season of the anime adaptation of To Your Eternity, with animation studio Drive being in charge of the second season. In addition, Crunchyroll licensed the anime for streaming outside of Japan. However, people will only be able to access the anime adaptation through Crunchyroll, as the manga left the service in January 2023 alongside other Kodansha properties.

To Your Eternity follows the story of Fushi, an immortal being with the ability to take on multiple forms. Fushi lives the lives of the creatures and humans they transform into, along with making use of their natural abilities in order to learn and evolve over decades and centuries to better understand the human condition. The original manga is written and illustrated by Yoshitoki Oima.

Koei Tecmo announced that the DLC content for Atelier Ryza 3 and a new promotional video will make an appearance during the 25th anniversary broadcast celebration of the Atelier series. The anniversary broadcast will happen on March 19, 2023, at 9pm Japan Standard Time (5am PT/8am ET). In addition, the company will be showing the PS5 version of the game in motion.

The broadcast will feature Yuri Noguchi, Hitomi Owada, and Yohei Azakami, the voices of Ryza, Klaudia, and Bos, respectively, alongside Toridamono, the character designer and illustrator for the Atelier Ryza games. Aside from offering a look at future DLC content for Atelier Ryza 3, and a new PV, the four guests will be looking back on the three entries that make the Atelier Ryza trilogy.

People will be able to watch 25th anniversary broadcast on March 19, 2023 at 9pm JST here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYeuWz3KTuw

Formally titled Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, the third entry in the Atelier Ryza trilogy takes place one year after the events of the previous game. It sees Ryza and her friends visiting some mysterious islands that have started appearing around the world as part of their last summer adventure.

A Slowpoke Pokemon park will open up in mid-April 2023. You will be able to find it in Ayagawa, Kagawa in Japan. The actual name of the park is Sunshine Park Ayagawa, but Slowpoke Park will be its nickname. This is because there will be six playground play items around the park that look like Slowpoke. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

This is part of the My First Pokemon Project from The Pokemon Company. The point of this project is to create more connections between children and the Pokemon franchise. As part of this vision, The Pokemon Company has collaborated with Ayagawa in the Kagawa Prefecture to create Japan’s very first Slowpoke Park.

Slowpoke and the Kagawa Prefecture are practically inseparable. In fact, Slowpoke is the official ambassador Pokemon for the Kagawa Prefecture. You can find Slowpoke mailboxes, buses, taxis, and such all around the area. This is not only because the Japanese name for Slowpoke, “Yadon,” sounds like udon, which is what Kagawa is famous for. But a lot of Kagawa’s desserts are sweet, much like Slowpoke tails, and the Pokedex entry in Ultra Sun states that when a Slowpoke yawns, it rains. This is very important for Kagawa Prefecture, which historically has suffered from droughts.

The Slowpoke Park in Ayagawa, Kagawa will open up from mid-April 2023. Children will be able to play on Slowpoke-shaped playground toys after the city opens it up.

Bandai Namco released the patch notes for Jojo's All-Star Battle R update 1.6. It will arrive on March 20, 2023. Most of the adjustments will be focused on fixing the game's balance. However, this update will also mark the official addition of Keicho Nijimura to the roster of playable characters.

In addition to Keicho Nijimura appearing a playable character, there will be other elements tied to him. His JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Glossary entries, gallery items, and in-game customization options are also being added to the game. Bandai Namco previously announced he will be the third DLC character, and the company plans to release the fourth later this spring.

General balance changes include standardization of the hitbox area around the feet to remove an imbalance that lets some characters avoid projectiles by stepping backward after being downed. Also, air attack inconsistencies will be adjusted to prevent the characters from moving in the wrong direction after being hit.

Most notably, the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R patch will fix an issue where the crouching recoil animation would trigger after being hit while ending a stylish guard. This issue would interrupt the game's pace and give the attacking player an unfair advantage. As for each character, many changes will adjust their dash speed, attack conditions, and recoil animations.

It seems that The Pokemon Company might decide to get into the NFT and metaverse game. It opened up a job listing requiring knowledge of Web 3 and blockchains. This listing is on The Pokemon Company International’s Greenhouse page under the title of Corporate Development Principal. Since this is just a job opening and not an official statement of intentions, it does not necessarily mean that The Pokemon Company actually hopes to break into blockchain games. [Thanks, Nintendo Life and Pory!]

Twitter user pory_leeks was the first to see this posting and bring it to the attention of the Pokemon community at large. One of the qualifications to be a Corporate Development Principal at The Pokemon Company International is to have “deep knowledge and understanding of Web 3, including blockchain technologies and NFT, and/or metaverse.” The candidate must also be “deeply connected to a network of investors and entrepreneurs in the technology sectors above (Web3 and metaverse).”

NIS America launched a demo for Process of Elimination for the Nintendo Switch and PS4. Process of Elimination is a strategy game about a group of detectives, each with their own set of unique skills. Players must use these detectives to uncover the Quartering Duke, a mysterious serial killer.

The demo will give players a sense of the game before it releases in April 2023. To prepare, the trailer goes into many of the gameplay mechanics, which resemble a turn-based strategy game. Different detectives can be instructed to complete tasks such as collecting and analyzing evidence. Detectives can assist each other in their tasks, but due to their unique skills, certain detectives will refuse to perform certain tasks.

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

With the launch of the Process of Elimination demo, pre-orders are also available for the game itself. This includes the reveal of the Limited Edition of the game, which includes a physical release of the game for either PS4 or Switch, a soundtrack, a hardcover art book, a keychain and a special collector’s box. The Limited Edition is now available from the NIS America store.

Process of Elimination launches on April 11, 2023 in North America for the PS4 and Switch. It will release in Europe a few days later on April 14, 2023. The demo is available on both systems now.

Lawson will release NieR Automata cookies and merchandise for a limited time in Japan. There is also new promotional art of this campaign, featuring 2B and 9S bearing the signature stripes of the convenience store chain. It will start from March 21, 2023. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

You will be able to get clear files of 2B and 9S in their Lawson-inspired uniforms as well. Since this is technically a collaboration with Ver1.1a, which is the anime adaptation of the game, it uses the anime versions rather than the 3D models. You will also be able to buy American Soft cookies (700 JPY) featuring 2B on the bag. These cookies contain NieR Automata stickers. Purchasing items that are part of the campaign will get you the clear files and are available while supplies last.

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There will also be a lottery to commemorate the NieR Automata anime. It will cost 800 JPY per turn, which is about $6. The A Prize is an art holder and the B prize is a figure of 2B. This figure uses her design from the game and not the Lawson version with the stripes.

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The Nintendo 3DS eShop is cutting off purchases on March 27, 2023 and closing, leaving precious few days remaining for you to buy games on the service. Looking to do some last-minute shopping? Here are Siliconera’s recommendations for what to pick up.

The Heavy Hitter Exclusives

You've probably heard of most of these 3DS games, but we can't miss the opportunity to recommend these before they disappear from the eShop.

Rhythm Heaven Megamix

We’re sad that the Rhythm Heaven franchise has remained quiet during the Switch years. Still, Megamix’s combination of the series’ best and some new ideas of its own remains its best offering and a wildly enjoyable experience. That it never saw the physical release in America that it did in other territories? It’s a real shame, but not any indication of quality.

Bye-Bye BoxBoy!

The BoxBoy franchise was a standout on the eShop, and with good reason! HAL Laboratory, which has a long history of making good box games, used a minimal aesthetic to make a traversal puzzle game memorable and distinct as well as delightfully brain-bending. The franchise continues, but the three 3DS games all have their own puzzles and are worth picking up on the eShop.

A new event for the mobile game Goddess of Victory: Nikke will begin this week and add a new character named Biscuit. Titled “Bow-Wow Paradise," the new event involves dogs overrunning the game's setting The Ark, and making a mess of things. The characters then assemble to deal with the problem. The event runs will begin after the end of maintenance on March 15, 2023.

Various items can be found during the Bow-Wow Paradise event. By completing event quests Recruit Vouchers and enhancement items can be acquired. A seven-day log-in bonus will also appear. Checking in each day will mean getting items such as skill enhancement material and others.

The event also sees the new character Biscuit join the world of Nikke. Biscuit is a support-type unit who can heal and power up your other characters. According to the event's patch notes, she will provide first-aid when a Defender-Type character's health is low and give them temporary invincibility. She can also raise the critical rate of a character and is the first Nikke who can rebuild cover. Biscuit can be acquired through the game's Special Recruit system.

You can see a bit more of Biscuit in this official animation below:

https://twitter.com/NIKKE_en/status/1635204107412570113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Eembeddedtimeline%7Ctwterm%5Escreen-name%3ANIKKE_en%7Ctwcon%5Es1

Uniqlo started selling its new Sanrio Characters Beach Trip shirts. This collection features five designs for women and five for children. All of them feature Hello Kitty, My Melody, Kuromi, Cinnamoroll, Gudetama, and Pom Pom Purin engaging in beach activities. People can immediately find it both in retail stores and on the official website.

All of the women’s Sanrio Characters Beach Trip are $24.90 each at Uniqlo. They are available in sizes XXS through XXL. That line includes designs with My Melody and Kuromi in intertubes, Cinnamoroll surfing, My Melody with a beach umbrella, a sunburned Hello Kitty with a surfboard, and Gudetama hula dancing.
[gallery columns="5" size="full" ids="955320,955321,955322,955323,955324" link="file"]

The children’s shirts are 14.90 each. The sizes for them are 3-4Y, 5-6Y, 7-8Y, 9-10Y, 11-12Y, and 13Y. That selection includes Kuromi in an intertube, Pom Pom Purin playing a ukelele, Cinnamoroll sitting on the beach, My Melody lying on a beach towel, and the sunburned Hello Kitty with a surfboard again.
[gallery columns="5" size="full" ids="955326,955327,955328,955329,955325" link="file"]

Bandai Spirits will re-run the Splatoon 3 Ichiban Kuji from June 23, 2023. It will cost 680 JPY ($5.05) to play and you will be able to do so in convenience stores and Nintendo stores around Japan. In total, there will be eight piece of Splatoon 3 merchandise that you can potentially get. [Thanks, Hobby Dengeki!]

The prizes for the Splatoon 3 Ichiban Kuji re-run are:

• A Prize: Squid and octoling blanket cushion
• B Prize: Turf War alarm clock
• C Prize: Graphic tee
• D Prize: Soap dispenser (squid)
• E Prize: Turf War stacking cap (4 variations)
• F Prize: Design towel (7 variations)
• G Prize: Rubber keyholder collection (8 variations)
• Last One: Smallfry plush

You can check out pictures of all the Splatoon 3 merchandise here:

[gallery columns="8" link="file" ids="955312,955311,955310,955309,955308,955307,955306,955305"]

The Turf War alarm clock will play the demo version of the Splatoon 3 main theme song. As for the design towels (F Prize), you can choose between either normal square-shaped ones or ones that look like either squids or octolings. The Last One Prize in Ichiban Kuji is typically the one you get if you are the one who purchases the final ticket available in the store. In this case, you would get a 20 cm plush of Smallfry.

A Vibro-Crystal event is returning to Genshin Impact this week, and this time it is the Vibro-Crystal Verification. Starting on March 14, 2023, people will be able to equip a Vibro-Crystal Harmonics Schema and fight familiar enemies to earn Hero’s Wit books, Mora, Mystic Enhancement Ores, Primogems, and weapon enhancement materials. HoYoVerse offered details on what people can expect from the event and its activities when they head back to The Chasm.

There will be six challenges total during the Genshin Impact Vibro-Crystal Verification event. However, you will need to wait for them to appear. There will be one showing up each day starting on March 14, 2023. You’ll make two parties of four characters and, like in the last event, you can use your own or Trial ones supplied. You then set up the Vibro-Crystal Harmonics Schema for each team, placing Transmitter and Receiver Crystals to get buffs. Once you’re set, you’ll fight enemies in the challenge to earn points, which then determine which rewards you earn.

The first Vibro-Crystal event appeared back in April 2022. Like this one, it involved making teams to face challenges for rewards. The entry requirements remain the same this time around, as you still need to finish Chapter 1: Act 3 – A New Star Approaches and be at Adventurer Rank 28.

SuperGroupies announced a collection of Trigun Stampede merchandise featuring the characters Vash the Stampede, Millions Knives, and Nicholas D Wolfwood. In the case of Knives and Wolfwood, watches and bags are available. However, in the case of Vash, his iconic Trigun red coat will appear alongside a watch and bag.

The replica Trigun Stampede Vash the Stampede jacket is red with a Project SEEDS logo, a print of his transistor radio, and a hood. It will be available in sizes medium through XXL. It will cost $250.00. The watch inspired by him matches his coat color, features his gun, and has bullets at the 1, 3, 7, and 9 spots. The Project SEEDs logo and Trigun Stampede logo are also on it. It will cost $230. Finally, his bag matches his gun holster on the outside and coat on the inside. There’s also a metal plate with his gun on the side and his wanted poster on the inside. It will be $200.
[gallery columns="5" size="full" ids="955287,955288,955289,955290,955291" link="file"]

The Knives items involve a bag and watch. The crossbody bag is $130. It is white with a Plant design, and features a metal plate of Vash, Knives, and Rem. There is a blue zipper and blue lining. The watch is $230. It again features the Plant designs set against white to resemble his outfit.
[gallery size="full" ids="955297,955298,955299" link="file"]

Visitors to Evo Japan 2023 will be able to take Street Fighter 6 for a spin. It will be available from March 31, 2023 to April 2, 2023 from 11am to 7pm. On the last day, it will be out until 6pm. You will be able to find it in the Game Publisher Area at the Capcom booth and the PlayStation booths in the southern exhibition hall. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Eight characters will be playable during the demo of Street Fighter 6 at Evo Japan 2023. You will be able to use Ryu, Chun-Li, Jamie, Luke, Guile, Kimberly, Juri, and Ken. This was the roster during the beta tests of Street Fighter 6 as well. At launch, there will be a total of nineteen characters, including one that you make yourself. If you play the demo at EVO 2023, then you will receive original custom stickers of the characters as a present.

Street Fighter 6 is the upcoming newest entry to the Street Fighter series. Not only are there the usual casual and ranked matches, you can also create your own playable character. The story mode, or World Tour, will let you learn techniques such as Chun-Li’s signature Spinning Bird Kick.

An Evangelion Rei Ayanami assembly figure of her in a cat girl-themed plugsuit (Grimrock Version) will appear on AmiAmi. It will be a 1/8th scale and will require you to put it together first. Two versions are available for pre-order. One of the figures will be a pale beige color and the other one will be white. They will cost 13,200 JPY each, which is about $97.75. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

The Grimrock Rei Ayanami figure stands at around 185 millimeters. You will have to put together eighteen different parts, as well as paint her, before she can turn into an actual figure that you can display. There are eye stickers that you can put so you do not have to worry about painting that part. In order to make it easy for beginners to put together and paint, there is a minimum amount of joints and it will come with an instruction manual.

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James Turner, a Game Freak artist responsible for designing past Pokemon and Tembo the Badass Elephant, shared new fan art of additional characters he designed. In particular, he revealed he created the designs for the new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet characters Dondozo and Tatsugiri.

First, here’s Turner’s Tatsugiri art. This is a dragon and water-type Pokemon that resembles sushi in all three of its forms. From left to right, Turner drew its Droopy, Curly, and Stretchy forms.

Tatsugiri time 
I designed this small dragon Pokémon and its many forms for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. pic.twitter.com/hCc43SjuXp

— James Turner (@JamesTurner_42) March 11, 2023

This was followed by Turner sharing art of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Dondozo with three Tatsugiri. There, he noted he also designed Dondozo. Dondozo is a water-type that engages in a symbiotic relationship with Tatsugiri via its Order Up move and Tatsugiri’s ability to Commander.

One of the most iconic things about Final Fantasy VII character Barret Wallace is his arm. One of the first things players see about Barret in FFVII and its remake is the massive machine gun he wears in place of his right forearm. However, if things had gone a bit differently in the game's development, the eco-warrior of the Sector 7 Slums might have had two arms and a bow.

https://twitter.com/FFVIIR_CLOUD/status/1635204055831134209

Barret's origin was the subject of a new bit of trivia from the official Final Fantasy VII Remake account. The post brings a brief tidbit from the pre-production days of the original game. At the time, Barret, Cloud (or rather, Cloud's "berserker" predecessor), and Red XIII were the first characters being worked on by the development team. This was even before the team had a firm idea of what the world of Midgar (or New York) would be like. This early concept of Barret's character had the big man equipped not with a big gun, but a "bowgun."

Japan's Tama Art University is holding an educational exhibit centered around Pokemon. It's a Pokemon crafts exhibition called "Think with Pokemon: Art & Environment Education", and it opens on March 26, 2023 at an exhibition space in Tokyo's Roppongi area. It will run through April 8, 2023. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

The Pokemon crafts exhibition will focus on the theme of "learning through Pokemon, the sensibility and creativity that education in art and the environment nurtures." It will feature works from the students of Tama Art University's Studio 3, who major in Product Design. Their work will replicate various iconic Pokemon made using found materials. This process of turning unused materials, waste products, and other refuse into things with a greater perceived value is called upcycling. As such, their crafts exhibit is called "Pokemon Upcycle Sculpture" and features over 20 different Pokemon sculptures. The sculptures on display will include Pikachu, Charizard, Ho-Oh, and Shinx. A related exhibition will focus on the problem of waste and waste disposal, presented in a Q&A format.

The Tama Art University Pokemon crafts exhibition will also have a workshop aimed at elementary school students and their guardians. The workshop will focus on teaching the students to make their own Poke Balls. It kicks off from April 1st and will help guardians and students craft and customize their own Poke Balls from upcycled materials.

Here are a few of the upcycled sculptures.

A new, animated Hololive Short Video on details the rise and fall of Marine Houshou. It's also a parody of nonsensical mobile game ads and features cameos from a host of fellow Hololive VTubers.

Check it out below.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DYqhfhVRrIY

The new Hololive Short video is titled "Get a Hundred Free Rolls for the Strongest Pirate" in Japanese and is structured like a low-budget video ad for a mobile game. It shows Marine Houshou as a "Lv. 5 Lady Pirate." She then saves Luna Himemori (a "Lv. 15 Princess") from being run over by a tricycle driven by Noel Shirogane, Kanata Amane, and Aki Rosenthal. Luna rewards her handsomely for the favor. Marine is then upgraded, leveling up to become a "Lv. 30 Lady Buccaneer." She flaunts her power, intimidating passers-by like Shion Murasaki.

The reign of the Pirate Queen is short-lived however, as she attempts unsuccessfully to flex on Korone Inugami. The Hololive Gamers veteran VTuber is a mighty "Lv. 536 Dog." Notably, the "Dog" class in this Hololive Short uses the kanji character that denotes the Chinese Zodiac animal, not just any dog. Korone quickly slaps Marine around, causing her to level down. She goes from "Lv. 30 Lady Buccaneer" to a "Lv. 5 Pirate." Then she becomes "Lv. 3 Thug. She ends up at "Lv. 1 Lady Cosplayer."

The short is a clear parody of a certain genre of mobile game ad, characterized by simplistic CG rendering and absurd situations. The archetypal examples are ones for the game Mafia City, which popularized the dynamic between characters of various levels foiling each other.

The next season of the Dr. Stone anime adaptation will begin soon. Official accounts for Toho Animation and the series itself confirmed that the release date for Dr. Stone Season 3 falls on April 6, 2023. The official account for Crunchyroll also confirmed that the show will be simulcast in multiple territories on the same day. Its official title is Dr. Stone New World. Dr. Stone Stone Wars season 2 aired in 2021.

Toho also uploaded the main trailer for Dr. Stone Season 3. English subtitles are available via the closed captions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cz2l8r44tA

The new trailer begins with lines from Byakuya Ishigami, father of protagonist Senku Ishigami. Byakuya places objects in what looks to be a time capsule, to preserve them for future scientists to find. Scientists like Senku and his companions.

Dr. Stone Season 3 takes place following the animated Dr. Stone: Ryusui special aired in 2022. It covers how Senku and his companions embarked on their quest to uncover the source of the Petrification Event that froze almost all the people in the world thousands of years ago. To accomplish that, they'll need to build a ship capable of crossing oceans and exploring the world. They'll also visit Treasure Island, a place that holds a number of rare materials planted by Byakuya, including platinum, the key to a machine that can make precious Revival Fluid.

The voting for Narutop 99, the Naruto 20th Anniversary Character Popularity Poll, ended. While the overall results are being counted, the official Naruto website opened another special poll allowing fans to decide the Naruto series' best battles.

The campaign, which called "Naruto Best Bout," will run from March 13-24, 2023. The voting page lists a number of the most iconic duels across the Naruto and Naruto Shippuden anime series. It doesn't appear to include any anime-original fights and also seems to be largely focused on one-on-one duels, with one exception.

Here are the current contenders for the Naruto best battle title Narutop poll.

Fans of Azur Lane's versions of two famed U.S. Navy warships can use a new line of gaming gear to show their devotion. Produced by Fumo Collection, the lineup consists of keyboards and PC desk accessories based on Azur Lane characters Baltimore and Bremerton. Pre-orders for the items opened on Fumo's online shop, which supports international shipping.

The Azur Lane Baltimore and Bremerton Fumo Collection involves two illustrations of the characters. They were created by their respective character designers, Feng Ze and Katsudansou. The designs feature Baltimore and Bremerton dressed in casual wear while sitting at PCs. The characters' personalities are also contrasted in the desk setups they prefer. Baltimore's PC desk is compact and optimized for work and multitasking, while Bremerton has a dedicated gaming "battle station," complete with an ultra-wide curved monitor and second monitor to watch videos on.

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Lasengle revealed that the new White’s Day Servant in Fate/Grand Order (FGO) will be Takasugi Shinsaku. This is only going to be for the Japanese server. It is unknown when Takasugi will appear on the global server. We can also see some of the CBC 2023 Craft Essences that players will be able to get when the event starts on March 17, 2023.

The full title of the event will be “CBC2023 Chaldea Heavy Machinery Story ~ Our BtoB~.” The story will focus on Chaldea’s efforts to beat out its competitors and become the number one corporation in SAITAMA. As for Takasugi, he will be a limited SSR Archer Servant. Though this event will be his playable debut, he had already showed up in Fate/Grand Order as an NPC. His first appearance was during the Showa Kishin Project GUDAGUADA Event.

Aside from Takasugi, Lasengle will also introduce a handful of new Craft Essences. Whenever you get a Craft Essence that is part of CBC2023, you can hear a special voiced line based on the scenarios. There will also be the Photography function for a limited time. You can take pictures of Servants in your My Room, with the background changing every day. During the CBC2023 event, there are login bonuses, including one where Takasugi talks to you in a voiced dialog scene.

Zhuyan is the second boss that you will encounter as you play through Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Like you can probably imagine from his physical appearance, this massive ape can pack a serious punch. However, if you play a more defensive game, then it is not too difficult to topple this beast.

To start with, I once again recommend using a polearm if you lack confidence in your ability to deflect. Deflecting and parrying Zhuyan’s attacks are the key to this strategy. Another thing to keep note of is Morale. Morale dictates how much damage you receive when an enemy hits you, as well as how much damage you deal in turn. Zhuyan’s Morale is 10 so you should have around that too. For reference, I defeated Zhuyan with 8, which was my minimum. I personally do not recommend trying to grind too much in Wo Long because you have to go through it again if you die. It feels like a waste of time unless you’re really having trouble.

Square Enix announced that the mobile game The Irregular at Magic High School: Reloaded Memory is shutting down in August 14, 2023 at 1pm JST. The company announced the game back in 2020, and it finally launched in Japan on June 28, 2022. Before service ends, the game will be updated with the second arc of the original story, titled "Public Security Covert Operations." [Thanks, Game Watch!]

The second arc of the game will consist of 12 chapters, with the first two chapters releasing on April 11, 2023. Chapters 3 through 6 will appear on May 11, 2023. People can play through chapters 7 through 10 starting on June 11, 2023. The last two chapters will debut on July 11, 2023. In addition, the game will offer character birthday gacha bonuses and daily login bonuses before it shuts down. The sale of premium currency stopped shortly after Square Enix announced termination of the game. Unused paid in-game currency will be refunded after service ends.

https://twitter.com/mahouka_rm/status/1634042792518520833

When one thinks of the Three Kingdoms era of China and Koei Tecmo, their first thought might be the fast-paced hack-n-slash action of the Dynasty Warriors series. But Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, despite its differing playstyle, does not let its predecessors overshadow it. While it is definitely more action-oriented than other Soulslike games, it is still quite the challenge. Unfortunately, part of the challenge involves dealing with things beyond the player’s control when on PC, such as laggy framerates and shoddy controls depending on how you’re playing.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, like most other Dynasty Warriors games, takes place during the Yellow Turban Rebellion during the Eastern Han Dynasty. The nameless player avatar (whom the player can customize) finds themself swept into a conflict between the various kingdoms. However, this time they’re after an elixir of immortality, rather than territory. You fight through levels with historical figures such as Zhao Yun or Guan Yu as your partners, all while wielding magical powers and Divine Beasts in a fantasy version of China. The story is not very impressive and ultimately forgettable, but the action and cutscenes are a delight to watch.

At Arc World Tour 2022 Finals, Arc System Works teased Asuka is the next Season 2 DLC character and confirmed Season 3 is in development. While the developer didn't show Asuka, it did strongly hint at him after revealing Delilah and Bedman? as the third character in Season 2. It featured a gloved hand holding the Tome.

Here's the teaser from the Arc World Tour 2022 Finals, as captured by GamersPrey. It features Asuka's hand holding the spinning Tome of Origin. The video then notes that the next "daredevil" will arrive in May 2023.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYeOazk4GjE&ab_channel=GamersPrey

The Season 3 DLC announcement appeared after the Guilty Gear Strive reveals of Asuka and Delilah with Bedman?. No characters or release windows were teased for it. However, as a reminder, Season 1 included Baiken, Goldlewis Dickinson, Happy Chaos, Jack-O, and Testament as additional characters, with Testament ending that first pass with a March 2022 debut. Season 2 started in August 2022 with Bridget. Sin Kiske followed in November 2022. Delilah and Bedman? are set to arrive on April 6, 2023.

Guilty Gear Strive is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC. The Delilah and Bedman? DLC character will launch on April 6, 2023. In May 2023, it seems the next Guilty Gear Strive character will be Asuka R. Kreuz.

Square Enix’s Paranormasight horror-mystery adventure game has six different endings depending on the various choices your protagonists make. Some are easy to stumble upon. Others, however, will require a bit more work on your part. The true ending in particular is fairly elusive. But this guide will help you to see the story through to the end.

While this guide will not mention any explicit plot details, it will still contain spoilers for Paranormasight endings. Read ahead at your own risk.

Ending 1: Michiyo’s Grudge

In the “Seiman” chapter of Yakko Sakazaki’s route, she and Mio encounter Yutaro Namigaki after speaking with Hideki Araishi. When the option comes up to either go to the school or talk to Yutaro, choose to speak with him. This will unlock the Michiyo’s Grudge ending.

Ending 2: Nejima’s Reminiscence

Various character art came up as part of the almost hour-long Chrono Cross interview Square Enix shared. We already knew that Character Designer Nobuteru Yuuki created new art for the remaster. However, during this discussion Producer Koichiro Sakamoto and Project Manager Mariko Sato went over how that came to be because the original art was unfinished. Sato then explained how Yuuki was the one to ask to redraw the characters. As a reminder, both Sakamoto and Sato confirmed every Chrono Cross character’s was redrawn or retouched for the remaster.

First, Sakamoto explained how they broached the idea of revisiting the Chrono Cross character art.

We also asked Mr. Nobuteru Yuuki to refine the character illustrations. Some of the original illustrations were actually unfinished. So we had Mr. Yuuki draw them…

…There are so many great characters. Some people may be emotionally invested in the original illustrations. So we let you switch between the original and the remastered versions…

…Some of the color filling is a bit different. Some people will be able to tell the difference.

Paranormasight unravels its yarn through the points of view of three protagonists: Tetsuo, Harue, and Yakko. However, during Harue’s chapter, you unlock a fourth route titled “Darkness,” which features another new playable character. Unfortunately for our new protagonist, she starts her tale inside of a mysterious dark room. Who is she, where is she, and how can she get out? Read ahead for some minor spoilers to learn how to complete the Darkness chapter in Paranormasight and earn the Mayu's Escape achievement.

Though this guide will not touch on anything plot-wise, it obviously contains some spoilers for the Paranormasight Darkness chapter. Read ahead at your own risk.

As soon as you wake up, you have no idea who or where you are. You only have the memory of a man talking to you, and when the prompts comes up, you can type in either Yoshimi or Hajime. But that's not your name. So the first course of action is figuring out your identity.

There is a mirror in the room but it is so grimy that you cannot see your reflection. If you look around the room, there is a container of soap on the steel shelf. Grab it. Soap on its own cannot do anything, so you have to find something to use it with. Check the lockers and open the left one; you will grab a mop that you can douse with the soap.

The 2023 Snack Box MICRO is a compact take on the all-button style controller for fighting games. It’s so compact that I was wondering how well it would work for me. At ten inches long and five inches wide (and a height of less than three quarters of an inch), it’s so small that I can almost cover its entire face with one hand. That size had me worried it would be too tiny for me to play comfortably after using the much-larger Victrix Pro FS 12 the last few months, and using bigger fight sticks for a while before that. Little did I know that its compact size would end up being the element I liked best about this fantastic controller.

Having only really gotten into fighting games in the last two years, I’ve been playing around with what feels best for input styles. Precision has been what I’m looking for. Control pads and fight sticks have been all right for directional inputs, but I found that nothing compared to the all-button style. Trying out the Victrix made a lot of things click, and motions that were constant headaches on other controllers suddenly worked (with a bit of practice). Even so, I was still learning the arcade-style button layout, which meant tapping the wrong attack buttons or losing my hand position on the controller. Sometimes I’d be one button too far to the left or right, resulting in some interesting losses. So, I’d solved one problem only to have found a new one.

Back at Arc Revo Japan 2022, Arc System Works announced DNF Duel would head to the Switch and Spectre would usher in DLC for the game. Since then, the company’s been quiet about both. However, the Arc World Tour 2022 Finals marked an update on add-ons. While Spectre is still listed as a Summer 2023 add-on, it is confirmed she will be one of five DC characters in the first season pass.

Here’s the full DNF Duel DLC roadmap, which begins with Spectre in Summer 2023. She’ll also be accompanied by both a new system and new awakening system. Two more characters are tentatively set to appear in 2023 alongside her. One will show up in Fall 2023. The other will launch alongside a new stage in Winter 2023. The last two characters in this season pass will show up in 2024. There’s no exact release window for either one.

And here's a closer look at Spectre in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7Z0_SkT9FI&ab_channel=DNFDuel

At Arc World Tour 2022 Finals, Arc System Works revealed the next Guilty Gear Strive DLC character will be both Delilah and “Bedman?”. The two will function as a single character. They will appear on April 6, 2023, as will a new Fairy’s Forest Factory stage. People who purchased the $24.99 Season Pass 2 will have access to both. Someone could buy the new add-on character alone for $6.99 and the stage for $1.99. There's also a new trailer showing the DLC off.

Delilah is a character that’s been teased throughout Guilty Gear Strive’s recent story ahead of her DLC debut and is the sister of the original Bedman. While fighting, the bed

Here's a first look at Guilty Gear Strive Delilah and Bedman? gameplay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ig8kfO04Hs&ab_channel=arcsystemworks

And here's an array of screenshots showing the new character in-game.

[gallery link="file" columns="2" size="full" ids="955121,955122,955123,955124,955125,955126,955127,955128,955129,955130"]

This means there is one more DLC character in the Guilty Gear Strive Season Pass 2. Both Bridget and Sin Kiske both joined the cast for its second season. The first season pass added Baiken, Goldlewis Dickinson, Happy Chaos, Jack-O, and Testament.

Yet another NieR Automata pop-up shop will appear in select Loft stores throughout Japan to promote the anime adaptation of the game. The theme of the new NieR Automata pop-up shop is "relax time," and it depicts protagonists 2B and 9S relaxing and spending time with a pet cat and a pet bunny. The new pop-up store will offer everyday items and merchandise of 2B and 9S, including acrylic stands, keychains, pin badges, plastic file folder, bookmarks, bags, T-shirts, hoodies, cushions, and ashtrays.

These are the exact dates and locations that the NieR Automata pop-up shop will appear in:

• Sakae Loft in Nagoya, from March 17, 2023 to April 9, 2023.
• Shibuya Loft in Tokyo, from March 21, 2023 to April 10, 2023.
• Sendai Loft, from April 18, 2023 to May 7, 2023.
• Umeda Loft in Osaka, from April 21, 2023 to May 8, 2023.
• Yokohama Loft, from May 16, 2023 to June 4, 2023.
• Tenjin Loft in Fukuoka, from May 18, 2023 to June 4, 2023.

The theme of the new NieR Automata pop-up shop is stylized as “relax ti[M]e,” similar to the different ending titles that players can achieve in the Square Enix and PlatinumGames action RPG.

You can check out the merchandise included in the NieR Automata Loft pop-up shop in further detail in the tweet below, alongside the new art of 2B and 9S.

https://twitter.com/Nier_A_popup/status/1634041391016714246

The Fate series is huge, with games, anime adaptations, and all sorts of spin-offs, which means lots of characters and servants. It might get overwhelming! But it also means there's always somebody to root for. We figured let's talk about all the Fate servants we feel are the best and why they're our favorites.

Man, there have been so many really good Fate Servants that it's hard to choose just one. Do I choose the OG Rider Medusa because she was my fave from even before I knew Fate/Stay Night existed? Do I choose Ishtar, because she's the Servant version of Fate alum and Objectively Best Girl Rin Tohsaka? Or do I choose the original Saberface, Altria (or Arthuria, or Artoria, depending on which side of the war you're on)? It's impossible to pick just one!

Except it isn't impossible, because as a loyal adherent to the ideology of Jalterism, I pick Jeanne d'Arc Alter, patron saint of Doing Whatever Jalter Wants. -- Josh

Among the many topics that came up in Square Enix's hour-long interview with Chrono Cross Director Masato Kato was how the game featured parallel worlds, compared to Chrono Trigger's time travel. When discussing its development, he noted that he was "approached to create something new" and decided to do "something different this time." He then also explained about how the conceptualization stage is one of his favorite parts, though it can mean more frustration later on when trying to actually bring said concepts to life.

Here’s exactly what Kato had to say about the concept of Chrono Cross’ parallel worlds and how they came about to contrast with Chrono Trigger’s time travel.

I was approached to create something new. Chrono Trigger was based on time travel. So when I thought about doing something different this time, I decided to make a game using parallel worlds.

Basically, I hate repeating something I’ve done before. I like trying my hand at something new, something I’ve never attempted before.

In that sense, if I had to play a game or make a game, I wanted to see what I could construct with parallel worlds. I thought about what I wanted to do next. And it made clear sense to me to go with parallel worlds.

How far would you go to resurrect someone? In Paranormasight, this moral dilemma forms the cornerstone of its various characters’ driving motivations. When playing through it, the game feels like the J-Horror love child between Ace Attorney, Fate/stay Night, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. The word “love” is applied liberally here. The development team's passion oozes from practically every facet of the project. With its strong story, colorful cast, and beautifully unique aesthetic, Paranormasight is an unforgettable experience.

Paranormasight takes place during the Showa era of Japan. As such, there is a very retro vibe to all of the characters and even the game itself. The various protagonists find themselves embroiled in a battle for the Rite of Resurrection. Using curse stones that appeared before them in a flash of resentful memories and murderous impulses, they can kill people with curses that reflect various superstitions from the Seven Mysteries of Honjo. The more people you kill with a curse stone, the more soul dregs it collects. Whoever has the most soul dregs at the end of it all will get to revive a dead person of their choosing. Thus begins a kill-or-be-killed battle royale across the Sumida city ward. Or so you might believe.