Mediatonic's nonogram adventure Murder by Numbers is to receive a physical release. A region-free hard copy of the Nintendo Switch puzzler can now be pre-ordered exclusively from Play-Asia.com, while stocks last.

Murder by Numbers is available in both a standard and Limited Edition format. The standard edition includes a region-free boxed copy of the game for Switch, while the LE includes a copy of the game, a 60-page art book, a double-CD soundtrack, sticker sheet, and numbered art card. This latter edition retails for around $35 and is limited to 2000 copies, so think fast if you want to pre-order. Both editions are expected to ship in September.

Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai to debut new Arms fighter

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With next-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X finally getting super fast SSDs for their primary storage, having one of today’s best SSDs for gaming inside your PC has never been more important. Not only are SSDs much faster at opening and saving files on your PC than traditional hard disks, but they also help Windows to load in a flash, allowing you to get back into your favourite games in double quick time.

The best SSDs for gaming are also cheaper than ever before, making it a great time to upgrade your PC with some newer, faster storage. Whether you’re in need of more space or you’re about to build a new PC from scratch, you’ll find all of our best SSD for gaming picks below.

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If you want more characters for One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4, Bandai Namco just announced a new DLC fighter for the recent Musou-style game.

The new character is Vinsmoke Judge. Like the previously-announced Charlotte Smoothie and Charlotte Cracker, it may take quite a bit for him to join the crew. He doesn’t have a firm release date yet besides a “summer” launch window.

He will be the last character of the “first character pass” according to the press release, possibly hinting that there may be more.

The announcement came with a batch of screenshots, which you can enjoy below.

A silhouette teaser was revealed for the last Samurai Shodown Season Pass 2 DLC character.

The post The Last Samurai Shodown Season Pass 2 DLC Character Teased Ahead of NGPX appeared first on Siliconera.

It has been a little bit since we last checked in with Sea of Stars -- almost exactly three months, actually -- so it feels fitting to get an update now that the seasons have changed again.

A new trailer for Sea of Stars was part of the Summer Game Fest showcase stream this morning. As a refresher, Sea of Stars is: a prequel to The Messenger, an SNES-like RPG "without any of the tedium" that bogged down a lot of those games, a turn-based affair with combat similar to Super Mario RPG, and a game where the protagonists harness the power of summer/the sun and winter/the moon. There's a lot going on, so read our reveal preview/interview from March for the full primer.

Developer Sabotage took to Kickstarter to get Sea of Stars made and crowdfunding was a success. It ended up netting about $1.2 million across more than 25,000 backers. People very clearly want this type of game and Sabotage has proven it has the chops to deliver a quality product. 

All of that brings us to today's new trailer. It's mostly just another reassuring look that Sea of Stars seems fantastic. We're briefly introduced to Garl the Warrior Cook, who appears to be a party member. Otherwise, just soak it all up. Sea of Stars is a fantastic way to start your week.

The left side of this image is the recently-released Switch version of Burnout Paradise Remastered. The right side is the same game running on a high-powered gaming PC. The difference? Doesn’t matter. Both are Burnout Paradise. Both are awesome.

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The recent PlayStation 5 showcase climaxed with a rendered debut of the console's final form factor - showcasing a somewhat controversial, and indeed gigantic design. But what nobody predicted was the reveal of two PlayStation 5 consoles. Arriving alongside the standard model is a new digital edition, which is essentially the same but lacking the UHD Blu-ray drive. Crucially, Sony didn't share pricing, with CEO Jim Ryan categorically shutting down the topic in a post-reveal interview with the BBC. We should expect an expensive console, but to what extent can the digital edition bring a more affordable machine to the market?

Let's discuss the baseline costs first. Based on initial specs, I had high hopes that Sony would deliver PS5 at the same $399 price-point that served PS4 and PS4 Pro so well - but now I find that harder to believe. Xbox One X launched three years ago at $499. PS5 has more memory that's more expensive to buy, its processor (though likely physically smaller) is using a more expensive fabrication process, the cooling is clearly more substantial and that's before we factor in the SSD and a more advanced joypad, and a much larger case.

A list of leaked domain names has set internet tongues wagging that Rocksteady, developer of Batman Arkham Asylum, is working on a game centred on DC's Suicide Squad.

The domain names popped up yesterday on Resetera, where fans noted they were registered by a company connected to Warner Bros. Eurogamer understands this to be accurate.

I've heard that one particular phrase registered as a domain - "SuicideSquadKillTheJusticeLeague.com" - is a contender for the game's final title, and a good summation of what you can expect Rocksteady's next big project to be about.

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The best Minecraft seeds

create fantastic worlds that capture your imagination from the first moment you set foot in them. And if you’re looking for a good seed to help kickstart your latest Minecraft adventure, you’ve come to the right place. Below you’ll find no fewer than 30 of the most amazing Minecraft seeds for 1.15.2. Whether you’re after Villages, Bamboo Jungles, Islands or whatever else, we’ve got the perfect seed for you!

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons Official Companion Guide | $19 | Amazon

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SNK has announced that it will reveal the identity of Samurai Showdown's final season two DLC character tomorrow. The reveal will be made during the New Game+ Expo presentation, which will see a selection of international publishers gather together to showcase various wares.

While no details or hints were offered pertaining to the mystery character's identity, SNK did release a silhouette of the incoming warrior, who looks to be particularly chonky. The new character will join fellow season two fighters Mina Majikina, Iroha, and Sogetsu Kazama.

I am extremely generous to games, although mostly in my memory. My recollection of Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger is of a genre-busting, frame-breaking piece of Brechtian Estrangement. A first-person shooter that played with concepts like verfremdungseffekt, the unreliable narrator and the Rashomon effect, it was a text that… Yeah, no John’s memory, it’s just a super-fun shooter with some silly storytelling bits.

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In a historic first, the US Food And Drug Administration have approved the use of a videogame as medicine. It’s for a specific, “prescription-only game-based device, called EndeavorRx”, which is intended to help children with ADHD. Kids have to fly a sci-fi plane around alien environments, in theory helping them learn how to keep their attention focused.

The FDA say it’s “the first digital therapeutic intended to improve symptoms associated with ADHD, as well as the first game-based therapeutic granted marketing authorization by the FDA for any type of condition”. The game is iOS-only, but it certainly sets an interesting industry precedent.

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Check out the opening movie for Mary Skelter Finale, the final game in Compile Heart's Mary Skelter dungeon RPG series.

The post Check Out the Opening Movie for Mary Skelter Finale appeared first on Siliconera.

Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road has launched on iOS and Android devices. The new title is a spin-off from the beloved Square Enix/Disney crossover series, and tells the story of a young Master Xehanort, and how his fate twisted his role from that of a cheerful young man living to the Heartless Master that would serve as the series antagonist.

According to Kingdom Hearts director Tetsuya Nomura, it's a tale that he has been hoping to tell for some years. In an impromptu statement - apparently tapped out while commuting - Nomura has shared his passion for the Dark Road concept, the Xehanort backstory, and how this troubled tale fits within the mammoth Kingdom Hearts timeline.

"I had the concept in my head for many years," begins Nomura. "It got shelved because it never really fitted what our team wanted. But around then, I heard from the Union X team that they'd like to do a parallel title with a new protagonist. And, since it seemed there was an unexpected number of Xehanort fans out there, it all came together like it was destined to be. I do tend to believe in destiny."

"Dark Road depicts [Xehanort's] boyhood: the protagonist of Dark Road is the Xehanort who we see playing a board game in KH3... What kinds of people does he come into contact with? What does he think? Where is he headed? ...Well, he's headed for darkness. But I hope you all will come and walk with him and see what path he takes to get there."

There are certain things that will ramp up the price of a gaming monitor. Want more than 1080p? Be prepared to comfortably clear the £250 mark. Want it to be one of Nvidia’s officially certified [cms-block] and have a high refresh rate? It’s going to go higher still. Want HDR? Get your wallet chum, because this is going to hurt. That’s why this deal from Overclockers UK is worth paying attention to. The 27in LG 27GL850 gaming monitor has all these things and more, and you can currently pick one up for just £380 – a £120 saving on its normal RRP.

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Last week, Fortnite fans noticed police cars could no longer be found on the game's map.

The change, reported on at the time by Kotaku, appeared to have been made at the same time as Fortnite's new season.

Fans on reddit noticed police cars dotted around the Battle Royale map were now civilian vehicles. Police cars in the game's Creative Mode were gone. Junk Rifts, an item which could spawn a police car, now spawned regular cars instead.

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Neogeo Arcade Stick Pro | $99 | Amazon

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Deus Ex

is the king of the immersive sims – the blueprint from which an entire genre of ideas has been pilfered. If you’ve loved a Dishonored game, you’ve enjoyed Deus Ex by proxy; its design, and even some of its developers, can be found at the very centre of Arkane’s DNA.

For those who played it 20 years ago, Deus Ex set expectations for how malleable game worlds could be, and new standards for reactivity that the rest of the industry failed to match in the decade that followed. Deus Ex was ultimately so influential that, as one of our interviewees points out, its innovations now seem normal.

Here’s the story of how it was made, as told by the people who made it. The story begins in 1997, at a time when testosterone-fuelled first-person shooters still dominate PC gaming. Thief and System Shock developer Looking Glass has closed its Austin studio to save the ailing company, leaving Warren Spector and a team of crack simulation nerds without a project.

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The Pokemon Company was extremely vague (especially in regards to microtransactions) when it teased that Pokemon Cafe Mix was arriving on Switch and mobile devices soon, but thanks to a Nintendo database listing, we now have a firm release date of June 23.

The page also enlightens us on a few more details, like the fact that TV and tabletop mode will not be supported: instead, you'll need to play completely in handheld form. Oh, and the premium currency is called "Golden Acorns," which you can "earn in-game," and allows you to buy continues or "regain hearts."

Yes folks, this is an energy-based game: a route that Pokemon puzzlers have taken before. The good news is that it's free-to-play and will only take up 112MB, so I'll be giving it a go to see how quickly the paywalls kick in.

Pokemon Cafe Mix [Nintendo]

With people at home, enough more of our lives have gone online. In Japan, on-nomi, short for “online drinking parties,” are a way for people to gather in Zoom and drink. But what if you are ready to log out? This gag device might help. Maybe not!

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Hello! All this week we'll be celebrating Pride and the power of positive representations in games. Every day we'll be bringing you stories and insights from different parts of the LGBT+ community. You can also help support Pride with Eurogamer's newly redesigned t-shirt - all profits from which will be going to charity.

In the midst of a recent replay of the original Final Fantasy 7, I found myself welling up. Not because I'd reached that bit - the mandatory, number-one entry in every 'gaming's top ten saddest moments' list from now till the Lifestream runs dry. No. The tears were rising much earlier in my playthrough than that. And those tears were accompanied by a big goofy grin. What in this gloriously janky PS1 classic that I hadn't picked up in almost fifteen years could have had such an effect on me?

If you’re after the [cms-block] for flawless 1440p gaming, then it’s pretty much a straight toss up between AMD’s Radeon RX 5700 XT and Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2070 Super right now. In our books, the cheaper RX 5700 XT is much better value for money, especially now you can get one for just £350 in the UK over at CCL Online, which is one of the lowest prices we’ve seen for this card since mid-April.

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Well, the secret is finally out.

Following a very clever jigsaw puzzle tease and a full-on leak, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time has been confirmed this morning by Activision, developed by Toys for Bob. Sporting a latter-era Crash visual style (which is sure to ruffle some feathers), the classic formula of behind-the-back platforming is still a go, with the core gang of Crash, Coco and Cortex all intact.

Cortex has been banished to the past, where he's been "planning Crash's doom" for ages; subsequently escaping and creating a multi-verse. To combat Cortex, Crash will use new masks and powers, one of which is the companion from the above puzzle. He'll be joined by Coco and Cortex as playable characters.

They're straight up throwing shade at Crash games other than 1-3 at the end of the trailer, noting that the crew has "only beaten Cortex three times" though the team "could have sworn there were more" adventures. After the clip, a developer confirmed that they are calling it "Crash 4" to go back to the basics and build off of what Naughty Dog created. 

Minecraft servers

are as varied as they are abundant, and it can be hard to hunt around for the kind of experience you’re after when you’re so spoilt for choice! But whether you’re looking for Skyblock, Hunger Games, factions, or just good old fashioned survival, our Minecraft servers list will offer you a top-tier selection of reliable and reputable servers to play on.

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If you've finished it, you'll probably agree Pokémon Sword and Shield's postgame was a little under par. Aside from a brief, enjoyable, but nonsensical run-in with a phallically-quiffed Jedward, your options were mostly restricted to doodling about in the Wild Area or grinding it out indefinitely in the Battle Tower, earning items for competitive play online. It could be worse: the Wild Area is a break from the usual structure, at least, providing some lightly engaging raid events and - if you know where to look - a healthy and welcoming community of friendly raiders, hosts, and competitive sparring partners online.

The problem, though, remains that much of Pokémon's better communities and projects exist in spite of the game itself, as opposed to because of it. Max Raid battles are deeply, painfully repetitive, the few desirable Gigantamax Pokémon requiring an excruciating commitment to the grind without the help of semi-illicit raid groups online (again, you've got to know where to look). The Wild Area itself remains conceptually flat, despite the grassy bumps and mounds, with a total lack of mystery or intrigue compared to the postgame areas of previous generations, and there's little to no reason to visit or explore the rest of the game's Hollywood-western-town world. Puzzles and mystery seem gone with the wind.

In an understated announcement, CI Games has revealed that it will be releasing Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 later this year. Currently planned for release on PS4, PC, and Xbox One, the follow-up to 2019's Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts is slated for a fall 2020 release.

Outside of a new "landing page" and some splash art, CI Games has not released any details pertaining to the new title. Given that its predecessor only launched last November, some fans are wondering whether Contracts 2 is a fully-fledged sequel or just an expansion, in the vein of Hitman 2. It seems that, for now, wannabe Tom Berenger will just have to lie in the long reeds and wait for further info.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 launches this fall on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 announced [Gematsu]

Fine-tuning Remedy's award-winning game design in the playtest lab, and a look at how the observations there helped inform the game dev decisions made in Control's final months of development. ...

There hasn’t been much change in the world of cheap gaming monitor deals this week – in fact, we’ve lost a few. TL;DR: gaming monitors are still more expensive than you’d expect right now thanks to – and join in if you know the words – “the continued disruption of supply chains due to coronavirus.”

Either way, we’ve done our best to round up all the cheapest gaming monitor deals we can find, including deals on many of today’s [cms-block]s for your delectation. Whether you’re looking for the cheapest G-Sync gaming monitor deals or the lowest ultrawide gaming monitor deals, here are the top gaming monitor deals of the week.

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Today during the Smash Ultimate Min Min stream, Sakurai finally confirmed a fall 2020 release for the Joker and Hero amiibo.

This is the first major amiibo update in a long, long while (the last bit of news was a November 2019 reveal for Dark Samus/Richter), as 2020 has mostly been a dead period for the figures. While Hero looks perfectly fine, the detail on the Joker amiibo is insane, and a huge step up from the original 2014 molds. As always, our full amiibo list is once again up to date.

Sakurai also notes what we already know: Nintendo will continue to produce amiibo for DLC fighters going forward, but is vague on whether or not every fighter will get one (my money is on possibly a limited run for Fighters Pass 2 figures). The dream is not dead! In case you're wondering, we still need amiibo for Banjo/Kazooie, Terry, Byleth, Min Min and five more unannounced DLC fighters. You can find the full list below.

Sakurai announced today during the latest Smash Ultimate stream that Vault Boy would be joining Smash Ultimate in the form of a gunner Mii costume.

Although the Smash boss didn't have much to say on the matter (like a grand partnership between Nintendo and Bethesda that would involve new Fallout games on Switch), he did confirm the outfit alongside of Min Min and all of the other costumes.

All of the Mii costumes are available on June 29 at $0.75 each.

Happy Monday, everyone, here’s a round up of the top graphics card deals from the last seven days to make the start of the week that bit more tolerable. The best graphics card deals this week are on the Palit GeForce RTX 2070 Dual which is down to £384 at Aria in the UK, and the PowerColor Radeon RX 5700 XT which is now just £350 from CCL Online

Remember the PocketStation? Released in Japan for the original PlayStation, it was a Memory Card peripheral outfitted with LCD screen and the ability to run software. Turns out the PocketStation’s shape works very well in backpack-form.

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