Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist will come out on January 22, 2025. It is the sequel of Metroidvania Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights.

The story of Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist takes place decades after Ender Lilies. With artificial life forms now rampaging through the Land of Fumes, only Lilac, an “Attuner” can save the kingdom. She can use her powers to purify bosses and turn them into her allies. You’ll also be able to customize your fighting style with various attack and equipment options. At launch, you can expect about 35 hours of content. This is a 2D side-scroller set in a dark fantasy post-apocalyptic world, with a play style quite similar to Ender Lilies’s.

You can check out the announcement trailer for Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist here:

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights came out in 2021 and is a dark fantasy fairy tale that plays like a 2D side scroller. Critics gave it positive reviews at launch. Since then, it’s sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. The story follows Lily, the final priestess of a land that’s gone through an apocalyptic event called the Blight. As a result of the Blight, everyone in her country turned into monsters. Lily has the power to purify souls from corruption and they then accompany her on her journey to protect her.

Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist will come out on January 22, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC via Steam. It's readily available in Early Access.

The post Ender Magnolia Will Come Out in January 2025 appeared first on Siliconera.

Bunny Garden Version 1.0.5 is now available and it introduces a new cast member. Since she’s still in her trial period, she won’t be able to actually interact with the player directly.

The new cast member will only appear when Kana, Rin, and Miuka are on their break. Though she won’t come up to serve the player, you can still observe her hard at work with other guests. In the picture on Qureate’s official X (formerly known as Twitter) account, she seems to be the girl behind Rin with the pigtails and gray-pink hair. It’s likely that she will finish her trial period in a future patch and become a new romanceable girl.

Yujiro Usuda, the CEO of Qureate, QRT-ed the announcement post to say that it's thanks to players' support that Bunny Garden grew big enough to hire a new cast member. He hints that there will be more exciting things in the future for the game and that he hopes the new girl will start serving customers soon. Finally, he reveals that Qureate is still working hard on games it announced at the beginning of the year. This list likely includes games like Fantasista Asuka.

Bunny Garden is a dating sim that takes place in the titular gentleman’s club. As you may expect from such a setting, there are plenty of ecchi elements in the game so it’s not suitable for a younger audience. In Bunny Garden, you can pay money to enjoy conversations, drinks and games with the hostesses.

Remembering past conversations with the girls in your answers to them can make you more popular with them. However, if you don’t work hard (or win big in gambling), you won’t have enough funds to go hang out with the girl of your dreams.

Bunny Garden Version 1.0.5 is readily available on the Nintendo Switch and Windows PC via Steam. A physical version will also appear on the Nintendo Switch on December 19, 2024.

The post Bunny Garden Version 1.0.5 Introduces New Girl appeared first on Siliconera.

The 30th anniversary of the Tales series is just around the corner and Bandai Namco has already started preparations with the Remastered Project. For those who would like to take a walk down memory lane, or are curious about what other Tales games they can play while waiting for new (or remastered) releases, here is a full list of the mothership Tales titles.

Tales of Phantasia

Release Date: December 15, 1995

Platforms: Super Famicom, PlayStation, GBA, PSP, iOS, mobile devices

The first Tales title takes place in Aselia and follows Cless Albane, who seeks revenge after his hometown is destroyed. He learns that the culprits behind the attack wish to revive a powerful sorcerer king, Dhaos. Using the power of time travel, Cless and his friends travel to the past and future in order to defeat Dhaos for good.

Tales of Destiny

Release Date: December 23, 1997

Platforms: PlayStation

The original Tales of Destiny came out on the PlayStation and the remake came out in 2006 for the PS2. It follows Stahn, who accidentally finds a sentient sword that calls itself Dymlos. He, along with other wielders of speaking swords, fight for the Eye of Atamoni, which is a powerful relic from an ancient war.

Tales of Destiny Remake is one of the best titles in the Tales series for its story—which expands on the original and includes a redemption arc for popular character Leon—and fighting style. Hopefully, Bandai Namco has plans for a remaster so that it can officially release the game to the west.

Tales of Eternia

Release Date: November 30, 2000

Platforms: PlayStation, PSP

Tales of Eternia, released in the west as Tales of Destiny 2, has nothing to do with Tales of Destiny. Instead, it follows Reid Hershel and his friends, who live together in the world of Inferia. One day, they come across a mysterious foreign girl named Meredy and through their interactions with her, learn of a different world called Celestia. They journey together to stop an ages-old conflict between the two worlds.

Tales of Eternia feels like the turning point for the Tales series in that it propelled the series into its initial popularity. It was popular enough for an anime adaptation and a MMO, though the anime was pretty bad (in that it had little to do with the game) and the MMO didn’t last long. The battle system feels a lot more fluid compared to Phantasia and Destiny, and it holds up to newer 2D Tales games too. 

Tales of Destiny 2

Release Date: November 28, 2002

Platforms: PS2, PSP

The actual sequel to Tales of Destiny, Tales of Destiny 2 follows Kyle, who’s the son of Stahn and Rutee from the first game. Due to his parents’ heroic past, he’s also obsessed with becoming a hero. One day, he meets a mysterious girl named Reala and embarks on a journey to become a true hero.

Like the above Tales of Destiny Remake, Tales of Destiny 2 is a fantastic game. It’s got a great story, compelling characters, and a difficult battle system that’s rewarding to master. The meme himself, Barbatos, is also from this game. Considering how much trouble he can give you, it can be a little hard to laugh at the jokes Bandai Namco make at his expense.

Tales of Symphonia

Release Date: August 29, 2003

Platforms: Nintendo GameCube, PS2, PS3, Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One

Tales of Symphonia was popular in its native Japan, but it’s what really put the franchise on the map for the western audience. While the west had gotten Phantasia and Eternia, they weren’t exactly selling like hotcakes in the way that Symphonia did. The story follows Lloyd, who joins his friend Colette’s pilgrimage to regenerate the world of Sylvarant.

Tales of Rebirth

Release Date: December 16, 2004

Platforms: PS2, PSP

The story of Tales of Rebirth heavily focuses on racism. It takes place in a world where people wield a magical power called Force after King Ladras, in his final moments, uses his power to unleash the potential in people around his kingdom. Veigue lost power of his Force of Ice and froze his childhood friend Claire in a pillar. Even after he manages to free her with the help of new friends Eugene and Mao, soldiers acting on orders from Karegia Kingdom heiress Agarte take her away. His journey to rescue her from the palace morphs into a battle to end racism.

Tales of Legendia

Release Date: August 25, 2005

Platforms: PS2

Tales of Legendia follows the story of Senel and his surrogate little sister Shirley. Shirley is the Merines, a legendary figure among the Ferines, which is a race of people who can live underwater. Because Shirley is the Merines, many different factions want to capture her to use them for their own schemes.

Compared to previous titles (and its successor Abyss), Tales of Legendia looks and plays in a very weird way. This likely has to do with the fact that the developer, Project MelFes, consists of Tales Studio members, along with developers from the Tekken and Soul Calibur series. It’s the first Tales game with Go Shiina as the composer and the soundtrack is objectively the game’s highest point.

Tales of the Abyss

Release Date: December 15, 2005

Platforms: PS2, Nintendo 3DS

Tales of the Abyss is the eighth mothership title, but it’s the commemorative game for the series’s 10th anniversary. It follows Luke fon Fabre, a pampered noble and swordsman who ends up outside of his comfy mansion after heroine Tear appears to assassinate her brother, who’s also Luke’s teacher. The story heavily focuses on Luke’s personal development as he seeks the meaning of his birth. There is also an anime adaptation for Abyss, which you can watch on YouTube.

Tales of the Tempest

Release Date: October 26, 2006

Platforms: Nintendo DS

Tales of the Tempest follows Caius Qualls, who is a Leymon (essentially a werewolf). After the church takes his guardian prisoner and kill the parents of his childhood friend Rubia, the two of them set out for the capital. The adventure then turns into one to overthrow the church.

Tales of the Tempest is the first Tales game for a handheld console. However, the reception to the game was very mixed, with some places giving it a very positive score and others giving it a very negative one. Points of criticism included the story’s short length, lack of content, unappealing relationship between Caius and Rubia, and more.

Tales of Innocence

Release Date: December 6, 2007

Platforms: Nintendo DS, PS Vita

The story of Tales of Innocence follows avatars, human reincarnations of the divine Devalokans who can still use supernatural powers from their past lives. Ruca, a timid boy, is an avatar of the powerful Asura and he awakens to his powers after rescuing fugitive Illia, a fellow avatar. They meet up with other avatars, who then travel to do something about the wars engulfing their world.

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

Release Date: June 26, 2008

Platforms: Wii, PS3

Though the sequel of Tales of Symphonia, Dawn of the New World introduces a lot of lore and elements that weren’t in the original game. It follows Emil, a timid boy who survived a massacre that Lloyd from the first game perpetrated. After meeting with Marta, a girl with Ratatosk’s Core on her forehead, the two of them set out on a journey to fix the meteorological problems occurring around the world and escape from Marta’s pursuers.

Tales of Vesperia

Release Date: August 7, 2008

Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Windows PC, Xbox One

Tales of Vesperia is a very popular and successful entry in the Tales franchise, selling over 1.5 million copies worldwide. It also has a prequel film, though Flynn in particular is so out-of-character it might as well be fanfiction. The story follows Yuri Lowell, a former soldier who’s now doing odd jobs around his neighborhood. After meeting a noble named Estelle and fleeing from the capital with her, he forms a guild called Brave Vesperia.

Tales of Hearts

Release Date: December 18, 2008

Platforms: Nintendo DS, PS Vita, iOS

Tales of Hearts follows Kor Meteor (Shing Meteoryte) who meets siblings Kohaku and Hisui Hearts. A monster infects Kohaku and in an attempt to save her, Kor accidentally destroys her Spiria (her heart and emotions). The three of them set off on a journey to restore Kohaku’s Spiria.

People don’t talk about the CG Movie Edition, but I definitely remember that one. People were comparing the models to the Evil Goddess MOCCOS, an old 2ch meme about the ugly KOS-MOS figure that came with the Xenosaga Episode 2 Premium Box Set.

Tales of Graces

Release Date: December 10, 2009

Platforms: Wii, PS3, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Windows PC

Tales of Graces follows the story of Asbel Lhant, who is the future heir of the Lhant village. As a child, he befriends an amnesiac girl named Sophie and the prince of Windsor, Richard. Witnessing Sophie’s death traumatizes him and he runs away from home to become a knight. Seven years later, he reunites with Sophie, setting into motion an adventure that takes him all across the world of Ephinea.

Tales of Xillia

Release Date: September 8, 2011

Platforms: PS3

Tales of Xillia is the first Tales game that combines character designs from Kosuke Fujishima (Phantasia, Symphonia, Abyss) and Mutsumi Inomata (Destiny, Eternia, Rebirth). Like Tales of the Abyss, it’s a celebratory mothership title. In Xillia's case, it was for the 15th anniversary. It follows Jude Mathis, a medical student who encounters Milla Maxwell after she breaks into a military research facility in an attempt to destroy a secret weapon. Now that they’re on the run from the military, Jude and Milla, along with their companions, journey to help Milla with her mission to save the world.

Tales of Xillia 2

Release Date: November 1, 2012

Platforms: PS3

Tales of Xillia 2, like Dawn of the New World, is a sequel of its predecessor while introducing elements and lore that the original game never really mentioned. It takes place a year after Xillia and follows Ludger Will Kresnik, a guy who just wants to cook. It turns out he’s not just a good cook, as he possesses the Chromatus. He and the cast from the first Xillia need to go into parallel worlds—essentially what-if scenarios from the first game—and destroy them to prevent their own world’s destruction. He also has to pay off a huge medical debt. Ah, adult life.

Tales of Zestiria

Release Date: January 22, 2015

Platforms: PS3, PS4, Windows PC

Tales of Zestiria was, like Abyss and Xillia, an anniversary title and this time, it was for the 20th anniversary. It draws inspiration from Arthurian legends and it follows the story of Sorey, a young human who can see the mystical spirits Seraphim. He leaves the village of Elysia with his best friend Mikleo and, after forming a pact with the Seraph Lailah, he becomes the Shepherd whose job is to purify the Hellion rampaging throughout Glenwood.

For an anniversary title, Zestiria had its fair share of controversies. Before the game came out, Japanese fans were ticked off about how prominent advertising for Alisha was, yet she was a mere guest party member in the actual game. After it came out, fans seemed split on the story, battle system, and tutorials.

Tales of Berseria

Release Date: August 18, 2016

Platforms: PS3, PS4, Windows PC

Tales of Berseria technically serves as the prequel to Tales of Zestiria. However, you don’t have to play Zestiria to understand Berseria. It follows Velvet Crowe, a normal village girl who lost her pregnant sister after a daemon attack. One day, tragedy strikes the village and Velvet comes across her brother-in-law Artorius killing her younger brother Laphicet in a ritual. She transforms into a daemon and Artorius tosses her into jail. Once she wakes, she swears vengeance on the man who used to be her family.

Tales of Arise

Release Date: September 10, 2021

Platforms: PS4, PS5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

Tales of Arise follows the story of Dahnan slave Alphen, or “Iron Mask,” and a Renan girl named Shionne. A curse on Shionne hurts anyone who touches her but since Alphen can’t feel pain, he’s the only person who can pull a sword from the Master Core she has. Like Rebirth and Eternia, it deals with themes of racism and oppression.

The post All Mothership Titles in the Tales Series in Release Order appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix shared a new video of Naoki Yoshida and Hironobu Sakaguchi talking about Fantasian Neo Dimension, Sakaguchi’s Mistwalker game which Square Enix is publishing and Yoshida is producing with Creative Studio 3. However, in addition to discussing Fantasian, the two also bring up FFXIV. 

The brief clip begins by setting the stage with some introductions. Sakaguchi and Yoshida then note how this is the first time Sakaguchi worked with Square Enix in 25 years. He is one of the founders of Final Fantasy and worked on mainline up until FFXI, as well as spin-offs like FFX-2 and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. From there, Sakaguchi said one of the reasons he “entrusted” Fantasian Neo Dimension to Yoshida is because of the work he’s done as director and producer on the MMORPG. They also tease a release date announcement for the console and PC version of the former Apple Arcade exclusive.

Here is the full video, which ends with Sakaguchi stating, “FFXIV is the best.”

This is the second time we’ve seen commentary from Naoki Yoshida and Hironobu Sakaguchi about Fantasian Neo Dimension. Previously, a Famitsu interview with the two appeared. Among other things, they talked about how this version of the game has voice acting due to Yoshida’s influence and suggestions.

Fantasian Neo Dimension will come to the PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X, and PC in Winter 2024. Fantasian is on Apple devices via Apple Arcade. Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Naoki Yoshida and Hironobu Sakaguchi Talk FFXIV, Fantasian in New Video appeared first on Siliconera.

The classic Yu-Gi-Oh games on Nintendo's Game Boy handheld consoles that featured the likes of Yugi and Seto Kaiba will be playable again on the Nintendo Switch and PCs. Konami will include the titles into the Yu-Gi-Oh Early Days Collection and release it not only in Japan, but also in North America and Europe.

When Konami first revealed the compilation in February 2024, it announced that the 2000 Game Boy Color title Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 4: Battle of Great Duelists and the 2001 Game Boy Advance entry Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 6: Expert 2 would be part of the compilation. The company has since announced that the compilation will have more than ten classic titles. It also newly added the following titles to the list:

• Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters - for Game Boy in 1998
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters II: Dark Duel Stories - for Game Boy Color with Game Boy backward compatibility in 1999
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories - released exclusively for Game Boy Color in 2000

Konami will also bring physical releases of the compilation's Nintendo Switch version both in Japan and the West. Each package will also contain a random bonus card. While the company has yet to reveal the card in the Japanese releases, it has confirmed that the North American and European releases of the physical compilation will come with one of the following two art versions of the spell card Harpie's Feather Duster.

Yu-Gi-Oh Early Days Collection will be available on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. Konami will announce the compilation's release date at a later time.

The post Yu-Gi-Oh Early Days Collection Will Compile Classic GB Games appeared first on Siliconera.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection is a great collection of some fantastic, over-the-top, and fast fighting games. By simply putting all of these games in one place with an affordable price tag it was already going to be a worthwhile purchase for me, but with its wonderful additional content, it makes buying this collection a no-brainer.

This collection puts together seven different Marvel fighting games, capturing X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter, Marvel vs Capcom, and Marvel vs Capcom 2. Plus there is The Punisher beat ‘em up, which is an odd addition. But hey, why not? If you just want to bash heads to burn off steam by punching thugs after Cyber Akuma has stomped you flat for a few hours, it’s a nice thing to have. Having all of these games in a single package is fantastic for those who don’t want to have to hit the lottery to buy copies of them all. As well, having online without having to jump through certain hoops is really nice as well. Being able to launch all of these from one game is just really nice in and of itself.

There’s some fun extras to further entice you to pick up the Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection. The game features a museum for each of the titles that contains old pamphlets, marquees, comic ads, design documents, rough stage/move/character drawings, and other fun oddities from the game’s past. While most of it is in Japanese, it was neat to look back on how a lot of the moves and stages came together as the games were created. The museum also lets you play through each game’s soundtrack as well, which is a fun addition if you just want to enjoy the tunes without having to avoid Wolverine’s Berserker Barrage.

The marquees in the museum are especially important, as you’re going to need to take some time to introduce yourself to each game’s unique mechanics and tools. If you want to learn about what the Infinity Gems do in Marvel Super Heroes or what the various assist types do in Marvel vs Capcom 2, you’re going to want to check out your move list or the game’s specific marquee. There’s not a ton of wild mechanics, but it’s enough that you’ll want to take a bit of time in the basic move lists to see what you’ll be running into in each game. A part of me wishes that each game had a little introduction to its mechanics (maybe just some still images) for new players to know what to expect, but what’s in place is functional.

With Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection, Capcom does offer new players (or Street Fighter 6 players who use Modern controls) the ability to perform easy special moves and supers. On Switch, hitting the L button plus a direction allows you to do a special move. Hitting ZL allows you to do your Hyper Combos and Supers (sometimes with a direction involved if you have multiple buttons). This allows you to do pretty much any special move with ease. What’s unexpected is that there doesn’t appear to be any change in damage to the moves if you use the regular directional input versus the one-button method. I thought this might be pretty controversial, but it is locked out for Ranked play online (but can be turned on or off for Casual Matches or Custom Rooms). It’s a shame this couldn’t be worked into something resembling Modern controls in Street Fighter 6, but given the catastrophic possibilities it would add to balancing the moves in these older games, I understand why it was done this way.

For those who want to get their execution down for Ranked play, the games all have their own practice modes complete with hit/hurtboxes, on-screen inputs, attack data, and some dummy behavior you can set up (including recordings). It’s wild to me that I can go in and set up a training dummy doing specific moves in games that are this old, but it’s a really solid training mode that is a welcome feature. Far better than what I used to do when I set it to two player mode and then just beat up on the second player. Holding up with your toe on the second controller to make them jump was always a pain.

And once you get your moves down, whether through practice or just fiddling with the one-button specials, you’ll be able to hop in and have a great time with all of the fighters in the Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection. These are games I used to have a blast playing just by mashing buttons because they were fast and looked great. Each have their own visual quirks, but overall they are filled with big, detailed characters with flashy moves that are fun to see in action. I love them all in their own ways, so it’s fun to just bounce around them and enjoy how they look and feel. Considering you can queue for multiple games in the Online mode at the same time, you can also just see what games you get tossed into and enjoy.

If I had one gripe, it’s that the collection features a single quick save across all of its titles instead of having a save for each game. So, if you’re being menaced at high levels near the end of Arcade mode in more than one of the titles at once (or if you have a save in The Punisher), trying to save any other game overwrites it. It’s mildly annoying to be stuck having to finish one game before moving to another, but again, only a minor issue.

As for The Punisher game, it’s such an odd addition, but as far as a beat ‘em up goes, it’s good fun. Making use of guns periodically adds some good variety to punching thugs, and the enemy variety is fairly decent, digging into the character’s odd array of villains and some other weird Marvel bad guys. If you get kicked around by the enemies too much, you can even do a little rewind of the action by holding L and try again. Overall, it feels super out of place in this game, but as a little free addition that can be entertaining, I really can’t complain.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection is just a highly impressive collection of some of the most over-the-top and fun fighting games that have ever been made. By creating easier controls, it allows all of those button-mashing newcomers (like I once was) to hop in and have a great time. With its new practice mode, it allows those of us trying to get serious a means of practicing so we don’t get annihilated by the stone cold killers who’ve been playing the game for decades. It’s just a celebration of some of the greatest titles in the genre.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics will be available on Sept 12, 2024 on PS4, the Nintendo Switch, and PC. It will be made available on the Xbox Series X in 2025.

The post Review: Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection Is a Great Ride appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo revealed a new collaboration in Japan, which involves Suntory's drink bottles being decorated with Splatoon 3 characters. The company also confirmed that Suntory has released the bottles in stores across Japan in limited numbers. This also means there is a chance people could see them in Asian grocery stores in other regions eventually.

Suntory features five kinds of drinks in this collaboration. The 600ml Pepsi Big Zero Lemon drink is one of them. The remaining four drinks are the C.C. Lemon (500ml), Dekavita C Power (500ml), Pop Melon Soda (600ml), and Natchan Ringo (425ml). Each bottle has two design variations featuring different Splatoon 3 characters.

The specially branded drink bottles will not be the only items in this Splatoon 3 collaboration. People who get four of the above bottles in a single purchase can receive a bonus clear file while stocks last. They can also use the same receipt to enter a sweepstake that will reward an MA-1 jacket to 500 lucky winners after it closes on October 31, 2024.

While the specially branded bottles are new, the Suntory crossover campaign is not. The company has been running a collaboration with the Nintendo Switch game since mid-July 2024. In the first wave that ran until August 2024, people could purchase any four of the company's bottles to get a Splatoon 3-branded tote bag while entering a sweepstake for pairs of T-shirts for adults and children.

The Splatoon 3-branded Suntory drink bottles are available for purchase in stores across Japan while stocks last. Splatoon 3 is available on the Nintendo Switch.

The post Splatoon 3-Branded Suntory Drink Bottles Appear in Japan appeared first on Siliconera.

Pico Park 2 randos are the worst. Do you know how many multiplayer sessions I went into with the general public? About 20. Do you know how many of them were successful? Seven. In some cases, that only happened because everyone except for one other person and myself stayed in the level to finish it. Conversely, playing the game two-player with another trusted individual ended up being quite enjoyable! Truly, Pico Park 2 is a Switch game where who you play with and how matters.

Pico Park 2 looks a lot like the first game, and it plays a lot like it too! Each person in a session, which supports up to eight people, picks an animal-like avatar. Your goal is to either get through the 60 World levels, face off in the eight Battle games, or continually go through the Endless challenges. You’re often working together, aside from Battle, but the thing about the title is that it could be good at ruining friendships or making you hate other players depending on how well everyone cooperates. 

In general, each Pico Park 2 stage involves acquiring a key so you can open a door and progress. How you get that key can vary. Some involve platforming challenges. You may need to dodge, move into certain positions, hit switches, work with your fellowing players without touching them, or complete tasks in a timely fashion. Others can feel more like minigames, with tasks such as getting a certain time together, aiming balls at baskets, or shooting down opponents. Stages are typically rather short, so you can go through a lot together! This is especially beneficial in World or Endless modes, when you’re picking at stages or just continually playing. In the World stages it can make the experimental nature of some situations, during which you find out where the dangers lie, easier to bear. The concepts are fun, you can really feel how it built off the original Pico Park, and it is generally enjoying.

In most cases, the challenge comes from three points. One is figuring out the controls, as stages that involve shooting or other actions won’t tell you which button to press. (It’s X on a Switch!) Another involves gauging distance or momentum, as there will be jumping challenges where factoring in character placement or physics can determine your success. But the real difficulty comes from other people. 

Even if you do play Pico Park 2 in an ideal situation like I did, with someone who you can trust to make good decisions, sometimes it is frustrating! There are certain levels that can be infuriating due to the parameters, execution, or limitations regarding timing or distances. When I played, 50% of the time I worked alongside someone who was as practical, reasonable, and experienced as I was. There were still some stages, especially in the final area in World, that felt unpleasant. Even when we did manage to accomplish the goal, get the key, and reach the next task, it was so annoying that I felt a handful of stages weren't much fun. The 50% of the time I played with random people in a public match, it was infuriating if it wasn’t a Battle stage.

What I will say is that if you aren’t doing well with your chosen group playing, it won’t be due to connection issues. Whether I played alone with randoms in a public game or privately with one other person, the Pico Park 2 connection was fantastic on the Switch. My ping was routinely in the 40s, and even sometimes in the low 50s! Considering you’ll always be playing with others and very likely often online, that’s quite reassuring.

It means that Pico Park 2, much like the original game, is a “your mileage may vary” title depending on who joins you when you play. If you have a group of four people who can all be in the same room together, it might be absolutely incredible. Especially if they are all familiar with the series and experienced with how games like this work. If you’re only playing with one other person, it could still be great! But you won’t get the full experience and might be frustrated sometimes. I 100% suggest not playing this with random individuals. Even though the in-game messaging system is competent and I had a decent ping playing on the Switch against others, randos are a nightmare in Pico Park 2 and ruin the experience.

Pico Park 2 is available on the Nintendo Switch, and it will come to the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on September 12, 2024. 

The post Review: Pico Park 2 Is Great in Certain Situations appeared first on Siliconera.

When Sonic x Shadow Generations was first announced at Sony's State of Play in January, I was shocked that Black Doom had been revived for the upcoming game. Honestly, I'm still shocked even now, several months later. Black Doom has only appeared in one game in the Sonic franchise before this, and it's a spin-off title, Shadow the Hedgehog. But considering that Black Doom encourages and coerces Shadow to go on a killing spree in some timelines, it was a villain I thought Sega would have wanted to keep dead and buried.  

Back in the early 2000s, Shadow was at the height of his popularity thanks to the success of Sonic Adventure 2. Because of this, Sega Studios USA wanted to create a game centred around Shadow. They decided to base the game on the events of Sonic Adventure 2. This decision actually made a lot of sense, as the overall plot of Sonic Adventure 2 had massive potential to be expanded and developed upon, including the Space Colony ARK, Guardian Unit of Nations (G.U.N) and the backstory of Gerald Robotnik.

Now, everything stated above sounds completely reasonable, right? But anyone who played Shadow the Hedgehog knows the game is a startling contrast to what we had seen in previous games. To explain how strange it was, when the trailer initially dropped for Shadow the Hedgehog, fans were convinced it was some convoluted joke, as the plot and gameplay seemed miles away from what we had seen in any traditional mainline game.

The story follows Shadow, who is suffering from amnesia and lacks clarity on what happened at the Space Colony ARK. An alien race called the Black Arms has landed on Earth, causing mayhem and destruction to human civilisation. The leader of the Black Arms, Black Doom, approaches Shadow and tells him to collect all seven Chaos Emeralds to fulfil his "promise". With Black Doom clearly knowing about his past, Shadow decides to collect all the Chaos Emeralds, but how he goes about this is entirely up to you, as you can choose to be the hero or the villain in the story.

To complete the level, you can either kill the Black Arms aliens that are attacking Earth or kill the human G.U.N soldiers trying to protect the planet. You can even pick the anarchist option and choose to kill everyone you come across. Depending on your actions, it will result in different timelines, with ten possible endings you can achieve. One of the endings even results in Shadow striking down Doctor Eggman in what appears to be his demise. Not exactly what you expect from a Sonic the Hedgehog game. But this is not where the oddness ends, as this is still not the most contentious aspect of Shadow the Hedgehog…you can use guns. Yep, you read that right. You can travel across the stage and pick up guns to shoot down your adversaries.

The first level of Shadow the Hedgehog, Westopolis, is distinctively memorable because it really shows you what the game is about. It starts with you abruptly freefalling from the sky and witnessing the devastating explosions tormenting the city as an eerie red aura consumes the sky. When you finally land on the ground level and dash through the stage, you see the full extent of the carnage, as the city buildings and road structures are turned into derelict dust. You then have multiple opportunities to pick up weapons from the G.U.N soldiers or the Black Arms aliens to take whatever action you see fit. The first stage is a great indicator of whether you will like the overall atmosphere that Shadow the Hedgehog is trying to achieve.

Even though Shadow and the stages are obviously selling points of the game, Black Doom arguably steals the show. Black Doom is a classic villain with no admirable characteristics. There is no divine or symbolic meaning behind his actions. He simply wants the humans as livestock for his race and will do whatever it takes to achieve this goal. This made the timelines where Shadow picked the bad options feel even more sinister because it was leading to Earth's demise. It felt like you were genuinely succumbing to the dark side whenever you did an action that pleased him. Shadow the Hedgehog would not be the same experience if you took away Black Doom.

As you can probably tell by this point, this is not the most kid-friendly game, and there is a reason for that. Takashi Iizuka wanted to create a Sonic the Hedgehog experience aimed at an older audience, emulating action films, which might explain the game's dark undercurrent. In fact, Shadow the Hedgehog was heavily edited to ensure it kept at the E10+ rating.

When Shadow the Hedgehog first came out, I was a few years away from my teens but had already entered my rocker phase (and I still haven't left) and had begun listening to rock bands like System of the Down and Nine Inch Nails. I was their prime audience on paper. So, what did I think of the game? I fell in love with Shadow the Hedgehog for all the above reasons. I found Sonic Heroes a bit too cheesy, so I appreciated the darker tone, and I liked the concept that I could carve out my own destiny. I remember my older sibling raising an eyebrow at me whilst playing the game, questioning why Shadow has a gun, but I completely disregarded these concerns because I enjoyed the game so much.

But I also distinctly remember the first time I saw Black Doom. It may sound silly, as Black Doom's voice, in some ways, is rather comical in how deep-pitched it is, but the kid version of me found it terrifying. His appearance was also menacing, as he was a floating entity with multiple red eyes. They nailed the ominous alien look perfectly, as he was scary but cool at the same time. I wanted to know his backstory and history with Shadow and Gerald Robotnik, which motivated me to complete all ten endings and unlock the true ending.

Looking back, I can appreciate that a few bugs held it back from greatness and begrudgingly agree with my sibling that the guns were unnecessary, but I still have a strong affiliation with the title to this day. I'm not the only one, as Shadow the Hedgehog has cultivated a strong cult following throughout the years.

But since Shadow the Hedgehog was released, which was nearly twenty years ago, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has gone back to its roots and embraced a more kid-friendly atmosphere (at least regarding the games and TV adaptations, the Sonic the Hedgehog comics are a conversation for another day). The recent Hollywood films have solidified this tone even further. It's a hilarious segment, but Jim Carrey doing the floss as Doctor Eggman definitely appeals to younger audiences. But it's also because of these films that Black Doom has returned.

The upcoming film Sonic the Hedgehog 3, set to come out later this year, sees the introduction of Shadow. To complement the film, they clearly wanted to bring Shadow back to the forefront of the games in some capacity. The result is Sonic x Shadow Generations – a remaster of Sonic Generations with a parallel story featuring Shadow. But what was one of the best qualities of the first game that featured Shadow as the protagonist? Black Doom.

Now, do I think Sonic x Shadow Generations will feature guns and the option of killing human G.U.N soldiers? Absolutely not. If anything, looking at the gameplay trailers we have so far, it appears it's tapping into Sonic Adventure 2 more, as the iconic boss battle Biolizard has even been included. But I'm still surprised Sega has revived Black Doom. They could have easily conjured up a new villain, but clearly, even though they have no desire to emulate Shadow the Hedgehog's dark and gritty tone, they couldn't ignore that Black Doom was a pivotal reason for the original game's success. And I'm happy that a new generation of Sonic The Hedgehog fans will be introduced to Black Doom and his ominous voice.

What are your thoughts about Sonic x Shadow Generations bringing back Black Doom? Let us know with a comment below.

Sonic x Shadow Generations will be released on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Xbox One on 22 October, 2024.

The post I’m Shocked That Sonic x Shadow Generations Revived Black Doom appeared first on Siliconera.

Putting aside any personal thoughts about a certain Harry Potter creator for a moment, I surprisingly enjoyed Hogwarts Legacy as one of my favorite games in 2023. With fond memories of both that game and the classic Quidditch World Cup title from the original Xbox, I went to review Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions with a hopeful heart.

In the end, I find that Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is a worthy rendition of the fictional magical sport. The star of the show is the gameplay, which translates the broomstick sport to video game form in a hilarious and incredibly fun way. In some aspects, it almost feels like my new obsession in how I shamefully played Blitzball for about 40 total hours alone in Final Fantasy X.

For those who might not be too familiar with the sport, Quidditch is essentially soccer or basketball but on broomsticks. Wizards and witches fly around on their broomsticks passing around the ball (known as a Quaffle) in hopes of scoring in one of the three enemy goals.

However, this basic idea has quite a few intriguing twists to shake everything up. For one, there are different roles in Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions. You have the three Chasers, which are the characters who try to score with the Quaffle. Then every team has a Beater that has their own ball they can throw at enemy players to try and knock them out.

Of course, there is also a Keeper who protects the goals from being scored on. Finally, there is the Seeker — my favorite role — that fans will remember well from the Harry Potter movies. This is the role that goes after the coveted Golden Snitch to score a healthy 30 points for the team.

All four of these roles come together to form a compelling and often complex gameplay style. There is so much to dive into from a gameplay perspective that it takes time to master each role. This is because, to developer Unbroken Studios’ credit, every role feels rightfully unique. The Chaser is the most standard, focusing on boosting, tackling, passing, and scoring.

But then the Beater takes that basic movement system and adds its offensive ball on top of that. It becomes even more of a skill-based experience with this role. It is all about eliminating other players, quite violently at times.

Keeper is quite simple but it has some intriguing hooks, too. Your movement is less free compared to the others, as you focus on shifting between the hoops. But there are layers to this defensive role, like intercepting and tackling others. In addition, you can lay down rings across the pitch for your team. These act as buffs that let your team gain extra boosts, providing a leader-like role.

While the Seeker is by far the most straightforward, it is also sometimes the funnest. Your entire goal is to locate the Snitch then chase it around the field. This is done through golden rings the Snitch drops for you to pass through. These let you boost indefinitely as you pass through them and get closer to it. Once you charge up a bar before your opponent does, you can snatch it. The challenge here comes from how fast the Snitch moves and the constant dodges you have to do to avoid other players, which makes it a blast to play.

I absolutely adore the gameplay of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions to the point where I have been obsessing over it in my free time every day since I got it. However, the gameplay only gets you so far. Unfortunately, while the gameplay foundation is as solid as it gets, the content lets it down. At least at launch.

There is, thankfully, a singleplayer experience. It involves a training mode and four cups, ranging from the Weasleys’ backyard all the way to the iconic World Cup. However, you can absolutely go through all of these in a matter of two to three hours in total. And once you’re done, there isn’t much reason to go back to them outside of challenges.

This is certainly a game that runs its course with a couple of hours of game time. The real hook then comes from PvP, but even it lacks in the content department. There is only a single 3v3 game mode right now available, which feels underbaked. We know a full 6v6 mode is on the way in the future, but this game is built for that. Letting every player on the team play a dedicated role just makes sense. Not having that at launch is a shame.

It is also unfortunate because there are some neat systems at play outside of the modes. For one, there are plenty of skins and characters to unlock. Fortunately, you don’t need to pay a dime extra for any of these, either. There are no microtransactions available, which feels refreshing. The challenges, while basic, give some structure and slight reason to come back with cosmetic rewards.

It is just a shame there aren’t more modes, both offline and online, to enjoy. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions lays such a brilliant foundation with its impeccable gameplay execution of this fictional sport. Every role feels meaningful, unique, and worth playing. It starts out so simple but has enough complexity for only the most dedicated to master.

While this foundation is great, though, it only goes so far. Despite having the potential to be my next online gaming obsession, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will, unfortunately, take a backseat for now until more worthwhile content and modes arrive.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is available right now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It will also release for Nintendo Switch sometime in Holiday 2024.

The post Review: Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions Thrills Despite Lacking Content appeared first on Siliconera.

To help give an idea of what to expect from the Lollipop Chainsaw RePop Switch port, Dragami shared gameplay footage of the first boss battle. CEO Yoshimi Yasuda also offered insights into that port on social media, discussing its resolution, frame rate, and what people can expect from the a post-launch patch.

In the Yasuda statement, he noted that Lollipop Chainsaw RePop runs at 30fps on the Switch and has a 1080p FHD resolution. He compared this to the original game, which ran at 720p HD and 30fps. He did note that the Switch version has optimized lighting, but no “screen space reflections.” As for the post-launch patch, it will add chainsaw marks after Juliet attacks places, as those marks aren’t in at launch.

Here’s that notice from Yoshimi Yasuda’s X account:

As for the Lollipop Chainsaw RePop Switch gameplay footage, there are some minor spoilers for folks who aren’t familiar with the game. It begins with Juliet confronting Swan, the San Romero student who summoned the zombies to the school. One of his Dark Purveyor zombies named Lewis Legend then rides in on his motorcycle. The rest of the video then spends about 10 minutes focusing on the ensuing boss fight.

Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP will come out on the PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, and WIndows PC on September 25, 2024. A PS4 version is being considered.

The post Here’s How Lollipop Chainsaw RePop Switch Gameplay Looks appeared first on Siliconera.

In a recent interview with Famitsu, Atelier Series Producer Junzo Hosoi shared new details about the cast of main characters in the upcoming new entry Atelier Yumia, as well as confirmed Victor and Isla will be the first two who will join Yumia's party. His commentary included details about the type of character designs and the process of creating them. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

When asked about Yumia’s design, the interviewer pointed out that black hair is rare for an Atelier protagonist. Hosoi said that it was decided early in development that Yumia's color scheme would focus heavily on black and white. However, the details of her design weren’t detailed until later. In contrast, Isla von Duerer's design was decided early on.

Hosoi added that when they put Isla and Yumia, whose design was still not finalized, side by side, Isla looked more like the typical Atelier protagonist. The developers then had about 30 to 40 rounds of fine tuning to make Yumia feel more like the main character and to try and make her appeal as global as possible. They settled on emphasizing her coolness as a strong and independent woman, as well as her use of acrobatic footwork.

Hosoi also talked about some of the supporting cast of Atelier Yumia. In regards to Viktor, the producer said that he is the type of man of justice that hadn't seen in the Atelier series until now. Hosoi compared him to Marvel’s Captain America. Meanwhile, Isla is Viktor's younger sister. She has a friendly personality and gets along well with her brother. As mentioned before, her design is closer to previous Atelier protagonists.

Nina is a mysterious woman, and the developers deliberately designed her to be straightforward and fit the assassin archetype. Rutger is another character whose design is new to the Atelier series. Rutger has a noteworthy past, but he was designed as to not give it away immediately. The world of Atelier Yumia has various demihuman races, and Lenja belongs to the Welleks.

The Atelier Yumia official website offers character profiles for the main party members, and you can take a look at their designs here:

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land will come out worldwide on March 21, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam.

The post Atelier Yumia Main Characters Detailed in New Interview appeared first on Siliconera.

After literal decades, the original Fate/stay night is available on modern consoles in English, and it serves as a fantastic introduction to the grand (but not that complicated) world of Fate. Outside of very minor technical issues that were more than likely my own fault rather than the game’s, it’s a smooth and gripping experience for both veterans and novices of the series.

The overall premise of Fate/stay night is one that even non-fans should be familiar with at this point, considering how many adaptations and spin-offs there are. It follows Shirou Emiya, a deceptively ordinary high school student who finds himself wrapped up in the Holy Grail War. The Holy Grail War is a war between mages, fought by summoning historical or mythological heroes as Servants in order to obtain the titular Holy Grail. As Saber’s Master, Shirou somewhat reluctantly joins the war in order to prevent tragedies that may occur as a result of it.

There are three routes: Fate, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven’s Feel. Each route feels wildly different in terms of themes, main characters, and storyline, yet the game still meshes together in a cohesive manner. As for the actual gameplay, it’s similar to previous Type-Moon titles like Witch on the Holy Night and Tsukihime where you mostly make decisions at key junctures in the plot. Outside of those occasional key inputs, you can sit back and enjoy the show. I personally enjoyed the Unlimited Blade Works route a bit more than the other two, but they’re all very interesting stories with their own unique motifs and themes.

It’s actually very interesting reading Fate/stay night so soon after the Tsukihime remake because I can see how Nasu improved as a writer. However, I will also note that it can be hard to compare since as the introduction to the Fate franchise, Fate/stay night naturally had to be a bit heavy on the exposition. Things that we Fate fans think are common knowledge—True Name, Holy Grail War, Bounded Field, et cetera—were probably really confusing back when the game first came out.

Nonetheless, the narrative can feel a bit slow at times due to Nasu’s focus on either explaining the magic system or delving really deep into internal monologue. The second thing isn’t bad, since it provides insight on characters in a way that animated adaptations could never. Speaking of the narrative, I realized how much of my disinterest in the Fate route was from the Studio DEEN anime. Sure, ufotable has its problems when it comes to adapting Fate works but I still hope it decides to make a new anime for the Fate route one day.

I played the game after the issues with the English version were patched out. So I didn’t get the authentic experience of playing a Japanese visual novel. Though I did run into some performance issues, I’m pretty sure they’re avoidable if you don’t do what I did (thus it won’t affect the score). For one thing, playing the game on a second monitor doesn’t work in fullscreen. It keeps minimizing. I played Ace Attorney Investigations on a second monitor in fullscreen and it ran fine, so this is unique to Fate/stay night. Even windowed, issues cropped up. Letters would be missing or entire lines would run into each other. I know this is a problem with the monitor rather than the game because if I took a screenshot or dragged the window to my main screen, it looked fine. Moral of the story? Fate doesn’t like playing second fiddle.

Fate/stay night is a great read and introduction to the Fate franchise, and all three routes maintain the same quality in terms of the plot and themes. Personally, I don’t think any route was bad. It just falls to personal preference. Compared to Type-Moon’s newer games or stories, yes, it can be overly wordy. And yes, it looks dated in both Takeuchi’s art style and in the Powerpoint-like transitions. I honestly found it charming though, and it works in the context of such a classic game. So rejoice, Fate fans. Our wish has finally come true.

Fate/stay night Remastered is readily available on the Nintendo Switch and Windows PC.

The post Review: Fate/stay night Provides a Sturdy Foundation appeared first on Siliconera.

Taito announced the release of a new set of NieR: Automata mini figures featuring antagonists Adam and Eve melting like ice cream. The figures are now available as crane game prizes in Japan, with people able to win them from the Taito Online crane game website.

The mini figure set belongs to the Tiny Melties line, which depicts characters as though they are made of ice cream and melting. In the case of the Adam and Eve figures, the melting details can be perceived in the hair pieces, Adam's shirt and sleeves, and the bases of both figures.

You can check out the new Tiny Melties mini figures of Adam and Eve from the NieR: Automata Ver1.1a anime series here:

The Adam and Eve figure set was first shown back in April 2024 alongside two Chubby Collection figures of protagonist 2B and a new figure of A2. Sega Prize also revealed two Chubby Collection figures of 9S in May 2024. In addition, Tiny Melties figures of NieR: Automata protagonist duo 2B and 9S released back in July 2024. A second volume of the collection appeared in August 30, 2024, and it featured protagonist A2 and a machine lifeform.

The new NieR: Automata Ver1.1a Tiny Melties figures of Adam and Eve are now available as game prizes from the Taito Online crane game website.

The post NieR: Automata Adam and Eve Figure Set Appears in Taito Crane Games appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo has revealed that it will hold a quiz test related to Pikmin 4 in Tokyo, Japan. The test's title will be Pikmin 4 Dandori Kentei 1, and the company will hold it in late November 2024.

People can register to participate in the test for free, although they still have to pay public transportation fees to reach the venue at Tokyo Dome City. However, the venue can only host a finite number of participants. Nintendo also requires registrants to have a Nintendo Account with a playing record of Pikmin 4 on the Nintendo Switch. If the registration limit has been reached, the company will manually select the eligible participants.

The venue will also have a photo spot where visitors can take pictures with characters from Pikmin 4. Nintendo will also hand over score certificates to all participants after the test has concluded. In addition, the company will give extra reward items like an A4 clear file, a mini towel, and a T-shirt to those who manage to record a high score.

The first Pikmin 4 Dandori Kentei quiz test will be held at Tokyo Dome City's Prism Hall on November 23-24, 2024. Registrations for the test are open until October 23, 2024.

The post Pikmin 4 Quiz Test Will Be Held in Tokyo in November 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.