Pokémon GO May 2024 Community Day Spotlights Bounsweet
Bounsweet it is to be loved by you
The Pokémon GO May 2024 Community Day has been announced, and the focus this time around is on Bounsweet, the Fruit Pokémon! This event takes place Sunday, May 19, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
As you probably have guessed, during this event Bounsweet will appear more frequently in the wild. If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one! If you evolve Steenee (Bounsweet’s Evolution) during the event or up to five hours afterward you’ll get a Tsareena that knows the Charged Attack High Jump Kick.
Along with this, for US$1.00 (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency), you’ll be able to access the Bounsweet Community Day –exclusive Special Research story. Stay tuned for when tickets for the Special Research story go live.
For more details about this Community Day event’s bonuses, raids, field research, and more, check out Niantic’s blog here.
Nintendo has experienced varying degrees of success over the years, from dominant industry force, to scrappy underdog. Thanks to the popularity of the Switch in recent years, it looks like they’re very much back to being the former. In fact, according to game sales analyst Pierre485 on Twitter, Nintendo’s profits have been greater during the Switch’s lifespan than their total profits made between 1981 and 2016.
Check out a graph illustrating this point below:
Examining the graph, we can see that the previous most profitable era for Nintendo was around 2007 to 2010, which was of course when the Wii was in full swing. Then, there’s a big dip immediately after, stemming from the less than stellar sales of the Wii U. However, since the release of the Switch in 2017, those numbers have been steadily climbing, with a particularly huge spike in 2021.
Considering how successful Nintendo has been over the years, it’s pretty amazing that they’ve managed to achieve a greater level of success than in all those years combined in such a short time. In fact, this still holds true even when accounting for inflation. There’s no doubt that the Switch is a phenomenon, though other factors surely include Nintendo’s foray into mobile games, theme parks, and blockbuster films.
Will Nintendo be able to maintain this level of profit when moving on to their next console? Time will tell!
Hotel Nikko Bali will offer guests a stay in Pokémon-themed rooms (UPDATE)
You'll never want to leave your room!
Experience the ultimate staycation with your favorite Pokémon at Hotel Nikko Bali Benoa Beach. The beachfront resort offers themed rooms featuring Batik Pikachu, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly, and more! Don’t miss this unique opportunity to make your staycation unforgettable.
Those interested in booking a room at the Hotel Nikko Bali Benoa Beach can do so starting February 15th, 2024, and bookings will remain open all the way until Dec. 31st, 2024. As for your actual period of stay, that will have to be booked sometime between March 1st and Dec. 31st, 2024. The cost is $159 a night and there’s a 3-day booking minimum.
The picture above gives you just a taste of what your hotel experience will be like, as your room will be absolutely flooded with Pokémon imagery. For a better idea of what you’re in store for should you book a room, you can check out more pictures here.
Hotel Nikko Bali Benoa Beach has announced some bonus goodies that will be part of this special room booking. Those who hop in on the hotel’s app and book a stay in the Pokémon-themed room will get to take home these special items as well:
- 2 Pokémon TCG Booster Packs
- Bali Special Edition Pokémon Drawstring Bag
- Bali Special Edition Pokémon Tumbler
Memories Off Sousou: Not Always True characters profiled
So much romance, so little time
Memories Off Sousou: Not Always True is a new romance visual novel from MAGES., and it’s set to arrive on Switch in Japan sometime this year. While things have been rather quiet on the game since its initial reveal, today brings us a breakdown of the game’s story along with a look at some of the characters you’ll come across.
In Memories Off Sousou: Not Always True, you’ll play as second-year high schooler Itsuki Kusumegi, who comes in contact with Sae Sunomiya, a part-time worker at the Ressac restaurant and café. Sae is a third-year student at the same high school as Itsuki, and Sae ends up with a terrible first impression of Itsuki due to a botched meeting at the café.
Itsuki’s childhood friend Nene Amaha aims to help Itsuki build a relationship with Sae, but as you’ve probably guessed, Nene also has feelings for Itsuki. There will also be other romantic interests in the game, such as light novel enthusiast Kazune Kitakata, the delinquent senior Setsuka Nakamori, and the half-German soccer player Marie Akira Forster.
The list of supporting characters revealed so far includes Itsuki’s best friend Arata Otani, the class teacher Tsubame Minami, the Ressac restaurant’s chief trainer Shin Inaho, and Marie’s teammate Hikari Kurauchi. You can get a look at all of these characters in a gallery here.
Pokémon X Hatsune Miku "Project Voltage" collaboration gets another supplemental illustration
We're gonna need an art book at this point!
A few months back, we reported on the collaboration between The Pokémon Company and the renowned Japanese Vocaloid, Hatsune Miku, titled “Project Voltage 18 Types 18 Songs.” This project promised 18 songs and accompanying illustrations, each representing a unique Pokémon type.
The eighteenth and final illustration was released back in late September, but it turns out there’s even more art to look forward to. These supplemental art pieces will release on random dates, but they’ll continue to showcase Hatsune Miku and Pokémon together. Along with that, the art will spotlight some other Vocaloid idols as well.
Today’s art is titled “Stroll in the Sky, “ and it was created by artist hanekoto. Will this be the final release in this series? Only time will tell!
Check out music from Vampire Survivors upcoming Contra DLC (UPDATE)
A classic reimagined
Vampire Survivors continues to expand through all different kinds of DLC, and the next collab is drawing near. Vampire Survivors dev Poncle previously announced that the game is getting Contra collaboration DLC come May 9th, 2024, and today brings us a sample of one of the new music tracks.
The VS version of: Battle in the Jungle was composed and arranged by Filippo Vicarelli. The tune was originally composed by Hidenori Maezawa and rearranged in Contra 4 by Jake Kaufman. Filippo Vicarelli takes us back to where it all began with this reimagined version of Contra 4’s arrangement from the classic Jungle stage theme (only heard when the game is set to hard mode). Positively exploding with riffs, “Battle in the Jungle” has more 80s action energy than Arnold Schwarzenegger locking hands with Carl Weathers.
The President’s cousin’s sister’s dog has been kidnapped by Red Falcon. Are you bad enough to come to the rescue? Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns embraces the visceral simplicity of classic Contra, with build-focused Characters that encourage min-maxing and stat manipulation, a tonne of weapons (we’re talking 20 including evolutions!), and a difficulty curve that combines quintessentially arcade-hard gameplay with the original Vampire Survivors formula.
Vampire Survivors is a time survival game with minimalistic gameplay and roguelite elements. Hell is empty, the devils are here, and there’s no place to run or hide. All you can do is survive as long as you can until death inevitably puts an end to your struggles. Gather gold in each run to buy upgrades and help the next survivor.
UPDATE: Another soundtrack sample from the Contra DLC has been shared, and this time we get to hear the Vampire Survivors version of “The Hard Corps,” which was was arranged by Filippo Vicarelli and originally composed and arranged by Hiroshi Kobayashi, Michiru Yamane, Akira Yamaoka, Hirofumi Taniguchi, Aki Hata.
UPDATE: Another soundtrack sample from the Contra DLC has been shared, and this time we get to hear the Vampire Survivors version of “Yoru no Nikusyokujyu.” This track was arranged by Filippo Vicarelli, and originally composed and arranged by Hiroshi Kobayashi, Michiru Yamane, Akira Yamaoka, Hirofumi Taniguchi, Aki Hata.
UPDATE: Another soundtrack sample from the Contra DLC has been shared, and this time we get to hear the Vampire Survivors version of “GTR Attack!.” This track was arranged by Filippo Vicarelli, and originally composed and arranged by Hiroshi Kobayashi, Michiru Yamane, Akira Yamaoka, Hirofumi Taniguchi, Aki Hata.
ANIMAL WELL getting physical Switch release
Well, well, well
ANIMAL WELL is launching digitally on Switch May 9th, 2024, but it turns out a physical release is also in the works from Limited Run Games.
If you’re interested in going the physical route, Limited Run Games will have a standard and Collector’s Edition up for grabs. The standard version is priced at $40 and gets you a standard game card and box. The Collector’s Edition will cost you $100 and packs in the following:
- Physical Copy of Animal Well for Nintendo Switch
- Animal Well Collector’s Edition Box
- Rainbow Laminate Lithographs
- Reactive Acrylic Display Scene
- 24” x 36” Full Map of Game
- Holographic Stickers
- Stamp Stickers
- Thematic Journal
- Pen
In ANIMAL WELL, hatch from your flower and spelunk through a beautiful and sometimes haunting world; a pixelated wonder rendered in intricate audio and visual detail. Encounter lively creatures small and large, helpful and ominous as you discover unconventional upgrades and unravel the well’s secrets. This is a truly unique experience that can make you laugh in fear, surprise, or delight.
Physical ANIMAL WELL pre-orders open on May 24th, 2024 and you can get a better look at the options on the LRG website.
SaGa Emerald Beyond "Combat Basics" and "World Exploration" trailers
So much to do and see
SaGa Emerald Beyond is available now on Switch, and Square Enix has released two more trailers to showcase what the game is about. Check out the “Combat Basics” and “World Exploration” trailers in this post to see just how expansive this latest adventure is.
Venture across 17 mysterious worlds to forge your own unique story that unfolds based on your very own choices and actions.
Set in a realm where multiple worlds exist and are connected by an interdimensional space called the Junction, you can choose which worlds to explore.
2024 marks 35 years since the release of THE FINAL FANTASY LEGEND, the first SaGa game released on Gameboy back in 1989 in Japan and 1990 in North America.
This new title sees the return of SaGa’s legendary icons, including SaGa creator Akitoshi Kawazu, composer Kenji Ito and illustrator Satoshi Kuramochi, bringing together the very best elements of the beloved series to offer unique gameplay experience for both returning and new fans.
Just Dance+ Dev Update & Upcoming Songs Detailed
There's always more to dance to
Get more information on Just Dance+ song drops and discover what the upcoming Just Dance+ event will be about in today’s video feature from Ubisoft. Give the video above a watch and see what’s in the pipeline!
Just Dance+ is a streaming service that gives you access to an ever-growing catalog of songs, from chart-topping hits to all-time classics. Dance to new tracks and exclusive seasonal benefits that will be added year-round! Just Dance 2024 Edition comes with a limited-time free trial of Just Dance+.
Dance and share exciting moments all year long with the #1 music video game platform of all time! Just Dance 2024 Edition features 40 songs from the latest hits and beloved classics, including “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, “Tití Me Preguntó” by Bad Bunny, “How You Like That” by BLACKPINK, and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston!
Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked! launches digitally June 11th, 2024
What an awesome opossum
Limited Run Games previously revealed Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked, a physical Switch release that packs 3 Rocket Knight titles into one package. Today we’ve learned about the digital version, which is set to launch June 11th, 2024. You can get a good look at that version in the trailer above.
Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked includes the following games and enhancements:
ROCKET KNIGHT ADVENTURES (1993)
Sparkster’s first adventure. When an army of pigs invade the kingdom of Zebulos, it’s up to the bravest of the Rocket Knights to take up his sword and save the day. Rocket through seven stages full of the strangest enemies imaginable and stop the Emperor’s porcine power trip!
SPARKSTER: ROCKET KNIGHT ADVENTURES 2 (1994)
Sparkster’s second adventure sees him picking up his sword against Axel Gear, a Rocket Knight gone BAD. Adventure through six more levels to save the princess of Zebulos and restore peace to the kingdom.
SPARKSTER (1994)
This Rocket Knight spinoff pits Sparkster against the evil Generalissimo Lioness. In a bid to conquer the world, Lioness has taken Princess Flora hostage, and it’s up to the great knight Sparkster to brave nine more levels of platforming adventure to save the world.
The tricks, traps, and challenges never end, and the Carbon Engine is here to give you more more more, including:
- An all-new animated intro from Studio Meala
- Rewind feature
- Boss Rush Mode
- Museum Mode featuring never-before-seen content
ATLUS has started off what will be a very lengthy video series for Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. This series is going to offer up a video a day to showcase every single monster you’ll find in the game. Today starts up the line of videos with a look at Nahobeeho. You can learn all about the monster above, and we’ll keep updating this post with subsequent videos as the series continues.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance delivers a full-fledged RPG that can be enjoyed by existing and new fans. At the start of the game, players will choose between two paths: the story told in the original Shin Megami Tensei V, the Canon of Creation, or the brand-new Canon of Vengeance. This dramatic new tale of revenge introduces brand-new characters, an enigmatic cohort of demons called the Qadištu, a new dungeon and a new map to explore. Additionally, the original Shin Megami Tensei V battle system, demon merging and field exploration have been evolved and expanded in this newest entry in the series.
UPDATE: The second video in this series has been released and you can check out the latest monster profile below. Today’s video spotlights Glasya-Labolas.
UPDATE: The third video in this series has been released and you can check out the latest monster profile below. Today’s video spotlights Pellaidh.
UPDATE: The fourth video in this series has been released and you can check out the latest monster profile below. Today’s video spotlights Amabie.
Masahiro Sakurai discusses adjusting for color blindness in games
Keeping an eye on things
Masahiro Sakurai is back with another installment in his game development video series, and today brings us a feature that falls into the “Planning & Game Design” category.
Recently, many games have started offering support for players with different color perceptions. Sakurai says he’s often considered this topic, even when creating games that lacked adjustable color settings.
While it’s sad that it took developers and publishers so long to include quality of life features for players with color blindness and other visual impairments, at least those features are becoming the norm now. The further developers go to welcome all kinds of gamers, the better gaming gets as a whole!
World of Tanks Blitz "Breaking Stuff" Commercial
Hop in and roll out
When you’re bored, you do stupid things. You might call your ex (oh, what a terrible mistake!) or decide to dance with your shadow (also not the best idea). But developer Wargaming know the remedy for boredom. World of Tanks Blitz Beats Boredom.
World of Tanks Blitz is a cross-platform, free-to-play, team-based MMO action game dedicated to fierce tank combat. Available on iOS, macOS, Android, Windows 10, Steam, and Nintendo Switch, the game lets players control over 370 legendary armored vehicles.
World of Tank Blitz is an action-packed tank game that lets players seamlessly enjoy the online real-time action anywhere. Fast paced and accessible, the game puts fun first, mixing the historical and lighthearted, the serious and the fantastic, offering a thrilling arcade-like experience.
Pokemon GO "Spring Changes Everything" Trailer
Spring into action
Pokémon GO Trainers, it’s time to shake off those winter chills and step into exciting spring adventures!
Pokémon GO is back and better than ever with a bag full of fresh features and epic updates to add even more thrills to your gameplay. Get ready to reconnect with your community and see what we’ve got lined up!
Rediscover old connections and fire-up new friendships in exclusive regional Timed Research activities from May 6th - June 12th, 2024. It’s the perfect time to take on new challenges, earn exclusive rewards, and power-up your Pokémon!
Map visuals just got a stunning overhaul that reflect your real-world environment as you explore! Watch the scenery change around you as you scout bustling cityscapes and lush greenlands for new Pokémon — then team up with other Trainers to discover new biomes. Ready to make your mark?
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door "The Power of Paper" Trailer
Coming into the fold
Ahead of its May 23rd, 2024 release, Nintendo has been sharing various trailers and promo videos for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door via social media. Today brings us another of those snippets, and this one gives us a look at the many different abilities Paper Mario can use to get around the game world.
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the nefarious X-Nauts are after the treasure behind the Thousand-Year Door! With a map from Princess Peach, and the help of a few locals, Mario journeys through a colorful world made of paper to find them first.
To prevail in this quest, you’ll have to level up Mario and his friends, master timing-based attacks and badges to impress the audience on the stage of combat, and make use of all the abilities that come with being cursed—er, conveniently made of paper—like folding into a plane to cross big gaps or turning sideways to slip through narrow openings.