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Mega Man was originally planned for a Famicom Disk System release
Mega revelations
The original Mega Man game launched on the NES in 1987, but apparently it was originally planned for a different type of release. This new info comes to us from Akira Kitamura, the director/planner of the very first Mega Man title. He recently answered some fan questions on Twitter, which led him to revealing this fun tidbit.
According to Kitamura, Mega Man was first conceived as a title for the Famicom Disk System. The Famicom Disk System was an add-on for the original Famicom released only in Japan. The accessory used floppy disks and was meant to produce cheaper games, as well as higher quality sound. Apparently Mega Man was switched to a more traditional Famicom/NES release because its production was running on schedule, and the developers wanted to get it out to take advantage of year end sales. Kitamura says that this had no impact on the overall development or final outcome of the game.
History might have been very different if Mega Man’s release had gone as originally planned. It might not have been as successful for Capcom, and America might not have seen the game until much later, if at all. Fortunately, everything worked out and Mega Man’s legacy is safe and secure.
Stardew Valley creator on the game's music, and fan pressure
He just can't stop
Switch fans are still eagerly awaiting the console release of Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update. In the meantime, the game’s creator ConcernedApe took part in an interview with Aftermath, to discuss just how big Stardew Valley has become, and what motivates his continued work on it.
One of the bigger offshoots of the game is Stardew Valley: Festival of Seasons, an ongoing concert tour featuring orchestral renditions of the game’s score. According to ConcernedApe, that music is really the entire reason for the game’s being. Originally, he dreamed of being solely a musician, but turned to video game development after struggling to achieve that goal.
“I wanted to make music and somehow have a career making music. I would have been happy with any form that took, but when I was in high school, my original dream was to be in a band and go on tour and play shows. Little dingy venues – that would have been awesome. But I quickly realized that’s not an easy thing to materialize. So then I shifted into electronic music, and I would have been happy if I could have been successful just online doing that. But that also didn’t work out. So eventually, I finally got the music out by making a video game. I’m happy now because I still get to make music and have it be part of something that people are interested in and want to listen to.”
ConcernedApe also commented on the amount of new features available in Version 1.6 of Stardew Valley. After all these years, he could easily step back and only release smaller updates while working on new projects. So, why does he continue to release such large updates? The answer apparently, is that he just can’t help himself:
“It wasn’t something that was necessarily planned. I was like ‘I can’t just release a technical update, because if I say there’s a new Stardew Valley update, and there’s literally no new content, I feel like people will be disappointed.’ So at first it was just the Desert Festival, but I have this problem where once I start, I can’t stop. I’m thinking ‘Oh, this isn’t enough. It’d be really cool to add this. I would love to add this.’
I feel responsible for any issues that people have, or if anyone doesn’t enjoy the game or has a bad time. It’s not only with Stardew Valley, but anything related to Stardew Valley: the merchandise, the board game, the concert – anything like that.
Once I reopen the book on Stardew, I always have a hard time closing it again because I always want to add more things, make it better, make it cooler, make people happy. It’s exciting. Every single thing I’m adding, I’m thinking about how people are going to play this and talk about it and love it. It’s gonna be part of their experience. It could make a memory that they might cherish forever. That’s a special thing. It’s hard for me to not want to do that.”
World of Tanks Blitz "Dancing Shadow" Commercial
No, not the hedgehog
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 we know the remedy for boredom. World of Tanks Blitz Beats Boredom. This game is filled with fun. Try it now.
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.
We recently shared a new batch of web commercials promoting Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2, which is coming to Switch on September 26, 2024. The commercials are… quirky, to say the least.
Now, D3Publisher has shared a behind the scenes look at how those commercials were made. The video features interviews with the lead actor from the promos, as well as some snippets of footage from the game itself. Remember, there will also be an English subtitled version of the game available on May 23rd, 2024.
EDF: WB2 tells the story of what happened to the voxel (cube) Earth after the events of the first installment. Brothers from across the world reunite to face an unprecedented threat brought about by an all-new enemy that threatens to tear the Earth apart all over again. To restore peace to the voxel Earth, the EDF has been dispatched for an emergency mission the likes of which no one has ever seen before! Featuring a unique voxel art style, epic 4-player team battles, and filled with more love for the EDF series than ever before, players must stand together to save the world once more. EDF move out!
Dead Cells is getting its very own animated series, and now we have more details thanks to a brand new trailer. The official title of the show will be Dead Cells: Immortalis, and it will premiere in France on June 19, 2024. The show is being produced by French animation studio Bobbypills, which is why it will initially be available exclusively in French. Plans for an English version have been confirmed however, and that should be available later in 2024.
Whether or not you speak French, you can still check out the new trailer above to get a sense of the show’s tone and animation style. It will star a new character named Laure Esposito, as well as The Beheaded from the games. There will be a total of ten episodes, each one about seven minutes long. Stay tuned for more details as we approach the premiere date.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp has received a content update. Check out the full details below via perfectly-nintendo.com.
- [Crafting] The following is now available via Crafting: Bright Bird Outfit Collection, Birdy Wall & Floor Collection (available until May 31st)
Switch eShop charts for May 18th, 2024
Little kitty, big sales
Wondering what’s hot on the Switch eShop? Time once again to take a look at the top 30 for both all games on the Switch, and download-only titles. You can read up on the top 30 for May 18th, 2024 below.
All Games
- Little Kitty, Big City
- Animal Well
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
- Stardew Valley
- Minecraft
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Endless Ocean Luminous
- Another Crab’s Treasure
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Just Dance 2024 Edition
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Overcooked 2
- Mario Party Superstars
- Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate
- Overcooked: All You Can Eat
- Nintendo Switch Sports
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Among Us
- It Takes Two
- Princess Peach: Showtime
- Garfield Kart
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Minecraft Deluxe Collection
- EA Sports FC 24
- My Universe: Puppies & Kittens
- Hollow Knight
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- Balatro
Download-Only Games
- Little Kitty, Big City
- Stardew Valley
- Another Crab’s Treasure
- Among Us
- Hollow Knight
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- Balatro
- Stick Fight: The Game
- Hole io
- Human: Fall Flat
- The Game of Life 2
- Grounded
- Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection
- Paper io 2
- Tell Me Your Story
- Real Boxing 2
- Inside
- Slime Rancher
- Dave the Diver
- Arcade Archives Vs. Super Mario Bros.
- Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
- The House of the Dead: Remake
- Vampire Survivors
- Final Fantasy VII
- Suika Game
- Poppy Playtime
- Uno
- Terraria
- Monster Truck Arena
Minecraft’s 15th anniversary celebration is currently ongoing. If you’re a Minecraft player, this means that there are fifteen days of free in-game gifts headed your way. If you’re not a Minecraft player, they’re also holding a sale across all platforms for the rest of this month. Of course, everyone can also enjoy a little Jack Black and Jason Momoa.
The two actors are both featured in a brand new 26-second comedy skit shared via Minecraft’s official Twitter account. In the video, they come across a cake for Minecraft’s birthday, and hilarity ensues. Black and Momoa will both be a part of the upcoming Minecraft movie, which is slated for release in 2025. In a sense, this could be viewed as their first official promotional appearances for the film! Check it out below.
Nintendo shares Princess Peach: Showtime! quiz for kids
Detective Peach is on the case
Do you consider yourself a Princess Peach: Showtime! expert? A new video quiz over on the Play Nintendo channel aimed at kids will put your knowledge to the test. Some questions are based on your existing knowledge of the game, while some are more like memory tests that anyone could attempt to solve. You can give it a whirl by watching up above, or send it on to a younger relative.
How well do you know Princess Peach: Showtime! Think you know what Grape and the Sour Bunch are up to or what special abilities Stella grants Peach? Jordan made a quiz to test your game knowledge. So get ready ‘cause the quiz is about to start… curtains up!
TAITO Milestones 3 comes to Nintendo Switch Winter 2024
More retro goodness headed your way
The third entry in TAITO’s Milestones series has officially been confirmed for a Switch release later this year, along with a brand new trailer, and details about some of the games that will be included. It’s scheduled to launch sometime in Winter of this year, and will include games like Bubble Bobble, Runark, Thunder Fox, and more. Check out the new trailer and the official announcement with more details below.
We won’t slow down just yet – the ININ x TAITO partnership continues to heat up! ININ, in collaboration with TAITO, is thrilled to announce the third instalment in the TAITO Milestones series, made exclusively for the Nintendo Switch!
TAITO Milestones 3 is set to release in Winter 2024, so retro gaming fans all around the world can get hype for over seven classic TAITO games from the late 1980s and early 90s! With the cooperation of HAMSTER Corporation – the iconic gaming company from Japan that has dedicated efforts to porting arcade games to modern consoles in the “Arcade Archives”, reliving the memory of the golden age of arcade gaming.
But wait, there’s more! ININ’s newest announcement trailer features brand new original music straight from the legends of TAITO!
So grab a friend and enjoy the original “Bubble Bobble” title, or play as a thief-turned-hero in “Rastan Saga”! TAITO Milestones 3 revives timeless arcade classics for nostalgic fans and newcomers alike.
Read on to see the first batch of games to be included in TAITO Milestones 3!
Bubble Bobble (1986)
Experience a blast from the past in the original 2 player, co-op arcade version of Bubble Bobble! Use Bubby and Bobby’s bubble-blowing powers to travel through 100 floors of monsters to rescue their girlfriends!
Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (1987)
Play as Bubby and Bobby in their human forms! Instead of blowing bubbles, rule with rainbows as you climb to your goal! Battle monsters and the ultimate arch enemy, Boss of Shadow, in order to save the inhabitants of Rainbow Islands who have been captured by your arch enemy!
Rastan Saga (1987)
In this platform action game, follow the journey of Rastan the Thief, in a tale set before he became king, as he sets off on the Princess’ orders to protect the kingdom of Ceim. Battle enemies along the way and defeat the monstrous dragon with various items, and weapons like a fire sword, a hammer, or an axe!
Cadash (1989)
Princess Sarasa, symbol of peace for the prosperous and naturally bountiful Deezar, has been kidnapped. Choose between a fighter, mage, priest or ninja to defeat monsters, gather riches and strengthen your equipment to defeat the evil Baarogue in this classic 2 player co-op action RPG!
Champion Wrestler (1989)
Go to war in the ring in 8 rounds in order to become the champion.
Use technical moves such as aerial techniques and submission holds to ringside brawls and the use of deadly weapons! The action never lets up! Play together in tag-team matches or against each other 1v1, either way, this couch co-op promises lots of wrestling action.
Runark (1990)
This iconic beat-em-up features up to 4 player couch co-op! Play as a squad of rangers that must save the animals from evil poachers. Destroy bad guys by any means possible; use hand to hand combat or weapons like knives and rocket launchers! SHBROOM!
Thunder Fox (1990)
A run and gun action game released for arcades in 1990! Play as the Thunder Fox anti-terrorism team to bring down a terrorist organization. Drive tanks, pilot autogyros and ride marine jets and defeat enemies on your way to the terrorist base!
MORE TITLES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!
What? Sad that you don’t see your favorite TAITO arcade classic? Well, it’s not over yet! Stay tuned for more titles to be announced in TAITO Milestones 3 later this summer!
Report indicates that Microsoft CEO is pushing to bring more games to Switch
The more the merrier?
There’s been more and more talk over the past several months about Microsoft bringing their previously exclusive games to other platforms, including the Switch. Much of that talk has come from Microsoft themselves, with games like Grounded and Pentiment both landing on Switch recently (and Hi-Fi Rush all but confirmed). Now, a new report indicates that there could be more Microsoft games headed our way if their CEO has his way.
The report in question comes from Windows Central, and it’s a rather critical exploration of current Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. The part that concerns video game fans comes about two thirds of the way through, when an initiative known as ‘Latitude’ is discussed. The Latitude project is apparently all about bringing more big Microsoft developed games to competing consoles in an effort to increase profits. The report’s sources indicate that there is “no red line” for what those games might be, meaning that even their most coveted franchises could be on the table.
We’ve already seen stories of great success for Microsoft games on Switch and PS5, so it’s not too surprising that they’re looking to expand the initiative. Still, it sounds like there’s some pushback both internally and from fans, so this might not happen to the extent some would hope. No specific games or plans have been formally announced yet either, so we’ll have to wait and see what this all amounts to.
Click here to read the full report for yourself.
Official NieR collaboration announced for World Cosplay Summit 2024
Dress 2(B) impress
The World Cosplay Summit will take place in Japan this August. This is a giant celebration of pop culture cosplay that’s been running since 2012. This year, it’s been announced that there will be an official collaboration with the world of NieR, and multiple events will center around cosplay inspired by the series’ games.
Here are the NieR events you can look forward to at this year’s summit:
- World Cosplay Report - A photo contest from which ten winners will be selected. Past photos can be submitted, and prizes include autographs from members of the NieR team.
- Cosplay Summit Selection with NieR - A special runway which NieR cosplayers will be walking up and down (applications will be open online during June 2024).
- Otaku Judge NieR:QuizMaster12024 Prestige - A trivia competition in which participants can compete to answer questions and win prizes based on their NieR knowledge.
The World Cosplay Summit 2024 will take place from August 2nd to August 4th, 2024 at the Aichi Arts Center in Nagoya. The NieR specific events will be held at the Oasis 21 stage. Click here for more details.
Knuckles Easter egg guide shared by Paramount+
How many did you catch?
Paramount+ has shared a new video running down the biggest Easter eggs featured in the Knuckles live-action series. This includes references to Sonic the Hedgehog video games, voiceover cameos, and more. (If you haven’t seen the show yet, you may want to skip this video to avoid spoilers.)
If you’re a fan of the original games, you probably caught most of this while watching the show for the first time. There are a few small things in there that you may not have picked up on though. You can see them all in the video above, which is only about a minute long. All six episodes of Knuckles are available right now on Paramount+.
It’s time once again to take a look at the games heading to the Switch in Japan. Here’s what’s slated to hit the system for the week ending May 23rd, 2024. Remember, this isn’t the final list, as there’s always some surprises each week.
- Airplane Delivery Simulator 2024: Realistic Geographical
- Beasts and Princesses
- Blade Jumper
- Bread & Fred
- Crazy Stunt Driver: Extreme Racing Simulator
- Dish Puzzle
- Doug’s Nightmare
- Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2
- Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 Deluxe Edition
- Highlaundry Overwashed - Play with your friends!
- Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1
- Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2: Sisters Generation
- Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3: V Generation
- Kingdom Come Deliverance: Royal Edition
- Morbid The Lords of Ire
- NecroBouncer
- Paper Dash - Invasion of Greed
- Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
- Rainbow Cotton
- SUSHI Race
- Ultra Foodmess 2
- Undercat
- Verdina of the Mist Battlefield: CARDS RPG
MMA fighters stop thief from stealing Pokémon Cards worth $40,000
Thief was not very effective...
The high stakes world of the Pokémon Trading Card Game never rests. We’ve reported on numerous thefts and attempts at thefts of Pokémon cards in the past, but this might be the first one that was stopped by the power of ju-jitsu.
In Miami, Florida, a man attempted to run off from a card store called Pro Play Games carrying two large binders full of extremely valuable Pokémon cards. He probably would have gotten away with it, if it weren’t for two MMA fighters who happened to be driving by at the time. Seeing the commotion, they quickly blocked off the thief’s escape and pinned him to the ground, using their “ju jitsu to subdue him”.
The thief says that he was paid by a third party to steal the binders, and has pled not guilty to the charges. You can actually watch a surveillance video which caught all the action via the video above. Let this be a lesson for anyone considering running off with some Pokémon cards - You might end up on the losing end of an actual battle!
