The Success company has been around since 1978, and they’ve worked on countless videogames throughout the years. The company is indeed still going strong, and they’ve just found quite an audience for their hamster-themed titles.
Success has revealed that they’re opening a ‘hamster division’ within their company, and it currently includes 18 members. This division is going to steer the direction of future hamster-themed titles, as this genre has been quite successful for the company in recent months.
In particular, the hamster-raising game Tales of Djungarian Hamster for Switch has been a big hit. Success said the title has earned tens of millions of yen for the company, through both a digital and retail option in Japan. Success said this title in particular has sold much better than their other simulation games, and continues to bring in sales through the digital version.
Success didn’t reveal any hamster games in development, but there’s no doubt the team is working on some right now. We’ll bring you any Switch-related reveals as they come in!
Wholesome Direct airs June 11th, 2022 at 12:30 PM ET
Cuteness to the MAX
The next Wholesome Direct has been dated! This event, which focuses on cute, relaxing games, is set to air on June 11th, 2022 at 12:30 PM ET. We do know that a handful of Switch titles will be shown, but there’s sure to be some surprises in there as well. Let’s hope some of those surprises will also make their way to Switch!
We’ll make sure to cover this event live and bring you full details on the Switch games shown. For now, you can enjoy a promo trailer for the event below.
U-Treasure reveals new series of Mew rings
The finest jewelry money can buy
U-Treasure’s lineup of Pokemon-themed jewelry is quite extensive, and they keep adding to the collection. The company has just revealed their latest addition, which comes in the form of a Mew ring.
This time around, Mew is part of a half eternity ring that comes in multiple options. Customers can get versions of the ring with diamonds, a silver band, pink gold coating, and more. The cheapest ring in the lineup comes in at $170, with the most expensive option going up to a whopping $1,150.
The Pokémon Company and Mega Construx have been working together for years now, and the team has just unveiled three new sets heading to Japan. First up is an Eeveelutions collection, which includes Jolteon, Flareon, Vaporeon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, and Sylveon.
Next is a standalone Eevee, which is bigger than the figures in the Eeveelutions set, clocking in at 215 pieces.
Finally, there’s a set that includes Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, along with some background elements for them to play around in.
The two Eevee options are set to launch in Japan on May 21st, 2022, while the Pikachu set launches on June 25th, 2022.
Epic kicks off tattoo design contest for Fortnite's Zuri
$2,500 up for grabs!
There’s always something interesting going on in the world of Fortnite, and the latest event includes a chance for fans to help design a skin!
As you can see in the image above, Zuri already has some tattoos, but apparently she’s looking to get some more. Rather than coming up with the tattoo idea on their own, Epic is looking for fans to submit ideas for Zuri’s next tattoo. The winner of the contest will see their tattoo applied to Zuri, and they’ll also get $2,500 for winning!
If you have a tattoo idea you think would fit Zuri well, check out full details on the contest here.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl dev asks fans to stop the 'Smash Killer' meme
A call for civility
Ever since Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl was revealed, fans have labeled the game as a Smash Bros. killer. At first, there were some who really believed this to be the case, but since the game launched, almost everyone uses the ‘Smash Killer’ phrase ironically. The team behind the game is well aware of the phrase, and one developer is asking that fans cool it a bit.
Programmer Thaddeus Crews has taken to Twitter in a plea to ask fans to stop with the Smash Killer meme, as it has some negative real-world implications. You can see his entire message below.
Some videos/comments/etc are doing the “Smash killer” shtick again. I’d really rather you not. I’d really, REALLY prefer any other joke or punching bag or whatever that doesn’t have the kind of proven track-record of instigating conflict as a result of this branding.
I can’t stop anyone from making those jokes & I’m not personally bothered by them. It’s clearly all in good fun by the overwhelming majority of people & is “clickbaity” to a absurd degree; I get that, and in a vacuum it’s absolutely hilarious. But ramifications aren’t in a vacuum.
There’s no real way to not come off as a buzzkill in addressing this, but the image this kind of message creates has been so thoroughly harmful to a degree that I can’t just sit back and watch it happen again. I strongly encourage finding hyperbolic absurdist statements elsewhere.
As we all know, anytime you ask the internet to stop doing something, some people just do it more. Let’s hope that’s not the case here, but I certainly don’t have high hopes.
Pokémon 'Spirit Jerseys' now available via JapanLA
Perfect for Summer weather?
The next official Pokémon apparel collab is here! This time around, the gang at JapanLA have teamed with Pokémon Co. to release a series of ‘Spirit Jerseys,’ and all three of them are up for grabs now.
All three shirts are basically the same, with character art on the front, back, and sleeve. There’s also writing that shows off the name of each Pokémon. If you want to snag one of these, you’ll have to cough up $80 a pop.
You can snag the Pikachu version here, Snorlax here, and Mew here.
Switch was the #1 hardware in Europe for April 2022, software sales detailed
Another big month for Switch
The sales stats for Europe have come in, and there’s a lot to sift through. There’s hardware and software sales figures to discuss, plus some talk about accessories and more. We’ll kick things off with the top 20 software sales across Europe, and then get into the finer points.
10 out of the top 20 games in Europe appear on the Switch, which is a pretty great figure to see! Of that, 6 of those titles can only be found on Switch, so the Switch-exclusives are definitely pulling fans in.
As for hardware, the Switch was once again the #1 platform in Europe. This marks the seventh consecutive month that the Switch topped the charts across Europe.
As for accessories and other monthly stats, you can find a round-up of information below.
- 290,000 consoles were sold in Europe during the month
- one million accessories were sold in the same time period
- 10.8 million games were sold across European markets last month
- 1.48 million wallets and points cards were sold
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the fastest-selling Lego game released so far
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the fifth best-selling game of 2022
- Kirby and the Forgotten Lands outsold the previous best-selling Kirby game, Kirby Star Allies, in just over a month
UK software sales for the week ending May 14th, 2022
A threepeat for Nintendo Switch Sports
As we shared yesterday, Nintendo Switch Sports retained the #1 spot in the UK for the week ending May 14th, 2022, but there’s obviously a much bigger story to tell! For the full top 40 for the week, along with some other details, check out the gallery below.
- Nintendo Switch Sports saw a 54% drop in sales week-on-week
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga saw a 27% sales drop week-on-week
- boxed games sold just 100,000 units sold in total this week
The team behind Fall Guys said they had a big announcement to make this week, and they weren’t kidding! Not only do we now know when the game is coming to Switch, we’ve also learned that it’ll be completely free!
Fall Guys is officially heading to Switch on June 21st, 2022, and you won’t have to pay a dime to get it. The game is going to be completely free across all platforms, which will certainly convince a whole new wave of players to check this wacky platformer out.
Even better, Fall Guys will include both crossplay and cross-progression across all versions! No matter where you’re playing, you’ll be able to enjoy the game with friends and strangers alike, and your progress will always be with you.
Everything kicks off on June 21st, 2022 with Season 1: “Free For All” - a new season that has everyone competing for ultimate glory in brand-new events and locations. Players can also grab the new Season Pass, a supercharged version of the game’s free progression path that can be purchased with the new in-game currency, Show-Bucks.
For a more complete breakdown of what Season 1 has to offer, check out the official blog.
2D action platformer 'They Always Run' getting a western physical release and collector's edition
Don't walk... run!
The 2D action platformer They Always Run from developer Alawar Premium is getting a limited physical release via publisher Red Art Games. Pre-orders will begin exclusively from their official website starting on May 19th at 5PM CEST. Check out details on both the Standard Edition and Europe-exclusive Collector’s Edition below.
As previously announced, They Always Run will be released digitally via the Nintendo eShop on May 19th, 2022.
Standard Edition
- Price: €29.99 EUR
- Regions: Europe and *North America
- Number of Copies: 4,000
- Release date: September 9th, 2022
What’s included:
- A copy of the game
- Acrylic stand (with pre-order)
North America will get an open pre-order campaign*
Collector's Edition
- Price: €59.99 EUR
- Region: Europe
- Number of Copies: 1,500
- Release Date: Q4 2022
What’s included:
- A copy of the game
- An artbook
- A soundtrack CD
- Acrylic stand (with pre-order)
Nintendo of Europe hosting Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 'Online Challenge - Spring Showdown 2022' on May 20th
Fight for your spot on the leaderboard
Nintendo of Europe has announced that they will be hosting a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate “Online Challenge” on May 20th from 17:00 (UK time) until 20:00 (UK time). Accessible via the Online Tourney menu, the matches will be 1v1 two-stock bouts lasting 5 minutes. Items, Smash Meters, and stage hazards are turned off, with stages being limited to Omega and Battlefield versions. If you manage to reach top 10 on the leaderboards, you’ll be rewarded with 2,500 My Nintendo Gold Points - top 100 will receive 1,000 Gold Points.
Three weapon intro videos released for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
Prepare for battle!
You may remember that during the Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak Digital Event that aired last week, Capcom announced that they’ll be releasing introduction videos for all 14 weapon types starting on May 16th. As today marks the occasion, the first three videos have been shared. Check out the trailers for Heavy Bowgun, Switch Axe, and Sword & Shield below via the Monster Hunter Twitter account.
Heavy Bowgun
Switch Axe
Sword & Shield
The Pokémon Company has announced that the Eeveelution psychic-type Espeon has officially arrived in Pokémon UNITE. In addition, a “Pokébuki Style” Holowear is now available. Check out the Character Spotlight trailer above for a quick look at them in action.
Pokémon UNITE is a free-to-play strategic team battle game from developer TiMi Studio, available now for iOS, Android, and Switch.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 'Heroes' Riku and Manana detailed
Yo No Se Manana
The latest update from the official Xenoblade Twitter account gives us information on Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s special characters known as Heroes, which can be recruited to help fight alongside you in battle. The first two Heroes revealed are Riku and Manana, who attack in a pair. You can find more information about them below (thanks to a translation via Perfectly-Nintendo). Check out the details, as well as some short gameplay footage and screenshots.
Riku
(Japanese CV: Sayaka Senbongi), a Nopon from Colony 9 in Keves (like Noah and his friends), who sports some rather thick eyebrows. Back at the colony, he’s a mechanic in charge of both item crafting and the maintenance of the Iron Giant. He’s a keen Nopon who always keeps his cool, no matter the situation, and the advice he provides Noah and the others is well worth heeding. Weapons need some maintenance? Riku is your man Nopon!
Manana
(Japanese CV: Aya Suzaki), a Nopon who hails from Agnus and a companion of Mio and the others’. If her chef toque wasn’t clear enough, her specialty is cooking. Her skills are without pair, which is why it’s no big surprise she was in charge of cooking back at her former colony. Manana is literally obsessed with food, so if you come across something that could be used as an ingredient during your adventures, make sure to give it to Manana so that she can whip up one mouth-watering dish! Manana is bound to brighten your travels with her cheerful personality.
