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INDIE Live Expo 2023 Day 1 features multiple Switch announcements
Lots of indie titles to look forward to!
The 2023 INDIE Live Expo is being held this weekend, and Day 1 brought with it a number of new game reveals for Nintendo Switch. You can watch the full 3 hour event as it was streamed via the video embedded above. For a list of Switch titles announced during the event, as well as accompanying trailers/images courtesy of Gematsu, see below:
Stay tuned for Day 2 of the event, which will take place on May 21st, 2023 at 6:00 AM Eastern Time. The second day will include playthrough videos and first looks at some of the newly announced titles.
Nintendo shares Animal Crossing: New Horizons 'Fossil Tour for Kids'
Who's that dinosaur?
Nintendo has shared a new video on their family friendly Play Nintendo YouTube channel called “Name that Dinosaur!”. This video introduces kids to the concept of collecting fossils for your museum in Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Switch. It also includes a guessing game, so you can play along at home!
Join two friends as they explore a fossil exhibit with dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game! Jordan will show you how to find fossils on your island, get them assessed by Blathers, and donate them to the museum. They’ll also play a guessing activity with Taylor featuring a certain pterosaur, a popular dinosaur with big teeth, and even a familiar megafauna!
Fire Emblem Heroes, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and Pokémon Masters EX have all received a content update. Check out the full details for each game below via perfectly-nintendo.com.
Fire Emblem Heroes
- [Events] The latest Hall of Forms Revival event is now over. The following Heroes are still available as Forma Units: Celica (Imprisoned Soul), Berkut (Purgatorial Prince), Delthea (Tatarrah’s Puppet), and Sonya (Vengeful Mage) (available until June 20th)
- [Special Maps] The latest Bound Hero Battle Revival feat. Hapi & Constance is now live (available until May 27th)
- [Quests] A new set of Quests is now live: Bound Hero Battle (available until May 27th)
- [Store] The following is now available in the Store: Customization Support Pack. It includes the Bridal Festival Hall Castle Design (5x bonus SP from defeated foes) (available until June 19th, with Castle Design bonus running until August 20th)
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
- [Goals] A new set of Goals is now available: Fresh Crabs Goals (available until May 23rd)
- [Cookies] A returning Fortune Cookie and related set of Stamp Trade rewards are now available: Opal’s jewel-lab cookie, Molly’s bookshop, Egbert’s cozy cookie (available until May 25th)
Pokémon Masters EX
- [Events] The latest returning Villain Event, Dreams of the Void, is now live (available until June 10th)
- [Missions] A new set of Missions is now available: Dreams of the Void (available until June 10th)
Hogwarts Legacy's cut House Points morality system datamined and detailed
10 points from Gryffindor!
While Switch owners are still waiting to play Hogwarts Legacy, new details are emerging about content that was cut from the final game. Potentially one of the biggest missing mechanics is that of a morality system, which has now been datamined and explored in an unfinished state.
According to data found by YouTuber GrandTheftDiamonds, the Hogwarts Legacy morality system was initially intended to be modeled after the House Points system featured in the original books. As a representative for your house, you could gain or lose points for performing various activities. For example, bullying another student would result in a loss of 20 points, while you’d gain 20 points for stopping a bully.
Certain spells would have also resulted in point losses. The infamous killing curse Avada Kedavra for instance, would lose you 100 points if used. Since the points system wasn’t implemented in the final game, you’re now free to use Avada Kedavra as much as you want with impunity!
Hogwarts Legacy is currently scheduled to launch on Switch November 14, 2023 after its most recent delay. Click here to learn more about what was left out of the final game.
Tales of Festival 2023 merch available for pre-order from now until May 28, 2023
Tales of Merchandise
Tales of Festival 2023 is a special event celebrating all of the ‘Tales of’ games, and it’s being held in Japan next month. As part of the festivities, there will be plenty of exclusive merch available, all of which is available for pre-order now.
The available merch comes in three flavors: character goods (various characters on stickers, keychains, etc.), event goods (Tales of Festival 2023 branded items), and special goods (scarves, bracelets, and medal plates).
Click here to browse the entire collection and pre-order some for yourself. Bear in mind, the pre-order site doesn’t allow for international shipping, so if you’re looking for these items outside of Japan, you’ll have to wait for import sites to get ahold of them.
Pokémon Go director responds to Remote Raids backlash, calls them "an unhealthy way to engage with the game"
"super, super painful decision"
Pokémon Go has been making some big changes recently, and many fans are unhappy about them. Specifically, Niantic is limiting the use of the game’s Remote Raids which allowed players to complete raids from faraway locations. The upcoming Shadow Raids will require players to attend in person in order to get their benefits.
In response, fans put together the “HearUsNiantic movement” online, and Pokémon Go director Michael Steranka has finally commented on the controversy:
That was a very, very painful decision to make even for me. But when we look at sort of the overall health of the game, and the type of behaviors that remote raid passes were introducing, it just really didn’t align with the kind of experience we were trying to create. And I can honestly say even for me personally, it became sort of an unhealthy way to engage with the game. I would just sort of throw money at Poké Coins so that I can spam legendary raids as much as possible.
Steranka asserts that remote raids made the game too easy and took away from the core experience they were originally intending. He also mentions that Legendary Pokémon are supposed to be “the epic epitome of all Pokémon content”, and therefore these changes will help them keep their high status.
Whether or not you agree with Niantic’s changes, they seem to be moving forward with them, for better or worse. Shadow Raids will premiere with a brand new Mewtwo raid battle on May 27, 2023.
Some pirated copies of The Super Mario Bros. Movie are infected with malware
These aren't the bonus features I wanted
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now officially available for purchase in digital format! However, since this is the Internet, pirated copies of the movie have been popping up as well. Unfortunately for anyone who has decided to download the movie illegally, it turns out that some of these pirated versions come with harmful malware attached.
The software in question is a Trojan virus which has been put in place by hackers to take advantage of Mario movie fans. Reportedly, the virus hijacks the downloader’s online search features in order to steal their data. Affected users might find themselves experiencing unwanted ads, forcefully downloaded programs, and changed homepages.
The security experts over at Reason Labs have put together some info for anyone who might be at risk of experiencing this malware attack. Click here to read up on the details, and beware of suspicious looking files online!
God of Rock 'Sizzle and Sway' and 'Neon Nights on Motorbikes' soundtrack samples released
All sway, all sizzle
Modus Games launched God of Rock on Switch recently, unleashing a stacked setlist of energetic tracks that players will need to master to perform devastating combos in musical matches against other fighters. Today also brings us two new soundtrack sample videos showcasing the ‘Sizzle and Sway’ and ‘Neon Nights on Motorbikes’ songs from Tyson Wernli. You can give them both a listen above.
Think you have what it takes to defeat the most talented artists in the universe? Now’s your chance to test your skills, as attendees of this weekend’s Holiday Matsuri event can get their hands on a new playable demo. Holiday Matsuri is an anime, gaming, cosplay and pop culture convention that takes place in Orlando, Florida.
Face off against your opponents as one of the universe’s greatest talents, and with the power of your righteous beats, blast them into orbit. You and your enemy will engage in a match just like in any other fighting game, but the actual battle will be driven by rhythm game mechanics. Follow the prompts scrolling across the screen, spurred on by music that’s been dictated by the stage and characters selected, to unleash attacks on your foe.
As battles continue and health bars wear down, the beat will pick up. Keep up with the music, or your attacks will miss their mark. In these fights, the one who loses their groove first will be the one to fall. Special and Ultra attacks must be utilized to their fullest extent to take control of the fight. You’re not a background musician - you’re the lead artist.
Japanese Switch eShop releases for the week of May 26th, 2023
Lots to choose from this week
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 26th, 2023. Remember, this isn’t the final list, as there’s always some surprises each week.
- Terracotta
- Glitch Busters: Stuck On You
- Puzzle Bobble Every Bubble!
- RINA: RhythmERROR
- RWBY Arrowfell
- ANIMALITY
- Cassette Beasts
- Skye Tales
- Star Gagnant
- TT Isle of Man Ride on the Edge 3
- Drainus
- Bustafellows Season 2
- Bat Boy
- Coloring Pixels: Collection 3
- Farming Simulator 23 Nintendo Switch Edition
- Fights in Tight Spaces
- Bramble: The Mountain King
- No Place Like Home
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom director explains Ganondorf's attractive new design
Going gaga for Ganon
It’s hard to escape from just how powerful and majestic Ganondorf appears in the recently released Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. While fans have been enjoying his new look, some have also wondered what the inspiration was behind this transformation.
Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi has now officially commented on what went into Ganon(dorf)’s appearance in the game. It turns out, his design was in large part due to the love of one particular staff member.
“There’s a staffer [Satoru Takizawa] who’s been in charge of Ganon’s design since Twilight Princess, and Ganon holds a really special place in this staffer’s heart. [laughing]
From my perspective, of course there’s the understanding that Ganondorf is, of course, the evil antagonist, but he also plays almost as important a role as the main hero who stand in contrast to each other as part of this legend. So my only request I made was that because he’s such an important character at the same level as the protagonist, was to really make him a very cool, very awesome demon king.
Because this staff’s a veteran to the franchise, he’s able to really think about the needs and the ones of the entire team. There’s a part of this person that really kind of sealed away the love they have for Ganondorf in the designs that they’ve done in the past. But when I made this request to really make Ganon the way he is — because the spotlight is on him this time around, and he really is a crucial, integral character — I vividly remember the sparkle in this person’s eyes as they heard this. Seeing that love, I was really confident that I could just leave it up to them, knowing something great would come out of it.”
So it turns out we have Satoru Takizawa to thank for Ganondorf’s chiseled abs and muscular shoulders. Ganon does play a much bigger role in this entry, so it’s good that he looks ready for the part!
Click here to read the full interview for more insight and info.
Sakurai analyzes cool character poses in new dev video
Show me your moves!
Masahiro Sakurai has released another in his line of game development videos on YouTube. The latest video covers one aspect of ‘Animation’ in video games.
Sakurai uses a Pit action figure created by Figma to demonstrate how effective a cool character pose can be when it comes to animating games. What makes a cool pose “cool”? Sakurai demonstrates various methods to keep a character from looking static or boring just from their stance.
Give the video a watch now, and it might encourage you to start playing more with your action figures! It might also serve as good advice for poses to take in your next real-life photo.
Lo-Fi Zelda album 'Lo-Fi of the Wild Vol. 2' now available
Two hours of chill Zelda beats
SageNine Music has shared a second volume of fan-made lo-fi tunes inspired by the Legend of Zelda series. Titled Lo-Fi of the Wild Vol. 2, the album features covers of tracks from Tears of the Kingdom, Breath of the Wild, and other games from across the entire series.
The album was a collaboration between users from both the Zelda and Lo-Fi Hip Hop subreddits. All proceeds from the endeavor are being donated to the charity ‘Water’, whose goal is to provide fresh drinking water for various communities. You can listen to the entire two hour album via the YouTube video embedded above.
Fortnite adding Ranked Play option to Battle Royale and Zero Build modes
From Bronze, to Platinum, to Unreal
After sharing a brief teaser on Twitter earlier this week, Epic has officially announced that a ranked mode is being added to Fortnite. Ranked options will be available for both the Battle Royale (Solo, Duos, and Squads) and Zero Build (Duos only) modes as part of the update to Version 24.40. The update will be available on May 16, 2023.
According to an extensive FAQ released on the Fortnite site, the included ranks will be Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Elite, Champion, and Unreal. You’ll gain rank progress depending on your placement in each match, as well as the number of eliminations you achieved. When the update launches it will be considered “Season Zero” of the new mode. Playing with the Ranked option activated will result in some changes to matches, such as decreased material caps and increased harvest rates. Players will also receive a special emote for participating.
Click here to read the full details on what you can expect when this update drops. This new update will be available on Tuesday, May 16th, 2023 at 3:00 AM ET.
Firearms expert analyzes the weapons of Bioshock Infinite
From the pistol to the barnstormer RPG
BioShock Infinite includes a number of fantastical attack methods, in addition to more realistic weapons which you can acquire. In a new video from GameSpot, firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson takes a look at the weapons of BioShock Infinite for a thorough analysis. Watch it above to see him break down the guns from the third game of the Bioshock series and how they compare to the real things.
Jonathan Ferguson, a weapons expert and Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal Armouries, breaks down more of the weaponry of BioShock Infinite, including the Broadsider Pistol, the Huntsman Carbine, and the iconic Triple R machine gun.
Tenacious D pays tribute to Mario, Zelda, and more in "Video Games" music video
The greatest song in the world?
Tenacious D has just released their newest single titled “Video Games”, along with an accompanying music video. While the lyrics focus more on non-Nintendo games such as God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2, there are a number of Nintendo related Easter eggs included in the visuals. An animated version of Jack Black dresses as Mario, Link, Mega Man, and several other iconic characters.
Be warned that this video is not for kids, as it includes a fair amount of cursing, violence, and crude humor (This is Tenacious D after all).
Between this and The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s “Peaches”, it’s a big year for Jack Black singing about video games. You can watch “Video Games” for yourself now and see how many Nintendo cameos you can spot!
