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Celebrate ActRaiser, Yuzo Koshiro, and Jazz with Prescription for Sleep: Heavenly Avatar, Launching May 17th, 2024
One of the all-time great game composers
Scarlet Moon is pleased to announce Prescription for Sleep: Heavenly Avatar, a celebration of jazz and friendship with a tribute to Yuzo Koshiro’s soundtrack to ActRaiser to chill, relax, sleep, and study to. As one of Koshiro’s defining works, the score has been a longtime standout in his expansive catalog. Scarlet Moon was thrilled to collaborate with Koshiro on the album’s track selection and on commentary in the digital booklet available to customers on Bandcamp. The booklet also includes and interview with GENTLE LOVE, recording notes, comics by illustrator Maximo Lorenzo, and more.
Prescription for Sleep: Heavenly Avatar is the 15th album in this Billboard-charting jazz series. GENTLE LOVE is a duo compromised of Metal Gear Solid series composer Norihiko Hibino on saxophone and Etrian Odyssey/PersonaQ performer AYAKI on piano. After many past collaborations between Yuzo Koshiro and Norihiko Hibino, including on the Etrian Odyssey, 7th Dragon, and WANGAN MIDNIGHT series, the two are once again reunited. Fans will enjoy key themes from the original ActRaiser, including the triumphant opening theme, the action-packed first stage “Filmoa,” the serene city-building theme, “Birth of the People,” and yes, even the short “descent” stinger that will prove to be a welcome surprise for listeners in “Advent.” Prescription for Sleep: Heavenly Avatar is now available for pre-order on all digital storefronts and will release on May 17, 2024:
Prescription for Sleep: Heavenly Avatar Pre-Orders on All Storefronts
“I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with Hibino-san for over a decade,” reflects composer Yuzo Koshiro. “What sets Heavenly Avatar apart is its jazz-infused tracklist—a departure from ActRaiser’s original orchestral compositions. I hope you find as much enjoyment in listening to this album as I have.”
“Knowing about Hibino-san and Koshiro-san’s longstanding friendship, and loving Koshiro-san’s music over the years, I wanted to find a way for them to collaborate once more,” adds Scarlet Moon’s Jayson Napolitano. “We’re really pleased to celebrate ten years of the series with this album and hope fans of the series and the game enjoy it!”
While the pre-order page on Bandcamp current features three previews from the album, more will be shared leading up to the May 17, 2024 release date. The full track listing for Prescription for Sleep: Heavenly Avatar is as follows:
- Opening
- Sky Palace
- Advent
- Filmoa
- Blood Pool ~ Casandora
- Autos ~ Temple
- Pyramid ~ Marana
- North Wall
- Birth of the People
- Offering
- Peaceful World
- Music in Heaven (Original)
Skyesports Announces Pokémon UNITE World Championship 2024 India Qualifier with $37,500 Prize Pool
Big money, big prizes!
Skyesports, India’s leading esports tournament organizer, is excited to announce the Pokémon UNITE World Championship 2024 India Qualifier. This qualifier will include open-for-all rounds and a prize pool of $37,500, offering every player the opportunity to represent the country at the $500,000 World Championship in Honolulu, Hawaii, against the best in the world.
Commenting on hosting the India Qualifier, Shiva Nandy, Founder and CEO of Skyesports, stated, “We are thrilled to continue our association with The Pokémon Company for the third year running. Over the past two years, we’ve witnessed consistent growth in participation and viewership for the game. As the Indian hosts of the Pokémon UNITE esports roadmap, the Pokémon UNITE WCS 2024 India Qualifier will offer every aspiring professional player a chance to represent the country on the biggest stage for Pokémon UNITE esports. I wish the best to all participants.”
Registrations for the Pokémon UNITE WCS 2024 India Qualifier are about to end on the Skyesports website. Players residing in India can form teams to register for the open-for-all qualifier until May 9, 2024. Registered teams will compete on May 11 and 12, 2024, for a share of the $37,500 prize pool and the top spot to advance to the Pokémon UNITE World Championship 2024 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The World Championship 2024 will take place from August 16 to 18, with a $500,000 prize pool. Sixteen of the best teams from around the world will compete for the title of world champions. In 2022 and 2023, Revenant Esports and S8UL Esports, respectively, represented India in the World Championship. The 2024 India Qualifier will determine who will represent the country this year.
STAR WARS: KotOR is North America's and Europe's next Switch Online Free Game Trial
May the 4th be with you
Determine the fate of the entire galaxy in a Star Wars™ RPG set four thousand years before the Galactic Empire.
From May 3 at 10 a.m. PT to May 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT, Nintendo Switch Online members can download and try the full STAR WARS™: Knights of the Old Republic™ game at no additional cost.
Harness the Force and wield your own lightsaber as you battle the ruthless Sith. Choose your party from a motley crew and travel to eight iconic worlds like Tatooine and Kashyyyk. Will you save the Republic or embrace the power of the dark side?
If you decide to purchase the game during or after this offer, you’ll keep all save data, so you won’t have to worry about losing your progress. As an added bonus, for a limited time you can purchase this digital title for 50% off! This sale ends May 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
RUMOR: Is something going on with the Nintendo World Championships? (UPDATE)
Time to crown a new champ?
The Nintendo World Championships were a big deal in the early 90s, with Nintendo bringing together all kinds of players to test their skills in various NES games. Nintendo would eventually bring back the Nintendo World Championships in 2015, but they once again went dormant in 2017. Now, according to a rumor, it could be time to see this series revived once more.
Pyoro is the go-to insider when it comes to Nintendo news. Whoever Pyoro is, they’ve made it abundantly clear that they have some very strong connections to Nintendo. Time and time again, Pyoro has leaked information that’s been spot-on. Now they’re back at it again, teasing fans with a single image.
Pyoro took to X to share a picture of a Nintendo World Championships cartridge from 1990. They did so without any explanation for the image. That has of course led to all sorts of speculation, with fans wondering what exactly the image means.
There are all sorts of ways this tease could be interpreted. Is Nintendo bringing back the Nintendo World Championships? Could we see some of the NWC game versions make their way to Switch Online? Is this an even deeper tease that we’re yet to decipher the true meaning of? All guesses are valid at this point!
We’ll keep an eye on Pyoro going forward to see if they offer any clarity on this tease. Until then, let the speculation run wild!
UPDATE: Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition has been rated by the ESRB for Switch. (h/t VGC) You can read the game’s description below.
This is a collection of 2D challenges and platformer games in which players traverse through various modes (e.g., speedrun, survival). Several challenges involve reaching specific points, while others prompt players to defeat small enemies or survive brief battles. Some games depict pixelated characters using small swords or arrows to strike at enemies; enemies typically get stunned or disappear in a flash.
Cyber Citizen Shockman 3 electrifies the Switch today
Shocking news
Ratalaika Games, Masaya Games and Shinyuden have announced that Cyber Citizen Shockman 3: The Princess from Another World is coming to Switch today. This title originally launched for the PC Engine CD-ROM² in Japan all the way back in 1992.
In Cyber Citizen Shockman 3, after Sonya wins a big prize in the lottery, she and Arnold travel to a tropical southern island to enjoy some well-deserved holidays. However, paradise soon turns into hell when a strange spaceship appears all of a sudden and starts attacking the city. Unable to just sit around and do nothing while chaos unfolds, Arnold and Sonya transform into Shockman and head to battle this new mysterious enemy!
Key Features
- Play through a big variety of stages that include platform stages as well as scrolling shooting stages.
- Fight powerful bosses alone or with a friend with the two-player mode.
- Brand new English translation plus original Japanese text.
- Image gallery from hand-made scans.
- Handy emulation features such as rewind / forward, save states, and CRT filters.
- View a set of screenshots at the gallery.
Bomb Cat explodes onto Switch today
A catastrophe!
Prepare for a purr-fectly explosive gaming experience like no other! RedDeer.Games announced Bomb Cat, a thrilling twist on the classic 2048 match game. Don’t miss out on the fun, as Bomb Cat launches on Switch today.
In Bomb Cat, the goal is simple yet challenging: players match adorable fluffy cats to achieve the highest score without running out of space. But beware, because lurking among these cuddly companions is the bombastic Bomb Cat, ready to shake things up with its explosive antics.
Will it assist players in their quest for high scores, or will it send their game flying into oblivion? The choice is theirs, but they must choose wisely!
Featuring eleven colorful cats to match, each with its own weight and personality, Bomb Cat offers endless hours of addictive fun. And with the possibility of sending cats to the Moon and back, along with special combo mechanics to boost scores, the excitement never ends.
But remember, strategic placement is key to maximizing scores and avoiding disaster. Can players rise to the challenge and become the ultimate combo heroes? Find out in Bomb Cat, where every match could mean the difference between victory and defeat.
My Horse Stories trots onto Switch today
We're giddy about this one
QubicGames has announced that My Horse Stories by CrazyLabs will be released for the Nintendo Switch today.
Put on those cowgirl boots, style your new horse, and start racing like a champ! You’re located on a horse farm that becomes your haven, and with each passing day, you grow closer to your loyal companion - a graceful horse with whom you’ll weave your own unique horse-riding tale!
To rise above the competition and conquer the racetracks, you must train tirelessly, immersing yourself in the art of horsemanship. Your dedication will bring you face-to-face with rival stars and formidable opponents who will test your skills and determination. You and your horse will form an unbreakable bond through intense training sessions, setting the stage for legendary horse riding tales that will be whispered for years to come!
But it’s not all about intense races and fierce rival stars. In the tranquil moments between training, you’ll find solace in the stars’ stable horses - majestic creatures that inspire awe and fill your heart with joy. Take the time to nurture and care for them because their well-being is crucial to your success. Pamper them with love, groom their silky manes, and dress them in dazzling saddles that reflect their extraordinary beauty.
Features:
- Train every day with your horse till you’re ready to compete in international horse races
- Compete in exciting horse story racing competitions around the world!
- Wow the crowd with your amazing jumps!
- Dress up like a champion in the most fabulous cowgirl boots ever!
- Take good care of your horse: feed, groom, and dress him up in an eye-catching saddle!
- Do farm chores.
- Upgrade your horse-story farm and build new facilities.
- Climb the leaderboard and make your family proud!
Baking Time gets cooking on Switch today
Let them COOK
QubicGames has announced that Baking Time by CrazyLabs will be released for the Nintendo Switch today. Stack all kinds of mouth-watering baked goods, from croissants to cookie hearts and everything in between!
Grab your spatula, lift the baked goods out of the oven, and put them on display so that customers can buy them! With a steady stream of hungry customers waiting in line, it’s up to you to deliver their orders quickly and efficiently!
Satisfy your customers and earn money that you can spend to hire additional staff and expand your bakery! Unlock new recipes and serve even more delicious pastries!
Need a helping hand? Invite your friend to play in local co-op mode and expand your bakery to the next level! Grab your aprons and get ready to bake up a storm in Baking Time together!
Features:
- Bake over 30 different pastries that your customers won’t resist!
- Collect baked goods with a spatula and put them on the display to sell them!
- Operate the cash register and satisfy your customers’ appetites!
- Earn tons of money to unlock new levels of your bakery!
- Hire staff to help you collect the baked goods much faster!
- Unlock 32 adorable animals that boost the cash you and your bakers collect!
- Upgrade your character and workers to walk faster or carry more pastries!
- Perform baker’s tasks and claim your rewards
- Prepare baked goods for special large orders!
- Feed your cookie monsters to get money each second -Use the teleport to move faster between levels
- Get caught up in the cooking fever and try not to get hungry!
It’s very sad to say, but layoffs and closures in the game industry have been dime a dozen since late 2023. It seems we can’t go a week without some bad/sad news about game industry folks, and unfortunately that trend continues today.
Paladin Studios, which is the team behind Good Job! on Switch, is officially closing its doors. The studio has been around for 19 years, having worked with tons of big-name companies to create all sorts of games, and those partnerships certainly includes Nintendo.
On their official website, Paladin says they’re shuttering due to failing “to land enough work to cover burn-rate.” The studio said that pushing on would have been an “irresponsible decision that would have likely caused insolvency.”
We’re sad to see Paladin Studios go, but at the very least, they’re making sure their 45 employees receive a severance. If you’d like to read the studio’s full announcement of their closure, you can find it here.
Official Balatro merch now available
Deal or no deal?
Balatro has been on fire ever since it first launched. Despite a minor hiccup where the game was yanked from sale for a few days due to a ratings issue, its’ been smooth sailing for a couple of months now. Last we heard in March, Balatro had racked up more than a million sales, and there’s no doubt it’s inching ever closer to 2 million with each passing day.
With that kind of success comes interest in official merch, and the team behind Balatro is happy to oblige. There’s now an official Balatro merch store, and the following items are up for grabs right now:
- t-shirts
- hoodies
- mugs
If you want to check out the various designs available or place an order, you can find the complete lineup here.
Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos. Combine valid poker hands with unique Joker cards in order to create varied synergies and builds. Earn enough chips to beat devious blinds, all while uncovering hidden bonus hands and decks as you progress. You’re going to need every edge you can get in order to reach the boss blind, beat the final ante and secure victory.
Ninjala Anime Episode 115 now available to stream
Clairvoyant Oema & the Kappa Attack
The newest episode of the Ninjala anime series has been released online, titled “Clairvoyant Oema & the Kappa Attack” The 23-minute episode will be available to view for free until May 9th, 2024, so check it out while it’s available! A plot synopsis of the episode reads:
Burton and the others receive news that a young man gathering twigs in Mount Ayakashi was ambushed by a giant shadow that darts among trees. They decide to head there to defeat the suspected Yokai and seek shelter in a nearby mountain cabin to prepare for the impending Yokai search. However, things escalate when Oema destroys the plates she brought along, due to her frustration with Vanji’s continuous mockery of them. Regretting her actions, Oema returns to the cabin to retrieve the shattered plates, only to find they have mysteriously vanished without a trace…
Grounded has been updated to Ver. 1.4.1. You can see the patch notes for this update below.
MAJOR FIXES:
- Players no longer respawn with a dark screen for 3 seconds after dying to a boss and respawning in Single player.
- Creatures involved in base attacks or Waft Emitter attacks no longer freeze up for clients when arriving.
- Boss shout attacks and Wasp Drone shouts in New Game+ no longer trigger infusion AOE attacks on anything their shout hits.
- Milk Molar upgrades for clients properly carry over when activating New Game+.
- Bases no longer load in with some structures incorrectly noting that they are supporting the entire base.
- Fixed the Microsoft Account login screen incorrectly showing the wrong environment error (fixed in prior hot fix build).
CHANGES:
- Increased damage reduction amount for the random trinket status effect “+Damage Resist” from 10% to 50%.
- You can activate text chat via the gamepad on consoles.
OPTIMIZATIONS:
- Improved performance across the game in general.
- Improved performance when playing in Multiplayer mode.
- Reduced memory usage across the game.
- Playgrounds with lots of links will run with better performance when in Play mode.
- Improved rendering performance inside interior spaces on lower settings.
CRASH FIXES:
- Fixed crash that could occur sometimes after looting a dead pet and an autosave triggers.
- Fixed crash that could occur when completing a conversation.
- Fixed crash that could occur when a client rejoins a game where their last saved data was while they were knocked out.
- Fixed crash that could occur when a client loads into a yard with bases built.
- Fixed crashes that could occur randomly during playthroughs.
OTHER BUG FIXES:
- Voice Chat settings properly reapply after closing and reopening the game.
- Loading a game while in the Pond Lab no longer shows an underwater effect onscreen.
- A few pieces of the oak lab roots no longer pop out at a short distance on Low settings.
- Lighting properly transitions if a defense event is active.
- Pond lab cutscene properly works for clients who are far away when the cutscene activates.
- Duplicating infused weapons properly copy over the random effect.
- Improved water quality on low settings.
- Clients no longer get a Raw Science notification immediately on join.
- Siren lights near the Black Anthill boss fight properly animate when in view.
NINTENDO SWITCH
- The water fog when looking outside of the Pond Lab dome no longer pops in and out.
- Improved performance in the various labs that are displaying a camera feed to a door you unlock.
- Reduced the amount of art popping that happens in interiors.
- Playgrounds properly load on the Switch.
- Host and Client mics are properly detected if they don’t have their mics connected into the Switch when joining a game and later connect one.
Fortnite co-creator says there were never any movie plans
Fortnite at the theater
It seems like game-to-movie/show adaptations are really hitting their stride. It took decades to get things right, but Hollywood is finally treating games with respect when it comes to adaptations. From The Last of Us to Sonic the Hedgehog, The Mario Bros. Movie to Fallout, there are examples everywhere of game adaptations done right. Just don’t expect to see Fortnite go down that road.
Fortnite is bigger than ever right now, expanding in all sorts of interesting ways. You’d think that a movie could also be a viable path forward to expand the Fortnite empire, but that apparently isn’t the case. According to a GamesRadar interview with Fortnite co-creator Donald Mustard, a movie was never in the works.
“Even back then [when Mustard was at Epic Games], there were never actual plans to make a Fortnite movie and I don’t anticipate that changing anytime soon. I think Fortnite as an experience is very unique to the medium it’s in right now and I know that. So, I don’t think there will be a Fortnite movie at least not anytime soon, but I think people would love it.”
Mustard is no longer at Epic, so he’s known privy to the most up-to-date conversations about Fortnite. That means things could certainly change and there could be a Fortnite movie at one point. That said, it seems like when Mustard was in charge, a Fortnite movie was pretty much the last thing on the team’s mind.
The Master Ball returns in Pokemon GO Masterwork Research
A masterful move
The Pokémon GO Catching Wonders event runs Tuesday, May 14, at 10:00 a.m. to Sunday, May 19, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Here are the event bonuses you can look forward to”
- 10× XP awarded for your first catch of the day.
- 10× XP awarded for your first PokéStop or Gym spin of the day.
- 5× Stardust awarded for your first catch of the day.
This event is bringing you free Masterwork Research! Trainers who complete the research will receive a Master Ball as one of the rewards. Additional rewards include Stardust, XP, Berries, encounters with Pokémon, and more! Masterwork Research is intended to be completed over a long period of time.
Receiving a rare and powerful Master Ball is a special occasion—think wisely about how you’ll use it, and keep a lookout for future opportunities in Pokémon GO to acquire more!
This Masterwork Research will not expire, so you’ll be able to complete it at your own pace!
Event-themed Field Research tasks will be available! Complete Field Research tasks to earn Stardust, XP, Poké Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls!
Don’t forget to check out the Pokémon GO Web Store and stock up on the essentials to prepare for the Masterwork Research!
Dead by Daylight May 2024 roadmap shared
May want to give it a look
This month will roughly mark 8 years since Dead by Daylight first came onto the scene, and it’s been going strong ever since. In honor of the special occasion, Behaviour Interactive has cooked up a month’s worth of exciting events and opportunities for players, and you can see it all in the infographic above.
If you’d rather just see a text breakdown of what’s to come this month, you can see the full details below.
Week 1: May 2nd – Aftermath Collection; May 9th Visions of the Futre Collection; May 16th – 23 Chaos Shuffle modifier
Week 2: May 14th Broadcast; May 14th – 20th Before the Masquerade Week 1; May 14th Player Test Build; May 14th Nicolas Cage Collection & Endless Hunt Pack
Week 3: May 21st Forgotten Garden Collection; May 21st – 28th Before the Masquerade Week 2
Week 4: May 28th Cats & Dogs Collection; May 28th – June 4th Before the Masquerade Week 3
There are sure to be some other surprises as we make our way through the month, and we’ll keep our eyes peeled for those as the weeks roll on.