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Ninjala Anime Episode 52 releases on YouTube
Secrets revealed!
The newest episode of the Ninjala anime series has been released online, titled “Ultra-Secret Void Clone Technique.”
The 23-minute episode is available to watch on the official PlayNinjala YouTube channel by clicking the link above. This week’s episode will be available to view for free until January 19th, 2023, so check it out while it’s available! A plot synopsis of the episode reads:
Allen arrives at the opera house to negotiate a deal with the Shadow Ninjas, who are demanding the meteorite in exchange for President Harold’s safety. However, Allen refuses to give up the meteorite to the Shadow Ninjas, and a massive battle breaks out. Suddenly, the Space Ninjas also arrive on the scene, causing confusion in the ranks as Burton and friends must defend both the President and the Meteorite. Amidst the chaos, Allen tries to help the President escape to safety, however…
'Samurai Kirby' mini-game will have online functionality in Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe
Wait for it, wait for it...
Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe will be flying its way on to Switch next month, releasing February 24th 2023. Ahead of its launch, Nintendo has been sharing plenty of information about the port, including some brand-new footage of new mini-games that was shared earlier today!
The title’s new Merry Magoland game mode will let players try out a variety of different Sub-Games, and the fan-favorite ‘Samurai Kirby’ Sub-Game has now received some new gameplay showing off its return to the franchise. The Sub-Game last appeared in the 2009 DS title Kirby Super Star Ultra.
This gameplay clip was shared through a Tweet from Nintendo of America, and you can check it out down below! In the same Tweet, Nintendo confirms that ‘Samurai Kirby’ will have brand-new online functionality in Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, allowing players from around the world to compete.
Famitsu Top 30 software sales - January 2nd to January 8th, 2023
Pokémon remains the champion!
Famitsu has released its estimated weekly sales charts for physical game software sales in Japan. This week’s list sees Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet capturing another week in first place, Splatoon 3 hanging tight to second place, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe finishing another lap in third place, and much more.
Nintendo Switch games overall took nine of the top ten spots, and 28 of the top 30 compared to their 25 slots last week.
The complete list is as follows, including total lifetime sales, via Gematsu:
- [NSW] Pokemon Scarlet / Pokemon Violet (The Pokemon Company, 11/18/22) – 135,627 (4,630,253)
- [NSW] Splatoon 3 (Nintendo, 09/09/22) – 56,579 (3,795,514)
- [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo, 04/28/17) – 37,302 (5,083,147)
- [NSW] Nintendo Switch Sports (Nintendo, 04/29/22) – 35,673 (954,442)
- [NSW] Minecraft (Microsoft, 06/21/18) – 21,556 (2,997,449)
- [NSW] Dragon Quest Treasures (Square Enix, 12/09/22) – 20,735 (246,700)
- [NSW] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Nintendo, 12/07/18) – 16,604 (5,092,741)
- [NSW] Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban! (Konami, 11/19/20) – 14,614 (2,817,703)
- [NSW] Mario Party Superstars (Nintendo, 10/29/21) – 14,591 (1,144,473)
- [PS5] Gran Turismo 7 (SIE, 03/04/22) – 13,929 (256,905)
- [NSW] Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival (Bandai Namco, 09/22/22) – 11,755 (136,751)
- [NSW] Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo, 03/20/20) – 9,604 (7,411,754)
- [NSW] Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Nintendo, 03/25/22) – 7,940 (984,710)
- [NSW] Ring Fit Adventure (Nintendo, 10/18/19) – 7,863 (3,331,418)
- [NSW] Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits (Bandai Namco, 10/27/22) – 7,404 (94,331)
- [NSW] Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics (Nintendo, 06/05/20) – 7,091 (1,069,165)
- [NSW] Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Nintendo, 09/09/22) – 6,111 (84,370)
- [NSW] Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion (Square Enix, 12/13/22) – 5,903 (76,246)
- [NSW] FIFA 23 Legacy Edition (EA, 09/30/22) – 5,295 (2,616,268)
- [NSW] Pokemon Brilliant Diamond / Pokemon Shining Pearl (The Pokemon Company, 11/19/21) – 5,295 (2,616,268)
- [NSW] Human Fall Flat (Teyon Japan, 06/25/20) – 5,074 (318,441)
- [NSW] Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (Nintendo, 02/12/21) – 5,027 (1,117,262)
- [NSW] Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star (Imagineer, 12/22/22) – 4,709 (28,244)
- [NSW] Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 Special Price (SEGA, 11/17/22) – 4,294 (27,915)
- [NSW] The Battle Cats Unite! (Ponos, 12/03/20) – 4,265 (188,062)
- [NSW] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo, 03/03/17) – 4,247 (2,122,045)
- [NSW] Dragon Quest X: Rise of the Five Tribes Offline (Square Enix, 09/15/22) – 3,962 (260,910)
- [NSW] New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (Nintendo, 01/11/19) – 3,906 (1,227,857)
- [NSW] Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo, 10/05/18) – 3,778 (2,127,672)
- [PS4] Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion (Square Enix, 12/13/22) – 3,693 (72,399)
Pokémon Masters EX gets a new trailer showing off the Kalos Chapter of the Villain Arc, releasing January 11th 2023
Be sure to catch this one!
A new trailer has been released, and it gives us our first taste at the next part of the game’s ongoing Villain Arc: the Kalos Chapter! This Arc has been ongoing since September of 2021, and the previous Chapter of the Arc, the Unova Chapter, began in November of 2022.
The trailer for this event can be seen above! It features a lot of interesting details, including Sync Pairs for Diantha with Shiny Diancie alongside Shauna with Chesnaught.
Players won’t have to wait long to dive into the new Chapter, since it will be heading to the game Wednesday, January 11th, 2023!
Persona 5 Royal updated to Version 1.02, including patch notes
You'll never see it coming!
Persona 5 Royal finally made its long-awaited debut on Switch in October of 2022. With Persona 4 Golden and Personal 3 Portable both heading to Switch later this month, it’s been a good time to be a fan of the franchise.
Atlus, the game’s developer, has shared details on a new update for the Switch version that is available to download now. This patch brings the game up to Version 1.02, and while the patch notes aren’t super in-depth, the update should address a couple of issues that will improve the game.
You can check out the full notes below!
■ Nintendo Switch version (Ver. 1.02)
- Fixed issue where the screen dims during game play.
- Fixed a network error that occurs under specific conditions.
Gertrude joins OCTOPATH TRAVELER: Champions of the Continent
A healer turned fighter!
Back in July of 2022, OCTOPATH TRAVELER: Champions of the Continent was released for mobile platforms. Since then, it’s been offering new stories for brand-new characters, all within the world of the mainline franchise. A new Champion has been revealed for the game, and players will be able to meet her through a new Tourney cup. You can learn all about her in the video above!
Meet Gertrude, also known as the battle-hardened apothecary, who is making her debut appearance. Play OCTOPATH TRAVELER: Champions of the Continent for FREE to challenge her in the tourney and to add her to your Band of 8!
Sakurai's latest video covers the importance of communicating openly with team members
An open team is a productive team!
Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai has shared the latest video in his game design series on YouTube. The video explores on Sakurai’s views on the importance of open communication within a development team. You can check out the video above!
In the video, Sakurai explains that different members of a team will notice different things when working on a project. Something that flies under the radar of one team member might be noticed by another. As a developer, he says, you have the ability to affect change that a normal player may not, and you should take advantage of that!
He explains that if something is bothering you, whether about the project or the team itself, you should speak your mind instead of just holding it in. After all, keeping those feelings to yourself doesn’t do anybody any good.
Sakurai’s lesson for communication is this: “If you wait, it’s too late!”
Bayonetta 3 updated to Version 1.2.0, extensive patch notes shared
It's the Witching Hour somewhere!
Bayonetta 3 came out back in October of 2022, and since then it’s been pretty smooth sailing. The game even ended up winning Best Action Game at The Game Awards, and it also got picked as GoNintendo’s Best Action/Adventure game of last year!
It seems the team over at Platinum Games isn’t done with the title just yet, though. A big new update for the game is out now, and it brings the game up to Version 1.2.0. The changes made include adjustments to combat, difficulty balancing changes, and a handful of bug fixes to boot.
The update is available to download now, and you can check out the full patch notes below. They’re pretty detailed, so be sure to take a look!
Reminder: Splatoon 3's 'Splatsville Showdown' tournament returns January 13th to 14th
Get ready for some splattin' combatin'!
Way back in November of 2022, the Splatoon 3 Splatsville Showdown was announced. The first part of this dual-weekend event was held in early December of 2022, and now it’s finally time to get ready for part two!
The tournament has some great prizes in store for the winners, including a trip to Boston, MA! Among the other prizes are a trophy, My Nintendo Gold Points, and much more.
The competition will see players testing their mettle first by participating in a ladder round on day one from 4PM-7PM PT, and the top finalists will make their way to day two’s livestreamed finals where the big prizes lie in wait.
If you want to participate, you’ll have to register before the event starts! To do that, just head over to battlefy.com/splatoon3!
Nintendo has released the next wave of Nintendo 64 themed icon elements for the Switch. While many other icon elements are available for regular subscribers to the Nintendo Switch Online service, these Nintendo 64 icons are only available to subscribers to the higher-tier Expansion Pack add-on.
This latest set of icon elements will be available until February 3rd, 2023, so be sure to get yours while you can! The third and final wave of these N64 icons will be available around that time, too. Be sure to keep an eye out!
The icons featured in this wave include the following:
- Mario Kart 64
- Paper Mario
- Star Fox 64
- N64 hardware and controllers
Fire Emblem Engage receives new Japanese overview trailer, along with 3 new commercials
The barrage of new info continues!
Today’s been a big day for those looking forward to Fire Emblem Engage! Ahead of the game’s upcoming January 20th launch, we’ve got new details on Micaiah and the ‘Emblem of Dawn’, along with a whole slew of new previews and footage we’ve compiled here. We even got to see how the game plays in handheld mode on the Switch!
It seems like the deluge of new information isn’t done just yet, as Nintendo has now revealed a Japanese overview trailer for the game along with three new commercial spots. The overview trailer runs almost 9 minutes in length, and the commercials vary between 30 seconds and 1 minute long.
You can check out the overview trailer above, and the commercials can be seen below. While these are currently out in Japanese only, you can expect other languages to receive similar info soon, so keep an eye out!
Plenty of new footage is showcased in all of these videos, including gameplay, combat, cutscenes, extra features, and more. Along with the new information, music from the game is featured throughout too! The overview trailer even briefly details Amiibo functionality within the game. Check it out!
REVIEW: AlphaLink features frantic, futuristic fun
Grab your laser and link up!
The first impression you get of any game is vital to the overall experience you have with it. It’s no easy task for a game to hook you in and get you invested right off the bat, making you eager to jump in and see what it has to offer.
AlphaLink, a multiplayer 2D arena shooter game developed by Texas-based independent game studio Black Hive Media, manages to do just that. Through its impressive cyberpunk aesthetic paired with a quick gameplay loop and its engaging lore and unlocks, AlphaLink managed to pull me right in and keep me coming back.
502's Arcade "coming soon" to Switch, reveals new promo trailer
Get ready for feature-packed fun!
Guatemala-based development team 502 Studios has revealed their newest project: 502’s Arcade. This announcement comes in the form of a promotional video, which you can check out above!
The video features a whole slew of games that will be included in the release, including sections showing off procedural dungeon-crawling gameplay, platforming, puzzles, and more.
Additionally, the video teases the inclusion of even more game modes to be revealed in the future, with footage of what seems to be a pirate-themed game with treasure chests. Each of these modes will have associated leaderboards with daily, weekly, and all-time high scores.
As of right now, a solid release date isn’t confirmed, but the video does say that the title is “coming soon” to Nintendo Switch.
You can check out an overview of the title below, including a description of the anthology-style game, a brief history of its development and inception, and the features you can inspect when it’s released sometime soon!
Japanese visual novel 'ONE.' receives Winter 2023 release window for Switch
You can't hurry love!
Earlier this year, the Japanese development team at novamicus and the publishers at NEXTON announced the publisher’s upcoming 30th-anniversary project, ONE. At the time, not many details were known about the project, aside from the fact that it’s a romance-driven visual novel game.
Today, more details have been revealed, including its planned Winter 2023 launch on Nintendo Switch. Along with this, a short new teaser trailer has been released which shows off some artwork and music for the game. This teaser mainly focuses on the romanceable Misaki Kawana, and you can check it out above!
Portraits of several other characters can be seen as well, along with some animated artwork of them. A couple of background shots are also included that show off the game’s overall art style. Music is featured throughout the teaser too, and it’s safe to assume this will be included in the title when it releases next year.
Ninjala Anime Episode 51 releases on YouTube
Next episode marks a year of Ninjala!
The newest episode of the Ninjala anime series has been released online, titled “Battle of the Opera.”
The 23-minute episode is available to watch on the official PlayNinjala YouTube channel by clicking the link above. This week’s episode will be available to view for free until January 12th, 2023, so check it out while it’s available! A plot synopsis of the episode reads:
Burton and the other Ninjas have successfully brought back the meteorite with the power of the Shinobi hidden inside. However, the WNA Headquarters were in a panic because the Shadow Ninjas have kidnapped the President, taken him hostage, and are demanding the meteorite in exchange for his safety. Jane discovers where the President is being held, and the Oniwabanshu are headed to rescue him. Burton finds out about the rescue mission, and asks Genryusai if they can join the Oniwabanshu and help them save the President.