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.
Do these Nintendo codenames point to future projects? Is Square Enix in big trouble? Does this Sonic song make you sad? Did Nintendo just admit they love GoNintendo? Did Doctor Who give cause an existential crisis?! All this and more in today’s episode!
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)
ATLUS has started off what will be a very lengthy video series for Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. This series is going to offer up a video a day to showcase every single monster you’ll find in the game. Today starts up the line of videos with a look at Nahobeeho. You can learn all about the monster above, and we’ll keep updating this post with subsequent videos as the series continues.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance delivers a full-fledged RPG that can be enjoyed by existing and new fans. At the start of the game, players will choose between two paths: the story told in the original Shin Megami Tensei V, the Canon of Creation, or the brand-new Canon of Vengeance. This dramatic new tale of revenge introduces brand-new characters, an enigmatic cohort of demons called the Qadištu, a new dungeon and a new map to explore. Additionally, the original Shin Megami Tensei V battle system, demon merging and field exploration have been evolved and expanded in this newest entry in the series.
UPDATE: The second video in this series has been released and you can check out the latest monster profile below. Today’s video spotlights Glasya-Labolas.
UPDATE: The third video in this series has been released and you can check out the latest monster profile below. Today’s video spotlights Pellaidh.
UPDATE: The fourth video in this series has been released and you can check out the latest monster profile below. Today’s video spotlights Amabie.
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!
Monster Hunter Ichiban Kuji lottery announced for Japan
Monster Hunter, chibified
Capcom showed off a series of items that are available in a Monster Hunter Ichiban Kuji lottery, and everything has been designed in a chibi style by illustrator Amelicart. This lottery is only open to those in Japan and it’s officially opened to participants today.
For those who don’t know, Ichiban Kuji is a popular lottery prize series that is held at participating convenience stores and specialty shops. You’ll be able to buy tickets for this Monster Hunter lottery via the Cap Kuji Online website.
The lineup of prizes in this lottery is as follows:
- S tier prize: Boxed set of pins
- A tier prize: B2-sized hanging tapestries
- B-tier prize: Full-color tote bag
- C-tier prize: Ringed notebook
- D-tier prize: Big sticker
- E-tier prize: Tin badge
Sony says the Zelda movie is being made in "closest possible collaboration" with Miyamoto
This guys knows a thing or two about Zelda
Ever since Nintendo announced that a live-action Legend of Zelda movie was in the works, there has been both excitement and trepidation. While fans think the potential is there for a fantastic adaptation, there’s also plenty of worry about the story, actors, and approach. While we’ve yet learn the finer details of the film, we can rest easy knowing Nintendo’s brightest star is deeply involved.
Wes Ball is handling the directorial duties on the Legend of Zelda movie, and he’s recently assuaged fears with his comments on the film and franchise that clearly paint him as an honest-to-goodness fan. For those still worried the movie might not come together, you can now rest a bit easier, as Ball is also going to have the best person possible at his side for the film.
According to a Deadline interview with Sony Motion Pictures Group chairman Tom Rothman, fans needn’t worry about the adaptation being anything other than stellar, as Shigeru Miyamoto is in the trenches with this project as well.
…because the movie is being developed and made in the closest possible collaboration with [Nintendo video game designer] Shigeru Miyamoto. He’s a true genius in that world, and it’s really his strong vision that is motivating it. He created it and understands it thoroughly. You only to look at the results of Super Mario Brothers to see.
To celebrate the launch of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door game for Switch, a brave band of streamers will be adventuring along with Mario and friends during the launch weekend on Twitch. Watch as some of your favorite Twitch stars journey through a colorful world of paper to collect the Crystal Stars before the nefarious X-Nauts do. Let’s meet the streamers!
TeaWithMandy (@TeaWithMandy)
- Sponsored stream: Friday, May 24, 4:00 am - 6:00 am EST
- Full stream time: 2:00 am - 6:00 am EST
TeaWithMandy primarily focuses on playing a variety of single-player games and loves nothing more than to immerse herself and her community, the Cutea Club, in the most beautiful experiences that the gaming world has to offer.
Le Jeu C’est Sérieux (@JeuSerieux)
- Sponsored stream: Saturday, May 25, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm EST
Le Jeu C’est Sérieux is a duo of video game enthusiasts made up of Guiz and Laurent. Nostalgia is a recurring theme for these partners in crime, specifically Guiz with his huge collection of NES games, while Laurent collects VHS recordings in search of artifacts of the video game past. They have shared their love of video games for over 10 years, both on YouTube and Twitch.
Thedragonfeeney (@thedragonfeeney)
- Sponsored stream: Sunday, May 26, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm EST
- Full stream time: 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm EST
Thedragonfeeney captivates audiences with her boundless enthusiasm and friendly demeanor. Feen delivers engaging gameplay, nostalgic trips down memory lane, and an infectious passion for gaming. Thedragonfeeney continues to inspire and entertain, leaving a lasting mark in the gaming community.
