James and the Giant Peach, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline. All are fantastic, heavily stylized stop motion-like animated movies that defined my childhood. Now, enter South of Midnight, a game that takes place in the deep south of the United States and impressively feels like those movies, even if it doesn’t quite feel as necessary for this type of format.

Told through just over a dozen chapters, the main story of South of Midnight involves Hazel, a girl who goes on a journey to find her mom and learn more about the strange powers she starts to have in the midst of a hurricane. These powers are at the crux of the adventure that you and Hazel go on, powering everything from the movement to the combat to puzzles.

The level design in South of Midnight is pretty linear, to say the least. Sure, there are a couple of more open areas in some of the chapters, but even they don’t take more than a couple of moments to explore to the fullest. In general, paths are pretty straightforward with a couple of branches with collectibles here and there.

The linearity of this experience is seen in the fights, too, which are typically arena-style. You will enter a clearing or circular-like area through your travels and be up against a couple of the creepy, shadowy creatures this game offers. The combat is quite basic, involving the usual dodges, hacks-and-slashes, and a few spells that switch things up every once in a while.

Ability upgrades are available, which do add a little bit of depth to the combat like being able to dodge twice in a row, but they are about as basic as they come. That is pretty much what I would say about all of the gameplay in South of Midnight in general. It doesn’t do anything too special, but it does nothing egregious at the same time.

The gameplay is enjoyable enough to experience. There are some light puzzles that make interesting use of the pulling and pushing spells you have. There are plenty of climbing and platforming sections as well. Nothing truly impresses, but it is acceptable since the length of this game is so relatively short. I spent around 10 hours with the game in total, but you could definitely beat it in eight or nine hours.

That said, every minute I spent with South of Midnight, I kept thinking that I would just prefer this as an animated film. Since the gameplay is just there, what really stands out are the characters, visuals, and writing. Hazel herself is your standard “oh, I have strange powers now!” type of protagonist on a journey to discover herself.

This in itself isn’t a bad thing, though, as Hazel has a lot of personality to her in her excellent voice acting and writing. She feels like a normal teenage in her angst, dancing randomly, and goofy jokes. The same goes for the memorable characters she meets along the way like a magical giant talking catfish and so many more that I won’t spoil.

The whimsical nature of the plot and characters translates crucially to the art style, too. There are elements of cel-shading to the world and characters with sharp outlines and shading. It all looks so beautiful, especially with the stop-motion effects. I, surprisingly, didn’t mind this in the gameplay and it looked even better in the numerous cutscenes.

While it is available on Game , I almost recommend everyone to just watch the full story cutscenes on YouTube. They are stunning to look at, with the right mix of creepiness with the foes and gorgeous landscapes at times. This is one of the best visual styles in a long time and it feels like watching a genuinely entertaining film. In fact, the graphics look better than many animated movies these days.

In the end, if I wasn’t reviewing South of Midnight, I would probably just watch it on YouTube. The gameplay is fine, but nothing special. The linearity of the experience also holds it back at times. As such, the real star of the show is the writing, characters, and incredible art style. The cutscenes are some of the most elaborate and well-animated I have seen in a long time. South of Midnight begs to be an animated movie at some point, so I hope it happens.

South of Midnight is available right now for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

The post Review: South of Midnight Feels Like a Stunning Animated Movie appeared first on Siliconera.

Microsoft announced the next round of games leaving Xbox Game , and four games from the Yakuza series will be removed from all tiers of the subscription service by the end of the month. Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza Kiwami 2, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon will all be unavailable from March 31, 2025.

These four games are available to play on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC while available, and cloud streaming is ed. Those who want to play the games have less than two weeks to finish them.

In total, 10 games will be leaving Xbox Game at the end of March 2025. Alongside the four Yakuza titles, Monster Hunter Rise is another critically acclaimed Japanese game leaving the subscription service this month.

Here is the list of all 10 games leaving Xbox Game on March 31, 2025. The only one that doesn't play on the cloud, consoles, and PC is MLB The Show 24, as it isn't available on Windows.

• Hot Wheels Unleashed 2
• The Lamplighter’s League
• Lil Gator Game
• MLB The Show 24 
• Monster Hunter Rise
• Open Roads
• Yakuza 0
• Yakuza Kiwami
• Yakuza Kiwami 2
• Yakuza: Like a Dragon

If you are subscribed to Xbox Game , nine games are being added to different tiers of the service throughout March 2025. How many games you get access to will depend on your tier.

Here are the games arriving on the different Xbox Game tiers this month:

• Out now
  • 33 Immortals – Ultimate, and PC
• March 19, 2025
  • Octopath Traveller II – Standard
  • Train Sim World 5 – Standard
• March 20, 2025
  • Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island – Ultimate, Standard, and PC
• March 25, 2025
  • Blizzard Arcade Collection – Ultimate, Standard, and PC
• March 26
  • Batman: Arkham Knight – Core
  • Monster Sanctuary – Core
  • Tunic – Core
• March 27
  • Atomfall – Ultimate, and PC

Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza Kiwami 2, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon will leave Xbox Game for consoles and PCs on March 31, 2025.

The post Yakuza Games Leaving Xbox Game appeared first on Siliconera.

Obsidian is quietly one of my favorite video game developers of all time. The studio has proven it can take what others do and match the quality — Neverwinter Nights 2 and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 — or even make it better in the case of Fallout: New Vegas. While Avowed takes place in the Pillars of Eternity universe, it feels like Obsidian’s take on The Elder Scrolls with a mini-Skyrim-like experience that is full of fantastic quality-of-life features.

To be clear, you don’t need to play either of the Pillars of Eternity games to enjoy this experience. While it references events of those games and the world will make more sense, there are features like tips that teach you the lore about everything. I was able to still enjoy the story and characters, even with only having played the original Pillars of Eternity for a few hours.

Avowed puts you in the role of the Envoy, a customizable protagonist who goes on a journey to the Living Lands at the behest of the Emperor. In classic fantasy RPG fashion, you have a hefty background you can pick between that determines your backstory, some dialogue choices, and how characters react to you.

Of course, your visit to these dangerous lands with only a couple of safe settlements goes awry quite fast, leading to conflict and a supernatural encounter. The story of Avowed is fine. I wouldn’t consider it anything too memorable, but it does just enough, especially with its characters to keep me engaged for duration of the 40 hours I played.

I would certainly say the characters are a bit better than the actual story, especially with the party like Kai. Though romance is not an option, unfortunately, the party are each fun to get to know and a joy to speak with at the campsites. This system is certainly not as deep as Baldur’s Gate 3, but it will scratch a similar itch. My only gripe is the story does sideline arguably its best party member — the first one you get — soon after the tutorial, which is a shame.

In addition to the story not being super memorable, the world and overall content is a bit empty at times. While not fully open-world, you explore various open zones, complete quests, do little dungeons, open chests, and the like. That said, I feel like there just aren’t enough side quests or content to do. Even the side quests you do get, such as ridding a woman’s house of a monster menace, feels a bit shorter than it could be.

The benefit of this system is this is a breezy action RPG. You can certainly see everything it has to offer, including all side content, in a much more manageable amount of time compared to other fantasy RPGs. In fact, the pacing is great and certainly helps to make up for how bite-sized this adventure feels. You might not be surprised by this style if you played The Outer Worlds, but this felt even faster than that.

It is alright that the world and story is just okay, though, because Obsidian ensures that Avowed excels at the gameplay. In fact, I would go so far as to say this is my favorite combat system in any first or third-person (both are options) Western fantasy RPG to date, including the likes of The Witcher 3, Skyrim, and so on. Like Bethesda’s beloved open-world RPG, you can equip different weapons in each hand and even switch between gear sets at a moment’s notice.

What impressed me was how fluid and fast each weapon feels. For instance, the spellbook opens the door for extraordinarily thrilling spells of different elemental types to blast foes with. The wand is by far my favorite weapon, sounding and controlling almost exactly like the wand in Hogwarts Legacy, but perhaps even better.

Then there are the quality-of-life features, like a dedicated slide that works well, being able to sprint nonstop without taking away from your stamina bar, and so much more. Even a tiny feature like being able to eat a berry you find instantly without having to pick it up, find it in your inventory, and then eat it to regain HP shows such incredible attention to detail.

For those who opt for ranged weapons like bows or guns, there is no ammo to keep up with, either. I was constantly smiling every time I realized there were these little features that showed how much Obsidian cares about the experience. These are ideas that I expected and hoped to see in the next Elder Scrolls game, so it is neat to see it here.

It is because of this genre-forward fantasy combat and quality-of-life features that this is one of the best places to check out a fantasy RPG if you’ve never played one before. And if you have, you’ll likely appreciate the changes Obsidian made. Sure, the content and world are a bit emptier than I like. That said, this is a rare RPG that respects your time as a player, getting you in and out well before the Living Lands start to bore you.

If only for the exceptional combat, solid party , and beautiful, vibrant world, I highly recommend existing and newcomer fantasy RPG fans to give Avowed a try, especially since it is available through Game .

Avowed is available right now for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

The post Review: Avowed Feels Like a Miniature, Welcoming Skyrim appeared first on Siliconera.

The original Xbox was Microsoft’s first attempt at a home console. While the Xbox didn’t set the world on fire immediately, it still had some phenomenal games worth checking out. Though the Xbox didn’t have too many JRPGs, the best original Xbox JRPGs are great titles worth checking out based on their visuals, gameplay, and how well they hold up now.

The king of action JRPGs on the original Xbox and the progenitor of console MMOs is a must-play for retro Xbox JRPG fans. This is by far the best JRPG experience you’ll find on this particular platform. The action-based combat is pretty good and holds up well enough today. The sheer number of customization options and the ability to play with others also helps.

My personal favorite about this game is the sheer amount of content. You won’t find another JRPG on the original Xbox with this much quality content worth playing.

2. Shin Megami Tensei Nine e661i

This is by far one of the lesser-known entries in the Shin Megami Tensei series, and for some understandable reasons. The UI and combat is a bit too confusing and convoluted, but if you look past that, there are great series staples like collecting demons and the like. I also think this initial switch to 3D, while not as timeless as Nocturne, still looks pretty solid even today.

3. Digimon World 4 r506m

This action RPG dungeon-crawler-like game in the Digimon series is far from the best of the franchise but it is still worth a look. There are four different Digimon players pick between to hack and slash their way through numerous enemies. The usual gimmicks like Digivolution are present, and the up-to-four-player multiplayer is where the most enjoyment lies.

4. Rent a Hero No. 1 4p1y2k

This remake of the original Mega Drive classic was sadly canceled for an official English release. That said, it is still possible to play the Xbox remake and it is the definitive way to check out this action JRPG. The world is fun to explore, the story is a bit ridiculous, and the third-person brawler-style combat works surprisingly well.

5. Shenmue 2 5b1k1u

Shenmue 2 is far from the typical JRPG experience but it was one of the most influential games in of exploration, open-world, and role-playing as a character in a story. This slower RPG lets players explore a highly detailed version of Hong Kong with so much to see and do. There are arcade games, minigames, fighting game-like brawls, and a solid enough storyline. Just know that the gameplay doesn’t hold up as well as some of the other JRPGs on this list.

Let us know what your favorite JRPGs on the Xbox were below!

The post Best Original Xbox JRPGs, Ranked appeared first on Siliconera.

Tokyo Game Show 2024 is one of the most exciting times for any player, especially those who love Japanese titles. There have been a ton of announcements during TGS, including for every platform from Switch to PlayStation to even Xbox. Here are the best TGS 2024 announcements that have impressed us the most and everyone should know about.

All the Best TGS 2024 Announcements: Ghost of Yotei 3c3o15

The standout announcement happened just before the start of Tokyo Game Show 2024. During the latest PlayStation State of Play, the grand finale announcement was a Ghost of Tsushima sequel known as Ghost of Yotei. The new location, set in northern Japan, and female protagonist are all thrilling.

Better yet, the open-world sequel looks to continue the stunning, colorful aesthetic of the original, but with the power of PS5 and PS5 Pro. And if that isn’t enough, the game is coming out sooner than you might expect. Ghost of Yotei releases next year sometime in 2025.

Holy Horror Mansion 2g36f

Level-5 hosted its own event in celebration of Tokyo Game Show 2024. The event included new details on previously announced games like Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, DecaPolice, and Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. But the real surprise was Holy Horror Mansion, which appears to be the next evolution of the Yokai Watch series.

The same colorful style from Yokai Watch returns alongside a slightly spookier style. That said, Holy Horror Mansion looks to still be an all-ages RPG, but the story seems to have a significant focus. We will find out more info about this RPG in Spring 2025.

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster on Xbox k2x59

Even Xbox fans had something to look forward to during TGS 2024 with one of the best announcements happening during the Xbox presentation. There were quite a few notable announcements here, including a new trailer for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and both Starcraft games coming to Game . However, our favorite has to be the arrival of all six Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games immediately on Xbox alongside other missing Square Enix titles.

FFXIV Dawntrail Patch 7.1 Details 5f5u5h

Still no exact release date just yet for the first major post-launch patch for FFXIV Dawntrail, but we now know 7.1 is coming sometime mid-November 2024 courtesy of the TGS 2024 Letter from the Producer 83. In addition, we now know it will be called “Crossroads” and include a bunch of new content for players to enjoy like the first Final Fantasy XI Alliance Raid, a new dungeon to complete, Pelupelu Allied Society quests, and so much more.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Release Window 245n21

One of the more surprising announcements is Hideo Kojima’s reveal during TGS 2024 that Death Stranding 2 is only about 30-40% complete. Despite this alarming fact, the game is still scheduled to come out in 2025. The sequel will also feature a brand new photo mode that will allow players to dance and pose various characters throughout the world for pictures.

Tokyo Game Show 2024 runs from September 26-29, 2024.

The post Best TGS 2024 Announcements, Listed appeared first on Siliconera.

The Devolver Digital Showcase was held on June 7, 2024, featuring Volvy’s 15th Birthday Party, a short film with a mix of comedy and horror elements. Through the lens of a Devolver Digital and Volvy super fan, the event highlighted several anticipated releases and expansions, as well as new titles from well known developers.

One of the major highlights was the announcement of Cult of the Lamb: Unholy Alliance. It introduces a new playable character, the Goat, for local co-op multiplayer. Additionally, The Talos Principle 2: Road to Elysium offers a three-part expansion with new stories and puzzles. Finally, among their new titles in the works was Tenjutsu by Deepnight Games, where players shape a city to fit their play style as they defy their former yakuza associates.

Games and Updates Announced: 6n1y1w

• Possessor(s) – 2025 | PC & Consoles
• Tenjutsu – TBD | PC & Consoles
• Anger Foot – July 11, 2024 | PC
• The Crush House – August 9, 2024 | PC
• Cult of the Lamb: Unholy Alliance – August 12, 2024 | PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S|X, Switch
• The Talos Principle 2: Road to Elysium – June 14, 2024 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S

You can watch Vovly’s 15th Birthday Party on their YouTube Channel: 

The Devolver Digital Direct official website is now open with new Volvy content.

The post 2024 Devolver Digital Direct Highlights New Games, Updates appeared first on Siliconera.

• Xbox – 472,992
• Xbox 360 – 1,616,128
• Xbox One – 114,831
• Xbox Series X|S – 142,024

1. Dead or Alive 3 (Xbox) – 271,149
2. Star Ocean: The Last Hope (Xbox 360) – 208,521
3. Tales of Vesperia (Xbox 360) – 204,305
4. Blue Dragon (Xbox 360) – 203,740
5. The Last Remnant (Xbox 360) – 154,493

The post Microsoft Sold 2.3 Million Xbox Consoles Across All Generations in Japan appeared first on Siliconera.

• Aero: October 1 - October 31, 2021
• Hover: October 16 - November 15, 2021
• Castlevania: Harmony of Despair: October 1 - October 15, 2021
• Resident Evil Code: Veronica X: October 16 - October 31, 2021

The post Xbox Live Gold October Lineup Includes Resident Evil Code: Veronica X appeared first on Siliconera.

Atsushi Inaba on Microsoft rumors: 36694t

Atsushi Inaba: “I did read some rumours about Xbox wanting to purchase PlatinumGames, and I thought, ‘people on the internet write the craziest stuff’, because that conversation has not come to our doorstep at all. "That said, we’re not Microsoft, so we don’t know what happens behind their doors, we don’t know if they had any thoughts about it possibly. "We’ve not had any talks like that, but I think even if it was a possibility, we’re now going into more independent self-publishing. "It’s not that we’re disinterested in Microsoft, but if the relationship were to be us working under their direction, I feel like that would be the opposite of what we’re trying to do now and limit our possibilities. Any opportunities that would limit our freedom I think we would be against.”

PlatinumGames designer Hideki Kamiya also joked: 10172q

Hideki Kamiya: "Maybe somebody reminded them that I’m still at the studio, and they were like, ‘right then, forget that! We’re not going to acquire them!"

The post PlatinumGames Studio Head Denies Microsoft Acquisition Rumors appeared first on Siliconera.

Back in 2003, FromSoftware quietly released an experimental real-time simulation game on the Xbox in Japan, and the game never came Westward. That particular title has gotten a fan translation courtesy of a fan translation effort led by MrRichard999.   The game involves two-player matches where each side must build up defenses, which then switches to a combat phase where a flag from the enemy base must be captured. The lands then carry over between matches, meaning that each side will be more developed each time.   The fan translation translates menus, graphics, the name entry screen, as well as all the dialogue, letting English players experience it in full. You can find a link to the translation patch here.   Thousand Land was released on the Xbox.

The post FromSoftware Xbox RTS Thousand Land Gets Fully Fan Translated appeared first on Siliconera.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Xbox is teaming up with Lynx (Axe in US) to create a new line of Lynx Xbox products. [Thanks, Gamespot!]   The product line includes body spray, shower gel, and deodorant. According to the official description, Lynx Xbox “is a fresh scent of pulsing green citrus, featuring top notes of kaffir lime and winter lemon, aromatic herbal middle notes of mint and sage, and woody bottom notes of patchouli and clearwood.”   However, it seems that not everyone is enthused, most notably Xbox creator Seamus Blackley. On Twitter, he wrote, “I seriously and honestly have no comment. I have no idea what a comment would even be on this. I’m frankly thinking of just going and drinking heavily at this point.”   Lynx Xbox body wash will be available in Australia and New Zealand beginning July 2019.

The post Xbox Deodorant And Body Wash Will Be A Thing In Australia Starting In July appeared first on Siliconera.

Here we have the second part of the Heisei era retrospective, covering Heisei 11-20 (1999-2008). With the transition to 3D graphics almost complete on home consoles, these years also marked the trend of Japanese gamers moving to favor handhelds instead.   Note: The dates listed are by Japanese release date. You can check out Part 1, covering the first 10 years of Heisei from 1989 to 1998 here.)   Heisei 11 (1999) Notable releases: January 21 – Super Smash Bros. (N64) January 28 – Digimon World (PS) March 4 – WonderSwan released by Bandai March 4 – Silent Hill (PS) June 7 – Oreshika (PS) July 1 – Dino Crisis (PS) November 18 – Chrono Cross (PS) November 21 – Pokémon Gold / Silver (GB) November 25 – Growlanser (PS) December 16 – Space Channel 5 (DC) December 22 – Valkyrie Profile (PS) December 29 – Shenmue (DC)   Heisei 12 (2000) Notable Console Debut: PlayStation 2 Debuted: March 4, 2000 Sony released the PlayStation 2 on March 4, 2000, with large droves of people coming out to buy it thanks to the popularity of the PlayStation. Apart from being a game console, it was also highly valued as a cheaper DVD player, a tactic Sony would copy in marketing the PS3 with Blu-Rays later on. The PS2 launched with Take the A-Train 6, Eternal Ring, Kaki no Shougi, Kessen, Stepping Selection, Street Fighter EX3, drummania, Mahjong Taikai III, Morita Shogi, and Langrisser V as available titles, the most out of the console launches introduced in this retrospective.   Other notable releases: January 7 – Kanon (PC) February 24 – Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (Arcades) April 27 – The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (N64) May 25 – Super Robot Wars Alpha (PS) June 22 – Boku no Natsuyasumi (PS) July 7 – Final Fantasy IX (PS) November 21 – Sin and Punishment (N64) December 21 – Phantasy Star Online (DC)   Heisei 13 (2001) Major Console Debuts: Game Boy Advance & GameCube Game Boy Advance Debut: March 21, 2001 The Game Boy, which released way back in Heisei 1, finally gets a full successor with backwards compatibility. While it is plagued by some issues like no backlit screen, it launches with a killer launch lineup of 30 titles, including Super Mario Advance, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, ChuChu Rocket!, Fire Pro Wrestling A, Mr. Driller 2, Megaman Battle Network, and more.   GameCube debut: September 14, 2001 The Nintendo GameCube came out on Heisei 13, and was the first optical disk-based console system by Nintendo, although it used smaller proprietary disks instead of regular DVDs. The console didn’t really take off with third-party developers or the audience, and became the last time Nintendo tried to compete on the specs front. It ended up being home to a small but refined lineup of games. The console launched with Wave Race: Blue Storm, Luigi’s Mansion, and Super Monkey Ball.   Other notable releases: January 31 – Sega announces end of Dreamcast production and shift to third-party February 27 – The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons / Ages (GBC) March 1 – Zone of the Enders (PS2) March 22 – Sakura Wars 3 (DC) March 29 – Segagaga (DC) April 14 – Doubutsu no Mori / Animal Crossing (N64) June 21 – Gitaroo Man (PS2) June 23 – Sonic Adventure 2 (DC) July 19 – Final Fantasy X (PS2) August 23 – Devil May Cry (PS2) September 13 – Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies (PS2) October 12 – Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (GBA) October 26 – Pikmin (GC) November 21 – Super Smash Bros. Melee (GC) November 29 – Metal Gear Solid 2 (PS2) December 6 – ICO (PS2) December 6 – Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs Zeon (Arcades) begins the popular Gundam Vs. series December 13 – Fatal Frame (PS2) December 20 – Sonic Advance (GBA) becomes the first Sonic game released as a third-party game December 20 – Bomberman 64 (N64)   Heisei 14 (2002) Notable releases: February 22 – Xbox released in Japan, three months after North America. While it didn’t end up being very popular, it launched with games like Genma Onimusha, Jet Set Radio Future, Silent Hill 2, and more. March 28 – Kingdom Hearts (PS2) April 25 – Disaster Report (PS2) April 26 – Mega Man Zero (GBA) May 16 – Final Fantasy XI (PS2) begins service June 20 – .hack (PS2) July 19 – Super Mario Sunshine (GC) July 20 – Gungrave (PS2) August 16 – Higurashi When they cry (PC) released at Comiket November 21 – Pokémon Ruby / Sapphire (GBA) November 22 – Super Robot Wars OG (GBA) November 26 – Square and Enix announces merger December 13 – The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (GC)   Heisei 15 (2003) Notable releases: January 23 – Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (Xbox) January 30 – Disgaea (PS2) February 14 – Game Boy Advance SP launches, adding a front-lit screen and an iconic clamshell design that would carry over the nearly every other Nintendo portable console afterwards. February 14 – Metroid Fusion (GBA) February 27 – Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (PS2) February 28 – Metroid Prime (GC) March 21 – Warioware (GBA) May 2 – Mega Man Zero 2 (GBA) July 17 – R-Type Final (PS2) August 8 – Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (GBA) August 29 – Tales of Symphonia (GC) November 6 – Siren (PS2) November 21 – Pokémon Coliseum (GC) November 21 – Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA) December 11 – Resident Evil: Outbreak (PS2)   Heisei 16 (2004) Notable Console Debuts: Nintendo DS & PlayStation Portable NDS Debut: December 2, 2004 The first dual-screened console which also innovated with its use of the touch screen, having an in-built microphone, and more which would later become standard features. While the original DS did okay, it was the Nintendo DS Lite revision that would send the console into orbit. The console launched with games like WarioWare: Touched!, Jam with the Band, Zoo Keeper, Puyo Puyo Fever, Pokémon Dash, and more.   PSP Debut: December 12, 2004 Sony’s first portable system, meant to fight Nintendo on what was essentially already their home turf after the GameCube’s okay sales. The PSP utilized a new disk format called the UMD, and had one flat joystick, as well as Ad-hoc and wireless LAN compatibilities for local play and more. The PSP launched with 6 titles – Hot Shots Golf Portable, Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower, Mah-jong Fight Club, Ridge Racers, Lumines, and Armored Core: Formula Front.   Other notable releases: January 30 – Fate/Stay Night (PC) February 20 – Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne (PS2) March 11 – Monster Hunter (PS2) March 18 – Katamari Damacy (PS2) April 28 – CLANNAD (PC) May 27 – Atelier Iris (PS2) June 24 – The Legend of Heroes VI: Trails in the Sky (PC) November 3 – Shining Tears (PS2) takes the Shining series in a vastly different direction, with Tony Taka as character designer December 16 – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) December 22 – Metal Wolf Chaos (Xbox) December 25 – Gurumin (PC)   Heisei 17 (2005) Notable Console Debut: Xbox 360 The only really relevant console Microsoft released in Japan, the 360 was a time where Microsoft actively courted Japanese game companies, securing releases like Blue Dragon, Tales of Vesperia, and Infinite Undiscovery. Sadly, early batches were plagued with the dreadful Red Ring of Death syndrome that damaged its reputation somewhat. The Xbox 360 launched with Ridge Racer 6, Perfect Dark Zero, FIFA 06, and more on launch day. The shift to HD development began with the 360 and left many Japanese developers playing catch-up.   Other notable releases: January 27 – Another Century’s Episode (PS2) April 11 – Hudson announced to become Konami subsidiary June 6 – Trauma Center: Under the Knife (DS) June 9 – killer7 (GC/PS2) July 28 – Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! (DS) September 13 – Game Boy Micro released October 27 – Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) November 23 – Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS) December 1 – Monster Hunter Freedom (PSP) is the first game in the series to release portably December 8 – Yakuza (PS2) December 22 – Kingdom Hearts II (PS2) December 29 – Brain Age (DS)   Heisei 18 (2006) Notable Console Debuts: PlayStation 3 & Nintendo Wii PS3 Debut: November 11 A console that would end up defining a generation, especially as real-world factors like the economic downturn led to a longer life cycle. It introduced Blu-ray drives into gaming consoles, and was plagued by shortages upon release. PS3 launched with Ridge Racer 7, Mobile Suit Gundam: Target in Sight, among other games.   Nintendo Wii Debut: December 2, 2006 Ah, the Wii. What could be described as a lightning in a bottle effect occurred as regular casual people began to play video games thanks to the platform’s motion mechanics. The Wii was the last console to stay in the Standard Definition era, and featured a remote control-like controller. The Wii launched with WarioWare: Smooth Moves, Wii Sports, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess as a dual release with the GameCube.   Other notable releases: January 26 – Ar tonelico (PS2) March 2 – Nintendo DS Lite launches April 20 – Mother 3 (GBA) May 15 – New Super Mario Bros. (DS) has Mario return in a mainline platformer for the first time since Super Mario World June 23 – Cooking Mama (DS) July 13 – Persona 3 (PS2) August 24 – Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (DS) September 14 – God Hand (PS2) September 28 – Pokémon Diamond / Pearl (DS) November 6 – Elite Beat Agents (DS) December 14 – Mega Man Starforce (DS) December 21 – Lost Planet (360) December 28 – Dragon Quest Monsters Joker (DS)   Heisei 19 (2007) Notable releases: January 8 – Etrian Odyssey (DS) January 25 – Idolm@ster (360) February 15 – Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS) February 22 – Monster Hunter 2 Freedom (PSP) sells truckloads March 1 – Dynasty Warriors: Gundam (PS3) is the first game in the series to feature other IP April 12 – Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (DS) June 21 – Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis (PS2) July 27 – The World Ends With You (DS) November 1 – Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) November 1 – opoona (Wii) November 6 – Mario & Sonic at the Beijing Olympic Games (Wii) December 6 – No More Heroes (Wii)   Heisei 20 (2008) Notable releases: January 31 – Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) January 31 – Devil May Cry 4 (PS3/360) March 8 – Corpse Party Blood Covered (PC) April 10 – Mario Kart Wii (Wii) April 24 – Valkyria Chronicles (PS3) April 25 – CHAOS;HEAD (PC) June 12 – Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) July 3 – Nanashi no Game (DS) July 10 – Persona 4 (PS2) July 18 – Street Fighter IV (Arcades) August 7 – Tales of Vesperia (360) September 11 – Infinite Undiscovery (360) September 24 – Mega Man 9 (Wii) December 18 – Dissidia Final Fantasy (PSP)

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My Hero One’s Justice recently revealed the villain All For One as one of the playable characters and Bandai Namco shared new screenshots including a look at its “EX Plus Ultra” move.   All For One All For One was once Japan’s most powerful villain as well as All Might’s arch-nemesis. His motives are unclear and his true identity is unknown. He’s an overwhelmingly evil villain with the ability to steal Quirks from opponents.   In My Hero One’s Justice he excels at both close and long-ranged attacks.     As for the EX Plus Ultra, it’s an ultimate technique that can be used with a full Plus Ultra meter to unleash a powerful attack with your character and two ers.   My Hero One’s Justice launches in North America and Europe on October 26, 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The game releases in Japan on August 23, 2018 for PS4 and Switch. You can check out its latest trailers in our previous report.

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Koei Tecmo revealed the latest characters to Dynasty Warriors 9 with Xu Sheng, Wang Yuanji,  Sima Zhao, Xingcai, Zhang Bao, Cao Pi, and Zhenji. We also got details on the game’s combo system in this week’s issue of Famitsu magazine. [Thanks, Game Jouhou.]   In addition to the reveal of Xu Sheng (CV: Tarusuke Shingaki) who uses Dual Meteor Hammers as a weapon, the magazine shared details on the “State Combo System”:

• There are three types of attacks: Trigger, Flow, React.

• By pressing R1 and any of square, triangle, and X, you can activate a Trigger Attack to hit the enemies upwards, knock them out, or overturn them.

• A Flow Attack is an attack that changes based on the enemy’s state.

• R1 + square is a Trigger Attack that can then affect surrounding enemies with a Flow Attack. By pressing R1 + triangle you can hit enemies up in the air and follow up with a Flow attack that slams them back to the ground.

• Think of it as using a Trigger Attack to inflict a certain condition to the enemy and then a Flow Attack as a follow up. From there you can continue using a different Trigger Attack and another Flow Attack.

• You can also use a basic Flow Attack by hitting an enemy in a normal state.

• The triangle button can be used as a “React” move, or a counter.

• R1 + circle has varying effects depending on the character.

• You can also wall jump to climb over buildings and ledges.

  Dynasty Warriors 9 is in development for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in the West. The game will release on PS4 in Japan.

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  During Microsoft’s Xbox conference at Gamescom 2017, the company revealed that Europe would finally be getting access to Xbox Design Lab’s customizable controllers.   Starting August 22nd, the following countries in Europe will be able to order their own custom controllers.  

• Austria
• Belgium
• Denmark
• Ireland
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Poland
• Portugal
• Spain
• Sweden

  In addition, the above countries will also ship to the following countries.  

• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Estonia
• Finland
• Greece
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia

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