Nintendo closes up its House of Indies with some sports

Today's the last day of Nintendo's House of Indies celebration, and one particular indie closed out the festivities. Sports Story from S?idebar Games is out n??ow on the Nintendo Switch.

The follow-up to 2017's Golf Story is live now on the Nintendo Switch eShop, with a $14.99 price tag. According to the description, Sports Story continues to mix sports and RPG, much like Golf Story did.

But as the name implie?s, there are a lot of sporting activities in the mix. There are eight unique golf courses, a tennis world tour, the ability to start your own soccer team, and apparently even some radical BMXing to do.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=E92xTMAe3Jo

It's an exciting bit of news to end a week-long celebration of indies on the Switch. While most probably had a hunch that Sports Story would be the closer due to its recently locked-in December window, it's a nice surprise to ring in the holidays.

Teeing off the new year

It wasn't all Sports Story today, though. Nintendo's House of Indies event closed with a look at some more upcoming gam??????????????????????????es that also look pretty intrigui??ng.

Dust & Neon is a cyber-western roguelite that seems like it would appeal to most Borderlands fans. It's a top-down twin-stick shooter that mixes gunplay and big boss fights with run-over-run progression, as you try to build the b??est?? 'bot hero you can. That's aiming for early 2023.

For something a bit more somber, there's Undying, an indie project that's about a mom and her son trying to get by in the zombie apocalypse??. The mom has been bitten, and with her days numbered, the goal is to get the son ready to survive without her guidance. Seems like it could be a tearjerker when it hits Nintendo Switch in spring 2023.

Finally, we got one more update on Sea of Stars. Yasunori Mitsuda, the famed composer behind games like Chrono Trigger, i??s working on the RPG from Sabotage Studio, and?????????????????????????? he popped up in today's House of Indies stream to give a look at how the music is coming together. Here's hoping this RPG comes together for its 2023 launch.

That's all for the House of Indies this year. This new event has been an interesting way to drop info and surprise releases right at the end of the year, and I'm curious to see if it keeps up for the new year. The timing isn't perfe??ct, given many people are headed into their holidays. But me? I'm happy t??o have some sports to tackle as the winter cold arrives.

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Dream to the beat, or beat your opponent

The fourth day of Nintendo's House of Indies holiday event has arrived, and four more games have been confirmed for the Nintendo Switch. Whether it's rocking th??rough your dreams or rocketing the ball into the opponent's goal, there's a good variety of games here on the penultimate day of indie joy.

First up, the surprise drops. Dreamy rhythm game Melatonin is out today on Nintendo Switch, mixing a gorgeous art style with music specifically designed to flow with the visuals. It's a dreamlike Rhythm Heaven, it ?seems, and I've heard some pretty positive buzz around Half Asleep's new game.

But if you want something a little higher octane, Necrosoft's Hyper Gunsport hits Nintendo Switch today too. Each team is made up of a keeper and striker, who shoot the ball to launch it into their opponent's goal for points. Special weapons and stages make this a little more complex, though. There are also 1v1 and 2v2 options, plus single-player and co-op options for the story circuit. And of course, multiplayer. Lethal League and Windjammers fans should already be eyeing this one.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASirpeqTp3A

Don't talk to the puppets

As for the future of Switch indies, two more have been locked in for 2023 launches today. Afterimage is a new action-adventure with definite 'Vania inspirations. Non-linear levels and side-scrolling action abound, though the art style and general theme of time warping add interesting twists to Afterimage. We'll see what Aurogon Shang?hai and Modus Games have  in store?? on April 25, 2023.

Then for something a little off the beaten path, there's Smile For Me. This adventure game uses camera nodding as an actual mechanic for conversation. Fina?lly, all those years of machinima practice paying off. Solve? puzzles, help out people, and probably uncover some dark and/or sinister secrets in this weird, weird world in spring 2023.

There's just one more day of indies left, with likely only one more batch of shadowdrops due for the Switch. Tune in tomorrow to see what the final door of Ninten?d?o's indie advent calendar holds.

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Punch, navigate, and look out for rain

Day 2 of Nint?endo's House of Indies holiday event is upon us, and the team is opening Door #2. Two more shadowdrops have arrived, as well as two announcements of upcoming games slated for 202??3.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qXjO6eQm34

First up, the play-it-now games for today. The Captain is a new narrative adventure from Sysiac Games and Tomorrow Corporation. You play a lost science officer from the space fleet, ??trying to work their way back home with some precious info. Lots of choices wait to be made, as well as big space battles to get caught up in.

If penguins are more your style, The Punchuin is a new game from The Touryst team Shin'en. You play as a penguin who punches things, and is trying to see all there is to see on Punch Mountain. It's part match-three puzzle, and part-charming exploration a??nd adventure, but all punchy penguin.

Forecast calls for more rain

Two more games got revealed today too, locking in for a 2023 launch window. The first is The Gecko Gods, a puzzle platformer from Inresin and Super Rare Originals. It asks, "what if a gecko could explore a mysterious and dangerous island?" It's all in the pursuit of saving their ??frien?d, who I hope is also a small and adorable gecko. That's set to arrive in 2023.

A popular roguelike is also on the way back, too. Risk of Rain Returns is a remastered version of the original Risk of Rain from Hopoo Games and Gearbox Publishing. I??t looks to have all the 2D chaos of the original, but with a new coat of paint and apparently new ways to play in store too. The rain returns ??in 2023.

There are still three days left this w??eek in Nintendo's House of Indies advent calendar. Tune back in tomorrow morning for the next bout of indie surprises for the Switch.

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An indie advent calendar for Switch owners

Nintendo is ringing in the holidays with a special event spotlighting independent games. The Inside the House of Indies Holiday Event starts today and runs through this Friday, highlighting new and upcoming indie game?s headed for the Nintendo Sw??itch.

Each day of this week, Nintendo will upload a new video at 9 a.m. PT. Each one will shine a light on updates, announcements, and news from Ni?ntendo's indie partners.

For a good example of what to expect, today's Day 1 spotlight features two new games and two upcoming launches. First up are Floppy Knights, a deckbuilding tactics game with a very charming art style, and Mortal Shell, a grim Souls-alike, both ma??king their way to Nintendo Switch toda??????????????????????????y.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMjdUHrjYLs

Those two are out now, but two more games were revealed for the Switch's future slate. One is a port of Pupperazzi, the adorable photo sim game about taking pictures of pups around town, arriving in early 2023. The other is a new game from Paratopic creators Arbitrary Metric, Roman Sands RE:Build. Set in a decrepit facility a?s the world ends, it has quite the laundry list of genres, including visua?l novel, adventure, puzzle solving, horror, and survival simulation. Sounds right up my alley.

A holiday of indies

That's just day one for the House of Indies. But Nintendo has four more days of news lined up, running now through December 23. There's still quite a bit more to reveal, and at least anticipated game that's had a December window already set.

While it's a bit different from an Indie World Showcase or something, I kind of dig this model. Games get their own day t?o th?rive, and each new video can be a little surprise. With lots of travel and holiday time in the near-future, I imagine a couple indie games to while away the hours are a welcome surprise-drop for Switch owners too.

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The Unite arena will be filled with holiday cheer, and also snowmen

Pokemon Unite will be celebrating the season from this month into next, and a beefy slew of updates are on the way to make it all happen. Alongside the previously announced Tsareena, Dragonite will also enter Pokemon Unite as a playable Pokemon later this month.

From Dec. 15 through Jan. 16, 2022, players can log on to get special gifts and rewards in Pokemon Unite. Of particular interest will be a free Pokemon: Tsareena's Unite license will be ava?ilable for free between Dec. 9 and Dec. 31.

Then, on Dec. 20, Dragonite arrives in Pokemon Unite. Both are melee-focused All-Rounders, so congratulations to? those holding out for some new brawlers to play.

//twitter.com/PokemonUnite/status/14685668526??41206275

If you aren't looking for an All-Rounder, there's still plenty to do. The Illumination Challe?nge, running Dec. 15 through Jan. 16, will let you complete missions to light up a holiday tree and earn rewards. Likewise, the Photo Challenge (running Dec. 24 through Jan. 6) will add more challenges and rewards too.

Another Quick Battle map will also arrive, similar to the pumpkin??-flinging Halloween event. In the Snowball Battle in Shivre City, you'll be able to snowball other Pokemon to turn them into snowmen. (Snow-Pokemon? Snow-mon?) It sounds a little frustrating, but Delibirds will also appear in the arena, rewarding special one-time battle items to use. Plus, Avalugg gets replaced by the legendary bi??rd Articuno.

There are also a bunch of log-in gifts you can read about on the Pokemon Unite blog here too. Basically, it sounds like there are a lot of reasons to be logging onto Pokemon Unite for the holi??day season. You know, aside from avoiding family time or something.

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It's time for some fun, frights, and a whole lot of candy

Halloween is getting closer, and for the Guardians of Destiny 2, that means another Festival of the Lost. The festivities kick off today, and Bungie has revealed all that's coming to? the Tower and beyond ?as part of this year's celebration.

Starting today, Oct. 12, and running through N??ov. 2, player??s will be able to participate in new activities and earn new cosmetics. A dinosaur theme is taking the lead this year, after the dinos took the lead over monsters in the voting earlier this year.

#TeamDino ornaments will be available in the Eververse store. A Jurassic Green Pulse Rifle is? also up for grabs, and even more activities are available to complete for resources, too.

Haunted Sectors will take Guardians to Nessus and the Moon, with some creepy new encounters? to fight through. And the Book of the Forgotten waits for you t?o return its missing pages.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z74O41hD_dE

The Festival of the Lost is overlapping with the very-long current season of Destiny 2, Season of the Lost. This season is extended due to the upcoming expansion, The Witch Queen, getting pushed back a bit to February.

Regardless, it's been a pretty good season so far, with lots of interesting story hits and a good set-up for a big conflict to come when The Witch Queen arrives. Players will need to get ready to binge any previous Destiny 2 content they might not have got around to yet, as Bungie also recently confirmed that the Forsaken campaign would be headed into the content vault.

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