Anyone for BBQ?

In a move completely befitting the new adventure's confusing tone, Sega has announced that it is partnering with Capcom to bring a glut of Monster Hunter-themed DLC to its incoming release Sonic Frontiers. The free crossover DLC dr??op will launch on November 15, shortly after the title's launch.

The Monster Hunter content drop will include two forms of Rathalos armor, one fully encasing The Blue Blur while a variant frees up his lower body and iconic sneakers. In addition, the tried-and-tested culture of barbecuing will also be coming to Sonic's world, in the form of a BBQ minigame and a roasted spit prop �Though I doubt very much that our boy will be doing much slaughtering in Sonic Frontiers.

//twitter.??com/monsterhunter/status/1579624??301820772352?s=20&t=mVEv77tdcl5CJx3a0M02Tg

Crossovers are always cool and free DLC always welcome, but these titles sure make for strange bedfellows. Frankly, Sonic looks bizarre fully encased in Rathalos armor. But, as I noted at the top of the article, this strange partnership is perfect??ly befitting of a video game that itself is muddled in tone, being at once somber and ethereal while retaining the ring-grabbing, loop-de-loop action of the colorful and beloved 16-bit platforming series.

I fully expect Sega to announce a Sonic Frontiers x Rainbow Six Siege crossover within the year.

Sonic Frontiers launc?hes November 8 on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch plat??forms.

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Steps of Glory

The mighty Malenia, Blade of Miquella has fallen to a dedicated Elden Ring player once again �And while this is a meaty enough task and something of an achievement in itself, extra glory belongs to streamer and cosplay model MissMikkaa for striding into battle armed with... a dance mat.

Yes, you read that correctly, MissMikka, with a level one player character no less, toppled the iconic guardian of The Lands Between with the aid of a flimsy plastic mat and some jet-black volleyball socks. This incredible feat is the latest hurdle MissMikka has surmounted in her endeavor to battle their way through the FromSoft RPG with all manner of control-based disadvantages. (Previously, MissMikkaa had won plaudits for completing Elden Ring while playing with just one hand).

//twitter.com/MissMikkaa/status/1576608756187549701?s=20&;t??=56BFRDUEJbyE1QwIRuBRDQ

Of course, this was hardly a spontaneous, lazy afternoon affair, with MissMikkaa racking up a total of 553 attempts, which totals somewhere in the region of 15 hours of playtime, all spent just battling this one single boss character. Like so many of these unbelievable self-set streamer challenges, it has taken dedication, patience, practice, and knees that won't fall off at a moment's notice, (like mine), in order for MissMikkaa to step up to the plate. Literally. When you add into the mix that they were also hosting a stream and speaking to the viewers while the b??attle raged on �That's some multitasking.

Kudos to The Lands B?etween Dance Mat Champion... Now maybe go and give your ankles a rest.

Elden Ring is available now on PlayStation and PC.

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You have sustained a lethal injury...

The best thing about publisher Microids is its utter devotion to dice-rollin' retro reveals �One minute it's Tuesday, and then, BAM!, Denver the Last Dinosaur battle royale. Today's bizarre surprise comes in the form of a VR remake of Taito classic Operation: WOLF, coming to PC and consoles in 2022.

Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission is a reimagining of the legendary 1987 rail shooter, which sees hardy Green Beret Roy Adams embark on a do-or-die mission behind enemy lines to rescue a group of hapless hostages, held captive by some evil force that isn't America. The remake will tweak the characters, locations, and objectives of the coin-op classic, but promises to retain the trigg??er-pumping, quarter-guzzling action that made the original such ?a smash over three decades ago.

First Mission will feature a one-or-two-player story campaign, a wide arsenal o??f explosive weaponry, and a frenzied survival mode, alongside new enemies, stages, and cutscenes. No trailer was released for the title but screenshots ?have been made available for player perusal. I see the soldiers and the helicopters, but as of yet no hapless nurses, cats, or blatant Schwarzenegger rip-offs. We'll get there.

Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission launches on ?PlayStation, Xb??ox, PC, and Nintendo Switch in 2022. A Meta edition is planned for 2023.

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We need a Bedman scent

If you ever wanted to give off the lascivious odor of the pack of fucking maniacs that make up the Guilty Gear Strive roster, then fragrance company Fairytail Parfum has you cov?ered, from hea??d to toe, in fact.

??The cologne and perfume company has released a new line of eau de parfum products based upon the sexy, sexy stars of the Arc System Works fighter. The range launches with four specific characters: the regal and handsome Ky Kiske, the mysterious world-eater Ramlethal Valentine, super-cute Halloweenie Jack-O Valentine, and hard-edged merc Sol Badguy, who looks like he hasn't seen a shower in a year.

While the men's fragrances are seeing a relaunch, (now in larger 50ml bottles) the two ladies are seeing their respective debuts in the world of fragrance. These are not even Fairytail Parfum's first dalliance with the world of Guilty Gear, as the company has previously released perfumes based on Dizzy and Elphelt Valentine �two beloved characters who are yet to make their roster appearance in Guilty Gear Strive (which may be why they have been replaced by Ram and Jack-O ??in this range).

These are the new fragrance builds, as reported by the fine folk of Siliconera.

• Ramlethal: Red thyme, jasmine, and peony at the top; powder, white freesia, and lily of the valley in the middle; white musk, suede, and spice at the bottom.
• Jack-O: Fragrant olive, yuzu, and jasmine at the top; iris, apricot, and magnolia in the middle; musk and cedarwood at the bottom.

You can check out the full range of fragrances over on the official Fairytail Parfum website. Given the company's Japanese origins, GG fans will likely have to go the import route if they wish to pi??ck up the new perfumes.?? Each bottle retails for ¥3,520, or roughly $27 USD, not including shipping.

Guilty Gear Strive is available now on PlayStation and PC platform??s.

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Available to Nintendo Switch Online members

Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can spend their extra Platinum Points on player icons, and this week, Nintendo added new avatars based on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Now we're talking! Since I last spoke about these wave-based profile pics, I've mostly tuned them out �but today is a big exception. Among other options, it's possible to set your Switch icon as the revolting (and amusingly censored) Dubious Food.

Link, Zelda, Urbosa, Revali, Tera, and a riled-up Bokoblin �the gang's all here. If you want to be prim and proper, the choice is yours. My eyes immediately darted elsew??here.

[caption id="attachment_332306" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Zelda: Breath of the Wild player icons are up for grabs until July 4 at 5:59 p.m. Pacific.}[/caption]

If you're feeling bold, you'll drop 10 points on the Dubious Food and swap it in as your (permanent?) new Nintendo Switch player icon. Well, at least until the joke? wears thin.

You can find the current selection from your Switch home screen �click on the red? Switch Online icon, then scroll down to Missions & Rewards to see what's available.

This whole "weekly avatars" scheme is still pretty fresh, with tons of games and imagery to pull from, so I think it's amusing that Nintendo is willing to include some off-kilter imagery this early into the proceedings. If anything, the trick is just getting people to pay attention �I would've totally missed the Dubious Food if not for a Reddit shout-out.

After appearing in Breath of the Wild and Age of Calamity, I'll be bummed if this so-call?ed food doesn't return for the sequel. I hope it's even more of a wildcard next time around.

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It doesn't even have the French Goth one

When esoteric publisher Microids announced that we were getting five Smurfs games in as many years, we all laughed, then we cried a little, then laughed more to alleviate the pain. But it seems that we all had a lot of growing up?? to do, as Microi??ds has channeled that bemusement into sadistic determination.

Following up the fall 2021 release of platform adventure The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf, the French publisher has now moved on to that second video game genre detailed in the Big Book of IP Licensing: Kart Racing. Smurfs Kart will see the little blue buggers taking to the rural raceway ??in a selection of rickety-looking wooden karts, loaded for bear with special items and unique abilit?ies.

Players can choose from The Main One, The One With The Chef's Hat, The Old One, Smurfette, or The Others. (Kinda 'sus that I only know Smurfette by name, frankly), before hitting a series of woodland tracks in what is sure to be the bog-standard Mario Kart template that has been previously adopted by The Simpsons, Wacky Races, Garfield, Family Guy, Shrek, Angry Birds, LEGO, Nicktoons, Hello Kitty, Woody Woodpecker, Danger Mouse, and fucking M&Ms.

Honestly, once Sonic and Sega All-Star Racing Transformed was released, we already had a grandstand champion. Still, now we've done platformer and kart racing, we have no choice but to go to the obligatory next stage: Smurfs Wrestling.

Smurfs Kart is curren?tly in devel??opment for Nintendo Switch. It is expected to launch this winter.

The post It’s that Smurfs Kart game we’ve been waiting on. SMURFS. KART. appeared first on Destructoid.

The Last Stardriver

Sony Interactive Entertainment's premier driving simulator, Gran Turismo, is getting ready to burn rubber on the big screen. According to a new report from the Tinseltown insiders over at Deadline, Columbia Pictures is scoping a summer 2023 release date for the fast and furious movie adaptation.

Directed by Neil Blomkamp, (the big chair behind the great District 9 and the abominable CHAPPiE), Gran Turismo has something of a strange plot concept. Reportedly, the movie will follow the exploit of the world's greatest Gran Turismo player, who transitions their digital racing skills onto the real-world professional car racing circuit. Think The Last Starfighter, but without the world-saving angle.

As cheesy as that premise sounds, it is, surprisingly, an adaptation of a true story. British racing driver Jann Mardenborough legitimately won a Nissan-sponsored GT Academy contest in 2011, securing themselves a scholarship in the Nissan’s Driver Development P?rogramme. Since the competition, Mardenborough has gone on to compete in numerous major race tournaments including Japan's GT Super ser?ies and the famous 24-hour Le Mans rally.

Personally, I prefer my driving movies to focus on people in pleather flame trousers stealing DVD players, but each to their own. Gran Turismo is the latest in a series of film and TV adaptations based on PlayStation properties. Live-action takes on The Last of Us, God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Twisted Metal are already in the works, while the Tom Holland vehicle Uncharted launched earlier in 2022.

Gran Turismo is tentatively scheduled to arrive in the?aters August 11, 2023.

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We can see other people

Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear creator and all-around eccentric game-making dude, has offered further clarification on his studio's relationship with industry giants PlayStation and Xbox, following on from his recent announcement t?hat he will be working with the latter on an as-yet-unannounced ne??w game.

Kojima made the initial announcement during Sunday's Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, where the auteur appeared in a pre-recorded video to reveal that he would be working with X?box to make a challenging, "never-before-seen" title that will be at the cutting-edge of Xbox technology.

"It's a completely new game that no one has ever experi?enced or seen before," noted Kojima in the video. "I've waited very long for the day when I could finally start to create it."

And that was that. Except it wasn't.

Because The Internet, a small cabal of PlayStation users took Kojima's comments as some kind of bizarre "betrayal" toward them, seeing his new Xbox project as a sign that he had left Sony behind to "chase the money" with some strange non-sentient idealization of a new lover. Many of these infuriated "fans" took to social media to voice their abject rage concern, with one aggrieved party going so far as to found a Change.org petition calling for ?the canc??ellation of the new Xbox project.

//twitter.com/KojiPro2015_EN/s?tatus/1536227678352973824?s=20&t=fhnbYKpThJufVOhugCrxdw

Following this online outburst, Kojima? Productions took to Twitter yesterday in a bid to allay fears that the studio had become an Xbox-excl?usive company.

"After the announcement of our partnership with Microsoft using the cloud technology, many people have asked us about our collaboration with SIE," reads the tweet. "Please be assur???ed that we continue to have a very good partnership with PlayStation as well."

"As an independent creative studio, #KojimaProductions will continue pursuing work on creations for our fans. We will explore various possibilities with games, movies, and music through platf??orms that evolve with time and technology. We look forward to your continued support!"

While Kojima has now clearly clarified that he will continue to work with PlayStation and Xbox (as well as any?? platform he or his studio chooses), it is likely that this still will not be enough for the naysayers. Y'see, for some people, it's not ??even just about Kojima Productions being Xbox-exclusive. It's simply about Kojima Productions collaborating with Xbox period. PlayStation vs. Xbox, WWE vs. AEW, Cat vs. Dog. Online tribalism in action. Come back Team Edward vs. Team Jacob, all is forgiven.

Kojima Productions' Xbox project is in development??. We will no doubt hear ??more details later in 2022.

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And boy howdy, is he quippin'

Arriving just 24 hours too late for April Fool's Day, a video has surfaced of a canceled sequel from the intolerable '90s platforming franchise, Gex. The unreleased and unannounced "Gex Jr." was apparently canned for Play?Station mid-development, but not before this early demo somehow found its way into the wilderness.

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

The demo was uploaded to Archive.org by an unknown user, who apparently found the code on a musty CD-R �scrappily labeled "GEX R2." A video posted to YouTube by user "Justz00t" sees the pint-sized hero in action �and by "action" I mean clumsily negotiating a typical PS1 environment while spewing awful pop culture references from the late-'90s. We get Star Wars, Teletubbies, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and even some totally radical air guitar, dude. Gex Jr. is the original G??ecko from Hell.

Ok, I'm being a little glib and facetious, but it is a legitimately cool moment whenever strange, undisclosed gaming history is miraculously recovered. Remember when they found the code to a Days of Thunder prototype for the NES? or that time historians uncovered an unfinished SNES adaptation of tabletop title Atmosfear/Nightmare? I do love stories such as these... ??but maybe stay buried, Gex Jr.

Ultimately, this is either a sneak peek at an unreleased sequel or an April Fool's gag poorly timed, either way, it will no doubt get Gex fans (which must exist somewhere) flicking their tongues as they await further news of an alleged comeback by their sunglasses-sportin??g, tuxedo-weari?ng, human-fucking hero.

A demo for an unan?nounced Gex game has appeared online [VGC]

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Also, a remake

Apparently, it’s the 30th anniversary of Viccom, a South Korean game developer that I’ve just heard of. Happy Birthday! To Celebrate, Piko Interactive is re-releasing the second of their two fighting games for the first time in North America: Geuk Cho Ho Kwon or Eye of Typhoon. So, fire up your 3DO Interactive Multi?player and daisy-chain a couple of controllers together for some classic 1v1 fighting action. Don’t have a 3DO Interactive Multiplayer? I guess you can use a PC, but you kind of lose out on the added kitsch of a failed console.

Eye of the Typhoon is a 1v1 fighter, much like many others that followed in the wake of Street Fighter II. It was originally going to be released on the Neo Geo MVS arcade system in the same way their first game was, Fight Fever. That didn’t happ?en, and instead, it hit DOS and 3DO exclusively in South Korea.

In case you’re not aware, the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer was the dream of EA founder, Tripp Hawkins. Released in 1993, it was going to practically do away with in??hibitive licensing costs placed upon publishers by Nintendo and Sega, and instead would make money through sales and licensing out the console itself to other manufacturers. The 3DO was going to transform the video game marketplace into something more akin to the more open VHS/DVD market.

It failed. It was prohibitively expensive, made the ??mistake of placing its bet on FMV games, and just didn’t exactly draw developers over with its seductive low licensing costs.

I have a certain soft spot for the system, ever since my old roommate adopted one into t?he household. I currently own a Goldstar Model and exactly one game. Maybe this re-release will make it two games?

If you’re not interested in shelling out for the $120 special edition that includes both PC and 3DO t??itles and a bunch of extra goodies, there’s apparently a remake coming t??o Xbox and Playstation consoles. I say “apparently�because no details have been released yet, and its existence is absolutely buried in the store page.

Still, if you’re looking for a good reason to dust off the old 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, this is one of those rare occasions. Pre-orders for Eye of Typhoon: Anniversary Edition are now open, and it’s expected to ship out in April 2022.

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All (Battle) Points Bulletin

Two Los Angeles Police Department officers were fired in 2017 for choosing to go on a Pokémon GO jaunt rather than respond to a robbery-in-progress callout. The bizarre story was revealed in newly released documents recounting the incident, which took place during Pokémon GO's golden years.

As reported by Vice, LAPD officers Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell were patrolling a Los Angeles mall in the spring of 2017 �a time in which Pokémon GO fever had softened a little, but was still riding high. Asked by LAPD control to respond to a robbery-in-progress in the area, Lozano and Mitchell instead attended the m?ore urgent call of capturing a nearby Snorlax in the augmented reality title. The pair's proceeding hunt was then recorded via their patrol car's "DIVCS" monitoring system.

As written in the ensuing court documents: (Y'all ready for this?)

"Officer Mitchell alerted Lozano that 'Snorlax' 'just popped up' at '46th a??nd Leimert.' After noting that 'Leimert doesn’t go all the way to 46th,' Lozano responded, 'Oh, you [know] what I ??can do? I’ll [go] down 11th and swing up on Crenshaw. I know that way I can get to it.' Mitchell suggested a different route, then told Lozano, 'We got four minutes.'"

"After Mitchell apparently?? caught the Snorlax �exclaiming 'got ‘em' �petitioners agreed to 'Go get the Togetic' and drove off. When their car stopped again, the DICVS recorded Mitchell saying 'Don’t run away. Don’t run away,' while Lozano described how he 'buried it and ultra-balled' the Togetic before announcing, 'Got him'. Eventually, Mitchell exclaimed, 'Holy Crap. Finally,' apparently in re?ference to capturing the Togetic, and he remarked, 'The guys are going to be so jealous.'"

The Board of Rights, understandably,? did not take too kindly to the officers' extracurricular ??activity.

"Playing Pokémon GO showed complete disregard for the community, wasted resources, violated p??ublic trust, and was unprofessional and embarrassing to the Department," said the LAPD Board ??of Rights of the incident." Further nothing that the officers "behavior reflected gross negligence, cowardice, lack of thoughtfulness and deceit."

Lozano and Mitchell appealed against their dismissal on the grounds that their privacy had been violated by listening to t?he DICVS recording. This appeal was denied by a Los Angeles court on January 7, 2022.

Detective Pikachu was unavailable for comment.

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Ok, Computer?

The KID A MNESIA Exhibition, an experimental celebration of the work of legendary British rock band Radiohead, will launch on PC and PS5 November 18, as announced by collective [namethemachine], Arbitrarily Good Productions, and Epic Games. Fans will be able to download the exhibition,  free of charge, from PlayStation Store and Epic Games Stor??e.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOinMjQ9jo8

The strange endeavor, curated by Radiohead singer Thom Yorke and artist Stanley Donwood, is officially described as "a fevered dream-space, an edifice, built from the art and creatures, words and recordings of Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac uncovered from 20 odd years ago, reassembled and given new mutant life." Which is, by far, a better explanatio??n for the event than yer boy Moyse can put together, based on the curiously obscure trailers for the project.

The exhibition has been curated to celebrate the 21st anniversary of Radiohead's fourth and fifth studio albums �Kid A and Amnesiac, respectively. The show will feature visuals, sounds, and artwork taken from and inspired by t?he two recordings, as well as deconstructed tracks and newly released music that has been pulled from the original recording's master tapes. The long and s??hort of it is: If you're a Radiohead fan, you'll definitely want to check out the action.

Originally designed as a physical installation, with plans to travel between various capital cities across the globe, the KID A MNESIA project was transitioned into digital form a??fter the COVID-19 outbreak made frequent and easy travel nigh-on impossible. As a positive, this will at least provide easier access to global Radiohead fans, who will likely find it easier to plonk themselves down in front of a PC ??than they might have found it traveling to a capital city gallery.

KID A MNESIA will be available to download from November 18 on PS5 and PC (via Epic Games Store)

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Hacking device looks suspiciously familiar

A gang of car thieves has been jailed after breaking into and stealing vehicles with a bizarre hacking tool shaped like Nintendo's phenomenal handheld console, Game Boy. ?Three men were convicted by Leeds Crown Court in the UK after pleading guilty to the charge of conspiracy to stealing.

It is reported that the men were able to use the hacking device to unlock and make off with five Mitsubishi Outlanders, totaling somewhere in the region of £180,000 in value. The men were finally arrested after stealing the fifth sport-utility vehicle from its owner's driveway on July 20. The BBC reports that CCTV captured the thieves in action, with Leeds police being further helped by the fact the trio had also filmed themselves committing some of the thefts... a form of evidence that is star??ting to become increasingly popular.

According to cybercrime expert Marcus Hutchins, the device �which looks similar to the classic handheld console albeit black and emblazoned with the word "'Sup" �works by mirroring short-wave ?frequencies, reflecting an identical pattern used by a digital key-fob. Once in close proximity to both the vehicle and its owner, (such as in a home driveway), the device essentially ascertains and then reflects the fob's signal, disguising itself as the bespoke ke?y. This allowed simple access to the car's interior without the need for shattered windows or any other forcible, attention-drawing methods.

The ringleader of the group was sentenced to jail for 30 m??onths, while two accomplices received suspended sentences of 22 mont?hs each. Rumors that you had to blow into the port in order to get the device to work remain unsubstantiated.

UK thieves jailed aft??er stealing £180K of cars with a "Game Boy" [PC Gamer]

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Open the door, get on the floor...

In a strange but delightful bit of the news, 1993's dreadful Super Mario Bros. movie shot to the top of Amazon's video sales charts yesterday, bypassing recent releases Fast and Furious 9 and Zack Snyder's Justice League to become Amazon's best-selling movie. This surge in interest has been driven by the recent Nintendo Direct, wherein the publisher revealed the cast for its animated Super Mario Bros. feature, expected to premiere in late-2022.

Super Mario Bros. �as those of a certain age and bones will remember �was an ambitious but wholly unsuccessful attempt to transition the world of Mario, Luigi, Princess Daisy, and your favorite Super Mario Bros. character, Lena, into a feature-length, live-action endeavor. Though undeniably creative in concept, the resulting ??film is ultimately a chaotic and tonal mess, becoming both a critical and commercial disaster when it finally hit screens in the summer of 1993.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUpQLU3J7fU

The movie sees Brooklyn plumbers Mario Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi Mario (John Leguizamo) thrust into a prehistoric, (but ?surprisingly cyberpunk), alternate universe known as "Dinohattan". Bob-ombs, hideously conceived Goombas, Super Scopes as legitimate weapons, and even an animatronic Yoshi all put in an appearance in this incredibly bizarre take on the Mushroom Kingdom. And Lena, don't forget your favorite character, Lena. The trippy neon 'berg is presided over by our antagonist, human/dinosaur hybrid King Koopa �played with coke-addled fury by the dearly departed Dennis Hopper.

Cast and crew would both go on to regret Super Mario Bros.' overblown and overbudgeted chaos. There were problems on set between Hopper and husband and wife directorial team Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, multiple script rewrites took place before and during production, and there were even major disputes ??in both the editing suite and the marketing department once the film was finally in the can.

Despite containing legitimately pioneering special effects, (plus that Roxette song everybody dug), the film's stars have generally only spoken of the experience in strongly negative tones, with Hoskins brutally referring to Super Mario Bros. as the worst thing he had ever done. Some of these attitudes have lightened in recent years, and both Samantha Mathis (Princess Daisy) and Leguizamo have retrospectively?? spoken of their joy that the movie carries a certain tongue-in-??cheek charm as a cult "classic" among modern fans.

Wherever you personally stand on this cinematic curiosity, I don't think anybody expected to see it storming the charts some three decades later. Ahead of its time? Of course not. This is just the power of nostalgia and the might of "trending" topics. But the very fact that newcomers are still visitin??g ?King Koopa's Dinohattan in 2021... It's Almost Unreal.

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When the legend is better than the truth, print the legend

Yesterday marked the 30th anniversary of Sega's street-scrappin' brawler, Streets of Rage. In order to mark 30 long years of great vigilante action, composer Yuzo Koshiro decided to ruin the party for everybody �revealing that we've all been shouting out a legendary soundbite incorrectly for the pa??st three decades.

As revealed in a new video by Koshiro, whose incredible music is a huge part of bringing life and identity to the Streets of Rage franchise, Axel Stone's famous "GRAND UPPER!" is actually "GROUND UPPER!" and it al??ways has been. I'll give you a minute to come to terms with?? that reality before explaining how this shattering misconception came about...

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehz6GP-dMBk

...You ok now? Anyway, not only have players (including myself) been hearing "Grand Upper" for all these years due to a combination of phonetic translation and 16-bit synthesis, but Sega itself listed the maneuver as such in the manual for Streets of Rage 2, where the powerful uppercut made its debut appearance. Koshiro just simply never corrected anybody until yesterday, when he felt the need to drop said truth bomb on us, leaving SoR fans?? reeling like they'd just gone?? five rounds with Max Thunder.

Some people have since suggested that they have always ?known it was "Ground Upper". No, you didn't, stop being cool. As Koshiro notes, however, it doesn't really matter either way. All that matters is that you enjoy the series and that you enjoy yourselves. Good thing too, as there's no way I'm ever not screaming "GRAND UPPER!" going forward �wh?ether gaming, shopping, in bed, or at funerals. I'm not changing the habit of a lifetime, truth be damned.

Streets of Rage 4: Mr. X Nightmare DLC ??is now ava??ilable on all platforms. It's excellent.

//twitter.com/yuz??okoshiro/status/1422211630868295680?s=20

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The Imperial Combat Revue deserves better

Fuck it. What if '90s anime RPG franchise Sakura Wars crossed over with military battle royale mobile title PUBG? It appears that question was?? asked ??sometime, somewhere, around some table in some developer's office. Weirder yet, someone else agreed to it, and thus it is about to become a reality.

Yes, PUBG Mobile �the handheld spin-off to Bluepoint Games' mega-popular shooter PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds �has announced that an upcoming in-game event will feature paid DLC content based on Sakura Wars, Sega's cult RPG franchise that blew up in the mid/late '90s, before making something of a mainstream ?comeback earlier in 2020.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1FiQ9o06xo&t=5s

It's not entirely clear what form this crossover will take, but it appears that Japanese PUBG Mobile players will soon be able to purchase and download Sakura Wars-themed "Voice clip" packs, allowing for various shouts and battle cries as performed by the warriors of the Imperial Combat Revue. A short teaser trailer features the famous horn-filled blarings of the famous Sakura Wars theme tune, along with a brief match comment?ary from the original Sakura herself, ?actor Chisa Yokoyama. Just plain weird.

Sakura Wars launched on PS4 in 2020 to a subdued but positive reception. Unfortunately, this was followed by disastrous mobile release Sakura Wars: Hanasaki Maidens, a hugely expensive project that reportedly lost Sega millions of dollars. The studio is continually pushing for a Sakura Wars comeback, but seems to be lost in how to market the legendary franchise �and this crossover is no exception. A localized, visually enhanced re-release of the original Sakura Wars collection would be the perfect kick-start. How Sega has not established this yet is, frankly, min??d??-boggling.

No date was revealed for the PUBG Mobile x Sakura Wars crossover event.

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The single biggest problem facing England

The residents of English town Walsall have levied complaints at their local council over the implementation of 15 enormous plant pots, which bear more than a striking resemblance to the "warp pipes" of the Super Mario series. While this is obviously a positive boon to any city, some members of the Always Pleased British public are unhappy w?ith the "eyesore?s."

According to local newspaper Birmingham Mail, the Walsall cou??ncil was asked to slash £29 ??million from its budget, which is leading residents to question why taxpayer cash has been splashed on the admittedly huge installations, which have been situated throughout the quiet market town. Rumors that running across Walsall's rooftops allows you to skip a few worlds are yet to be verified.

"We've ha?d so many shop closures in the last few years and the best thing the council can come up with is these g?arish monstrosities," said local florist Andrea Loveridge to the Birmingham Mail, before cementing her point with delighfully old-school phrase "It beggars belief."

_{[photo credit: Anita Maric / SWNS]}

Jesting aside, the Br?itish high street is in a terrible state. Retail was already in trouble and the COVID-19 pandemic only brought further c??osts and losses to ailing businesses. However much these plant pots cost, there were certainly more pressing matters at the heart of Walsall's high street — such as lowering shop rents and rates as struggling retailers aim to get back on their feet post-lockdown.

"Walsall Council has been awarded £750k each for Bloxw?ich and Walsall Town centres to make early interventions, building momentum towards the main 'Towns Fund' bid," defended Walsall Councillor Adrian Andrew. "The work in Walsall Town Centre is intended to deliver a range of improvements to promote a feeling of well-being and safety and enhance the town centre environment and a key element of this work was to introduce more planting into the town centre to create a more social space outside the Walsall Art Gallery."

We rea??ched out to Bowser Koopa for comment, but all he offered was "Don't vote Tory?."

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Someone's been watching all along

Last week saw Capcom release the newest episode of "Let's Play in Bio Village," the infectiously creepy-cute puppet show starring the villains of Resident Evil Village. This episode is particularly special, as it features a guest appearance from another member of? the horror sequel's Rogu?es' Gallery.

The episode begins with Big Sister Dimitrescu suggesting Moreau brush his teeth with a razor-sharp brush, with predictably messy results. While the edict of the entire show is that Resident Evil Village "is not scary," this latest gory happening?? proves too much for Angie, who admits to being terrified of the whole show. Dimitrescu and Heisenberg then question their recent, kind actions — embracing their dark ?side and giving in to their murderous intent.

Fortunately, just as things start to get a little chaotic, the gang are paid a visit by Mother Miranda, who informs them that she has been watching all along and that they are all doing a fine job of "not being scary." Thus, happiness is restored. The episode ends with a lengthy disclaimer comically informing viewers that Resident Evil Village may, in fact, be scary after all.

After Mother Miranda's confession that she had been "watching all along," I went back and re-watched past episodes and, true ?to her word, Miranda has been spying on her fellow villains, hidden in plain sight, which is a delightful touch. For example, here she is in Heisenberg's death ma?chine. When you see it... you'll shit bricks.

Now that Resident Evil Village is out and in the hands of the players, and the fourth wall has been crossed on the puppet show, is this the end of the line for "Let's Pl?ay in Bio Village"? I hope not, as while I understand a ridiculous amount of work goes into each episode — giving them a beautifully polished, slickly produced lo?ok — it would be a shame not to see our (non-scary) friends again. Time will tell.

Hai!

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You won't catch 'em all at Walmart

Citing "safety concerns for customers and staff," two major U.S. retailers have temporarily halted the sale of Pokémon trading cards in-store, following numerous altercations, mass panic-buying, and scenes of physical? and v??erbal violence.

Target is restricting the sale of Pokémon cards (as well its NFL, NBA, and MLB trading card brands) to its online store, removing the sought-after decks from the shelves of its physical outlets. Speaking to Bleeding Cool, Target said it was exercising "an abundance of caution" following a May 7 incident where a gun was b?randished in a Target parking lot, reportedly over a sports trading card dispute.

Target is the second retailer to take action due to a sudden surge of interest in trading card sales. Several Wal-Mart outlets have also removed Pokémon and other trading cards from their shelves, following aggressive customer interactions. As reported by Nintendo Life, fast-food franchise McDonald's was forced to rethink its strategy involving the distribution of Pokémon-themed Happy Meals, after adults turned up to restaurants and? purchased the children's boxed lunches in abundance.

It is believed the interest spike has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic keeping many retailers closed or restricted, limiting the sales of in-store products and also driving up prices on the scalpers' market. In addition, the pandemic has affected the industry's production and distribution line, creating further scarcity for trading cards in general. Earlier this year, The Pokémon Company addressed the card shortage, an?d has been reprinting sets "at maximum capacity" in order to appeas??e impatient collectors.

Pokemon cards ??pulled from Target and Walmart due to safety concer??ns [Eurogamer]

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Taste her love in every sip

I'm not really sure of the demographic crossover of vampiric society queens and energy-drink-guzzling esports types but, never one to miss a marketing opportunity, Capcom has collaborated with G Fuel to produce a brand new flavor based on Lady Dimitrescu, one of the popular antagonists from the recently released Resident Evil Village.

Titled "Maiden's Blood", the powered hell comes in a container not quite as tall a?s the good lady herself, along with a 24oz shaker cup which will make you the coolest person at the gym. Honest. Packed with vitamins and supplements to increase focus, endurance, and reaction, G Fuel hopes that Dimitrescu's horrifying elixir will help consumers reach new heights. But not 9'6".  What does "MAIDEN'S BLOOD" *thunder clap* taste like? Melon. Fucking melon.

Scheduled to launch in July 2021, interested parties can jump on a waiting list right now over on the official G Fuel website. I'll defini?tely be downing the stuff while I go abo??ut my slavish tasks for Lady D, including sweeping her floors, polishing her shoes, getting the bloodstains out of her dress, responding to her emails, and sorting her recycling.

It's a living. Be?sides, Daniela is surprisingly good at Crossfire.

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Another bad day for Moreau

Today sees the launch of Capcom's fantastic horror-adventure, Resident Evil Village. Far more important, however, is the premiere of the second episode of the wonderful "Let's Play in Bio Village", the adorably grim puppet show starring the sequel's rogues' gallery.

Episode two sees Heisenberg hard at work on some kind of contraption that appears to have been designed for the sole purpose of turning man into mush. Moreau, kind soul that he is, wants ??to help Heisenberg out, with predictably gooey results. Having survived his slice 'n' dice escapades, and now wearing his internal organs externally, Moreau rejoins the gang, but the death and destruction isn't quite over just yet...

...Ah, Moreau, will you ever win?

Sadly there are no new songs in this episode, and we still do not have English subtitles, but the delightful photography,?? cute sets, and polished production are all in full effect. These are truly delightful videos, and I hope we see more from Big Sister Dimitrescu and the gang in the coming weeks and months. Angie and her constant "BLEEEEHH!" nature crack me up every single time. These puppets are pretty much my best (read: only) friends.

Resident Evil Village launches today on ??PlayStation, Xbox and PC platforms.

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Marionettical Murderousness

[Update: Reposting this as it needs to brighten as many mornings as possible. Capcom has confirmed that a second episode of "Let's Play in Bio Village" will be released on May 7. Huzzah!]

It was originally an April Fools' joke, but nobody's laughing anymore. Capcom has released the first episode of its Resident Evil Village puppet show, which sees the villains of the upcoming h?orror title brought to life in unbelievably adorable fashion... It's... Something.

The creepy-cute show, which you can check out below, stars Heisenberg, Moreau, Angie, and — of course — the lovely Lady Dimitrescu. Packed with super-cute songs, literal buckets of gore, tinsel-based arterial spray, and a worryingly infectious spirit, this heart/brain-melting take on the Resident Evil universe may be among Capcom's best-ever campaigns. Despite the goofiness, it's really well lit, shot, and produced.

Come for the cuteness, stay for Lady ?D going ape w??ith an axe.

Sadly, there are no English subtitl?es available as of this writing, but fans will still be able to enjoy the delightful musical numbers and overall silliness. I did! Twice! Whether this show is merely a one-off commercial remains to be seen — my Japanese is a little rusty — but here's hoping we'll be seeing more from The Handheld House of Dimitrescu soon. I love Angie's incessant raving!

Resident Evil Village launches May 7 on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Stadia platforms. A special Japanese launch stream will also take place on May 5. Don't forget this weekend will see a re-run of the recent demo, so be sure to check that out if you haven't.

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'Fan' allegedly motivated by 'bunny girl DLC' controversy

On April 24, a knife-wielding attacker was arrested at the offices of Genshin Impact developer miHoYo. While police are still to release an official statement, it is being reported that the man invaded the developer's Shanghai offices, allegedly with the intent to kill miHoYo's founde??rs and then himself.

According to reports from Chinese news outlet Baidu (as translated by The Gamer), the alleged attacker sought revenge on miHoYo for reasons pertaining to an update to one of the developer's other releases: Honkai Impact 3rd. As part of the free-to-play title's third-anniversary celebrations, miHoYo released a video featuring the cast dancing in "bunny girl" outfits, with said?? skins and danc??e emotes being made available in-game as paid DLC, but only in territories outside of China.

Some members of the Honkai Impact community took exception to this on several levels. Some were frustrated that the DLC was excluded from China, while others believed that the "bunny girl" look wasn't appropriate attire for Honkai Impact's cast of war-faring waifus. On April 22, miHoYo decided to abandon the event altogether. It?? is being reported that the attacker has admitted to this controversy being a key motivator in their assault on miHoYo — though it should be reclarified that the police are y??et to officially confirm this.

Thankfully, nobody was injured in the attack, with the attacker subdued and arrested before they could carry out their terrifying intentions. As of thi??s writing, neither the ?police nor miHoYo have officially addressed the incident.

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Little Miss Throat Slit

The newest day in the Weirdest Timeline sees Ubisoft's stealth series Assassin's Creed cross over with Roger Hargreaves' 1970s children's book series, Mr. Men. As spotted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun, the two brands are collaborating for a range of six titles based on the time-hopping mass-murder f??ranchise.

"By mixing the Assassin's Creed sense of adventure and history with the colorful and delightful designs of the Little Mr. Men, these books will appeal to both young and adult readers," said Ubisoft in the announcement. "Follow Mister Ezio, Little Miss Kassandra, and Little Miss Eivor, as they each try to complete their ??own missions in the first three books of this series!"

Mister Ezio! He's a killer! But Mr. Men is a cutesy thing for kids! Much Random!

Of course, this range is not strictly intended for kids, and is part of a tongue-in-cheek range of Mr. Men books written "For Grown-Ups." Previous titles in this series have featured characters from franchises such as sci-fi series Doctor Who, or have themes such as "Little Miss Shy Goes Online Dating," or "Mr. Grumpy Nails Fatherhood." The Mr. Men and Little Miss franchise is actually owned today by Hello Kitty's Sanrio, although ??the son of creator Roger Hargreaves, Adam, still writes and illustrates the books.

Now, before anyone thinks I'm getting all "MUH CHILDHOOD!" about this, I'm really not. T??hese books exist for the folk that want to buy them, and that's fine. I just think it's tacky, personally. I liken the concept to the sort of brand collision that led to the over-saturation of those dreadful Funko POP! figurines, or those "crappy-on-purpose" action figures that roll out for $30. But I'm not judging, do what you want with your hard-earned dollarydoos.

Now I'm just picturing an Ubi suit in a boardroom bellowing "LITTLE MISS WO??N'T SELL!"

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It was a weird day in Houser's house

This week has been a bit of a strange one for Rockstar Games, at least in regards to its PC store. It began on April 19, when the Grand Theft Auto developer's entire catalog vanished from the Steam platform. It was quickly reinstated without explanation, and (for a brief period), complete with Midnight Club 2, which has not been available? to? purchase in three years.

One further oddity, however, concerns the surprise arrival of new updates for 2011's detective title L.A. Noire, and 2012's shooter sequel Max Payne 3, both of which have automa??tically dished out their entire DLC for free, gifting all those who own the titles on Steam a selection of ??skins, weapons, missions, and other goodies.

Today, things seem to have returned to a sense of normalcy, with Rockstar's Steam catalog all present and correct. L.A. Noire and Max Payne 3 are admittedly getting a little creaky in the bones in their latter years, but t??hey're both pretty good games in their own right. The free DLC is a welcome, if slightly bizarre, bonus.

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Full game discovered behind a few lines of code

In a fascinating and quirky revelation, a modder has discovered that a full build of Sega's Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown is housed inside action-RPG Yakuza: Like a Dragon, as well as its predecessor, Yakuza 6.

While hero Ichiban Kasuga has always been able to enjoy a few rounds of the excellent fighter by simply entering one of the cityscape's arcades and parking himself in front of a cabinet, PC modder "Silent" was able to unlock the full Xbox 360 edition of VF5: FS in its entirety - complete with training mode, challenge mode, arcade mode settings??, and more.

It appears that rather than just adapt the fighter's VS. Mode for inclusion within the Yakuza titles, Sega dumped the entire program in there, before gating off the unnecessary parts with a few simple lines of code. By altering this code with the smallest of tweaks (literally changing a "2" to a "0"), Silent has been able to restore the ROM dump VF5: FS to its full state.

Obviously, many of the in-game options are unsupported as they were never intended to be accessible in the first place. As such, browsing features such as Leaderboards or the DLC store can soft-lock the game. Save games are also unsupported, so unfortunately you cannot save your custom characters, but it's still a really cool and fun discovery. You can check out Silent's full breakdown on the mode over on their blog.

But what about a real edition of Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown? Well, Last week a fresh listing appeared on the Korean Game Rating Committee's website, denoting that the 2010 fighter had been re-certified for PS4. When you couple this listing with Sega's sudden re-interest in the esports scene, it seems? that Akira, Sarah, Pai and co. mig??ht be returning to the grand stage sooner than we think.

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Bowser's day in court beckons

Nintendo of America has filed a new? lawsuit against an associate of long-time hack-maker Team Xecuter.

Following an F.B.I. investigation, Canadian Gary Bowser w??as ??arrested in the Dominican Republic in September 2020, before being extradited to the U.S. t??o face felony charges for the alleged ??creation and distribution of Nintendo Switch "jailbreak" devices such as the SX Core and SX Lite.

As reported by Polygon, Nintendo served a new lawsuit in a Seattle court last week, alleging that Bowser infringed on Nintendo's copyright by creating and distributing the hacking devices. The lawsuit demands restitution in the amount of $2,500 USD for each trafficked device, and $150,000 for each copyri?ght violation, as well as the complete shutdown of Bowser's mod-making operations.

Bowser is one of a trio of Team Xecuter members facing felony charges for their part in alleged Switch hacking operations. French National Max Louarn was also arrested in September in Canada, with authorities still seeking U.S. extradition. A third associate, Chinese national Yuanning Chen, is still being sou??ght by authorities.

The Team Xecuter arrests are part of an ongoing investigation and crackdown by Nintendo on the makers and distributors of hacking devices. Earlier in September 2020, Ohio-based hack-maker Uberchips was directed by the courts to pay $2 million USD in damages to ??Nintendo for its part in the d?istribution of Team Xecuter's products.

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Perchance to Stream

According to a new report by StreamElements' analytical website Rainmaker.gg, March 2021 was a record-break?ing month for Twitch, as the premier streaming website recorded an incredible 2.06 billion watched hours. This number represents a year-on-year growth of over 100%, ??suggesting that streamers - or specifically watching streaming - has never been more popular.

For the most part, video games have taken the lead in regards to viewer interest, with Rockstar's crime sim Grand Theft Auto V pulling in around 181 million hours, celebrating its debut at the top of the streaming charts, despite the title's advancing age. This was followed by Riot Games' League of Legends at 143 million hours, and Epic Games' juggernaut Fortnite at 107 million hours.

Still, it's not just video games that kept people tuned in. StreamElements also references a growing trend in watching streamers as they sleep. According to the report, viewers spent over t?wo million hours watching strangers online residing in the land of nod. StreamElements notes that relatively static streams - such as those focused on stationary or inanimate objects - continue to find success among Twitch viewers. I can dig it, The Attraction of The Mundane has been an obsession for generations - it's what birthed Reality TV, after all.

Still, joining a group chat to collectively watch a stranger in st??ate of a unawareness - even if they consented to and organized the? stream - is a long stride outside of my personal comfort zone. Sure, it might make Andy Warhol proud, but I think I'll just stick to aquariums.

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