Latest Dolittle Adaptation Is Not The Big Break For Iron Man Actor

The classic kid’s tale of a doctor who can speak to animals and fix them hasn’t been adapted in a while since that one 1998 starring Eddie Murphy. Seeing as Hollywood is pretty bankrupt ideas-wise, the folks from Universal Pictures, Team Downey, Roth Films, and Perfect World Pictures saw it fit to retell the tale in a new way set in a period setting.
Instead of the doctor (Robert Downey Jr.) discovering his animal-communication talent, the story starts off with a cool 5-minute animated recap of his history and his once-public mansion clinic run by animals, how he met the love of his life, and how she passed on due to a voyage at sea, making the doctor close his doors and shunning humanity like most internet trolls.
Enter Tommy Stubbins, a kid from a family of hunters who ended up bringing a near-dead squirrel to Doctor Dolittle thanks to the aid of the doctor’s parrot aide-de-camp Polynesia (voiced by Emma Thompson). Together, they set off on an adventure to help save the Queen of England from a rare disease as Stubbins learns how to talk to animals and attempts to mend Dolittle’s viewpoints concerning people in general.

Or at least, it attempts to do so and make us care.
What I ended up witnessing is a pretty by-the-numbers and thoroughly dull show with notable actors being roped in by its lead actor’s star power and affluence.

Doctor, Doctor

There is nary a sign of chemistry between Dolittle and Stubbins, and there’s wasted potential when it comes to the queen’s daughter(?) Lady Rose (Carmel Laniado) and Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley).
Nothing’s fleshed out at all, which begs the question: why bother with the queen apart from the convenient plot device that makes the doctor and apprentice duo head out to find the show’s rare MacGuffin?
Heck, most of these animals had some tiny story arc that gets resolved in a hasty and unkempt manner that does not feel rewarding. Remember that injured squirrel? All he’s around for is making quips on the sidelines like the real Craig Robinson these days.
One would assume that thespian Robert Downey Jr., last known for resurrecting a B-list superhero to lofty heights, would be bringing his A-game and save this PG-rated kid’s film. That wouldn’t be wise.
Throughout the 1 hour and 41-minute runtime of this film, not only is he just barely hitting the checkboxes of portraying a quirky antisocial animal-loving genius, but we can’t tell what kind of accent he’s portraying when he’s John Dolittle.
I want to say Welsh, but it’s a hybrid of all three main United Kingdom accents, morphing into a terrible impression Tony Stark would make if he were mocking the English. In case that wasn’t a deleted scene in one of the many Marvel movies out there, now we have that in PG-rated movie form.
In Need Of A Check-Up

The climax of Dolittle features the titular character performing an enema on a dragon and, after the procedure, finding a bagpipe. I think that pretty much sums up the quality and tone of this all-ages film.
Throw this one at your kids if they want some mindless entertainment filled with scenes of ho-hum CGI animals being cute and fluffy, as well as voiced by that one guy from WWE and that one Indian from Silicon Valley. Because I’m sure the incredibly young kids get the celebrity voice actors and their significance in pop culture.

Sane movie viewers need not apply. Or care for that matter.

Seriously, how did THE Marion Cotillard get roped into voicing a CGI fox here?
FINAL SCORE: 40/100


Kakuchopurei Best 30 Games Of 2022: #25

For the rest of the list, head here. For #26, head here.
#25. Dying Light 2 (PS5, Xbox Series X | S, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

Dying Light 2 was originally announced all the way back in 2018 but the game only finally launched in 2022 after several delays.
Dying LIght 2 is definitely worth the wait, as it reminded us how fun open-world first-person parkour canbe when the movement and overall gameplay feels polished and good to control. You can jump, climb, wall-run, monkey bar swing, slide and even glide across the world. And pull off sweet dropkicks.
While Dying Light 2 isn’t perfect with its glitches and story holes, it makes it up plentiful with a lot of places and secrets to explore and uncover, a rich soundtrack, and even a New Game Plus option if you want to carry over your overpowered main character to the earlier parts of the undead-infested journey.
People may be tired of zombies and post-apocalyptic scenarios, but Dying Light 2 is able to reignite the passion for the genre. Plus, developer Techland is promising around five years of content for Dying Light 2, so fans of the game will have a lot to look forward to in the future in terms of content.


Check Out These Pair Of Nike Stranger Things Sneakers

It seems like every brand out there is cashing in on the massive popularity of pop culture content, from Game Of Thrones to Marvel superheroes. Now Netflix’s Stranger Things series is getting its own line of sneakers and t-shirts, in what is Nike‘s throwback to the swinging 80s.
Are you thinking of Demogorgon or maybe Eleven-themed shoes? Nike is actually basing the Stranger Things line on two themes instead; Hawkins High, the school the kids all go to in the show, and Independence Day 1985, a central focus of the showâ€™s upcoming third season.
They actually look fantastic, especially for those looking for a nostalgia trip back to the style of the 80s (not me, I’m too young for that). Check out the return of the iconic Nike Cortez, Blazer, and Tailwind sneakers below.
Nike Stranger Things Hawkins High Pack
Nike Stranger Things OG Pack (Independence Day 1985)
Sneakers are not the only stuff available in the Nike Stranger Things collection, as there will also be some t-shirts and a cap.
Nike Stranger Things Hawkins High Apparel 1
Nike Stranger Things Hawkins High Apparel 2
The Hawkins High line of the Nike Stranger Things collection will launch on 27 June 2019, while the OG Independence Day 1985 sneakers will be out later on 1 July 2019. Head on over to the official website here for more details and information.
Stranger Things Season 3 is slated to premiere on 4 July 2019.


Royal Antics Await As Crusader Kings 3 Launches This September

Paradox Interactive has announced that Crusader Kings 3 will launch for PC via Steam, Paradox Store, Microsoft Store, and Xbox Game Pass on 2 September 2020. On Steam, the standard edition costs RM80, while the Royal Edition is priced at RM120.
The highly-anticipated sequel to 2012’s Crusader Kings 2 was originally announced at last year’s PDXCON 2019. Crusader Kings 3 will bring many of the franchise’s grand strategy mechanics, such as being able to choose a royal or noble house from a number of realms on a map that stretches from Iceland to India and from the Arctic Circle to Central Africa.
Players then guide that dynasty through the centuries, adopting one of five different lifestyles, as well as engage in warfare and political intrigue. Unlike Creative Assembly’s Total War franchise, Crusader Kings titles don’t feature any real-time battles on an epic scale.
The advantage of that is that you won’t need powerful machines to run even the upcoming Crusader Kings 3. Check out the surprisingly low specs requirements below:
Minimum

OS:Â WindowsÂ® 8.1 64 bit or WindowsÂ® 10 Home 64 bit
Processor:Â IntelÂ® iCoreâ„¢ i5-750 or IntelÂ® iCoreâ„¢ i3-2120, or AMDÂ® Phenomâ„¢ II X6 1055T
Memory:Â 4 GB RAM
Graphics:Â NvidiaÂ® GeForceâ„¢ GTX 460, or AMDÂ® Radeonâ„¢ R7 260X or AMDÂ® Radeonâ„¢ HD 6970, or IntelÂ® Iris Proâ„¢ 580

Recommended

OS:Â WindowsÂ® 10 Home 64 bit
Processor:Â IntelÂ® iCoreâ„¢ i5- 4670K or AMDÂ® Ryzenâ„¢ 5 2400G
Memory:Â 8 GB RAM
Graphics:Â NvidiaÂ® GeForceâ„¢ GTX 1650

In the meantime, check out the new trailers below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEJZ4EiXRlM&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8QF263PfGI&w=560&h=315]


Upcoming Autopsy Simulator Combines Post-Mortem Investigations With Horror

We usually associate simulation games with real-life activities like farmingÂ and Euro truck driving, or silly nonsense like being a goatÂ or an inept surgeon. A new simulator game, however, is replacing all that with the macabre.
Autopsy Simulator might sound like a Surgeon Simulator-style physics-based comedy game, but this one actually seems a lot more serious. You’ll be diligently slicing up corpses and examining police reports to figure out their cause of death, and the Steam page says that each of the game’s cases was “created with the help of real-world pathomorphologists and forensic doctors”. There are also detailed organs if you’re into that sort of thing.

Surprisingly, the game is taking a stab at horror as well, as the trailer shows the player character seeing walking corpses and finding bugs on his hands. There’s even a mystery element. Here’s the Steam description:

“The player takes the role of pathologist named Jack. During the autopsy of a mysterious woman, Jack finds inside her the engagement ring of his long lost wife Kate. When the action is in progress other elements of the mystery are found. In order to reveal the truth, Jack has to fight a battle with the sinister forces and his own thoughts.”

The game will be coming out sometime in 2020, and while I’m not sure about the horror elements, the base concept is pretty intriguing. Here’s the Steam page if you’re interested.


Overwatch World Cup’s Team Malaysia Accused of “Ripping Off” English Club Logo in Jersey Design

In a case of mistaken identity which can be easily forgiven due to ignorance, the Malaysian Overwatch World Cup Team was recently accused of “copying” a logo from an English football club when designing their ‘alternate’ jersey for the upcoming tournament in November.
Former Rogue main tank and current Game Producer for the Overwatch League, Jonathan “Reinforce” Larsson in a stream wrongly claimed that the Malaysian team “ripped off the logo from Portsmouth FC”.
“They have the exact same logo as the football club,” he chimed when asked to clarify by co-host Brennon “Bren“Â Hook. You can watch the clip of the exchange below.

Heads up, Jonny: they aren’t the same.
For those who are not sure what he is referring to, here’s a quick breakdown. This is the logo of Portsmouth FC which currently plays in the English Football League 1.

In comparison, here is the Malaysian jersey which sports the moon and crescent design on the chest area.

The crescent represents Malaysia’s official religion while the fourteen-pointed star, known as the Bintang Persekutuan (Federal Star) represents the 13 states and the Federal Territories of Malaysia.
While most folks are more accustomed to the horizontal orientation of both star and crescent as seen on the Malaysia flag, the Overwatch committee used a vertical alignment for the Malaysian Coat of Arms, as seen below.

As someone who had a hand in designing the team’s ‘alternate’ jersey (alongside the designer, of course) due to my role as the General Manager of the Malaysian Overwatch World Cup team, we can assure you that the crescent and fourteen-pointed star design were selected, due to both being uniquely Malaysian and are the best representation of Malaysian unity. If you noticed, while the rest of the jersey was either in orange or black, both the crescent and star remain yellow to ensure they pop out.
Malaysia will be competing in the 2019 Overwatch World Cup at BlizzCon this November. As part of their fund-raising activity for the tournament, the team is selling a limited edition ‘alternate’ jersey as seen above. You can find more detailsÂ here.

Editor’s Note: Kenn Leandre, who is also the founder of Kakuchopurei, is currently serving as General Manager for Team Malaysia at the 2019 Overwatch World Cup.Â


The Infinix Note 12 (2023) Is A Gaming Light Heavyweight With A Budget Price Tag

When you see RM799 for a phone, you expect it to be a middle-of-the-line kind of deal and not flagship phone material, especially ones that are meant for gaming. After all, gaming phones like the latest ASUS ROG command a crazy sum of RM3,599+ and beyond for all of its bells and whistles, as well as performance power much like a gaming laptop or a next-gen console. To which I say “why not just buy a damn PC/console instead of a pricey-as-heck smartphone?”
Leave it to longtime Hong Kong phone company Infinix to challenge that notion with its Infinix Note 12 (2023) gaming phone. For even less than RM1,000, you get quite a lot of specs and flagship phone-like features meant for all-purpose gaming along with some other everyday phone functions made well.
Is Hong Kong’s latest export as good as the rest of the Asian brands out there clamouring for the same pie but without the arm-and-leg price? I’d say yes; here’s why.

Blue Shade Hue

The first thing you’ll notice upon holding this sleek-looking blue phone is that it feels very comfortable to hold, with and without the plastic casing that comes with the package. The bevel rectangular design might seem standard, but the width and weight feel shapely enough to hold and store in your pocket. It also feels pretty sturdy too given that it’s entirely hard plastic-crafted; if you were to say it’s fully metal I would have believed you. Practicality over originality, in this case.
The Infinix Note 12’s display is also a beauty; it’s a 6.7-inch FHD True Colour AMOLED display with 60Hz refresh rate, meaning that everything you do on-screen is crystal clear, bright, and moves in 60 frames per second, be it the app or game.
Speaking of which, the whole point of gaming phones is that they’re marketed to run popular mobile titles without a hitch. The games we’ve played on the phone are League of Legends: Wild Rift, Genshin Impact, Dolphin Wave, Honkai Impact 3rd, and the recent action RPG Undecember. For the most part, the games run really well on the highest settings possible, albeit with a lower-than-60fps, but just a bare and near-unnoticeable dip.
Genshin Impact ran fine, though it was within the 30fps threshold and did overheat the phone faster than the other titles listed. Despite the phone not using 120Hz refresh rate, it doesn’t really matter in the long run since most of your mobile games look fine between 30 to 60fps. I should also add that the phone’s dual speakers are really good. The sound is punchy & crisp with a decent amount of equalizer, DTS, and stereo options; I just stuck with wide sound and tweaked bass so I can instantly share my 80s synth nonsense with people around me, whether they like it or not. The Infinix Note 12 is definitely loud enough to get people’s attention.

The phone’s camera does an adequate job of taking your everyday photos and Instagram content nonsense. Your photo options range from AI camera mode to decent night camera capabilities, along with other nice features like personalized watermarks, AI Portrait enhancers, and a Fingerprint as a Shutter toggle. You can check out the photos I took below for examples, to showcase that even below-average photographers can create some strikingly-detailed photos in average lighting conditions.

What the Infinix Note 12 offers here is already great for your mid-range to high-level gaming needs without being too “terpaling”/overindulgent about it. Having said that, the phone has some quirks.
The camera placement also makes the fact that it’s marketed as a gaming phone a bit odd. See, some titles require you to play it in a landscape position, and you would usually have your forefingers and middle fingers resting atop the side of the phone, as if the device has trigger buttons. Your fingers will accidentally smudge the camera lens without you knowing it, and there’s really no way to hold the phone in a landscape position without your fingers resting on its back and top half. The fact that the camera lens section of the phone is using glossy material doesn’t help with the smudging factor either. Just keep this in mind if you plan on playing games in landscape mode.
However, the Infinix Note 12 makes it up by letting you map two in-game buttons with your volume up and down buttons. We suggest you map these with non-essential inputs, because having that as your immediate action input might be awkward. Other highlights include its touted front-of-the-box “anti-lag” feature where everything in the phone loads up faster than usual. The phone doesn’t overheat fast, its battery life is pretty decent, and it charges from near-empty to full for just an hour or so.

Taking Notes

The Infinix Note 12 (2023) is a lovely sleek, looking gaming phone that seminally does other phone-related activities decently. It clearly isn’t a powerhouse like the aforementioned ASUS ROG Phone series, but keep in mind that this baby costs less than RM800. The phone’s price tag is very sexy considering you will have to shell out a minimum of RM1,000 for these gaming and high processing power bad boys whose features you don’t really need in the long run.
Even if the glossy part of the phone is a fingerprint magnet, everything else about the phone screams value for money and is perfect for young folks who game and play. Think of it this way: you can buy this as an all-rounder gaming phone AND also use the remaining RM3,600+ to get a console or mid-range gaming PC.

Final Score: 80/100

Vital Statistics
Colors: Volcanic Grey, Tuscany Blue, Alpine White
OS: Android 12, XOS 10.6
Chipset: MediaTek MT8781 Helio G99 (6nm)
CPU: Octa-core (2×2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
GPU: Mali-G57 MC2
Card slot microSDXC (dedicated slot)
Internal 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
Main Camera
Triple: 50 MP, f/1.6, (wide), PDAF2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)QVGA
Features: Quad-LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video: 1440p@30fps
Display: AMOLED
Display Size: 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~86.2% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density)
WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot
Bluetooth: Yes
Positioning: GPS
NFC: Yes
Radio: FM radio
USB: USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go
Battery Type: Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable
Charging: Fast Charging 33W
Price: RM699 (temporary discount; original price is RM799)


Netflix January 2022: Our Picks & Highlights

It’s going to be a brand new year, so Iâ€™m sure you wonâ€™t want to waste time sifting through Netflixâ€™s extensive catalogue of shows and movies just to decide on what to watch. The streaming giant updates its site every day, week, and month with new content, so Iâ€™m here to save your precious time.
Here are my personal recommendations and highlights for Netflix Malaysiaâ€™s January 2022 lineup and how to fill up your free time with worthwhile content at home:
DOTA Dragon’s Blood Book Two (6 January 2022)

Produced by Studio Mir (the same studio behindÂ The Legend Of KorraÂ andÂ Voltron The Legendary Defender), the upcoming anime series based on Valveâ€™sÂ Dota 2Â features several familiar characters from the game, including Invoker and Terrorblade.
The official synopsis reads:
The upcoming fantasy series tells the story of Davion, a renowned Dragon Knight devoted to wiping the scourge from the face of the world.
Following encounters with a powerful, ancient eldwurm as well as the noble Princess Mirana on a secret mission of her own, Davion becomes embroiled in events much larger than he could have ever imagined.
In the meantime, you can check outÂ my review ofÂ Dota Dragonâ€™s BloodÂ Book One here.

Mother/Android (7 January 2022)
MOTHER/ANDROID. (L to R) CHLOÃ‹ GRACE MORETZ as GEORGIA and ALGEE SMITH as SAM in MOTHER/ANDROID. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX Â© 2021
Mother/Android is a science fiction thriller film directed by Mattson Tomlin in his feature directorial debut. It will star ChloÃ« Grace Moretz, Algee Smith and RaÃºl Castillo.
The synopsis reads:
A young woman and her boyfriend go on a treacherous journey of escape as their country is caught in an unexpected war with artificial intelligence. Days away from the arrival of their first child, they must cross a stronghold of the android uprising, in hopes of reaching safety before giving birth.

Ozark Season 4 Part 1 (21 January 2022)
Ozark. (L to R) Jason Bateman as Martin ‘Marty’ Byrde, Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde in episode 401 of Ozark. Cr. Courtesy Of Netflix Â© 2021
Ozark is a crime drama created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney as Marty and Wendy Byrde, a married couple who relocate their family to the Lake of the Ozarks for money laundering.
The synopsis reads:
Freedom from the cartel is seemingly within reach, but fraying familial bonds may prove to be the Byrdes’ ultimate undoing.

Snowpiercer Season 3 (25 January 2022)
Snowpiercer Season 3 (L to R) Mickey Sumner as Bess Till, Rowan Blanchard as Alexandra Cavill and Daveed Diggs as Andre Layton in episode 301 of Snowpiercer Season 3 Cr. Courtesy of Netflix Â© 2021
Set more than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, the series centres on the remnants of humanity, who inhabit a perpetually moving train, with 1001 cars, that circles the globe. Class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival play out in this riveting television adaptation.
You can head on over hereÂ for our review of Season 1 here.

Neymar The Perfect Chaos (25 January 2022)

This three-part docuseries, directed by David Charles Rodrigues, gets up close and personal with soccer star Neymar da Silva Santos JÃºnior, tracks his rise to fame at Santos, his glory days at FC Barcelona and the rollercoaster ride with the Brazilian National team and with Paris Saint-Germain.
All while lifting the veil behind Neymarâ€™s marketing machine, led with a tight grip by his father. This star-studded series features interviews with Beckham, Messi, MbappÃ© and many other legends, as they weigh in on Neymarâ€™s place in sports history.

The Orbital Children (28 January 2022)

Fifteen years since “Coil a Circle of Children” comes the latest original anime created, written and directed by Mitsuo Iso.
The story begins in the year 2045, when AI has advanced and anyone can travel into space. Children born on the moon and children from Earth who are on a trip to space meet at the Japanese-built space station, “Anshin.” But their future is decided by the Seven Poem. This new six-episode series, a youthful, futuristic anime reminiscent of â€œCoil a Circle of Children,â€ will start streaming worldwide from 28 January 2022.

Those are just several selected highlights from next monthâ€™s offerings of new TV series and movies on Netflix. Now you can plan your Netflix binge-fest for January 2022.


The Secret To Astral Chain’s Sci-Fi Sounds? Metal & Orchestra

It’s a month or so until hyper action game Astral Chain makes its way onto Switch. And you’re probably curious about the game’s soundtrack, whether it’ll be like Metal Gear Revengeance‘s butt rock or Bayonetta 2‘s pop-jazz fusion.
The straight answer? A bit of the former, with some sci-fi synths and drum machine sounds to go along with the cop-and-Legion pairing beatdown. According to a Platinum Games blogpost about the game’s music, composer Satoshi Igarashi said that the core genres of Astral Chain’s music are metal, electronic, and orchestra; they represent tense, calmness, and drama respectively.

The game’s combat needs to have cool and rockin’ combat music, but has to fit the title’s sleek sci-fi setting. Igarashi said that he had to downtune his guitar to a low G to make the rock beats nice and heavy without sounding too brutal murky, as well as include geometrical phrases for a metal sound and tight drums that feel more machine-like and mechanical. The extra synthesizers help too.
For a clear example of this, here’s a non-combat and combat version of his track “Ark Mall” that showcases the electronica and metal side.

Whether the game will feature in-and-out transitions for the themes is beyond us until we see the final game, but I’m getting a Transformers: Devastation vibe when the Ark Mall combat section kicks in. And yes, Igarashi also composed music for that Transformers game alongside Vinnie DiCola.
But what about the orchestral bits he mentioned in that diagram? That’s all on this track with a redacted title due to story reasons; the metal bits form the foundation of the boss theme but the orchestra shapes the melody to something dramatic.

Yep; that tune sounds like a pretty important boss fight with a major antagonist. Igarashi also shared this diagram on where the music goes.

The Ark Mall tunes we played are on the Stage and Normal Battle section, while the redacted title piece is on Event Battle.
Astral Chain is out 30th August for Switch. We’ll probably do a Platinum Games retrospective in written form, but if you want something in audio, you can check out this show from our pals at The Last King podcast.


Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Future Redeemed DLC: Meet The Cast

Nintendo has dropped a ton of info regarding the latest update of its JRPG Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
The Wave 4 DLC, titled Future Redeemed, focuses on characters new and old in a familiar war against Mobius. The main party is comprised of the first generation of Ouroboros and founders of the city, which includes Shulk and Rex from past Xenoblade titles. Here’s the lowdown of each of them.

Matthew is a young man faring from The City, an organization that opposes the status quo of Moebius. He is an honest and caring young man who is searching for his missing sister Nael. His class is Martial Artist, an attacker class that uses the Ouroboros Knuckle weapon.

A is a swordfighter that wields a thin red sword known as the Monado. He is Matthew’s partner during the events of the DLC. Being a calm and collected individual, she acts as the perfect counterpart to Matthew’s hotheadedness. A’s class is the Monado Fencer, and she is a Healer type.

Nikol is a Kevesi soldier adept with machines and engineering. He is a calm and timid person, but becomes excited when talking about machines. Nikol’s class is Machinist, a Defender-type class that uses a Variable Backpack as his weapon.

Glimmer is a soldier from Agnus who fights by operating a staff with strings. She is a brave young woman, but sometimes her tone of voice can be harsh. At first, she rejects the truth behind Aionios and acts selfishly. She is a Healer class and she uses a staff as her weapon.

Shulk is the hero of Xenoblade Chronicles, a kind-hearted swordsman who wields a great red sword. He lost his right arm in a past battle and now has a prosthetic arm. He uses his left hand exclusively to wield his weapon. His class is Grand Soldier, a Defender-type class that uses a revised model of the Monado REX.

Gigachad Rex is the hero of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, a large and tall swordsman who wields a greatsword in each hand. He is bold and frank, and is the leader of the Liberators, alongside Shulk. He lost his left eye in a past battle. His class is the Master Driver, an Attacker-type class that wields the Twin Flaming Swords.

Nael is Matthew’s younger sister. She takes care of the children in The City, and has a very kind personality. However, things go awry after her disappearance. She is voiced by Akari Kito.

Finally, we a mysterious figure identical to Alvis in the original Xenoblade Chronicle. He is most likely the DLC’s antagonist.
Check out the game’s character relationship chart below, so you can get a good idea of who is related to who.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed will be out on 25 April 2023.


Happy Birthday Neo Geo! Taking A Look Back At SNK’s Best Gamble

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of SNK, Kakuchopurei and Retro DNA are teaming up to publish a series of weekly features about SNK, the Neo Geo, and its slew of first-party titles. This one’s a personal OP ED piece to get the ball rolling.
I remember browsing through a copy of EGM back in Malaysia at the Indian-owned magazine store (mags were expensive there). As I flipped through the pages, this caught my child-like eyes: the very first ad of SNK’s Neo Geo “Mega Shock” console:

Apart from the ad making me crave for fast food -alas, food trucks weren’t a thing during the 90s- I was wowed by the numbers and bright colours of the bottom right section. 4096 simultaneous colours! 380 sprites! Surely this Neo Geo AES (Advanced Entertainment System) console would be worth my time and money.
As a child, however, owning one of these was tough unless you’re a son or daughter of a tengku pre-1999 financial crash, or if you got lucky at the nearest Sports Toto raffle. US$650 was not an amount you’d find in a random alleyway in Cheras. Or Geylang if you’re a Singaporean reading this.
Thank goodness I learned at the time that all Neo Geo console games were originally from the arcade. The Neo Geo MVS (Multi Video System) arcade system allowed arcade operators to load up 6 games on a single cabinet, which was unheard of at the time. Rather than having one game loaded up on one arcade cabinet, company SNK opt for a more economical and practical solution which most likely influenced modders and arcade enthusiasts to take it a step further ala Pandora.
Why The Neo Geo Worked

In retrospect, the biggest selling points of the Neo Geo systems were both their creativity and their “go big or go home” approach. In a market filled with 16-bit and 32-bit consoles and “bit” being the buzzword of that period, SNK just said “screw it” and made a console that runs its own arcade games 1 to 1 without any sacrifice to fidelity whatsoever. They kept their aesthetics as pixelated and as detailed as possible, maybe to leave a lasting impression on many arcade goers and gaming fans from its inception until the end of time.
In fact, the same chipset in an MVS game is the same as an AES game. Your Neo Geo AES port of KOF 96 is the exact same version as the arcade. At the time, no other console can brag about that at all.
When you think fighting games, you think of the giant roster in King of Fighters. The giant pixels and scaling graphics of Art of Fighting 2. The swordplay of Samurai Shodown 1 and 2. The even more elaborate and revamped art style of Samurai Shodown 3. The latter series deserve mentioning just because of the aesthetics and the memorable sounds of swords clashing and the really satisfying SFX of you landing a heavy slash on your opponent’s tender flesh, complete with a split-second pause to register the hit.
When you think run-and-gun and shooting, you think of the crazy carnage and detailed destruction of the Metal Slug series. The methodical Blazing Star and Pulstar. The frenzied Shock Troopers 2. The ode to the 80s Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger action film tropes that was Ikari Warriors. All the gunplay, all the bullets from all the power-ups your ship/dudebro acquires, and all the explosions seared into every fortunate soul who came across these machines of pure joy.
Keeping It Simple

When it came to the visceral straight-to-the-point kind of games that are worth revisiting, you think of SNK and its slew of charismatic games. Sure, there was Capcom and Konami too with their arcade-exclusive features, but SNK at least offered the opportunity for most juveniles and young adults the opportunity to play perfect ports of arcade games in their own homes.
I may be a late adopter of the SNK way -I only got serious with the company when The King of Fighters 1999 came out- but looking back at my history of video gaming shenanigans, I do realize that half of the arcade games I keep going back to were from SNK themselves. The Ikari Warriors, Ninja Commando, and the first two Samurai Shodown games: I had a blast through and through. They controlled just fine and spot-on, and whatever action and obstacle they threw at me was difficult but manageable after much practice and honing of the reflexes.
Not only did SNK innovated, but they took the aspects of arcade coin-munchers that worked and then amplified it tenfold. And even if it was close to its twilight years, especially around the first time they folded- SNK were still shining bright with hits like Garou: Mark of the Wolves and The Last Blade titles.

I’m not sure how SNK’s current shot at relevance will pan out: it’s releasing a fan service-heavy fighting game and a specialized retro collection for the Nintendo Switch, and they released their Neo Geo Mini which seems fine for casual fans. And they had a couple of KOF mobile games which makes me wonder if they even have a direction at all.
Regardless, they’ll find a way to survive and still maintain their relevance. And even if it doesn’t pan out, we’ll always have their contributions to the 90s near and dear to our hearts, Megashock and all.
Plus, it’s hard to get that Neo Geo intro jingle out of your head…

…and whatever the hell this theme was supposed to represent.


New SD Gundam Battle Alliance DLC Adds Gundam Aerial from The Witch From Mercury

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia has announced the release of SD Gundam Battle Alliance’s new paid DLC, “SD Gundam Battle Alliance – Mobile Suit Gundam The Witch From Mercury Pack” today. The pack features Gundam Aerial as a playable unit.
In addition to the introduction of Gundam Aerial as a playable unit, the “SD Gundam Battle Alliance – Mobile Suit Gundam The Witch From Mercury Pack” features helpful in-game mech expansion parts, Capital Tickets, and Unit Uncapping Materials.
To celebrate the appearance of SD Gundam Battle Alliance’s original unit, GM (Gatheroad), in other Gundam game titles, this pack contains music from MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM BATTLE OPERATION 2 and Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage.
SD Gundam Battle Alliance is an SD Gundam Action RPG featuring characters and Mobile Suits from across the history of the Gundam series. It’s currently available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Check out the clip below:


Overwatch Community Mourns the Sudden Passing of INTERNETHULK

The Overwatch community today was stunned to news that one of the OGs of the scene and former EnVyUs Captain, DennisÂ “INTERNETHULK”Â Hawelka has passed away. Announced via Team Liquid’s official Twitter page, little information is known about his passing except for the fact that he was bedridden just prior to BlizzCon.

In Loving Memory, Dennis â€œINTERNETHULKâ€ Hawelka pic.twitter.com/EIVfKUAQ5J
â€” Team Liquid (@TeamLiquid) November 9, 2017
German Hawelka was best known to captain EnVyUs in being the first ever western Overwatch team to win a title on Korean soil at OGN APEX Season 1. He was part of the legendary lineup that went on to win MLG Vegas 2016 before moving on to coaching Team Rogue for APEX Season 3, switfly followed by his role as coach for Team Liquid, leading them to a second-place finish in Overwatch Contenders Season Zero for North America.
A legend gone too soon, the Overwatch community has lost one of its giants today. Rest in peace, Dennis.
Heroes never die.


You Can Try Out The Assassin’s Creed Codename Jade Beta This August

The possibly-set-in-feudal-China Assassin’s Creed mobile game will be available for playtesting soon.
Dubbed Assassin’s Creed Codename Jade, Ubisoft said on the game’s official website that the closed beta test will be available on Android and iOS, starting on 3rd August. The game will be a free-to-play action-adventure title set to be published by Tencent’s Level Infinite division.
Game description’s below:
“Explore the path of Xia in Assassin’s Creed Codename Jade, set in the third century BC, during the time of one of the first unified dynasties in China. An unprecedented era of trade and cultural exchange between East and West is just beginning, but with this comes new challenges and threats lurking in the shadows.
From the Great Wall outside the empire’s borders to the imperial capital of Xianyang, journey through a world filled with ancient history and hidden dangers. Defend against the Xiongnu and work to dismantle conspiracies, taking on greater responsibilities, and facing new challenges. Step into ancient China and journey through 2,000 years of history. Explore the prestigious dynasties of the East, defend the Great Wall and uncover the secrets of the terracotta warriors. Experience the breathtaking scenery of Xianyang, the imperial center, and mingle with eastern merchants.”
AC Codename Jade promises to offer players a “huge” open world to explore, meaning it’s probably going to be emulating the likes of AC Origins and AC Odyssey, for better or worse.


The First Asian Games With Esports To Take Place In September 2023

The OCA (Olympic Council Of Asia) previously announced that the 19th Asian Games was postponed due to COVID-19, but now they have finally revealed the new dates for the upcoming first-ever Asian Games to feature esports as a medal sport. The 19th Asian Games will take place in Hangzhou, China, from 23 September to 8 October 2023.
According to a press release by the AESF (Asian Electronic Sports Federation), they fully support the decision by the OCA and the relevant parties to postpone the Games to a date to 2023. The AESF has also reassured that the Road to Asian Games (RDAG) Regionals 2022 are still on track to be conducted in 2022 through to 2023.
The Road to Asian Games (RDAG) Regionals 2022 was originally announced in May 2022. Malaysians who are interested can register themselves via the Olympic Council Of Malaysia offical website. However, at the time of writing, there are no details or a way to register yet. Perhaps these will be added in the near future.
The 2022 Asian Games will make history by having esports featured as an official medal sports event for the first time in history. This is following the debut of esports at the Asian Games in 2018 as a demonstration sport.
The confirmed games at the 2022 Asian Games so far include:

Arena of Valor (Asian Games Version)
DOTA 2
Dream Three Kingdoms 2
EA SPORTS FIFA branded soccer games
HearthStone
League of Legends
PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version)
Street Fighter V

However, it is likely that these games will probably change, since the Asian Games has been postponed a full year later. For instance, by then Street Fighter 6 will probably already have been released and have replaced Street Fighter 5 as Capcom’s main fighting game. A lot can happen in a year, especially in the esports and games industry.
Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for any future updates on esports and the 19th Asian Games.


Halfway Point: The Best Games Of 2020 So Far

It’s the mid-point of 2020. Let’s talk about our favorite video game picks for the past 6 months.

Just a heads up: we’ll be taking a short break from doing videos next week. We’ll resume this 16th July.Â


Netflix To Start Charging Password Sharing March 2023

The video streaming giant Netflix has announced that it will crack down on password sharing by the end of March 2023. The company revealed its plan in the latest shareholder letter revealing its Q4 2022 results.
In the letter, Netflix stated that widespread password sharing undermines its long-term ability to invest, improve, and build its business. In addition, the company will add a new feature for paid password sharing in many countries, the ability for users to review which devices are using their account and to transfer a profile to a new account.

The streaming service acknowledged the negative impact of the plan to crack down password sharing will likely lead to “near-term engagement, as measured by third parties like Nielsen’s The Gauge”. In efforts to improve growth, Netflix will also launch a lower-priced ad-supported plan, stating the move has driven “incremental membership growth.”
“We believe we have a clear path to reaccelerate our revenue growth: continuing to improve all aspects of Netflix, launching paid sharing, and building our ads offering,” the company said.
We are not sure how this will pan out for Netflix as several users have voiced out on social media to start boycotting Netflix’s plan and some are not confident with how successful the outcome will be.
What do you think of Netflix’s next move? Let us know in the comments below.


Singapore Twitch Streamer Allegedly Scams S$30K Out Of National Service Men

A Singapore video game Twitch streamer by the name of KiaraaKitty has allegedly been scamming her fellow countrymen out of some hefty pocket change.
According to an audio recording on Instagram page OurFallenWarriors (via Reddit), she has allegedly emotionally manipulated a number of males who signed up as a soldier for National Service (the country’s army that is mandatory for the male populace). After lying to them that she has a malignant growth, she convinces them to fork over their national service money which resulted in about S$30,000. She has scammed about seven people, psychologically manipulated them to the point where her victims did not feel like wanting to pay her back.
“Usually when I know that they have never had a ex-girlfriend, I will know that they are very vulnerable. I’ll then hint them that I am struggling with life and if I can’t get enough money, I might need to sell myself. After saying that, they would then start to offer help to me and I’ll ask if they are sure they want to do that.
I’m a natural honey, I was born to be a scammer. It was really a bad thing, I scammed like seven guys and never got caught.”
You can read about it in detail on the Instagram link below. It ain’t pretty.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Our Fallen Warriors (@ourfallenwarriors)

KiaraaKitty is no stranger to controversy. The CS:GO/Grand Theft Auto V/PUBG/Overwatch streamer has gone on a tirade with her viewers in a livestream last year. She was also banned on Twitch for attempting a hot tub stream, but was unbanned after. And she also made an appearance on a Pewdiepie video for racist slurs.
Update (5 June): Turns out that the video with the recording of her confession might be false. KiaraaKitty stated publicly that the recent rumours are “false and staged”; she has lodged a police report. She wasn’t specific on what the rumours are though.


Overwatch League: Seoul Dynasty Release Three Players

The Seoul Dynasty shocked the Overwatch League scene today when they announced the release of three players, including two-time OGN APEX and Overwatch World Cup winnerÂ Jin-hyukÂ “Miro”Â Gong getting the axe. Joining Miro are Support mainÂ Gi-do “Gido” Mun and DPSÂ Seok-wooÂ “Wekeed”Â Choi.

We at #SeoulDynasty would like to thank Gong Jinhyeok ‘Miro’, Moon Gido ‘Gido’, & Choi Seokwoo ‘Wekeed’ for their services during the season.
We wish them the best in their futures. Once a tiger, always a tiger. ðŸ¯
Thank you to our fans for your continued support. pic.twitter.com/MFLrYkbfQD
â€” Seoul Dynasty ðŸ¯ #TeamPacific (@SeoulDynasty) September 3, 2018
After a dreadful end to their Overwatch League Season 1 campaign, it was understandable that the Dynasty were in for a full overhaul and they recently bolstered up their tank line with the acquisition ofÂ Chan-hyungÂ “Fissure”Â Baek from the Los Angeles Gladiators. We expected to see Kuki to depart which leaves Fissure and Miro as the Dynasty’s main tank line hence our surprise of this announcement.
Known to be one of the best Winston players in the world, Miro haven’t been his normal self throughout the inaugural Overwatch League season as he constantly found himself in failed dives, losing duels and ultimately failing to effectively protect his backline. We honestly felt the inclusion of the more aggressive Fissure would allow him more room to play his normal game; countering dives and protecting his Supports.
Gido’s departure was also a surprise as it leaves only team captain Ryujehong and ‘Boop God’ Tobi as Support mains in the current squad. As for Wekeed, we always felt he had it tough to dislodge Fleta and Munchkin from the starting DPS slots and we wish him all the best going forward.
With the departures of Gido and Miro, the Lunatic-Hai core which forms the Seoul Dynasty is now down to three (Jehong, Tobi & Zunba) as the team seek to redeem themselves in Season 2 of the Overwatch League. From the outset, the strongest Seoul Dynasty team setup should see Ryujehong and Tobi on Support, protected by the tank corps of Zunba and Fissure with Fleta and Munchkin being the main damage dealers.
You can keep track of the Overwatch League transfers and player movements here as well.


Evotinction Is A Hack-And-Stealth That Blends Metal Gear Solid And Watch Dogs

It’s hard to anything fresh in the stealth genre. Metal Gear Solid has pretty much become the textbook example while other game series like Thief, Hitman, Splinter Cell, and more have also offered great experiences.
The developers at Spikewave Games believe that their debut game Evotinction will bring something new to the table. What sets the game apart from other stealth titles is the focus on hacking as the main method of completing objectives and subduing enemies.
The game was unveiled at Sony’s showcase at China Hero Project 2019 (also known as ChinaJoy 2019). So far, all news point to the conclusion that Evotinction is a PS4 exclusive.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo0IUcJ7hmE&w=560&h=315]

Set in the near future, ‘Evotinction’ aims to discuss the relationship between evolution and extinction. As technology rapidly develops, its potential threat grows as well.
Artificial intelligence, gene editing, and quantum entanglement are just a few emerging technologies that will challenge mankind’s understanding of life and morality. The trend can not be undone, how far will our species go with technology?

– Official description of Evotinction.
According to Gematsu, Spikewave is composed of former 2K China staff. The game is still in development and if you visit their company website, you’ll see that they’re still looking for new staff to join the team.
Judging by the little amount of gameplay shown, it’s easy to see that the game is far from finished.. The Watch Dogs games already have combined hacking and stealth before so to expand entirely on those two, they’ll need to be creative.


Xenoblade Chronicles 3: The Best Classes & Heroes – How To Unlock Them

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is out for Nintendo Switch right now and it’s clearly 2022’s best de facto epic JRPG experience. With a lush world to explore, a deep story to go through, and a pretty awesome combat and class-changing system to play around with, it’s a game that’s going to keep you busy for the rest of 2022.
That said, you will be overwhelmed by the majority of classes you get to use as well as the plethora of heroes you can recruit. Here’s a guide on the best classes and heroes you should recruit and acquire.
How To Unlock New Classes

The core cast of Xenoblade 3 is just six characters, and each has a set class role that they fulfil that cannot be changed. However, you can have a seventh body on the battlefield, non-playable, by deploying a hero character to the fight. Heroes are entirely optional and must be recruited, however. Each hero has a specific and unique class – and this can then be passed to your cast of playable protagonists.
When you first recruit a hero to your cause, one of the main characters will be marked as their ‘Class Inheritor’. This is the character that will immediately unlock the ability to use that hero’s class straight away, without any additional hoops to jump through. For example, Ethel’s Class Inheritor will be Noah.
For other characters, you’ll need them to build an affinity with the selected class; just have them fight alongside other characters using the target class. The more characters using that class in battle, the faster the affinity will grow. You’d want to have both the hero and class inheritor in battle (as the hero class) to speed things up so that everyone can access the hero class.
Basically, you want to unlock as many classes as quickly as possible, and then find your favourite. We have our picks in the paragraph below.
What Should My Party Composition Be?
Generally, you want 2 Attackers, 2 Defenders, and 2 Healers in your party. You can mix and match depending on the extra hero you can recruit, but this would be the safest to use.
While the default ones you have from the main 6 characters should suffice and fall back to (Swordfighter, Zephyr, Medic Gunner, Tactician, Heavy Guard, Ogre), here are some suggestions for the best ones to pivot to early and mid-game:
Attacker

Flash Fencer (Ethel): The Flash Fencer is the first class you’ll earn outside of your starting six; you will get this in Chapter 3. It’s an all-around fantastic addition to any party line-up, and it has several skills for boosting damage done in various situations.
The Flash Fencer is great for general use against regular enemy mobs, because the Flash Fencer has a Class Skill that boosts damage in the first 30 seconds of battle. Once you level up the class later in the game, it can unlock a Master Skill that will have the Talent Gauge begin with a full-charge, with can pair up well with numerous other classes.
Incursor (Alexandria): The Incursor is an Attacker class focused on landing critical hits. Especially when it comes to taking down high-level enemies or Unique Monsters, this class can be very valuable even deep into the late game.
You can get this Class by completing Alexandria’s optional Hero Quest as early as Chapter 3 on the west side of the Fornis Region. We recommend you do this quest if you’re close to Level 40 though (explanation past the spoiler warnings). Incursors are especially great with Chain Attacks, as landing critical hits with a boosted damage percentage late in a chain can wipe whole chunks off an enemy’s HP bar.

Defender

Zephyr (Mio): This is one of the best defenders in the game, because it focuses on agility and evasion rather than tanking. Plus, you have this class by default via your six starting party members. If you can boost your agility to levels where nothing can hit you, it’s pretty hard to die.
The only downside to a Zephyr is that they may struggle to maintain Aggro. You can solve this problem by equipping Brimming Spirit and Perilous Presence gems.
Guardian Commander (Zeon): In terms of pure tanking, it’s hard to beat the Guardian Commander. You can unlock this class by doing Zeon’s Hero Quest in Chapter 3. This class focuses on taking damage for allies, blocking, damage reduction, and self HP restoration.
Their Talent Art makes them invincible temporarily, too, so if targeted by an enemy about to dish a devasting attack, you can mitigate that damage entirely.

Healer

War Medic (Valdi): The War Medic is absolutely ridiculous as both a healer and DPS class. It can be grabbed from quite early on as part of a story-required Hero Quest, and can really make a significant difference in the early game immediately after being obtained.
The War Medic has great AOE heals, and in addition, has some early skills that significantly boost your healing opportunity and abilities. In terms of pure healing potential, the War Medic is one of the best in the game.
Signifer (Fiona): The Signifer is a class that is less dedicated to healing and more to party-wide status buffs. Get this Class by completing Fiona’s Hero Quest in Chapter 5.
Paired with another healer focused on healing, this is a great class especially for fighting Unique Monsters. The longer a battle may go, the more buffs they’ll have on your party.

How To Unlock Classes Faster
In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, there will come a point where your diligence and grinding will lead to you being overleveled in the game’s main plot. As a result, you may not be unlocking classes for other characters who aren’t the class inheritor. See, Class-unlocking in Xenoblade 3 is tied to Class Points (CP) gain. If you earn more CP in fights, the chibi silhouette in the class page will fill up faster.
So how do you get more CP in battle? That’s easy: fight enemies with higher levels than you, or at least the same level as you. Grinding weaker enemies isn’t going to earn you CPs. Other than that, here are a few ways to maximize CP gain:
-Defeat high-level enemies with Chain Attacks and get the highest overkill bonus possible. Heck, if you’re the same level as them and are elite level, this should be possible to achieve. It doesn’t matter if they have 1 HP left; if you can pull off a Chain Attack, just do it for the Overkill CP bonus.
-Eat CP-boosting food at rest spots and canteens. You can get these in Colony 9, Colony 11, and Colony 0; Manana can also make these dishes once you’ve bought them at their respective canteens.
-Fight Elite Monsters. They give 300% CP bonus upon defeat. These are the monsters you want to use Overkill via Chain Attacks.
Here’s a rough guide on what to do when you’re at a particular level when you’re CP-hunting:
-If you are at level 35, fight enemies at the Elaice Highway. It’s the area leading to Alexandria’s Hero quest with all the Agnes soldiers.
-If you are at level 45, head to the northern part of the Elaice Highway and fight the level 50 Gogols hanging around there.
-If you are at level 55, fight the level 60 Zeoth Serprond at the west border of the Elaice Highway. You can also fight level 55 Eclipse Marrins at the north and east side of Dannagh Desert.
-If you are at level 65, fight the Yolmun Dragues in the Lower Maktha Wildwood.
-At level 75? Fight enemies in the Elgares Depths in the Aetia Region.
-At level 85? Fight the Elite Zenze Taos in The Cavity.
Now we’re going to spoiler territory with the classes and heroes search. Here’s your warning:

Flash Fencer (Attacker)
Hero: Ethel
How To Unlock: Obtained as part of automatic story progression in Chapter 3 in the quest “No Want of Courage”.
How to Upgrade: Take Cammuravi to the rear of Colony Omega in Chapter 7.
Class Skills:

First Move Wins – Boosts damage dealt by 50% for the first 30 seconds of battle.
Fighting Instinct – Boosts damage dealt by 50% when using a Talent Art [up to a maximum of 200%].
Critical Strike – Increases critical hit damage bonus by 50 percentage points. [Rank 5 Master Skill].
Capable Hands – Fills Talent Art recharge gauge by 100% at the start of the battle. [Rank 15 Master Skill].

Class Arts:

Cross Impact [Power Charge on hit] [Rank 10 Master Art].
Null Slash [AOE/Side Crit. Rate+].
Hidden Thorn [Bleed] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Revolution Edge [Back attack ?].
Acceleration [Atk spd up / Dmg taken up].

Talent Art: Saber Strike [Smash]
War Medic (Healer)
Hero: Valdi
How To Unlock: Obtained as part of automatic story progression in Chapter 3 in the quest “The Kind Right Hand”.
How To Upgrade: Complete Valdi’s Ascension Quest “I’m a Mechanic” in Chapter 6. This requires filling several of Repapa’s item request lists in Colony 30.
Class Skills:

Recovery Engine – Removing debuffs boosts own Healing Power by 50% (up to a maximum of 150%).
Rescue License – Increases HP restored when reviving an ally by 40%.
Healing License – Boosts amount of HP healed from using healing Arts by 30%. [Rank 5 Master Skill].
Antibody System – Shortens duration of debuffs on self by 50%. [Rank 15 Master Skill].

Class Arts:

Heal Bullet [AOE / Heal].
Multi Blast [Area heal on hit] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Advanced Cooldown [Field / Def. up] [Rank 10 Master Art].
Cure Bullet [AOE/Clear debuffs/Debf. barrier].
Vital Bullet [AOE / Delayed healing].

Talent Art: Technical Heal [Heal Party].
Guardian Commander (Defender)
Hero: Zeon
How To Unlock: Can be obtained in Chapter 3 by revisiting Colony 9 and completing the quest “Where the Heart Is”.
How To Upgrade: Complete Zeon’s Ascension Quest “Reasons to Evolve” in Colony 9 in Chapter 5. Make sure to have Zeon in your party for the quest to appear.
Class Skills:

I’ll Help – Take attacks for nearby allies with low HP. Damage is reduced by 20%.
Soldier’s Potential – When HP is at 30% or lower, restore 1.4% HP each second.
Protector’s Pride – Boosts recharge speed by 50% when non-Defenders are targeted. [Rank 5 Master Skill]
Mind for Guarding – Increases damage reduction rate when blocking by 20 percentage points. [Rank 15 Master Skill]

Class Arts:

Noble Taunt [Taunt] [Rank 1 Master Art]
Shield Bash [Topple] [Rank 10 Master Art]
Falcon Swoop [AOE / Awakened Boost]
Grand Protection [Block Rate+/Atk down]
Imperial Sword [Awakened Boost]

Talent Art: Deflector Field [Absorb damage/Awaken]
Thaumaturge (Healer)
Hero: Teach
How To Unlock: Can be obtained in Chapter 3 by revisiting Colony Gamma and completing the quest “Going Beyond Power”.
How To Upgrade: Complete Teach’s Ascension Quest “Shadow of Enmity” in Colony Gamma in Chapter 6. You have to have completed the various “Teach’s Teachers” requests on the job board there. Make sure to have Teach in your party for the quest to appear.
Class Skills

Wheel of Rebirth – Heals all allies using 900% of Healing Power when executing a Burst.
Qinggong – Boosts evasion by 35% while moving.
Ultimate Qigong – Ignores 50% of enemy’s physical defense when landing a hit. [Rank 5 Master Skill]
Life-Saving Fists – Heals self when auto-attack hits, to a maximum of 100% of Healing Power. [Rank 15 Master Skill]

Class Arts

Rank Splitter [Area heal on hit]
Violent Flurry [Chance to pierce] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Divine Protection [Field / Armor Veil].
Leaping Current [AOE/Clear debuffs/Atk+].
Spearpoint Thrust [Bind] [Rank 10 Master Art].

Talent Art: Demise Thrust [Burst].
Yumsmith (Attacker)
Hero: Manana & Riku
How To Unlock: Obtained as part of automatic story progression near the end of Chapter 3 in the quest “A Nopon’s Counsel”.
How To Upgrade: Complete Riku & Manana’s Ascension Quest “Culinary Repertoire” in Chapter 6 by placing the duo in your party and heading to Camp Inlet in Erythia Sea.
Class Skill

Bangsplosion! – Boosts field dissolution damage by 300%.
Sappy-Sappy Drain! – Increases success rate of debuff effects by 25 percentage points. [Rank 5 Master Skill]
Slicey-Dicey! – Boosts field damage dealt by 200%. [Rank 15 Master Skill]
Fills Chain Attack gauge slightly on Art execution.

Class Arts

Extended Slash [Shackle block/Front Atk ?].
Flashback [Side Break] [Rank 10 Master Art].
Energy Grenade [Continuous dmg field] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Recharge [Power+ within fields].
Determination [Field / Crit. Rate up].

Talent Art: Sword of Valor [Damage Link]
Full Metal Jaguar (Attacker)
Hero: Gray
How To Unlock: Can be obtained in Chapter 3 after gaining the Wall Climb field skill and completing the “A Gray Matter” quest past the vines in the eastern part of Aetia.
How To Upgrade: Complete Gray’s Ascension Quest “Payback for Treason” in Chapter 5 in City.
Class Skills

Sixth Sense – Boosts accuracy against enemies performing Arts by 100%.
Positioning Pro – Increases the no. of positional Arts that can be set to the Arts Palette by 1. [Rank 5 Master Skill]
Shock Shot – Boosts damage against enemies performing Arts by 100%. [Rank 15 Master Skill]
Bulley Symphony – Each attack that hits boosts damage dealt by 20% (max. 255%). Missing cancels the boost.

Class Arts

Quickdraw [Evade / Front atk ?] [Rank 10 Master Art].
Dead Set [Remove aggro/Acc. up].
Fatal Barrage [AOE /Back attack ?].
Superstorm [High acc. Eva. down].
Demolition [AOE/Pierce (%)] [Rank 1 Master Art].

Strategos (Healer)
Hero: Isurd
How To Unlock: Can be obtained in Chapter 4 in Colony Lambda by completing the quest “Unwavering Resolve”.
How To Upgrade: Complete Isurd’s Ascension Quest “Effervescent Heart” in Colony Lambda in Chapter 6. Make sure Isurd is in your party for the quest to appear.
Class Skills

Prowess Gambit – Buffing an ally boosts damage health by 30%.
Sapping Gambit – Extends duration timers of debuffs applied to enemies by 50%.
Strengthening Gambit – Extends durations of buff effects issued by delf by 50%. [Rank 5 Master Skill].
Preemption Gambit – 100% chance to grant all allies Attack Up on a preemptive attack. [Rank 15 Master Skill].

Class Arts

No Love Lost [PHysical Def. Down] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Hornet [Area heal on hit] [Rank 10 Master Art].
Moondog [Field / Regenerate].
Earth Bind [Bind].
Mirror Trap [AOE / Counter Heal].

Talent Art: Soulfire [Heal all on hit/Atk down]
Stalker (Attacker)
Hero: Juniper
How To Unlock: Obtained as part of automatic story progression in Chapter 4 in the quest “Natural Selection”.
How To Upgrade: Complete Juniper’s Ascension Quest “Survivors” in Colony Tau in Chapter 6. Make sure Juniper is in your party for the quest to appear.
Class Skills

Swift Death – Deals 70% more damage against enemies who are at 30% HP or less. [Rank 15 Master Skill].
In Cold Blood – Boosts damage dealt by 150% when attacking an enemy suffering from Bleed.
Evasion Expertise – 50% to evade ranged attacks. [Rank 5 Master Skill].
Serene Heart – Reduces aggro generated from attacks by 50%.

Class Arts

Landslide [Launched ? / Evade].
Staying Power [Field / Art Follow-up] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Driving Arrow [Back Bleed].
Rapid Shot [Side attack ?].
Night Hunt [Slower aggro/Back atk+] [Rank 10 Master Art].

Talent Art: Refreshing Rain [AOE/Wounded enemy ?].
Lone Exile (Defender)
Hero: Ashera
How To Unlock: Obtained near the end of Chapter 4 in the Keves Castle Region in the quest “The Wrath of Ashera”.
How To Upgrade: Complete Ashera’s Ascension Quest “A Deep-Seated Scar” in Chapter 7 by placing Ashera in your party and heading to Old Kana Battlefied in Fornis Region.
Class Skills

Goading Attack – Boosts aggro generated from dealing damage by 60%.
Maniac – Boost damage dealt when attacking higher-level enemies by 50%. [Rank 15 Master Skill].
Returning the Favor – When nearby ally is attacked, deal 250% of attack in damage to enemy.
Natural Selection – Reduces damage taken by 30% when HP is at 30% or lower. [Rank 5 Master Skill].

Class Arts

Demon Slayer [High aggro].
Eye of the Storm [Block / Spike].
Gale Slash [AOE / Aggroed ?] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Soaring Tempest [Launch] [Rank 10 Master Art].
Jaws of Death [Atk up / Faster aggro].

Talent Art: Blossom Dance [High aggro/Pierce].
Incursor (Attacker)
Hero: Alexandria
How To Unlock: Can be obtained as early as Chapter 3 in Colony Iota by completing the quest “Her Reasons”. We suggest you tackle this questline when in Chapter 4 and when you’re close to level 40. Here’s the breakdown.

The very first part of the quest is an optional scene you’ll see with Alexandria south of Colony 4, at a ? symbol on the map.
Then, head west to Elaice Highway. You will need to be close to level 40 to go through as the enemies are around that level.
You’ll find Colony Iota here and a boss fight with Alexandria and her 4 subordinates.
Alternatively, you can fight her 4 subordinates separately, thus removing them from Alexandria’s team at Colony Iota and making that fight easier. Here are the locations:

Team Fili in the NW area of Dannagh Desert (Fornis Region, Chapter 3).

Team Chelle is East of Conqueror’s Peak (Fornis Region, Chapter 3).

Team Rhyza south of Selias Terrace Camp (Fornis Region, Chapter 3).

Team Sequoia in the Great Cotte Falls area (Pentelas Region, Chapter 4).

Once you fight Alexandria and beat her (plus another boss), you can now recruit her.

How To Upgrade: Complete Alexandria’s Ascension Quest “Inescapable Past” by heading to Colony Iota in Chapter 5 with Alex in your party. You may have to have completed previous Colony Iota quests and have delivered Colony Iota Goods to other Colonies using the Collectopaedia Card system.
Class Skills

Adroit Blade – Boosts damage dealt by 8% when landing a critical hit (up to a maximum of 150%).
Floating Kill – Boosts Critical Rate by 100% when attacking a launched enemy.
Vigilance – Boosts Critical Rate of auto-attacks by 150%. [Rank 5 Master Skill].
Eye for Weak Points – Each successful attack boosts Critical Rate by 2% of the initial value (up to a maximum of 100%). [Rank 15 Master Skill].

Class Arts

Reversal Edge [Crit.+ during enemy Art].
Glitter Stream [Side Break] [Rank 10 Master Art].
Sidewinder [AOE/Back Crit. Rate+].
Aerial Slash [High Crit. Rate/Evade] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Mystic Vision [Crit. Rate & dmg+].

Talent Art: Supreme Sword [Launched?].
Lost Vanguard (Defender)
Hero: Monica
How To Unlock: Can be obtained in Chapter 5 in City with the quest “Vandham’s Heir”.
How To Upgrade: Complete Monica’s Ascension Quest “Promise to the Future” in Chapter 7 in City. Make sure Monica is in your party for the quest to appear.
Class Skills

Come an’ Get Me! – When blocking, deal 200% of Attack damage to enemy, drawing aggro. [Rank 15 Master Skill]
Now That’s Tactics! – At start of Chain Attack, increases TP by 10. [Rank 5 Master Skill]
Never again! – Grants 20% chance to absorb attacks dealt to allies within range.
Stay Right There! – When taking damage, 20% chance to inflict Knockback on assailant.

Class Arts

Shockwave [Knockback mid-Art enemy]
Mighty Beat [AOE/High aggro/Smash] [Rank 10 Master Art]
Shield Wall [Block/Heal/Ether anchor] [Rank 1 Master Art]
Electro Field [Field / Armor Veil]
Taunt Pulse [Cont. dmg/Fast aggro]

Talent Art: Thunder Steel [AOE/Bind/Machines ?]
Signifer (Healer)
Hero: Fiona
How To Unlock: Can be obtained in Chapter 5 on the western side of Erythia Sea after the quest “Transparent Dreams”.
How To Upgrade: Complete Monica’s Ascension Quest “A Farewell Reset” in Chapter 6 in Colony Mu. Make sure Fiona is in your party for the quest to appear.
Class Skills

Cheer Up, Everyone – Restores nearby allies’ HP on Art execution. Amount healed is equal to 50% of user’s Healing.
I’ve Got Your Backs – Extends duration of buff effects issued by self by 50%.
All About Support – Increases the no. of Field Arts that can be set to the Arts Palette by 1. [Rank 5 Master Skill].
We Can Do Better – Restores 5% of HP when a buff is applied. [Rank 15 Master Skill].

Class Arts

Resonant Flag [Share own buffs] [Rank 10 Master Art].
Aureole [1 random buff] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Heal Harmony [Field / Regenerate].
Illuminate [AOE / Dmg+ per buff].
Spirited Charge [Dmg up per buff].

Talent Art: Cry of Faith [2 random buffs (party)].
Soulhacker (Any)
Hero: Triton
How To Unlock: Can be obtained in Chapter 5 on the eastern side of Erythia Sea after the quest “Doing it My Way”.
How To Upgrade: Complete Triton’s Ascension Quest “My Memories” by cooking at any campsite with Manana while Triton is in the party. Some prior Colony 15 related quests are also required.
Class Skills

Soul Hack – When defeating a unique monster, gain a Skill or Art. [Rank 10 Master Skill].

Class Arts

Note: The Soulhacker class is a unique class that does not gain skills like other classes. Think of this class like the Blue Mage in Final Fantasy games, where it gains abilities by defeating many Unique Monsters in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Martial Artist (Attacker)
Hero: Ghondor
How To Unlock: Gained automatically as part of story progression at the beginning of Chapter 6.
How To Upgrade: After Side Story: Noah in Chapter 6, complete Ghondor’s Ascension Quest “Knowing Your Family” by heading to Castle Agnus with Ghondor in your party.
Class Skills

Storm and Stress – Each time you perform a cancel, boosts damage dealt by 20% (to a maximum of 150%).
Flashing Punch – Chained auto-attacks increase attack speed. Auto-attack interval is also shortened.
Feline Righting Reflex – Ignores Blowdown and Launch by somersaulting. Also has 100% chance to grant Attack Up. [Rank 5 Master Skill].
Frenzied Combo – On critical hit, recharge Art used by 30%. [Rank 15 Master Skill].

Class Arts

Jackal Claw [High Crit. Rate/Evade] [Rank 10 Master Art].
Detonating Hit [Side Daze].
Impulse Wave [AOE / Dmg+ per enemy] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Destructive Charge [Front atk ? / Blowdown].
Focus [Fast charge/Auto-atk spd+].

Talent Art: Raging Force [Deplete Arts: Boost dmg].
Troubadour (Healer)
Hero: Miyabi
How to Unlock: Gained automatically as part of story progression in Chapter 6 after the quest “Side Story: Mio”.
How to Upgrade: Complete Miyabi’s Ascension Quest “Happiness” in City in Chapter 7. Make sure Miyabi is in your party for the quest to appear.
Class Skills

Endsong – Recharges all allies’ Arts by 100% when incapacitated.
Dance of Barrages – 12% to keep recharge when using Art. [Rank 5 Master Skill].
Dance of Life – Own Arts gain is 100% recharge when an ally is incapacitated.
Swiftsong – Boosts all allies’ accuracy and evasion by 20%. Does not stack. [Rank 15 Master Skill].

Class Arts

Autumn Rain [AOE / Regenerate].
Way Home [Burst] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Ring o’ Roses [Field / Fast charge] [Rank 10 Master Art].
Twin Moons [Remove buffs].
Shadow Parade [Fast charge/Def. down].

Talent Art: Glittering Melody [Gain charge/Pause buffs].
Seraph (Attacker)
Hero: Cammuravi
How To Unlock: Can be obtained in Chapter 6 after Side Story: Mio by revisiting Colony Omega and completing the quest “A Twist of Fate”.
How To Upgrade: Take Cammuravi to the rear of Colony Omega in Chapter 7.
Class Skills

Beast Mode – Grants Awakening when damage taken exceeds 25% of max HP.
Got the Guts – Boosts damage dealt by 100% when HP is at 85% or lower.
Greatest Warrior – Boosts damage by 35% for every enemy in battle (max. 200%). [Rank 5 Master Skill].
Universal Annihilation – Boosts damage dealt to toppled and launched targets by 150%. [Rank 15 Master Skill].

Machine Assassin (Attacker)
Hero: Segiri
How To Unlock: Can be obtained in Chapter 6 in Upper Aetia by completing the quest “Inhumanity”. You need to complete a previous quest called “Severed Connection” first though.
How To Upgrade: After refurbishing the Prison area for the Colony 0 residents, complete Segiri’s Ascension Quest “Invisible Bond”. Make sure Segiri is in the party for the quest to appear.
Class Skills

Chaos Chain – Debuffing an enemy boosts damage dealt by 30% (up to a maximum of 150%).
Phantom Strike – Adds 100% chance for attack to be unblockable.
Cursed Edge – Boosts damage dealt by 70% when attacking a debuffed enemy. [Rank 5 Master Skill].
Anti-Erosion System – Grants 50% resistance to all debuffs. [Rank 15 Master Skill].

Class Arts

Tyrant Cross [1 random debuff] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Fatal Bite [Side attack ?] [Rank 10 Master Art].
Terror Onslaught [Back resistance down].
Havoc Slayer [AOE / Spread debuffs].
Mega Crescent [Extend debuff time].

Talent Art: Vital Vector [AOE/2 random debuffs]
Lifesage (Healer)
Hero: Nia (from Xenoblade Chronicles 2)
How To Unlock: After beating the game and seeing the end credits, visit Cloudkeep in the post-game.
How To Upgrade:  In the post-game, visit the four spots marked on the map (Founder Shrine in City, Agnus Castle, Saffronia Tree at Fornis Region, Tower Camp in Pentelas Region). Get Mio to Rank 10 in Lifesage. Then discuss the information. Complete Nia’s Ascension Quest “Grasping My Future”.
Class Skills

Steadfast Feelings – Restores nearby allies’ HP on Art execution. AMount healed is equal to 50% of user’s Healing.
Instant Regen+ – 25% chance to heal using 100% of Healing Power upon taking damage.
Enhanced Cellular Stimulus – 50% chance on hit to deal 200% of Healing Power as defense-bypassing damage. [Rank 5 Master Skill].
Abundant Oceans – Reduces damage to allies by 15%, and boosts HP recovery by 15% (does not stack). [Rank 15 Master Skill].

Class Arts

Saber Slash [Area heal on hit].
Redemption [AOE / Heal].
Waterlily [Field / Regenerate].
Hydro Blast [Pierce (%)/Blowdown] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Aqua Mind [Regen allies/Fast charge] [Rank 10 Master Art].

Talent Art: Divine Sword [Heal all on Hit/Pierce].
Royal Summoner (Attacker)
Hero: Melia (from Xenoblade Chronicles)
How To Unlock: After beating the game and seeing the end credits, visit Keves Castle 1F in the post-game.
How To Upgrade: In the post-game, raise Noah to rank 10 in the Royal Summoner class. Then visit Keves Castle Throneroom with Melia in the party for her Ascension Quest “From Atop Her Throne”.
Class Skills

Elemental Boost – Each elemental discharge boosts damage by 40% (up to a maximum of 400%).
Essence of Ether – Boosts allies’ damage by 30% and reduces enemy Block Rate by 15% (does not stack). [Rank 15 Master Skill]
Fortified Ether Guard – Boosts Ether Defense by 20%.  [Rank 5 Master Skill]
Here I Shall Stand – Boosts elemental damage by 100% and elemental buff effects by 50%.

Class Arts

Summon Element [AOE/Summon Elementals] [Rank 1 Master Art].
Elemental Discharge [Release Elementals] [Rank 10 Master Art].
Shadow Stitch [Back Bind].
Starfall [AOE / Topple].
Power Effect [Atk up / Def. down].

Talent Art: Element Genesis [AOE/Elem. Discharge dmg+].


Netflix Is Making A Gundam Movie With Kong Skull Island Director

Netflix has announced a live-action Gundam movie in the works from Legendary Entertainment and Kong Skull Island director Jordan-Vogt Roberts.
However, there are no details yet about the project, besides the fact that Brian K. Vaughan (the acclaimed comic book writer behind Y: The Last Man and Saga) is writing the screenplay and acting as an executive producer. The movie will stream on Netflix globally except in China where Legendary will distribute the film. There is no release date or window for the film yet.

Grab your Mobile suits! Jordan Vogt-Roberts has been set to direct and produce Legendary’s first-ever live-action feature film version of Sunrise’s GUNDAM for Netflix.
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) April 12, 2021

Jordan-Vogt Roberts is also attached to direct theÂ Metal Gear Solid movie under Sony Pictures. He has also previously expressed interest in a Metal Gear Solid animated series.
For decades,Â GundamÂ anime and movies have taken place in separate continuities from each other. Vogt-Roberts and Vaughan could either tell a GundamÂ story that is completely original or something that is based on any of the Gundam series that came before. It’s most likely that they will probably adapt the original Mobile Suit Gundam Universal Century timeline, which is the most iconic one.


Windjammers 2 Is 2022’s Breakout Sports Game

Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Genre: 1v1 2D sports game that’s secretly a fighting game
The 90s era of arcade gaming was really packed with underrated gems, especially on the Neo Geo arcade hardware.Â If there’s one game that really, REALLY needs to make a comeback from the SNK and Neo Geo 90s arcade 1v1 days, it’s clearly the versus shmup Twinkle Star Sprites, which has gone on for far too long without a 2D-art sequel.
But, if I were to put away my biases and pick a close second, it’ll definitely be Data East’s Windjammers. The Dotemu folks have taken up the task of bringing a true sequel to life in 2022. And damn, does it deliver!
Tosser

So what is Windjammers 2 about? It’s basically a sequel to the 90s arcade sleeper hit that has gained cult status for the past few years or so, with various esports tournaments hosting it as a side game for fighting game tournaments like EVO. Windjammers 2 pits two players against each other in a sports competition involving flying power discs, or frisbees if you will. The objective is to throw your flying disc to the opponent’s goal to score points. Whoever reaches 15 points or beyond wins a set; you win 2 sets, you win the entire match. Of course, your opponent will catch and toss the flying disc back and also try to score points on his/her end.
Sounds basically like Pong and Tennis, right? Well yes, but there are a few key differences. First, the goal is divided into yellow and red; yellow goals you 3 points while red goals you 5 points. Each stage usually have their reds and yellows shuffled around; some levels have the red bars as the centre post and the side being yellow, while others switch them around.
Second, you can catch and throw the flying disc faster than usual if you time your button presses, or even deflect it to send it up into the air; stand under the crosshairs of the flipping disc to charge up and throw a power shot of your own. These special throws are different depending on the character you use; some go in a zig-zag while others cling to the left or right side of the arena. Different characters have different super throws and power lobs, as well as power curve throws.
And third: you can parry and counter ANY type of throw with a simple button press, be it a regular or superpowered one. As long as you’re fast enough and your timing is spot-on, you can catch a zig-zagging power throw from George Scott, then toss it back to his face. You can also pause for half a second and purposely toss a slow shot just to mess with your opponent. And you can also deflect oncoming throws in any direction. With all this back and forth going on, you start to see how this becomes a 1v1 fighting game; perfecting throws and countering them is just as crucial as aiming your power discs to your opponent’s goal. There is just a ton of strategy and factors to consider that make Windjammer 2 matches exhilarating to play and watch.
For veterans, there are two new mechanics that help enhance the game further: the jump and the Super reset. Each character can jump and catch a lobbed disc, countering it with a toss of their own be it a simple ground plant to a rolling lob. The Super reset lets you use your full stick of meter to deflect oncoming discs and have it flip in the air for you to catch or charge with; just make sure to use the Super when the disc is on your side of the court.
Disc World
All of this makes for a frenetic and fast-paced game of super Pong, with different characters having a multitude of shots and also trying to inflict mind games with their opponents. If you see your opponent standing way at the back, use a punt to have the disc land close to the net so that he/she cannot catch the disc in time. You can also use a power shot; if your opponent is at the back of the goal and didn’t press the deflect button in time, he/she slides back to the goal, netting you the points.
You can play it at both a casual level and at a high level; Windjammers 2’s mechanics are simple to pick up after a few rounds, but tough to master due to the additional layers present as you dive deeper.
You have to factor in shot timings, slow/fast throws at given situations, leading opponents on with your throws, lobs, and counters, and also not have your back turned when taking a shot otherwise you get stunned temporarily.

As such, playing locally with another person is also a blast. Players of equal skill level will be tossing the flying disc back and forth trying to score points while also deflecting oncoming throws while also gearing up for their own. The throws get faster and faster as you press the right inputs and timing, and special throws and shots get chucked at left and right to the point where it becomes a Dragon Ball Z-style projectile-tossing fight. Think Pong and Tennis, but anime. Windjammers 2 is at its best when real-life players are duking it out. The arenas you duke it out are also noteworthy, from narrow to regular-sized courts with various red/yellow goal placements, to even a Casino-themed stage where the disc you throw and the scoreboard determines the number of points you get when you score a goal. It’s the sole stage where chaos can be your friend; you can just land a game-winning score of 8 points from just a well-timed deflect.
Having said that, the game needs extra modes badly, like a training mode or some other extras that help up your game for competitive play. Sure, you can learn tactics & try things out from playing against the AI, and get some mileage out of the game’s Arcade mode. But having a challenge mode that teaches you how to deflect shots properly and timing your catches so you can do the charging up thing helps immensely. Heck, have a training feature with the game’s disc-tossing machine during the Arcade Mode’s bonus round.
We also tried out some online play within Malaysia; the ping is less than ideal for now. The game’s rollback netcode works wonders; during my sessions on launch day, the games I’ve played on quick match are pretty smooth and come with less ping than I anticipated. That said, it took a while finding ranked matches , but this Dotemu game is made by a smaller team compared to bigwig online titles out there for the past half year or so.Â Dotemu did say that the game will be getting updates ahead of the game’s launch day, so here’s hoping things improve in the next few months.
With a little bit more polish and hopefully some extra mode updates down the line, I’m very confident that Windjammers 2 will be 2022’s most fun 1v1 fighting game masquerading as a sports game. Or is that a sports game masquerading as a fighting game? It’s hard to say, but Windjammers 2 is fun frisbee flying power disc tossing action all the way through.
Pros

Great 1v1 sports & fighting hybrid gameplay.
Fun stages & challenges.
Lovely aesthetics.
AI can work up a sweat.
Rollback netcode works well.

Cons

Lack of extra modes & training opportunities.

Final Score: 80/100


Battlefield 2042’s Beats On The Battlefield Out Now

BattlefieldÂ 2042â€™s brings forth a chaotic and disruptive soundtrack fitting the World of 2042. Itâ€™s composed by Hildur GuÃ°nadÃ³ttir and Sam Slater, both of whom composed and worked on the sound design forÂ ChernobylÂ andÂ Joker, for which they won an Oscar.
Battlefield 2042 Audio Director Andreas AlmstrÃ¶m said:
â€œWorking with Hildur and Sam has been amazing! As composers, they bring a lot of new ideas to the table and we always welcome being challenged when it comes to creating video game music. To watch the creative process they use in order to help us conjure up this new soundscape…itâ€™s just amazing to hear.â€
Content Creators will have select tunes from the soundtrack cleared to use in streams and videos, and we encourage you to use them to enhance your content. You will also be able to use these tracks to make content duringÂ BattlefieldÂ 2042â€™s Open Beta, which runs from October 6th to October 10th (Early Access users will be able to play starting on October 6).
The Battlefield 2042 Official Soundtrack is available for purchase onÂ iTunesÂ andÂ other major digital music servicesÂ worldwide.Â  The soundtrack is currently available to be streamed (and purchased) on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, Deezer, and Tidal.
For the collectors out there: Lakeshore Records and Invada Records are teaming up to bring theÂ BattlefieldÂ 2042Â Official SoundtrackÂ to vinyl at a later date.
Check out five tracks from the soundtrack below:
Battlefield 2042 ThemeÂ – For their take on the seriesâ€™ classic theme, composers Hildur GuÃ°nadÃ³ttir and Sam Slater dismantled the theme and built it from the ground up to fit into the tumultuous world ofÂ BattlefieldÂ 2042. You can find out more about their process in the interview below.

Battlefield_OfficialÂ Â·Â 03 – Battlefield 2042
OrbitalÂ – This chaotic, percussion-heavy track was created to compliment Orbitalâ€™s tension between the elements of nature and humanityâ€™s creations.

Battlefield_OfficialÂ Â·Â 01 – Orbital
The Observation of Beautiful FormsÂ – A stirring, melancholic track conveying a messy and transitional world.

Battlefield_OfficialÂ Â·Â 02 – The Observation Of Beautiful Forms
Unwave -Â Â An unnerving and creeping piece that ramps up the tension as the beat goes on.

Battlefield_OfficialÂ Â·Â 05 – Unwave
Dry Ice -Â Â A tingling, electric herald of the disorder to come, this one makes the hairs on the back of our necks stand.

Battlefield_OfficialÂ Â·Â 04 – Dry Ice

Battlefield 2042Â is slated to launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 19 November 2021.
In addition, EA also confirmedÂ thatÂ Battlefield 2042Â will not feature a traditional single-player story campaign.
In the meantime, check out theÂ Battlefield 2042Â gameplay footage below:


What Are The All-Time Best-Selling Games Of The Late 90s?

Everybody likes best-seller lists, right? How about we take the way-back machine back to a decade or two and find out what sold well back in the day and what trended really well.
I’m curious because US game industry analyst Mat Piscatella tweeted the top 10 best-selling games for the following video game consoles that were all the rage during the 90s. I’m talking about the Sega Saturn, the Sony PlayStation, the Nintendo 64, the Game Boy Color, and the Sega Dreamcast.
Let’s start from the first system of the bunch to the last. Keep in mind that these stats are for the US market from 1995 to 2018, but can be considered a good indicator for trends in gaming that last for more than a decade.
Sega Saturn (1995)

Madden NFL 97

Nights Into Dreams

Virtua Fighter 2

Daytona USA

Virtua Cop

Tomb Raider

Sega Rally Championship

Sonic 3D Blast

World Series Baseball

Panzer Dragoon

I suspected the Sega Saturn’s arcade ports would take over the top 10, and I was right. You have the usual suspects there: Virtua Fighter 2, Daytona USA, Virtua Cop, and Sega Rally Championship. The beauty of the Sega Saturn was marketing how it handled arcade ports and made it the go-to place to play your new arcade games. Pity about the price back then.
While the ’97 NFL was the hottest thing ever during those years, we should not discount the fact that fan favourites like Nights Into Dreams and Panzer Dragoon made the top 10 list.
PlayStation One (1995)

Crash Bandicoot

Gran Turismo

Final Fantasy VII

Gran Turismo 2

Crash Bandicoot: Warped

Tekken 3

Tony Hawkâ€™s Pro Skater 2

Metal Gear Solid

Crash Bandicoot 2

Driver

The power of the “US$299” price tag works wonders. So do new IPs at the time: Crash Bandicoot took over three spots in this legacy top 10. I do wonder why they’re not on the PlayStation Classic.
Despite that, the best-sellers are the franchises that still have relevance up to now: Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Tekken 3. Driver and Tony Hawk 2? Well the brands suffered gruesome fates as years went by.
Nintendo 64 (1996)

Super Mario 64

Goldeneye 007

Mario Kart 64

The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time

PokÃ©mon Stadium

Donkey Kong 64

Star Fox 64

Super Smash Bros.

Diddy Kong Racing

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire

It’s good to know that Nintendo embraced the 3D age with open arms. Games like Super Mario 64, Goldeneye 007, and The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time proved that the company can keep up with the times despite still developing their games on cartridges during the period where CDs are slowly taking over.
But did Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire really deserve being in this top 10 list? Goes to show that Star Wars games can indeed make their mark on a major console somewhat.
Nintendo Game Boy Color (1998)

PokÃ©mon Silver

PokÃ©mon Gold

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe

PokÃ©mon Pinball

PokÃ©mon Crystal

Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel

The Legend of Zelda: Linkâ€™s Awakening DX

Donkey Kong Country

PokÃ©mon Trading Card Game

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

The Game Boy Color not only had, well, colour, but it redesigned the form of the console so that it’s smaller and easier to put into your pocket. It also was the main console for one of Nintendo’s biggest JRPG series:Â PokÃ©mon.
That’s right, PokÃ©mon Silver andÂ PokÃ©mon Gold were the top dogs and killer apps that made children all over the world recite the expandedÂ PokÃ©mon roster more than their schoolwork. The DX version of one of the best portable Legend of Zelda games made an appearance, and so did the Capcom-made Legend of Zelda title. But overall, theÂ PokÃ©mon brand dominated this top ten, showing the strength of cute creatures and their marketing potential.
Sega Dreamcast (1999)

NFL 2K

NFL 2K1

Sonic Adventure

NBA 2K

NBA 2K1

Crazy Taxi

Soulcalibur

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing

Shenmue

Resident Evil: Code Veronica

Ah, the Dreamcast: the Sega system that could was it not for the company’s hubris. 4 big sports titles dominated the Sega Dreamcast, the NFL and NBA 2K titles. The arcade-perfect ports of Crazy Taxi and Soulcalibur were also in the top 10. One of the best Resident Evil games also made its mark on the console that could.
What We Can Learn From This List
-Sports games sold then; they still sell gangbusters now. Back then it was just NFL and NBA. Today, we have FIFA and its Ultimate Team card-based long-term mode taking over the world. Sports fans and gaming fans don’t want to just stick with watching matches on the television or cable; they want to also live out their sports-based dream by buying a console and getting the latest FIFA game.
–PokÃ©mon = portable power.Â Any gaming handheld worth their salt knew that without something likeÂ PokÃ©mon,Â they had no chance of competing. WithÂ PokÃ©mon Let’s Go: Eevee/PikachuÂ coming soon, it’s not hard to figure out that Nintendo was already on a confirmed goldmine since 1997 with this brand. Even with the Gamecube fiasco,Â PokÃ©monÂ will still remain.
-Graphics matter. Most of the games on this top 10 list are marketed to show off their graphical capabilities; to see how far games can go to recreate realism and high polygon count. This still hasn’t changed one bit. No one wants to play a game that looks basic, but the way studios are allocating too much money on graphic tech these days can get really scary and desperate.
Don’t get me wrong; there was still a lot to prove back in ’95, but the leap was much further from then onwards instead of now where it takes precedence over gameplay most of the time.


After 12 Years, The Walking Dead TV Series Has Ended Filming

The 2nd of April is a momentous time for TV production house AMC. Why? Because it has finished filming for the long-running TV series The Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead TV series, which is adapted from the Robert Kirkman comic book series, has filmed its final scene ever recently, marking the end of the 12-year run that has spanned 11 seasons and 177 episodes. Phew!
The final film day was delayed when actor Norman Reedus (who plays Daryl Dixon) suffered a concussion during filming earlier in March.

Today is the big day! Filming for #TheWalkingDead is coming to an end. It's been an incredible 12 years and we hope all the amazing cast and crew have a fantastic wrap day. #TWDFamily forever! pic.twitter.com/ybGR8jqa9O
— The Walking Dead (@TheWalkingDead) March 31, 2022

To put things in perspective, the source material ended with its last issue (#193) on July 2019. Many fans are probably celebrating the fact that the zombie of the show is finally laid to rest and will conclude. Will it end like a proper TV show or will it be a Game of Thrones fiasco? Guess you’ll find out when the 3-parter final season’s final 8 episodes launch later in 2022. Right now, the part 2 finale of the second part of Season 11 will be out on 10th April.


Horizon Zero Dawn Story To Continue With Comics In 2020

Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best-selling games on the PS4 after it was released in 2017. It’s expansion, The Frozen Wilds, launched in the same year, further expanding the world created by the folks at Guerilla Games. Now the epic story will continue in the form of an ongoing comic book series in 2020.
Titan Comics recently announced its line-up for Free Comic Book Day 2020, one of which is the prelude issue for the new ongoing Horizon Zero Dawn comic book series. It will be written by Anne Toole, one of the original writers for the Horizon Zero Dawn game. As such, fans don’t need to worry about the story going off the rails.
The synopsis for Horizon Zero Dawn: Free Comic Book Day Edition Special Issue #0 reads:

“Discover a far-future Earth full of epic natural beauty, where awe-inspiring machines are the dominant species.
Talanah, Sunhawk of the Hunters Lodge, struggles to find purpose after Aloy, her trusted friend, disappears.
When a mysterious new threat emerges in the wilds, she returns to her roots as a hunter to defeat it, only to learn that a whole new breed of mechanized killers stalks the land.”

With a Horizon Zero Dawn 2 seemingly already in development, the upcoming comic book series will tide fans over until the inevitable sequel arrives sometime in the future. Free Comic Book Day 2020 will take place on 2 May 2020.
In the meantime, feast your eyes on the glorious cover of Horizon Zero Dawn: Free Comic Book Day Edition Special Issue #0:


The Outer Worlds Is Getting DLC Next Year

I enjoyed my time in The Outer Worlds. It’s a great focused improvement over past Obsidian RPGs and an evolution of sorts for their brand of game-making. I can’t wait to play more of this game if the company plans on creating new episodes and stories in the same universe.
And they will, apparently. Obsidian announced today that they’ll be continuing the hellscape space corporation-ruled adventure next year. Details will be made at a later date, according to the company’s social media manager.
Full message below.

“We want to take this opportunity to thank the incredible team behind The Outer Worlds. It is because of their hard work and dedication to this project that we received the Best Narrative, Best Performance – Ashly Burch, Best RPG, and Game of the Year nominations at The Game Awards.
To all of those who voted for us in The Game Awards, you are all fantastic and we are so grateful for your support. The reception to The Outer Worlds has been unbelievable to see, and even just being nominated means a lot. However, the journey isn’t over yet as we are excited to announce that we will be expanding the story through DLC next year! Details will be made available at a later date.”

If you need a hand with The Outer Worlds, check out our guide. If you’re on the fence about the game, let our review convince you otherwise; it’s out of this world.


Games Of Thrones Showrunner’s 3 Body Problem Premieres In January 2024

During Netflix TUDUM 2023, Netflix gave us our first teaser trailer for 3 Body Problem, a new series from former Game Of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It’s an adaptation of Liu Cixin’s award-winning Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy.
It will premiere sometime in January 2024.
The synopsis reads:
From Game of Thrones’ David Benioff and D. B. Weiss comes Three-Body Problem, an adaptation of Liu Cixin’s award-winning Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy which follows a futuristic Earth on the verge of war with a neighbouring galaxy.
The drama series is an adaptation of Chinese author Liu Cixin’s sci-fi book trilogy The Three-Body Problem, the story of humanity’s first contact with an alien civilization.
The cast includes Jovan Adepo, John Bradley, Liam Cunningham, Eiza González, Jess Hong, Marlo Kelly, Alex Sharp, Sea Shimooka, Zine Tseng, Saamer Usmani, Benedict Wong, Jonathan Pryce, Rosalind Chao, Ben Schnetzer and Eve Ridley.
Oscar-nominated director Derek Tsang (Better Days) is among the directors for the series.
Benioff and Weiss serve as showrunners and executive producers. Woo co-created the series with Benioff and Weiss and is the executive producer and writer. Bernadette Caulfield (Game of Thrones, The X-Files) is Executive Producer. Rian Johnson (Knives Out, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi), Ram Bergman and Nena Rodrigue are Executive Producers for T-Street. Lin Qi, the late former Chairman of Yoozoo Group, and Zhao Jilong, CEO of the rights-holder, The Three-Body Universe, are Executive Producers. Brad Pitt, and Dede Gardner’s Plan B Entertainment and Jeremy Kleiner’s company (Okja, Moonlight) are Executive Producers, along with Rosamund Pike and Robie Uniacke for Primitive Streak.
Check out the teaser below:


Japanese Fishing Game Ace Angler Fishing Spirits Drops This October

Bandai Namco has announced that the Nintendo Switch title Ace Angler Fishing Spirits is slated to release on 27 October 2022. Pre-orders for the title are available from today (1 August 2022) onwards.
Ace Angler Fishing Spirits is the sequel to Ace Angler Nintendo Switch Version, which was released in 2019 and sold over 800,000 copies worldwide. This latest title in the series is set in an aquarium-themed amusement park. The park will contain five different attractions and features not only fishing games but also a wide variety of other fish-themed games that can be played alone or with friends. Players can collect Medals in each of the attractions to acquire new fish, with the ultimate aim of completing the world’s greatest aquarium.

Editions for Sale
Package versions:

Standard Edition
Rod Controller Bundled Edition

Bonus Content Information
Early purchase bonus / Download version pre-order bonus:

“Urashima Taro Set” (usable in-game)

The weight and sound of a genuine fishing reel have been recreated for the ultimate real feel. The Ace Angler Fishing Spirits Rod Controller provides the most enjoyable fishing experience in a home console game yet.

Combined with a single Joy-Con, the Rod Controller is easy to hold and operate. Compatible with both the left and right Joy-Con, it can be easily used by multiple players. As a special bonus, every Rod Controller purchase comes with a download code allowing you to acquire the “Pirate Outfit Set” to be used in-game.

The release of the limited-edition “Rod Controller Bundled Edition” has also been confirmed, combining the main game with the Rod Controller provides the ultimate realistic fishing experience.

Rod Controller Bundled Edition Contents

Main game: standard package edition
One Rod Controller (one main body + one reel)
Rod Controller purchase bonus: “Pirate Outfit Set” (usable in-game)

This title features a collaboration with the popular “Encyclopedia of Unfortunate Creatures” series. Some of the creatures from the “Encyclopedia of Unfortunate Creatures” have escaped into the game! By catching them, not only will you learn a range of fascinating facts about their ecology, but you will also get to compete in a special fishing competition featuring the illustrations from the series.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Tin Hearts Nintendo Switch Version Launches This Month, Console & PC Delayed This May

Publisher Wired Productions and Rogue Sun have confirmed that narrative puzzle adventure Tin Hearts will be releasing exclusively on Nintendo Switch for one month prior to PC, Xbox and PlayStation,  which will now see a 16 May 2023 launch.
Winner of the ‘Most Wanted Nintendo Switch Game’ Accolade during Gamescom 2022, Tin Hearts is an immersive, narrative-based, puzzle adventure wrapped up in a powerful tale of love and compromise. March through over 40 levels of time-bending, soldier-routing riddles, forge new paths for your toys to follow, and solve increasingly elaborate puzzles to unravel the emotional, thought-provoking story of Albert J. Butterworth, a genius inventor of Victorian times.
Kostas Zarifis, Managing Director at Rogue Sun, said:
“We’re honoured to be working closely with Nintendo to bring Tin Hearts exclusively to the Nintendo Switch on its Apr 20th launch. After winning “Most Anticipated Nintendo Switch Game” at Gamescom last year we wanted to celebrate all the love we’ve been receiving from the Nintendo community and this timed exclusive launch felt like a great way to do just that.”
Leo Zullo, Managing Director at Wired Productions, said:
“Launching games is getting tougher, sometimes it is worth mixing things up. With the love shown by Nintendo and Nintendo fans, it made sense to give those players a chance to experience the wholesome Tin Hearts… especially before Zelda comes and takes over.”
Tin Hearts will be released on Nintendo Switch on 20 April 2023 with PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Utomik), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X to release one month later on May 16th, 2023. PCVR, Meta Quest 2 and PSVR2 are set to be released later this year.
Check out the trailer below: