Does The Latest Super Smash Bros. Game Deserve The “Ultimate” Moniker?

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Genre: Crossover platform fighting game
The Super Smash Bros. series is a fighting game made for non-fighting gamers. That’s good and bad in a way. Newbies who like fighting games but aren’t mechanically adept will find solace in the game’s controls and cast. Hardcore 2D and 3D fighting game players will find it hard to adjust to the platforming and “floaty” controls.
So is Nintendo’s kitchen sink approach a worthy sequel to the franchise? Undoubtedly so, because it’s completely fine-tuned to brawl gaming perfection. Will it change your mind if you’re a huge fighting game nerd knee-deep in your Street Fighters and Mortal Kombats? Probably, because the huge cast here will at least cater to your specific preferences.
Ultimate Showdown Of Ultimate Destiny
The premise is simple: push your opponent(s) out of the stage’s platform through the simple art of the beatdown using one of the 76 Nintendo characters in the roster like Mario, Yoshi, and Captain Falcon. Either you can do 1v1 or even have an 8-player free-for-all, either by getting the most eliminations or depleting an opponent’s limited stock of lives.
Said 76 characters can do spectacular feats like shoot fireballs and lasers out of their hands/weapons, jump leaps and bounds, and pull off their trademark moves from the games they were on. Plus, the game shoots out items like Fire Flowers, laser swords, and PokÃ©balls with random PokÃ©mon to even the playing field. Or straight up make it more chaotic than it should be. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate really lays it on with the variety here.

If you’re new to SSBU, just play all-rounders like Kirby, Mario, and Fox McCloud. Like Fire Emblem and its waifus/husbandos? You have Marth, Ike, and Corrin each with their trademark sword and/or dragon-shifting attacks. Do you want to play someone as flexible as Devil May Cry‘s Dante? You have Bayonetta, Wicked Weave and all. Still want to use an old-school fighting game character with the 2D style of facing your lone opponent? Street Fighter‘s Ryu and Ken are selectable here. All in all, there’s something for everyone here in the roster.
For veterans, the new additions help diversify the roster. Metroid‘s space pirate Ridley is imposing but fights with speed and ferocity; perfect for players who want to pick up a rushdown-style flight-savvy character. Donkey Kong Country‘s King K.Rool is a tank who can propel himself to great heights, has a decent ranged option that can also suck foes in for launching, and counter enemies with his rotund figure.
Castlevania‘s Simon/Richter have zoning attacks down pat at the cost of slightly weak close-ranged options, so you need to plan when and where to use his patented Cross, Holy Water, and Axe. PokÃ©mon‘s Incineroar is your heavy wrestler fighting game stereotype: hits hard and fast but full of risks/rewards. And you’ll pay dearly if you miss and mess up your timing. Animal Crossing‘s Isabelle feels more fan-servicey with her cute and clumsy attacks, but perhaps there’s potential to be found in her style later in the coming months.

Arguably the most unique fighter is Splatoon‘s Inkling; she needs to constantly recharge her ink when she’s out, but that’s where her most versatile moves come from. With her roller and paint attacks, and damage-over-time/debuff potential since enemies with paint get more damage from attacks, she’s definitely a choice picks for expert Smash players and fighting game fans who want a unique character experience.
The only thing that sours the experience is the fact you have to unlock them all from the get-go. When you start SSBU, you only have 8 characters. You have to either play the game’s various modes (which I’ll touch upon) and even resort to some off-the-cuff tactics to get all 76 characters.
And even then it’s not that simple; after 10 minutes or so of faffing about, you’ll get a “Challenger’s Approach” prompt where you have to beat the new fighter to put him/her into the roster. Depending on the last character you’re using and who you’re fighting, it can either be a cakewalk or an arduous task. Luckily, you can still replay those fights via the Challenger Door under the Games & More option.
Despite that setback, this is perhaps 2018’s most diverse fighting game roster yet, and this is coming from the guy who loved Dragon Ball FighterZ and Soulcalibur VI.
Good Guys, Bad Guys, & Explosions…

While this game uses the same engine and backdrop as the Wii U Super Smash Bros., there’s a lot of significant add-ons and touches that enhance the experience that it might as well be an entirely new game. Serious players will find a lot has changed for the better; no one so far outweighs the other in terms of balance and tournament-level tweaks as far as everyone’s concerned.
You can parry enemy attacks like in Street Fighter III with the “perfect shield” mechanic, meaning that if you time it just right you can take no shield damage and be at an advantage. Players will also get to decide the stage the fight in before picking their fighters so that they can pick the best character to use to counteract the stage’s hazard and layout. The game’s camera also zooms in to see who gets the last hit that ends the game, kinda like the slo-mo zoom-in shot during a Tekken 7 bout. It’s a cosmetic addition, but one that helps enhance the spectacle for audiences among other things.
At the same time, SSBU is the perfect party game. If you want to switch from competitive to friendly matches, turn on free-for-all and amp up item frequency, expand the player count, and set up stages with ridiculous conditions, taking a shot of alcohol if you lose. SSBU’s beauty is that it caters to both the hardcore and the casual with its diverse play options, plethora of stages and characters, and its improved fighting.
The simple-yet-welcome changes like the stage-then-characters selection process to stage segmentation (from “Normal” to “Battlefield”) means that Nintendo, Bandai Namco, and Sora Ltd. listened to its vocal and hardcore fanbase and gave them what they wanted: a complete Smash experience.
Spirited Away

Apart from the ginormous cast that’s been balanced for tournament play, there are new modes like Squad Strike, Mob Smash, Classic Mode, and the single player-centric World Of Light. Squad Strike is basically a 3v3 or 5v5 mode where players organize their own teams in a secret line-up and then switch the fighting order around when one player loses a stock.
Mob Smashes are my personal favourite since you fight against a 100 Miiverse fighting game clones or against the entire roster like a beat-em-up, and I do love me some old-school beat-em-up scenarios. Classic Mode is your standard Arcade Mode in fighting games; you fight eight stages with different fight conditions, be it a simple 1v1 bout to even fighting tag-teams from different Nintendo franchises. The last stage is usually a giant boss you have to fight, ranging from Legend of Zelda‘s Ganon (from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeÂ right down to the same weak point) to Monster Hunter‘s Rathalos. It’s pretty fun, and you can dial up the challenge via mural slider to increase the intensity of the bouts if you need a decent AI-driven challenge.
Which pains me to say that the single-player World of Light comes off a bit short. Basically you have to make your way to the Lord of Light Galeem -some giant multi-winged light orb thingamajig- by unlocking and recruiting fighters and equipping spirits you find along the way to power up your team. Fighters can equip primary spirits to bolster their attacks and properties (like immunity to fire attacks or to lava floors), and then equip support spirits onto primary ones like items and equipment that dish out extra abilities.
Unlocking spirits, be it primary and support, is just a matter of playing World of Light and beating up opponents in pre-set conditions, completing in-game challenges, or by dissolving your existing spirits into cores, which can be used to summon new spirits. It’s a lot of complex busywork and can get tough if you don’t equip the right spirits or don’t pay attention to the stage conditions. Yet at the same time, it becomes sort of a zen-like grind if you really want to get all the spirits.

Unlike modes like Soulcalibur VI‘s Libra of Souls which features an overarching story and Dragon Ball FighterZ that has a ton of anime fanservice bits, there’s really nothing here narrative and context-wise to grab my attention in World of Light apart from the supposed nostalgia-baiting bits with the spirits. Sure, you get to see icons like the Xenoblade heroes and the Metal Gear folks, but it’s just concept art turned into a sticker for fighters to slap onto themselves.
If there’s a bit more effort put into this mode, like maybe better production values and special cutscenes to keep me entertained, then maybe World of Light is worth the addition. As it stands, I might as well just play Classic Mode to get my short-term jollies. I don’t need any mode that reminds me of work, especially one as haphazard as World of Light.
How’s Online?

The other major elephant in the room is online play. Simply put; it’s not good. There are reports out there that there aren’t lag-free matches, and even then it’s unbearable in a fast-paced game like SSBU. For myself, I did manage to play against a lot of Japanese players and even with a full Wi-Fi bar, the game still lags.
Even worse, players who want to play in Elite battles can sometimes be forced to play free-for-all and team battles if their connection isn’t up to par during the online search matching bits. It’s rather perplexing why Nintendo chose to remove the “For Fun/For Glory” from the last Smash game in favour of…this.
https://twitter.com/zerowondering/status/1071635139531280384

Smash Ultimate is great but wtf is up with the online? Forcing you into random 4 player matches with items on when that’s the complete opposite of your preferred rules, and you can’t switch your character between games unless you play a whole new person?
Bring back For Glory
— shofu (@shofu) December 7, 2018

If you want a LAN experience, you’ll have to fork out money for a wired LAN adaptor specifically for the Switch. Let’s also not forget the Nintendo Online subscription fee too. So that’s US$36 for the adaptor and US$19.99 for the yearly subscription; that’s quite an investment for players for a service to a game that’s currently borked.
A Smashing Good Time?
Even with those niggles and faults, you can’t deny the fact that the developers have brought in their A-game when it comes to delivering the best Super Smash Bros. experience. With a heckaton of modes, a plethora of fighters and playstyles, and a few decent modes and customization options, it’s hard not to recommend this casual-slash-hardcore-balanced platform fighting game to anyone who owns a Switch. And I haven’t even mentioned my personal favourite non-fighting bit in the game: the Vault and the music player that comes with it. I really dig the new and old remixes of past game tunes like Mega Man’s Cut Man theme and Castlevania’s rockin’ Bloodlines theme.
Just keep it offline and within the couch, and you’ll have a helluva time getting Smashed.

Pros
-Best fighting game roster of the year.
-Great modes for multiplayer that caters to all skill levels.
-World of Light is fun to play.
-The non-fighting content is ginormous, especially the music player.
Cons
-Character unlocks are time-consuming.
-Online is still subpar.
FINAL RATING: 80/100


The Captain Marvel Movie Is Full Of Plot Holes & Continuity Issues; Here They Are

Ignore the blind praise and criticism aimed at the latest MCU movie, and you’ll end up with a fun superhero movie that does its job.
Now before you go all Super Saiyan on me for ‘hating’ it, hear me out. I enjoyed the movie but definitely won’t be rushing to purchase it once it hits digital. If you want to know what Kakuchopurei.com thinks of it, head on here for our official review of Captain Marvel.
When we walked out of the press screening of Captain Marvel the other day, we were riddled with more questions than answers as it served more plot holes than actually solving them. Instead of connecting the dots, Captain Marvel, which was supposed to be the movie that gives more insight to the MCU left an even bigger hole which adds more confusion into an already convoluted timeline.Â  Which ones you ask?
Allow us to warn you beforehand that this article is riddled with spoilers to the recently released movie starringÂ  Ì¶EÌ¶nÌ¶vÌ¶yÌ¶ Ì¶AÌ¶dÌ¶aÌ¶mÌ¶sÌ¶ Brie Larsson. YUUUUUUUUUUUGE spoilers I tell you. Tons of them.Â

You have been warned. Let’s take flight!Â
S.H.I.E.L.D vs SHIELD!
This was the first continuity error we spotted when watching Captain Marvel as Nick Fury spewed ‘SHIELD’ like it was the hottest tune in town, a widely known branch of the government akin to the FBI or CIA. It was supposed to be covert. It was supposed to be super classified.
What happened to “compartmentalizing”?
Based on this, it appeared like humanity is fully aware of this and all’s dandy. Makes you wonder what they were doing prior to Danvers’ arrival, though. Searching for the Tesseract?
Anyways, rewinding (or perhaps forwarding) to Iron Man where Agent Phil Coulson introduced that division for the first time in the MCU as the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, seeing how Pepper, or even Tony not being aware of this covert branch – which his father had a major hand in forming – was a *cough* stark contrast to Fury brandishing his badge on the streets of LA.

So what was S.H.I.E.L.D. doing before 1995 and why has everyone suddenly forgotten about them between then and Iron Man which is set roughly fifteen years later, around 2010?
Nick Fury’s Eye & Bogota
So now we’ve finally found out how Nick Fury lost his eye, how he fabricated a story to Coulson to make it sound more badass as well as where he got them scars. However, despite it all, it still doesn’t jive with the tone of which he used when explaining to Steve Rogers here in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydKKQ3jmOWE&w=560&h=315]
It sounded like he was spiteful of it. Angered even. I thought you liked Goose, Nick?!
Speaking of The Winter Soldier, surely you’d remember Alexander Pierce recalling his history with Nick Fury and specifically, Bogota. There, Pierce mentioned how Nick Fury, who wasÂ Deputy Chief for the S.H.I.E.L.D. station in Bogota, took extreme measures to counter rebels who have taken hostagesÂ and did not intend to negotiate.
The success of the operation led to Nick Fury being promoted to Director of S.H.I.E.L.D, framed for eternity as shown in this scene where Pierce was talking to Rogers. Look. At. Those. Eyes.
Both open, and no sign of scarring.

Or is that a Skrull, or a Life Model Decoy?
Captain Marvel Learning How to Fly
One of the most sacred superpowers in all of comicdom is flight. Superman’s invincibility would have seen pretty lame if he didn’t have the power to streak past the horizon at his will. Thor, while technically unable to fly, utilizes Mjolnir’s momentum or if you want to use the most updated version in the MCU, Stormbreaker and his God of Thunder abilities to remain airborne – all which adds to his mystique.
Easily put, flying is an ability which should never be taken lightly.
It has to be iconic. It has to be memorable. It has to be special. Just look at these two scenes depicting Superman and Iron Man flying for the first time on screen. Liked the movie or not, you got to agree that seeing Clark finally learning how to fly is spine tingling. His reaction to it makes the Kryptonian appear more human than Carol Danvers.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DritM-Gn7jo&w=560&h=315]
Now let’s have a look at Tony Stark’s first flight in the Iron Man suit. If you rewind the movie to several minutes earlier, you’ll see Tony testing his tech, perfecting it to enable him to properly fly.

It’s basic human intention to take it to the skies. It doesn’t matter if you’re a farm boy from Kansas or a billionaire playboy who just built a billion-dollar suit. There has to be a build-up to this ability. It has to be a payoff for the superhero after going through so many trials and tribulations which led to this moment.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6SrXJ2GQJc&w=560&h=315]
Even the always stoic looking Keanu Reeves managed to imbue more emotion to Neo’s first flight
For Captain Marvel? It just sort of happened.
In one scene, we saw was Carol falling out of the sky, and BAM! She goes Binary and suddenly acquired the power of flight? There was no back story nor build up to it, apart from her being a (test) fighter pilot in the past. Surely the filmmakers could have eked several minutes or so to explain what she’s going through and how that power of flight came to be.Â They didn’t and it left a huge gaping hole that put a dampener onto the final third of the movie.
The movie was filled with wasted and inconsequential scenes which could have been used to explain her powers better.

That’s all we have in terms of plot holes and continuity issues we spotted in Captain Marvel. Did we miss anything? Do share in the comments section below!


Mega Man-Like Roguelite 30XX Will Finally Be Out This August

2D action platformer fans, rejoice! The Mega Man roguelite action title 30XX is getting out of Early Access in a few months.
30XX will be out for PC and Nintendo Switch this 9th August. The sidescrolling platformer features the aforementioned roguelite mode complete with random levels and permadeath, along with local/online co-op play. If you really want a new fresh spin on Capcom’s Mega Man/Mega Man X games, this indie-made title from Batterystaple Games is one to watch out for.
We’ve played the Early Access build since 2021, and it’s a helluva tribute to Mega Man X that’s so much more, capped off with a new roguelite twist on things. It’s good to know that it has come a long way since then, now with new characters, stages, and “Robot Masters” to challenge fans and newcomers.
“All these changes and roguelike element do make this just more than a standard ode to the Blue Bomber’s past titles. And the tributes & touches in 30XX are numerous, from the way some enemies acting similar to Mega Man staples like the mecha bats, to even how both Nina and Ace freeze frame into their last action when entering the patented Mega Man boss door. “
Feature list and launch trailer below:
Features

Pulse-pounding action, precise platforming, and beautiful spritework.
Characters with fully distinct playstyles – master Ace’s swift, combo-friendly Techniques and Nina’s intricate Power Fusion system for even more replayability.
A fresh new set of levels, items, and powers every time you play – 30XX is never the same game twice!
Roguelike-style progression that lets you tune the game’s systems and difficulty as you play, even after you win.
A robust level editor – the same tools the developers use! – that lets you build single level chunks or entire custom campaigns.
Local and online multiplayer, so you can enjoy 30XX with a friend.


Apex Legends: The Great Nessie Hunt Easter Egg Guide

Apex Legends Season 17: Arsenal brought about a lot of new content which included quality of life changes to the current game and a ton of new gameplay updates. One of the biggest changes done was to the Firing Range. The Firing Range received a brand new map with new features. It’s become a new playground for returning and new players.

The Firing Range isn’t just a new playground for players, a Respawn Entertainment developer mentioned that they’ve added Easter Eggs for players to find in the form of hidden Nessies scattered around the Firing Range. This made the playerbase go wild, spending hours in the firing range trying to figure out how to spawn them and where to find them.
If you are one of those trying to find all the Nessies, I’ve got you covered. My partner and I made it a cute little date to find all of them, maybe you can have a date with yours too! Here’s how you can locate all the cute little Nessies across the Firing Range.

Quick Tip: Use a movement character. I recommend Pathfinder or Valkyrie.
ALL CUTE NESSIE LOCATIONS

1# GREEN NESSIE
This is the easiest Green Nessie you’ll find in the firing range since it is the one closest to spawn. To locate the first Nessie, leave the center spawn room and enter the left spawn room. You’ll find your first Nessie sitting behind a crate on the left side of the entrance.
You can collect these cute plushies in your inventory by interacting with them. You’ll know you collected it if you hear a squeak sound play.

#2 GREEN NESSIE
The next Green Nessie is just at the bottom of the weapon range. Go to the Red Weapons area and check the front of the weapons rack, and you’ll see the Nessie sitting there.

#3 GREEN NESSIE
The next Nessie really makes it a hide-and-seek challenge. Head on over to the 1v1 pit on the left side of the map. Behind the duelling pit, you’ll see a cliffside leading to the ocean at the end of the map. There will be a ledge beneath it, you’ll see the Green Nessie beside five cute mini-Wattson dolls.

#4 GREEN NESSIE
You’ll find the next Nessie plushie sitting inside the drop ship at the back. The ship is perched on a helipad behind the large tower in the middle. Just head on over to find it on a shelf next to the weapons box.

#5 GREEN NESSIE
The 5th Nessie may be the trickiest one just yet. I highly suggest using Valkyrie for this Nessie in particular. It is located on a branch high up  in the middle tree on the right side of the map.

You could either use Pathfinder to zip to the branch if you happen to be a parkour God or just use Valkyrie to spam her jetpack and hover up to it. Spam the interaction button to collect is successfully

#6 GREEN NESSIE
For this Green Plushie you can either use the newest tool introduced in Season 17, the Evac Tower or you can just use the easy way by using a zipline. Collect an Evac Tower from one of the death boxes around the map and deploy it at the cliff on the right side of the map in which you collected the 5th Nessie from.

You can use the Evac Tower to fly over to the island or just put a zip across to it. You should find the next Nessie nestled against two trash bags at the back of the island.

#7 GREEN NESSIE
The next plushie is found somewhere close to spawn. After leaving the previous island, turn left and head towards the left side of the range. You’ll need a Valkyrie or Pathfinder for this Nessie as well. The Nessie can be found tucked away in a corner on a ledge up top. You’ll know you’re at the right ledge when you see you are out of bounds.

#8 GREEN NESSIE
This Nessie was a tricky one to find. You might miss it since this Nessie is an expert at hide-and-seek. It is located at the large tower in the center of the map. Head over to the big building behind the tower and look underneath the staircase. The Nessie is hiding in the dirt on the backside of the building.

#9 GREEN NESSIE
The next Nessie is found at the very top of the tower next to the building you were just at. Make sure you’re playing someone like Pathfinder, Valkyrie or even Horizon. You can find this little Nessie beside a folding chair.

#10 GREEN NESSIE
The last Green Nessie can be found just at the Southern edge of the range. Head towards the big mountain area at the back. You can either choose to climb the mountain, or make a trusty zipline to the top.

At the top of the mountain, the last plushie will be sitting at the top of a weapons box.

And there you go! Every single Green Nessie Plushie. You should have 10!

BUT WAIT! We’re not done! We’ve got some more special Nessies for you.
THE SPECIAL NESSIES
These Nessies require the player to do different challenges throughout the Firing Range. You can do this w some friends so don’t worry!

THE BARBIE NESSIE (PINK)
This Nessie plushie is pretty simple. You’ll need to get 100 kills in the firing range. You don’t have to get 100 on a single player, it counts all across with friends in the range with you. To make it easier, grab a throwing knife and hit headshots on the dummies. Make sure to disable movement and everything else if you want this done fast. If you want to go for an extra challenge, you can always make the dummies move on random.
As you can see, my partner and I got 50 kills each and the Pink Nessie spawned!

The Pink Nessie will spawn on the railing of the house where the ziplines leads to the top of the central tower.

GOLDEN NESSIE
The Golden Nessie is pretty simple to spawn. You’ll need to visit 8 points of interests in the firing range. This can be done in any order, followed by using the Charge Tower and your Ultimate. The 8 locations you will have to visit is Tech Tunnel, The Pit, The Belfry, Wolf’s Peal, Raven’s Nest, Agility Course, the Firing Range and Training Grounds.
The Nessie will then spawn inside the center spawn room. He’ll sit at the far back on the right side of the tunnel. The plushie won’t look gold at first but under the right lighting you’ll see it shine!

BLUE NESSIE
This one took awhile but was my favourite to do! Grab your throwing knives cause this may take a bit!
Throw the knife into the air, and hit the dummy in the middle right in the head. Sounds simple, right?

What are you guys waiting for? Drag your friends and partner and get on the hunt!


Genshin Impact Unreconciled Stars Event Starts Now: Here’s What You Need To Know

November isn’t just a glorious week for loot-and-shoot folks like Destiny 2 and Borderlands 3 players: it’s also a time for Genshin Impact action RPG fans to search through meteor residue and collect the spoils for awesome rewards.
That’s right: Genshin Impact’s Unreconciled Stars event has started. Here’s what you need to know about Mihoyo’s latest event.

You Need To Be At Adventure Rank 20 To Participate
Most Genshin Impact players are already at this stage in the game, so this shouldn’t be an issue.
The Following Characters Will Get An Attack Boost
Tartaglia, Mona, Fischl, Lisa, Beidou, Ningguang, Chongyun, and Xiangling will get a 60% damage buff during these challenges. If you happen to have them in your party, now’s the time to use them. I already have Mona, Lisa, and Fischl as my mains, so I’m pretty much sorted.
All You Have To Do Is Find Meteor Crash Sites…
…and salvage meteorites. You’ll probably have to fight a bunch of enemies trying to do the same, so get prepared for combat. While the missions from “Unknown Star” to “Star of Deceitful Dreams” are a little different from one another, the main event hook is the same. Head to the crash site using your Visions or intuition, fight enemies in the area to ensure a smooth salvaging process, then collect your rewards for a fight well-fought.

It Lasts Until End of November
You have from now until 30th November to play through this event. Here’s the breakdown:

Unknown Star – 16th November
Star of Deceitful Dreams – 18th November
Star of Destiny – 23rd November
Event Shop duration – 16th November – 6th December

You can get more details here. For now, enjoy digging through meteor residue!Â


Baldur’s Gate 3 Is “Slowed Down” By COVID-19, But…

Despite the current state of the world, many developers and game companies are hard at work to make sure their creations meet shipping dates. Folks from Bethesda, Grinding Gears, and Ubisoft have to delay updates for Fallout 76 Wastelanders, Path of Exile 2 beta, and Rainbow Six Siege respectively.

First New York Times interview was not exactly about what I would've imagined, but it does bring some good news: While we're slowed down, development on BG3 keeps on progressing and we still expect EA this year  https://t.co/BvT7qCQD2V
— Swen Vincke @where? (@LarAtLarian) April 21, 2020

The next in line to feel the brunt of COVID-19 is Larian Studios, the makers of the upcoming Baldur’s Gate 3. Larian boss Swen Vincke said on New York Times that the game is remaining on track for an Early Access release this year, though work on it has been slow.

“The very first week, it went really well. Everyone had all the information they needed to just smoothly go work from home.”Â

He said that the challenges started mounting as the process dragged on, with employees and external partners having to make more long-term adjustments to their schedules.

“We started seeing more stress on the leads in terms of communication. Weâ€™d spend all of our days just communicatingâ€”trying to solve problems, organize things, give direction. Development is proceeding. We’re just slowed down. ”

Aspects of development like motion capture are impossible to do while working remotely, and even voice acting is tough because of inconsistencies in recording quality from place to place. Vincke said that there is no current solution for the mo-cap issue.
Ironically, COVID-19 has pushed demand for video gaming tenfold. Steam broke 20 million concurrent users just a month ago. Indie devs will also get visibility for their games; of course, it wouldn’t mean much if people don’t have money to spend on them due to job cuts and losses.


Dragon Quest Creator Shares Tidbit About Part 12 & His Favourite DQ Entry

Dragon Quest is a big JRPG series in Japan and definitely a fan favourite next to Final Fantasy. So it’s pretty apparent that the RPG community are waiting with bated breath for the twelfth mothership game, not so much a monster-hunting or Minecraft clone side game (though Dragon Quest Builder 2 is fun, if we’re being honest).
In a recent TOKYO M.A.A.D SPIN interview, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii talked about progress regarding Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate. Here’s what he said:

Since Dragon Quest XII is aimed at adult audiences, he’s having trouble with the game.
COVID-19 has affected the development of the game to some extent.
A variety of members from the development team have been working from home for over a year on this project as well.

Yuji Horii also shared how Dragon Quest 1 came to be: this was from feedback for a classic game The Portopia Serial Murder Case back in 1983 for PC. The adventure game was promo’ed on an issue of Shonen Jump in that year; due to the audience’s feedback, all that led to Yuji Horii using that game’s influences and mechanics (commands system) to create the first Dragon Quest.
Yuji Horii also shared his favourite Dragon Quest entry: Dragon Quest 3 and Dragon Quest 5. The former was because it was the first game in the series to allow wider player expression, and the latter is due to the inter-generational plot and branching choice of wife.


New Guilty Gear Trailer Confirms May Is Cute And Can Still Summon Whales

As promised in their Tokyo Game Show 2019 trailer, Arc System Works just dropped the new trailer for the upcoming new Guilty Gear at CEOtaku 2019. Check it out:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3WPYei07jM&w=560&h=315]
In the last trailer, we were teased with a glimpse of a grown up May and now we finally get to see her in action. The anchor-wielding member of the Jellyfish air pirates maintains her ability to summon various sea creatures including a dolphin, a seal, and an orca.
The next trailer will be unveiled at SEA Major 2019 Singapore and it will show off time traveler Axl Low who has finally ditched the shorts from Xrd REV 2 for a pair of jeans and an overall more stylish look. Is Arc System Works consulting someone from H&M? If they are, it’s a great decision.
The SEA Major 2019 Singapore will be happening from 12 to 13 October 2019 so stay tuned!


Tekken World Tour 2022 Announced And Will Start Going Offline Starting June

Tekken 7 esports tournaments are usually better offline, probably because of the game’s not-so-hot netcode. Thankfully the game will revert back to offline tournaments with the upcoming Tekken World Tour circuit.
Tekken World Tour 2022 was announced before the start of Tekken 7 top 8 at Combo Breaker 2022. According to Bandai Namco, the tournament will be offline and online and will begin on 24th June. The tournament series will have 13 regional finals, with tournaments like EVO 2022 serving as a master prime event where players can earn the most points for TWT.
TWT regions include: North America, Central America, South America, West Europe, East Europe, North Africa, West Africa, South Africa, Middle East, Pakistan, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Philippines & East Asia, Oceania, Korea, and Japan.


Platinum Games Is Still Working On Babylon’s Fall

Platinum Games has confirmed that they are still working on their next game, Babylon’s Fall, after almost half a year with no updates. In December 2019, the developer promised to reveal more details and information about the game in summer 2020, but it looks like the COVID-19 pandemic may have derailed their plans.

An important message from the #BabylonsFall development team. pic.twitter.com/bGkJYq39ot
â€” BABYLON’S FALL (@BabylonsFall_EN) July 13, 2020

“Greetings.
Thank you to all fans who’ve been following along for updates on Babylon’s Fall.
While we hoped to reveal more about the game this summer, we can share that development on Babylon’s Fall is continuing to progress well, with the team working safely from home.
Square Enix and Platinum Games are committed to delivering an exhilarating experience and we look forward to showcasing much more on Babylon’s Fall to you as soon as we can.”

Babylonâ€™s Fall was originally announced at E3 2018 for PS4 and PC with an initial 2019 release date. Square Enix later showed more of the game in action at the PlayStation State of Play presentation in December 2019, but not much has been revealed since then.
Platinum Games’ statement is reassuring, especially after two high-profile projects from them were previously cancelled mid-way through development in the past, including Scalebound and Granblue Fantasy: Relink.
In the meantime, you can rewatch the slick gameplay of Babylon’s Fall in the State Of Play 2019 trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PckcAblyGB4&w=560&h=315]


Another Shock Retirement Hits the Overwatch League

If last week the Overwatch League was shocked by the unexpected retirement of a fan favorite who rocked Stage 1 with creative plays while on Zarya alongside his occasional Torbjorn picks,Â  the scene was again hit with the sudden departure of a fan favorite in the form of Dallas Fuel’s HyeonÂ “EFFECT”Â Hwang.
Announced via his official Facebook page, EFFECT said he will be retiring from professional Overwatch due to issues relating to his mental health. Originally posted in Korean, the translated version of the screen grab can be found below.

Known to be one of the deadliest DPS players in the Overwatch League, EFFECT had a rough time during the inaugural season, on and off stage as the Dallas Fuel struggled to win matches. EFFECT left the team to return to Korea at the end of Stage 3 to recuperate from his mental illness and fans of him and the Dallas Fuel were excited to witness the return of their star DPS as Season 2 kicked off.
Alas, while we are disappointed to see him leave, the most important thing is his well-being, and we wish him the best going forward. Mental illness isn’t something trivial, and the fact that EFFECT is well aware of his suicidal tendencies is important towards treating himself.
Commenting on the decision, Team Owner and CEO of Team Envy and Dallas Fuel, Mike ‘hastr0’ Rufail thanked EFFECT for his time at the organization and wished him the best.

Today, @EFFECT announced his retirement from professional Overwatch on his Facebook account. He has given our organization and fans thrilling memories, insane plays, multiple championships and has been a true pleasure to watch. We wish you the best and brightest future @EFFECT.
â€” Mike Rufail (@hastr0) April 6, 2019
Before we leave, here’s a quick reminisce of how great EFFECT was on Overwatch.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfsFdqtEKOE&w=560&h=315]


Overwatch World Cup: USA, Canada Breeze Through LA Qualifiers

Two North American giants team USA and 2017 Overwatch World Cup Runners-Up Canada breezed their way to the final eight stage of the 2018 Overwatch World Cup as both teams brushed aside pretenders at the Los Angeles Group Stages last weekend. Coming in as the highest rank North American team since the USA are considered as hosts, the star-studded Canadian team which had Surefour, XQC, Agilities and Bani didn’t have much trouble navigating through the likes of Australia, Brazil, Norway and Switzerland, winning all of their matches without surrendering a map.
It was great to see the Canadians’ main tank, Felix ‘XQC’ Lengyel back on the main stage as he rampaged through the opponents’ backlines but the play of the weekend was surely Agilities’ quad-boop on Rialto against team Austria.

The single greatest Lucio play in the entirety of Overwatch history.
Flexing in as Lucio, DPS superstar Agilities uses sound barrier on himself to guarantee the double dip boop off play to kill 4 by himself.
I’m dying laughing. #OWWC2018 pic.twitter.com/JbzO4Vqrng
â€” Your Overwatch (@YourOverwatchYT) September 7, 2018
Meanwhile, the home team which is also stacked with Overwatch League players such as Sinatraa, Moth, Space and Rawkus also had an easy weekend, save for that minor scare when they dropped a map against the plucky Brazilians. However, their spot at the World Cup knockout stages was sealed when they came across their northern neighbors in the final match of the qualifiers.
Dealing the Canadians their first ever map losses in the qualifiers after wins on Oasis and King’s Row,Â  the USA team kept their cool despite the Canadians pulling one back with a win on Temple of Anubis. Team Canada’s hopes of eclipsing their flashier neighbors were however dashed as the Americans pushed the payload further on Rialto, dealing the Canadians their first loss at the Overwatch World Cup, and securing the top seed coming out of the Los Angeles Qualifiers.
Next, six teams – China, Australia, Sweden, Denmark and Spain visit Bangkok, Thailand for the third leg of the 2018 Overwatch World Cup Group Stage. Easily the most interesting 2018 Overwatch World Cup qualifying stage on our books, the Thailand stage will see the likes ofÂ  Custa, Mickie, Kellex, Harryhook, Tviq and Snillo take stage. The highest-ranked country, China will attempt to salvage some pride on the pro Overwatch scene by qualifying after their country’s sole representative at the inaugural season of the Overwatch League finished with a 0-40 record while Thailand would want to avoid the embarrassment of being the first host nation to miss out on qualification.

If you’re in Bangkok, head over to theÂ Royal Paragon Hall (5th floor, Siam Paragon) fromÂ September 14 to 16 (10am – 7pm) to catch all the action live alongside a ton of other Overwatch-related fan activities. For more info, head over here.


Is The Top Gun Sequel More Than Apple-Pie Nostalgia?

Top Gun was a 1986 film that made joining the US Navy look cool, created a market for fashionable bomber jackets, and featured a ton of quippable 80s lines and scenes that tread the line between machoness and homoeroticism. In all seriousness though, it was a breathtaking action film with a loveable rogue bunch of leads and was a technical filmmaking marvel from the late-but-great Tony Scott.
Top Gun: Maverick is a pretty on-the-nose nostalgia pandering-heavy sequel which is a hoot to watch because it entertains and delights with its action scenes and, surprise surprise, its charismatic lead character Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise).
Wings That Are Mighty

The film quickly brings us up to speed: Maverick has been serving for 30 years as the best aviator in the army, with his recent gig being pushing a high-tech plane past Mach 9. However, he’s been transferred to teach the latest Top Gun graduate pilots to be the best in a top secret mission that requires fast planes and elite skills. Complicating matters is that one of the graduates is Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of his dead co-pilot and best bud Goose who clearly doesn’t see Maverick in a good light. Oh, and Maverick meets up with one of his flings; a bar owner named Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly). And the top secret mission involves dealing with a foreign landing strip that happens to house an F-14A Tomcat for some reason.
We also get to see the other graduates ranging from token gruff female Phoenix (Monica Barbaro), nerd jockey Bob (Lewis Pullman), and actual jock Hangman (Glen Powell) who is clearly the Iceman stand-in, but with a more punchable face. Speaking of which, your old favourites Iceman (Val Kilmer) makes a cameo, but not the rest like Kelly McGillis and Tim Robbins because they either said “no” or grown out of that 80s phase.
Tom Cruise clearly hasn’t, which is why he gave it his all being the risk-savvy pilot who has to teach new recruits how to fly well while still exuding that he’s still at the top of his game. This is obviously Tom’s pet project and he makes all this look good. Yes, you’ll forget the rest of the pilots apart from their caricatures, but you’re here to see Maverick fight his way out of his current job and eventual final mission.
Joseph Kosinski’s trademark directing makes Top Gun: Maverick look really good and authentic to its 80s roots despite taking place in contemporary times. Fitting, considering his works include lovely-looking fares like Tron: Legacy and Oblivion. Even if you aren’t in-tuned with the callbacks -then why watch the obvious sequel to Top Gun?- the film is gorgeous to look at. The flight scenes and final mission do deliver and then some; they’re easy to follow and they do justice if you’re watching it on an IMAX theatre. Seriously, it’s really hard to watch this on anything lesser than an IMAX setup.
Zone of Danger

The only fault I can think of is the film plays it pretty safe with its beginning, middle, and end. I was actually shocked with the going-ons in the first Top Gun. But here, I do feel I’m on edge for the action scenes. But blown away? Not so much. Without revealing too much, you can call this predicament the case of filmmakers and film houses preserving the status quo of the franchise while shaking it up a bit. Others call this crowdpleaser films that still stays true to the original; in this case it’s a macho image-laden boy’s club film dressed up as military flight school propaganda. And it succeeds with literal flying colours, setting out to do what it does and delivers.
Clearly, Kosinski did his research and directed the film with his crew to mimic and stay true to the original 1986 film while making a logical sequel that touches on Maverick’s anime redemption arc, even down to the obligatory shirtless men on the beach scene that helps with team-bonding and give every wife accompanying their husbands to relive the 80s some pleasant eye candy. There’s substance beyond this nostalgia cash-grab, as we get to experience Maverick’s journey to end his flyboy legacy while also patching up loose ends; a 2022-era sunset ending for a show that honestly didn’t need one.
Still, we welcome it anyway because not many can resist Tom Cruise’s drive to relive his glory days and with style and aplomb. And eternally thankful that there’s no bastardized “alternate” version of Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” and Cheap Trick’s “Mighty Wings” shoved into the film’s score.
Final Score: 80/100


Censors Cut Same-Sex Kiss From The Rise Of Skywalker In Several Markets

Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker is the first film in the franchise’s 42-year history to feature LGBT representation in the form of a same-sex kiss between two women. There are spoilers ahead, so keep in mind for those who haven’t watched the movie, which was released just last week.

The authorities in several countries have decided to cut the aforementioned same-sex kiss in Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker, despite it being only a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment at the end of the movie. These countries include the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singapore, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Yahoo Lifestyle, respectively.
Even in Malaysia, many have claimed that the same-sex kiss in question has also been cut by the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia for screenings here. I attest to that as well, as I realised some choppy editing at the very end of the movie and the lack of a same-sex kiss, which means that it likely has been cut.
In Singapore and Malaysia, the same-sex kiss in Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker was probably cut in order to grant the movie a PG-13 classification. LGBT content will turn that into a higher rating, usually 18+ and above, which means that younger audiences won’t be able to watch the movie.
This was confirmed for Singapore. In a statement to Yahoo Lifestyle, a spokesperson from Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority said:

â€œStar Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker has been rated PG13 for theatrical release in Singapore.
The applicant has omitted a brief scene which under the Film Classification Guidelines would require a higher rating.â€

In comparison, China has surprisingly allowed the same-sex kiss to be featured in the movie without any cuts, despite previous tendencies to cut any LGBT portrayals in the past.
The same-sex kiss can be glimpsed during the jubilant Resistance celebration at the end of the movie, after Emperor Palpatine and the threat of the Final Order was defeated. Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker is now showing in cinemas. Check out our review of the movie here.


Apex Legends Is Definitely Going Mobile & Is Looking For Folks To Design It

There’s a good chance you can take EA and Respawn’s team-based battle royale shooter Apex Legends on the go, thanks to recent job listings.
Respawn Entertainment is looking for people to work on its upcoming mobile version, new UI systems, and improved microtransactions and store options. Specifically, a senior game designer for the mobile version:

“Weâ€™re looking for a Senior Game Designer who will lead the design vision for one of our unannounced mobile games. [Must be able to] conceptualize and communicate new and engaging gameplay experiences and establish player experience goals for designs, implement and tune features to meet those goals.”

The company is also searching for a senior technical analyst to analyze and provide Apex Legends insight to make the game more fun for players, as well as a new Senior UX technical designer, a Technical Designer on MTX events and “monetization aspects of the game”.
The iOS and Android version of Apex Legends will be out right after the Nintendo Switch version is out. Meanwhile, the game’s Season 7 will be coming out early November.


Fifth Batch Of PS5 Pre-Orders In Malaysia Starts Tonight

Sony Malaysia has announced that they are opening the fourth batch of official pre-orders for the PlayStation 5Â starting from tonight at 12.01am on 16 April 2021.
PS5 pre-orders will be available online exclusively via the Sony Malaysia Official Store onÂ Lazada.
https://www.facebook.com/SonyMalaysia/posts/10165409508100601

However, keep in mind that this time around only the PS5 Standard Edition will be available (for RM2,299). It’s also worthÂ pointing out that while pre-orders for the fifth batch will begin tonight, we still donâ€™t know when the new PS5 stock will arrive or even how many of them will be available.
Due to that reason, anyone interested in grabbing their own PS5 will have to be quick.
At the time of writing, other PlayStation-authorized stores have not revealed if theyâ€™re opening any new pre-orders for next week, but weâ€™ll update this article if any news comes. For the full list of PlayStation-authorized stores,Â head on over here.
In the meantime, you can check outÂ my in-depth and no-holds-barred thoughts on the PS5Â after having it for more than a month. However, if youâ€™re looking for a more straightforward review, you shouldÂ head on over here instead.


PC Mod For Judgement Restores Original Hamura Actor

There’s a mod for the Yakuza spin-off game Judgement that restores the original actor for Captain Hamura after he was removed following drug charges in Japan.
With the surprising arrival of Judgement along with its sequel, Lost Judgement on PC has allowed a variety of mods to be developed. The news of a Judgment actor change at the time of the game’s release was rather dramatic. Pierre Taki, the original Japanese voice actor and likeness for Kyohei Hamura—one Judgement’s most prominent characters—was pulled entirely from the game in dramatic fashion after admitting to cocaine use.
In a country like Japan, drug use carries a heavy negative stigma in comparison to other countries like the United States. Often, such cases lead to people being wiped from even previous performances. Taki’s arrest led to sales of Judgment being halted by SEGA shortly after the game’s initial release, and the actor was recast alongside the replacement of several of Taki’s other roles including his voice work as Olaf in the Japanese release of Disney’s Frozen.

Taki’s likeness and voice work were replaced with that of Miou Tanaka who does a phenomenal job in the role given the short timeframe with which he had to work with. However, fans of the series who might be looking to replay the game following its release on PC may be interested to see the original performance, which was previously only accessible through initial copies bought in Japan at release prior to it being pulled from shelves.
Interestingly, SEGA previously said they had “no plans to bring Judgment to PC” which was reported to be connected to concerns about the likeness of its star Takuya Kimura, a former member of best-selling J-pop boyband SMAP. It appears that SEGA was able to overcome any concerns that might have been raised and bring the pair of games to PC players, but it certainly didn’t take long for mods to begin springing up.
If you’re interested in seeing Pierre Taki’s performance in Judgment for yourself, you can check out the Pierre Taki restoration patch on Nexus Mods.


PokÃ©mon UNITE MOBA Game Drops On Nintendo Switch Next Month

PokÃ©monâ€™s first strategic team battle game, PokÃ©mon UNITE, is arriving soon. According to The Pokemon Company, the Nintendo Switch version is scheduled to launch sometime in July 2021, while the mobile version is scheduled to be available for download starting in September 2021.
Cross-platform play between Nintendo Switch and mobile devices is planned, which will allow players to battle together and against one another. In addition, if you log in using your Nintendo Account or PokÃ©mon Trainer Club account, youâ€™ll be able to use your game data on any device. With this feature, youâ€™ll be able to enjoy playing at home on your TV screen using the Nintendo Switch version, as well as easily play on the go using the mobile version.
Pokemon UniteÂ takes place on Aeos Island, a mythical island said to be on the oceanâ€™s unexplored frontier. On Aeos Island, players will find the Unite Battle Committee (UBC), which runs a series of Unite Battle tournaments. In Unite Battles, players form teams of five and compete against each other to see who can score the most points before time runs out. Players also experience a mysterious new form of energy known as Aeos energy. Aeos energy can be used in Unite Battles to evolve Pokemon.
These Unite Battles have passionate fans all over the world, and Trainers everywhere long to join in on the action. You take on the role of a rookie Trainer whoâ€™s come to Aeos to take part in these battles.

The Rules of Unite BattlesÂ â€“ Unite Battles are where Trainers and their partner Pokemon compete in 5-on-5 team battles. The key to victory in a Unite Battle is to have a higher score than the other team when time runs out. To earn points for your team, you must gather Aeos energy by defeating wild and opposing Pokemon and then deposit that energy in one of the opposing teamâ€™s goal zones. Unite Battles take place in various stadiums, and the rules for each stadium differ. There can be different numbers of team members, different match lengths, and even different Legendary Pokemon that appear.
Face Off against Skilled TeamsÂ â€“ In Unite Battles, cooperating with teammates is important. When battling a skilled team or when at a disadvantage, you might be able to open a path to victory by coordinating with teammates. In ranked matches, you can earn performance points, which can increaseâ€”or decreaseâ€”your ranking depending on the results of the battle. When just starting out, youâ€™ll battle at the Beginner Cup level and begin making your journey to Master Cup. Additionally, those who become ranked will be recorded on a global ranking board for all the world to see.
Level UpÂ â€“ Before every Unite Battle, participating Pokemon are returned to Lv. 1 through the power of Aeos energy, and throughout each battle, they gain Exp. Points and level up. As Pokemon level up, they learn powerful moves and evolve, and when a Pokemon reaches higher levels, it also learns its Unite Moveâ€”a powerful move that can only be learned and used in Unite Battles. Unite Moves can change the tide of battle!
Battle with a Fresh LookÂ â€“ InÂ Pokemon Unite, you can change the appearance of your Pokemon and Trainer. Take part in Unite Battles while showing off your own unique style! You can use Holowear, a special technology that uses Aeos energy, to dress your Pokemon in a variety of outfits. You can also customize your Trainerâ€™s appearance, clothing, and accessories to make sure your Trainer always looks their best, both in and out of battle. You can update your profile with a Unite snapshot that features your Trainerâ€™s avatar and partner Pokemon, and you can even customize the snapshot by changing your Trainerâ€™s expression or pose or by adding stickers. Before entering a match, you and other players can see each otherâ€™s Unite snapshot, too!
Find Your RoleÂ â€“ Many different Pokemon, such as Charizard, Pikachu, and Greninja, appear inÂ Pokemon Unite. Although type strengths and weaknesses do not exist in Unite Battles, each Pokemon has its own unique stats and roleâ€”Attacker, Defender, Speedster, Supporter, or All-Rounderâ€”that reflects its play style. Youâ€™ll want to practice with various Pokemon to find out which best suit you. To use a Pokemon in Unite Battles, you need to have a Unite license for that Pokemon. Unite licenses can be obtained through the Unite Battle Committee, where you can exchange Aeos coins (earnable via Unite Battles) for your desired license.
Enjoy Even MoreÂ Pokemon UniteÂ with the Battle PassÂ â€“ Youâ€™ll have the opportunity to earn in-game rewards through the seasonal battle pass. To earn these rewards, youâ€™ll need to level up the pass by completing missions. Additionally, players can upgrade their battle pass by using Aeos gems, enabling them to claim even more rewards.
Obtain Items via ShopsÂ â€“Â Pokemon UniteÂ has three types of in-game currency: Aeos gems (paid), Aeos coins, and Aeos tickets. Aeos coins and Aeos tickets can be acquired by playing the game. At the Unite Battle Committee, players can use Aeos coins or Aeos gems to obtain Unite licenses, which allow them to take Pokemon into Unite Battles. At Aeos Emporium, players can use Aeos coins or Aeos gems to obtain UBC-approved goods like Pokemon held items or Trainer fashion items (fashion items can also be obtained using Aeos tickets). Zirco Trading specializes in Holowear, which can be obtained using Aeos gems.

Players can look forward to battling in PokÃ©mon UNITE in French, Italian, German, and Spanish later this year.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Spawn Movie Starring Jamie Foxx & Directed by Todd McFarlane In the Works

A story that flew under the radar of many, Baby Driver and Django Unchained star, Jamie Foxx is set to star inÂ in a reboot ofÂ Spawn, a BlumhouseÂ film which will also be the directorial debut of Spawn creator, Todd McFarlaneÂ himself.
First reported by Deadline, Foxx will play the lead character, Al Simmons who was betrayed by his fellow CIA Black Ops members, where his corpse set aflame upon his death. He then made a deal in Hell where he was convinced to become a Hellspawn warrior in exchange for being able to be reunited with his wife. Of course he was double crossed and we are left with one of the most iconic characters to ever hit the comics in the 90s.
In an interview with Deadline, McFarlane said his silver screen version of Spawn to be ‘a man of few words’.Â â€œThe scariest movies, fromÂ JawsÂ toÂ John Carpenterâ€™s The Thing, orÂ The GrudgeÂ andÂ The Ring, the boogeyman doesnâ€™t talk,â€ McFarlane quipped.
Revealing his vision of the movie, McFarlane who also clarified that it will not be an origin story added “Iâ€™ve got a trilogy in mind here, and Iâ€™m not inclined in this first movie to do an origin story.”
“If you want to see something creepy and powerful where you go, just what the hell was that? Iâ€™m not going to explain howÂ SpawnÂ does what he does; he is just going to do it. Weâ€™ll eventually do some of the background if we make a trilogy, but thatâ€™s not this first movie. The first movie is just saying, do you believe? And if you believe than thatâ€™s good because Iâ€™m hoping to take you for a long ride with this franchise.” he added.

McFarlane also saidÂ  that Foxx was the actor he had in his mind to play Al Simmons when penning the script.Â â€œJamie came to my office five years ago, and he had an idea aboutÂ SpawnÂ and we talked about it. I never forgot him, and when I was writing this script, you sort of plug people in, and he was my visual guy and I never let go of him. When I got done and my agents and everybody was talking about what actor, I said, Iâ€™m going to Jamie first and until he says no I donâ€™t want to think about anyone else because Iâ€™ve never had anyone else in my head. Luckily, he hadnâ€™t forgotten either. I said, â€˜Hey, Iâ€™m back to talk aboutÂ SpawnÂ again, and he was like, letâ€™s do it.’â€

In the 1997 movie, Michael Jai White played the lead character alongside John Leguizamo as The Violator. No word as of who is set to play the demonic antagonist, or whether he is set to return in this reboot which will be R-rated.
We will keep you updated on this news as we receive more info including its expected release date.
Source: Deadline


Fall Guys Surpasses 7 Million Units On Steam

This year, we’re blessed with a battle royale game unlike any other: the Takeshi’s Castle-inspired Fall Guys where you and 59 other players fight to be the last person standing in gruelling minigames.
It’s so popular, that we’re not surprised that it’s the best-selling game on both Steam and PlayStation 4. Publisher Devolver Digital and PlayStation announced that the game crossed 7 million units on Steam and is the most-downloaded PS Plus game “of all time”. The latter is definitely due to the game being completely free for one month since its early August launch.

Congrats to our friends @Mediatonic as @FallGuysGame crosses 7 million units on Steam and is the most downloaded PS Plus game of all time!
An amazing accomplishment from a wonderful group of folks. pic.twitter.com/UoWEqxiUi4
— Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) August 26, 2020

As of today, @FallGuysGame is the most downloaded PS Plus game of all time on a global basis. Congrats to @Mediatonic! pic.twitter.com/jgXK8JGhFc
— PlayStation Europe (@PlayStationEU) August 26, 2020

Fall Guys is now available on PC (via Steam) and PS4.


TGS 2018: Highlights From The Weekend

Tokyo Game Show 2018 is already over and gamers all over the world are sated by what unfolded. And by that, we mean video game announcements. Lots and lots of them.
We’ve already covered Day 1 and Day 2, so let’s just wrap it up and present the good stuff during the weekend. Here you go:


Online Dodgeball Game Knockout City Has 5 Million Players Since Its Debut

It’s been a while since we’ve had a dodgeball brawl kinda sports game since, well, Super Dodge Ball for the SNES. But it’s 2021; we now have one in the form of Knockout City, and it’s really popular right now.
How big is it now? Well, the game now has 5 million players, just days after EA rolls out a plan to make the game free to play for the first few levels; up to Rank 25 to be exact. The company broke its milestone for the game according to its recent blog post championing the game. It hit 5 million players 2 weeks after release. The game also has half a billion knockouts in scores as well as being streamed for “millions” of hours.
With crossplay at launch and a 10-day free trial, EA seems to be riding on Knockout City to be a mass-market success.


Double Dragon Gaiden Punches Its Way To A July Release Date

The upcoming entry to the beloved Double Dragon series of 2D beat-em-ups will be out in a few months.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons will be out on 27 July for PC, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The game is published by Modus Games and developed by Singaporean developer Secret Base. The game features two-player co-op, roguelike mechanics, and different characters to use like the Lee brothers (Billy & Jimmy), Marian, and newcomer Uncle Matin.
Check out the new trailer below:


Mobile League of Legends Goes Alpha In The Philippines Next Week

Here is some top-tier news for mobile gaming and MOBA fans in The Philippines.
League of Legends: Wild Rift, the mobile MOBA port for smartphones, will be hosting its regional alpha test in the Philippines on Android platforms. The test will be small and will still be a work-in-progress.

The alpha will last from 6th June to 27th June. Here’s what Riot Games is sorting out:

LoL: Wild Rift’s core gameplay, because we have to know if Wild Rift lives up to your standards for a genuine League experience.
Game systems, so we can figure out if itâ€™s easy to get your friends onto LoL: Wild Rift, if our progression systems feel rewarding, and that getting champs feels fair.
Infrastructure and service stability, to make sure weâ€™re upholding a high quality of service for your matches.

How Do I Get In?
Easy; just make sure you pre-register for LoL: Wild Rift on Google Play. You will be randomly selected for this.
Some extra details:

On 6th to 8th June, servers will only be available from 6pm to 10pm GMT+8.
Even if you’re not selected on day 1, Riot Games will randomly select more players as time goes by.
If you need player support,just go to this link.Â

Here are the specs needed to run LoL: Wild Rift.
Android phones only
CPU: 8 Core, 1.5 GHz and above, 64-bit processors only
RAM: 3GB and above
Resolution: 1280 Ã— 720 and above
Launch minimum spec targets:
Android phones
CPU: 4-core, 1.5 Ghz and above, 32-bit or 64-bit processors
RAM: 1.5GB and above
Resolution: 1280 Ã— 720 and above
iOS phones
iPhone 6 and above


Don’t Be A Scrub, Play The Street Fighter V Free Trial Next Week

Just last month in early August 2019 , Capcom let everyone play a free trial of Street Fighter V complete with access to all launch characters and all of the Season 3 roster which includes Sagat, Sakura, and Blanka. If you missed it, fear not. The free trial is coming back for a rematch.
Starting from 10 September and lasting till 16 September 2019, the free trial will go live once again for PS4 and PC (via Steam). There will be multiplayer support so if you’re keen on finding out which ones of your friends suck at fighting games, make sure to spread the news.

The first run of the of trial happened in conjunction with EVO 2019. It’s been a month since we saw MkLeo win SSBU, Arslan Ash mopping the floor in Tekken 7, and Go1 beat SonicFox in a very emotional final match but the excitement can still be felt in the hearts of FGC peeps around the world.
This is your chance to get a taste of that excitement and passion. Don’t miss out!


New Mecha Shooter Project MBR Kickstarter Campaign Launched

Project MBR is the latest project coming from the Japanese studio, SIEG Games and they just kicked off their Kickstarter campaign, and they’re aiming to get JP¥25 million (which is about US$184,293) to fund their multiplayer mech action shooter.
If you’re into robots and shooting games, this one’s for you as Project MBR is a cool 5v5 multiplayer game where you get to hop into the cockpit of a robot and battle it out from a first-person perspective.
Here are the campaign’s milestones and stretch goals:

Milestones

April 2023 – Reconstruction of project contents.
May to October 2023 – Actual development.
November 2023 – Preparing for closed beta test.
December 2023 – Steam closed beta test.
December 2023 to May 2024 – Reflection of results / restructuring of specifications.
April 2024 – Early Access sale on Steam.

Stretch Goals

JP¥25,000,000 – Funding Goal
Conduct a closed beta test on Steam
Early Access sale on Steam
Implement five-versus-five multiplayer online battle arena mode or survival mode with more multiplayer.
Supports Japanese and English.
JP¥50,000,000 – Release on PlayStation 5
JP¥75,000,000 – New robot designed by famous creators will be added.
JP¥100,000,000 – Additional battlefield.
JP¥200,000,000 – Add a single-player game mode.

Key Features

Weapon Design with Functional Beauty – A robot as an extension of a real combat vehicle with no meaningless shapes or parts, designed with a taste of functional elegance!
Realistic but Transforming Robot – A realistic robot that can transform its body, allowing it to change its movements and weapons, enabling it to take a variety of tactical actions!
Enhanced Development of the Aircraft and Highly Flexible Weapon Customization – The robot can be enhanced and developed, and it is possible to build one’s own tactics by combining equipped weapons.
A Deep Battle System that Goes Beyond Mere Shooting – This deep battle system requires more than just shooting down enemies; it requires strategic manoeuvring based on the situation, such as capturing and defending bases and giving orders to drones.
A Near-Future Setting that Assumes the Earth About 30 Years From Now – A near-future setting that takes into account the extension of the real world, as envisioned by Mr Koichi Inoue, with works such as the setting production of Armored Trooper Votoms, the planning, setting, and production of Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO.
Legendary Composer – Legendary game music composer, Noriyuki Iwadare, has provided an orchestral sound of the battlefield with all his might.
Game Engine Change and Upgrade – We will be changing from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5.


Indie Darling Minit Is Available For Free On Epic Games Store

Want a black-and-white twist on a Legend of Zelda-style game? Then you should check out indie game Minit, which is now free on the Epic Games Store from today until 10th October.
Basically, you’re a hero who dies every 60 seconds, but it’s followed up with a resurrection. The game’s puzzles revolve around opening shortcuts that help you get closer to your goal of lifting the curse. It also has awesome 8-bit style music to go along with its quirky gameplay.

My favourite bit is getting information from an old guy who speaks incredibly slow; just as soon as he said a keyword, you die & restart from the beginning. If you haven’t tried it, go check it out; it won’t cost you at all.


The Kenn’s Top 10 Gaming Things of 2018

What a year 2018 has been for us here at Kakuchopurei.com.
We went up, down, sideways – heck, we went everywhere to deliver you what we believe to be the best video games and entertainment-related content all year long. All this, in hopes of ticking all the boxes that make decent entertainment sites good, and the good ones great.
Around this time in 2017, I honestly didn’t know what 2018 had in store for me. With Kakuchopurei.com at its infancy, I was pretty much alone in trying to get this site up. Sure we had friends in the industry who went out of their way sharing their wisdom and ideas with us but we also had a vision on how to separate ourselves from the present crop of video games websites.
I knew if done right, the idea has got wheels, but it needed more than just a pair of hands to get this thing moving. Then in comes Jonathan Leo, – or better known as Mr. Toffee – a veteran of video games media in the Southeast Asian region who, thankfully, shared my ideas and vision on what a games website should be like, and the direction we want to take it towards.
It’s been almost a full year of growth for us both; in November, we saw another full-time addition in the form of my former intern when I ran IGN SEA, Alleef “Comicslord” Ashaari joining the ranks. Someone who I personally believe has got a bright future in games media ahead of him. I implore you to check out his work here at Kakuchopurei and give the kid some constructive feedback whenever possible , aye?
OK, enough talk. Let’s head into my Top 10 Gaming / Entertainment Moments of 2018 before Jon start hounding me before the deadline.
10. Esports Creeps Into The Mainstream Consciousness
Sure there are tons of groundwork need to be done, and in some cases, rebuild. But what is certain is that esports is right up there when it comes to tapping the consciousness of the masses and everyone wants to be part of it. We believe the most important thing in 2019 would be to educate the non-fans on what makes certain titles esports worthy, how it is different from traditional sports, as well as where the similarities lie.
2018 saw several questionable remarks from policymakers who have no clue about esports yet spewing grandeur ideas which may be detrimental to the scene. This needs addressing in 2019 but hey – at least they are taking notice. Now we hope they are open to learning.
9. The Switch Up
Nintendo Switch had a weird release year in 2017 where despite its interesting package, offered a limited library of games. However, things turned for the better in 2018 as a host of brilliant titles hit shelves which makes the Switch a must-have for gamers who are always on the go.
Although the quality of most ported games could be better, the Switch continues to astound us with the likes of Octopath Traveler, Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Celeste.

8. The Best Year To Own The PlayStation 4
I’ll just list some of the standout titles available on the PS4 here to prove my point:
Monster Hunter: World, Far Cry 5, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
’nuff said.
7. Overwatch League Season 1
A concept never tried by other titles, Blizzard’s gamble with the season-long Overwatch League to mirror other professional sports in the US paid out tenfold as viewerships soar and steadied as the season progressed. Sure there were hiccups such as player bans and questionable meta (remember the dreaded Junkrat spam period?) but for something still in its early days, the OWL managed to deliver constant, high quality shows with intriguing subplots from day one.
Season 2 kicks off next February and with an increased number of team participating (eight new teams for a total of 20), things are on the ups for the hero team shooter.

6. Infinity War Delivered
What a year it has been for comic book fans with the epic delivery of Avengers: Infinity War. It gave us everything we had hoped for and then some with its cliffhanger of an ending. Not only it got everyone talking about what happens next to our favourite MCU characters, but it also brought what used to be consigned as undesirable and geeky into the mainstream spotlight.
Bring on Avengers: End Game!

5. The Kotaku Episode
We ran a piece on Ivy Valentine’s dress sense (or lack thereof) a while back in February so it came to our pleasant surprise to see it being referenced by the folks at Kotaku. Things like this don’t happen every other week and while we surely appreciate the redirect, it’s the significant bump in site hits which we enjoyed the most.

4. Kratos, Reimagined
Nothing is riskier than reinventing one of your company’s most cherished, iconic and tentpole franchises but Sony Interactive Entertainment did just that with Kratos and it rewarded them tenfold. Multiple Game of the Year awards on, we hope this would be an example for other companies when it comes to reworking their beloved franchises to suit the times.

3. Spider-Men Done Right
In a year where the comic book and pop culture world mourned the loss of Stan Lee, we were also blessed with two of the best modern adaptations of his greatest creation, Spider-Man, in Marvel’s Spider-Man for the PS4 and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse which recently hit cinemas. Rightfully critically acclaimed and commercial successes, we really hope that both titles serve as the cornerstone for sequels in a foreseeable future.

2. Asian Games gig with the Asian Electronic Sports Federation
Fondly known as ‘The Jakarta Job’, we were chosen to serve as the Media & PR Consultants for the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) throughout the duration of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
With a multi-sports event having esports tournaments as part of its official scheduling, the Esports Exhibition Games at the Britama Arena is a momentous occasion which hopefully, paves the way of us seeing esports being a recognized Olympic-level sport as early as 2020.
Was there a follow-up to this? We were recently appointed as the Media & PR Consultants for the AESF so… not too shabby eh?

1. Our Awesome & Supportive Readers
All of our projects, content, and reports in the previous nine sans the support from you guys would have meant nothing. For that, I thank you.
We can assure you that we have tons of awesome, bigger stuff in store for you in 2019 which we can’t wait to announce so strap in and hang tight. We are in for a wild ride in 2019!


Riot Games Unveils Wild Rift League-Asia Format

Riot Games has come out and announced the league format for the Wild Rift League-Asia which is set to begin on 8 April and will run until 23 July.
The upcoming Wild Rift League-Asia is a tournament ecosystem that will feature a total of 20 teams. Twelve of these teams will be from WRL CN, while the remaining eight will be from WRL APAC. Teams from WRL APAC can earn a chance to compete in the WRL APAC Open Qualifier by taking part in regional tournaments. If they qualify, they’ll be able to compete in Wild Rift League-Asia.

WRT Challenger Tournament
The WRL Challenger tournament will not take place. However, teams can still compete in the WRT Challenger tournament (WRTC). Teams from WRL CN can advance to the WRT by participating in their region’s Wild Rift National League (WRN).

Wild Rift Tour

The Wild Rift Tour is back for its third instalment, and this time it’s going to be a year-long event. The second-level WRL CN pro teams will be competing in up to six separate tournaments to determine the 2023 champion, with the top three teams being determined by the points they earn in each tournament.
This exciting new format is designed to cultivate new talent in the WRL CN professional ecosystem and to introduce a series of player policies throughout the tournament that will help promote the development of the entire professional Wild Rift esports system.

2023 Season Timeline

The Wild Rift League-Asia (WRL A1) will be held from April to July for its first season, followed by the WRL A2 from September to December for the second season. These two seasons will last for a total of eight months, giving fans plenty of exciting esports content to enjoy.
The official transfer window is set to occur between August and September of this year, and there will be a short break in January and February of 2024. Additionally, there are two other thrilling tournaments to look forward to: the WRT3 for WRL CN taking place from April to November of this year, and the regional events for WRL APAC taking place from June to November.

WRL APAC Open Qualifier & WRL A1 competition system

The WRL APAC Open Qualifier has already started, with teams from Vietnam, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia competing in the first stage earlier this month. From each region, two teams will move on to the second stage of the qualifier, along with two seeded teams from each local region.
The top two teams from each local region will advance to the WRL A1, with the final team being determined by the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ). One team from South Korea will also be invited to participate in the WRL A1.
The eight teams selected for the WRL APAC are Vietnam (2), the Philippines (2), Southeast Asia (2), South Korea (1), and LCQ (1). The lowest-ranked teams will compete in the WRL APAC relegation events for future seats in the league. The WRL A1 will consist of three stages: regular season, playoffs, and finals.


The Rick And Morty Season 6 Premiere Is Totally Bonkers

Rick And Morty is arguably the most popular it’s ever been since it first launched all the way back in 2013; that’s almost a decade ago. The franchise is at its pop cultural zenith with appearances in movies (Space Jam A New Legacy) and games (MultiVersus). Rick And Morty Season 5 was an uneven affair but featured a stronger focus on continuity, which was welcome for fans who have wanted to learn more about the mysterious lore behind Rick Sanchez.
We were given early access to the first two episodes of Rick And Morty Season 6 (there will be 10 episodes in the whole season). Of course, I can’t spoil most of what I watched but I can tell you this; the first episode picks up directly from the end of Season 5 and is a continuity-heavy episode. In fact, it has callbacks to earlier seasons, which I’m sure long-time fans of the franchise will appreciate. At this point, viewings of past seasons are pretty much required to understand what’s going on in the latest seasons, and that’s fine. It feels satisfying when a show rewards you for being a fan and this is one of them.

Meanwhile, the second episode offers a totally bonkers science fiction scenario, which Rick And Morty usually excels at. However, this episode is a little messy and doesn’t really seem to be going anywhere with its premise. After everything we’ve seen in Rick And Morty, this episode is middling at best. Plus, it relies a little too much on a pop culture reference joke (it’s the Die Hard joke from the trailers, which I can reveal), which is a running gag that gets repeated too much in this episode and is really only funny the first few times. Still, it’s a crazy enough episode that I just wish is funnier than it turned out to be.
While the start of Rick And Morty Season 6 isn’t perfect, the season premiere does tease something major to come, so at least we have that to look forward to in the rest of the season. As I previously mentioned, we’ve only seen two episodes out of the 10 planned episodes in Season 6, so it’s too early to say anything concrete about the quality of the whole season. There’s still a lot more room for Rick And Morty Season 6 to impress us all so we say; bring on another season of absurd multiversal and timely-wimey shenanigans.
FINAL SCORE: 80/100
We received an early screener of Rick And Morty Season 6 courtesy of HBO Asia. Rick And Morty Season 6 is slated to premiere on 5 September 2022 on HBO GO.


HBO’s Game Of Thrones Was More F***ed Up than We Thought

HBO’s Game Of Thrones was definitely violent and downright disturbing at times, especially when it involved the characters being in horrifying experiences like getting killed, raped or tortured. Unfortunately for some, the experience behind the camera turned out to be just as horrifying, if not even more so.
That’s exactly what happened to Game Of Thrones actress Hannah Waddingham, who portrayed Septa Unella in Season 6 of the hit series. In case you’ve forgotten, Septa Unella was a member of the cult-like Church Of The Seven (which was led by the Sparrow), best known for forcing Lena Headey’s Cersei to walk naked on the streets of King’s Landing while shouting “Shame! Shame! Shame!” repeatedly along the way.
At the end of the season, Cersei got her revenge by having Septa Unella tied to a wooden table, and forcefully pouring pitchers of wine onto her face until she died. That turned out to be a torturous and traumatic experience for Waddingham, who had to endure a whopping 10 hours of being strapped to the wooden table and getting liquid poured on her face. It’s essentially like getting waterboarded, which is an actual torturing method used in the real world.
Speaking with Collider, she said:
â€œAnd there I was strapped to a wooden table with proper big straps for ten hours.
And definitely, other than childbirth, it was the worst day of my life.
Because Lena was uncomfortable pouring liquid in my face for that long, and I was beside myself.
But in those moments you have to think, do you serve the piece and get on with it or do you chicken out and go, â€˜No, this isnâ€™t what I signed up for, blah, blah, blah?â€™
And then, the funny thing was, after weâ€™d finished shooting it for the whole day, and people like Miguel Sapochnik, the director by the way, walking past with a cup of tea and a sandwich on-the-go and going, â€˜Hi hunny, you alright?â€™
And I was like, â€˜Not really.â€™ â€˜The crew have just been saying we are actually really waterboarding you here.â€™
And I was like, â€˜Yup, you donâ€™t need to tell me that!â€™â€
Worst of all, the traumatic experience left a lasting impression on Waddingham, who now suffers from claustrophobia when she’s around or near water. She explained:
â€œI hadnâ€™t even realized that it definitely gave me claustrophobia around water.
Definitely.
I hadnâ€™t realized until I watched a program where the cameraâ€™s down on the actorâ€™s face and theyâ€™re being dipped into the water, but you see them face-up to the camera, and I got in a terrible panic about it.
And I actually went and had a bit of a chat to somebody about it, because itâ€™s quite full-on being waterboarded for ten hours, and then only one minute and 30 seconds can be used on camera.â€
And to think, Waddingham’s Septa Unella was originally supposed to be raped by the Mountain, instead of being waterboarded. The crew only avoided going that route after all the negative feedback to Sansa Stark’s rape scene from an earlier episode.
This has all been a disturbing revelation from one of the actresses from Game Of Thrones. I wonder if this means that other actors and actresses from Game Of Thrones will start sharing their own experiences on filming the show, be they good or bad.
In other related news, HBO recently gave us our first look at Game Of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragon.


Minecraft’s Massive Nether Update To Roll Out Later This Month

Mojang Studios initially teased the massive Nether update for Minecraft during MineCon Live 2019 last year, but now it finally has a release date; 23 June 2020 for all platforms including Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile.
The Minecraft Nether update will add new biomes, mobs, structures, blocks and visual effects with a unique and scary atmosphere. It will also add the Target block (which will act as a projectile hit-detector), two new biomes (the Soulsand Valley and Netherwart Forest), as well as the all-new Piglin Beasts and Piglin mobs. The Piglins will be a new civilization introduced to the Minecraft universe.
If you want to, you can listen to the Minecraft Nether update soundtrack composed by Lena Raine, best known for the music in Celeste and Guild Wars 2.


VALORANT Challengers Stage 2: What You Need To Know About Southeast Asia’s Best Teams

With VALORANT’s Stage 1 Masters in Reykjavík, Iceland having concluded on 24 April, 2022, means that this week marks the start of Stage 2’s domestic Challenger leagues.
A lot of eyes are on Southeast Asia (SEA) at the moment as we saw the Asia-Pacific (APAC) representatives at Masters Reykjavík, Singaporean organisation Paper Rex place 4th, beating the likes of Europe’s G2 Esports and North America’s The Guard along the way get there.
Paper Rex was finally taken down in the lower bracket against ZETA DIVISION in a nail-biting 1-2 loss, had they prevailed, they would have gone on to face OpTic Gaming in the lower bracket final.

MALAYSIA & SINGAPORE

So let’s start with Paper Rex’s home turf, the Malaysian and Singaporean (MY/SG) division that they’ll have to win again to reach the APAC Stage 2 Challengers.
It isn’t up for debate whether or not Paper Rex will reach the finals as it’s expected of them. However, are there any teams that could give them a run for their money?
Well, the answer to that my fellow VALORANT junkies, is no other than the team that fell to Paper Rex in the final of last MY/SG’s qualifier: Bleed eSports who hail from Singapore.
They’re an up and coming esports organisation that gained notoriety after they signed two former CS:GO players, one, a player who had previously played for the Swedish powerhouse in Ninjas in Pyjamas, Jacob “pyth” Mourujärvi along with fellow Swede, Max “maxie” Lönnström.

Happy to announce that I'm joining @ggBleed.I'm leaving Sweden in January and will be moving to Singapore and compete in the VCT Southeast Asia in 2022.Really excited about the future, the team already looks really promising. Let's make 2022 a great year!
— pyth (@G2pyth) December 17, 2021

On top of being one of the first Southeast Asian esports organisations to ever sign Europeans, they brought in German CS:GO legend, Nikola “LEGIJA” Nini who’s most renowned for his time with Berlin International Gaming or simply known as BIG.
Due to the pandemic, pyth and maxie weren’t able to make it in time for the MY/SG qualifier, but luckily Bleed were prepared as they had two other players who had been practising with the team.
Both pyth and maxie did manage to make it for Stage 1 APAC Challengers but fell short placing 3rd due to the lack of practice, but now that they’ve had time to recuperate and develop solid strats both of the Swedes along with their young team are hungry to dethrone Paper Rex prove that they too deserve international recognition.
INDONESIA
How about Indonesia? Well, if we’re going to discuss Indonesian VALORANT then it would be a crime not to mention BOOM Esports.
Not only did they win their domestic league last stage, but they got further than the rest of their Indonesian brethren placing 4th at the APAC Challengers in Stage 1 after falling to the Thai powerhouse XERXIAwho also happened to have knocked out fellow Indonesian team, Persija Esports in the round prior.
Speaking of Persija Esports, formerly known as the unsigned team, BOY WITH LOVE, Persija Esports is the only real team that can contest with BOOM. Having faced one another in the last stage’s finals, the scoreline does not do Persija justice as at first glance is just a comfortable 3-0 to BOOM.
But that couldn’t be any further from the truth, all three of the games were nailbiting close, with two games going to overtime and the third only losing by three rounds.
Since then neither team has made any roster changes so I’m looking forward to seeing which of these teams will come out on top.

THAILAND

Home to the second APAC representative, XERXIA who have made no roster changes since playing at Masters Reykjavík, are looking to continue their streak of domination in Thailand. The roster was formerly under X10 Crit but was later signed by XERXIA after their contracts had expired.
The other two teams that represent Thailand in Stage 1 APAC Challengers were Made in Thailand (MiTH) and FULL SENSE, both also not making any roster changes, relying on their inter-regional experience facing off against other APAC Challenger teams to help hopefully dethrone XERXIA and usher in a new age of dominance in the Thai circuit.
PHILIPPINES

As for our Filipino friends, things are looking to be very interesting as there are quite a few teams that can put up a fight for 1st place.
Rostering former household names in the Filipino CS:GO scene, South Built Esports are currently the team to beat.
Having a rocky start after their formation, they finally found their footing towards the latter end of 2021, finally beating the likes of fellow former CS:GO players in Team Secret (formerly Bren Esports) in September 2021 as Team Secret had dominated the Filipino scene since the start of the game and are now looking to take back the crown.
Two other teams are also looking for redemption in NAOS Esports and Action PH, both of which represented the Philippines alongside South Built Esports at Stage 1 APAC Challengers with Action PH falling short in the Play-In Stage, and NAOS finishing at the bottom of their group in the Group Stage.
But we can’t forget the Oasis Gaming, topping their group last stage, but falling short to Action PH in 0-2 fashion, they’ve got a lot to prove, originally coming through the Open Qualifier, Oasis are looking to cement themselves among the best in the Philippines.
VIETNAM
Vietnamese teams are going to be fighting an uphill battle, considered one of the weakest regions in Southeast Asia as all three Vietnamese teams failed to qualify for the Bracket Stage, with both CERBERUS Esports and Fancy United Esports not making it out of the Group Stage, and the third team, Team Big BAAM failing to qualify for Groups.
Domestically, these three teams have been able to regularly take maps off of each other, but struggle on the international stage, so on paper, things are not going to be easy for Vietnam as a region.
I personally think the implementation of imported coaches from other countries and regions can drastically improve the teams as they develop strats to counter the likes of Thai and MY/SG teams.
HONG KONG & TAIWAN
Considered by many to be in the same category as Vietnam as one of the weakest regions, the Hong Kong and Taiwan (HK/TW) teams are going to have to fight tooth-and-nail to prove themselves on the inter-regional level.
As of writing this, the HK/TW Challenger league has already started and the previous winners, Oblivion Force have already lost their first game to a revamped roster of fellow HK/TW representative Griffin E-Sports, a team that they narrowly defeated 3-2 in the last domestic finals.

With that said, the entire region is up in the air at the moment. Who’s going to come out on top? We just don’t know. Oblivion Force hasn’t made an roster changes as of yet so we will have to see as throughout the next coming weeks whether they can bounce back or if Griffin or even a new team will be able to be the next kings of Hong Kong and Taiwan.
OUR PREDICTION
So who from SEA do I think is going to go far and represent APAC this time around? Well, this pretty much goes without saying but Paper Rex is a given. They put on an amazing performance in Reykjavík and I’m looking forward to seeing them play on the international stage once again.

As for the other representative, many will probably predict XERXIA due to their consistent dominance through out the APAC region but I think that there’s new challenger, I wholehearted believe that Bleed eSports has a chance to qualify.
For those of you who watched last APAC stage then you’ll know that XERXIA and Bleed have gone head-to-head before, with XERXIA coming out on top. But what you need to consider is that at the time, Bleed were ill-prepared and under-practiced.

Now given time to prepare and develop on strategies and overall team cohesion, I think they stand more than a chance to take down the Thai titans in XERXIA.
WHERE TO KEEP UP TO DATE?
If you’re looking to keep up to date with the domestic Challenger leagues throughout Southeast Asia, below will be information along with links to where you can watch.

MALAYSIA & SINGAPORE

Dates: May 12 – May 29, 2022
Live: Twitch / Facebook / VeraEsports

INDONESIA

Dates: May 12 – May 29, 2022
Live: YouTube / Twitch

THAILAND

Dates: May 12 – May 29, 2022
Live: YouTube / Twitch / Facebook

PHILIPPINES

Dates: May 11 – May 29, 2022
Live: YouTube / Twitch / Facebook

VIETNAM

Dates: May 12 – May 29, 2022
Live: YouTube / Facebook

HONG KONG & TAIWAN

Dates: May 11 – May 29, 2022
Live: YouTube / Twitch


These VTubers Will Be Promoting Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy

VTuber agency Hololive is still doing collabs with video game publishers for major games, with the latest being Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy by Square Enix and Eidos Montreal.
The VTubers who will be at the forefront will be Inugami Korone, Shirakami Fubiki, and Oozora Subaru; the trio will be streaming the game starting on release date: 26th October. Square Enix also plans to give away GotG merchandise for viewers watching the stream. Five Hololive fans who win the giveaway during the stream will receive a gift box containing a Star-Lord T-Shirt, Star-Lord cap, journal, water bottle, and socks.

?????????#???????????????????????????????????Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy???????10?26???????????
?????????????????
????????https://t.co/NNDrg4ADVF#??????????????
— ???????????????? (@hololivetv) October 22, 2021

Here are their schedules (in GMT+8)
Oozora Subaru: Starts at 9pm on 10/26 (Tuesday)
Shirakami Fubuki: Starts at 8pm on 10/27 (Wednesday)
Inugami Korone: Starts at 9pm on 10/29 (Friday)

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy will be out tomorrow on Tuesday, 26th October. Stay tuned for our review later at 9pm GMT+8.


Our Favourite Pop Culture Super Bowl Commercials Of 2023

We don’t usually tune in to silly American football and sports, but we do check out the awesome spectacle and marketing bits around it.
We’ve covered the new Flash, Transformers, and Super Mario Bros trailers/promos, but what about the rest? Here are our top picks that seem to follow a nostalgia cash-grabbing theme.
Sylvester Stallone’s Cliffhanging (Paramount)

Paramount’s Mountain of Entertainment stream ad showcases characters from a bunch of shows under the streaming service -from Beavis & Butthead to Star Trek- watching Sylvester Stallone (Rocky, Rambo) climb on a mountain that’s basically his face.
Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston Reunite (PopCorners)

I guess Breaking Bad is filed under “retro”. Aaron Paul, Bryan Cranston, and Raymond Cruz reprise their Breaking Bad roles but replace “meth” with “corn chips”.
Batman v Superman’s Bruce Wayne Does Drive-Thru (Dunkin Donuts)

Ben Affleck doing a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial where he does drive-thru. Doesn’t beat Al Pachino’s stint in the donut company though.
Steve Martin & Ben Stiller’s Acting Or Real? (Pepsi)

Are actor endorsements to be believed or it’s just acting? The fact that there’s a Steve Martin masterclass acting class just proves that Pepsi is on to something here.
Actual Rock Stars Taking Back The Name (Workday)

Business people throw the term “rock star” a lot; Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Billy Idol, and K.I.S.S. Paul Stanley prove them wrong in this ad.
Alicia Silverstone Goes Back To Being Clueless (Rakuten)

Didn’t think Rakuten would go so far with their ad campaigns as of late. Alicia Silverstone goes back to her iconic role as 90s character Cher Horowitz in this online shopping ad.
Netflix Movies & Will Ferrell (GM)

This commercial throws in Netflix shows like Squid Game and Bridgerton while Will Ferrell peddles electric vehicles from GM?
Caddyshack Homage With Serena Williams and Brian Cox (ULTRA)

No gopher though. But the Ultra beer that caused the rumble was the logical substitute.
Star Wars’ Adam Driver Times Infinite (SquareSpace)

We’re always down for a good scifi ad that’s kinda like Apple’s 1984 commercial. This one might be 2023’s finest.


The New Lion King Trailer Is Giving Us The Feels

Disney has released the first full-length official trailer for its upcoming The Lion King live-action remake, and it looks glorious. Director Jon Favreau‘s The Jungle Book must have been a test run or tech demo of some kind because the CGI wizardry on show here is leaps and bounds above anything we’ve ever seen before.
It feels like I’m watching a real-life documentary because that’s how realistic the visuals look. While most of the cast from the original animated 1994 classic has been changed, fans will be delighted to hear the legendary James Earl JonesÂ reprising his role as Mufasa. Listening to his narration in the trailer is giving me all the feels.
Disney’s line of live-action remakes of their beloved animated movies may have hit a road bump with last month’s Dumbo (check out our review of it here), but The Lion King will probably change that soon.
The Lion King boasts an all-star cast including Donald Glover as Simba, BeyoncÃ© Knowles-Carter as Nala, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, and more. It is slated to release on 18 July 2019.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below and relive your childhood memories.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTPh61a2qBA&w=560&h=315]


Here Are The Top 6 Teams In The realme PUBG League

realme’s PUBG Mobile League continues on 24 June as six Malaysian teams have made it to the regional section of the PUBG Mobile realme League and now stand a chance to win RM800 and represent the Malaysian region.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CHECK OUT OUR INITIAL ARTICLE
The competition continues on Friday, 24 June to Sunday, 26 June as the six teams will clash once again to see who truly deserves the top spot.
In anticipation for the final qualification, realme has invited your favourite Malaysian esports personalities to shoutcast the event. The lineup consists of Master Ramen, Soloz, J Hunters, Afiq Chii and Bella Livestream.
Teams

Glazer
Team HAQ
Todak
VIP Squad V2
Marlino AllStar
The Academy

The teams that move forward into regional levels are entitled to receive an RM800 prize on top of having a chance to win the grad prize of US$2,000. Top three winners of the realme PUBG League will be going back with a variety of realme products including the fan-favourite GT Series and other products.
Standings

WHERE TO WATCH?
The event will be streamed lived across Facebook, TikTok and bilibili.