Super Nintendo World Gets Official Opening Date of February 4th

super nintendo world mario kart koopas circuit

After months of uncertainty due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan finally has an opening date. It was, as recently as October, confirmed to be opening in "early 2021" which has now been confirmed, with the park opening its doors to the public on February 4th next year.

The attraction, which is based in Osaka, will be focused around "Physical, interactive experiences" and will have a range of shops, cafes and experiences for fans to enjoy when they arrive. Attendees will receive wristbands when they enter the park, which will allow them to collect virtual coins and character stamps, as well as offering them the chance to come together to take down bosses.

A handful of outlets, including Bloomberg, were offered a glimpse into what visitors can expect in February and there is plenty for fans to get excited about.

One of the main attractions at the park is Mario Kart: Koopa's Circuit. Based in Bowser's Castle, this augmented reality experience sees riders hop into a lifelike kart and don a pair of Super Mario AR googles. They will then "set off from Bowser's castle and race through different scenes including a lava level, underwater, a spooky area, Rainbow Road and more." While the ride is on rails, riders will still have a level of control, allowing them to collect power-ups and other items. It is noted however that there is no guarantee that every rider will win their race and that each experience will be unique.

Kurumi Mori from Bloomberg also reports that alongside the Super Mario themed section of the park, "which looks a little small", Nintendo is also building a brand new Donkey Kong area.

Looking at the promo videos and shots from inside of Bowser's Castle, it looks like no expense has been spared and an intense level of detail has gone into designing the park. Now, how do I get me some tickets to Super Nintendo World?

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PS5 Scalper Group Claims it Has Obtained Over 1,000 Xbox Series X Consoles

Since the release of the new consoles, there has been one group of people I think we all can universally point some frustration towards, scalpers. A group of scalpers that had claimed they had obtained more than 3,500 PS5 consoles is now claiming that they have obtained a large shipment of Xbox Series X consoles as well.

CrepChiefNotify is a UK based company that has recently launched inside the US. The company is said to utilize bot software (via VGC) to cut retail queues and purchase consoles automatically when the retailer gets them back in stock. On Sunday, the company managed to snag just over 1,000 Xbox Series X consoles from an unknown retailer.

ChepChiefNotify posted on its social media accounts and stated:  "We just notified our members of a Xbox Series X restock on a very well known online retailer. They have now managed to secure over 1000+ today and there's still many hours left. You snooze you lose."

I think it can go without saying that the company has received some slack online from consumers trying to get their hands on one of the new consoles. It is already hard enough for regular consumers to get their hands on a new system. Now that companies are able to bypass retailer queues, regular, every day people are in a losing battle.

Even though ChepChiefNotify was getting hounded online, the company defended its actions. It stated:

"Lots of our community have been furloughed, made redundant, or at some form of disadvantage due the pandemic. These people have managed to cover their bills, put food on the table and supply Christmas presents to their children. It may be unfortunate that a child won't wake up to a PS5 this Christmas, but another child may have woken up to nothing. We have no regrets.⁠"

Phil Spencer shared his thoughts on the situation and acknowledged the difficulties consumers are having purchasing a new console. He went on to state that Microsoft is brainstorming new ideas on how to implement pre-orders to try and avoid scalpers. One example given was that Microsoft would allow customers to put down a deposit and reserve a console with a guaranteed delivery date. Spencer stated: "We've had real discussions internally about, should I be able to reserve my slot? I'll put some money down, I know my machine's getting built January 20th, and I'll get it on February 1st. We have customers that would do that today."

Spencer continued: "We want people to feel like there's some consoles to go buy, and it's not just the day where everybody gets to go pick up their console. I don't know if that's the right decision in today's world. That's very old world thinking, people are going to go line up outside of a store, kind of last decade thinking. I think we should challenge ourselves on that. Is that really the supply chain through the consumer that we're talking about, that is a reality? We talked to our retail partners about this as well."

Phil Spencer reiterated comments made by Microsoft that shortages for the Xbox Series X will likely continue until April 2021.

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Danganronpa Cosplayer Embodies Villain Junko's Unhinged Nature

Danganronpa

The lovely Bayonetta cosplayer, Twitter user luna_miduki, is back in a stunning cosplay dressed as main Danganronpa villain Junko Enoshima. As always the best aspects of her cosplay are the level of detail in both costume and prop designs, as well as the expressiveness of her poses and expressions. And both can be seen in full force in her cosplay photos:

If you want more amazing cosplays from her, be sure to check out this piece here, this piece, and this piece with her first batch of photos, her official Twitter account here, and her official profile of published cosplays here and here.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary Archipel Caravan sat down with Danganronpa creator, game director, and writer Kazutaka Kodaka in a video interview as he spoke on his brainstorming and developing process. During said interview, Kodaka reveals some of his inspirations including David Lynch, animation director Kunihiko Ikuhara, and the works of Battle Royale, among others. He also details his strategy for when stuck in his creative process, which involves him restudying his favorite works, his approach to character designs, and more.

Kodaka mentioned his wish to celebrate Danganronpa's birthday with everyone around the world, and noted that nowadays it's mainly people outside Japan who support his games. Kazutaka Kodaka teased at the end of his message more projects related to the Danganronpa 10th anniversary are coming, other than the mobile ports.

In other major Danganronpa news, developer Spike Chunsoft is taking over publishing rights for the franchise moving forward. Original publisher NIS America announced on Twitter back in July that the titles on specific platforms will be removed from the PlayStation store with Spike Chunsoft taking over publishing duties. Each Danganronpa title has been removed from either the PS4 or PS Vita, with the last one leaving the store on September 25th. As of now, there is no news whether or not the games will be relisted following the change of structure.

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Control May Be Coming to Xbox Game Pass, According to Official Tweet

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Thanks to a rather tongue in cheek email posted to the official Xbox Game Pass Twitter account, we know that both PC and Xbox Game Pass will be getting some brand new additions. For instance, EA Play is coming to PC and other games with be coming to both consoles and PC — including Control:

The email that the tweet refers to stated that "…which our fans won't stop mentioning (that's why I sent you that .gif with the sinister red light)." A reference like that could only be referring to Control, since a traffic light flashing red is integral to part of the story and has become since iconic of the game. Hopefully this time gamers will actually get Control for Game Pass this time, as it would make a great addition to the service's collection.

In an interview with The Verge, Spencer was asked about Halo Infinite and its delay to 2021 with the Head of Xbox specifically saying that he still wishes that the game could have come when originally planned. "We wanted Halo at launch. We thought it would have been a real cultural moment for us as Xbox," Spencer said. "Last time we had done that was the original Xbox and Halo: CE."

However, he then went on to say: "In the long run, I think what's going to happen is we're going to get a better Halo game at a good time when people can actually get a console. I feel good about that. I think the game will be better for the time that we're giving it."

For more on the next-gen consoles, you can read our full review on the Xbox Series X right now from Logan Moore (Managing Editor), who had the system ahead of its launch last week. We also reviewed the Xbox Series S, which you can read here. You can also read up on what we know about both systems, as well as a brief comparison of their specs.

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Bloodborne (and More) Throwback Jewel Cases Dip Into PlayStation Nostalgia

Bloodborne From Software PS4 Father Gascione Gascoigne Companion NPC Leak Secret NPC Demake

If you have some of your fondest gaming memories in the 90's, there is just something absolutely nostalgic about old-school crystal cases. And while the new packaging is way less fragile, it's hard not to imagine how the latest PlayStation titles would look in square cases. Thankfully, London-based Etsy creator Jinn Media is making those dreams come true — recreating PS4 and PS5 box arts for games like Bloodborne, The Last of Us: Part II, and Demon's Souls.

News comes from Jinn Media's official Instagram page, where they have been debuting off some of their latest additions to their shop. This includes a recently-revealed Bloodborne crystal case demake:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jinn Media (@jinn.media)

As you might imagine, this is far from the only version of a demake we've seen from Jinn Media. A quick browse of their dedicated Etsy page shows that they've tackled other projects, including Ghost of Tsushima, Demon's Souls, God of War, and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. In case you are interested in grabbing any of them for a display case, you can nab one for roughly $30.

Bloodborne TLOU The Last of Us PS5 PS4 Demake PS1 Bloodborne Demons Souls PS5 Demake PS1 Bloodborne Assassin's Creed Valhalla PS5 Demake PS1 Spider-Man Miles Morales PS5 Demake PS1

Jinn Media is far from the first person to take on these kind of projects. A few years back we highlighted the Kingdom Hearts 3 throwback jewel case that grabbed our attention around the launch. On top of that, the community is always looking for new ways to celebrate the game — including making an incredible (and functional) threaded cane.

In recent Bloodborne news, the game is still locked at 30 FPS when playing on the PS5 via backward compatibility. As noted, the game would likely need an update to hit contemporary performance-level standards on PS5.

Bloodborne is available now exclusively on PS4 (and playable on PS5); if you haven't somehow picked up the game, you can grab it on Amazon to help support DualShockers.

The post Bloodborne (and More) Throwback Jewel Cases Dip Into PlayStation Nostalgia by Lou Contaldi appeared first on DualShockers.

Saudi Arabia x SNK Deal Aims to Influence Kids with Japanese Games

SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy Mohamed bin Salman SNK Saudi Arabia Crown Prince

Following a string of reports that SNK was receiving heavy investment from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, many were left puzzled. Why exactly is the Middle East jumping into bed with Japanese developers, and is this part of a broader strategy? Following an announcement from the MiSK Foundation (Mohammed bin Salman's official non-profit), we now know that Saudi Arabia is hoping to gain full control of the company in a bid to influence young audiences.

For those catching up, it was reported earlier this week that SNK was being acquired by Saudi Arabia and the Crown Prince. While those rumors may have exaggerated the 33% minority ownership interest that the Middle East country acquired, there was still some speculation on what the intentions were between the two countries.

As noted above, MiSK Foundation (a non-profit political arm of Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Salman) clarified the news following the mixed reports. In a blog post on their page, the Foundation clarified that they currently only have a 33% interest but intend on taking majority control in the near future:

The Mohammed Bin Salman Charitable Foundation "MiSK Charity" announced a strategic investment of about 813 million riyals [$216.8 million], whereby it acquires an initial share in the Japanese games company SNK at a rate of 33.3%.

[The] agreement also stipulates that the corporation will buy another 17.7% of SNK's shares in the future to raise its share of investment in the ownership of the company to 51%.

Speaking to the broader strategy of these investments, MiSK Foundation implies directly it is to engage with youth audiences — mostly in Saudi Arabia — in order to get them more globally oriented and interested in game development. MiSK Foundation cites current programs to develop Saudi youth and develop and hone creative talents.

Of course, MiSK Foundation itself is acting as a non-official spokesperson for Saudi Arabia, so there is some broader concern from our staff (and the gaming community at large) on what the actual intentions may be. Saudi Arabia has a storied history of censorship, and their influence on the Japanese market may mean more toned-down games, without as much explicit fan service — looking at you, SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy.

Additionally, Mohammed bin Salman has largely been stained in the United States following the unofficially backed assassination of Washington Post journalist and critic Jamal Khashoggi. There is an argument to be made that the ultimate purpose of these purchases may be to help influence public PR — especially with younger audiences — to a more beneficial relationship with Saudi Arabia

In any case, we will keep you updated with any developments from SNK or Saudi Arabia — we have reached out to the former for comment, and we have not yet got a response.

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A Demon's Souls Player Noticed the PS5 Records Audio When it Captures Trophy Gameplay

Demon's Souls PS5 Gameplay

This is undoubtedly a feature that might go unnoticed to some. The PS5 will record your mic audio when the console is recording a clip after unlocking a trophy. A Demon's Souls player didn't know it was a feature and discovered it after letting out a victorious scream after defeating a boss.

The Redditor u/helloiamjack uploaded the clip to the PS5 subreddit. In the clip, they have just defeated the Tower Knight boss in the newly released Demon's Souls remake. After defeating the brutal boss, u/helloiamjack lets out a loud "yes!" You can watch the clip in the post below.

First time Souls player. I didn't realise that the PS5 records your microphone's audio whenever you get a trophy. Whoops. from r/PS5

The DualSense controller has a surprisingly good microphone inside of it that you can use for party chat and for other things, such as capturing this moment. The mic is turned on by default and can be adjusted in the settings.

If you didn't know that the PS5 captures audio during its trophy recording clips, maybe go back and take a look at some. You might be in for a surprise. Some other folks around the internet have already done so and discoved that they too have let out some screams after finally besting a level or boss. Here is the Reddit user  u/SCOUSETOMO2003 going back to discover a similar moment.

First time Souls player. I didn't realise that the PS5 records your microphone's audio whenever you get a trophy. Whoops. from r/PS5

I am sure this feature is going to capture some great moments. Especially in FromSoftware games. I think you can guess the reason why.

The post A Demon's Souls Player Noticed the PS5 Records Audio When it Captures Trophy Gameplay by Grant Huff appeared first on DualShockers.

An Amateur Game Developer Has Remade the CD-i Zelda Games

Zelda The Wand of Gamelon

What first started off as a joke between friends, has turned into a full-fledged remake for two of the most questionable games to bolster the Zelda name. Those two games: Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon for the Phillips CD-i.

Both of the games were developed by Animation Magic and published by Phillips Interactive media back in 1993. The games might be based on the iconic Nintendo series, but many fans would like to forget that the games exist. Many believe they are the worst games in the franchise and I honestly don't know how anyone would disagree with that statement.

With that said, there was still one amateur developer who wanted to bring these games back to life with a remake. The dev goes by the name Dopply on Twitter. They believed that Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon were great games to learn how to the game engine GameMaker. The process took just over four years, but both titles have now been completely remade.

The dev responded to some questions in a FAQ, mainly responding on why they decided to do it. Dopply stated: ""I wanted to prove to myself that I could make a game. It started as a joke between friends, but then I wanted to see if I could actually pull it off. I've flirted with game making for a while but never finished something. This was my chance to do that (well, over the course of four years, I guess). Over time, remastered versions of these notorious titles was something I wanted for myself as well."

The newly remade games come packed with widescreen mode, subtitles, unlockables, improved sprites, and a remastered mode that improve the quality of play. On top of that, the game was made again from scratch so there will be great improvements to areas that certainly needed them such as enemy spawns and player movement.

If you do decide to jump into the two remakes, I wouldn't expect for your mind to be blown. What do they always say? You can't polish a turd. With that said though, the game will certainly be improved in areas that it needed it. What does Dopply think of it though? He stated: "I think they're alright. These new versions definitely improve them, in my humble opinion. They have a terrible reputation, save for the hilarious cutscenes (which I adore and never got old throughout hundreds of hours of testing, by the way) but as far as games, if you give them non-horrific control schemes and decent performance, they're fine. As a connoisseur of bad and weird games, I've most definitely played worse."

But Dopply does have some positive reflections on certain aspects of the remakes. "I also think the background art is genuinely gorgeous, and the music is fantastic. I'm excited for people to experience the excellent soundtrack for the first time."

I am astonished someone took the time and effort to improve these games. I am sure many of us Zelda fans out there would like to forget that they exist. But the Zelda community is a special one that loves to preserve the history of the franchise, even if the said franchise has had some dark moments.

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Genshin Impact: Zhongli Gacha Banner, Drop Rate Boost Characters Guide

miHoYo announced the fourth limited gacha banner in Genshin Impact (PC, PS4, PS5, Mobile, Switch soon), with Zhongli as the featured character. Saying more about Zhongli would be spoilers. Genshin has an incredibly fun story so far and I sure hope you guys aren't skipping the dialogues in 2020. In the best dub, Zhongli (pronounced Shouri in Japanese and called "Shouri Sensei") is voiced by Tomoaki Maeno, who most notably voices Hiro Hayami in Pretty Rhythm, the best anime of the past decade. Maeno also voices Ash Carbide in the Kiseki / Trails series. Needless to say, I highly respect the work of Keith Silverstein and of all the English cast as well. Yes, this guide wasn't written by a robot, and includes opinions. Be warned.

"Vago Mundo" Zhongli is a five star Geo user, and a Polearm user. His Elemental Burst most notably lets him petrify enemies.

The Zhongli banner in Genshin Impact, Gentry of Hermitage, will begin on December 1, 18:00 (server time). The banner will last till December 22, at 14:59:59 (server time).

First, the pity counter transfers from one Limited banner to another. Secondly, the pity counter limit is still 90. At your 90th pull, you'll get a guaranteed 5 star, with a 50% chance to get the feature character. If you don't get them, next time you reach your 90th pull, it's guaranteed to be the feature character. This also carries over. For example, if you reached your 90th pull on the Childe banner. But didn't get Childe. You are guaranteed to get Zhongli on your next 90th pull.

Talents Guide For Zhongli

Genshin Impact Zhongli normal attack guide Genshin Impact Zhongli Elemental Burst guide

miHoYo published official visual guides depicting Zhongli's skills. Zhongli's Elemental Skill is Dominus Lapidis. With a tap, it summons a Stone Stele. Can be climbed and used to block attacks. It deals AoE Geo DMG, and also resonates with other Geo constructs. Additionally dealing more Geo DMG.

When charged, Dominus Lapidis creates a shield, with DMG Absorption scaling with Zhongli's max HP. Moreover, it absorbs Geo DMG 250% more, and deals AoE Geo DMG on trigger.

Regarding Zhongli's Elemental Burst, there's been some controversy following Ver 1.2 leaks. Personally, I believe you should wait and see until Zhongli is actually in the game instead of making assumptions. There's zero guarantee what was leaked is what will be in the main game. Especially seeing miHoYo's reaction.

Other Characters On The Banner:

As usual, three four star characters also have a drop rate boost. This time, it's "Blazing Riff" Xinyan (Pyro, Claymore). "Frozen Ardor" Chongyun (Cryo, Claymore). And "Wolf Boy" Razor (Electro, Claymore).

Xinyan is a brand new character, and we detailed her Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst.

How to Get Zhongli

Genshin Impact is a gacha, so there's no method to it. It's entirely luck, unless you have enough Primogems to hit the pity counter.

You should have stacked a lot of Primogems if you were waiting for Zhongli and didn't pull on the Childe banner at all. The Unreconciled Stars event helped to get some Primos as well.  Moreover, I wouldn't recommend aiming for duplicates for Constellations. Getting Zhongli more than once would require you to be incredibly lucky. Or to be whaling harder than Japanese fishers violating international law.

A new weapon banner, Epitome Invocation, will be launching too on December 1, 1800 (server times):

Exclusive 5-star weapons Vortex Vanquisher (Polearm) and The Unforged (Claymore) have a drop boost on it. As usual, I definitely wouldn't recommend pulling on the weapon banner. Getting new characters is way more fun. If you pull, there's a change you'll pull the 5 star weapon type you didn't want. It's too dangerous. Moreover, rather than getting 5 star weapons, I'd recommend focusing your efforts on getting Artifacts with good substats. It's your choice though. You can definitely see no issue pulling like crazy if  you're loaded like a Saudi Prince. No wonder he's buying SNK.when he's eliminating his criticizers faster than Geese would back at South Town.

The first part of Zhongli's character quest will be coming as well: Historia Antiqua:

Genshin Impact Zhongli Character Tales Trailer

As of now the gameplay video detailing Zhongli wasn't published yet by miHoYo.

At the end of the day, don't forget Genshin is a game and about having fun. Ultimately, you should be making your own decisions for your own enjoyment. Instead of following SEO driven guides like this one, streamers and VTubers.

The post Genshin Impact: Zhongli Gacha Banner, Drop Rate Boost Characters Guide by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.

Pokemon Face Masks are Here and Available in 151 Different Patterns

android, Game Freak, iOS, Nintendo, Pokemon, Pokemon Shield, Pokemon Sword, Pokemon Sword and Shield expansions, Pokemon: Let's Go, Switch, The Crown Tundra, The Isle of Armor, the pokemon company

What products can't the franchise juggernaut Pokemon churn out? Because now we have another example of how flexible this billion dollar brand is with the reveal of official Pokemon-themed face masks. Available in 151 unique and absolutely stunning patterns styled after the original Kanto critters, they're sure to please most:

pokemon masks

According to the Original Stitch site, you first choose a pattern and then the color of the mesh material that goes underneath. It comes in two sizes, medium and small, and will ship in approximately 5-6 weeks from the order date. Currently masks only ship to the following regions: Japan, United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, India, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. You can order your own mask here.

In recent news, the official Pokemon Twitter account announced that the franchise will hold some sort of "celebration" in 2021 to mark the series' 25 year anniversary. And until November 30th, as part of the Crown Tundra promotional event, players can still obtain Pikachu wearing the original, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Partner caps by using different codes.

Two new expansion packs for the mainline games, called Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra, both released this year. The former launched in June 2020 and the latter launched on October 22nd. A remake of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX for Nintendo Switch also released in March — you can read our review here.

According to Nintendo's recent financial results, Pokemon Sword and Shield are now the third best selling Pokemon games of all time. The pair have now sold 18.22 million copies in just nine months and sit just behind Gold and Silver in the lifetime sales chart. And if you're one of those buyers, reading up on our guide on how to train Pokemon EVs and breed perfect IVs for competitive play is a great way to learn how to strengthen your team.

From Nintendo's nine-month earnings report, it was revealed that Sword and Shield has sold more than 16 million copies since its November release, becoming the biggest highlight in an already strong fiscal year for the company. The latest NPD data, the latest installment in the long running series has the highest launch month dollar sales in Pokemon franchise history. And for the month of November, Sword was the third best selling game, the double pack including both titles ranking at fourth place, and Shield being in fifth place. However, if you combined those sales then total it would bring them to the number two spot.

Pokemon Sword and Shield released for Nintendo Switch on November 15th, 2019. Meanwhile check out our in-depth review for the game here, in which the News Editor states that "Sword and Shield are a lot of fun, even if the series is experiencing growing pains with the transition to home consoles." You can purchase Sword here and Shield here.

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