GamersHeroes Saturday, November 23, 2024 5:23 PM Creator of arcade megahits Rampage, Discs of Tron, and Spy Hunter, Game Designer, Artist, and Animator Brian F. Colin will be sharing valuable anecdotal insights into the early days of arcade history at Sac Gamers Expo 2024. The post Sac Gamers Expo 2024 Welcomes Rampage Creator Brian F. Colin appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Saturday, November 23, 2024 5:23 PM Omega Force and Koei Tecmo have revealed the digital pre-order bonuses for their upcoming title DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS. The post DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS Digital Pre-Order Bonuses Detailed appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Saturday, November 23, 2024 12:00 PM  Pokémon TCG Pocket is absorbing hours (and dollars) by the thousands since it came out, but it's not always great about highlighting the features that can make your time with it better. We've got a good example waiting for you in this roundup. Also, we'll help you bypass a potentially frustrating limitation you'll… |
PCGamesN Saturday, November 23, 2024 12:53 PM  It's astonishing to think it's been seven years since the last mainline entry, but hack-and-slash action RPG Dynasty Warriors Origins is finally taking us back to the Three Kingdoms. I've got fond memories of sitting around bashing my way through hordes of enemy troops and remembering all too late to not pursue Lu Bu. Now, it's making its grand return, and you can get a feel for what to expect right now thanks to a new demo that's already proving rather popular on Steam. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Dynasty Warriors Origins release date, Best action games, Best war games |
PCGamesN Saturday, November 23, 2024 12:48 PM  Arkane founder and Dishonored co-creative director |
PCGamesN Saturday, November 23, 2024 11:55 AM  2024 has seen a real flood of strong new contenders to challenge the best survival games on Steam, with the likes of Palworld, Enshrouded, and Sons of the Forest joining long-time stalwarts such as Rust, Ark, and Valheim. Once Human might have slowed down a touch from launch, but the free-to-play game is still riding high. Of course, that also means a flood of player feedback. In a new blog, developer Starry Studio outlines "major balance adjustments" coming to weapon builds in December, but promises that it will try its best to avoid nerfs where possible. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best sandbox games, Best open-world games, Best survival games |
PCGamesN Saturday, November 23, 2024 11:37 AM  I've got nothing but respect for the effort Starbreeze continues to put into Payday 3. At the tail end of 2023, all seemed lost for the sequel, especially when compared to the ongoing success of Payday 2, but that's slowly been turning around. Starbreeze has spent this year chipping away at some of the shooter's most severe problems while adding fresh content to keep players coming back. Now, Payday 3 is returning to 2011 with a new version of the first game's initial heist, and it's free for all players. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best co-op games on PC, The best crime games on PC, The best FPS games |
Siliconera Saturday, November 23, 2024 3:00 PM
In shojo manga, romantic relationships between the main characters and sometimes even other members of the cast can be the priority. After all, many of them are set up to follow first loves, star-crossed couples, and so on. Bride of the Barrier Master of course does that, but in the third volume we also get to see it explore other types of relationships by letting us see how various pairs of siblings interact.
Editor's Note: There are some spoilers for volume 3 of the Bride of the Barrier Master shojo manga below.
When Bride of the Barrier Master began, we ended up introduced to the bad relationship between the twin siblings Hana and Hazuki. Because Hana didn't developer her powers at the same time as her sister, she was treated abysmally by her family. So when they did appear and she turned out to be one of the most powerful potential members of the Association of Practitioners, she decided she'd prefer a peaceful life and hide them. Saku, her now-husband, discovered she wasn't what she seemed, married her for the sake of maintaining and repairing the barriers, and now we're definitely seeing their love story as they grow closer to each other.
But since then, we've gotten to see other siblings. One is the dynamic between Saku and his younger brother Nozomu. Nozomu adores his brother, but has a complex that keeps him from getting close to him. He sees himself as so inferior, he keeps putting himself down, badmouthing his brother, and increasing the gulf between them. Saku doesn't see him as a burden or problem, but Nozomu can't get that. So much so that when Hana came into the picture in the second volume, he treated her poorly too. But upon a certain interaction the Nijouin twins at Hana's behest in volume 3, we get to finally see him clear the air with her. As a result, we also see growth from him and new potential with his relationship with Saku.
Speaking of the Nijouin twins, Kikyou and Kiriya present yet another interesting foil we can use as a comparison for existing characters upon their introduction in Bride of the Barrier Master volume 3. They're the third pair of siblings and second pair of twins in the shojo manga. However, the two get along incredibly well and show tremendous care for each other. While Kikyou takes the lead in the pair, much like Hazuki likely did between her and Hana, her treatment of Kiriya is far kinder. Likewise. we see Kiriya's consideration and willingness to step up for her. It's a dynamic that allows us to better understand how "bad" things got between Hana and Hazuki and the potential for how Practitioner families could be.
In a way, it also feels like Bride of the Barrier Master is setting up Hana to perhaps have a better relationship with her twin sister Hazuki. Which would be great, because it would continue the story progress we started to see in volume 2. Kureha is maintaining its clever tone, keeping Hana a strong individual, while also not making the focus be entirely about two people getting together in the end. I'm hoping it means Hana and Hazuki get a chance to recover from what their parents' toxic relationship did to them.
It is great when shojo manga prioritize relationships other than romantic ones, and I loved getting to see Bride of the Barrier Master do that with its sets of siblings. Especially since they aren't all happy ones. We get to see characters grow as a result of their interactions with one another, plus perhaps the promise of one getting a second chance to become a healthier one.
Bride of the Barrier Master volume 3 will launch on November 26, 2024 via Yen Press, and volume 4 of the manga doesn't have a release date yet.
The post Bride of the Barrier Master Volume 3 Compares Sibling Relationships appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Saturday, November 23, 2024 12:00 PM
The Hyper Mega Tech! Super Pocket from Evercade maker Blaze Entertainment is intended as an easy entry point for its ecosystem of cartridges, as well as an affordable standalone stocking stuffer candidate. We looked at the first two devices in the line, showcasing built-in games from Capcom and Taito, but now the company's added two more options: Technos and Atari.
The Super Pocket is a 60-buck device that takes the full game-playing capability of the Evercade EXP handheld and fits it into the form factor of a particularly robust bar of soap. There are a few compromises, as we discussed before: the inputs are a little stiffer, and the shoulder button placement isn't the best. It seems like it'd be fine for kids, though we see it fitting into an adult's life a bit better as a portable companion device for the TV-tethered Evercade VS (and VS-R). That way, if you're really serious about playing something, you can upgrade your setup in a pinch but still keep a pocketable option.
For the first time we've seen in Evercade history, these Super Pockets cause something of a licensing overlap. The first two were Capcom, a company that Blaze has found it easier to license as built-in software, and Taito, which has only appeared on that one device. The second wave of Super Pockets, Technos and Atari? Those companies have a history with Evercade. That said, both of those licensors' carts are out of print, so it might not affect that many of you?
Still, if you want to know the breakdown, here it is! The Technos Super Pocket contains 15 games. Five were on the Technos home cart: Crash 'n' the Boys, Double Dragon, Super Double Dragon, Super Spike V'Ball and River City Ransom. The three from that cart that didn't make it: the NES versions of Double Dragon 2, Renegade and Super Dodge Ball. Six inclusions were on the Technos arcade collection: Block Out, The Combatribes, Double Dragon 2, Double Dragon 3, Minky Monkey and Mysterious Stones. That leaves only motorcycle action game Battle Lane Vol. 5 and wrestling title Mania Challenge as that cart's only exclusives.
The brand-new-to-Blaze titles on the Technos model are the Game Boy port of Double Dragon, the arcade version of Super Dodge Ball and the original arcade Double Dragon release. It's perhaps understandable that these weren't on the old carts — none of them are really the preferred version of their games — but for Technos fans, they're cool to see here.
The Atari Super Pocket has a whopping 50 games, so there's both a ton of overlap and a generous list of exclusives! So given that, let's look at the new games in particular. First, it's an opportunity to fill in the gaps of Blaze's already-fairly-generous Lynx representation. There's Kung Food, the groceries-themed beat-'em-up known for how weird it is. Rounding out the selection is Dirty Larry: Renegade Cop, Robo-Squash, Turbo Sub and Warbirds.
This also marks the first appearance of the Atari 5200. Bounty Bob Strikes Back!, Countermeasure, Final Legacy, Miner 2049'er and Xari Arena make for a rather flattering cameo for the ill-fated system's library. As we found out when covering Atari 50, the software support wasn't necessarily there for that platform to succeed. Still! Nice to see. There are a handful of other exclusives, too! Like maybe you're a big fan of Berzerk and Frenzy? That said, players have had a ton of opportunities to get budget devices with some Atari games on it. So it's nice for it to be part of the lineup, but probably less interesting for a more plugged-in audience.
We noted this when we talked about the first batch, but this approach really allows them to make the systems fun just by swapping out the colors. Technos is blue and white, while Atari is black and red. There was even a limited edition woodgrain model, which was a nice touch! This larger lineup introduces the possibility for swapping the decorative cartridge slot cover, but with the options we have now, we're not sure there's one that makes sense. (Also, as a minor note: the white in the Technos model is not the off-white of all the Evercade cartridges, so just be prepared for that not to match.) We're big fans of Technos around here just generally, but we'd understand choosing the Atari model as a blind gift for a young relative. Those games are timeless for a reason.
Blaze Entertainment's latest Hyper Mega Tech! Super Pocket models, Technos Edition and Atari Edition, are available now. For more coverage of the company's Evercade line of devices and game collections, check out our archive.
The post Super Pocket Technos and Atari Models Bring More Evercade-Compatible Options appeared first on Siliconera. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, November 23, 2024 5:23 PM The game now supports PlayStation 5 Pro. The post THE FINALS Now on PS5 PRO, PlayStation 4 Release Date Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, November 23, 2024 4:39 PM A new trailer was also released. The post Action RPG Mandragora Release Date Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, November 23, 2024 3:42 PM A trailer was also released. The post Xbox Game Pass Cloud Streaming for Owned Games is Available Now appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |