News:: Review: Kamiko

It isn't every day that we here at Destructoid review imports, but like Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 which I also reviewed, Kamiko also features an all lady cast and offers an English translation if you grab it from the Japanese eShop. For a mere 500 Yen, which Google tells me is currently $4.60 USD, it was worth making a Japanese account and taking a chance on. 

Also, if should be noted that as of writing, Kamiko hasn't been announced for release outside of Japan, but it's highly unlikely that it won't be. But if you're like me and can't wait, you can either buy it with a credit card off the eShop if your card supports it, or if it doesn't, you can grab Japanese eShop credit from Amazon Japan pretty easily. 

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News:: Star Trek Online raises the stakes in its Season 13 update

These are the voyages of Star Trek Online, and if the latest content "season" is anything to go by, they're about to get quite a bit more competitive. Cryptic and Perfect World have beamed down Season 13, "Escalation," and change is afoot for the long-lasting licensed MMO.

Season 13's party piece is a long-awaited balance update for space combat in STO (ground combat got its rebalance in the previous season). The changes are aimed at applying a cortical stimulator to the game's quiescent PVP scene, as well as introducing improvements to matchmaking and new content focused on objective-based "competitive co-op."

The more solo-inclined aren't left completely cold, however, as Season 13 also continues the ongoing story arc, this time sending players deep into the Alpha Quadrant to investigate the Tzenkethi threat, as well as unravel an old mystery involving the newly introduced aliens, the Lukari. As ever, all this is free to access for players, but those willing to pay can snag some spiffy new spaceships to fly, such as zippy Escort vessels designed by the cat-like Caitians and their jerk cousins the Ferasans, or a slightly less absurd take on Star Trek: Nemesis' Scimitar warbird. 

The update is live now on PC, and should show up on console platforms within a few weeks, based on the pacing of updates so far.

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News:: Oh dang, Persona 5 is getting a vinyl set

The next vinyl from iam8bit is a big one: Persona 5! It's such a good candidate that I can see it pushing people into game vinyl ownership for the first time -- assuming they have the money.

There will be two sets, both of which will ship in Q4 2017:

• The Essential Edition ($100) with four records featuring a curated track listing.
• The Deluxe Edition ($175, limited to 1,000) with six records featuring all 110 songs.

If you're wondering about the strange cover, that thing is just a placeholder.

For this vinyl release, iam8bit is bringing fans behind the scenes with videos, photos, and interviews chronicling its creation, from mastering to test presses to vinyl production and packaging. And at the end of it all, we'll see the final album art, which will be "the result of an intimate collaboration between iam8bit, Atlus, SEGA and a to be announced, top secret artist."

Persona 5 Vinyl Soundtrack [iam8bit]

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News:: Joker puts a smile on that face in newest Injustice 2 gameplay trailer

Taking a bit of visual influence from multiple incarnations of the character, Joker has a pretty strong showing in his Injustice 2 debut. While Richard Epcar (who also provided the voice of the Joker in Injustice: Gods Among Us)'s voice doesn't quite gel with the new design, everything else is neat. It might be the crazy lighting of Joker's mad house stage, or the little touches of blood on his person, but this new Joker seems pretty vicious. 

Sharing some moves from the previous game, at least there seem to be plenty of new things that should make Joker fans happy. That super is probably the best we've seen yet, too. Seeing as how Joker is presumably the final addition to the initial Injustice 2 roster (we've already seen the first DLC character, Darkseid), what do you think of the lineup? 

Are there any characters you hope will be added in the future? Do you care about those Source Crystals? 

Injustice 2 is out on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One May 16.

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News:: Nintendo talks NES Classic discontinuation: 'we don't have unlimited resources'

The NES Classic has sold 2.3 million units worldwide, according to Nintendo. And now the nostalgic little device -- which was originally meant to be "a product for last holiday" -- is discontinued. Were you able to get your hands on one? I tried once, online, but my "F5" mashing wasn't quick enough.

Speaking to Time, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé provided the updated sell-in figure and some slight elaboration on why the company is done with the Classic despite its popularity.

"Even with that extraordinary level of performance, we understand that people are frustrated about not being able to find the system, and for that we really do apologize," said Fils-Aimé. "But from our perspective, it's important to recognize where our future is and the key areas that we need to drive. We've got a lot going on right now and we don't have unlimited resources."

It's probable that Nintendo will one day bring back the device or an updated version of it, but as things stand today, there are "no plans to produce more NES Classic Edition systems for NOA regions."

I wasn't all that heartbroken about missing out on this, but if the SNES variant becomes a reality and they're similarly hard to track down, I'm liable to spend way too much money getting one second-hand.

Nintendo Says it Sold Over 2 Million NES Classics [Time]

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News:: An old man and some kids dressed up to sell you this Dragon Quest PS4

Sometimes marketing can go horribly wrong. Writing a commercial that involve a crazy old man telling the story of Dragon Quest to a pair of children, then proceeding to orgasmically playing a gaming console is a example of when it can go perfectly right.

All of this is to peddle yet another special edition PS4 -- a blue special edition with another adorable slim latched onto it. It's sexy for sure, as is the blue controller with the fairly muted Dragon Quest symbols on it (the PS4 theme is pretty nice too). 

Naturally it's exclusive to Japan and will likely stay that way, but you can import it if you really want.

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News:: Strafe is getting three collector's editions because why not?

The upcoming retro throwback Strafe is going to have three different collector's editions available for purchase. Even though I've been enjoying the game ahead of review, I don't know how I feel about all these crazy collector's sets; at least they look super neat. There is also a PS4 edition, which I didn't even know existed (I thought the game was PC exclusive).

The first bundle (going for $44.95, limited to 1,000 copies) is called the Strafe Throwback Collector's Edition and it includes a download code for the game, '90s era floppy disks, pogs, "indoor" sunglasses, the soundtrack on cassette and some pins. The second bundle is called the Strafe Vinyl Collector's Edition and it contains the soundtrack on two records (available in regular or limited Red/Yellow discs) along with some bitchin artwork and a download code for the game. The final version is PS4 Collector's Box ($24.95, limited to 2,000 copies) which contains the game on a Blu-Ray along with a download code for the PC version.

As for the game, proper, it will be launching May 9 for $19.99 on Steam for PC and Mac. If you pre-order the game now, you'll unlock some weapon that I have no idea about. The specific weapons aren't really that important, so don't feel too bad if you miss out.

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News:: Tekken 7 on the Switch? Fat chance, says producer Harada

GameSpot had a chance to talk to Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada about getting Tekken 7 on the Switch, and prospects do not like good.

According to Harada, "Officially, we can't really comment on that because our company has strict policy about which titles we talk about for Switch,. But personally, we've been so busy with trying to master up Tekken for the current platforms that we haven't really had enough time to study the hardware. We couldn't even buy it -- it was sold out every time we went to look for it."

That's so bizarre to me! This giant publisher can't get some random employee to find them a unit or borrow one -- but that's a common story, especially among larger indie developers. In terms of going out of their way for a Nintendo platform it's obvious that Bandai Namco felt kind of burned by Tekken Tag Tournament 2 on the Wii U, so these comments, whether they're true or not, indicate that they don't really want to jump into the platform with a fighting franchise just yet.

Even Capcom is kind of half-heartedly dipping their toes into the water with a 2D fighter that shares a lot of the same content as a release from a few generations ago.

Tekken 7 Boss [GameSpot]

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News:: Dynasty Warriors 9 news is just on the horizon

So uh, is Dynasty Warriors 9 still coming? We haven't heard anything really since December of last year. Naturally, this article should be a clue -- yes, it is!

Series producer Akihiro Suzuki caved after all of the clamoring on Twitter, and provided the following statement: "I am sorry to have kept you waiting so long. Further information on Dynasty Warriors 9 will be released starting in May!"

Well, it's a little light in terms of an announcement, but it's something. This is a project that I'm very interested in seeing with the move to an open world, something Koei Tecmo rarely, if ever does (based on the teaser art it seems to be a larger scale than Dragon Quest Heroes II's hubs). While they've muddled the market a bit with so many sequels to so many spinoffs, you can usually count on the core Musou series to deliver.

I'm in "wait and see" mode here -- I just hope that open world isn't full of icons and junk.

Akihiro Suzuki [Twitter]

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News:: Capcom is working on something big, also expects to sell two million more Resident Evil 7 units

It's a bit vague, but Capcom claims that a "major title" will be out before March 31, 2018 -- a title that they haven't unveiled yet. Okay so it's very vague, but at least we know that Capcom isn't just relying on remakes and remasters.

Speaking of things that aren't re-done, Resident Evil 7 is still selling like hot-cakes, and Capcom wants to sell even more. Based on their projections they want to push two million more units going forward through that same date. I wonder if the delayed DLC will be out by then?

Finally, the other big tidbit -- Capcom also wants to push two million copies of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite on that same date. What's the significance? It's the end of their fiscal year of course!

Overview of Strategies and Plans [Capcom]

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News:: Nintendo reaffirms its strategy of 'two to three' smartphone games a year

So far, Nintendo is content in claiming that they won't make Fire Emblem Heroes' gambling-based microtransactions a habit. This is before it made more money than Super Mario Run though, despite dealing with 1/10th of the downloads.

So yes things could change as they look to increase their worldwide mobile footprint, but for now we're safe. Wait, Nintendo is still keen on the mobile market? Of course! As they restated in their recent financial briefing, in an effort to "maximize the number of people who have access to a Nintendo IP," they're looking to continue to release "two to three" titles per year on smart devices.

I mean they have a near-infinite well to draw from, so why not? But could you imagine the backlash if they don't announce a Switch Metroid game this year and make the next game a mobile project instead? They're in such a precarious position with their mobile arm now that the know that Mario isn't as bulletproof as he is on consoles and handhelds.

Financial Results Briefing [Nintendo]

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News:: Xbox chief envisions a Netflix model for narrative games

Microsoft has just tipped its hand for what the company will show off at E3 in June. In a wide-ranging interview with The Guardian, Xbox chief Phil Spencer laid out his plans for the future of Xbox software. Since (mostly) fixing a majority of the problems the Xbox One hardware and system software has suffered through since 2013 with the Xbox One S and the Creator's Update for Xbox firmware, Spencer is focusing on the other problem Microsoft faces: its dearth of unique and compelling reasons to buy into the improved Xbox platform.

Source: The Guardian

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News:: Of course Japan gets a cool Dragon Quest Metal Slime New 2DS XL

Man I'm just done with this "New" thing Nintendo. Is the "New" 3DS even new anymore? It's not, right? There's the New 3DS XL, and now the New 2DS XL. I know people have joked that the next move is the "New, New 3DS," which is something out of a Simpsons episode, but I'd believe it.

Following the announcement of the New 2DS XL, Square Enix and Nintendo prove that once again Japan gets all of the cool (new) stuff -- as they've unveiled a "Bubble Metal Slime New 2DS XL." It'll roll hard on July 29, priced at 22,480 Yen (which, based on my guestimate is around $205 with my no-look Google [it's $201.70]).

That makes it roughly $50 more than the standard model, but you'll get the physical edition of Dragon Quest XI, as well as a home menu theme for the Bubble Metal Slime. Oh and the hardware with one of the best designs in the history of portables. Seems worth it.

Dragon Quest [Nintendo]

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News:: 'Dragon Quest XI' spawns the best and worst special edition consoles

Square Enix is on a bit of a merchandising mission in the lead up to the July release of Dragon Quest XI in Japan. For its latest trick, it's partnered with Nintendo and Sony to today announce two new Dragon Quest consoles.

Via: Arkotype (Twitter)

Source: Nintendo (JP), Sony (JP)

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News:: 'Pictionary' comes to phones five years after 'Draw Something'

It has taken its sweet time, but Pictionary (with all the appropriate copyright branding), has landed on iPhones, Android devices and, oh, even Amazon's app store. The game has two modes. For one, you're given plenty of time time to draw overelaborate masterpieces in a turn-based game, while in the other you're playing in a real-time, two-vs-two challenge, which is obviously why you downloaded the app, right? Categories cover people, places, animals, objects, actions and a spicy "Difficult" category, while you can pick and choose from pencils, crayons, paintbrushes and more to communicate that this is obviously an olive tree, why can't you see that? Stares and stern pen-tapping noises are currently are not supported.

Source: Pictionary

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News:: 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' on the Switch is basically perfect

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe looks set to be the Nintendo Switch's next must-have game. Regardless of the last Mario Kart title you played -- our experiences vary from Mario Kart 64 to DS iterations to the Wii U's original Mario Kart 8 -- Nintendo is aiming to make this the most definitive Mario racer yet. To start, there's 48 courses and 42 characters (including some Splatoon additions), as well as an upgraded 1080p mode when you're playing it docked from the Switch and some auto-steering help for younger gamers (or grown-ups who should know better). Those Joy-Con controllers double up as mini-controllers for two-player battles on the go, while a fully fleshed-out battle mode, with several arenas and play modes, form the biggest gameplay addition to the original that launched on the Wii U. Now, you probably knew most of that already, but how does it play? Four editors share their thoughts after a week of racing, while one colleague swears he won't buy the remake, regardless of how good it might be.

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News:: 'Shrine skips' are my new favorite thing about Zelda: Breath of the Wild

At some point I just need to stop playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I was fortunate to get a head start, but I worked my way through every shrine eventually, nabbing most of the hidden gear, which made all of my future exploits that much easier (along with the added hearts for White Lynels and stamina for exploring).

All the while folks have been uploading and sharing amazing shrine skip videos, which showcase myriad ways that you can sequence break the game's miniature challenge dungeons The mechanic of sequence breaking has always been a staple of the Zelda series, so it's great to see it alive and well (and directly encouraged in the campaign as you race for the final dungeon immediately). For those of you who haven't played, the absolute best part is that you get nearly every tool in the box in the first 30 minutes of the game.

Unwittingly I had performed a few skips of my own (does anyone remember the Shrine with the laser that's sweeping the floor with the rising and lowering platforms?) -- but some of these are next level stuff. Practice your shield surf jump cancels!

Adri [Twitter via Kotaku]

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News:: Sony hits 60 million PS4 shipments as it closes in on the PS3's 80 million

It's fascinating to look back and see the lifetime sales of every console. I totally forgot that the PS2 is still ahead of everything -- it's not even close -- as it towers over the number two spot, the PS1, by over 50 million (PS2 is at 155m versus the PS1's 102m). Then comes the Wii at 101m, the Xbox 360 (remember how powerful Microsoft was last generation?), and the PS3.

The PS4 is steadily climbing on that chart, as Sony has announced that the PS4 has shipped 60 million as of the end of March 2017. From April 1 through that same time in 2018 (its fiscal year) Sony is aiming to ship 18 million more, which would skyrocket it above the NES, currently sitting just above it at around 62m in sales, and the 3DS, which is at roughly 66 million. If Sony hits their 2018 target the PS4 will already be the 10th best selling gaming device of all time, with more room to grow.

With this curve it's possible that we'll see a longer console lifecycle with the PS4. Especially so, if they're sticking to the "Pro" style of delivering iterative devices rather than a full blown PS5. I guess we'll have to see how much the Scorpio changes the landscape, if at all.

Consolidated Financial Results [Sony]

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News:: Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 rated, will allegedly host 7-10

Well this is interesting.

We know Capcom is doubling down (or tripling down at this point) on collections. We're seeing the resurrection of super oldschool stuff like NES classics, as well as newer generations -- nothing is safe! So the fact that a Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 has been rated in Korea for PC, PS4, and Xbox One is not surprising.

Evidently this second collection, which follows the original that contained 1-6, will sport 7-10. To recap that's 7, the polarizing SNES game (mostly because of the wonky visuals and sound effects), 8, another polarizing PS1 and Saturn release (that happens to be one of my favorites because of how much personality it has), and 9-10 -- the "newer" retro games that eventually led to Mega Man's demise.

Even 7 has its charms, so this is a great collection in all. Now that Digital Eclipse is done with the Disney Afternoon Collection, moving to Mega Man is a natural next step. They're missing some gaidens here and there, but putting 1-10 into two collections basically preserves the entire legacy of the "Classic" series.

Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 [Grac.or.kr]

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News:: ARMS' new character is a slightly more anthropomorphic version of Flubber

Flubber? Wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man? Slimer from Ghostbusters? This dude reminds me of many things (even Bemax from Big Hero 6 for some reason), but this stretchy green weirdo is none of those. No, his name is Helix, like double-helix (his name is 'DNA Man' in Japan). 

The name comes from his arms which resemble DNA strands slightly more than his opponents' due to the yellow sticks connecting the twisting cords. You could say it's not DNA since nucleotides should form pairs, unless this guy is all just one nucleotide. That night explain his strange...physique. If that wasn't enough to sell the idea of DNA, there's a picture of a DNA strand on his chest.

Anyway, his elasticity looks to be useful for dodging. If you've been waiting for a troll character, this might be it. You have my permission to refer to a Helix mirror match as a "double helix."

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News:: The Morning After: Friday, April 28th 2017

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

A new Nintendo portable (don't get too excited though), a mobile 3D printer that might be ready for your future Mars homestead, and one of Nintendo's most influential employees is calling it a day. Plus: It's earnings season!

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News:: Nintendo won't attend E3 this year, either

Since 2013 Nintendo has chosen to skip the financial cost of hosting a press conference at the yearly Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. Instead they have broadcast their own pre-recorded Nintendo Direct while the expo is occuring. Company president Tatsumi Kimishima announced in the annual financial briefing that E3 2017 will once again be without Nintendo.

There is no official confirmation, but it's a safe bet that the company will again host a Nintendo Direct to showcase upcoming titles. If you are planning to go since E3 is open to the public this year, there will more than likely be some Nintendo games to play on the show floor.

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News:: Is that a Nintendo Switch or are you happy to see me?

Reminder: We're giving away a Nintendo Switch! Win it, or don't. 

True story - 11 years ago, I wanted to promote Destructoid at E3 but I couldn't afford a booth. Destructoid booth dreams shattered, I printed out a bunch of flyers to hand out at random in the convention center hallway to get people to check out my blog. I bought the best video card I could afford, a GeForce 7. To get people's attention about my flyers, I made a robot helmet. I also pissed off a lot of people at a press conference by accident, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Yolo Diem. 

That said, we're celebrating 11 years of Destructoid and it's big giveaway time! This month you can win a Nintendo Switch system - color of your choice. Your odds of winning are visible this time: your number of entries out of the total entries submitted below.

How to win: Tell a friend about the site with a verified social media profile using Gleam (terms and conditions) and you're in. Gleam will then draw a winner at random, and I'll announce the winner after E3. Good luck!

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