News:: Free Detective Pikachu prequel book available for download

Nintendo have released a short e-book detailing an early adventure for Detective Pikachu, set before the events of the recent 3DS release. Episode 0 can be downloaded on Apple iBook and Amazon Kindle.

The short story features the grumpy super-sleuth hot on the tail of a culprit who committed a series of murders, leaving all the corpses without eyes messed up fellow Pokemon Eevee's back garden. The simple tale is 25 pages long, perfect for bed-time storytelling or skiving off to the toilet at work. It acts as a basic prelude to the events of the newly-released game.

Detective Pikachu - Episode 0: Eevee's Case can be downloaded from Amazon for your iOS or Kindle device now. Enjoy!

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/free-detective-pikachu-prequel-book-available-for-download-495803.phtml

News:: Yakuza 6's art exhibit looks awesome as hell

Last Saturday, Sega and Gallery Nucleus opened the doors to the Yakuza 6 "Essence of Art" Exhibit in California with a whole bunch of fan tribute art and the huge announcement of Kiwami 2 coming to the states. As exciting as that must have been, just getting a look at the recreation of Kamurocho Gate would have been enough for me. Sadly, I won't be able to head to California before the gallery closes on April 1, but I can watch this short video about the event.

Fans turned out in droves for what must have been the most Japanese thing California has ever seen. People were even gambling in the streets, which is just bonkers. Why did I have to be on vacation (and then get stuck for a few days)?

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/yakuza-6-s-art-exhibit-looks-awesome-as-hell-495831.phtml

News:: System Shock remake still set to scare, but not until 2020

Speaking at this week's GDC in San Francisco, studio Nightdive have stated that their crowd-funded remake of 1994's creepy techno-adventure, System Shock, which went on hiatus earlier this year, has been pushed back to a tentative 2020 release window.

Speaking to Eurogamer, Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick and Business Director Larry Kuperman candidly revealed that they felt the game was getting away from them, with the project growing out of control in terms of scope and ideas.

"We began to run into feature creep," admits Kuperman. "All of those things like 'you know what would really be cool, how we might reinterpret this'. Various people wanted to put their imprint on it. As this process evolved over a period of time, it grew in complexity, and it veered away from this original representation."

The decision was made to halt production due to backer feedback, with worries that the game wasn't being steered in the direction that fans were hoping for. As such, Nightdive are stripping down the project thus far, and are hoping to deliver an experience worthy of both the classic PC title and the expectations of the people.

"Our intention is to ship exactly the game that was promised," continues Kupperman. "with as much of the features that were promised as we can, in a timeframe that will get it out as fast as we can."

Crowdfunding is an stressful temptress. You get the moolah needed to realise your game at all, but you also have the hopes and visions of said backers adding extra weight to what is already an extremely high-pressure development process. I can only imagine the amount of second-guessing and self-doubt that creeps in for studios. It's an unenviable position.

System Shock is currently in development for release in Q1 of 2020.

System Shock Remake still happening [Eurogamer]

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/system-shock-remake-still-set-to-scare-but-not-until-2020-495787.phtml

News:: What we saw at GDC 2018!

All good things must come to an end, and today we say goodbye to GDC 2018. As usual, the Game Developers Conference didn't disappoint. During our time here in San Francisco, we found a slew of indie titles that were incredibly fun to play and gorgeous to look at, including Black Future 88, Children of Morta and Guacamelee! 2. Oh and how can we forget Scissors the that than, the weird first-person action game that makes you use physical giant scissors as the controller. We also got to check out Oculus Go, the $200 standalone headset that's expected to launch in May -- it's sleek, lightweight and comfortable.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/03/24/gdc-2018-wrap-up-video/

News:: Looking back at 15 years of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

My life has been upended more than a couple times over the past few years. New jobs, new apartments, newer jobs, consolidating my life into a single bedroom; it’s been a bit chaotic. Nothing I couldn’t handle, of course, but as I went through these changes there was always a constant, a singular event that I could look forward to every year. With the exception of one down-on-my-luck span, I attended one show a year of the Symphony of the Goddesses tour. Sometimes good seats, sometimes awful – the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles is exceptional – but I'm always giddy to attend and hear the songs I’ve been listening to all my life.

What a great disappointment it was when I learned the tour is taking a break in 2018. Last year’s performance at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, with the new Breath of the Wild arrangement, was pure bliss. But as I type this, it isn’t Breath of the Wild that’s on my mind. I’m humming, occasionally whistling, to the tempo in my head playing "Makar’s Prayer" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. 15 years ago I heard that song for the first time and it, along with the rest of the soundtrack, remains my absolute favorite piece of music in all of video gaming.

In fact, 15 years on, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker remains the best game I’ve ever played.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/looking-back-at-15-years-of-the-legend-of-zelda-the-wind-waker-495779.phtml

News:: First 4 Figures video reveals upcoming Crash Bandicoot statue

Gaming and pop culture connoisseurs First 4 Figures have released a video revealing the prototype of an upcoming Crash Bandicoot statue, planned for release sometime next year.

The resin model stands at a generous 16 inches and features the famously-loco protagonist resting on a plinth designed to resemble the game's jungle setting. Crash comes with a  removable tongue and two sets of eyes; "Normal" and "Crazy". Frankly, why in the blue hell you'd choose Normal is anyone's guess, as it just makes it look like Crash is doing some Jazz Hands schtick.

An exclusive edition of the statue is also available, which comes with a few extra accessories, like Wumpa fruit, a question block crate and a cardboard background. Now, for the damage: whichever version of the statue takes your fancy, Crash will set you back a cool $375. The shipping date is scheduled for the first quarter of 2019.

Pre-orders for the exclusive edition are open now until April 6, with a "Last Chance Weekend" happening between April 20-23. The standard edition is available to pre-order for the foreseeable future. You can bag the bad boy for yourself at the official First 4 Figures site.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/first-4-figures-video-reveals-upcoming-crash-bandicoot-statue-495786.phtml

News:: Steins;Gate Elite confirmed for 2018 release in the west

The original Steins;Gate is one of the single greatest science-fiction stories ever told, and its newest version has finally been confirmed for a western release this year.

If you have any love for visual novels, and somehow managed to never play this, you need to tighten up and get on that. Seriously, it’s fucking magical. It simultaneously serves as a love letter and parody of otaku culture, and it genuinely made me feel stuff dangerously close to actual emotion. I take immense pride in my ability to remain completely unfeeling at all times, so this is quite the extraordinary feat.

Steins;Gate Elite will be an updated version which uses scenes from the animated series, as well as some brand-new material, instead of the still images from the original. I have mixed feelings about the changes, but I’m excited about any excuse to take this beauty for another spin.

The game is currently scheduled for release on PlayStation 4, Switch, and Steam. 

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/steins-gate-elite-confirmed-for-2018-release-in-the-west-495752.phtml

News:: Fire Pro Wrestling World headed to PS4 this Summer

Spike Chunsoft have announced that Fire Pro Wrestling World will finally see its PS4 release this Summer. The game has previously been available on Steam since July 2017.

Fire Pro Wrestling World, the latest iteration in a series dating back to the '80s, is a humble-looking, but brilliantly executed sandbox wrestling game. It features a deep and intricate mechanic system that, once mastered, can lead to some amazing, intense matchups.

The game is notorious for its incredible range of customisation options, from ring and arena edits to match ruling and even referee appearances. The game boasts a meticulously detailed Create-A-Wrestler mode, featuring hundreds of individual parts and bone-breaking moves that can be utilised to make stars from Pro-wrestling to MMA, even video games and pop-culture. Steam Workshop reflects this, with currently thousands upon thousands of user-made characters ready to download.

It has been a long time coming, and still we don't have a specific release date, but Summer is close enough. So get practicing those rib-breaking kicks and pointless, reckless, head-first bumps the kids love, because Fire Pro Wrestling World should be hitting PS4 real soon.

Fire Pro Wrestling World [Official Site]

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/fire-pro-wrestling-world-headed-to-ps4-this-summer-495789.phtml

News:: The Morning After: Weekend Edition

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Welcome to the weekend! While the folks at Facebook are probably ready for a break, we're highlighting all of the gaming news from GDC 2018 and preparing for next week's Apple event.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/03/24/the-morning-after-weekend-edition/

News:: A live-action 'Street Fighter' TV show is in development

According to Deadline, Street Fighter fans should keep an eye out for a new TV series currently in development from Entertainment One. The producers of the new show were previously involved with the web series Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist, and now we'll find out what they can do for TV. Capcom's Street Fighter executive producer Yoshinori Ono said: "After a long search, guided by the team behind Assassin's Fist, we are delighted to be partnering with a company with the outstanding TV experience of Mark Gordon and eOne. They have the credentials to help us launch a faithful adaptation of Street Fighter as a major TV series."

Stuntman Joey Ansah has come a long way from 2010's Street Fighter Legacy short, and is one of the executive producers on this project. The new show is based on the plot of the Street Fighter II game, as Ryu, Ken, Guile and Chun-Li chase down M. Bison and become involved in the World Warrior fighting tournament. Fortunately, the team's track record suggests they'll be able to give this project the treatment it deserves, so we don't end up with a Street Fighter: The Movie (The Game) situation.

Source: Deadline

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/03/24/a-live-action-street-fighter-tv-show-is-in-development/