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Nihon Falcom shared a new The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter trailer, and shows the new 3D cinematic that shows Estelle and Joshua meeting for the first time. This is the scene we see as the game begins, and it features the introduction following her father Cassius Bright bringing the boy home. 

The original game began with a scene set about five years before current events, when Estelle and Joshua are around 11 years old. Estelle waited at home for her father Cassius to come home. He was on an assignment with the Bracer’s Guild and was due back. He does show up, but he isn’t alone. He claims he has a “present,” which is Joshua. This scene in the new video picks up after Cassius had put Joshua to bed, and the boy wakes up to meet the girl. 

From there, it seems like the first meeting between Estelle and Joshua in Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter goes about the same as they did in the original. He’s shocked when he awakes, and wonders why Cassius brought him home and didn’t let him die. Just like in the original game, Estelle gets mad at his response to her father and his tone and hits him, leaving him shocked. She then properly introduces herself, and Cassius tells reminds him that he said he had a daughter. When Joshua gets mad about Cassius changing the subject, she then kicks him right in the face. When he tries to argue back further, she slaps the sides of his face with her hands and recreates the famous “Do I hear y-e-l-l-i-n-g” moment from the original. He then introduces himself. 

Here’s the full video of Estelle and Joshua meeting for the first time in Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. 

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter will come to the PS5, Switch, and PC, and the release date is September 19, 2025. 

The post Estelle and Joshua Meet in Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Trailer appeared first on Siliconera.

GungHo and Nihon Falcom announced that the Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Switch and PS5 pre-orders are now open at multiple stores. However, it only applies to physical copies. The Nintendo eShop and PlayStation Store haven’t updated regarding the new remake yet, so you can't do so with a digital version as of time of writing. This also applies to the PC version on Steam, as it can only be wishlisted at the moment.

Right now, the pre-orders for Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter only applies to the standard Switch and PS5 copies. There will be a limited edition of it. However, Limited Run Games will be in charge of that. It didn’t detail when those will go live. So at the moment, only the option that gives you a physical copy of the game on a cartridge or Blu-ray is available. That costs $59.99, regardless of which console you pick. 

Here are the direct links to each of the stores that currently are taking Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter pre-orders. Note that in each case, there is typically a button you can select to choose which console’s version you want. In situations where there aren’t, I’ve added direct links to both versions.

• Amazon
• Best Buy
• GameStop: PS5 or Switch
• Target: PS5 or Switch
• Walmart: PS5 or Switch

Here’s the official image that shows how the cover art looks for both consoles:

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter will come to the Switch, PS5, and PC in 2025, though there’s no exact release date for it yet. 

The post Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Switch and PS5 Pre-orders Open appeared first on Siliconera.

If you were a Sega CD owner back in the day, you would have spent a lot of money on an add-on that didn't seem to get much respect. Nevertheless, you could weather all of the jokes about FMV games and barely-enhanced Genesis ports because you were privy to a well-kept secret: the JRPGs were great. The Lunar games were every RPG-loving Sega CD owner's dream, should they have been lucky enough to get their hands on them, and now we can see why with the Lunar Remastered Collection with the first two games.

However, it's a bit of a miracle they exist. The PlayStation remakes of those two Lunar games put them in front of a much wider audience. Things were looking golden for the series, but for whatever reason things faltered. Developer Game Arts moved on to the Grandia series, Western publisher Working Designs shut down after a few bad bounces, and it seemed like every attempt to get Lunar going again met with misfortune. Even getting the existing JRPGs reissued proved to be difficult due to some complications with the rights. The first Lunar game has popped its head up now and then over the years, such as with a PSP remake titled Lunar: Silver Star Harmony. The PlayStation remake was ported to mobile devices. The sequel Lunar: Eternal Blue has not appeared again since Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete on the PlayStation. That was almost a quarter of a century ago.

With that in mind, the mere existence of Lunar Remastered Collection is worth celebrating. For whatever nits I may have to pick, and I have a few, just having Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete widely available on your platform of choice is great. These remakes already included a bunch of improvements to the originals, and they hold up extremely well. This collection makes a couple of excellent quality of life improvements that you are free to use or ignore. The presentation has also been put through the remastering process, but this too is all optional.

One major new feature is the ability to speed up battles. There are three settings, and you will likely never want to stay at the original speed. Lunar's battles were always rather slow to play out, so this speed setting is a godsend. The other cool addition is a more flexible inventory system. You don't have to have items in a character's personal inventory to use them in battles anymore. There are various graphical settings you can tweak as well, and you can play either game with remastered widescreen visuals or in the classic 4:3 style with crisp pixels. Saves carry over, so you can swap between the versions as you like.

Indeed, the only change that isn't optional here is the English voice acting. The original cast's work isn't included for either game, presumably due to rights issues. Instead, we get a completely new set of voice actors. They all do a generally good job, though I would be lying if I said I didn't miss some of the more iconic performances like John Truitt's Ghaleon. Since the games mainly use the original Working Designs localizations, the actors are stuck with the lines as originally written. It sometimes sounds awkward. If it bothers you too much, you can always switch over to Japanese voices.

The JRPGs themselves are both awesome, especially considering the context. I personally prefer Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete to the first game, but you should play both. The plots and characters of both games are so far ahead of most of their contemporaries that they still come off well a decades later. The pacing of both games is brisk, and the battles are satisfyingly challenging. Some of the gameplay mechanics play it safe, but everything is done to a high enough level of quality that it's hard to complain.

I would have liked more granular options similar to those in the mobile version of Lunar. The difficulty of these games varies wildly by the version, and it would be nice to be able to tweak that like you can on mobile. Since these games use the PlayStation versions as their base, the shimmering issue they have persists here. Some aspects of the localization also feel dated, mostly due to Working Designs' penchant for pop culture references.

Even with some flaws, Lunar Remastered Collection is a great way to play these two JRPG classics. If you haven't played them before, I strongly recommend doing so. Those who have played them probably don't need me to give them a push. Welcome back, Lunar.

Lunar Remastered Collection will be available on April 18th, 2025 for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam.

The post Review: Lunar Remastered Collection Revives Two Classic JRPGs appeared first on Siliconera.

GungHo has revealed the third wave of Gundam crossover content for Puzzle & Dragons, and it will also include Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX. Players of the popular long-running Japanese mobile game will be able to get new Mobile Suits from the Gundam metaseries via gacha from February 20, 2025, until March 10, 2025.

Other than GQuuuuuuX, the third Gundam crossover wave in Puzzle & Dragons will newly add content from late Universal Century titles like Gundam F91 and Victory Gundam, as well as closely related timelines like Regild Century's Reconguista in G and Correct Century's Turn A Gundam. It will also have content from After War Gundam X while adding more Mobile Suits from already-featured titles.

Here is the complete list of new additions that did not appear in the second crossover wave that launched in 2024:

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX

• GQuuuuuuX - with Amate "Machu" Yuzuriha
• Red Gundam - with Shuji Ito
• Military Police Zaku

Early and Middle Universal Century

• Guncannon
• Guntank
• Acguy
• Hyaku Shiki
• Hambrabi
• Methuss
• Z Gundam with active Biosensor - new upgrade for Z Gundam
• Hi-Nu Gundam - new final upgrade for RX-78-2 Gundam
• Nightingale - new final upgrade for Char Aznable's Zaku
• Unicorn Gundam Awakened Mode
• Banshee Norn Destroy Mode

Late Universal Century

• Gundam F91 - with Seabook Arno
• Berga Giros
• V2 Gundam - with Uso Ewin; upgradeable to V2 Assault Buster Gundam
• Gedlav
• Gottrlatan

Gundam: Reconguista in G (Regild Century)

• G-Self Space Pack - with Bellri Zenam; upgradeable to Perfect Pack
• Kabakali

Turn A Gundam (Correct Century)

• Turn A Gundam - with Loran Cehack
• Gold SUMO
• Kapool

After War Gundam X (After War)

• Gundam X - with Garrod Ran and Tiffa Adill; upgradeable to Gundam DX
• Gundam Virsago Chest Break - with Gundam Ashtaron Hermit Crab MA as assist

Gundam 00 Series (Anno Domini)

• 00 Qan[T] - new final upgrade for Gundam Exia
• Reborns Gundam

Iron-Blooded Orphans (Post Disaster)

• Gundam Bael

The Witch from Mercury (Ad Stella)

• Gundam Pharact

Puzzle & Dragons is available on Android and iOS mobile devices in Japan. The third wave of the Gundam series crossover content will be available from February 20, 2025, until March 10, 2025.

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When Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter was first confirmed, the The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky remake only had a Switch version mentioned, but a PC version was revealed and the Steam product page now shares system requirement specs. Only the minimum ones are mentioned, and it doesn’t seem like it will be too taxing to run.

Here are the Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Minimum PC specs so far, though the system requirements mentioned some additional notes to keep in mind. While it won’t demand a lot of a computer or handheld gaming system, there will be a Performance Graphics Profile available. It will also be able to run at 60fps.

MINIMUM:

• OS: Windows 10/11
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1600
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 25 GB available space
• Additional Notes: Settings: 1080p, 60 FPS, Performance Graphics Profile

There are also eight screenshots on the Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Steam page, as well as the PC specs for the minimum system requirements. While some feature gameplay and Estelle exploring the world, we also see a story clip of Joshua in a quieter moment and some environmental photo examples.

Here are more examples of how the game will look when it launches.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st will come to the Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PC via Steam, and it has a Fall 2025 release window. 

The post Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Steam Page Confirms PC Specs appeared first on Siliconera.

Back when we first learned about The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st, it was during an August 2024 Nintendo Direct and only involved a Switch version, but now there are PS5 and PC via Steam versions confirmed. All of them will debut in Fall 2025. The website also updated to show all three platforms and note a simultaneous, worldwide release.

GungHo is the company that shared the latest reveals. In the update, it confirmed that there will be all new localization again. It also teased “refined” gameplay. While the description didn’t go into exact details about those types of changes, the new trailer showed some off. It begins by showing Estelle attacking an enemy, before then showing her and Joshua at home in quieter moments. We watch them explore Liberl. After that, we see some real-time battle elements. 

Here’s the latest trailer on YouTube, which really focuses on The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st gameplay on the Switch, PS5, and PC. 

As a reminder, when that Switch reveal for Trails in the Sky the 1st did appear in the Nintendo Direct, it was a total surprise to Nihon Falcom. The trailer was submitted, but the company didn’t know it would show up. Since then, we’ve only occasionally heard about the JRPG. For example, one of the last updates involve the official website for the title being updated.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st will come to the Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PC via Steam, and it has a Fall 2025 release window. 

The post Trails in the Sky the 1st Switch, PS5, and PC Release Window Set appeared first on Siliconera.

I have a general lack of interest and excitement for Sony's regular State of Play series of showcases going over PlayStation, in particular PS5 and PSVR 2, game announcements. They often pale in comparison to other similar presentations from competitors and, of course, the company's own signature event showcases. However, the recent Tokyo Game Show (TGS 2024) State of Play is the exception, as I believe it is the best one yet.

The core of what makes this TGS 2024 State of Play the best one so far is two-fold. The first is that Sony offered a little bit of something for almost everyone. It felt like a mini-PlayStation Showcase. The State of Play kicked off with a solid intro, revealing free DLC coming to Astro Bot. This is a smooth way to remind players of one of the recent Game of the Year contenders and show some love to those who already beat it.

From there, the State of Play had the right mix of brand new announcements and updates for existing games. New information about and gameplay details for games like Dragon Age: The Veilguard and PS5 version of Palworld were welcome announcements. Then there are reveals of intriguing games like Hell Is Us, the stunning The Midnight Walk, and surprisingly fascinating ArcheAge Chronicles.

If that isn’t enough, we got release dates for titles like Fantasian Neo Dimension, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, and Dynasty Warriors: Origins. If you are a PSVR 2 owner, this State of Play even justified owning the VR headset a bit more. There were significant and welcome announcements of games like Metro Awakening and Hitman: World of Assassination too.

That is all before including the two showstopper headliners. Monster Hunter Wilds looked fantastic yet again in its latest trailer. Fortunately, this State of Play revealed the release date, which is quite soon. But above all else, there is Ghost of Yotei. The final announcement came out of nowhere and was a shocking surprise. Ghost of Tsushima still remains the most stunning game I’ve ever played, and Ghost of Yotei looks to follow up on its predecessor.

No matter what, there was something for everyone in this TGS 2024 State of Play. If you like JRPGs, there’s that. If you like VR, there were some solid options. And if you are looking forward to biggest blockbuster third and first-party hits, that was also here. Sure, not every game appeals to everyone. In fact, only really two new game announcements were for me personally: Ghost of Yotei and Lunar Remastered Collection.

However, the spectacle of the presentation and general lineup all worked so well. Even the games I didn’t care too much about stood out with well-executed trailers. This State of Play is the first of its kind to remind me of the good old days of attending Sony Press Conferences at E3. Plus, it helps that this State of Play was far more interesting and better balanced than any to date.

That said, the competition wasn’t that impressive. The best State of Play before this one, in my opinion, was held in May 2019. It had the right mix of new announcements and re-reveals. The headliners were games like Final Fantasy VII Remake, MediEvil, and Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Again, all staples that appealed to everyone. Even that particular State of Play wasn’t that substantial or long. And to make matters worse, most of the State of Plays since then have been significantly worse.

Fortunately, this most recent TGS 2024 State of Play changed all that. It feels like a mini-PlayStation Showcase with something for just about everyone. I just hope Sony is able to keep up this level of quality and announcements with the next one.

Tokyo Game Show 2024 is running from September 26-29, 2024. The TGS 2024 State of Play aired on September 24, 2024.

The post 2024 Tokyo Game Show State of Play Is the Best One Yet appeared first on Siliconera.

A new Ragnarok Online game is in development and will appear for mobile devices. This new game is Ragnarok X Next Dimension. While there is no mention of a release date as of September 3, 2024, pre-registration for the mobile game has opened through the official website and X (formerly Twitter).

Additionally, developer Gungho has shared a trailer, which provides a look at the new Ragnarok Online game, Ragnarok X. Unlike the classic version of the game, this new mobile title will be in 3D, similar to it's sequel.

You can view the trailer below:

Pre-registration for the game includes the following:

• 10 Adventure Packs
• 2 Reset Stones
• 2 Sparkle Sticks
• 1 Deviling Hat
• 35 Request Completion Scrolls
• 20,000 Crystals

The official website mentions that more rewards will be listed at a later date. However, for those interested in the Jobs that will appear in the game, the official website lists the Swordsman, Thief, Mage, Acolyte, Magician, and Archer. Each of these Jobs will be able to branch off into one of two options, just like the original game.

Ragnarok X Next Dimension will release sometime in the future for Android and iOS devices.

The post Next Ragnarok Online Game is a Ragnarok X Mobile MMORPG appeared first on Siliconera.

GungHo has launched a new wave of crossover content from the Gundam series on its popular Japanese mobile game Puzzle & Dragons. Players can obtain new units from titles like Mobile Fighter G Gundam and Mobile Suit Unicorn Gundam until May 6, 2024.

The company first launched the crossover event in February - March 2023. It featured a few titles from the Universal Century timeline and other alternate Gundam universes. This new wave adds not only new units and titles; it also brings new upgrades to existing units, such as the Endless Waltz version of Wing Gundam Zero and the Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam from the 2024 movie Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom.

Here is the complete list of playable units obtainable from the new Gundam crossover wave in Puzzle & Dragons. The units are also sorted by their appearing titles.

Mobile Suit Gundam and Char's Counterattack

• RX-78-2 Gundam -> Nu Gundam (including Amuro Ray)
• Char's Zaku II -> Sazabi (including Char Aznable)
• GM
• Zaku II
• Dom
• Z'Gok
• Gouf
• Gelgoog
• Geara Doga

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

• Z Gundam (including Kamille Bidan)
• ZZ Gundam -> Full Armor ZZ Gundam (including Judau Ashta)
• The O
• Qubeley
• Rick Dias

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn

• Unicorn Gundam (including Banagher Links)
• Sinanju
• Kshatriya
• Stark Jegan
• ReZEL
• Geara Zulu

Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway

• Xi Gundam (including Hathaway Noa)
• Penelope
• Gustav Karl
• Messer F01

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

• Wing Gundam -> Wing Gundam Zero -> Wing Gundam Zero Endless Waltz Version (including Heero Yuy)
• Gundam Epyon

Mobile Suit Gundam 00

• Gundam Exia -> 00 Raiser (including Setsuna F. Seiei)
• Union Flag Custom II

Iron-Blooded Orphans

• Gundam Barbatos -> Gundam Barbatos Lupus -> Gundam Barbatos Lupus Rex (including Mikazuki Augus)
• Gundam Kimaris

Mobile Fighter G Gundam

• God Gundam a.k.a Burning Gundam (including Domon Kasshu)
• Master Gundam (including Master Asia)
• Gundam Spiegel a.k.a. Shadow Gundam
• Death Army a.k.a. Dark Army

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED series

• Aile Strike Gundam -> Freedom Gundam -> Strike Freedom Gundam -> Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam (including Kira Yamato)
• Justice Gundam -> Infinite Justice Gundam -> Infinite Justice Gundam Type II (including Athrun Zala)
• Force Impulse Gundam -> Destiny Gundam -> Destiny Gundam Spec II (including Shinn Asuka)
• Eternal with Lacus Clyne
• Windam
• GINN
• Providence Gundam

The Witch From Mercury

• Gundam Aerial Rebuild -> Gundam Calibarn
• Darilbalde
• Michaelis
• Beguir-Pente

The second wave of Gundam crossover content in the Japanese iOS and Android mobile game Puzzle & Dragons is available until May 6, 2024.

The post Puzzle & Dragons New Gundam Crossover Includes G and Unicorn appeared first on Siliconera.

Ninjala is about to turn three, and an Evangelion event will usher in its next year. On June 24, 2023, the game will hit that hallmark. Then on July 5, 2023, the Evangelion event will begin. This is one of many anime tie-ins for the game, with Demon Slayer being among the past ones.

Exact details about what we’ll see in Ninjala’s Evangelion event are scarce. The teaser art shows some of the cosmetics. Some characters are wearing Shinji, Rei, and Asuka’s plugsuits. There’s also a Unit-01 outfit. The character wearing it is also wielding the Spear of Longinus.

As for the third anniversary events for Ninjala, a number are happening. Between June 21, 2023 and August 9, 2023, there will be a bonus. The sale in the shop won’t run as long, as it will begin June 21, 2023 and end on July 5, 2023. There will also be a battle bonus between June 21, 2023 and July 5, 2023 which will ensure we all get extra Gold Medals and Jala for playing during the celebration. Finally, there will be a 3rd Anniversary Cup tournament June 24-25, 2023.

Here’s the full Developer Diary 31. At the 2:55 mark, the Ninjala Evangelion event comes up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrhbVsShzB4&ab_channel=PlayNinjala

Ninjala is available on the Nintendo Switch. Its Evangelion event takes place on July 5, 2023. The Evangelion anime is on Netflix, while the Rebuild movies are on Amazon.

The post Ninjala Evangelion Event Will Appear in July appeared first on Siliconera.

GungHo's popular mobile game Puzzle & Dragons will add collaboration characters from Marvel for the first time. The Japanese client will hold the time-limited event from February 22, 2021, to March 8, 2021. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]

The Japanese official webpage for the new Puzzle & Dragons collaboration revealed that it will add more than 10 Marvel superheroes (and a supervillain) into the game's roster. The list so far includes Captain America, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Phoenix (Jean Grey), Magneto, Hulk, Doctor Strange, Wolverine, Rocket & Baby Groot, Storm, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Thanos.

A version of Iron Man with the Extremis Armor will also be made easily available by simply logging in to the Japanese client within the collaboration event period. The game will then generate the character through the in-game mailbox.

Puzzle & Dragons launched first for iOS in Japan on February 20, 2012, with the Android version following suit in September 2012. It still manages to stay within the top 10 most grossing mobile games list. It had also previously held collaborations with many famous game and anime IPs, such as Persona, Devil May Cry, Evangelion, and Demon Slayer.

An English version of Puzzle & Dragons is also immediately available in the West. Though separated from the Japanese client, the English server also added various collaboration content. It recently held an event with the Kamen Rider franchise, which just ended on February 7, 2021.

The post Puzzle & Dragons Will Add Marvel Characters For The First Time appeared first on Siliconera.

GungHo has announced that Ninjala will have a collaboration with Sonic the Hedgehog. This is the first in-game collaboration for the popular free-to-play action game that will be implemented in the Season 2.

This announcement was made at the 8th Developer Diary which was just recently published on the PlayNinjala channel. Ninjala's first season is ending very soon and will be replaced with Season 2 which begins on August 26, 2020 (PDT).

When Ninjala moves to a new season, it will bring a new unique theme while also adding more new stages, weapons, and costumes. Season 2 will add a new Board weapon class that comes with brand-new attack motions and available in four different types. One of the new Gum Weapons introduced in the video is the surfboard-like Home Run Surfer, which has a Special called Overpowering Wave that gives the immunity to enemy Gum Shoots while riding the surfboard.

Developer Diary #8 also revealed that the next episode for Ninjala's cartoon anime will air in early September and will give the spotlight to Jane's backstory. More details on the collaboration between Ninjala and Sonic the Hedgehog will be revealed at a later date.

[tnm_video layout="mnmd-post-media-wide"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7wP21SU7gs[/tnm_video]

Ninjala is available as a free-to-play game on Nintendo Switch. It has recently sured 4 million s worldwide. A recent update patch to version 2.0 also unlocked worldwide matching and unified the leaderboard from previously separated regions.

The post Ninjala Welcomes Its First Collaboration With Sonic the Hedgehog in Season 2 appeared first on Siliconera.

GungHo has released a fifth Developer Diary for the multiplayer action game Ninjala. It focused on the results of the second open beta test held at the end of May 2020 and offered a look at weapons like the Drum Beat Hammer and Scroll Blade Katana.

First, it was revealed that many players in the open beta defaulted to easier-to-handle weapons like the IPPON Katana and Drill Beast, with the Hammer and Ball types being more technical for newcomers. The developers also went over differences in costumes and accessories, and how customization will be a key element of the game.

As for new weapons, the Scroll Blade is a Katana that uses kunai-type Gum Shots and the Piercing Mixer Ninjutsu, providing a more long-ranged style of play despite being from the same type as the IPPON Katana. There's also the Drum Beat Hammer, which can be a great weapon as a in team battle. Its Echoing Scream special can stun enemies, and Dragon Lord Ninjutsu will hone in on enemies from a far distance.

You can check out the Developer Diary below:

Finally, it was revealed that an official livestream will take place on June 17, 2020. Team Battle Mode will be a main focus. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will be a special guest.

Ninjala will come to the Nintendo Switch on June 25, 2020. It will be free-to-play and won’t require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

The post The Fifth Ninjala Developer Diary Goes Over Beta Test Results and New Weapons appeared first on Siliconera.

Another one has been struck down. GungHo announced today that Ninjala, their multiplayer-focused action game, will be delayed from its original May 28 launch date. Instead, the game will now launch on June 25, 2020, roughly a month later than first announced.

GungHo left an apology for those looking forward to the game, and explained that this was due to the coronavirus pandemic going on. While this might be disappointing, it should be noted that GungHo has been enforcing a work from home policy since at least early April, so it's not surprising that a delay ended up happening. Ninjala may also possibly have been affected by CERO's month-long suspension.

For those unfamiliar with Ninjala, it's a game set in a world where normal people can eat Ninja Gum to gain special powers, such as using the gum to create weapons and dash quickly. The downside of this is that anyone who eats Ninja Gum is reverted into kid form. The game itself focuses on close-quarters combat, and will have players competing against one another to earn the most points in a timed match. Last month's open beta revealed server capacity problems that will need to be fixed before launch, and GungHo will likely use this extra month to improve the game even further.

Ninjala will launch as a Nintendo Switch-exclusive release on May 27, 2020. It will be free-to-play and won’t require a Nintendo Switch Online hip.

The post Ninjala Launch Date Sneaks Back a Month to June 25 Due to Coronavirus appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo Switch multiplayer action title Ninjala is referenced constantly for its similarities to Splatoon. In many ways, the game warrants these comparisons. With its cheery vibe, kid competitors and snappy gameplay, GungHo's game invites them! It's clear, though, from its Ninjala Exclusive Ninja Club beta period that the two games have some very important differences.

The aesthetic trappings of Ninjala are certainly Splatoon-inspired. The game builds an urban cool kid aesthetic that's too similar to ignore. It doesn't mean it isn't bringing its own ideas to the concept, though. With named player characters and fashion brands with their own personalities, it helps to flesh out the world a bit better than Splatoon's initial "you are an Inkling and so is everyone else" approach. It's more of an iteration upon where Splatoon 2 landed near the end of its life, with emphasis on stylish collections and more avatar personality. The drive to keep playing is about unlocking more and more options for your character, including songs you can equip as part of your loadout. It's a nice touch.

Frantic fighting 1n251n

The first difference, of course, is the gameplay. Ninjala isn't about painting or shooting so much as speedy close-quarters melee combat. In these ways, it's trying to appeal to the fans of its larger cousin without replacing it. Lots of buttons do lots of things all the time, and with constant cooldowns and more varied movement options, it's certainly more complex. It brings in MOBA-like in-match progression, too. There are drones around the arena that players can defeat to gain energy to make their weapons larger. Larger weapons will be a huge advantage in the full game, presumably. In the beta, the speedier attacker often won a skirmish regardless of their reach.

Still, taking out these drones adds to your point total. Managing them well could serve a similar function that painting the map does in Splatoon: offering smart tasks for those who aren't so hot at head-to-head fighting to try. How much can focusing on drones help? It can move a fifth-place performer in an eight-person fight up to second in the standings! If you bring experienced friends into a team battle in the full game, you could specialize in these roles to best suit each player's strengths.

Complexity is tough to judge in a limited period at all, and certainly one with as small a window as this one. Still, the Ninjala open beta offers a window into the game's accessibility. It knows it has a lot more work to do to get players into the thick of it, so it front-loads the experience with a two-minute YouTube video that quickly explains each button's function. This... isn't a tutorial, and presumably the full game will take more time to acclimate players. In this context, it's not particularly effective at explaining the uses and advantages of each kind of attack.

Capacity challenges 6wj41

The second way the Ninjala open beta shows that it's different? Well that's made clearer by its technical and communications hiccups. Even with all the (sometimes deserved) hate thrown at Nintendo for its online functions, it's still apparent that Splatoon is a larger game with way more resources. Beta events with one-hour windows like this one are designed to be stress tests of the server infrastructure, but GungHo's team wasn't prepped for the response and it means there's still significant work to do to build a stable environment for launch next month.

As a small game, Ninjala is trying to get big by crafting itself as a free-to-play offering. With many players stuck at home and looking for something to supplement Animal Crossing in their Switch game routines, this strategy could work! Time will tell if paid options like the Ninjala will put free players at a competitive disadvantage. It will be important for the game to keep gameplay even while securing enough funding to really bolster those servers and keep new content appearing at a healthy pace. If the available offering of items is as generous in the full game as it is here, there should be enough to satisfy most without feeling like they have to spend to look nice.

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The third: the Ninjala open beta leads with its weird foot forward. It chooses to skip the "default" weaponry look for some truly quirky options. Like boxing-padded poles! Like yo-yo basketballs! (The full game could, and perhaps should for the sake of learning, start with something simpler.) According to the lore of the world, players craft these weapons out of gum, so their shapes are much less sharp than what you'd expect from a combat game armory. The cosmetic and equipment options in the beta already show the breadth of creativity the development team has brought to this project. It could win over fans with its dedication to oddball and kitsch selections in a way Splatoon never did.

Ninjala will launch as a Nintendo Switch-exclusive release on May 27, 2020. It will be free-to-play and won't require a Nintendo Switch Online hip.

The post Is This the Next Splatoon? The Ninjala Open Beta May Hold the Answer appeared first on Siliconera.