Sky: CotL "The Art of Sky" art book promo video, artist exhibition announced
Sky-high expectations for this release
thatgamecompany invites fans of the award-winning studio’s globally renowned social adventure game Sky: Children of the Light to experience an extraordinary visual odyssey with the upcoming release of “The Art of Sky”, a beautifully curated art book featuring over 250 pages of thatgamecompany’s trademark artistic excellence. The bewitching art book, now available for pre-order, compiles concept art illustrations spanning the game’s earliest days, heartfelt behind-the-scenes commentary, and never-before-seen imagery in a beautifully crafted, timeless first-edition hardcover volume perfect for devoted players and collectors alike.
Sky: Children of the Light is beloved for its beautifully animated landscapes, touching storytelling, and the lasting bonds the game facilitates between players around the world. The art book is destined to bring fans into the magical world of Sky, with features such as:
● Early Prototypes – Go behind the scenes and discover more than a dozen different Sky child prototypes, early sketches of Sky’s social hub Aviary, and fantastic never-before-seen creatures.
● Rich History and Lore – Each section of “The Art of Sky” contains fascinating descriptions and backstories woven into Sky’s realms and details the extensive creative processes behind each decision made by thatgamecompany’s art team.
● Premium Design – Copies of “The Art of Sky” are printed on premium paper and come individually numbered for authenticity.
● Fan Art – Sky’s dedicated fanbase makes the community what it is, and “The Art of Sky” features a beautiful epilogue containing some of the pieces shared over the years by fans around the world.
● Pre-order Bonuses – Pre-ordering “The Art of Sky” grants bonus gifts of eight enchanting Sky postcards and three classic Sky posters while supplies last.
STAR Feature Bonus
Expanding players’ journey within Sky even further, a special STAR chip is embedded in every copy, which can be scanned on Nintendo Switch or compatible iOS and Android devices to obtain an in-game book. Placing and interacting with the book in Sky: Children of the Light cues a special cutscene with evocative visuals that grants a look inside the technical art that went into building the game’s whimsical lands.
“The Art of Sky” can be pre-ordered for $125 USD on thatskyshop.com and more information can be found on Sky’s official blog. The anticipated book will release later this year.
If you live in the Los Angeles Area, pre-order today for a chance to pick up your copy of the book and have it signed by the artist at thatgamecompany’s exhibition at Gallery Nucleus on June 15th, 2024. You can get full details on that event here.
Sales milestones: Another Crab's Treasure, Ninjala & Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 4th Heart
Big movers and shakers
It looks like the start of the middle of the month is the perfect time for developers and publishers to share updates on how well their games are doing, and today brings us sales data for another wave of titles! Thankfully, all of them appear to be doing quite well.
Another Crab’s Treasure
- over 250,000 units sold worldwide across all platforms combined
- Switch accounts for 20% of all units sold, as does PS5, while PC accounts for 60%
Ninjala
- has now been downloaded over 11 million times since launch
- the last download update was back in Feb. 2023, when the game hit 10 million downloads
Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 4th Heart
- has sold over 190,000 units since launch, an impressive figure since the game is only available in Japan
A whole new catalog of content is coming to Splatoon 3! Starting on June 1st, all Splatoon 3 players with an active Nintendo Switch Online membership will have access to the new “Sizzle Season 2024” content, which includes a new stage, music, emotes, two fresh new weapons, and the debut of the chaotic BIG Big Run! Check out the announcement video breaking down all the new content above.
NEW STAGE: Lemuria Hub
NEW WEAPONS: Wellstring V, Mint Decavitator
BIG BIG RUN IS COMING - Attack of the Triumvirate!
UPDATE: Nintendo has shared quick looks at both the Wellstring V and the Custom Wellstring V, which you can see below.
Various Animal Crossing: New Horizons merch seeing re-release in Japan
Coming home to roost once more
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has sold 45.36 million units, making it not just the best-selling Animal Crossing titles, but one of the biggest games on Switch in general. That makes it no surprise that merch associated with the franchise is quick to sell out, but those in Japan will soon have a chance to snag some goodies that have been out-of-stock for awhile now.
Nintendo has confirmed that the Animal Crossing: New Horizons “The Roost” café tumbler glass is getting a restock in Japan, and it’s set to return to bookstores and online storefronts come May 27th, 2024. Just like last time, the tumbler will be priced at $19.
As for other items set for a restock, Nintendo’s line of Animal Crossing: New Horizons “Dodo Airlines” travel accessories are also coming back. These will be available through Family Mart locations across Japan, as well as through Takarashima’s official website. The exact date for the return of these goodies hasn’t been share.
The history of NES Tetris world records doc is can't-miss
Take this doc for a spin
When it comes to painstakingly chronicling world records in videogames, no one does it better than Summoning Salt. The gaming world record aficionado puts an absolute mountain of work and effort into breaking down the history of those records, and this time he’s turned his focus to Tetris on the NES.
As usual, there’s more than just one world record for Tetris on the NES. Depending on the methodology and approach, players can virtually compete to be the best in the world in numerous areas. You might think Tetris to be a rather straightforward affair, but as this documentary shows, there are all sorts of attempts, approaches and innovations that lead to the entire world record scene being flipped on its head.
The world record scene for Tetris has been active pretty much since the game launched, yet players are still pushing to be the best literal decades after this title first hit the scene. The ways in which players have not only discovered for speeding up gameplay, but pushing the game beyond its limits is downright staggering. If you haven’t been following the Tetris world record scene, you’re in for an absolute treat with this doc.
College is a pretty amazing time in a young adult’s life. It’s when kids leave the nest to find themselves, live away from home, experience life, and of course, take all kinds of college courses. Landing on a major is one of the many decisions college students have to make, but Nintendo fans might have things a tad easier if they go to one university in particular.
Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is offering up a student-taught class that specifically focuses on the Fire Emblem franchise. “Fire Emblem Design and Analysis” says it will help students “gain a deeper understanding of the game design, mechanics and writing of the Fire Emblem series.” If you’re already a fan of the franchise or are eager to learn more, it sounds like there’s no better way to do so than picking up this class!
It’s important to note that this course is offered alongside the university’s degrees instead of being a part of them. Still, these courses do count towards final degrees, so there’s more to them just taking the class for fun. A study of all things Fire Emblem that can also lift your grades a bit?! I mean, how could any self-respecting Nintendo fan say no?!
PS2-style horror game "The Glass Staircase" heads to Switch May 24th, 2024
Sans the Emotion Engine
The Glass Staircase, a short-form old-school psychological horror game from the terror experts at Puppet Combo arrives on Switch Friday, May 24.
Experience the game that Bloody Disgusting has called “Puppet Combo’s most ambitious effort to date.” You take control of four girls as they navigate the horrors of a dilapidated orphanage. Each day, they’re given tasks to complete but it quickly becomes clear that it is anything but routine for them.
Rather than focusing on grotesque slasher horror, The Glass Staircase is a surreal and atmospheric game. Taking place sometime after 1922, The Glass Staircase is inspired by PS2 survival horror titles like Silent Hill 2 and the GameCube classic Eternal Darkness, as well as classic ‘80s Italian Giallo horror movies, such as The Beyond, House by the Cemetery, and Suspiria.
Key Features
- Fixed camera angles to escalate the dread—you never know what you’ll find waiting just around the corner…
- Nostalgic PlayStation 2 graphics, with thematic and mechanical nods to classic survival horror games.
- Eldritch secrets lurk in the bowels of this house… drag them into the light.
- Put together the pieces of a haunting story by collecting letters from the past, unraveling the mystery of the mansion and its dark history.
- Remember: Good girls take their medicine. Good girls do their chores. Good girls go home.
Fallout content heading to Fortnite soon
Epic is a real pip, boy
The king of crossover content is expanding its universe once more.
The official Fortnite X account has shared the above image, which fans of the Fallout series will recognize instantly. This image was shared with a wink and thumbs up emoji and that’s it, but Epic knows they don’t have to say anything else. Fallout is bigger than ever right now, and the artwork features enough iconic Fallout imagery for fans to know that collaborative content will be heading to the battle royale in the near future.
While there’s no specific date for this content to drop, there’s a good chance it could arrive as early as next week, as Chapter 5 season 3 of Fortnite kicks off May 24th, 2024. Once we have a release date and full details on this collaboration, we’ll make sure to fill you in.
DAVE THE DIVER: Anniversary Edition North America physical release pushed to June 28th, 2024
David, NO!
Arc System Works America, Inc. previously announced that the physical package release of DAVE THE DIVER Anniversary Edition would arrive on Switch in North America on May 30th. Unfortunately that is no longer the case “due to production issues.” The new date now sits at June 28th, 2024 and Arc System Works has apologized for the inconvenience.
As players dive even deeper into this aquatic world, they may recognize a familiar look as the evening sushi bar welcomes customers cosplaying as fan favorite Guilty Gear Strive characters. This unique offering, exclusive to the Nintendo Switch package, lets players engage in a Guilty Gear Strive themed boat skin and “The Disaster Of Passion” rhythm game. Additionally, players can enjoy a digital art book that showcases DAVE THE DIVER’s memorable, pixelated characters and locations. These exclusive features are only available in the physical package.
Since debuting last year, DAVE THE DIVER has been praised for its unique hybrid underwater gameplay, earning a Metacritic score of 90 and selling over 3 million copies globally. The 2023 Steam Award-winning game takes players deeper into the mysterious Blue Hole ocean, home to over 200 species of fish, perfect for hunting and, by night, serving up fresh sushi at a seaside sushi bar. Players can generate income by serving customers sushi to use to upgrade diving gear. DAVE THE DIVER submerges players into its charming story and addictive gameplay, expanding through exploring of the mysterious Blue Hole.
DAVE THE DIVER Anniversary Edition for Nintendo Switch will be available as a physical package for $39.99 MSRP and is rated E 10+ by the ESRB.
Masahiro Sakurai is back with yet another installment in his game development video series, and today brings us an episode that falls into the “Programming & Tech” category.
Sakurai says that he and his team implement a variety of debug features during a game’s development, and today, he introduces what he considers to me one of the more useful tools; transparency.
You might be surprised at just how much transparency features are used in a game. The visual trick is apparent in some areas, but there are plenty of other places where the approach is used where you might not even expect it. Implementing transparency elements in the right place and at the right time can lead to some truly impressive results!
Devolver Digital celebrates their 15th anniversary with a special video
15 years of killing it
You might think of Devolver Digital as a new(er) kid on the block, but that’s not really the case. While they’re a comparatively young company when looking at the greater industry, they’re no Spring chicken either. Devolver has been publishing hit after hit for 15 years now, and they’ve got a library that is pretty much second to none in the indie space.
To celebrate their 15th anniversary, Devolver has put together a special video that looks back on the many, many games they’ve released over the years, but there’s more to it than that. This video shares comments from fans around the world who were more than happy to share their thoughts on some of Devolver’s fantastic output over the years.
Devolver has been a staunch supporter of the Switch since very early on, and you can find tons of their amazing games on the eShop right now. This trailer is littered with Switch titles, and the comments in this video will no doubt inspire you to check some of them out!
Night Slashers: Remake "Hong Hua Zhao" Trailer
Say hello to Hong Hua Zhao
Night Slashers: Remake is heading to Switch, but a release date and price point are yet to be shared. What we do have is a new trailer that showcases Hong Hua Zhao, and you can check it out above.
Hong Hua Zhao is a whirlwind of fists and fury! A martial arts expert known for her deadly agility, she’s a nightmare for any monster foolish enough to cross her path.
Night Slashers is a pulse-pounding, horror-themed beat ‘em up game, in a nightmarish world filled with bloodthirsty creatures and unspeakable horrors. Prepare to step into the shoes of the unlikely heroes, as they battle hordes of supernatural foes and terrifying monsters.
In Night Slashers, you’re not just fighting for survival: you’re battling to save the world from a supernatural apocalypse. Join the fight, experience the adrenaline, and embrace the horror. Your darkest nightmares await…
Night Slashers, a classic arcade game originally developed by DATA EAST in 1994, still stands as one of the best titles in the beat ‘em up genre to this day! The gameplay consists of seven distinct stages, each subdivided into multiple sections. You can advance by navigating from left to right within each stage, combating waves of enemies to progress.
Attempting to proceed further without eliminating foes halts the screen’s scroll until all the threats are dealt with. Upon reaching the end of each level, a climactic showdown with a formidable boss awaits. Achieve victory over the boss to advance.
Thunderful Reveals SteamWorld Heist II "Story Deep Dive" Trailer
Things are getting steamy
Ahoy, crewmates and Steambots! Today, Thunderful revealed their second feature trailer for the upcoming game, SteamWorld Heist II.
In the newest feature trailer, SteamWorld Heist II narrator Kyle T. Johnson gives players a deeper look at the game’s story and lead characters, before taking them on a journey through SteamWorld Heist II with an expanded look at the sequel.
The Great Sea Shard is brimming with secrets, missions, and stories waiting to be uncovered. Explore the watery world that sets the stage for SteamWorld Heist II - and take a look at the overworld gameplay! Learn all about Captain Quincy Leeway and his loyal steam-mates Daisy and Wesley, dive into mysterious waters filled with dangers, discover thrilling ship combat, and more.
SteamWorld Heist II is coming to Switch on August 8th, 2024.
Slave Zero X physical Switch edition now available
On the cutting edge of retail
Today, multiplatform publisher of retro and modern titles Ziggurat Interactive is excited to announce the physical launch of 2.5D hack-and-slash bloodbath Slave Zero X on Nintendo Switch. In both a Standard Edition and a Deluxe Calamity Edition, players are invited to slice their way to the rotten core of Slave Zero X’s grisly tale of vengeance. Both editions also include the updated mega-challenging boss battle: SovKhan 300%.
Standard Edition
- Slave Zero X cartridge
- Guidebook (manual with art)
- Controls reference card (key art on back)
- Console-themed costume palette for Shou
The Calamity Edition
- All elements of the Standard Edition
- Exclusive outer box
- Slave Zero X Comic by Andy Lanning and Ant Williams of Ideas & Inks
- Art Book (“Visuals of Megacity S1-9”)
- Dual Soundtrack - OST of Slave Zero & Slave Zero X (Physical CD in Europe only)
- Voucher for Dual Digital OST download - Slave Zero & Slave Zero X
- 3 Art Postcards
Chief among the goodies in the Calamity Edition is the official art book, with all its wonderfully grotesque and imaginatively bizarre art. Led by Francine Bridge and the Slave Zero X art team and heavily Inspired by H.R. Giger & Anno’s Evangelion, the team created a new take on a dystopian savage future, biomecha artforms, and nubile — yet powerful — characters from all levels of society. The art book is a 150-page love story that visually builds the world sketch by sketch, setting the foundation for the game design — and imagination beyond.
Additionally, Ziggurat partnered with Andy Lanning and Ant Williams, two Marvel and DC Comics legends who’ve worked on properties such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Batman, for an official comic miniseries for Slave Zero X. Included in the Calamity Edition, the miniseries depicts the backstory of several major characters from the game, all set in a dystopian biopunk setting. These comics are available in the Calamity Edition of Slave Zero X and in the Digital Deluxe version on PC.
Slave Zero X is available to purchase from these retailers at USD $29.99 for the Standard Edition and USD $49.99 for the Calamity Edition.
World of Tanks: Blitz "Object 590" reveal video
An object of your affection?
Introducing the Object 590, a marvel of modern engineering that redefines battlefield supremacy. With its advanced armor and cutting-edge design, the Object 590 stands as an unyielding force against any adversary.
The only sound louder than the gunfire? The echoes of bullets ricocheting off its impenetrable armor. Experience the might of the Object 590, where every shot fired in its direction only adds to its legend. Join us in witnessing the birth of an unstoppable war machine. The Object 590: Where power meets invincibility.
World of Tanks Blitz is a cross-platform, free-to-play, team-based MMO action game dedicated to fierce tank combat. Available on iOS, macOS, Android, Windows 10, Steam, and Nintendo Switch, the game lets players control over 370 legendary armored vehicles.
World of Tank Blitz is an action-packed tank game that lets players seamlessly enjoy the online real-time action anywhere. Fast paced and accessible, the game puts fun first, mixing the historical and lighthearted, the serious and the fantastic, offering a thrilling arcade-like experience.