The Blog

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach was originally released in 2021, but it didn’t make its way to the Switch until earlier this year. Any time a developer has to port an existing game to new hardware it presents something of a challenge, and this was apparently no exception.

In a new developer blog, Vladyslav Popushoi of Pingle Studio shares his experience working on this particular title. Check out a snippet below, in which he details exactly how the process began of getting the PC game to run on the Switch’s more limited resources.

Popushoi concludes by saying, “the biggest challenge was managing the memory. The project made us make a lot of original and creative decisions. As a result, the game build took 8GB instead of 79 GB. Also, the Switch version of the game turned out to be the most stable of all the other platforms’ versions, which the original developers highlighted.”

Click here to read the full piece for more insight into the development process of Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach. You can also find the game on the Switch eShop right now to see exactly how it turned out.

Project Voltage has revealed the thirteenth illustration as part of their collaboration between The Pokémon Company and Hatsune Miku. Their new project is titled “Project Voltage 18 Types 18 Songs”, and promises a series of unique tracks and illustrations featuring Hatsune Miku as various types of Pokémon trainers.

For September 21st, 2023, Project Voltage has shared an illustration of Hatsune Miku as a Poison-type Pokémon trainer who has the Pokémon Toxtricity as her partner. The artwork and design are by artist kantaro.

See more from the design below, and stay tuned for the remaining illustrations as they’re shared each day.

The 2023 Tokyo Game Show is currently being held in Japan, and it seems like Capcom just revealed a little tidbit for Monster Hunter fans. During their presentation, they showed off some brand new series artwork, which you can view above. The figure standing toward the far left side of the frame appears to be a brand new hunter.

This artwork was unveiled as part of a montage celebrating 20 years of Monster Hunter games. Flashes of all the previous titles were shown, leading up to this brand new 20th anniversary artwork. Could this new hunter be linked to the next Monster Hunter game? We don’t have word of a sequel in the works just yet, but news could be breaking sometime next year.

You can check out Capcom’s full presentation below. The Monster Hunter artwork in question is shown off at around the 46:00 minute mark.

Good Smile is now accepting pre-orders for the Cult of the Lamb Nendoroid figure on their official site. It costs $41.99 via the US storefront, and is expected to ship sometime in Q4 2024.

The figure depicts the Lamb itself, standing at about 4 inches tall. Also included are various faceplates and accessories. If you pre-order from Good Smile’s store, you’ll get a bonus round base as well. Check out more images and details below.

Tokyo Game Show 2023 has just kicked off in Japan, and as part of the festivities, the winners of this year’s Japan Game Awards were announced. This awards are given to a total of eleven games released in Japan between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.

This year’s “Grand Award” went to Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, making it something like their “game of the year”. Other games on the list included Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Splatoon 3, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The Famicom itself even won a sort of lifetime achievement award. See below for all the winners:

• Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Award: Family Computer (Famicom or NES)
• Best Sales Award: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
• Game Designers Award: RPG Time: The Legend of Wright
• Grand Award: Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

Awards for Excellence:

• Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3
• Earth Defense Force 6
• Splatoon 3
• Sonic Frontiers
• God of War Ragnarok
• Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
• Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
• Resident Evil 4 Remake

You can watch the presentation in full with English translation below:

It’s time once again to take a look at the games heading to the Switch in Japan. Here’s what’s slated to hit the system for the week ending September 28th, 2023. Remember, this isn’t the final list, as there’s always some surprises each week.

• RoboDunk
• Paleo Pines
• Mineko’s Night Market
• Abomi Nation
• Anime Poly Puzzle - Sci-Fi Maidens
• Ys X: Nordics
• Indoor Kickball
• Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST The Adventure of Dai
• Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST The Adventure of Dai Digital Deluxe Edition
• Kumakichi’s Birth ☆ Destruction God
• Clive ‘N’ Wrench
• Sentry City
• TY the Tasmanian Tiger™ 4: Bush Rescue Returns
• Deflector
• Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy
• Dolphin Spirit - Ocean Mission
• Before the Night
• Firefighting Simulator - The Squad
• Faerie Afterlight
• Fate/Samurai Remnant
• Fate/Samurai Remnant Digital Deluxe Edition
• Freak Forest
• FREDERICA
• Floral Flowlove
• Betomis
• Boaty Tanks
• Retro Kart Rush
• Vampire: The Masquerade Swansong
• EA Sports FC 24

COSPA has announced a set of new shirts inspired by the NieR: Automata Ver1.1a anime. Best of all, these shirts will be available at the 2023 Tokyo Game Show being held this weekend.

There are three designs in total: YoRHa (available in both black and white), 2B, and 9S. Each one will cost 3,300 yen, or about $22 USD. You can click here for more details or to pre-order the shirts ahead of the show.

These shirts aren’t likely to be available outside of Japan, but you can always try your luck for them online. Otherwise, you’ll be able to buy them at Tokyo Game Show 2023, being held from September 21st to the 24th. See below for more photos.

Japanese fashion store U-Treasure has announced a new set of necklaces based on the Monster Hunter series. There are two necklaces, each one inspired by a different iconic monster from the series: Rathian and Rathalos.

Both necklaces are designed to look like the wing of their respective monsters. They are silver and come with a metal chain that’s about 18 inches long. Each one costs 22,000 yen, or about $150 USD.

Click here to pre-order one or both necklaces for yourself. Orders are expect to ship on February 28, 2024. See below for more photos.

Fate/Samurai Remnant is the newest entry in the Fate/Stay night series, scheduled to launch on Switch later this month. In a new interview with Siliconera, Koei Tecmo director Ryota Matsushita elaborates on what went into the design of this new title. Specifically, he discusses what was important to retain from previous games, and what the team felt needed shaking up. Check out a couple of snippets below.

Click here to read the rest of the interview, which includes more insight into the world and characters of the game, as well as the planned DLC. Fate/Samurai Remnant will be available on Switch on September 28, 2023.

Nintendo has shared the launch dates for a couple of projects coming to Kyoto, Japan next month.

First, there’s a brand new Mario mural that you’ll be able to find at the Shijo-dori underground walkway in Kyoto. This is apparently part of Nintendo’s “strategy to expand the number of people who have access to Nintendo IP”. As you can see in the mock-up image above, the mural will showcase a very long Mario level in the style of the New Super Mario Bros. series. Luigi, Yoshi, and other characters make appearances, and it looks like a water level and Bowser’s Castle level might show up too. This mural will be up for viewing on October 5th, 2023.

Next, Nintendo announced the opening date for their third official Nintendo store in Japan. This one will open up in Kyoto on October 17th, 2023. There will also be a special preview available on October 13th and 14th for select lottery winners. You can click here to apply.

The new Kyoto Nintendo store will feature some exclusive merch, and a range of other Nintendo items shared with the previously opened stores in Tokyo and Osaka. See below for a preview of everything they’ll have on offer!

Evidence of a successor to Nintendo’s Switch continues to pile up, and the latest comes in the form of a job listing posted online by Nintendo themselves. The job listing seeks a data engineer with skills in the area of machine learning, including “hardware solutions” and “models to fit power, memory, and CPU budgets”.

See below for the job listing’s full description:

What makes this so very intriguing is that machine learning tech doesn’t really exist on the Switch. Naturally, this has led some to the conclusion that this must be for Nintendo’s follow-up console which has yet to be announced.

As for the actual applications of machine learning, it could be used to enhance the AI in future games. It could also be that Nintendo is simply testing the waters and seeing what’s possible with newer technology. We can’t say for certain, but if you’re a data engineer, you can apply for the job and find out!

Nintendo just recently announced the brand new Nintendo Switch – OLED Model ‘Mario Red’ Edition, which will be released on October 6, 2023. This will be just a few weeks in advance of the brand new Super Mario Bros. Wonder game, releasing on October 20th.

As we get closer to that Mario Red OLED’s release date, retailers like Amazon and Best Buy have created their retail pages featuring more photos of the system. Now, you can get a better look at the console’s design and colors from a number of different angles. Check out the entire gallery below!

Square Enix is currently running a major sale on many of their titles on the Nintendo Switch eShop. This is to celebrate the return of the Tokyo Game Show, which will be taking place on September 21st.

There are dozens of titles included in this sale, including Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, Tactics Ogre: Reborn, Collection of Mana, and more from series like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts. Most titles are around 50% off, with some going as high as 80% off.

Click here to view all of the games on sale and maybe buy some for yourself! Square Enix’s sale runs from today through September 25, 2023 at 11:59pm PT.

Nintendo has shared another of their infographics summing up all the titles featured in this week’s Nintendo Direct. There were some beloved returning franchises featured, including some ports, remakes, and original titles, and you can check them all out up above.

Are you pleased with the Switch’s upcoming lineup as outlined in this infographic? With Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Princess Peach: Showtime!, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, and the rest, this will hopefully keep Nintendo gamers happy for a while.

Annalynn has been updated to Version 1.6.2 on the Nintendo Switch. This update adds support for screen rotation on the Switch, as well as a number of fixes for bugs and glitches. See below for the full patch notes.