Persona 3 Reload, a remake of the classic 2006 RPG, is due to release on February 2. Between 2013 and 2016, AIC ASTA and A-1 Pictures released four animated films on Persona 3. The question is: are they worth watching before Reload's release?

For many, myself included, seeing your favorite franchises adapted into a new form is thrilling. So when I heard there were four full-length animated films based on Persona 3, I knew I had to watch them. It's too good to be true! Well, in a way, it kind of is.

Spoiler alert for Persona 3 and the films.

What are the Persona 3 movies?

Let's give a bit of context here. The Persona 3 films, under the banner Persona 3: The Movie, were mostly made by A-1 Pictures (with AIC ASTA doing #1). A-1 also tackled the animated scenes in Persona 4, so they've worked with Atlus in the past.

The films came out over four years, starting in 2013 and ending in 2016. They launched theatrically in Japan, and while they never made it to the West in terms of dubbing, you can buy them subtitled off Amazon Prime for around $5 each.

In honor of Persona 3: Reload's release, I decided to watch all four films and collect my findings here for you all to see. I'll talk about how the films adapt the source material and make it better, or in some cases worse.

For Better

As someone who played Persona 3 Portable, which had no animated cutscenes, the movies made up for that. Seeing the events of Persona 3 done justice through the great animation by AIC ASTA and A-1 Pictures is satisfying. The style is consistent with the original game and outmatched the animated cutscenes in-game, in my opinion. The fight scenes are also given a one-up, feeling just as snappy and rewarding.

The films also give Makoto Yuki, the once-silent protagonist, a full voice and lines. This helps speed things up story-wise and gives him more of a personality and arc. His character development throughout the four films is pretty good and goes deep into the themes of life and death. Furthermore, Yuki's humanization in Persona 3: The Movie #3. Falling Down with Ryoji creates some great moments of friendship the game never had, if I remember correctly.

From the start, you can tell the films were made by Persona 3 fans. Throughout the four films, you'll see cameos from Social Links like Akinari and Chihiro, as well as Makoto using fan-favorite Personas like Jack Frost and Thoth.

The S.E.E.S members also have their moments in the spotlight and translate well onto the screen. Junpei is still that lovable goofball, and Akihiko punches anything and everything near him. We even get an "I've been waiting for this", which is a must for any Persona 3 title.

For Worse

The story of Persona 3 is a long one. I mean, the game takes at least 88 hours to beat, and that's just sticking to the narrative. While the base story remains, small character moments and events are shaved to their bare bones or cut entirely. Even still, it hurts characters that didn't get much time in the original, like Shinji and Jin.

While what it adds is good, it doesn't elevate things as much as they could've. For example, the concept of Personas turning on their users is glanced over, being resolved the same way for both afflicted characters.

Another thing that felt off was the unchanged ending. I know some people didn't like the pacing of the ending and the events that transpire. And, while I was confused and surprised, it felt right. Persona 3: The Movie #4: Winter of Rebirth didn't change that, and it's a missed opportunity.

On that note, the pacing was quick and went too fast. This problem came up a lot, as events happen and end within minutes and get pushed to the side. The game had this issue, and to see that adapted doesn't suit the films well.

I do want to point out that each film has a different director. While the visions for them didn't change much from each version, it feels like there wasn't a lot of wiggle room to explore. For example, Persona 3: The Movie #1. Spring of Birth covered the beginning up to Fuuka's entrance, while Persona 3: The Movie #2. Midsummer Knight's Dream gave us the rest of the S.E.E.S squad and villains.

Each film was an hour and a half, give or take. I'm unsure if the plan was always four films, but deep down, I feel like adding a bit more time to each would help smooth the pacing and make them unique.

Consensus

The Persona 3 films are solid showings of the game's narrative. They stay true to the source material and add small yet welcoming changes. That said, condensing the story and translating its pacing problems to the screen hurt the films, especially the last two. As a fan of Persona 3 and its characters, it's great to see them as lively as they were in the game.

So, it begs the question: should you watch Persona 3: The Movie and its sequels before Persona 3 Reload? Personally, I would steer clear of them if Reload is your first. The game looks to correct some of the original's errors and the story flows much better with gameplay. If you're a returning Persona 3 player, the films would help refresh your memory of the story and characters. Plus, it gives some fun moments that fans will enjoy.

Overall, they act as mementos of the original. Whether they'll age well come Persona 3 Reload's release remains to be seen. 

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Persona 3 Reload, a remake of 2006's Persona 3, just released its animated opening ahead of its February release. Not only does it look fantastic, but it pays homage to the game's original theme "Burn My Dread" in a pretty inventive way.

Mixing in the blue/white palette of the original, Persona 3 Reload’s opening movie gives us a taste of what to expect come February 2nd. The two-minute animation introduces us fully to the new song “Full Moon Full Life” sung by Azumi Takahashi and Lotus Juice. There are some subtle nods to the original 2006 phenomenon that long-time fans will adore.

A Way of Life

If you’re like me and watched the opening more times than Akihiko says “I’ve been waiting for this!” (spoiler alert: it’s a ton), you’ll pick up on an audio Easter egg. Sure, there's the not-so-subtle usage of “Burn My Dread” and “Want to be Close” when the protagonist is flipping through his songs. However, the reference is in “Full Moon Full Life” itself. The beat of the song has a striking resemblance to the beginning notes of “Burn My Dread”. It’s a cool homage to the original banger of an opening. 

Persona 3 Reload’s opening visuals look phenomenal. I was a bit scared of how it would translate given the abstract tone of the original openings. However, it worked great and crafted some beautiful shots. It might just be me, but seeing Mitsuru riding her motorcycle like a badass got me 10x more hyped. Plus, the Akihiko/Shinjiro/Ken transitions were super smooth. A favorite shot of mine was with Thanatos and the moon, as it felt pretty iconic given the symbolism behind the two.

Our very own Timothy Monbleau got to play Persona 3 Reload in August and said the game felt “polished to an absolute shine.” As one of my personal RPGs to look out for, Persona 3 Reload looks to be a force to be reckoned with. P3 Reload launches on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 2, 2024.

The post Persona 3 Reload’s full opening is here to burn your dread appeared first on Destructoid.

Return to the Shatterverse

Some good news for fans of the fun and suitably silly animated series, Sonic Prime — Netflix has confirmed that a new season of episodes will be premiering on the streaming service this July.

Premiering back in December of last year, Sonic Prime sees Sonic the Hedgehog thrust into a multiverse known as the "Shatterverse" whereupon he embarks on a series of adventures with various alt-reality versions of his dopey friends, including Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, and Rogue.

The first season of dimension-hopping escapades saw The Blue Blur visiting a futureworld, the prehistoric era, a pirate world, and more. Also featured in the series was an entire cavalcade of Dr. Robotnik variants, which had all formed a council with to take over the entire Shatterverse.

https://twitter.com/sonic_hedgehog/status/1658852487854473217?s=20

Running for eight episodes, the show was considered a hit by the Sonic the Hedgehog community, with critics and fans praising the style, animation, scripting. and voice acting on offer, even if the writing was criticized for being a little trite and repetitive. A co-production of Netflix Animation, WildBrain Studios, and Man of Action Entertainment, a total of 24 episodes were commissioned in all, which suggests the new season will feature a further eight adventures, with the remain eight to be screened later this year.

Sonic Prime Season 2 premieres exclusively on Netflix on July 13. Season One is available to watch now.

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This week's episode: The writer's barely...

Gnarly! Hot off of last week's announcement that the hit animated show Totally Spies! was getting set for a long-awaited TV comeback, publisher Microids has announced that it has a brand new video game adaptation in the works, set to launch on consoles and PC in 2024, alongside the girl's TV return.

Totally Spies! which originally screened in the very early '00s, sees World Organization of Human Protection (WOOHP) agents Sam, Clover, and Alex embark on a series of deadly (read: silly) missions in order to protect the free world from a rogues' gallery of terrorists and villains, while also attempting to balance their death-defying deeds with the upscale Beverly Hills lifestyles. The show, which ran for over 150 episodes, was notable for its stylistic, anime-inspired approach to its action, screwball comedy, and facial animations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXpbRn5fDH0&ab_channel=FrancaisToonFan

While Totally Spies! has been off the air since 2015, with the ending of its sixth season, it was revealed just last week that a seventh season is now in production at Cartoon Network, and is scheduled to premiere in 2024. While no details are currently available on Microids' tie-in video game title, the game has been licensed and commissioned specifically in line with the TV show's return.

"Microids is committed to faithfully and innovatively adapting well-known IP and it is a real honor for us to work on the Totally Spies! license," said Microids CEO Stephane Longeard in a press release. "Thanks to the skills of our studios and in-house teams, we will do everything we can to offer the community a game that meets its expectations."

Totally Spies! will launch on PC and console platforms in 2024.

The post Totally Spies! to return in 2024 with new season and video game appeared first on Destructoid.

Marge, may I play Devil's Advocate?

Hi, I'm The Industry's Chris Moyse, you might remember me from articles such as 10 Best Lawsuits Filed Against Activision Blizzard and Juri's Soles: Delicious but Deadly, but today I'm here to talk to you about America's favorite animated, non-prehistoric family: The Simpsons.

In the 35+ years that The Simpsons has been on television — only 12 of those being years being Good — Captain Wacky and his family have taken a delightfully satirical stab at practically all forms of art, entertainment, and global services. From comic books to movies, cartoons to pop music, and even services such as Uber and esports in episodes that you haven't seen because you tuned out years ago.

Of course, video games were another medium that did not escape the satirical eye of The Simpsons' writer's room, and even the earliest of seasons feature a veritable treasure trove of arcades and home console releases, at once completely original and highly familiar. And while all of these titles might not actually exist in the real world, in many cases, they probably should. I'd sell my soul to Milhouse for the opportunity to visit the Noiseland Video Arcade, or for just one round of Robert Goulet Destroyer.

No mom, you idiot...

When "Simpsons-mania" first kicked into high gear in the early 1990s — an era defined by either Bart Simpson or Michaelangelo's face slapped onto every single purchasable item in existence — the gaming community was hit with a tidal wave of frankly rubbish Simpsons tie-in video games. But while writing "The 15 Best Simpsons Games of All Time" would be something of an oxymoron, I'm far more interested in looking at the fictional titles that, for the most part at least, only exist within The Simpsons universe.

So, pour yourself a Frosty Chocolate Milkshake, and let's take a look at The 15 Best Video Games that Exist in The Simpsons Universe — Each and every one of them is worth up to and including $70, while all being a darn sight more entertaining than Bart vs. The Space Mutants...

...or Escape from Kamp Krusty,

...or Bart vs. The Juggernauts,

or...

15. Triangle Wars

First Appearance: "Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'em"

Video games had to start somewhere, even in The Simpsons universe, and when Bart visited the run-down arcade center "Captain Blip's Zapateria", he was greeted with some of the formative video games of his generation, including Click Clack, Unipede, Remington Steele: The Game, and Triangle Wars; a thinly-veiled clone of real-world classics such as Asteroids and Joust.

Bart, a filthy casual, is non-plussed with the vector graphics and simplistic sound effects, ultimately bemoaning the fact that he wins a free game and is forced to keep playing.

"Now my ship is pooping more triangles!"

A fun side-note, this scene also features a glimpse of the legendary urban myth arcade, Polybius.

14. Halloween Hit 'n' Run

First Appearance: "Special Edna"

When The Simpsons visited the EFCOT Center to attend an award ceremony for the show's best and hottest character, Mrs. Edna Krabappel, her beau, Principal Skinner, also tagged along, hoping to prevent Edna from becoming too successful and thus growing "out of his league". Hoping to entice Bart into sabotaging the award ceremony, Skinner surreptitiously meets his nemesis in a sit-in cabinet for coin-op Halloween Hit 'n' Run.

We don't see much of the game in action, but gameplay seems to consist of simply driving through the suburbs on Halloween night, mowing down as many costumed Trick or Treaters as possible. "Oooh, this game is going to receive some disapproving clucks" intones Skinner. Interestingly enough, the similarly titled Simpsons Hit 'n Run launched in the real world the same year this episode aired. And while it isn't quite as violent, it is considered one of the best-ever Simpsons video games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qause0z-9tM&ab_channel=ChrisBarker

13. Kevin Costner's Waterworld

First Appearance: "The Springfield Files"

Kevin Costner's Waterworld is an arcade adaptation of the staggeringly expensive movie of the same name, which premiered in 1995, and was the highest-budgeted film of all time to that point, costing somewhere in the region of $180 million USD. The film famously bombed at the box office, failing to recoup its costs for many years, only making back its stratospheric budget after years on the home video market.

The arcade version costs Milhouse 40 quarters ($10) for a credit, and only sees the protagonist take a couple of steps before the game demands more cash from the player. A series of real-life Waterworld games existed on SNES, Game Boy, PC, and, bizarrely, Virtual Boy.

Today, much like the Star Wars prequels, revisionist history states that Waterworld was misunderstood, but, also like the Star Wars prequels, it's actually Just Rubbish.

12. Grand Theft Walrus

First Appearance: "The Simpsons Movie"

Appearing in the Focus-Grouped-to-Death big-screen release, The Simpsons Movie, Grand Theft Walrus is briefly seen during Homer's trip to, sigh, "Eski-Moe's" in Alaska. In the game, a sports car drives Walrus pulls up to the curb, where he is entertained by a Happy Feet-style dancing penguin. The Walrus then blows the penguin throw the window with a shotgun.

Speaking of Blows, this scene says a lot about The Simpsons Movie's methodology compared to regular TV Simpsons. Grand Theft Walrus isn't stylized to look anything like an actual video game, with the clip essentially being a Family Guy-esque "cutaway", shot with standard animation. Additionally, rather than be a bespoke title, it's simply a full-on Grand Theft Auto spoof, complete with Rockstar font.

As those who have studied the development of The Simpsons Movie can attest, producers were obsessed with ensuring that every single joke/reference would be fully understood by every single member of the audience, everywhere. This led to a nightmare production of endless producer notes, constant character redesigns, frequent scene rewrites, and a thoroughly miserable experience for everyone involved.

Spider Pig. Brilliant.

11. Panamanian Strongman

First Appearance: "Boy Scoutz n' The Hood"

This bizarre, but awesome title puts the player in control of what appears to be a King Kong-sized version of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, as he battles World War II biplanes while scaling the Panama Capitol Building.

Despite Bart's mantra of "Be In the Game, Not Of the Game", the Panamanian Strongman falls from the tower, where he is kicked repeatedly by a digitized George Bush, who delivers the solemn and iconic arcade slogan of the '80s: "Winners Don't Use Drugs". Bart declares out loud that he is out of quarters, which leads to the activation of a high-security system of alarm bells and electric doors, culminating in the Squeaky-Voiced Teen informing the friends that they must leave.

No Es Bueno.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uqRRuckLjI&ab_channel=ChrisThompson

10. Let's Make a Baby

First Appearance: "This Little Wiggy"

Unfortunately, we don't get to see any gameplay footage of this particularly extravagant game, which is played by both Homer and Krusty the Clown during a visit to the Springfield Science Museum. We have to include it purely for its top-tier theme and hi-tech cabinet, however, which sees the player operate a fully mobile, raised chair, firing digi-sperm at a screen in the hope of helping the target to conceive.

"Ovulate, Damn You! Ovulate!"

Sadly for Homer, a sultry voice informs him that he is out of sperm, and he sadly slinks away from this wonderment of physical game design. Of all the games on this list, this is most assuredly the one that this writer would be particularly terrible at. Well, that's decades of SSRIs for you.

9. Earthland Realms

First Appearance: "Marge Gamer"

In 2007, someone in The Simpsons writer's room heard that World of Warcraft exists, and thus set out to dedicate an entire episode to MMO culture, less than a year after South Park had already pulled the same gag (even roping in developer Blizzard to help with the episode's production). The Simpsons' take on MMOs sees a bored Marge dive into the fantasy world of Earthland Realms, an obvious pastiche of the WoW/Everquest-style online RPG.

We soon discover that almost everyone in Springfield is an Earthland Realms player, all of whom live in fear of the terrifying Shadow Knight, who has been killing off their characters with reckless abandon. It turns out that The Shadow Knight is, in reality, Marge's Special Little Guy. Marge is accidentally killed by Bart's character, who then expends his own health in order to revive her. Though The Shadow Knight is then killed by the other players while in his weakened state, the resurrected Marge goes on a vengeful rampage of her own.

Wow, The Last of Us was right, revenge is cyclical. You're deep, Druckmann.

8. Touch of Death

First Appearance: "When Flanders Failed"

After Bart decides to take up karate classes, he quits minutes into the first lesson once he realizes that he isn't going to be trusted with throwing stars and death blows anytime soon. Instead, he takes a trip down the mall concourse to the arcade, where he indulges in a few rounds of ninja battler Touch of Death. After landing a few blows, Bart hits the titular Touch of Death button, which immediately kills his opponent and sees his soul leave his body.

Later, when asked what he's learned in Karate class, Bart tells the family he learned "The Touch of Death", demonstrating the made-up technique on Lisa, ("Bart, don't use The Touch of Death on your sister.") Bart's lies catch up with him later, however, when he gets his ass handed to him by Dolph, Jimbo, and Kearney. It's funny how sometimes two wrongs can make a right.

While Touch of Death appears to be a Mortal Kombat pastiche, Midway was still two years away from releasing the violent scrapper, so ToD is more just an amalgamation of various fighting games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Apne-itN6gE&ab_channel=eexot

7. Larry the Looter

First Appearance: "Radio Bart"

During Bart's brilliantly shit 10th birthday party at Wall E. Weasel's pizzeria, ("You're the birthday boy or girl"), we get to see him play a round of Larry the Looter. This pretty simple and anarchic title sees the player indulge in a spot of smash and grab, breaking into store windows and stealing goods, unfortunately, just seconds into the game, Larry is taken down by a heat-packing street vendor, who blows the thief's head clean off his shoulders with a double-barreled shotgun.

Larry the Looter is a pretty important title in The Simpsons universe, as it would define the show's general approach to satirizing video games, depicting them mostly as overly violent, short-lived, expensive, and generally rewarding the player for committing criminal acts. Additionally, Australian indie developer GumpyFunction recreated Larry the Looter as a Flash title in 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Noo9xXKf8&ab_channel=Jos%C3%A9RuizD%C3%ADaz

6. Cat Fight

First Appearance: "Bart Star"

As a dedicated Skullgirls player, Cat Fight might be my favorite fighting game to appear in The Simpsons universe, located at the Local 7/11 We No Longer Talk About, Cat Fight sees two young women battling it out at the local mall, complete with deadly maneuvers such as slapping, (with nails, obviously), hair pulling, and biting. The game also features some pretty radical cabinet art, as well as some surprisingly clear digitized speech.

The graphics and animation shown here are a massive step up from other fighters featured in the series. Just look at it, this is Street Fighter 6 to Touch of Death's Kasumi Ninja. And one can only imagine the awesome roster, consisting of a Soccer Mom Grappler, a mid-range Stage Mom, as well as the particularly aggressive rushdown character, High School Clique Girl.

5. My Dinner with Andre

First Appearance: "Boy Scoutz n' the Hood"

Man cannot live by shooters and GTA clones alone, and that's why we have cerebral titles like Disco Elysium, Superliminal, Papers, Please, and My Dinner With Andre. Based upon Louis Malle's 1981 drama, this video game adaptation has Wallace Shaw and Andre Gregory settle down for a deadly battle of wits and entrees, with the player conducting the flow of conversation via a unique control system that includes "Trenchant Insight", "Tell Me More", and an ice-breaking "Bon Mot".

This is one of Noiseland's least popular games, as demonstrated by the lack of a queue behind Martin Prince, but that's because all of you just want to play Fortnite and Candy Crush Saga all the fucking time. What do you want? It's not my job to broaden your horizons. Sorry your parents didn't do better.

4. Dash Dingo

First Appearance: "Lard of the Dance"

When Lisa finds herself too sick to go to school, despite pleading otherwise, (Stupid Lisa Science Queen), Marge suggests that she instead play some video games to pass the time. Choosing into-the-screen platformer Dash Dingo, Lisa is initially disgusted by the game's DownUnderVerse setting and Nunchuk-wielding koalas, "What?! Those aren't even Australian!".

However, Dash Dingo's compelling gameplay kicks in, and Lisa finds herself borderline addicted to this suspiciously familiar adventure, ultimately abandoning her reading assignment in order to continue our hero's quest to find and devour the Seven Crystal Babies. I mean it was only The Wind in The Willows: Toad steals a bunch of motor cars and everybody gets really middle-class about it. The End.

3. Super Slugfest

First Appearance: "Moaning Lisa"

One of the best-remembered arcs from The Simpsons' terribly-voiced first season sees Homer desperate to beat his son at the ultra-violent boxing title Super Slugfest. Having failed to land a single punch in the pair's many matchups, Homer goes looking for professional help, hitting the local arcade and asking Springfield's best Super Slugfest player for some advice. It's essentially The Simpsons predicting MetaFy.

Returning home, Homer proceeds to pound the tar out of Bart, exposing him as the total fraud we all know he is. Sadly, however, Marge pulls the plug just as Homer is about to deliver the death blow. Bart then retires from the game "undefeated", setting a standard for all those FGC players who frequently fail to turn up to nationals once they get word that folk who beat them online will be in attendance.

Super Slugfest itself is a real icon of The Simpsons, well remembered for its ridiculously violent approach to the sport of kings, complete with uppercut decapitations and in-ring grave dancing.

2. Bonestorm

First Appearance: "Marge Be Not Proud"

Notable episode "Marge Be Not Proud" gave us what is arguably THE two best video games from the entire Simpsons canon. Bonestorm, a clear Mortal Kombat clone complete with Pit stage, Goro-alike, and techno music, is considered the must-have title for all video game fans in Springfield. Even Bart's best friend Thrillho has a copy, such is the mass appeal of this violent one-on-one fighter.

Buy me Bonestorm or Go to Hell.

Unable to purchase a copy for himself, and egged on by Mario and Sonic, no less, Bart indulges in a spot of five-finger-discount and steals the game from the local Try and Save, leading to an encounter with security guard Don Brodka. Don't smart mouth him, smart guy. Jesting aside, this episode is a pretty good satire of pester power marketing, FOMO, and Hype vs. Quality, (Thrillho quickly gets bored of Bonestorm, choosing instead to dedicate his spare time to Cup and Ball).

Marge Be Not Proud is rightly remembered for its good pacing, sharp scripting, and genuine heart. But what this famous episode is best remembered for isn't Brodka, or Thrillho, or even Bonestorm...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVXLok6fOU0&ab_channel=SimpsonsClips

1.  Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge

First Appearance: "Marge Be Not Proud"

There is no more iconic title in the world of The Simpsons than the iconic, imitable, and endlessly iconic Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge. It is a game Marge mistakenly buys Bart thinking that it is the must-have title of the season, and while Bart does a good job of hiding his disappointment, he has no idea that he has actually received a true piece of gaming history.

This GOTY-contender features a series of incredibly simplistic golfing putts, guided by none other than Lee Carvallo himself, who offers the player club suggestions and other general tips — Many of which revolve around "feather touch". A ton of work has gone into the title, including the implementation of pointless clubs and drive strengths, as well as the full rendering of the course's parking lot, where your ball will most assuredly end up. Plus you get a Scoring Pencil!

Still referenced by fans decades after its debut, Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge would be recreated in as a real-life Flash game by developer Aaron Demeter. An adaptation that would receive promotion on Twitter from no less than long-time Simpsons writer Bill Oakley. Given its cultural impact, the constant referencing by fans of both The Simpsons and video games, and the fact that people are still finding out today that Lee Carvallo is, in fact a fictional character...

Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge is, without a doubt, the best video game in The Simpsons' universe.

Would you like to read again? You have selected "No."

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But who's your favorite?

Legendary anime producer TMS Entertainment has released a new trailer for its upcoming animated movie Resident Evil Death Island, which will see a who's who of Resi heroes gather together to battle the rotting forces of bio-weapons corporation Umbrella.

The new trailer is something of an exciting moment for fans of Capcom's survival horror series, as it brings together a party of beloved Resident Evil characters, some of whom will be meeting for the very first time in series history. The preview, which you can check out below, sees Redfield siblings Chris and Claire team up with former R.P.D. officer Leon S. Kennedy, S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team medic Rebecca Chambers, and — the Master of Unlocking herself — Jill Valentine. A pretty exciting team-up for the community, that's for sure, and one that frankly should have happened as the theme of Resident Evil 4.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThmEKGQC_s8&ab_channel=KADOKAWAanime

It should be noted that the trailer is, putting it mildly, fucking bonkers. Following on from some Tom Cruise-esque motorbike stunt silliness, we see our heroes battle flesh-eating zombies, undead sharks, and T-Virus packing Lickers on a deserted Alcatraz Island. At one point, Chris Redfield casually arms himself with a rocket launcher like it's nothing, and a hilarious moment sees the team attempt to one-up each other while dodging a mutated tentacle. Silly? Very. Kinda cruddy looking? That too...

The true sequel to Resident Evil 3? Absolutely.

Resident Evil Death Island will premiere in Japan July 7, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has picked up the rights for a western release, and the film is expected to release in North America and Europe later in 2023.

The post Resident Evil Death Island trailer gets the band back together appeared first on Destructoid.

Radioactive Ugly

Surreal, there's almost no other word for it — Studio Retroware has announced that it is producing a side-scrolling beat-'em-up based on short-lived '90s cartoon Toxic Crusaders. The Tromatastic release is expected to ooze on PC and consoles in late-2023, and is already price-tagged at $24.99.

Still one of the most baffling children's adaptations of all time, Toxic Crusaders is an animated spin-off of the extremely violent and thoroughly bad-taste Toxic Avenger movies — a series launched by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz' notorious New York studio, Troma Productions. "Toxie" is a superhero born after bullied nerd Melvin Junko falls into a barrel of toxic waste, emerging as a physically deformed, eye-gouging, arm-ripping vigilante. The films are notable for their avalanche of sex and violence, featuring scripts that are packed with outrageously offensive characters and jokes.

And thus, in 1991, TMNT producer Fred Wolf picked up the license for a children's TV show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-tOCfDFxhw

The Toxic Crusaders video game will see one-to-four players select from a meaty 'n' mutated roster of seven characters — including Toxie, girlfriend Yvonne, humanoid dog Junkyard, and surfing scientist Headbanger — before heading into the streets of Tromaville to clean out its pollution-lovin' villains. Toxic Crusaders will feature classic arcade brawler action, a newly recorded score, full voice acting, motion-comic cutscenes, and cameos from other denizens of the Troma universe, including Poultrygeist and Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.

While I'm still kind of reeling from this bizarre news, I have to admit that if the aftermath of TMNT: Shredder's Revenge means we're to be inundated with beat-'em-up love letters to '90s shows, then I'm here for it.

Toxic Crusaders launches late-2023 on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms.

The post Troma’s Toxic Crusaders comin’ back in beat-’em-up form appeared first on Destructoid.

Bring Sandwiches

As part of this afternoon's Capcom Spotlight live stream, we got to see a new blink-and-you'll-miss it teaser for Resident Evil: Death Island, the CGI animated movie currently in production at Sony Pictures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUTrBXdVPAE&ab_channel=ONEMedia

The new teaser revealed that veteran hero Jill Valentine will be joining Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield on their latest volley against the undead. The narrative of the film will the Resident Evil protagonists cross paths as their respective missions lead them to the abandoned Alcatraz Island in San Francisco. One can only assume that they'll find a lot more to uncover at the haunting prison complex than Clint Eastwood's papier mache head.

Resident Evil: Death Island is the next in a growing timeline of CGI films featuring heroes and villains from Capcom's survival horror series. Previous releases have included Resident Evil: Degeneration, Resident Evil: Vendetta, and the Netflix series Resident Evil Infinite Darkness. While there is not a specific release date for Death Island, Capcom and Sony are expecting to release the picture at some point in 2023.

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Just a tiny bit...

During this morning's Pokemon Direct, The Pokemon Company announced that it is partnering with Netflix to produce a new animated series, Pokemon Concierge, which will tell tales of Pokemon, their trainers, and their adventures, all set on a beautiful, paradisian resort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvgPiewDncQ&ab_channel=Netflix

Produced by the cutting-edge French animator Dwarf Studios, Pokemon Concierge will utilize super adorable stop-motion animation to tell an array of new and familiar stories, inspired by the comics, anime, and fan contributions about your favorite characters from the world of Pokemon.

A very short teaser trailer saw Psyduck wandering across the white sands of the resort. It looks delightful!

Pokemon Concierge is "coming soon" exclusively on Netflix

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Make Captain Lou Albano proud

During the weekend's Super Bowl LVII festivities, production studio Illumination rolled out the big bucks to present fans with a brand new trailer for its upcoming release The Super Mario Bros. Movie — And this latest preview was a real treat for old-school Nintendo fans, as it featured the return of the "Super Mario Bros. Rap".

For folks younger than my aging self, the Super Mario Bros. Rap featured as the title music to the choppy (it was) animated series Super Mario. Bros Super Show, which originally aired way back in 1989. The show was famed for producing short, rubbish adventures, which were sandwiched between some wild, live-action bumper segments. These moments famously featured WWE star Captain Lou Albano as Mario and Canadian actor Danny Wells as Luigi. Once, Elvira showed up, though the Mistress of the Dark is yet to make her official Mario game debut. Sadness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu57M7cjSD4&ab_channel=Illumination

The new Super Bowl ad features the rap as a backing track to a "Real World" advertisement for the Mario Bros. plumbing services, promoting their fast, speedy, and low-cost pipe repair. This then gives way to a new montage of clips from the upcoming movie, with a look at some fun and familiar platforming sections, a Smash Bros.-style showdown, and, of course, a ride down the Rainbow Road. The Super Mario Bros. Movie stars Chris Pratt as Mario, and will also feature luminaries such as Anya Taylor-Joy (Peach), Keegan Michael-Key (Toad), Jack Black (Bowser), Seth Rogan (Donkey Kong), and Charlie Day (Luigi).

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is scheduled to launch in theaters in the UK and Europe in late-March. It will premiere in North America on April 7. So far, it's looking to be a perfectly fun piece of entertainment.

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You can't keep The Blue Blur down

Some good news for fans of Netflix' Sonic Prime series, as the team behind the colorful animated show has announced that further adventures featuring Sonic the Hedgehog and his dopey friends are currently in production — tentatively expected to air later in 2023.

Premiering just last month, Sonic Prime is a multi-part series that sees The Blue Blur thrust into a strange multiverse environment, where he encounters multiple versions of popular characters such as Tails, Knuckles, Rogue, Amy Rose, and a plethora — a council, even — of extra evil Dr. Robotniks. The first episode premiered on the Roblox platform on December 10, with the 10-episode saga debuting on Netflix proper on December 15.

https://twitter.com/sonic_hedgehog/status/1615767982214631425?s=20&t=WebPk-h3ZxgMeWVO_67AYg

No further details were announced regarding the new episodes. The tweet did not confirm whether this was classed as a "second season", nor whether the show will be returning to the Netflix streaming service. But we'll be sure to give you a heads-up when the talented animation squad behind the series has more information to offer.

The debut of Sonic Prime rounded off a pretty eventful year for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, with the past 12 months also seeing the release of remaster Sonic Origins, open-world adventure Sonic Frontiers, and the hugely successful cinematic sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2. In a statement made last month, Team Sonic president Takashi Iizuka opined that 2022 was "The biggest year in Sonic history."

Sonic Prime is available to watch now on Netflix.

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Fight Your Rival

This year, believe it or not, sees the Street Fighter franchise celebrate its 35th anniversary. And alongside the anticipated release of Street Fighter 6, the fan community can undoubtedly look forward to a bevy of fantastic fan tributes, designed to acknowledge over three decades of fighting game excellence.

And we're kicking off the year with a doozy of an example, as director Jeremy Mansford, audio engineers White Owl Studio, and musician/narrator Vo Williams have come together to produce a stunning piece of animation celebrating Capcom's iconic series and, more specifically, the legacy of its most notable of World Warriors, Ryu.

https://youtu.be/FVSgnfDc3aI

Titled "Fight Your Rival", the gorgeous, 80-second animated film captures the wandering hero's journey through the franchise, from the early mastery of the martial arts, through his battles with the Four Kings of Shadaloo, the war with his inner demons, powered by the frightening form of the Satsui no Hado. The animation ends with his twilight era, which sees Ryu a wiser, more spiritually content warrior who — despite his advancing years — will never cease pursuing the thrill of the fight. Not until his final breath.

And with a whole new generation of opponents awaiting him, it seems that the fight is far from over.

Street Fighter 6 launches June 2 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

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Dimension Hopping Hedgehog

Netflix has announced that it will premiere Sonic Prime, its new animated Sonic the Hedgehog series, exclusively on the Roblox platform this weekend, ahead of its official Netflix launch on December 15.

From Saturday, December 10, fans will be able to watch the first episode of Sonic Prime within the Roblox platform, where it will be broadcast via the Sonic Speed Simulator. The episode will be live from 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 15:00 BST and will remain available to watch until Friday, December 16, by which point the new show will have had its official debut on the Netflix streaming service.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rShZls4Ffw

Sonic Prime is a seven-part animated series that sees The Blue Blur and his nemesis, Dr. Robotnik Eggman, thrust into a multiverse scenario following the activation of the mythical artifact — The Paradox Prism. As the series progresses, Sonic will visit a variety of different time zones and locales, meeting alternate versions of his friends and enemies including Rogue, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Tails, and no less than five versions of his mad nemesis. Sonic will be forced to adapt quickly to each scenario, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that the next leap... Will be the leap home.

Sonic Prime premieres on Roblox December 10. It will officially launch on Netflix December 15.

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Because y'all love IPs and Content

In a quarterly earnings call held yesterday, Polish studio CD Projekt RED noted that it would be looking into more opportunities "in the transmedia space" following the smash success of Netflix anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners — an animated adaptation of the developer's hi-tech RPG Cyberpunk 2077.

While CDPR has already noted that it does not have plans to produce a second season of the flashy 'n' savvy series, the studio has been made very aware of the lucrative and creative potential of such projects, and, as reported by VGC, has made clear that it will be looking into similar adaptations in the future — be it through film, animation, and/or streaming series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax5YUmkWf_Y

Premiering in September of this year, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners offered up 10 episodes of rebellious, electric action, winning over fans with its flashy visuals, futuristic vistas, and gun-toting breakout star, Rebecca. The success of Edgerunners is hardly teaching CDPR any new lessons, given the global praise heaped upon The Witcher — another Netflix production that resides within CDPR's big book of brands.

The success of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is another example of modern media's creeping realization that adaptation and crossover is a far easier route to the Big Bucks than creating a fresh universe from scratch. You already have the world and its "rules" laid out for you, and you even a potential crossover audience from the get-go. Fans of a brand in one form of media are often given to swiftly switching over to another, and vice versa. As such, we can expect to see many more examples of this in the continuing era of digital entertainment.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is now available exclusively on Netflix.

CD Projekt planning more transmedia projects following the success of Cyberpunk Edgerunners [VGC]

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DC Extended Universe to cover all mediums

James Gunn, director of big-screen comic-book epics such as Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad, has suggested that upcoming video games set within the DC Comics universe are to be included in the overall lore of the DC Universe at large.

Gunn, who was recently assigned the role of co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios, made the comments in a recent Twitter exchange, confirming plans to have DC Studios' future projects — be they cinematic, animated, televisual, or in the medium of gaming — essentially inhabit the same universe. This broadens the scope for character arcs far beyond that of almost any "cinematic universe" to date.

While the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, it's difficult not to see the potential for chaos in these plans. The idea that, for example, Rocksteady's oft-delayed title Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League might lay arcs for characters in upcoming films, or TV shows, (or vice versa). Gunn's comments also come after the initial efforts for a fully connected DC extended universe have essentially resulted in a plethora of mediocre to terrible movies — with the better efforts, such as Matt Reeves' The Batman, being distinctly disconnected from DC Comics cinematic canon at large.

DC Comics has struggled in its efforts to present a coherent and reliable connected universe when it was only focused on one arcing medium, (cinema), the idea of trying to build a similar project via multiple mediums seems to be something of a herculean task. Still, the new co-CEO clearly sees potential in the concept, so we'll just have to wait and see what the future brings for Batman, Joker, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman.

But not Batgirl. Apparently.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League launches in 2023 on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X.

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Logged out

While CD Projekt RED's sci-fi epic Cyberpunk 2077 had something of an inauspicious launch, (to put it lightly), the same cannot be said for its animated spin-off Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which launched to immediate praise from critics and audiences upon its release to streaming service Netflix.

However, despite the fans' instant love for its dazzling Day-Glo visuals, nihilistic aesthetic, and manic breakout star, Rebecca, it seems that further adventures of David Martinez and his anarchic army are unlikely.  In an interview with Japanese publication Famitsu, CDPR district manager Satoru Honma acknowledged the success of the Studio Trigger-produced series, but noted that there are currently no plans to extend its now-told tale.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax5YUmkWf_Y

"I personally would like to continue to work with Japanese studios to produce more anime in the future, partly because we have received very good feedback," said Honma (translation via VGC). “However, just to be clear, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was planned as a standalone work, so there’s no such thing as ‘we are actually working on Season 2 in the background’."

Honma notes that while it is not impossible that further Cyberpunk 2077 anime may be produced, it is just as likely that it would feature a separate standalone story set against the neon-stained backdrop of Night City, rather than a continuation of the characters and events featured in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. There is clearly much to be explored in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, and while we should never say never in this highly lucrative world of media streaming, it is possible that the Edgerunners' chronicle has reached its clear conclusion... No more Rebecca? Don't tell the internets.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is available to stream now on Netflix. Cyberpunk 2077, which has received a new lease of life in the wake of the show's success, is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

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Bungie lays the groundwork for those who want to jump right in

A bunch of Destiny 2 news dropped yesterday, as part of the Destiny 2 showcase that revealed its new season and the coming Lightfall expansion. If you were interested by what you saw, Bungie has a new Destiny 2 lore video to help fill you in on the basics.

This video, dubbed "Destiny 2: The Light and Darkness Saga - Destiny Calls," is short and sweet. It essentially covers all the bases, from the origins of the Traveler to different enemy factions that Guardians fight against.

At just about five minutes and change, this video lays out the foundation of Destiny 2 lore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om28A9hTST0

While it doesn't go into too many specifics with regards to campaign stories, it's a nice summation of Destiny 2 lore for folks looking to hop in and play right away. There's the Light, the Darkness, a bunch of angry enemy armies, and a whole lot of loot to pick up.

The battle for the Light

It's extra helpful, seeing as Destiny 2 is making all of its campaigns free to play this week, as part of the showcase festivities. If you were waiting to see what all the fuss is about, this is a good start to catching up.

Bungie revealed Destiny 2: Lightfall yesterday, confirming that the Guardians are indeed heading to Neptune. The neon city of Neomuna looks very cyberpunk, and while there, Guardians will pick up the ability to swing around using Strand powers. I think that makes it a strand game?

Alongside some quality-of-life features that should make life easier, Bungie also confirmed a big plus for Destiny 2 newcomers. The studio says it won't sunset future Destiny 2 expansions like it did with the Forsaken campaign. This should hopefully make it even easier to hop on and catch up with the most recent Destiny 2 lore yourself.

Destiny 2: Lightfall goes live on February 28, 2023.

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Hot ninja tag-team action

Warner Bros. has released a new trailer for the next installment in its animated movie series Mortal Kombat Legends. Headed to Blu-ray and streaming services at some point in the future, Snow Blind is the third film in the series, following 2020's Scorpion's Revenge and 2021's Battle of the Realms.

Snow Blind will focus on one of MK's most noble heroes, the blind swordsman Kenshi, presenting the origins of the martial arts master's journey to be one of the most feared and most formidable foes to anybody on a Wi-Fi connection. We will learn of Kenshi's sight loss, and see his rigorous training to hone the mysterious and supernatural skills harnessed within him. Kenshi will then sally forth against an oppressive alliance of Black Dragon villains, led by the self-appointed King Kano.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvqx3-1G9Rw&t

The film will chart Kenshi's rise to martial arts mastery, and see him unleash his newfound powers on a bevy of MK villains, including Black Dragon members Kabal, Kira, Erron Black, and even the poor-man's-Ken, Kobra. The odds are against him, but it seems Kenshi isn't alone, with a particularly icy ally waiting in the wings. Snow Blind will feature all of the melodrama and R-rated, blood-gushing action of the previous films, and it's cool to see some of the more forgotten '00s characters get some time in the spotlight.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind will premiere on Blu-ray and streaming services in the future. The two previous films — Scorpion's Revenge and Battle of the Realms — are both available now.

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Quit bugging me

Obsidian Entertainment's well-received backyard adventure Grounded is set to receive a TV adaptation. The animated series is currently in pre-production as a joint venture between Bardel Entertainment, Kinetic Media, and SC Productions. A premiere date was not announced.

"Grounded has caught the imagination of millions of people and we've learned that the biggest fans want even more of that world," said game director Adam Brennecke in a press release. "This partnership will allow us to give fans more Grounded while expanding the world that so many have come to love."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsUvQaTi6nc

The Grounded show will, much like its video game counterpart, tell the story of a group of kids forced to fend themselves against bugs and critters of all shapes and sizes when they are shrunken down via some mysterious and unstable technology. And if fending off gargantuan wasps, spiders, ants, and beetles weren't enough, the kids must find a way to return to full size in order to expose a conspiracy threatening the entire town... Think Honey, I Shrunk the Kids meets All the President's Men. Probably.

Grounded will be written by Brent Friedman (Star Wars: Clone Wars, Star Trek: Enterprise) and directed by Brien Goodrich (Halo). A special panel is set to take place at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) where the first details about the show, its premise, characters, and cast are likely to be outlined. Production for the Grounded TV show is in its infancy, so it is very unlikely that we'll see it hit our screens until later in 2023 at the very earliest.

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SD-BD to feature all 35 episodes

Double headlines for Virtua Fighter fans today. Following on from the news that Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown will be receiving its Tekken crossover DLC tomorrow, separate news sees publisher Discotek Media announce plans to release the long-forgotten '90s anime adaptation of Sega's fighting franchise.

Speaking on Twitter, Discotek Media revealed that all 35 episodes of the Virtua Fighter anime, which first premiered way back in 1996, will be released on Blu-ray at an undisclosed point in 2022. It should be noted, immediately, that the release is SD-BD, and thus the anime will, sadly, not be remastered in high definition. While no reason is offered for this, it is often a common practice when the source material is simply not of a decent enough quality to offer remaster potential.

https://twitter.com/discotekmedia/status/1530550433432760320?s=20&t=igw5Phe3QuuBQDAyUaK3mg

On a more positive note, the new release will feature all 35 episodes of the anime, meaning fans who are still waiting on an official edition of the final 11 episodes, previously unreleased by Anime Works, will finally be able to add them to your collection. All 35 episodes will feature English subtitles, and the original English dub for the first 24 episodes is also in the mix. More extras are to be revealed in the future.

While I won't deny the lack of an HD remaster or a full, fresh series dub for the entire series is disappointing, it's nice to see the forgotten anime finally make a home video comeback in its entirety. The Virtua Fighter Blu-ray will no doubt find a pride of place alongside Discotek's other video game anime rerelease, which include SNK's Fatal Fury and Capcom's Darkstalkers.

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Jinkies!

Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive has released a very fun cinematic trailer for its upcoming platform brawler MultiVersus. The star-studded fighter is currently in development for PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms, with an expected release date of late-2022.

The very fun near three-minute cinematic sees a selection of characters from franchises such as Scooby-Doo!, DC Comics, Game of Thrones, Looney Tunes, and Steven Universe coming together to throw down in a sunny-funny meadow. This is one of those affairs where it's better if you just sit back and enjoy the trailer, rather than have me over-explain every last element of it like those awful YouTube videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvborgKG7fw

MultiVersus will receive its first closed alpha test later this week, running between May 19 and May 27. This will be followed by an open beta in July, ahead of the title's official launch later in 2022. MultiVersus will support crossplay on all platforms, and will sport rollback netcode on exclusive game servers. It will launch as a free-to-play title, so expect microtransactions and other in-game purchases.

I really enjoyed this trailer, and I think the concept of MultiVersus shows a lot of promise, even though the Smash Bros. gameplay style is very much not for me. But the potential for some utterly ridiculous showdowns — fights that will see GoT characters crossing swords with frikkin' Tom and Jerry — is very inviting, and I'll definitely be keeping this silly slapfest on my radar. Let's go, Velma.

MultiVersus is currently in development for PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

The post Bats vs. Bugs vs. Shaggy vs. Taz vs. Arya vs. Harley in wild MultiVersus trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach is now in 4K

A little piece of Nintendo history is being preserved thanks to the efforts of dedicated fans. Super Mario Bros. - The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach is available right now, in a 4K restoration of the original 1986 animation.

Originally released in 1986, the animation predates shows like Captain N or even the Super Mario Bros. live-action movie. It's been easy enough to track down a fan-dub or other version on YouTube. But this restoration takes some significant steps to be the go-to version for classic Mario.

The upload from FemboyFilms has both a 4K UHD and 1080p restoration, which you can find on YouTube or here on the Internet Archive, as spotted by Polygon. The restoration comes from a 16mm reduction print, likely used for local screenings when the animation was first released.

One fan, Carnivol, managed to acquire a reel, believed to be one of, "if not THE only surviving print" in the world. They scanned it, and set out restoring it. After years working on the project, Carnivol entered an agreement with FemboyFilms to restore the film based on the existing scan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzlZy9zpw0Q

A clearer picture

Two team members spent months removing thousands of individual pieces of debris manually for the restoration. The latter color-corrected the entire film, using manga and promo materials for the movie as reference. Forest of Illusion contributed additional reference materials too, which helped with deciding what colors should look like.

Then, using the original VHS as a source, the crew created a brand-new audio capture. Alongside all of this, there's also a new subtitle track. It sounds like a titanic undertaking, even for a whole team like this.

The result is the bizarre, offbeat Super Mario Bros. animation in a great resolution. The actual movie of The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach is fairly strange and different from modern Mario. Yet without this effort, this piece of Mario's history might just be lost to time. In the great legacy of video game adaptations, it's good to have this so well-preserved moving forward.

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Pour one out

(Update: Well, I guess that explains the fast turnaround I mentioned. Numerous tweets allege that the "renewed season" is merely the second run of episodes held back from season one. This, according to animation industry fans and workers, is a common tactic used to avoid production and animation studio payments from rolling over — technically meaning that the distributor bags two "seasons" of a show for the production price of one. For further reading, see "New Deal 4 Animation".)

Netflix has announced that its critically muddled animated series The Cuphead Show has officially been renewed for a second season. The cartoonish adaptation of Studio MDHR's excellent platformer launched on the streaming service mere weeks ago, but Netflix clearly sees a future in the property.

While the adventures of Cuphead, Mugman, King Dice, and friends are perfectly suited to the TV screen — the themes and style of the franchise being pulled from the classic Fleischer cartoons of the 1930s — it seems that critics and audiences were very tepid toward the show itself. While praise was heaped upon the slickness of its art, color, and animation, the show was criticized for its weak narratives, clumsy storytelling, and lack of legitimately funny, well-written comedy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sel3fjl6uyo

Netflix notes that The Cuphead Show season two will be available on the streaming service as soon as this coming summer, which somewhat suggests that the new episodes were produced either at the same time — or at the very least back-to-back — as season one. As such, I wouldn't expect any major deviation from a stylistic or narrative standpoint.

Back in the digital world, Studio MDHR is busy beavering away at video game expansion Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course. The DLC has been in the works for almost two years now, (after all, it takes a helluva long time to hand draw and animate all of those awesome boss characters, but the add-on is scheduled to launch June 30 on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms. Can't wait!

https://twitter.com/NetflixGeeked/status/1499127411803361286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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Take your waifus everywhere

The mega-popular anime streaming service Crunchyroll is now available on Nintendo Switch. An official app, available to download today from the eShop, opens up a vast library containing thousands of hours of animated TV series, movies, and OVAs — all for a relatively modest subscription fee of around $8.

"Mega Fan" and "Ultra Fan" Crunchyroll subscribers can enjoy ad-free viewing on Switch in both online and offline capacities, with brand new episodes of current shows often hitting the VOD service within mere hours of their initial transmission. There are currently over 1000 shows and movies available on the service, 996 of which are slice-of-life soaps about playing a school sport or running a cafeteria.

Originally founded back in 2006, Crunchyroll has only increased in size and strength with the rising popularity of video streaming services in particular and anime in general. Sony — under its Funimation subsidiary — saw the service's success and swooped in, purchasing the Crunchyroll brand in the summer of 2021 for a staggering $1.175 billion USD. Today, Crunchyroll entertains well over 100 million users

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We think he's mighty fine... Rockets through the sky...

One of the 1990s oddest and most subversive video game heroes, Earthworm Jim, is getting set to make his grand return in a brand new animated series, a collaborative effort of Interplay Entertainment and animation studio Passion Pictures.

While it's likely the armless wonder needs little introduction, Earthworm Jim was the sardonic doofus hero of several video game releases — ranging from his 1994 Super Nintendo and Sega Mega Drive debut, his dreadful Nintendo 64 release, right up to 1999's sorta unofficial Game Boy sequel Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 The Galaxy. At the height of Jim's infamy, the space-suited invertebrate saw a slew of tie-in merchandise and adaptations, including 23-episode animated series in 1994, which was produced by Universal and saw Jim voiced by Dan Castellaneta, better known as the man behind Homer Simpson.

Interplay Entertainment has not released too many details in regards to the new series — we don't even know what network, if any, is expected to carry the show. A new website, "Beyond the Groovy", includes a short trailer that sees Jim reflecting on his life, as well as referencing the show's "new leads". I wouldn't be surprised if we also see the return of some of Jim's cohorts and enemies, such as the goofy Pete the Puppy, the nefarious Psy-Crow, Professor Monkey-for-a-Head, and, of course, the sexy Princess Whats-Her-Name.

We'll be sure to let you know when there is any concrete info on either the new Earthworm Jim animated series, or the long-lost-in-space Intellivision Amico release, Earthworm Jim 4, should that ever actually grace us with its presence.

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Stick THAT under your table

GungHo Online Interactive has announced that its super-colorful multiplayer title Ninjala will be getting an anime adaptation in the future. Revealed during the most recent developer diary for the arena-based battler, the Ninjala series hopes to introduce new audience members to the wall-running world of Ninjala and its cutesy cast of characters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RflbdKxHSZs

Unfortunately, no trailer or screens from the new series were revealed, but we did get to see some fun concept art, featuring popular poster kids Berecca, Burton, and Lucy. The new series is an entirely original concept — unrelated to the recent YouTube series or the title's fun, pre-launch, CGI trailers. With a varied cast of characters and penchant for slapstick mayhem, an animated series for the younglings should be a fine fit for Ninjala. Here's hoping it's a good 'un.

In addition to the new series, GungHo Online revealed the contents of Ninjala's eighth season. This includes a slew of customization items, Shinobi cards, and weapons, as well as a run of in-game deals and limited-time matches and events. Ninjala, frankly, has not been quite the juggernaut that similar multiplayer games — such as Nintendo's Splatoon — would become, but GungHo Online Interactive deserves plaudits for offering consistent support for the title since its June 2020 release. And given that this anime series is over a full year away, that support looks set to continue.

Ninjala is available as a free-to-play title exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

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Anime fighter wins over franchise fans

Sega has announced that middling fighting game Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles has already hit one million physical and digital sales in just its first few weeks of release. The anime adaptation launched October 15 on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms, and has clearly found itself on the shopping list of the spooky anime's fanbase.

A tweet from developer CyberConnect 2 thanked fans for their purchases, alongside a reminder six DLC characters will be rolling out, free of charge. The first additional characters will be the demonic duo of Akaza and Rui, to be followed by four as-yet-unidentified characters at a later date. These characters will join an all-star roster of heroes and villains including Sakonji Urokodaki, Makomo, Sabito, Tanjiro Kamado, and, of course, sweetie-pie poster gal Nezuko.

In his review, Chris Carter called the Demon Slayer game "another decent brawler adaptation that asks you to already have a bit of background on the source material to truly enjoy it. In that sense, it joins a very crowded space of many other anime games before it, and many of you out there know where you stand on these."

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvkKVomJCr4

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There's a lot packed into this proof-of-concept

Some games awaken a creative passion in fans that never seems to fade. Even if there isn't a PC port, or a PS5 remaster, or another game in this gothic horror style, Bloodborne fans will continue doing their thing forever — and here's an eye-catching effort from one of them. Artist Anthony Berardo created a Bloodborne animated series concept.

I wouldn't have necessarily thought to relate Bloodborne to the works of Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack, Dexter's Laboratory, and Primal), but my goodness, it works.

https://youtu.be/OsZ0YG5w7po

It's a more vivid aesthetic than we're used to for the citizens, creatures, and freakos of Yharnam, no question, but it's compelling. I like seeing alternate interpretations like this.

The trailer is fast-paced, to the point where you'll probably want to crank up the resolution and crank down the playback speed to fully process every sequence and every nod.

I honestly struggled to pick out the perfect image for this article — there were a lot of different options — and I'm going to cheat by slipping in a backup pick at the bottom. On that note, if you haven't played Bloodborne, this animated series proof-of-concept does not hold back at all, so you're going to see a bunch of out-of-context spoilers for characters, bosses, and locations, some of which are going to seem mighty strange.

Eileen the Crow in the style of Samurai Jack? Today was a good day.

Even though I go back to replay this game from time to time, I almost feel like I don't need to — there's such a persistent and boisterous community of fans and creators rallying around Bloodborne that it always feels relevant to me, even when I'm out of the loop.

Imagine a day when From Software returns to this world. The internet might buckle.

[Nice find, Goemar]

The post A Bloodborne fan whipped up an animated series concept styled after Genndy Tartakovsky shows appeared first on Destructoid.

The first four episodes are out now

It's really hard to keep track of all of the various Pokemon shows that have come out over the last several decades, but thankfully, some of them are free (and conveniently on YouTube or the Pokemon TV App) — like these Pokemon Evolutions episodes.

So The Pokemon Company has been steadily putting them on YouTube recently, with the intention of running this free series through December 23; which of course ends in the nostalgic Kanto region. Throughout the weeks they've worked their way through Galar, Alola, Kalos, and Unova, with the next episode heading into Sinnoh on December 2. In other words, Pokemon Evolutions episodes are on a bit of a hiatus at the moment, so it's a pretty good time to jump in with the four we have.

If you're not familiar with Pokemon Evolutions, it's like a few prior projects in that it consists of roughly eight-minute-or-less episodes, all of which focus on a select few characters from various games like Sword/Shield, X/Y, Black/White, and so on. Leon, Lillie, Lysandre, and Ghetsis have all had starring roles so far.

As you can imagine from the last few names, Nintendo is giving them a sort of Maleficent treatment, shedding more light on their motivations behind the scenes; which helps fill in the cracks for a few games. As a main event, they probably aren't going to facilitate any "you gotta watch this!" texts or DMs. But as a fun little freebie show, I like seeing some of these regions get the spotlight again in Pokemon Evolutions.

Episode 1:

Episode 2:

Episode 3:

Episode 4:

The post Watch new episodes of the Pokemon Evolutions anime here appeared first on Destructoid.

From the ashes of the heavily meme'd '90s CG show comes this fantastic animated chantey

With an immense amount of love for the Donkey Kong Country trilogy (especially DKC2), and the vaguest of vague memories of watching the fugly mid-'90s CG show of the same name, I am all about this fan-made animated short from creator Alex Henderson.

Featuring music from Alestorm, this whole production is spot-on. DKC: Curse of the Crystal Coconut will put a smile on any fan's face — particularly those of us who miss the Kremlings (even though the modern Donkey Kong Country games are great without them).

https://youtu.be/k5-X58Tw6RQ

"This year may have been Donkey Kong's 40th birthday, but what a lot of people don’t know is that this wasn't his only milestone, as this month marks the 25th anniversary of his glorious TV show," Henderson noted. "Exactly 25 years ago, the powers of antiquated motion capture technology, Canadian tax dollars, and the audacity of the French, joined forces to create the greatest show in the history of television, and I've teamed up with Bootleg Dubs and Napalm Records to produce this celebratory anniversary short!"

If we ever get another game with the Kremlings, great. I'll cherish this video either way.

It's baffling how little of the show I remember, to the point where even the Crystal Coconut was lost on me, but I'm poking around (entirely too many) wikis to jog my memory. For a lot of us, the super-dated CGI characters live on as meme fodder.

If you'd like to relive the madness, someone uploaded Donkey Kong Country: The Legend of the Crystal Coconut on YouTube, complete with nostalgia-inducing Rugrats adverts to kick it off. Expect whiplash — from pretty much every facet of the viewing experience.

To end on a happier note, DKC: Curse of the Crystal Coconut is getting filed in my feel-good memory palace alongside Pollyanna: An Animated EarthBound Tribute.

The post DKC: Curse of the Crystal Coconut is an inspired animated tribute to Donkey Kong Country appeared first on Destructoid.