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This Week in Games — Games

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This Week in Games - Mourning Mutsumi Inomata

This week, Jean-Karlo morns the loss of artist Mutsumi Inomata and takes a look at her contributions to gaming. Also in the news, there's a new Fatal Fury on the way as well as new title Mega Man Battle Network fans are sure to enjoy. ― Welcome back, everyone! As you read this, Dragon's Dogma 2 is already out and folks are likely going nuts making and sharing pawns. I still haven't had a chance to pl...
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This Week in Games - The Gaming World Says Good-Bye to Akira Toriyama

Jean-Karlo invites us to take a look at Akira Toriyama's influence and legacy in the gaming industry. There are also good/bad news for Puyo Puyo and The Super Mario Bros. ― Welcome back, folks! I didn't get a chance to plug it last week, but my column on monster-collecting games came out last week! The timing on that column was... something. That weekend turned out to be the 25th anniversary of the D...
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This Week in Games - Nintendo Stamps Out Emulator Yuzu Devs

Jean-Karlo discusses the recent emulator debacle, some of the most interesting games from the Microsoft Partner Stream, and KOS-MOS creator Monolith's 25th anniversary! ― Welcome back, folks! Over the weekend, I saw Dune Part 2. It was really fun, but it reminded me of how disappointing it is that we haven't gotten a new Dune real-time strategy game to tie in with it. Dune II: The Building of a Dynas...
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This Week in Games - How Zygarde Got His Game

Jean-Karlo goes over all the good news from this year's Pokémon Day and worrying developments in the world of emulation. ― Welcome back, folks! It's been a fun week on my end; some good stuff came in the mail (I finally have a nice copy of the Valis collection). I still really want that one LGR physical edition of VA-11 Hall-A; it sure would be nice to find one at not-price-gouge-y prices. I also nee...
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This Week in Games - Directly To The Lands Between

Return to the world of Elden Ring and all the gaming lands in between, and Jean-Karlo breaks down the Nintendo Direct and Shadow of the Erdtree DLC! ― Welcome back, folks! What a week for news this has been. I imagine folks want to get right into stuff, but I had some fun stuff I wanted to show off! I got some long-awaited goodies from @Kamaniki featuring KOS-MOS! Thank you kindly for everything, Gig...
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This Week in Games - Not My Elena

Capcom's "Trendy Elena" sparks controversy, Suikoden creator Yoshitaka Murayama leaves behind a legacy of great games, and three Japanese RPGs pass the 1 million sold mark this year! ― Welcome back, folks! We had some fun stuff come in this past weekend. In the wake of our Another Code: Recollection review, another really fun game I anticipated came in for review. I'll talk more about it in the comin...
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This Week in Games - Is This Really A Final Fantasy VII Trailer? We Still Don't Know Sephiroth Or Nothing.

Jean-Karlo gets polygonal as he goes over the newest details for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the upcoming Sonic game and state of Microsoft. ― Welcome back, everyone! You've likely seen our review of Another Code: Recollection by now. What a wonderful experience that was. It's great that it got a second chance at bat. And it's been selling so well! Nintendo must've underproduced that title because it ...
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This Week in Games - Kojima Can Strand Servants, Discuss

Layoffs hit Activision Blizzard, Sony shows off a ton of upcoming titles, and Fate/stay Night is finally getting an official English-language release. ― Welcome back, folks! I'm still here, plugging away at stuff. Udon put out the word that they're making another one of their comic book spin-offs for a Capcom series. On the one hand, I'm excited because they announced a Darkstalkers book featuring Je...
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This Week in Games - Not The Best Of Pals

"I think a lot of folks who wring their hands about The State Of Pokémon™ would be better off just realizing that they outgrew Pokémon and stop making that GAME FREAK's fault." ― Welcome back, everyone! It was very nice to have such a warm welcome from everybody last week. And! We got something fun in the mail! Never mind me getting my copy of Another Code: Recollection (Look forward to a review shor...
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This Week in Games - Brace Yourself For Gamer Discourse In 2024

More layoffs, Genshin Impact developer miHoYo adopting AI, and the fear of harassment for a Last of Us TV series actress are the focus this week. ― Hello all, I hope your week was equal parts chill and exciting because this week is gonna be a mixed bag of not-so-fun news with a dash of neato news for good measure. Yes, I know we're only two weeks deep into 2024 to have bad news. Unfortunately, like a...
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This Week in Games - You Can't Keep Shigeru Miyamoto Down

Miyamoto and two other game industry titans have no interest in retiring any time soon. Plus: Jack Black's new video game film role, Twitch's nudity snafu, and more! ― Welcome to 2024, otherwise known as the sequel to last year. Hopefully, the first week of the new year has been equally restful and kind to you as you batten down the hatches for what is sure to be a busy few months of video game and s...
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This Week in Games - So Long, Kotick! Thanks for Nothing

Controversial CEO Bobby Kotick is out at Activision Blizzard, Hideo Kojima has a movie in the works, Twitch tries to find a middle ground on sexual content, and a data breach sparks ethical conversations among gaming journalists. ― Good day, morning, afternoon, and whatever in-between time you happen to be while reading yet another edition of this Week in Games. Surely, the week before Christmas spel...
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This Week in Games - The Long Death of E3

The gaming industry says goodbye to an old friend as E3 is finally put out to pasture. Plus, Sega is accused of threatening its recently unionized works, and Epic Games may have scored an epic win in court. ― If you're reading this, you've survived yet another week in games. Huzzah. Surely, this week was chill in comparison to last week's hectic Game Awards-centric week. Right? Nah, this week was pre...
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This Week in Games - Give Game Developers Their Flowers

The Game Awards honored some of the year's best in entertainment, but the same can't be said for the program's treatment of the industry's developers. Plus, Twitch exits South Korea and concern over a new Splatoon 3 weapon. ― Congratulations, reader, you've made it to another Friday. It's crazy to believe this week would be busting at the seams with video game news outside of Geoff Keigley's not-E3 e...
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This Week in Games - That Naruto Sounds Different...

Controversy unfolds this week, from strange-sounding lines in Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections to what qualifies as an "indie" game. ― Happy Friday, fellow weeb gamers. Although this week has been pretty light on announcements and trailers from video game companies outside of Capcom's release date announcement (and $70 price tag) for Dragon's Dogma 2, it's also had its fair share of ...
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This Week in Games - Wouldn't That Be Level-5 Five Times Over?

Jean-Karlo looks back on 25 years of Level-5 games, plus a new customer-unfriendly move from GameStop and the gacha games that's putting its players into gem debt. ― Welcome back, folks! It seems like my easygoing weekends are ending; I've got a game I'm working on at the moment. Look forward to that review sometime next week! For now, I hope you've checked out my colleague Kennedy's column on the .h...
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This Week in Games - Trust The Fungus. Touch The Fungus.

Nostalgia wave hits us this week with Gigabash x Ultraman collab, Super Mario Bros. Movie 30th anniversary, and Touch Detective coming back to the US! ― Welcome back, folks! So, uh, confession time: I had forgotten all about the Portland Retro Gaming Expo being last week. (I tunnel vision badly.) Last Friday, I even considered going on a lark to visit the Retronauts booth... but then I remembered tha...
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This Week in Games - Slim Pickings

Among the delight of anticipating the Izuna sequel, Lego Isabelle, Silent Hill: Ascension, and Gungrave G.O.R.E.'s Switch port, there is a questionable new PS5 Slim. ― Welcome back, everyone! Great news: I finally got to play Xenoblade Chronicles 3 for once this past weekend! It's nice to have spare time. The game is still introducing some phenomenal characters (even if I'm tilting my head a little a...
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This Week in Games - Not So Epic

Layoffs continue in the gaming industry, and the creator of Hatoful Boyfriend reveals he's been stiffed by Epic on his royalties. Plus, new Digimon devices and Square Enix goes all in on its "Cait Sith" pronunciation. ― Welcome back, folks! We picked up on some cool news over the weekend—Bandai Japan is making a new series of Digimon virtual pets: a reissue of the Digital Monster Pendulum toys, modif...
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This Week in Games - Big Names, Big Departures

It's a week of shake-ups in the gaming industry as Platinum Games and Sony see off Hideki Kamiya and Jim Ryan. Plus: CAPCOM president Haruhiro Tsujimoto thinks games are due for another price hike. ― Once again, I'd like to thank my readers who thought of me amidst the Izuna news last week. I appreciate being thought of like that. I like it when friends think of me when they see stuff they know I lik...
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This Week in Games - The Game Industry Uniting Against Bad Decisions

Japan sets a precedent for Let's Play content, and Unity just pissed off the sleeping dragons that are The Pokémon Company, Disney, Activision-Blizzard, and China. Plus: the announcements from Nintendo Direct and Sony's State of Play. ― Welcome back, everyone! Y'know, I thought this would be a pretty calm week; I hadn't had a game assigned to me, and it didn't seem like there would be any big announc...
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This Week in Games - There Is No Joke, Just Treat Game Developers Better

SAG-AFTRA eyes a strike on the video game industry to get the same wage increases for video game performers as for those who work under the film and television contracts. Plus updates on Nikke/Nier, Zelda DLC, and more! ― Welcome back, everyone! As you might have seen, my Rune Factory 3 Special review went up on Tuesday (and right after Laybuh Day). It's a fun game, definitely worth interrupting a Xe...
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This Week in Games - Nintendo Presents: Super Mario Elephants

Plenty of news coming from every corner of the gaming industry this week ranging from a new character in Street Fighter 6 and free distribution of Cave Story to Nintendo Direct! ― Welcome back, everyone! With Autumn creeping ever closer, we're seeing the last of the big games getting released this summer. As you read this, my retrospective on the Armored Core series should be out by now. It's very gr...
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This Week in Games - Thank You, Charles Martinet

Jean-Karlo delivers a send-off for long-time Mario voice, Charles Martinet. Plus, a new Nier collab, an update on Tekken 8, and PlayStation's answer to the Steam Deck. ― Welcome back, everyone! I don't know if it's because of summer ending or because our weird heatwave just ended, but it's getting comfortable again around these parts. No Xenoblade 3 has been achieved since I'm still working on a real...
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This Week in Games - Cirno Is Stronger Than AI

The creator of Touhou Project gets real about AI in This Week in Games, plus The Pokémon Company considers slowing down its output, and a classic sim is getting a make-over! ― Welcome back, everyone! It finally happened: we hit triple-digit weather in my city. And it was rough. I know I'm always clamoring for the heat, but even back home, you didn't see a whole week of triple-digit weather. This stuf...
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This Week in Games - Long, Long 'Mon~!

Gacha? In MY Atelier?! Jean-Karlo has all the updates on the new mainline entry, a giant wave of Pokémon-related news, and all those Street Fighter updates coming to a tournament near you! ― Welcome back, everyone! We had a busy weekend, so that's this week's excuse for not having played Xenoblade Chronicles 3 this past weekend. But that was also because we had to cover Rune Factory 3 Special! It's a...
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This Week in Games - The Scions Discover Margaritaville

The newest Final Fantasy announcements are here from FanFest, plus a big change-up for Visual Arts and the latest on a spicy visual novel finally coming to America. ― Welcome back, everyone! We had one heck of a week this past week—after all, it was Xenoblade Chronicles 3's first anniversary! 遅れましたが「ゼノブレイド3」発売1周年おめでとうございます!Xenoblade3 1st anniversary congratulations! pic.twitter.com/Jb6bcKbH4i— 齋藤将嗣 (...
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This Week in Games - Wetsuits Are Hot, Actually

Jean-Karlo dives into the fanservice fiasco at Limbus Company that led to an artist losing their job, the double standard in celebrating gay rep in Final Fantasy XVI, and more Zelda games! ― Welcome back! Last week, I informed folks I was trying to assemble my new PC. The good news is, I managed it! It took me two days, but I pulled it off. The bad news was, there was a snag—the H100i LCD water coole...
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This Week in Games - Hack The Past

Cyber Connect 2 tells fans to let Bandai Namco know if they want a .hack//IMOQ revival, and there's already a hashtag (#dothack). Plus, Gundam Evolution is shutting down just one year after its launch. Say it isn't so! ― Hi, everyone! As you read this, I'll be trying to assemble a new PC. I've had my new PC case (emblazoned with my favorite VTuber) taking up space in my room; I may as well put it and...
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This Week in Games - AI Voice-Scraping Can't End Soon Enough

It's Jean-Karlo's first TWIG anniversary, and he has a lot to talk about, including a new impressive set of releases from LimitedRun, and AI voice impersonations coming a head in the fan community. ― Welcome back, everyone! We've been busy over here; this past week, I was working on the Atelier Marie Remake review. It's a delightful game, someone does need to illustrate a family tree for the Atelier ...
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This Week in Games - Back, By Popular Demand...

Tsukihime is returning with a brand-new route! Also, an interesting article by Art-Eater points out the similarities between Final Fantasy IV and the Terry Gilliam film, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. ― Welcome back, folks! We've got AX and Independence Day behind us; hopefully, the rest of the summer is smoother from here. Anime Expo looks like a ton of fun, but every year you hear about the ho...
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This Week in Games - Saltgirls

It is a good time to be an Atelier Ryza fan and Happy birthday Sonic! ― Welcome back to Summer, everyone! I've been hanging back and watching everyone talk about Final Fantasy XVI and... it sounds like I need to eat my words because it looks like they pulled it off? Sure, it sounds like the combat breaks down a little in crowds, but everything I've seen involving the game looks fairly solid. There's ...
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This Week in Games - Elephantitis, Don't Even Get Me Started

The newest Nintendo Direct shattered all of our expectations with an amazing line-up! ― Welcome back, everyone! Things are nice and cozy as summer rolls along. I even had time to play a little Xenoblade Chronicles 3, though it's mostly exploration. Now that a big reveal has been cleared, I wanted to go back and fill out more of the map. It was a busy month, though, as I worked through three game revi...
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This Week in Games - From The Materia Of Your Soul

Jean-Karlo hypothesizes about possible major changes in the Final Fantasy VII remake's plot, plus the missed opportunities in the Persona franchise's newest entry. ― Welcome back, everyone! Wow, what a week! I saw the Super Mario Bros movie last week. Wow, what a movie with a miscast lead and horribly shoehorned pop culture music. There were a ton of announcements this past week; I'm definitely itchi...
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This Week in Games - Pokémon Strike Version and Protest Version

The top four players in Korea's Pokémon league were disqualified this past week for protesting the tournament by hacking their entire teams into knowing nothing but the move Metronome. ― Well, that's an egg on my face—I finished Chapter 5 of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 over the weekend. So much for "July"! They sure played us like a fiddle with that chapter. But we can talk about that later; in more impor...
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This Week in Games - A Good Week For Dragons And Novels

We have the latest on all things Dragon Quest, including Adventure of Dai jumping into the gaming world. Plus: Nintendo Force kickstarts a book on Satoru Iwata's legacy, Tokimemo news, and more! ― Welcome back, everyone! I'd like you all to know I've been making slight progress on a chain of floating islands near a castle in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. With any luck, I'll be storming that castle by July....
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This Week in Games - A Tale of Two Showcases

Jean-Karlo gets us up to speed on all the big announcements from Sony and Marvelous. Which game are you most excited to play? ― Welcome back, everyone! Great news: I was actually able to get some Xenoblade 3 in this past weekend. With any luck, I'll finish Chapter 5 by the end of summer! This is... Before We Begin... I want to get something off my chest, as it's quite important to me. This past May 2...
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This Week In Games - Emotions Running High Like The Temperature

A new Mortal Kombat game, more Microsoft/Activision Blizzard drama, and the original Shantae comes to PS4/5! ― Welcome back, everyone! It seems Spring has given us a miss and we're just skipping right into summer. And that suits me just fine, I've been enjoying my lunches outside in the sunshine for the past week. But I do know a lot of people can't take temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so I...
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This Week in Games - "Next stop, Hyrule!"

It's Zelda Day in America! But don't rush out just yet to explore the new open world—there are some other games out there. ― Welcome back, everyone! As you read this, it's Zelda Day in America. No doubt everyone is gonna be going absolutely crazy delving into the hotly anticipated sequel to Breath of the Wild, which itself has become the metric by which all open world games and Nintendo Switch titles...
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This Week in Games - The True Secret of the Dragon is Guns

It's a quieter week as we wait for Tears of the Kingdom, but Double Dragon is getting a new game! Also, RIP, Waypoint. ― Welcome back, everyone! With everything having calmed down slightly, I finally got some time to play Xenoblade 3! We also received a delightful surprise earlier this week! Back in late March, I was lucky enough to review Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key. And ju...
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This Week in Games - "Hand It Over, That Thing, Your Armored Core"

It's been a great week for mecha game fans! Jean-Karlo digs into the new Armored Core VI trailer, the latest Gundam Evolution season, and more! ― Welcome back, everyone! We had a really busy week—me and my fellow contributors got everything ready for Manga Preview Guide this past week, so there wasn't much time for video gaming on my end—and the Xenoblade 3 DLC dropped earlier this Tuesday. Just one ...
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This Week in Games - The Ten-Million Dollar Bricklayer

This week: the low-down on Nintendo's Indie Showcase, who is the less evil in the Nintendo vs Gary Bowser case, and what we know about the new Sonic live-action spin-off! ― Glad to see everyone back! As you read this, I'll likely be wrapping up my reading for ANN's seasonal Manga Preview guide. It's not game-related, but it's a phenomenal way to look into new stuff and discover new stories to love—I ...
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This Week in Games - I Just Miss Julia Voth As Jill, Man

Fans are thirsty for Ganon, we get a better look at Final Fantasy XVI, and Resident Evil 4 Remake sneaks in some microtransactions. ― Great to see you back, guys! I was delighted last week with the reactions to the Breath of Fire discussion! There were a lot more fans of Dragon Quarter than I expected to see. Remember, I'm always open to discussing matters you want to bring to my attention! I can't p...
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This Week in Games - I Didn't Plan For This Much Capcom, It Just Happened

From Breath of Fire's 30th anniversary to Resident 4 fandom shenanigans and Legendary acquiring Street Fighter adaptation rights, this week has coincidentally featured a lot of Capcom news. Jean-Karlo delves into it. ― Welcome back, everyone! I don't actually have much to ease folks into this week. I was working on a review for Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories, so no Xenoblade this time. We're wor...
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This Week in Games - Aren't You Tired Of Being The Hero Of The Wilds? Don't You Just Want To Go Ape-Mode?

Jean-Karlo gets hyped for the upcoming Zelda release, discusses Congress' foray into the Sony-Microsoft spat, and spotlights game preservation efforts after the shuttering of the 3DS store. ― Welcome back, everyone! It looks like we're all having fun with the Resident Evil 4 remake! I must be honest; I didn't think Capcom could pull it off—but they did. It's entirely debatable and ultimately down to ...
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This Week in Games - A Farewell To Legs

We might be saying goodbye to Ryza as a game protagonist, but she'll be back in her own anime! Also, some good news for a well-known Resident Evil modder and the push for a new American McGee's Alice game. ― Welcome back, everyone! It's been an emotional week. Between the death of Lance Reddick, whose presence in Destiny 2 was beloved by many of its fans, and the release of Atelier Ryza 3, we've had ...
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This Week in Games - Welcome To The Next Saiyan Level

It's Ángel's birthday, so Jean-Karlo takes the opportunity to gush about the beloved KOF character and SNK games' unique history in Mexico. Also, Twitch cracks down on deepfakes, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi returns and more in This Week in Games! ― Welcome back, everyone! I hope you're looking forward to starting your weekend with some game news! I could definitely use a break, I had a very busy...
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This Week in Games - If 'JRPG' is a Dirty Word, It's America's Fault

In a recent interview, Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida shared his distaste for the term "JRPG" and he has a good reason: the American game industry has mocked it for decades. ― Welcome back, everyone! We've had a heavy week behind the scenes; a number of time-sensitive projects have kept us from Xenoblade Chronicles 3. I wish I could say I was busy because I was breaking in my PS5 with Drago...
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This Week in Games - We Finally Arrived At The Sony Factory

Lots of Sony news this week, with a State of Play, classic JRPG additions to PlayStation Plus, and more! Also, our columnist finally has a PlayStation 5 now. ― Welcome back! I hope you guys had a great week! Progress was halted on Xenoblade this week because of a number of projects that came my way. We also had a freak snowstorm in my city! Being from the tropics, snow and hail amuse me, even though ...
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This Week in Games - You Go, Big Guy!

A popular VTuber gets a break in the latest Yakuza-related title, you can get a chance to clean up after Shinra's latest environmental disaster, and more gaming news in This Week in Games! ― Welcome back, everyone! We had a busy week this past week; we had a review for EA and Koei Tecmo's Wild Hearts go up earlier this week. Feel free to check it out! Sadly, it definitely got in the way of me being a...
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This Week in Games - The First Nintendo Direct of 2023

Jean-Karlo breaks down the biggest announcements from this week's Nintendo Direct, including new Pikmin, Metroid, and Splatoon news. PLUS: a look at the Final Fantasy X kabuki play! ― Welcome back, everyone! Whole lotta disappointing news out there. Worst of all, I couldn't even play much Xenoblade 3, but that's because we have some coverage planned for an upcoming title. Look forward to it sometime ...
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This Week in Games - E3, I barely knew ye

What was once the go-to event for new games and consoles looks like it's lost its fandom relevancy. Jean-Karlo breaks down the recent news, including new game announcements! ― Welcome back, everyone! I hope that freak freeze billowing over the country doesn't have you guys trapped. I know folks have really been feeling the ice down in Texas. Even in my town, it's viciously cold in the mornings; there...
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This Week in Games - It Feels Like 2008 All Over Again

Jean-Karlo dives into the recent rumor of a "lost" Fire Emblem game, why Hi-Fi Rush isn't the Jet Set Radio successor he wants, and how AI helped botch the Persona 3 Portable remaster. ― Hello, everyone! Here we are again, on the verge of the weekend. We've got tons of fun stuff to talk about this week! The year is starting to kick in with plenty of awesome stuff to discuss. Unfortunately, not all of...
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This Week in Games - "We Have Odin Sphere and Final Fantasy Tactics At Home"

Dokapon Kingdom: Connect is coming back to ruin your friendships, Vanillaware's Sword of the Vagrant is coming stateside, and Jean-Karlo discusses the massive layoffs at Microsoft in This Week in Games! ― Hey, yeah, so Maximilian Dood described Vampire Survivors as "video game crack," and uh... he's not kidding. I feel like that bit in The Simpsons where Marge sits down and sips a glass of wine. ("I ...
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This Week in Games - Asimov's Laws Didn't Account For Godwin's Law

An AI VTuber proves that the internet is still the worst place to raise a (virtual) child. We also have updates on three new anime-related games, a classic console release, and new characters in KOFXV! ― Well, this was a week! In a twist that I hope served as a positive surprise to everyone, Yours Truly was invited back to This Week In Anime yesterday for a special collab on Toka Gettan: The Moonligh...
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This Week in Games - Leonardo Leads, Donatello Does Machines

More accessibility is coming to PlayStation via Project Leonardo. Jean-Karlo discusses the new controller options, a visual novel for Hololive fans, and the latest game in the Fate franchise. It's This Week in Games! ― Welcome to 2023! I hope your pets didn't suffer too badly with the New Years' fireworks people kept firing off. My landlady's dog had to curl up on my bed for a bit, he was so anxious—...
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This Week in Games - One More Before The Clock Strikes Twelve

Microsoft points the finger at the FTC, Robert Woodhead's Wizardry legacy continues, and Build-A-Bear expands its Pokémon line-up in This Week in Games! ― So here we are—the last TWIG of the year. I've only been doing this for a few months, but as I wrap up this year's column, I can't help but feel a little wistful. I'm glad you guys have come back to read this week's column, and I hope you can spend...
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This Week in Games - T'was The TWIG Before Christmas

Wake up, it's almost Christmas! Will you spend the holidays playing as Deku in Fortnite? Also, a tribute to Ash Ketchum as he retires from Pokémon. ― Welcome back, everyone! It's the home stretch for Christmas in the U.S. (if you celebrate). With the frigid cold and the winter storms raging throughout the country, I hope folks are keeping comfortable. I'd show off my fancy decorations, but I'm bad ab...
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This Week in Games - I Wanted To Ask "He's Made Of Rubber, How Did That Happen?" So Badly, You Guys

Jean-Karlo is back from San Diego and has all the details from the One Piece: Odyssey preview event! Plus: Game Awards round-up, new Mega Man Legacy Collection news, and more! ― Hi, everyone! I'm back! I had a really nice birthday week. Did I get to build my model kit? Yes! And I screwed up Dyna-Soldier's arm—the tip of the peg snapped off, so the arm can't stick onto the shoulder properly. But it wa...
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This Week in Games - Chris Pratt Meets The Banana Slamma

The new Mario Bros. movie trailer reignites discussion about Chris Pratt's casting, Balan Wonderland's Yuji Naka is arrested, and Team Ninja teases a return to their classics. ― Welcome back, everyone! Apologies for the sudden absence last week; with Thanksgiving being when it was, it wasn't quite possible to get a column out. So I'm hoping folks had a fun time with people they love. And I'm also hop...
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This Week in Games - And The Nominations Go To....

The Game Award nominations are public, and Jean-Karlo has a fresh pile of opinions for you! Which games deserved the nominations, and what got unfairly left out? ― I'm back from Kumoricon, guys! Things were kinda weird at the convention, but it's always great to mingle with cosplayers. And I even got to make some good conversation with some older fans! It's always worried me that it's easier for me t...
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This Week in Games - Barrett Wallace Didn't Lose An Arm For This

Jean-Karlo shares his opinion on the recent Final Fantasy XVI, gets hyped for the Switch's indie game line-up, and preps for the upcoming Pokémon and Tales of releases! ― Welcome back, everyone! Another week, another batch of news! I've been swamped prepping stuff this past week, so I didn't get to play Xenoblade, but something cool did happen: ゼノブレイド3の販売本数が国内48万本、海外124万本の合計172万本でした。おめでとうございます! pic.t...
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This Week in Games - Not Too Late For Being Spoopy

Halloween is over but survival horror games are year-round. Jean-Karlo discusses the new Fatal Frame, Hideo Kojima's new elusive project, and an official, English TYPE-MOON VN release! ― Welcome back, everyone! It's been a bit of a slow week in terms of news, but a busy week for your resident ANN column writer. We haven't had much time to delve back into Xenoblade Chronicles 3, but we are working on ...
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This Week in Games - It Do Be Halloween Tho

This week's column carves a little slice of horror with some Halloween game recommendations. Plus, Zelda Wiki declares independence, new info on the Final Fantasy's darker turn, and more! ― Hi, everyone! It's Halloween next week! The season crept up on me; I get blindsided by holidays really easily since I keep my head down for work so much. And speaking of work, I had a ton of it! We have a preview ...
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This Week in Games - Of Hell and Witches

A big brouhaha brews over Bayonetta 3, Summer Time Rendering gets a VN adaptation, and a mountain of Silent Hill announcements in This Week in Games! ― Hey, everybody! So, last week, I didn't expect for Iono to reveal her new Pokémon as quickly as she did. I was kicking myself when Friday rolled around and she revealed Bellibolt. That's deadlines for ya, I guess, but it was still a little annoying. A...
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This Week in Games - In Which We're Given Many Reasons To Smash That "Like" Button

Hideo Kojima announces his next work, we've got a shocking new trainer in Pokémon, and the foam pit at TwitchCon threatens to overshadow the entire event. ― Welcome back, everyone! It's been a bit of a busy week. This week I played through Voice of the Cards: The Beasts of Burden, which is really fun and scratches that Crimson Shroud itch. Look forward to that review in the near future! In Xenoblade ...
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This Week in Games - "I'm The Mario!"

It's a voice actor-focused column this week with the release of the Super Mario Bros. movie teaser and Bayonetta news. Also Fandom snaps up GameFAQs, and Blizzard tanks Overwatch! ― Hi, everyone! It's been a busy week for us here. I've been busy covering Gundam Evolution for a review that should be out sometimes soon—look out for it, it's a fun one. Still not much to report in the Xenoblade Chronicle...
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This Week in Games - What Would 2B Look Like If She Were In The Ruby-Spears Mega Man Cartoon?

Two big franchises are getting the anime treatment, Jean-Karlo explains a viral .gif, we bid farewell to Mega Man: Powered Up and more in This Week in Games! ― Welcome back, everyone! Bit of a slow week, but we could all use an easy transition as summer blends into autumn. I'm hoping everyone along the east coast is keeping safe from all the storms that have been going on lately. For my part, I haven...
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This Week in Games - We Wanted To Quote Luca Blight And/Or M. Bison, But It All Sounded Too Edgelord-y

Suikoden is coming back with a fresh coat of paint, we get the lowdown on new gameplay in Street Fighter 6, and Tencent (briefly) loses control after laid off Fanbyte employees rebel on social media! ― Hello, everyone! We're in the wake of Tokyo Game Show and the one-two punch of a Nintendo Direct and a Sony State of Play, so it's time to wind down along with summer as we prepare for autumn. I just w...
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This Week in Games - Everything Happens So Much

Jean-Karlo attempts to get himself out from under a pile of game announcements (and Ryza's thighs) following the double-whammy Nintendo Direct and Sony State of Play in a single day. Farming, crafting, and Yakuza are all here! ― Hey, everybody! We have a lot to cover this week. I would start with my customary Xenoblade Chronicles 3 report, but something came to my attention this past week: last week'...
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This Week in Games - Love Is Stored In The Alchemist

Barrel lovers the world over (and Jean-Karlo) celebrate 25 years of Gust's Atelier series, plus the newest Pokemon, fighting game updates, and Trinity Trigger is heading stateside. ― Hello, everyone! I'm Jean-Karlo, and I actually got to play some Xenoblade Chronicles 3 this past week! Of course, I'm only in the very beginning of the game (I haven't even cracked 10 hours), so I'm still playing around...
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This Week in Games - Interview with Tom Fuji, Game Designer for RPG Time: The Legend of Wright

Jean-Karlo gets the skinny on the crafty RPG, discusses the shuttering of Dragalia Lost, the crowdfunded spiritual sequel to Wild Arms, and more! ― Welcome back, everyone! We at This Week In Gaming-central have been hard at work keeping up with all the gaming news worth opining on. And as you can imagine... that means I didn't get any time to play Xenoblade Chronicles 3 this past weekend. But like I ...
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This Week in Games - Discussing Captain Velvet Meteor with Producers Rinaldo Wirz & Adrian Stutz

Curious about the new strategy-action game crossing over with characters from Jump+? Jean-Karlo has an interview with its developers right here! ― Hello, my readers! It's been a bit of a hectic week for me, on the "work" side of things. A lot of really amazing projects have come my way, some game-related and some not—I hope you guys look forward to them. But being busy means that—of course—I haven't ...
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This Week in Games - The Duality of Games

Goku is dancing to Gangnam Style in Fortnite. Everyone go home. ― Welcome back, everyone! It's been a long week, and we've had a lot of fun stuff come up. My review for RPG Time: The Adventure of Wright came out earlier this week; it was a very fun game to cover and I hope everyone gives the game a look. It's not often a game that charming comes along. We've got plenty of fun stuff coming down the pi...
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This Week in Games - Octo-Punch

It's been a big week for fighting games. Join Jean-Karlo for all the hottest EVO news, including King of Fighters, Street Fighter, Skullgirls, and Guilty Gear! ― Welcome back, my readers! I was looking forward to today, because we have a ton of news to go over. I do want to take a moment to thank you guys for your patience last week; I had made a number of mistakes in my Fate: EXTRA recording, and fo...
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This Week in Games - LOS INGOBERNABLES DE POKÉMON

It was a big week for Pokémon and Fate as we got new reveals for Scarlet/Violet and a trailer drop for Fate/EXTRA Record! ― Welcome back, everyone! It's been a week, so it's time for us to sit back down and talk about video games. You might think I wanna take some time to talk about Xenoblade Chronicles 3, but I actually want to dedicate some space to Digimon Survive. The poor game came out on the ev...
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This Week in Games - We're Just Really Excited For Xenoblade 3, Okay?

Getting a copy of Xenoblade 3 might necessitate a plane ticket to NYC at this point!? Also: bid farewell to the Wii U and 3DS eShop, catch up on Dragon Quest news, and much much more! ― And so it is that we find ourselves here again. My name is Jean-Karlo and I'm happy to see you all again, if you're coming back—or for the first time, if you're new. I'm hoping you guys are having a good time—I know I...
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This Week in Games - Cowboys, Pirates and Ninja

Take a stroll down memory lane with Hideo Kojima's solar-focused western Boktai, meanwhile Revy gets ninja-fied, plus a buffet of Nintendo news in This Week in Games! ― Welcome back, everyone! I've been excited to get back into this column. I was blown over by the positive reception last week, thank you all kindly for the warm welcome. As a minor note, folks trying to type my name got it a little mix...
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This Week in Games - Hellos and Good-Byes

Jean-Karlo kicks off his inaugural column with a boatload of game news from new Klonoa to the actual, literal Bayonetta 3 reveal. Also some kaiju, Sega, doggirls, and an AX game round-up is all here! ― Well, with Heidi gone I guess it's time for someone new to take the reins at This Week In Games!. It's a big role to fill, you need someone passionate about the classics, with a sharp-eye for the curre...
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This Week in Games - See You Next

Heidi closes out her tenure at TWIG with info on the newly revived E3, Square-Enix's title release shuffling, and where you can still follow her excellent reviews into the future. ― And here it is, my final This Week in Games column. It's been a fantastic run, y'all. There's plenty of stuff to talk about this week, but before we get into that, I want to thank you all for reading this for so long. It'...
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This Week in Games - One More Direct for the Road

Heidi takes on one last Nintendo Direct before her incoming departure from the column. ― It's that time again! No, I'm not talking about Summer Games Done Quick... but you should still be watching (and donating) to that anyway. Yes, my friends, it's Nintendo Direct time again! My wish to discuss at least one more Nintendo Direct before I depart has been granted, and I am ever so thankful. A Mini Dire...
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This Week in Games - Final Fantasy XVI's Goodest Boy

New Xenoblade Chronicles and Final Fantasy news dominate this week's column with a special shoutout to Torgal! ― Hey everybody! After last week's influx of big, BIG news, things are (thankfully) a bit quieter this week. I did a review of Sonic Origins over at GameSpot, where I was extremely nitpicky Nintendo launched a new Direct broadcast, but not the big, multi-game showcase we were all hoping for,...
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This Week in Games - Return of the Zack

Square-Enix reveals its continuing game plan for the FFVII franchise, and Zack is looking FINE. ― Welcome back to another news-tastic This Week in Games! If you're expecting to read anything here about recent Overwatch 2-related presentations, you are gravely mistaken, because after a year of having to constantly report on increasingly awful revelations about Activision-Blizzard's fetid corporate cul...
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This Week in Games - Hot Wet Leaky Summer

Leaks and new trailers abound this summer. Heidi checks out the promising new look of Street Fighter 6 and salvages what she can from the underwhelming Summer Game Fest. ― So, not long after I submitted last week's column for editing, a huge leak of Street Fighter 6 information started making the rounds. Which, given the history of Capcom in general and Street Fighter in particular, isn't terribly su...
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This Week in Games - Bring out the Big Guns

June has only just started, and we've already got major updates for Final Fantasy XVI, Street Fighter VI, Pokémon, Sonic Frontiers, and more! Heidi takes a closer look. ― Jeez, June has only started, and we've already got a veritable summer avalanche of news to tackle! So, let's cut to the chase and dive into all of the hot new trailers that have dropped over the past week! STATE OF PLAY: EVERYTHING ...
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This Week in Games - Gee, it's Gundam

The world might not be in a good shape right now, but Gundam and Persona have some neat new announcements. Heidi dives in for a look. ― Ah yes, once again I am tasked with writing about videogames in the shadow of unimaginably awful bullshit happening in the world around us. It's pretty tough, not only because the shadow of terrible things is weighing heavily in your mind, but it also feels extremely...
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This Week in Games - Starting Over from Zenless Zone Zero

Fresh off the success of Genshin Impact, miHoYo unveils the brand new Zenless Zone Zero. Plus, Heidi breaks down what's hilariously wrong with Activision Blizzard's Diversity Space Tool and the deal with PlayStation Plus. ― Hello again for another fine Week in Games! It's been a little while since I've done shameless self-promotion. So, before we begin, I'd like to point you over to my review of Eiyu...
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This Week in Games - The Tales Mobile Curse

While Duke Nukem drama is forever, the latest Tales mobile game certainly isn't. Heidi discusses the shuttered mobage game and a kerfuffle over Street Fighter in This Week in Games! ― I don't know what I was expecting in game news this week, but I can say that I certainly didn't expect the revival of decades-old gaming drama. But here it is. Someone managed to get ahold of an old build of Duke Nukem ...
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This Week in Games - What in The Fresh Hell is Going On With Square-Enix?

With Square-Enix selling off its western studios and IPs, Heidi explores what that means for the game company and where it could be headed from here. ― Hello again! It's another week with… honestly not a lot of gaming news, but what we do have is very much worth digging into. This would normally be the time of year where E3 hype would start building… except that E3 got taken out back behind the barn ...
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This Week in Games - Burning Bridges

Game producer Yuji Naka just spilled all the tea on Balan Wonderland's poor reception and he's pointing the finger at Square Enix. ― Boy, it's a messy week for online services starting with the letters TWIT, huh? There's a lot of toxicity and anger online right now, and I don't blame anyone who wants to take a break from their online lives and play The Stanley Parable for a while. For me, though, the...
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This Week in Games - Nintendo and Sega, How Could You?

Micro-transactions and union-busting top the news this week as we try to figure out which Sonic Origins version to buy to get the whole game. ― Y'know, I really feel for the people who have been working for four-odd years on Digimon Survive. This week, we finally got a release date for this constantly-delayed, incredibly cursed game. Digimon Survive will end its arduous journey to retail shelves worl...
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This Week in Games - Let's Talk About Kingdom Hearts

Heidi speculates on wtf is going on in the new Kingdom Hearts game and holy crap Witch on the Holy Night is getting a Western release?! ― Hi folks. Boy, uh… pretty big announcement this weekend, huh? But before we get into that, I want to touch on something very briefly: there's some controversy going down among fans of the Touhou Project about recent requests to remove downloads of the original game...
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This Week in Games - Secret Gaming Shame

In today's retro and remake-focused column, Heidi reveals her secret gaming shame: she's never played The Secret of Monkey Island. Which older games have you never found the time to experience? ― It's another one of those slow news weeks, where there's no one story or stories that stand out as particularly huge that I'd need to opine over. Well, okay, there's one announcement that made my social medi...
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This Week in Games - RIP E3

I don't think shitcanning the 2022 show is going to raise any confidence among potential exhibitors or attendees of a theoretical 2023 event, guys. ― Hey everyone, it's April Fools’ Day! Unfortunately, I have to submit this the day before April 1st, which means that by the time you read this, every company out there is going to be yukkin’ it up with their pranks, and I won't be able to cover any of t...
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This Week in Games -The New Testament

Here's the Good News from Daisuke Ishiwatari: Testament has made a glorious return to Guilty Gear. ― Heyo! We're finally exiting the doldrums of winter to enjoy the abundant foliage of spring. Even so, many of us don't feel compelled to go outside after two months’ worth of massive game releases, capped off by Kirby and the Forgotten Land dropping today. This weekend, I'll be balancing playing that a...
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This Week in Games - Final Fantasy and Cotton Fantasy

This week Heidi has all the latest gaming news, from the Sonic movie to Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin PLUS an interview with Cotton Fantasy's Shinya Nagatomo and Toshinobu Kondo! ― You know what rules? When you expect nothing out of a game – or even expect the worst – and it turns out to be great. We all have times when we anticipate a game, movie, album, or whatever and are thoroughly l...

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