Dragon Quest 35th Anniversary Stream May 30, 2021
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Dragon Quest is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. While gamers in the west may be less familiar with it, the franchise, created by Yuji Hori, predates Final Fantasy and is a staple of Japan and may have been the inspiration for the Japanese RPG (also known as Console RPG) as we’ve known it.
This past week, the team at Square Enix held a live broadcast (yes it was VERY live) where they showed some of the next Dragon Quest games that will be released in various parts of the world. Take a look, the video starts at around the 24 minute mark.
As a site that exists in North America, we’ve actually had very few opportunities to talk about the Dragon Quest games here on this site. That really needs to change. Perhaps in the future we should devote an entire day to this franchise!
Unreal Engine 5 Early Access Video May 28, 2021
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Ladies and gentlemen, Unreal Engine 5.
When’s the next Unreal Tournament game, Epic?
Conversations With Curtis Episode 2 Follow-Up May 27, 2021
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Looks like Conversations with Curtis went into overtime this week! Last week, the two lead actors from the classic PC horror game Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh got together for a live video chat about their experiences making the game. Earlier today, the game’s lead actor, Paul Stetler, revealed a part meant for the stream he forgot to share during the live broadcast. His co-star had given him a personal gift after shooting wrapped. What did she give him? Watch and find out!
We will post up the details about Episode 3 as soon as we find out!
Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh is out now for the PC.
Pokemon Go Fest 2021 Price and Dates Announced May 27, 2021
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For the past five years, Pokémon Go has dominated AR gaming and practically revolutionized the gaming landscape. Each year since it’s launch, the game’s developer has held Pokémon Go Fest, an event where trainers can come together to celebrate the game and accomplish some special event goals. Last year, they held the event worldwide, and they’re doing that again this year!
Niantic announced earlier this year they would hold Pokémon Go Fest 2021 July 17th-18th, and all players would be able to participate from anywhere in the world. Today, Niantic announced they teamed up with Google Play and the price for this year’s event will be $4.99 US! That’s a third of the price from last year’s event, and last years event was just great!
You can read all the details about the event on the official blog. Like with last year, you will not be able to purchase a ticket with in-game coins, participants will need to purchase credit on their respective device’s App Store to buy an in-game ticket.
Pokémon Go is out now for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.
Control Coming To Stadia May 27, 2021
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Google has announced that the fantastic 2019 Remedy game Control will be coming to Stadia later this summer. The Stadia version of the game is expected to include all of its DLC expansions.
This is kind of interesting because a while ago I posted a list of all the games I thought should come to Stadia and Control was on the top of that list. Control was a great game, one of my favorites from last year, and as an Alan Wake fan, I cannot tell you how much it meant to me to play the game’s second DLC expansion. Now you won’t need a high-end PC to play it.
Control is out now for PC, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It is coming to Stadia this summer.
Shin Megami Tensei 3 HD Launch Trailer May 25, 2021
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Atlus Games has just released this incredible new launch trailer to celebrate the launch of a highly anticipated re-release. Take a look!
Never had the opportunity to play this game back when it first launched, I’m excited to have the opportunity to play it on current platforms.
Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster is out today for PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.
Japan Travel Tips – Staying at a Japanese Hot Springs Resort May 25, 2021
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Welcome back to our look at Japan Travel Tips, where we share the research we’ve done for those interested in traveling abroad! Over the past few weeks we’ve shared great tips for food, transportation, shopping and entertainment, but we’ve barely scratched the surface for everything Japan has to offer! In fact, the purpose of this week’s article is to expand upon something we touched upon in one of the first articles in this series, a type of hotel accommodations in Japan that is truly Japanese, the Ryokan.
You’ve had a long and difficult year. You deserve a weekend with your family at a beautiful natural hot spring hotel. There, you can relax in the hot bath and all your meals are prepared. That’s the Japanese mentality behind staying at an Onsen, or Ryokan. Typically, a Ryokan is a destination resort. They are built in beautiful mountainous areas with natural geothermal activity. The natural heat from the earth can be used to warm the hotel’s bath water, and provide a perfect place for groups to stay.
If you’d like to know more about the ins and outs of a Ryokan, its history, and how it works from the perspective of a guest, I’ll let Life Where I’m From take it from here.
So what goes into the food? One of the big reveals about a Ryokan that made my father interested in traveling was learning that the food served was all locally obtained and prepared. Typically, Ryokans are located near major harbors which can provide a constant supply of fresh fish, but even if you aren’t a fan of fish they will still find ways to accommodate you. Here’s a video specifically dedicated to the food courtesy of Only in Japan.
So, what if you aren’t traveling with a full family and are just traveling with a significant other? A Ryoken can accommodate you both. Here’s what the experience was like for a married couple who run the channel Flying the Nest.
Hope you enjoyed this look at the Ryokan. Stay tuned for next week, because we are FINALLY going to be talking about Ramen!
iOS, iPadOS and tvOS 14.6 Released May 24, 2021
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Apple has been busy. Hot on the heels of the 14.5 release, Apple has just released another major update for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV devices. The new update brings support for Podcast Subscriptions, the Apple Card Family and improvements with AirTag support.
You can download the update right now. Depending on your device, it could require a download anywhere from 550MB-850MB. That likely means you will either need to get it over WiFi, or you’ll need to use iTunes.
Gaming History You Should Know – The Cybiko May 23, 2021
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Welcome back to a new Gaming History You Should Know, where we share some of the biggest independent videos produced about gaming history from across the internet. Now, let me take you back over twenty years. In the late 90s, people like me needed access to the internet while on the go. Unlike how it is today with cellular modem equipped smartphones and tablets, in the late-90s portable internet access was not an easy prospect at that time. If you wanted to surf the web, you needed a Personal Computer. Laptops were an option, but they were more expensive than desktops and had worse performance. High speed networks and WiFi were not options for the vast majority of online users, and people like me were in a bit of a bind.
In this time, companies like Palm and heck even Apple were producing portable computing devices that fit in your pocket and were meant to be used while on the go. They were called the PDA, for Personal Digital Assistant. Unlike smartphones of the day which do not require full computers and can function independently, PDAs were dependent on occasionally being synced with a full PC for processes like application installations and backups.
The PDA, for the most part, were used by busy businessmen who needed to constantly be able to keep track of their schedules, write emails, and check things like their address book. They weren’t really meant for playing games, and because of that most young people were not interested in them. Portable gaming consoles like the Game Boy had been out for years at that point, and were the preferred portable electronic device for most young people.
But what if a company stepped forward and said they had created a PDA that was capable of doing most of the tasks meant for businesspeople, could wirelessly allow for simple text commutation between devices, and could support playing games? A company stepped forward and announced they made one, it was called the Cybiko. I actually had a Cybiko and remembered using it daily for about a year, but nobody else seems to remember it.
Enter YouTube pillar LGR, known for his Lazy Game Reviews of classic PC games and unusual hardware. He took a closer look at the Cybiko and all it’s relevant software of the time. See what he thought about it.
Conversations with Curtis Part 2 May 21, 2021
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We are twenty minutes away from the live premiere of the next chapter of Conversations with Curtis, where the lead actor of the infamous PC horror classic Phantasmagoria 2, interviews people behind the game. Today, he’ll be interviewing the game’s female lead, Monique Parent.
Catch it live and you should be able to post questions, and there’s a good chance they could answer it during the broadcast! If you’d like to watch the feed, you can check it out below!
Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh is out now for the PC.
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