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Sunday, 28 February 2021
Lime's latest e-bike can borrow batteries from scooters
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RIP Legendary Artist Gary Meyer
Gary Meyer, an artist who has worked on everything from Star Wars to theme park rides to video games to album covers, has died at the age of 86.
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Stardew Valley is five years old now, creator thanks fans for sticking with it
Stardew Valley is a timeless game. It's something I'll be playing for decades to come, so I'm glad it's on as many platforms as possible: way easier to preserve it!
Pictured above is one of my first farms, which I started years ago and still come back to every so often. This past week, Stardew celebrated its fifth anniversary. That's...forever ago in gaming collective consciousness!
While so many projects these days are forgotten a week after release, Stardew has endured. In part, mind, due to the tireless efforts of the creator, Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. They've been instrumental in the game's success, not only crafting free updates to keep the game interesting, but also interacting with fans, adding an allure of endearment to everything Stardew related (including a heartfelt thanks over the anniversary celebrations).
At this point it's far exceeded the reach of the PC original, with countless fan mods, pieces of merch, and most recently, a board game. The gaming sphere is better with Stardew Valley, and Barone, in it.
ConcernedApe [Twitter]
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Yakuza Fan Is Out Here Fixing The Series' PC Versions Again
Like I’ve said, it’s a little rough going back and playing older Yakuza games in 2021, and not just because of the stiffer animation and lack of first-person perspective. The PC versions of Yakuzas 3, 4 & 5 also have (or had) a few technical hiccups as well.
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The long-awaited Panzer Dragoon II Zwei remake is finally coming out this year
A lot of people have probably forgotten by now, but in December of 2018, it was announced by studio Forever Entertainment that that both Panzer Dragoon and the sequel, Zwei, would be getting full remakes. That latter bit was lost in the shuffle, as we haven't seen nor heard anything from the project since then.
Thankfully, the outfit changed that this past week through a Twitter announcement. As plain as day, Panzer Dragoon Zwei remake is slated for release "this year," in 2021. It's still vague, but at least we know that work is heavily underway and it is coming.
Although the original Panzer Dragoon remake started out rough, the team laboriously patched it until it was in a better state. With the hindsight they have now, it stands to reason that Zwei will be in better shape.
It would behoove them to put their best foot forward on this, too, to avoid a hit to their reputation.
Panzer Dragoon [Twitter]
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The Week In Games: Yakuza: Like A Dragon Comes To PS5
If you like the Yakuza series but also only own a PS5, then you seem like a strange person. Also, some good news: Yakuza: Like A Dragon releases on PS5 later this week.
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Review: Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection
Ghosts 'n Goblins is an absolute retro classic.
It kind of embodies the old school, no holds barred feel of some old game development philosophies: you're either in or you're out. And even if you're in, you might eventually be out, after the game tells you to replay the entire story to see the "true final boss."
It was maddening back then, but it was a battle cry and a direct challenge. Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection captures a lot of that same raw spirit, while making things a little more accessible in the process.
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Lordstown Motors' electric race truck is (mostly) ready for off-roading
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Treat Yourself To a 27-inch MSI Gaming Monitor With RGB Accents and a 144Hz Refresh Rate, $25 off Right Now
Bots Reportedly Helped Fuel GameStonks Hype on Facebook, Twitter, and Other Platforms
The s0-called GameStonks saga had some help from automated bots hyping up “meme” stocks on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, according to an analysis by the cybersecurity firm PiiQ Media reviewed by Reuters.
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Scientists sequence 64 human genomes to better reflect genetic diversity
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I Love The Roku Screensaver
The past six months (or more) have been a whirlwind of shit news, terrible events, and moments of pure absurdity and horror. It’s been bad, is what I’m saying. Because of this, I often get lost doomscrolling on Twitter or reading another horrible news story about something dreadful. Meanwhile, my patient Roku TV…
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Social media bots may have fuelled the GameStop stock frenzy
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Guide Guevara and Castro to freedom in SNK's 1987 release Guerrilla War
This week's retro re-release certainly offers something a little different, history-wise, as the retro fans over at Hamster having chosen SNK's on-foot jungle shmup Guerrilla War as its newest Arcade Archives entry, now available to download on Nintendo Switch.
Originally released in arcades in 1987, before being ported to numerous home computers, Guerilla War follows two UNNAMED commandos as they fight through an UNNAMED Caribbean island in order to free it from an UNNAMED dictator. Similar in style to SNK's earlier Ikari Warriors, gameplay sees one or two players battle through the undergrowth against an army of enemy soldiers. The arcade was notable for featuring rotatable joysticks allowing for simultaneous eight-way movement and directional fire.
Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber GameingfromTwo.
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Watch Rivian test its R1T electric truck in extreme cold weather
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'Shop Contest: New Mail Truck
Did you hear the big news? Sit down, folks. I’m happy to tell you that the United States Postal Service is getting...NEW TRUCKS! They look kind of dorky, but cute. Let’s have some fun with them.
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Someone Recreated The Entire First Act Of Hamilton In Animal Crossing
Hamilton is one of the most popular musicals in the world. Animal Crossing is one of the most popular games around right now. I guess it only makes sense that someone would combine them, but I didn’t expect it to be so damn good.
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Sunday's Best Deals: MSI 27" Gaming Monitor, ViviLink Dashcam, Star Wars Night Light, Nutale Findthing Trackers, Keurig Coffee & Latte Maker, Klairs Skincare, and More
A 4-pack of Nutale Findthing trackers and a 50-pack of 3-ply colorful face masks lead Sunday’s best deals.
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Review: Capcom Arcade Stadium
It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times. I don't need to write another lengthy, misty-eyed intro on how my entire formative life years were spent squinting in the noisy din of the arcade, breathing cigarette smoke into my young lungs, straightening out fivers to feed into antsy change machines, and to trying leave as broad-shouldered as possible through sinister gangs eyeing you up for 50p coins... Well, I guess I just did write another, but without rose-tinted glasses I have nothing.
Still, the good folk over at Capcom are offering you younglings the opportunity to relive the excitement of those halcyon days. All of the games without the constant feeding of quarters, long wait in lines, or graduation from The School of Getting The Shit Kicked Out of Me. Capcom Arcade Stadium brings together a bevy of coin-guzzling classics in one easy package, offering a veritable hall of entertainment crammed into a single handheld device.
I'd love to accurately convey how the very idea of having over 30 arcades - that at the time felt like the most complex and compelling video games of all-time - packaged as a simple, carry-around piece of casual entertainment seemed like the stuff of a madman's dream back in 1992, but the last thing I need is more clock-spinning self-reflection. Let's just get to the action, folks.
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Sunday Comics: I Outrank You!
Hello! It’s time for Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon.
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Saturday, 27 February 2021
Terraria Will Release On Stadia As Planned After Developer Regains Access To Google Accounts
The Stadia port of Terraria was canceled suddenly earlier this month after a developer’s Google account was abruptly locked. But after working with Google, the team behind the indie hit has announced a happy ending: Terraria is coming to Stadia.
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Nissan's improved hybrid car system reduces CO2 emissions
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ICYMI: We check out Lenovo’s lightest ThinkPad yet
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Hitting the Books: The Brooksian revolution that led to rational robots
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OnePlus will reportedly launch its '9R' phone and watch in March
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Let's Rank The Hitman Trilogy Levels, From Worst To Best
With the release of Hitman 3, the latest Hitman trilogy has concluded. After three games and two DLC levels, the new entry has over 20 levels set around the globe and countless ways to kill people. Let’s rank them!
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The Morning After: MSI's latest gaming laptop targets the 1440p sweet spot
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New Pokemon Games, New Final Fantasy VII Spin-Offs, Anthem Is Done, Call Of Duty Is Way Too Big, And More
This week on Morning Checkpoint we learn about the next terrible thing involving Cyberpunk 2077, learn the future of Anthem, check out a new trailer for more Hot Wheels in Forza, talk about some good dads and watch Destiny 2 players jump off a cliff over and over.
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It's Pokemon Day and Destructoid wants to know your favorite Pokemon spin-off
Back in middle school, I remember my classmates saying Pokémon was just a fad. It was 1998, school had just started up again, and the anime had just started up in preparation for the arrival of Pokémon Red and Blue in North America. I didn't have a Game Boy at the time and couldn't stand anime, so I didn't really pay attention. But one of my classmates fell hard for the series, being the only guy I knew who carried a Game Boy Pocket in his backpack at high school so he could be Gold and Silver. He didn't think it was a fad, and today, 25 years after Pokémon first debuted, he's been proven right.
Pokémon has been nothing short of a cultural phenomenon since 1996. While the popularity of some franchises can wane over time, it seems to only be getting stronger with each passing year. Twenty twenty-one is already looking good for the series with New Pokémon Snap and the remakes of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. And then there is that whole Pokémon Legends: Arceus launching next year.
Today, I'm a pretty decent fan of the series, but I didn't play a proper entry in the franchise until Pokémon Emerald. Before that, my only experience with it came a few years earlier with Super Smash Bros. I couldn't control Pikachu worth a damn and wouldn't pick Jigglypuff because my friends might have thought I was gay...or, you know, figured out what should have been so obvious to them. But I loved the Saffron City stage and how Pokémon were implemented as random summons.
I gave up on Emerald around Fortree City. The next few games I bought (Pearl, HeartGold, and White) shared a similar fate, and I seemed destined to never understand the appeal of this global sensation. Then I played Pokémon Rumble for WiiWare, and everything changed.
It's almost comical that of all the games that could get me into Pokémon, Rumble was the one to do it. It's an excessively easy game and probably should be beneath somebody of my skill, but when it launched on the Wii, I would play until the batteries in my controller died. I loved it so much, I paid full price for Pokémon Rumble Blast on 3DS and put an inordinate amount of hours into Rumble World as well. Without it, I probably would have never played Pokémon Conquest or bothered with Pokémon Y, which was the first core title to actually hook me.
While I recognize there are much better games than it, Pokémon Rumble will always be the series spin-off I love the most for actually helping me get into the franchise proper. So that's my favorite spin-off, and for this Pokémon Day, I want to know what yours is in the comments below!
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Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid?
Welcome to the weekend, folks! May I be the first to wish you a very happy Pokémon Day... PokéDay? Well, whatever it is, I hope for all of you budding trainers out there it's a fun one. Pokémon is such a social game, but has somehow managed to survive the difficulties of these socially distanced times. Then again, given that Pokémon as a brand has been going for some 25 years, the lil' critters are pretty much bulletproof at this point.
I have to admit, it all kind of passed me by. I was already a little old and the weight of the world had already crushed my youthful spirit, (I was 16), but I do remember the flurry of excitement for various releases from my years working in gaming retail - Pokémon Stadium's release on N64 was a particularly a nightmare time to be a shop worker. Oh, and I also hit someone with a plush Pikachu in a wrestling match... There was half a brick inside it. That part's important. I choose you.
But this article doesn't have to be about Pokémon, (you'll get some fun articles on that later today). For now, toss your (Poké)balls into the comments and let us know what games you've been hitting this past week, or have lined up for your weekend. Old or new, good or bad, Pearl or Diamond - it's all valid here. Fill us in on the action and then get on with enjoying your day. As always, thanks for stopping by, y'all!
Have a safe and pleasant weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.
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Volkswagen is using its electric ID.Buzz van to test self-driving tech
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Friday, 26 February 2021
Facebook's BARS is an experimental TikTok-like app for rappers
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A PlayStation Network outage is affecting certain games
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NASA’s Perseverance rover carried a family portrait of its robotic siblings to Mars
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Grab Your Plumber’s Cap for Today's Top Nintendo Switch Deals
Why yes, I *would* like to stream the Final Fantasy VII Remake soundtrack on Spotify
It's a rainy Friday afternoon, it's somehow almost March, and the weekend feels just out of reach. I want to shut off my brain and zone out to the wonderful Final Fantasy VII Remake soundtrack without bouncing around YouTube – doubly so in the aftermath of Intergrade. Anyone else in the mood?
Yesterday was overflowing with FFVII news and here's one more nugget: the Remake soundtrack is streaming on Spotify today. It's also on Amazon Music Unlimited and Apple Music if you prefer.
The tracks aren't the easiest to follow out of order – their titles are currently listed in Japanese by Square Enix – but you can use your intuition if you're pretty familiar with the flow of Remake.
Take us away, Uematsu. We're in your hands now.
Sad, funny story: I recently dropped my Spotify Premium because "I don't use it that much anymore." Less than 24 hours later, after trying out the free version once in my car, I was back. They got me. It had been many years since I used non-Premium and I didn't realize what I was in for; good timing, I guess.
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'Terraria' will hit Stadia after all
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Fight Sans Undertale Right In Your Browser
Sans is unique in that he’s the most popular character in Undertale while also providing one of the most frustrating boss fights the game has to offer.
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Don’t Miss March 2021’s Biggest, Must-Play Games You Can Pre-Order Now
Deep Rock Galactic's free weekend on Steam makes it easier to round up a crew
Maybe you've got enough games to play in your backlog, maybe you don't – or maybe you do but you're in too deep, you need a little breather, and you're looking for a short-lived distraction, the cheaper the better. How about free? Deep Rock Galactic is free-to-play this weekend on Steam. Like right now.
If you already know the drill, download away. The promo lasts until 10:00 am Pacific on Monday, March 1. For anyone feeling out the loop, this 1.0 launch trailer sets up Deep Rock Galactic rather well.
I recently brought up the alien-blasting space-miner game in light of it passing the two-million-sales mark, and there was a lotta love to go around from players. Multiple readers ranked Deep Rock Galactic among the best co-op FPS games since Left 4 Dead (RIP), to put that in perspective. While I can't speak to it much – I need to take my own advice and go hard with the free trial – I do believe the kind words.
For the third anniversary, players can earn the Scale Brigade Armor and Headwear through a new assignment – you need to have cleared the extended Conquer Hoxxes IV intro. There's also a party hat.
What's on deck? Update 34 – Bits N' Pieces – will be "smaller than usual," while Update 35 will be "maybe our biggest update ever." The former is focusing on mod support on Steam and controller rebinding on all platforms this April; the latter update, planned for Q3 2021, will have a new mission type, new weapons (with ensuing Overclocks), new cosmetics (not just "more hats"), and a UI refresh.
"This lengthy timeframe will allow us to dig deeper into the game and add some new systems for the future," according to Ghost Ship Games. "Deep Rock Galactic is here to stay for a long time – there are no signs of fading, quite the opposite – so we need to think further ahead. Normally, we don’t even plan that far, but we must also admit that getting a bit of breathing room and time to dream feels and sounds REALLY good. The last 4-5 years have gone by incredibly fast and even though we never crunch (as in never ever), it still feels like we are rushing things faster than we actually have to."
"As always, we will keep you updated and 'leak' out details as we develop the new features and content."
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Stonefly doesn't look like a typical mech game and I'm all for it
Do I embed the polished announcement trailer for Stonefly or go with the "gameplay first look" video featuring a pet reptile chilling on the technical game designer's shoulder? As if that's even a question.
Creature in the Well was an unusual pinball-with-swords romp from Flight School Studio, and the team's summer 2021 game, Stonefly, is even more conceptually out-there. In a good way, I mean!
It's an overhead action-adventure title about piloting an insectoid mech – with a painterly natural world you'd never normally associate with mech games. The young pilot has to "shoo" bugs off massive tree branches, collect resources for ability and traversal upgrades, and reclaim her father's precious rig.
She'll also "forge relationships with a cast of memorable characters from the Acorn Corps, a band of castaway mech pilots," which is the icing on top to keep me motivated once the eye-catching art fades.
I have to appreciate the creative "we're really going for it" energy flowing through this project. It stands out in a sea of small- to medium-sized games that either look the same, play the same, or both.
Before watching the narrated walkthrough from designer Mel Ramsden, my gut reaction was that Stonefly looked novel, and beautiful, but I wasn't necessarily picturing myself having a ton of fun playing it. After letting the pitch sink in, though, I think it's starting to click. I do love these little-big worlds.
Apart from PC, Stonefly is also coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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Right-wing site Gab responds to 'alleged' data breach
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Oddworld: Soulstorm is Free With PS Plus in April, But Only on PS5
We still don’t know the PlayStation Plus games for March, yet Sony has revealed one of the titles that will be part of the Instant Games Collection for April. Oddworld Soulstorm will be launching on April 6, and the PS5 version will be available to PS Plus members for free until May 3.
During PlayStation’s latest State of Play, Oddworld Inhabitants Creative Director Lorne Lanning took players on a tour of the game, detailing some of the new features players will encounter in the new title. For example, the game now has 2.9D environments meaning platforming isn’t just as simple as moving from side to side. Abe will also be able to loot items from bodies and the environment, which can then be used to craft items for his use, or to give to other Mudokans. Meanwhile, PlayStation 5 players will be able to use the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback to feel Abe’s heartbeat when he’s in “high alert and suspenseful” situations.
Soulstorm follows on from Oddworld New ‘N’ Tasty, where Abe has just managed to free over 300 Mudokans from the life-threatening meat factory RuptureFarms. Those Mudokans followed Abe across the desert, but then they started running out of food and water. Luckily they find something else to drink, Soulstorm Brew. The problem is its highly flammable and extremely addictive qualities leave the Mudokans in another battle for their life. Soulstorm will feature more than 1000 Mudokans to save, so Abe definitely has his work cut out, but at least they’ll be able to help out with puzzles and fight alongside him.
The new game is a reimagining of Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus although it features a story that diverges away from the original title. Lanning considers Soulstorm to be the true second title in the quintology, and we won’t have to wait long to see how differently the second episode in the series will turn out. Oddworld: Soulstorm launches on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on April 6. The PS5 version of the title will be free with PS Plus until May 3, making good on Sony’s promise to carry on adding day one releases to the program.
The post Oddworld: Soulstorm is Free With PS Plus in April, But Only on PS5 appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.
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Report: PS5 storage upgrade not available until summer
While Sony's new PlayStation 5 hardware packs a serious punch when it comes to gameplay, one area that it is still sorely lacking in is storage space. With many modern AAA game releases heading into the wrong side of three figures when it comes to file size, PS5 owners are quickly discovering that their shiny new SSDs are struggling from room less than six months into the console's lifespan.
And it looks like players still have a bit of a wait ahead before they can start freely swinging their elbows around like they own the place. According to a new report from Bloomberg, the PS5 is unlikely to see any kind of internal storage upgrade option until this summer, which sources say is when Sony will unlock the PS5's internal upgrade ability.
It's a question of temperature, the unnamed sources told Bloomberg. The PlayStation 5 needs ample cooling power to prevent the powerful technology from overheating, and as such new internal components cannot be installed until Sony allows the PS5's fans to spin up at a faster rate , as and when needed by any specific game. Once a firmware update unlocks this ability, then PS5 owners should be able to replace the internal SSD with a larger one of their own choosing.
It should be reiterated that this is an "unnamed sources" affair, and as such there has been no official word from Sony. But regardless, the PlayStation 5 is desperately in need of a storage upgrade option, and if it currently cannot have one simply because the fans aren't working fast enough, that feels like a bit of an oversight on the next-gen platform's overall design.
Sony to open PlayStation 5 for storage upgrades in summer [Bloomberg]
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TikTok will pay $92 million to settle class-action data harvesting lawsuit
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Best Slots for Ladies to Play on Women’s Day 2021
Online slots have become increasingly popular these days among all kinds of people and rightly so, because what’s not to love about them? You can play them whenever you are bored, they are low-risk and available everywhere, the rewards are pretty exciting and at the very least, they provide easy entertainment at online casinos like […]from Daily Game https://ift.tt/2ZSlkwJ
PlayStation 5 SSD expansion will reportedly be unlocked this summer
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EA's upcoming Dragon Age game won't feature multiplayer after all
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Report: PlayStation 5 Storage Upgrades Coming This Summer
Sony is getting ready to allow for internal PS5 storage upgrades, sources tell Bloomberg. This would obviously enable PlayStation 5 owners to store even more games at a time.
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