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Alarmo sees multiple sellouts around the world (UPDATE)
Fans had this one clocked
Just yesterday, Nintendo surprise-announced Alarmo, an interactive alarm clock designed to add some Nintendo charm to your home and your daily routine. It’s not exactly what Nintendo fans were expecting in terms of hardware announcements, but that didn’t stop them from gobbling the device up.
Nintendo NY was the only brick-and-mortar location that was selling Alarmo the same day it was announced, and those in/around NYC were more than happy to pop into the store and snag one. As a matter of fact, Alarmo’s stock at Nintendo NY has been entirely depleted! Nintendo NY has said to stay tuned for news on a restock.
Over in Japan, Alarmo has also been a big hit as well. Nintendo has said that due to the large number of requests they have received for Alarmo, they have currently suspended sales via the My Nintendo Store. To combat stock issues, Nintendo is working on a lottery opportunity for those interested in snagging Alarmo, and they’ll share details in the near future. Nintendo also pledged to continue production of more units to rectify the situation.
As of right now, Alarmo still appears to be in stock via the My Nintendo Store here in the states, but there’s no doubt supplies are running low. If you haven’t pulled the trigger on a purchase yet, don’t wait much longer!
UPDATE: Nintendo has announced new details on Alarmo’s next wave of sales in Japan. Switch Online members will soon have another chance to snag an Alarmo, but sales to the general public in Japan have been postponed. You can see the complete message from Nintendo below.
The Nintendo Sound Clock Alarmo, which was previously sold by lottery at the My Nintendo Store, will be sold by pre-order from mid-December for customers who are subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online. The product is expected to be delivered in early February 2025. We will notify you again when pre-orders begin.
In addition, we had planned to start general sales to customers who are not Nintendo Switch Online subscribers from mid-February 2025, but in consideration of the production and inventory situation of this product, we have decided to postpone the start. The start of sales will also be postponed at game stores nationwide. We sincerely apologize for not meeting your expectations. The postponing start date of the sales will be announced once it has been decided.
We will continue to produce products so that we can deliver them to as many customers as possible, so we appreciate your understanding.
Donkey Kong Land 3 added to Switch Online Expansion Pack
The trifecta!
Many have suspected it was coming and today ended up being the day. Nintendo has just added Donkey Kong Land III to the Switch Online Expansion Pack. You can check out the Japanese trailer for the game above.
Shortly after the events of Donkey Kong Country 3, Dixie and Kiddy Kong are informed of a contest taking place in the Northern Kremisphere to find The Lost World. Donkey and Diddy Kong set out to find it and, Dixie not to be upstaged, sets out too with Kiddy Kong. Their adventure would take them in new parts of the Northern Kremisphere, however with familiar enemies and bosses. (h/t Fandom)
To access Donkey Kong Land 3, you have to be a Switch Online Expansion Pack member. You can read more about that membership here.
The Thing: Remastered launching on Dec. 5th, 2024
Get that Thing I sent ya?
The Thing: Remastered is a faithful restoration of the cult-classic 2002 third-person survival horror shooter game inspired by Universal Pictures’ genre-defining 1982 film, The Thing. While this title was announced awhile back, we now know that it’s locked in for a Dec. 5th, 2024 release, so you won’t have to wait long to give it a go!
Nightdive Studios has upgraded this horrifying classic for the modern era through its proprietary KEX Engine for play on current-generation gaming devices. Improvements to character models, textures, and animations have been hand-crafted by Nightdive Studios, with the implementation of advanced 3D rendering for updated lighting and atmospheric effects — for a suspenseful and disgustingly detailed remaster that reanimates the thrilling game for modern audiences.
In the frozen arctic tundra, a mysterious shape-shifting alien has wiped out the crew of the U.S. Outpost #31 research facility. In The Thing: Remastered, players step into the boots of Captain J.F. Blake, the leader of a United States Army Special Forces rescue team sent to investigate the blood-curdling events that transpired in the original The Thing film. Trapped by the elements and at risk of infection by a horrific entity, Blake must keep his squad together to survive by gaining their trust and ensuring that their fear and paranoia don’t get the best of them… or himself.
Bandai releasing Pawmi plastic model
Plastic Pawmi perfection
Bandai has released their fair share of Pokémon toys over the year and it’s proven to be quite lucrative for them. That’s why they keep partnering up with Pokémon Co. for new projects, and they’ve just revealed a new model on the way soon.
Pawmi is the next Pokémon getting the model treatment from Bandai, and this is meant for beginners to tackle with ease. There are just 21 pieces to snap together and you don’t even need extra tools to get the job done. Best of all, this plastic model is extremely affordable, coming in at just $5.
The Pawmi plastic model will see release in Japan sometime in April 2025. There’s no word on a release outside of Japan, but one will likely roll around. If you’d like to get a closer look at the model, you can find more pics here.
CRKD reveals Fortnite Festival Fret Attachment for NEO S (UPDATE)
Remember Guitar Hero DS?
Rift to center stage with the NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Edition compatible with Fortnite Festival on Switch!
Featuring a custom detachable 5-fret attachment and vibrant, game-inspired artwork, this controller is designed for an immersive Fortnite Festival experience and doubles up as a fully featured premium controller compatible with PC, Switch, Mobile/Tablet & Smart TV Gaming. Enjoy seamless control in a sleek, casual style that’s perfect for diving into your favorite tunes.
From the team that developed the iconic hardware for Guitar Hero and DJ Hero, this drop signifies the revival of rhythm gaming like never before, bringing the band back together for a whole new era.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
- NEO S Purple Wave Edition Controller
- 5-Fret Guitar Attachment compatible w/ PC, Switch and Cloud Gaming
- Charging Cable
- Microfiber Cloth String Bag
- Velcro Hand Strap
FEATURES
- NEO S compatible with Switch, PC, Mobile, Tablets, & Smart TV’s
- Fret Difficulty Presets
- Zero Stick Drift (Hall Effect Thumbsticks)
- Ergonomic
- Wireless Bluetooth
- Wired Connection (Optional)
- No Deadzone Mode
- Swappable Stick Tops
- Adjustable Trigger Actuation Points
- Adjustable Vibration
- Re-mappable back buttons
- Motion Controls (Switch Only)
- Rumble Support
- Turbo Function
- Connects to the CRKD Companion app
You can pick up the NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Edition for $60 through this link.
UPDATE: CRKD has released a new overview video for their Fortnite Festival Fret Attachment, and you can check it out below.
UPDATE: CRKD has released a new “Official Technical Guide” video for their Fortnite Festival Fret Attachment, and you can check it out below.
Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP has been updated to Version 1.07. You can see the patch notes for this update below.
Bug Fix
- Fixed an issue where the controller would vibrate when a survivor was attacked.
- Fixed an issue where the position of some zombies would shift significantly when they were defeated.
- Fixed a bug where some zombies would sometimes stop moving.
- Fixed a bug where some zombies could get buried inside walls.
- Fixed a bug where some zombies were playing inappropriate motions when attacking.
- Fixed a bug where flying zombies could not fly under certain conditions.
- Fixed a bug where zombie animations were not playing correctly in some events.
- Fixed a bug where the controller was not vibrating during some events.
- Fixed an issue where when restarting or continuing some stages of Time Attack, the game would start from the beginning of the stage instead of from the checkpoint.
- Fixed a bug where recovery items in some stages were not displayed correctly.
- Fixed an issue where the camera would not return when the basketball mini-game ended in Stage 1.
- Fixed an issue where progress could become impossible in Stage 4.
Other updates
- Addition of new costume “Pin-up Outfit”
Only 1,500 of these giant Kirby plushies will be made
Don't sleep on this
How big of a Kirby fan are you? Actually…how big of a fan are you of BIG Kirby? If you consider yourself a huge lover of all things Kirby, then you’re definitely going to want in on this limited deal.
The “Club Mocchi Mocchi Suya Suya Sleeping Friend Kirby Limited Edition Ginormous Plush” is a beast of a plush, and it’s absolutely perfect for snuggling up with or resting your head on. This sizable plush comes with an equally sizable $150 price tag, but that might be a small sum to pay for how limited this release is.
There’s just 1,500 of these plushies to go around, so if you want one you better act fast. You can snag yours right now through this link.
Whether for naptime cuddles, to use as a comfy backrest, or even as a lap table - this Suya Suya Kirby plush from Club Mocchi Mocchi gives you plenty to love! At a giant 35-inches long x 28-inches wide x 14-inches tall, Kirby welcomes extra big hugs, but also provides super soft support.
Crafted with high quality materials, Kirby features the unique and squishy texture that’s super soft to touch and is everything you’d expect from a premium Club Mocchi Mocchi plush.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew was partially inspired by Monkey Island
Well I'll be a wookie's uncle!
The latest offering in the Star Wars universe is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, a Disney+ series that tells the story of four kids searching for their home planet after getting lost in the galaxy. Not surprisingly, the gang stumbles upon strange aliens and dangerous places throughout their adventure.
In the lead-up to Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, much talk has been made of the show’s inspirations. It seems like The Goonies is the biggest source, and it wears that inspiration on its sleeve. In an interview with GamesRadar, co-showrunner Jon Watts reveals that there’s more than just a love for The Goonies going on here, as Skeleton Crew also found its voice through a classic adventure series.
“There’s a fun thematic parallel between our kids and the pirate crew. In a lot of ways, pirates are grown-up kids who don’t want to follow rules and just want to go on their own way, arguing about who gets to be the captain.
It was great to go back and watch old pirate serials as an influence, swashbuckling epics like The Sea Hawk [1940] and Captain Blood [1935]. Also, my other huge Lucasfilm fandom is the Monkey Island games. I loved all of the pirate things in those, and felt like we could bring a little hint of that to Skeleton Crew.”
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket launched on October 29th, 2024 and has been a massive hit ever since. The title has been topping the mobile charts on both platforms, surpassing 30 million downloads with ease and raking in tons in revenue. Unsurprisingly, that success has continued as we inch closer to the game’s one-month annversary.
According to data from AppMagic, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has managed to pull in $120 million in revenue since its launch. As of Nov. 17th, 2024, the game has been averaging $6.4 million in revenue a day, showing that people keep coming back to this one in a major way…and they’re ready to spend.
Japan continues to be the biggest market for Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, acount for 42% of global player spend. The U.S. follows in second place at 28%.
UPDATE: According to data from AppMagic, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket reached $208 million in gross revenue during its debut month. Along with that, the average daily player spend (combined) was somewhere around $6.5 million in that first month.
Former Sony president says Nintendo "left us standing at the altar" with SNES add-on, wooed Square with whiskey to get FF VII off N64
The birth of PlayStation
Nintendo is one of the most successful, if not the most successful company in the game industry. They singlehandedly revived the gaming after the Atari crash, brought in tons of innovation and industry standards, and continue to see incredible momentum today. Without a doubt, Nintendo has cemented their place in gaming for all-time.
While Nintendo has had huge hits in their run, they’ve also made big mistakes. The Wii U failed to find an audience and the Virtual Boy did even worse, but those might not be Nintendo’s biggest falters. That crown could very well go to Nintendo’s decision during the 16-bit days that directly paved the way for Sony.
Most Nintendo fans know that Nintendo and Sony were extremely close to working together on a SNES add-on that would allow the hardware to use CDs for gaming. Nintendo got cold feet at the last minute and dipped, which started Sony down the path of releasing the PlayStation. In an interview with Eurogamer, former Chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America (SIEA), and executive vice president and COO of Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI) Shawn Layden opened up about that series of events.
Obviously, we were going to build - or rather, we built - an optical drive peripheral for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Nintendo realised cartridges had already maxed out their memory footprints and so we - or rather, Ken Kutaragi - created the compact disc technology to support the SNES. And we were just about ready. I think it was at CES [Computer Entertainment Show] 1993, we were going to announce the partnership. And Nintendo left us standing at the altar, after they did a pivot at the last minute and went with Philips.
So there was Ken, proverbially standing at the altar with his optical disc drive in his hands. And, indignant, he went back to the leadership at Sony at the time and said: ‘All I need is an OS and some more connecting tissue for this thing, and we can build our own game machine’.
We moved out of Sony’s headquarters to a place in Aoyama, which is about 20 miles away but more in the entertainment district of Tokyo, because they felt that was important to the DNA of the company - and that was probably the best decision the company made.
That one sidestep from Nintendo created massive waves in the game industry that are still crashing to this day. Nintendo felt the impact of their decision almost immediately, as it caused them to miss out on multiple Final Fantasy games for years to come, with PlayStation becoming the de facto home for the franchise.
In another comment from Layden, we hear details on just how Sony convinced then Squaresoft to jump ship with Final Fantasy to the PlayStation side of things.
When they (Sony) decided they were getting into the game business, they knew they had the technology, the engineers. But they said ‘let’s be honest, we sell electronics’. Sony knew that without entertainment DNA, we would not be successful.
They’d look at the Nikkei paper for 45 minutes, drink a cup of tea, and then go: ‘alright, lunch’. So the initial stage was made a joint venture between Sony Electronics and Sony Music. Half the company was from the music side and, well, you could see it on the shop floor at 8am. All the hardware engineers were at their desks wearing their Sony vests, working on their engineering thing. And then around 10 through 11am, all the Sony Music guys would come in - hungover, sunglasses, cigarettes hanging out their mouths. They’d look at the Nikkei paper for 45 minutes, drink a cup of tea, and then go: ‘alright, lunch’. They’d all stand up. They’d all leave.
We wouldn’t see them again for the rest of the day, because Sony Music populated sales, marketing, advertising, publisher relations. So those were the guys who would go out with the people at Square and ply them with whiskey until the wee hours of the morning to finally get Final Fantasy 7 off of Nintendo and onto PlayStation. When that announcement was made, that was really the ‘oh my god’ moment. ‘Sony’s really serious about this now.’ And that’s down to the music guys, the doggedness of just trying to get a deal over the line. They were amazing.
Fist of the North Star creator has designed a Pokémon TCG card
With a fist front-and-center, of course
There are thousands upon thousands of Pokémon Trading Card Game cards out there, and plenty of them have some really amazing art. That said, a new card has been revealed from a very special artist, and it might be one of the most eye-catching yet.
An upcoming Pokémon TCG card features artwork from Tetsuo Hara, the artist behind the Fist of the North Star manga/anime. Hara’s card features Palafin in a striking visual style, and spotlights the Pokémon based on the evolved Hero Form.
This Palafin card will feature the same stats as the Palafin ex card drawn by PLANETA Mochizuki, and you can find it in the Pokémon Trading Card Game‘s high-class pack “Terastal Fes ex.” These booster packs launch in Japan December 6th, 2024.
Capcom has had some incredible, random, strange and interesting collaborations with countless companies over the years, and Monster Hunter sees the lion’s share of those tie-ups. Those efforts are set to continue as Capcom has now revealed plans to team with Puma for their next Monster Hunter collab. (h/t VGC)
While Capcom didn’t give exact details on this collaboration, they did announced that the Puma brand will be offering up some Monster Hunter-themed products in 2024. A specific launch date is yet to mentioned, and outside of the artwork above, no other images or product specifications were shared.
The only other thing Capcom mentioned is that this collaboration will involve products that feature “newly-drawn illustrations.” As soon as Capcom or Puma pull back the curtain on this lineup, we’ll bring you the complete breakdown.
UPDATE: Capcom and Puma have shared some insight into the next wave of products for Monster Hunter fans. The line includes a pair of white-colored Palermo LTH shoes, and a black T-shirt with a Felyne. These items will be up for grabs on Dec. 13th, 2024 and you can check out more pictures here.
Koei Tecmo details Comic Market 105 merch lineup
Atelier and Fate/Samurai Remnant goodies incoming
Comic Market 105 is coming up, and Koei Tecmo has announced that they’ll be at the big event with a sizable offering of merch.
If you happen to be a fan of Koei Tecmo, you’ll be interested to know that the company will be offering both Atelier and Fate/Samurai Remnant merch at Comic Market 105. Here’s a breakdown of what will be up for grabs:
- individual domino-shaped keychains featuring Atelier Resleriana characters -14 acrylic magnets with Fate/Samurai Remnant characters
Comic Market 105 is being held at Tokyo Big Sight on December 29-30, 2024, and Koei Tecmo will set have its merchandise booth at No.1322 in the corporate booth area in the Western 3-4 Hall.
Firaxis details the arduous process of bringing Civilization VII to Switch
Rome wasn't built in a day
Civilization VI coming to the Switch with feature parity for other platforms was a real shocker, but developer Firaxis thought there’s be an audience for the game on Nintendo’s platform. Turns out they were right, and to a degree they weren’t even expecting.
In an interview with Games Industry, producer Dennis Shirk reveals that the team “hadn’t expected Switch to be a huge thing…but suddenly, it became a really huge thing.” That success convinced the devs that Civilization VII on Switch was a must-have, even if it brought some serious challenge with it.
Shirk says that Firaxis partnered with Behaviour Interactive to get the job done, but Firaxis is still very much involved with the project. This isn’t a hands-off port, and as a matter of fact, it seems Firaxis is more deeply involved than ever. You can see just how much Firaxis has their hands on the Switch version of Civ VII in the snippet below.
“We have a whole new way that we’re working,” Shirk explains. “The porting model… we’re not comfortable with that. We wanted to stay in control. We did all the renders in-house, the whole nine yards. [Behaviour is] connected with the development environment and working closely with the teams.”
“We have a whole new way that we’re working. The porting model… we’re not comfortable with that. We wanted to stay in control. We did all the renders in-house, the whole nine yards. [Behaviour is] connected with the development environment and working closely with the teams.
Do you know what LOD is? Level of detail [where the game adjusts how complex the 3D models look based on their distance from the camera]. In the past, the Civ team has never had to make an LOD, because we just released on Steam. If we did console versions later, we would worry about that then.
For the first time, every single asset, we’ve been creating LODs by the shovelful. Because we need multiple levels of LODs for something like that to work on Switch. And we have to down res a lot of stuff to work on consoles.
We have a team that is hungry to do it. We have a custom engine, so they could make renders that are specifically tailored for each console… and they loved it. When you’re building just for Steam, for example, there are no limits. You can just fly and go. This has limits, and our graphics team in particular took it as a challenge to create this engine that had previously only had to exist on Steam and PC, and to make it work on the lowest common denominator. It’s been interesting.”
Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Collector's Edition getting physical Switch release (UPDATE)
Wiggling into retail
Team17 Digital and Digital Eclipse recently revealed Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition, which is coming to the Switch eShop on September 26th, 2024. Turns out physical fans are in luck as well, as a boxed version of Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition is on the way too.
The Worms Armageddon Anniversary Collector’s Edition has just been revealed, and it’s quite the physical release. This package, which is set to launch on Dec. 3rd, 2024, includes the following goodies:
- Worms Armageddon Anniversary Edition game
- double-sided collectable anniversary coin
- Worms stickers
- Weapons & Utilities Guide booklet
- double-sided poster
- three exclusive pins
The developers of Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition have poured a lot of love into the enhancements, with many quality-of-life improvements and a completely redesigned UI across all platform versions. Additional features in both the digital and physical versions include:
- Optimized controller support for all consoles.
- New display features such as modern aspect ratios, custom screen filters, enhanced HD and graphics options.
- Fully playable Game Boy Color version of Worms Armageddon
- An interactive museum that charts the history of the entire series. Featuring never-before-seen interviews with developers of the original and current games.
- New save system
- Online support, allowing up to six players to team-up or compete
UPDATE: Team17 has announced a slight delay for the Worms Armageddon Anniversary Edition Collector’s Edition due to an unforeseen distribution issue. The physical package will now arrive Dec. 12th in Europe and Dec. 17th in the U.S..
