This Week in Games

Fate-ful games, Dolphin Wings, and T-Posing

Welcome back, folks! This isn't gaming-related, but a crow almost stole my dinner last weekend. I had ordered some fried plantains to be delivered, and when I went to the door to pick them up, I caught a crow trying to drag away the take-out box with its beak. I was impressed with the little critter's gumption and left them a fried plantain for their trouble. I don't know how this will affect my standing with the society of corvids that roost in our neighborhood...

last year--and we finally have an official release date for it!

While an exact date is still pending, it is confirmed to be released sometime this year, 2025. It's only May, so they still have the back half of the year to finish this. It'll be released on Steam, too. While an English release hasn't been announced, we can assume it's in the works.

Fate/Hollow Ataraxia is somewhere between a fan disk and a pseudo-sequel to Fate/stay night, featuring a mish-mash of details from the various endings from the first game. The war has ended, but the Servants are still milling about, enjoying their domestic lives with their Masters and giving Shirou headaches. Also, people seem stuck in a time loop, repeating the same four days. More troublesome is the return of the Mage Bazette, bringing with her a hitherto-unseen Servant: the enigmatic Avenger...

Hollow Ataraxia can be attributed to continuing a lot of the characterization that people enjoy from the Fate cast; while the Grail War was certainly a big deal, the real heart of Fate is all of these goofy mages and historical figures freeloading at poor Shirou's house and eating all of his food. You could improve Fate/Grand Order by including an arc about Chaldea finding the Emiya household and enjoying a nice Sunday dinner, much to poor Shirou's chagrin. Of course, lore still happens--this is a TYPE-MOON story after all, it needs complicated meta-magic discussions. But with the main cast of Fate being what they are, it'd be nice to see the gang up to shenanigans. Hopefully, it will be released sooner rather than later. And hopefully, we could get Fate/EXTRA remaster soon.

A while ago, we touched on a new game from Keita Takahashi, best known as the man who spearheaded the development of the fan-favorite Katamari Damacy series. (Also, Noby Noby Boy, but not as many people talk about that one.) It turns out that the new game finally has a release date, and some well-regarded star power is backing it!

to a T is about a teenager with a peculiar condition: their arms are stuck in a T-pose. Told in an episodic style, the games will go over the youth's challenges in confronting their daily life while also finding a place where they belong. Teen's gender is ambiguous, but players can dress or style their hair however they want. Expect a healthy mix of zonko comedy and emotional pathos. There are a variety of minigames detailing how the protagonist (known only as "Teen") handles their daily tasks, from eating meals to petting their adorable dog; there is also an ongoing story about a mysterious object that fell from the sky. Also, a giraffe is part of the main cast.

The first time I saw this game a while back, I was struck by its pleasant presentation--very much in line with the Peanuts comics. I have to wonder if that was intentional. But, of course, the trademark absurdism that Takahashi brings to his games is still there; a clip on Steam illustrates Teen flying through the air while practicing karate. (They're helicoptering themself, like a non-robotic Pluto from Astro Boy).

As you'll have seen in the trailer linked above, the giraffe loves to cook. Also noteworthy is that the giraffe is played by Rebecca Sugar, the creator behind Steven Universe! They also performed the giraffe's song (fittingly called "The Giraffe Song"), which can be found on most major musical platforms. The English indie band PREP also contributed a song to the to a T soundtrack, titled "Perfect Shape."

Folks interested in checking out to a T can pick it up on May 28 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. No word yet on a Switch 2 release, but let's allow the console to be released first.

If you've spent time in retro game circles, you've probably seen screenshots of a mysterious game featuring a dolphin in an aviator cap. Like this one!

Yes, this is an actual game! Specifically, Aero Fighters. Known as Sonic Wings in Japan, the games are a cult-favorite series of shoot-'em-ups featuring colorful characters (including Whity the Dolphin there) as pilots shooting down waves of rogue fighters. These include a ninja and a Viking; as we all know, ninjas were feared for their skills in an F-22. For the most part, the Aero Fighter series (as it was known in the United States) was fairly obscure; being a shoot-'em-up series, it was a bit of a hard sell in the US, especially with arcades drying up in the '90s. Good news for folks who love wacky shooters: we're getting a new one: Sonic Wings Reunion!

Red Art Games (who handled the Macross: Shooting Insight release in the United States) will be bringing the game over; as a commitment to the series' legacy, they've promised that the game will release under its official Japanese title but with an in-game option to replace the logo with the Aero Fighter branding. As a sign of its intent to honor the series' legacy, Sonic Wings Reunion brings back longtime series character designer Fumihiko Nantoka, along with series composer Soshi Hosoi. The endeavor is produced by Shinya Nagatomo, whom you might recognize as having produced Cotton Rock'n'Roll.

Being a shoot-'em-up, Sonic Wings Reunion only promises eight stages and eight playable characters. It sweetens the pot with local co-op and a fully customizable soundtrack that includes music from the whole series. So far, it doesn't have an official release date, but it is scheduled to be released on the PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. Red Art Games has also announced that they'll be revealing all manner of goodies related to the games' physical release; keep an eye on their blog for more info!

That makes two of gaming's biggest dolphins being brought back. It's a great time for cetaceans in gaming.

Folks are understandably miffed about having to pay to upgrade their Switch 1 games for the Switch 2. That said, Nintendo is rolling out several free upgrades for 12 of their titles; these titles are listed on their website and include detailed explanations of what the upgrades entail. Notably, Pokémon Scarlet/Violet will get framerate improvements.

Bandai Tencent--and with it, are new plans to release the game stateside. The game now carries the title of Blue Protocol: Star Resonance, with a new trailer detailing some of the new features. While there is no concrete release date yet, there is confirmation that the game will be playable on PC and mobile devices, with cross-play enabled. Folks are invited to check out the game's official website.

Sony is shuttering their PlayStation Stars loyalty program; currently, they're "evaluating" how to build from PlayStation Stars and improve a possible loyalty program. In the meantime, there will be no further campaigns, and subscribers will not gain further benefits from PlayStation Stars after July 23.

Over in Japan, Nintendo has quietly renewed the trademark for Hotel Dusk: Room 215, a fan-favorite visual novel from the Nintendo DS, formerly made by the same team that brought you Another Code/Trace Memory. I'd hate to get ahead of myself, but that might hint at a possible remake in the future... maybe Another Code: ReCollection sold well enough after all?

In a new Ask The Developers column discussing Mario Kart World, the devs behind the hotly-anticipated Mario Kart title discuss some details--like the hilarious story of how the Moo Moo Meadows cow came to be a playable character (spoilers: someone on the team drew concept art of the cow driving a truck-shaped kart, the higher-up loved it, history was made).

The suspenseful visual novel Iwakura Aria finally comes to the United States! Play through the dark tale of the maid Ichiko and her relationship with Aria, the mysterious heiress of the Iwakura family this August 14 on the Switch and Steam

After a false start, courtesy of a video posted too early and quickly taken down, we finally have official news regarding Shift-Up's Stellar Blade! The Goddess of Victory: Nikke collab is still coming; outfits based on the various in-game Nikke are confirmed (particularly Rapi, Anis, Modernia, Alice, and Dorothy), as well as a shooting mini-game based on Nikke's basic gameplay (shooting from behind various places of cover as you target enemy weak points). Players will also be able to encounter and do battle against the boozy Pilgrim swords-Nikke, Scarlet, in a themed boss battle. Also inbound are cameo appearances by Volt, the adorable robot dog—and the fan-favorite Nikke mascot, Doro... Shift-Up's approach to Stellar Blade also appears to be shifting to more of a live-service-based endeavor, with an emphasis on outfit pack DLC, as illustrated in a recent investor report from last week... Also, Stellar Blade's PC release is set for June 11.

That'll do it for this week, I think. Two weeks until the Switch 2 releases! I still don't have a chance of getting one, but I'm easy. People are looking forward to having a new console, but I'm just worried about my KOS-MOS faceplate from Kamaniki not fitting the new dock! As summer approaches, to keep your friends in close . It's never a bad weekend to give them a ring. Be good to each other, I'll see you in seven.

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This Week In Games! is written from idyllic Portland by Jean-Karlo Lemus. When not collaborating with Anime News Network, Jean-Karlo can be found playing Japanese RPGs, eating popcorn, watching v-tubers, and tokusatsu. You can keep up with him at @ventcard.bsky.social.

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