Review: Supercar Collection Simulator
Developer – Kiki Games Publisher – Kiki Games Platforms – PC (Reviewed) Review copy given by Developer Within the past couple of years, more “collector simulator” games have been popping up left and right, promising to become different from one another, but is that even possible? The developers from Kiki Games wanted to come out with their own Collector Sim game, but where does it stack up, and is it just the same as all the others? Supercar Collection Simulator, at first glance, looks like a clone of the very popular TCG Card Simulator game that came out back in September, which caught the streaming world and average consumption users by storm. The concept is identical; following the same steps as TCG Card Simulator, you start out with an empty store, buy your first merchandise, and begin to sell. The straightforward gameplay is enjoyable to sit down and mindlessly play for an hour or more when you’re bored. If you’re not new to this category of game, you will instinctively know what to do right away. The theme being around car collectibles (basically Hot Wheels) is a cool niche for some of us who enjoy Hot Wheels or cars in general. There are many different cars in different series to collect and sell as well as race other customers for each other’s cars. I found myself doing more opening and chasing for the high-dollar cars to sell instead of sealed packs at one point; the thrill of pulling high-dollar cars was very entertaining. I played a lot of TCG Card Simulator, like more than I’m comfortable even discussing in detail, so I expected to feel that click right away with Supercar Collection Simulator, but I honestly didn’t.I felt that it was TCG Card Simulator, just different sprites. That’s absolutely not to discredit the people over at Kiki Games, but it’s hard to be an innovator in such a small niche community. The core gameplay is obviously very similar, making it feel like I’m playing a game I already played multiple sessions of. I’m sure if this is your first Collector Sim, you will have a blast and get hooked quickly, but once you play one, you can almost predict the others. The gameplay is still enjoyable and addictive, and the concept of the collector cars being the main product available is fun. All the customer models are the same minus some color combos and a few hair combos, which you begin to see multiple at a time, throwing off a bit of the immersion aspect. Controls are very straightforward and easy for anyone to play since it’s basic and intuitive. The truth of the matter is Supercar Collection Simulator objectively is fun and enjoyable, just like TCG Card Simulator, just a different theme. Ultimately, it boils down to what you prefer as the meat and bones of your Collection Simulator experience. Playability at the moment isn’t the best due to it being an early access game; there’s no current roadmap available, but hopefully the talked folks from Kiki Games push the boundaries and develop new and unique features to bring everyone back.
Review: Mizuchi
Developer – Aikasa Collective Publisher – Aikasa Collective, Viridian Software Limited Platforms – PS4/5, Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), Steam Review copy given by Publisher Mizuchi starts off with a brief introduction to our main character Linh. Linh finds herself in a dark snake pit for some myterious reason. She is a young girl that is the youngest daughter of a poor family. Her father basically didn’t want her when it was discovered she was a girl and as unwanted child she was given a name of shame. As she grew older and came to understand her name meant “more” she decided to change her name to Linh to empower herself and choose her own path in life. After choosing our name, we slowly awake from the darkness of the snake pit and find ourselves earlier in the day that led up to the beginning of our story. Linh! Linh wake up! As Linh heads to start her day of work, she steals some fruit from a local farmer to feed herself and she gets caught red handed and begins to run away. As she reaches safety, she comes across some chicken eggs and grabs a few of those for herself as well. Suddenly she comes across a beautiful white snake that is injured, deciding to give her egg to the snake to help it get well starts a series of events that will change Linh’s life forever. She bows to the snake and finishes her work day and heads home for the evening. Arriving home there is a lot of noise coming from the front of her house, elders have gathered around and there is excitement in the air. It’s marriage season, and Linh has been selected to marry a local military man named Anh. Anh, a childhood friend of Linh, was sent to war a while back and had come home for a brief stint and must choose a wife while he is home. He chose Linh due to their childhood friendship from the past and while the appeal of a happy new life where she will never know poverty again, Linh just doesn’t feel right about the arrangement. There is something inside of her that is begging for “more.” Interesting as that is her original name, there is a common them of wanting something more from life in general. Not to marry for money or status, but to marry for love. Mizuchi, a mix of Pride and Prejudice and Bridgerton with Japanese, Vietnamese, and Chinese influences, is a visual novel developed by Aikasa Collective. Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of visual novels for video games. There typically is very little interaction and Mizuchi is really not that different in that regard. There are maybe a total of 10 selectable dialogue options to impact the story. Where Mizuchi shines is the story and presentation. From the initial twist about 15 minutes in, I was really interested to see how Linh’s story would unfold. There are a few more twists and turns that keep the story interesting throughout, but it does get a bit sluggish around the 2.5 hour mark where it becomes a day to day routine for Linh and the other characters involved. Seeing Linh grow throughout her interactions with the other characters and seeing how those characters evolve in their day to day is interesting. The themes are sometimes very dark and include much more insidious events that certainly won’t be for everyone, but also can be very light hearted and peaceful. Honestly, I certainly don’t think that Mizuchi is for everyone. If you are a fan of Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese culture, visual novels, and don’t mind sexual themes in games you will find value in Mizuchi. The presentation in terms of visuals and the music fits perfectly with each event. The overall length is also a highlight, I would say that the initial read is about 4-5 hours and subsequential reads to see all of the additional endings skipping through all repeated conversations could make the full visual novel easily 10-12 hours. There is definitely value for the money spent. For visual novel fans, I think Mizuchi is an excellent addition to your library and is worth playing through multiple times to see the complete story and all possible outcomes for Linh.
HBO renews The Last of Us for Season 3
HBO announced today that The Last of Us has been renewed for a third season ahead of its Season 2 premiere on April 13. It had been reported previously the popular video game adaptation would be getting a third season, but also the potential for a fourth season. While there are only two games in The Last of Us series, the sequel does provide enough content for the TV Show to use and split its events across multiple seasons. The Last of Us Season 2 will go live in a few days and it was already revealed it will have only seven episodes. However, the creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann told Variety that “It’s getting harder to make because every episode gets big”. From the sounds of it, Season 2 is going to have a lot of big moments for fans to look forward to. It will be interesting to see what parts of The Last of Us II will take place during this season. You can stream The Last of Us on Max and catch up by watching Season 1. Are you excited for the future of The Last of Us TV Series?
Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube controller will only work on GameCube Classics
Last week, when the Nintendo Switch was revealed, one of the big announcements was that the Nintendo GameCube Virtual Console library would be coming. Starting June 5, 2025, those who subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online will be able to play GameCube classics, such as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It was also announced that there will be a new GameCube Controller that will be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2. Similar to how they had the Nintendo 64, SNES, and NES controllers so players can play the other NSO games. A small print was found in a new video from Nintendo that says, “the controller is only compatible with the Nintendo GameCube: Nintendo Classics”. At the end of the video, the small text appears at the top. It is worth noting that this isn’t the first time Nintendo has done this. They have said the same thing for the other retro controllers, which did work on other Switch titles. Nintendo has not officially put out a statement regarding this, aside from the recent video that was posted. When the Nintendo Switch 2 releases this June, there will be three Nintendo GameCube classics available to play: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soulcalibur 2, and F-Zero GX. They also teased that other games would be coming down the road to the GameCube library. The new GameCube controller for the Switch 2 isn’t a replica of the original console. It comes with a C button, which is a new feature of the Switch 2 that allows for a new GameChat feature. The GameCube Retro Controller for the Switch 2 will be available for pre-order to those who are Nintendo Switch Online members. Source: VGC
Xbox Games Showcase Set For June 8th, The Outer Worlds 2 Direct Paired After
The altitudes that Microsoft reached with its previous Xbox Games Showcase in 2024 was unexpected to say the least. The firm offered a lineage of exciting additions including Doom: The Dark Ages, Gears of War: E-Day, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 then. There were also gameplay showcases for Fable, Perfect Dark, and the most recent release this week – South of Midnight. “It’s weird in all the right ways, ambitious in its themes, and stunning in execution,” Rectify Gaming’s 9.5/10 review for South of Midnight reads. However, other games are still far from being realized so soon. In that, Playground Games did confirm that Fable is now aiming to release next year in 2026 as per the delayed issued then. Amid the mixed bag currently, Xbox Game Studios is ramping up anticipation for this coming June. Alike in 2024, this year is to feature yet another Xbox Game Showcase. Unlike last year, 2025 will instead be paired with a direct focused exclusively on The Outer Worlds 2. Obsidian Entertainment announced the sequel back in 2021. “It all begins with our annual Xbox Games Showcase, bringing you a look at upcoming titles from across our first-party studios, in addition to incredible new titles from our third-party partners across the globe. This year, the show will be digital-only – our livestream will bring you everything you’ll need to know about what’s next for Xbox, no matter where in the world you’re watching.” the Xbox Wire post reads. “Following in the footsteps of the 2023 Starfield Direct and 2024 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct, this year we will again have a double feature, with the Xbox Games Showcase immediately followed by The Outer Worlds 2 Direct. […] Immediately following Showcase, The Outer Worlds 2 Direct will bring you inside the walls of Obsidian Entertainment, revealing new gameplay, details, and developer insights, straight from the people making the sequel to the award-winning, first-person sci-fi RPG.” Are you excited for this year’s Xbox Game Showcase? Xbox Game Showcase will take place on June 8, 2025 at 1 PM EST / 10 AM PST. Source: Xbox Wire
Report: Publishing Battle Underway For Major Korean Firms On New StarCraft Projects For Microsoft
The StarCraft IP has remained in one of Microsoft’s more prominent corners since the kickoff for the Activision Blizzard King deal. In 2022, Phil Spencer did express that he & Microsoft is eager to explore new opportunities for the IP. Additionally, insiders have continued to push out new murmurs that a new title is in development for the series. In 2023, Xbox president Sarah Bond also pressed on StarCraft, emoting that “it will be fun to see if we can do something with that in the future”, regarding a new title. And although there is no StarCraft III yet, the series was revisited last fall. Blizzard Entertainment launched StarCraft: Remastered & StarCraft II on PC which also was welcomed to Game Pass then. Amid the cloudiness on what direction StarCraft is heading currently, there is new found information on possible avenues for the IP. According to Korean outlet Asia Today, Microsoft is entertaining a new publishing war for pitches on a new StarCraft title. As per @KoreaXboxnews on X, there are four firms with each its own approach for StarCraft. NCsoft most recognized for Guild Wars has proposed an MMORPG inspired by the StarCraft universe. Second is The First Descendant’s Nexon that “proposed a unique way to utilize the StarCraft IP.” Solo Leveling: Arise’s Netmarble has pitched a new title tied into mobile gaming. And, PUBG Battlegrounds publisher Krafton offered to develop an entirely new installment for the IP. It is for certain that Activision/Microsoft is eager to drive interest for the new library now under Xbox. Previously, it was spotted multiple AI-generated titles were being published on social media to gauge fans on new work for franchises like Guitar Hero & Crash Bandicoot. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you hopeful a new StarCraft game does emerge from this event?
Angry Birds’ Red Joins Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble As A Playable Character
After two installments already in recent time – Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD & Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania – Sega officially rolled out Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble this past year. “The game presents some challenges with tough courses and its online mode, but it’s a good choice for those looking to play something different in today’s gaming world. This will go down as another great Super Monkey Ball title,” our review for the game reads. The list of post-launch updates for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble is also growing since then too. Kicking off with the Sega Pass that shoed in Sonic, Crazy Taxi, and Jet Set Radio was just the start. Then it continued periodically with Godzilla & Hatsune Miku, Crewmate, and the most recent addition of Pac-Man to celebrate the series’ 45th anniversary. Now this week, Sega returns to announce that its recent acquisition Rovio is to bridge with Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble. In that, Angry Birds’ Red is joining the roster. You can watch the new trailer in the video below: “Get ready to fling into action! Red from Angry Birds is now available as a paid character DLC in Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble! When playing as Red, players will discover the in-game bananas will turn into feathers, a bunch of bananas will turn into a tuft of feathers, while the gold banana will turn into a glowing feather!” the YouTube description reads. This is not the only ongoing Sega collaboration going on right now. More than a week prior, InnerSloth announced a Like a Dragon event for Among Us is live for the game until June later this summer. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you a fan of the latest addition for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble? Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble is out now for Nintendo Switch.
A Quiet Place: Day One Director Moves Ahead To Direct A24’s Death Stranding Film
The past few months continues to grab the attention of those familiar with Death Stranding. Originally available only on PlayStation has went forward on a multiplatform position more recently. In that, the game abruptly launched on Xbox Series X|S in November last fall. Looking ahead, sequel Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is arriving this June as well. In the same sphere of the IP, a film adaptation is also being pursued. Back in late 2022, Hideo Kojima revealed that a live-action portrayal of the IP will be underway. It is presumed faces like Norman Reedus & Margaret Qualley would be reprised for the featured film. Kojima in 2023 revealed that he will stand as a producer for the movie under the A24 banner for the film adaptation. According to a new report from Deadline, a director has finally been selected. In that, Michael Sarnoski (A Quiet Place: Day One, Pig) is to take the director’s chair for Death Stranding. As per Deadline’s understanding, Sarnoski is also attached to write for the Death Stranding film as well. Sarnoski is currently working on another A24 film in post-production, Death of Robin Hood. The report also reveals that Square Peg is to produce Death Stranding alongside Kojima Productions. Both Lars Knudsen and Ari Aster will be included on the list of producers. Knudsen is most recognized for his work on The Northman & Dream Scenario as a producer. Aster is known for his directorial releases on Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid. Interesting is that PlayStation Productions is not attached to produce the Death Stranding movie despite Sony Interactive Entertainment publishing the 2019 title. Kojima, however, does have a new espionage IP in the works that is on the way for PlayStation, Physint. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you interested on how the Death Stranding movie will turn out? Source: Deadline
PlayStation Productions Head Says Adaptations For Astro Bot Is Being Looked Into
“Team ASOBI did an outstanding job with Astro Bot, a delightful yet playful platformer that is sure to capture the hearts of many gamers, and one that I found difficult to put down once I started playing,” Rectify Gaming’s review for Astro Bot reads; scoring it a 9.5/10. The praise from many went on to award the title ‘Game of the Year’ in 2024 too. Not only that, developer Team Asobi has continued to deliver to fans with new content for the core game. In fall, we saw this with the first wave of speedrun stages then. Following, the holiday added the ‘Winter Wonder’ update which featured new additions too. Then this past February yet another installment of new speedrun stages arrived as well. Now with the Astro Bot fever still fresh, PlayStation Productions is eager to tackle the IP for a film/television adaptation, it told Variety. With the upcoming release for both The Last of Us & Until Dawn on HBO & in theaters respectively, there is a vacancy on what it can focus on next for its new major PlayStation transmedia project. “For us, it’s, ‘OK, we’ve established one of our franchises as a great game. It’s starting to get a built-in audience. It’s winning awards.’ Those are very early indicators for us to want to try and grow that franchise and grow that IP,” head Asad Qizilbash told. “So we’re constantly looking at that. And I would say it’s not just sort of awards and nominations that drive that. Sometimes we have IP that’s just got great stories that a creator really wants to adapt it.” Also on the horizon, it was confirmed in late 2023 that Twisted Metal is being continued for a second season. At The Game Awards, star Anthony Mackie revealed the announcement on stage. There is no confirmed timeframe for the release of the Peacock show. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you excited for Astro Bot being considered for a show or movie? Source: Variety
Cooking Companions is a psychological horror dating sim coming to Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch
Publisher Serenity Forge and developer Deer Dream Studios announced they are bringing psychological horror dating sim Cooking Companions to Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. The game will be coming to all consoles on April 29, 2025. Cooking Companions will only be available in a physical edition on PlayStation 5. All other platforms will be a digital-only release. Whisking together cute visuals into a deliciously dark tale, Cooking Companions follows a group of friends who find themselves trapped in a cabin deep in the woods of the Tatras Mountains. As starvation begins to set in, strange events start to occur, and unsavory challenges must be faced. Spend your time wisely by exploring the rooms of the cabin, building relationships, and carving your own path in this multi-ending visual novel. The console release for Cooking Companions also comes with 15 fully animated cutscenes, new secrets to be discovered and is fully localized in English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Japanese. Players can now pre-order the Cooking Companions physical premium edition for $39.99 here.
