- boonslevincog
Gaming Weekly: Pikmin Bloom, Stranger Things, Jumanji, and more!
Our second edition of Gaming Weekly, our weekly blog on a handful (from the pletora available) of mobile gaming/Switch related news kicks it off strongly. Here's the agenda:
If you're wondering why there's nothing Pokémon related here, check out our Pokémon Weekly.
For timely updates on these items, make sure to follow BoonSlevin on Twitter.
Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales
On October 25, Next Games, Finland-based studio, has added another entertainment franchised-themed mobile game to its roster: Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales.
Developed in collaboration with Netflix, the title is an officially licensed story-driven puzzle (i.e. match-3) role-playing game.
From the press release:
From today, players will be able to dive into supernatural mysteries in Hawkins National Laboratory, Starcourt Mall, and other iconic Stranger Things locations in brand new, original storylines. Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales offers multiple game modes and puzzle mechanics alongside collectable characters, unique gear and exclusive monsters.
The game is available on both iOS and Android now, and can be downloaded here.
Jumanji: The Curse Returns
26 years after the iconic film, the Jumanji board game based on the 1995 classic is coming to mobile devices on November 17, 2021; and on Steam soon. The game will have full cross-platform capability.
The Curse Returns will be a premium game priced at £2.49/ $2.99/ €2.99.
Through a combination of board game and co-op card matching, time-attack mechanics, players will be rolling the dice, reading the riddles, facing the dangers and saving the town of Brantford.
From the press release:
The objective is to beat the game by getting a member of your team to the center of the board. You’ll need all four players to get them there, and every turn will reveal a fresh challenge. Whether it’s a stampede of rhinos, zebras and more, or an angry elephant plus the hunter, Van Pelt, you’ll defeat Jumanji together or not at all.
Pikmin Bloom
On the 20th aniversary of Pikmin, Niantic (in collaboration with Nintendo) announced the release of Pikmin Bloom. As of today, the game is available in more than 20 regions/countries (complete list here).
Pikmin Bloom aims at bringing a little joy to your everyday journeys on foot by having you grow your own Pikmin and taking them on expeditions in the real world.
For those searching for the ultimate goal in Pikmin Bloom, you might be disappointed. There is no goal other than making your walks a little more enjoyable and collecting various Pikmin (Decor Pikmin, i.e. hat wearing Pikmin) while doing so.
If we're being completely honest, the game is quite enjoyable and does make your daily walks more fun, but mostly passively (i.e. in the background while you enjoy Pokémon GO or any other AR/Geolocation game you play).
Niantic announced that the concept of Community Day, from Pokémon GO, would be recycled into Pikmin Bloom. More details are to follow.
We collaborated with reddit user Tatebeatz to bring you a COMPLETE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE for new players (and even somewhat experienced ones).
Diablo Immortal
Orginally announced in November of 2018 (yes, three years ago) and the release recently pushed back to 2022, Blizzard just kicked off the closed BETA on Android in select regions (Canada and Australia). Along with this soft-launch, Blizzard also released a brand new trailer showcasing the new playable class: Necromancer.
Haunt your foes with the dead, so even the demons of the Burning Hells will feel dread.
Reanimate corpses to protect the living. Curse the damned with baneful skills. Inflict pestilence on the enemy. Alienated and shunned by society, those who underestimate your power are ignorant of their grave mistake. Only your commands echo in eternity.
Furthermore, Blizzard confirmed the Diablo Immortal would offer controller support upon worldwide launch, but that for the closed BETA, it would only be available for select features.
For all the closed-BETA launch details, click here.
Final Fantasy V [Pixel REMASTER]
Square Enix has officially announced that Final Fantasy V [Remastered] will be released on November 10th, 2021 on iOS, Android, and Steam. This follows the recent releases of the Pixel Remaster of Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy III, and Final Fantasy IV.
The game is currently slated at $17.99 USD, with a 20% pre-order discount on Steam.
Mario Party Superstars
The very anticipated Mario Part Superstars lands on the Nintendo Switch today, October 28, 2021 for $59.99 USD.
Mario Party Superstars features five classic boards from the Nintendo 64 era and a collection of 100 minigames from across the Mario Party series – and all game modes can be played online but require a Nintendo Switch Online Membership.
Star Wars: Hunters
Scheduled for delivery in 2022, Star Wars: Hunters, from Zynga in collaboration with LucasFilm Ltd, is a competitive arena combat game coming to the Nintendo Switch system and mobile devices.
Zynga recently released a gameplay screenshot showcasing the action that is to take place in the Arena.
Join the greatest Hunters from the Star Wars™ galaxy on the planet of Vespaara where Hunters from across the galaxy compete in The Arena. Engage in thrilling third person combat to dominate grand arenas set in a range of maps that evoke iconic Star Wars worlds. Mix and match teams, use skill, tactics and customize your character to find a winning strategy and reap the spoils of victory in this all-new free-to-play game.
To pre-register, click here.