Visual Novel News:
Following it’s February 2024 launch on Nintendo Switch, Visual Arts has announced the upcoming release of LUNARiA -Virtualized Moonchild- on Steam. It will be released on 30th August, 2024.
Genius gamer T-Bit rakes in the prize money in VR races day after day. One day, after experiencing a network error mid-race, he ends up in Lunar World, a moon-based server. There, he meets an AI avatar by the name of Lunar-Q. A love story spanning the 384,400 km between the Earth and moon begins!
Slightly over four years past its June 2020 release, Aniplex has announced that ATRI -My Dear Moments- has now sold over 400,000 copies worldwide. This announcement has been made alongside the currently airing anime series, which at the time of writing has released six of a planned thirteen episodes. User reviews on Steam currently show the visual novel as ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’.
As the world sank, I found you.” In the near future, a sudden and unexplained sea rise has left much of human civilization underwater. In a little town slowly being enveloped by the ocean, an unforgettable summer is about to begin for a boy and a mysterious robot girl…
Idea Factory have announced the release date of DATE A LIVE: Ren Dystopia. It will launch digitally on 5th September, 2024. The Steam release will include English and Chinese localization of 2 audio dramas (Natsumi Encounter and Origami Friendship) through a PDF and a short novel (Ren Masques) exclusive to the Deluxe Edition.
This next-generation boy-meets-girl story, written by Koushi Tachibana and illustrated by Tsunako, has garnered immense popularity both in Japan and overseas, selling over six million copies worldwide! The story of DATE A LIVE begins thirty years after Earth has been plagued by spacequakes. These calamities are triggered by the emergence of enigmatic entities known as Spirits. One day, an ordinary student named Shido Itsuka encounters a Spirit disillusioned with humanity. Shido’s sister, Kotori, reveals to him that he possesses the unique ability to seal Spirit’s powers away. However, the method is surprising. To seal a Spirit’s powers, he has to date her and make her fall for him!
Shido resolves to do whatever it takes to protect the world and save them. He faces the Spirits with total sincerity as he navigates the various challenges that come his way.
Katawa Shoujo has now been released on Steam and other platforms. Other platforms will host the full title, while the Steam version will have adult content removed. A free patch is available to restore this. We have also published a guide with walkthroughs to help you complete this visual novel, including how to unlock the sixth hidden ending and the more obscure Rin scenes.
Katawa Shoujo is a bishoujo-style visual novel set in the fictional Yamaku High School for disabled children, located somewhere in modern Japan. Hisao Nakai, a normal boy living a normal life, has his life turned upside down when a congenital heart defect forces him to move to a new school after a long hospitalization. Despite his difficulties, Hisao is able to find friends—and perhaps love, if he plays his cards right. There are five main paths corresponding to the 5 main female characters, each path following the storyline pertaining to that character.
Gaming News:
The gaming world was greatly shaken after Microsoft announced the closure of Tango Gameworks back in May 2024 despite their consistently above-average output, including the award-winning title Hi-Fi Rush last year. Thankfully, we’ve received some fantastic news, as KRAFTON announced their acquisition of Tango Gameworks, including the rights to the Hi-Fi Rush IP! This won’t affect Tango Gameworks’ existing titles during their time at Microsoft and they will still be available for purchase.
One of the most prolific visual novel franchises is getting a brand-new game! Muv-Luv Tactics is being promoted as a strategy RPG developed by fuzz Co., Ltd. Not much is known about the game, but we did get a short teaser trailer for the newly announced project.
Watch the announcement trailer for Muv-Luv Tactics
We’re very close to the release of the latest entry in Square-Enix’s Mana series! Ahead of its release, Visions of Mana received a new trailer that highlighted the many lush locations you’ll be exploring in the full game.
Visions of Mana is coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, and PC on August 29th.
Watch the locations trailer for Visions of Mana
The next big update coming to Genshin Impact got a ton of new information in a lengthy livestream hosted by Hoyoverse! This 5.0 update titled Flows Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn, will add a brand new nation for players to explore: Natlan. This new update will also include new characters to pull for, new enemy types to fight, and more Natlan-exclusive mechanics. The game will also be celebrating its fourth anniversary during the 5.0 update, which will get you free pulls and the ability to pick a free five-star character from the Standard Wish pool.
The 5.0 update for Genshin Impact launches on August 28th.
Watch the 5.0 update trailer for Genshin Impact
A new trailer for Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero was released and as some might have predicted, it covered the characters coming to the game that originated from the Cell Saga! From Mecha Frieza and King Cold, to all the versions of Cell and Teen Gohan, any fan of this classic story arc from the original series will be happy to see it represented in the full game.
Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero arrives for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC on October 11th.
Watch the Cell Saga trailer for Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero
Shift Up’s popular gach game, Goddess of Victory: Nikke is getting a collaboration event soon and it’s with a pretty big name for any anime fan out there. Later this week, Neon Genesis Evangelion will be featured in a new storyline that combines both franchises together in what’s expected to be an epic crossover! The characters from the rebuild movies will be added to the game in limited banners, so if you want the chance to get them before they’re gone, make sure to play the event while it’s live.
The Neon Genesis Evangelion collab event in Goddess of Victory: Nikke goes live on August 22nd and is available on PC and mobile devices.
From the creators of Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Princess Peach: Showtime!, Good-Feel’s next game is coming to the West and pretty soon too! Bakeru is a 3D action platformer that takes place all across the 47 Japanese prefectures with the goal of purging evil spirits. The Western release of the game will also bring with it some new attacks and even a new enemy to fight. If you want a taste of what the game has to offer, a demo of the game is now available to play on the Nintendo Switch.
Bakeru launches for Nintendo Switch and PC on September 3rd.
Watch the announcement trailer for Bakeru
Anime News:
The next installment in the Puella Magi Madoka Magica franchise has been delayed. Titled Puella Magi Madoka Magica – Walpurgisnacht Rising, this new movie was originally slated for a Winter 2024 release in Japan. However, in a recent announcement, the film has been delayed to Winter 2025 due to production reasons, which was announced in an official statement from the Madoka Magica Twitter page.
Sadly, we recently lost a voice actor whose work many anime fans will surely recognize. Rachael Lillis passed away on August 10th due to breast cancer at the age of 55. She was well known for being the original voice for both Misty and Jessie in the English dub of Pokémon. Veronica Taylor, the original English voice of Ash Ketchum shared her thoughts on Rachael’s passing and announced a memorial will be held at a later date. We at NookGaming offer our condolences to Rachael Lillis’ friends and family affected by her passing.
Upcoming Releases:
The first console game from Game Science has been in the works for quite a few years, but it’s finally ready for release this week! Black Myth: Wukong is an action game that takes inspiration from Journey to the West. You play as The Destined One and follow him on his quest to find lost relics across the land. The game not only has a variety of moves that use the size-changing properties of The Destined One’s staff, but you’ll also be able to transform into the enemies you’ve conquered to help add even more variety to the combat.
Black Myth: Wukong arrives for PlayStation 5 and PC on August 20th.
An anime/gaming aficionado, experienced content creator and lovable goofball. Name a game genre and Seamus has likely played it… yes, even that one. Follow him @TrueStorySeamus
