Visual Novel News:
Shiravune have announced that an English release of Destiny Star Girlfriend by developer mirai will be coming to Steam and Johren in 2023. It describes itself as a a story of pure love as told through a kaleidoscopic lens of magical girls, space demons, and interdimensional war. It will be launched at a price of 14.99 USD (region-dependant) with a 20% discount.
When campus nobody Seiji is attacked by unhinged space demons, it’s his classroom crush Yuuri who shows up to save the day! Her magical-girl powers easily vanquish the enemy, but a surprise ambush forces her to dive in harm’s way to shield him—leaving both fatally wounded. Luckily, Miss Fujiko arrives on the scene with an enchanted thread to bind both their life forces, saving them from certain death. Over the next three months as Seiji and Yuuri slowly recover, the pair are on doctor’s orders to stay within one meter of each other or risk snapping their “red string of fate.” With his dream girl only centimeters away at every waking moment, will Seiji finally summon the courage to shoot his shot?
In addition, they followed it with announcement of Tenioha! feat. Mami by developer rootnuko+H, also coming to Steam and Johren in 2023. It’s a dark romance visual novel, with a focus on power-centric scenarios with a ‘slightly older, dommy-mommy coworker‘. It will be launched at a price of 16.99 USD (region-dependant) with a 20% discount.
Not long ago, I entered the corporate world, brimming with hope and ambition. After a nightmarish first twelve months, however, that all seems like a distant dream. I long for simpler times when my boss’s constant put-downs didn’t ruin my evening commute home. If anything, the bachelor’s life I so looked forward to mirrors my own desperate state of mind, as I dig into another greasy supermarket bento in my apartment alone, next to a sink piled with dirty dishes… A sweet, familiar face flashes through my mind, but I swiftly dismiss it with a shake of my head. “What is wrong with me?! She’s literally my coworker…” Sure, there’s this one girl—the cute and confident Mami Himekawa. She’s got the looks, the laugh, the walk, and that voice, but I highly doubt that we’re compatible that way. Or am I missing something? But just when I least expect it, the answer to that question reveals itself while I’m at work in the office one day—“Hey there, kiddo. You got a moment?”
In other Shiravune news, the next wave of titles has been released on JAST, MangaGamer, and Kagura Games that were previously exclusive to Johren. The new wave of titles are:
- Marauder of Dystopia: The Weakest Go To The Wall
- Revenge of the Orcs: Flag of Conquest
- Megasuki: Love Through Lenses with Yuuki Hoshino
- Megasuki: Love Through Lenses with Ayumu Sakura
- Megasuki: Love Through Lenses with Otoha Inami
- Nope Nope Nope Nope Nurses
- Kuroinu Redux 2
Find the full list of Shiravune titles on JAST Store here
Following the successful launches of Love Bakudan and Good Luck Baby! Noodletub games has launched a third KickStarter for the new project, Renai Bakudan – An 18+ Yuri Visual Novel.
The Kickstarter has already been successfully funded with a low initial goal, but has a variety of further stretch goals, including additional romance routes and special epilogues to the story.
Ex-yakuza Juri Kido has been through a lot in the city of Tokyo. When her group ditches her after a life-changing incident, Juri realizes the true value of her own freedom; and vows to start over somewhere new. Impulsively hopping on a train, Juri finds herself in the coastal hotbed of desire known as Akiyama – a hidden gem in the world of red-light districts. With plenty of dirty stores, sleazy nightclubs and even an erotic bookstore, this isn’t just any vacation spot! (Some might even call it the perfect setting for a dating sim…) Thanks to a chance meeting on her first night in town, Juri ends up with a place to stay and a brand-new job somewhere a little unconventional. There’s truly no other place like it… Hotel Bakudan is a love hotel – a place where couples can rent private rooms to have sex at all hours of the day. It’s famous for the ridiculously wide variety of themed rooms that cater to all tastes, ranging from hilarious to hot as hell! Like being tied up? We’ve got you covered! What about a room that looks and smells like a bakery? Sure, why not?! However, there are six beautiful women who visit the hotel alone for their own mysterious reasons – and they all need Juri’s help. These six all have the potential to change Juri’s life in ways she can’t even imagine, filling it with romance, comedy, and plenty of drama. Not only will you date the beautiful women you meet at Hotel Bakudan, but if you’re a pro at running the front desk…you’ll also earn erotic books that you can read for yourself!
Find the KickStarter Page Here
More Visual Novel News
- Retro Mystery Club Vol.1: The Ise-Shima Case has launched on Steam
- Numskull Games and Serenity Force are partnering to release a physical double-pack of Coffee Talk and Coffee Talk Episode II
- CyberStep, Inc has launched Possessing My Older Sister – 年上お姉さんを独り占めしたい！on Steam
Gaming News:
Gamescom 2023 took place this past week, and it certainly had quite a lot to show! Here are some of the highlights from the opening presentation:
After being announced in 2016, it’s been a long and hard road for Granblue Fantasy: Relink, but the game is finally ready for release! We received a brand new trailer that revealed a full release date for the highly anticipated action RPG: February 1st, 2024! The game will be released for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC.
Watch the Gamescom trailer for Granblue Fantasy: Relink
Not to be outdone, Atlus released a brand new trailer for the upcoming remake of Persona 3! We got a more extensive look a the game’s main cast, their updated battle outfits, and a full release date for the game.
Persona 3 Reload launches for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC on February 2nd.
Watch the Gamescom trailer for Persona 3 Reload
The release dates don’t stop coming, as Bandai Namco’s latest installment in the massive Tekken franchise got its release date revealed! This new trailer for Tekken 8 was easily the most packed with reveals: tons of returning characters, the continuation of the franchise’s story, and even a full single-player mode that replicates playing the game in various arcade environments.
Tekken 8 releases for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC on January 26th, 2024.
Watch the Gamescom trailer for Tekken 8
Did you want more Chinese-inspired soulslike after Wo Long Fallen Dynasty? Game Science has got you covered with a game inspired by the famous novel, Journey to the West. Black Myth: Wukong got a brand new trailer and highlighted some of the bosses and environments you’ll see across your adventure, along with a taste of the combat system.
Black Myth: Wukong is set to release for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC in Summer 2024.
Watch the Gamescom trailer for Black Myth: Wukong
Even gaming’s fastest rodent got his time in the Gamescom spotlight! Sonic Superstars got a brand new trailer that highlighted the multiplayer aspect of the game, including a newly revealed battle mode where you play as your own customizable robot.
Sonic Superstars launches for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on October 17th.
Watch the Gamescom trailer for Sonic Superstars
But that wasn’t all for Sonic the Hedgehog, as we got an update for Sonic Frontiers! The game has received post-launch content throughout 2023, and Gamescom revealed the largest content update to the game, titled The Final Horizon. This new update will feature new story content, playable characters, and even new challenges.
The Final Horizon update for Sonic Frontiers arrives on September 28th.
Watch the Gamescom trailer for the Sonic Frontiers update
To close out the Gamescom opening night coverage is the next game from the creators of Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail: Zenless Zone Zero! This action game with a modern flair got a bunch of updates, including new locations, mini-games set in an arcade, and new assist options you can use within the combat system.
Zenless Zone Zero will be released for iOS, Android, and PC. No release window was announced at this time.
Watch the Gamescom trailer for Zenless Zone Zero
Outside of the Gamescom opening showcase, we got a few more video game updates to go through. One of them is an update on CyberConnect2’s next installment in the Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm series! This new trailer showcased three new characters from some of the members of Kara; an organization seen in the Boruto series. Beyond that, we finally found out when the game will launch: November 17th.
Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections will launch for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. A PC version is also in the works, but no release date for it has been announced as of now.
Watch the Kara trailer for Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections
NetEase Games and Naked Rain announced a brand new game this week, and it’s quite an ambitious one! Titled Project Mugen, this new game is an action RPG set in an open-world city with traversal that fans of Spider-Man are sure to recognize, along with team-based combat that is quite similar to Genshin Impact. No release window was given, but pre-registration for the game is now live.
Project Mugen will be released for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, iOS, Android, the cloud, and PC.
Watch the announcement trailer for Project Mugen
Love him or hate him, I don’t think it’s possible to meet a fan of video games who doesn’t know about Super Mario! A large part of his identity is his iconic voice, provided by Charles Martinet, who started playing the character all the way back in Super Mario 64. Unfortunately, it has been confirmed by Nintendo that he is stepping down from the role. It’s been stated that Charles will now have the role of “Mario Ambassador”, but his portrayal of gaming’s most iconic character will surely be missed.
Anime News:
Dr. Stone‘s third season is making its return very soon! To announce the air date for the series continuation, we got a brand new trailer to build up anticipation.
Dr. Stone New World part 2 will premiere on October 12th.
Watch the Dr. Stone New World part 2 trailer
While we still haven’t heard a word about a second season for this series, it is getting more content, and very soon too! Based on the manga series Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun, After-school Hanako-kun is a new series of 10-minute episodes and is said to air over four weeks.
After-school Hanako-kun will premiere on October 12th.
After the success of the first season, the anime remake of Urusei Yatsura is returning for a second season! The announcement was made in the form of a brand-new piece of key art.
Season 2 of the Urusei Yatsura remake series premieres in January 2024.
Upcoming Releases:
While this isn’t exactly the next mainline entry in this classic series, Mega Man X is getting a brand-new game this week! Mega Man X Dive Offline, as the name implies, is an offline version of the mobile game of the same name. Play through a variety of stages that cover many of the Mega Man X games with a huge cast of playable characters.
Mega Man X Dive Offline launches for PC, iOS, and Android on September 1st.
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
