Stunt Race VR, while obviously not as complex and realistic as its contemporary counterparts such as Gran Turismo and Forza, is a far cry more content-rich than the 1994 cartridge original, which was little more than a tech demo. Players can now choose from more than two dozen different cars, and with 24 different tracks, each with their own hazards and quirks, this is finally the fully-realized cartoon racer it was always meant to be. The fun soundtrack punctuates all the exciting action, while the game finally hums at 60 FPS, something that, when held against the original (which boasted a framerate in the single digits) isn't just an improvement, it's a miracle. This is essentially Pixar: The Racing Game, only it's significantly better than any of the Cars tie-ins could ever hope to be. Despite its relatively slow pace (none of the game's cars ever exceed 200 miles per hour) when compared with other racing games, it never ceases to be thrilling, as a result of the creativity of the stage design and its exceptional production values. With homages to Squad Four and even the Zeppelin Age games sprinkled throughout, Stunt Race VR is Argonaut's love letter to much of its old work, with every modern quality of life upgrade imaginable.
(...)
"So yeah, I'm glad we got to go back and revisit Stunt Race FX, the old game had everything going against it but now with the Reality it's a real chance for our true vision for this game to be realized, so I just hope people enjoy it."
Even though Cuthbert's nearly 30-year tenure as Argonaut's lead designer is nearing its end, he doesn't seem to be a man with many regrets, which is quite understandable considering everything he's accomplished: not only is he the brainchild of one of the most successful game franchises in history, his keen eye for detail and virtuoso programming skills made him a pioneer of gaming tech, pushing the limits of consoles and influencing so many other software creators by revealing what was truly possible. His legacy remains one of relentless innovation and creativity, and now, as he looks back at his career, he knows he's leaving his team in the best possible place.
"I got to work a little bit on the next Squad Four game, but for the most part, it's all been the new team. I can't wait to see how everyone responds to what they've come up with, but I can't say much more or I'll get in trouble."
Cuthbert has gradually been reducing his role in the development of Squad Four games ever since Upheaval. He took an almost completely hands-off approach to Protectors, though he did slightly more of the work on Betrayal. It wasn't because of the disappointing reaction to Protectors from critics and fans that he returned, rather, he wanted to mentor and coach the new developers that had come to work at the company since development on Protectors ended.
"You know, back when I first got started, I was the guy who needed mentoring, so I felt like mentoring the new team would bring it all full circle."
Cuthbert's approach to Betrayal's development paid off: the game remains one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful titles of its generation, and was named the best game of the past decade in numerous rankings (and #3 on our own list, which can be found here). He thought about stepping away after Betrayal's release, but decided to stay on for one last game, Squad Four Apocalypse, while helming the development of Stunt Race VR, an idea he conceived back in 2015. Now, the Argonaut legend is ready to leave the company he helped build, but even though he claims this is a "retirement", he's left the door open to return to the industry in some capacity.
"I'm always looking for the next big thing in gaming tech, but I'll try to take at least a few years off to spend time with my family and see the world. Hopefully by the time my kids are all grown up, VR will have advanced even more than it already has."
Cuthbert says that Apple's Quest has shown promise, but he'd have to get some time with the glove controllers to know if it might be something he'd be interested in working on. He says that the Hyper Nintendo looks great, especially the adaptive triggers, and that even though he and his team have had the Hyper Nintendo development kit for nearly three years, the reveal still surprised him.
"The new controller, I'm really impressed. Between the Hyper Nintendo's reactive triggers, the Google Glass, and the Apple Quest's advanced VR, I think the big story of the ninth console generation could be all about how we interact with games rather than how good they look graphically."
-from IGN's 8.4/10 review of Stunt Race VR, and their interview with Dylan Cuthbert the day after he announced that he'd be stepping down from Argonaut, both articles were posted together on April 8, 2020
-
Christina Grimmie: And Gloria plays a lot like the old-school Zelda games, with a bit of an anime twist which is a whole lot of fun. Game Arts shows with this one that they can still make proper retro-styled RPGs, and I also appreciate the budget price.
Austin Watson: I'm not so sure I'd really call $39.99 a "budget price", but you do get a lot of game for your buck, there's eight dungeons to explore and a pretty rich world with all sorts of towns, treasures, and secret caves. Plus, you know, there's this.
*A scene plays of the protagonist Gloria talking to a spider demon lady who is blocking her entrance to a dungeon.*
Gloria: What d'ya mean I can't go in? Who do you think you are, spider queen?
Spider Queen: Ah, so you have heard of me.
Gloria: Wait, you really are the Spider Queen?
Spider Queen: Mmm, and you have something in your head besides rocks,...
Gloria: I won't be insulted like this!
Spider Queen: And yet you're still standing there taking my insults...
Christina: Can they just kiss already and get it over with? Anyway, the voice acting is pretty solid, Erica Mendez is always great and she gives Gloria a real punch of bravery and toughness, while that Spider Queen you just heard... well, no spoilers, but Cristina Vee is the voice of the Spider Queen and you know they're not going to waste her on just a few quick scenes.
Austin: If you love games like The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Dreams, Terranigma, and even Popful Mail, you'll have a lot of fun with Gloria and I'm giving this game a 4 out of 5 for its clever combat, deep dungeon diving, great voice acting and cute anime stylings.
Christina: I'm not going to be QUITE so nice to it, I'm giving this game a 3.5 out of 5. It's a good game, and you'll definitely enjoy it, especially if, like me, you enjoy old school adventure games and fun anime wackiness, but I have to go back to the fact that the dungeons just aren't as memorable as they are in pretty much every game I just mentioned, there's no real puzzles to speak of, everything is a bit too linear once you get into a dungeon and that just won't fly. Still, it's a great little action-RPG and it's available on the Reality, Virtua, Stadia, Zero, iPhone G and even the Nexus, so I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre.
(...)
Rose Alvarez: Where Fairytale Imperia falls a bit short compared to Octopath Traveler is in the size of its world, and that's a shame because I loved the time I had in this gorgeous new realm, but there just wasn't enough of it to explore, and I felt like a lot of that is because they needed an excuse to keep you from going back and exploring the old world.
Christina Grimmie: Right! Just when I got all excited and thought "hey, we're going to get to see some of the locations from the old game"... nope, the game makes up some BS and throws up a barricade in your way. And no, it's not a spoiler that you can't go back and see any of the locations from the old game, the advertising for this one has been drilling it into everyone's head that you're going into an undiscovered country, so yeah... you don't get to revisit any of the old locations, BUT I did like this new realm, I just wish it was a little bit bigger!
Rose: And the reason we wish that is out of LOVE. The combat is great, the music is great, the graphics are beautiful...
Christina: Ashlyn has never been more badass, and I'm so happy that Moira Quirk came back to voice her.
Rose: Austin keeps talking about how she was on Guts but that show's just a smidge before our time, isn't it?
Christina: Yeah, I only know Moira from her voiceover work, and she's absolutely amazing here. Although, shameless plug, you can catch old Guts reruns on Paramount+, so if you want to see her being a ref or whatever, go watch that show, because I heard she's awesome.
Rose: And this game is MOSTLY awesome, I just wish it was a bit bigger and that they let you explore more. It's still one of the best portable RPGs you can get, and I've got no problem giving it a 4.5 out of 5. If it was a big bigger, it'd be a 5, but what can you do?
Christina: I'll tell you what you can do. New Game Plus! Which is what I'm going to be doing as soon as I leave today because I really did like this game and I'm also giving it a 4.5 out of 5.
Rose: I'm going to go watch some Guts to see what all the hype's about.
(...)
*The six GameTV hosts, including Austin and Christina, are all gathered around the couch at the end of the show, Christina looks a bit sad but the mood seems to be celebratory.*
Austin: And we're going to be saying goodbye to Christina for the last time, as she leaves GameTV to fulfill one of her all time biggest dreams...
Christina: Which is the only reason I'm not crying right now, you guys!
Avan Jogia: She'll be going to start filming on the Legend Of Zelda movie, which is coming out next year and you all need to go see it when it does.
Christina: *shaking excitedly* I can't wait but I'm so sad to go!
*The hosts all hug her tightly.*
Rose: And then there were two, just Austin and Avan left from the start of the revival... I hope you guys aren't going anywhere!
Austin: No worries, I'm stayin' right here....
Christina: You know if you got cast as Link or something you'd leave in a heartbeat.
Austin: No, no way, I love all the fans!
Christina: *whispering* He'd leave in a heartbeat.
-from the April 23, 2020 episode of GameTV
-
President Kennedy Congratulates Sir Richard Branson On First Spaceflight, Stresses Importance Of Private Sector In Space Innovation
President Kennedy has called Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson to congratulate him on his first successful spaceflight earlier today, according to a statement issued by the White House this evening. Branson's spaceflight, which reached the edge of space as defined by NASA, though not the internationally recognized Karman Line, represents a crucial step forward for private space travel, while also helping to emphasize the importance of NASA's space initiatives for the coming decade, which will hinge on the success of the recently completed next generation Orion spacecraft that will make its first manned flights next year, including a mission to launch a new space telescope into orbit. The Orion craft will also deliver a crew of American astronauts to the Moon in 2024, in a mission that has seen support from both sides of the aisle and to which Senator Marco Rubio has already committed to launching if he defeats the president in November's upcoming election. At a press conference held last week, in which Kennedy discussed a variety of topics, the subject of spaceflight came up several times, with reporters asking the president about both NASA's upcoming space missions and the private missions announced by several entrepreneurs, including Branson and tech tycoon Mark Cuban, who doesn't plan to go into space himself but who does plan to fund a series of space missions, including a possible mission to the Moon sometime around 2030, which would be the first ever private space mission to another celestial body. Kennedy expressed enthusiasm for both NASA and the private sector, and emphasized that when it comes to space, every mission deserves the public's support.
"You know, we're all in this together when it comes to stepping off this planet and exploring the vast frontier of space. I've committed this government not only to funding future NASA missions, but supporting private space endeavors as well. As proud as it makes me when NASA is able to accomplish a first in space, and they've accomplished so many, I'd be glad to see the private sector cross these new thresholds as well, because, and I've said it time and time again, we all benefit when humanity touches the stars. I'm looking forward to seeing Richard Branson's flight next week, and I'm looking forward to seeing what some of our great innovators can accomplish as well," said Kennedy, who then fielded a few more questions about spaceflight, most of them pertaining to the upcoming NASA missions scheduled for the next few years.
The Center for Technological Outreach, which continues to fund accessibility in information technology, has also announced that it will be looking into launching a space initiative as well, as it was one of the last things that late founder Mitsuko Ariyama expressed a desire to achieve before she was tragically killed back in 2018. Ariyama herself had wanted to go to space, though she told those close to her that she wanted to wait until it became cheaper to do so, as she felt the money would be put to better use to help people here on Earth. The Center's research will primarily focus on bringing down the cost of spaceflight, and it will also fund research into the creation of the first space elevator, which would make it far cheaper to bring people and materials up into space. Though the construction of such a device is currently beyond the capability of materials engineering, the Center is hoping to fund research into cutting-edge materials that could make a space elevator possible by the end of the century.
-from an article on Techbiz.net, posted on April 25, 2020
-
Game Spotlight: Beyond The Rainbow
Beyond The Rainbow is an open world action-RPG exclusive to Google Stadia, created by a studio comprised of both American and Japanese developers. The game is intended as a fantasy adventure in which players can freely explore as they help a young boy named Rider find his lost mother, who has transformed into a dove and has disappeared into this vast world. Rider must team up with six other kids, each of whom has their own special powers, to find his mother and save the realm. Players will control only Rider over the course of the adventure, while his six companions can all accompany Rider one at a time, with the player able to switch between the six companions at the game's checkpoints. Each companion has a special skill that augments Rider's abilities, while Rider will also gain the ability to traverse the world more freely as the game progresses, allowing him to clear more obstacles and find more treasure. In contrast with The Boiling Isles, in which character development and personality traits play a major role in quests and progression, Beyond The Rainbow takes a more JRPG-like approach, with a linear main quest and a wide variety of side quests, and gameplay that more closely resembles Secret Of Mana than it does any Western RPG. Rider has the ability to transform into a variety of different beasts in battle, each one with its own combat tricks and abilities, with Rider eventually gaining access to up to 20 different transformations. Some of these are more helpful outside of battle, while others help Rider become faster, stronger, or sturdier in battle. Players can utilize Rider's normal human form as well, and in this form he's more easily able to cast magic, which gets progressively stronger over the course of the game. Loot is found all over the place, lying on the ground, held in treasure chests, and of course, dropped by enemies, and players can use the game's extensive crafting system to make stronger weapons and armor, while other loot is required for side quest completion. The game also has plenty of puzzles, which will challenge players to use Rider and his abilities (fortunately, players won't be required to switch between companions to complete puzzles, it's all Rider). The world is enormous and beautiful, littered with towns, dungeons, and things to do, and it's one of those games with huge draw distances where players will be able to visit any location they can see. Beyond The Rainbow plays a lot like OTL's Breath of The Wild combined with OTL's Ni No Kuni, and draws influence from some of the best games of its genre. It features a beautiful stylized graphical style inspired by modern cartoons, and it features a soundtrack composed by Nobuo Uematsu, which most closely resembles his OTL Final Fantasy IX soundtrack, full of sweeping melodies, quirky beats, and some truly poignant songs as well, including four different lyrical themes. The English dub soundtrack features a pretty strong voice cast, with Rider and his six young companions all voiced by young actors (no one from OTL, since all OTL's kid actors have been butterflied away, but the kids would be recognizable to anyone who follows TTL cartoon voices), and actors such as David Tennant (voicing Professor Wail, who starts the game as a mentor and friend to Rider but who eventually betrays him and becomes the primary antagonist), Sumalee Montano (voicing Rider's mother), Matthew Mercer (the voice of a friendly dwarf lord and powerful blacksmith), and Emily Rose (the voice of Queen Eyrie, another ally to Rider, though she remains an ally throughout the game) among the game's cast. It's easily one of the most expensive games Google has ever produced, and the company hopes it can be a strong competitor to games such as the Secret of Mana remake and The Boiling Isles.
Beyond The Rainbow begins by briefly introducing the player to Rider and his mother, who live together after the mysterious disappearance of Rider's father just after he was born. The two have a close relationship (think Hilda and Johanna from OTL's Hilda comic and cartoon), though Rider sometimes worries his mother by venturing off to dangerous places around town. One day, Rider's mother disappears, and when he finally tracks her down, he sees her transform involuntarily into a dove before flying off through a magical portal. He finds a way to open the portal and goes in after her, though when he arrives, he's been transformed into a cat and has to figure out how to undo the spell with the help of a friendly young girl named Edie. Once Rider turns back into a human after meeting Professor Wail, the adventure begins in earnest, with Rider pursuing clues to try and get closer to his mother, meeting new friends and going on adventures all the while. The game's heavy bird theming is soon revealed, with the initial antagonists revealed to be a flock of ravens who can transform into cruel human soldiers, their gang is known as the Dark Flock and they're the villains for about the first 40 percent of the game, as Rider and friends seek to prevent them from conquering the kingdom inhabited by Queen Eyrie, a beautiful queen who can transform into a majestic eagle. As Rider explores, he learns more about his mother, as well as his father. His father is revealed to have been a werewolf, the king of all the werewolves, who was exiled from his realm after having been defeated by a group of hunters. His mother, who is revealed to just be a normal human, seems to have been teaching herself magic in order to accomplish some task that Rider believes is related to his father. After the defeat of the Dark Flock, the game's second act sees Rider and his friends separated temporarily as the werewolves that Rider's father once led now make their presence known and are the primary antagonists of the game's second act, though the second act is somewhat shorter than the first and mostly involves Rider traveling the world to reunite with his companions and meet the new werewolf leader at his palace, a huge tower known as the Moon's Hollow. At Moon's Hollow, there's a series of climactic scenes, including Rider learning that his father wasn't exiled, but was instead killed after leaving Rider and his mother behind to protect them, Rider's mother temporarily reuniting with him after transforming into a human, and finally, the werewolves' new leader revealing that the werewolves haven't been evil at all, but have merely been protecting the world from a dark force known as the Bloodmoon, which appears in the sky as a terrible harbinger of evil. Rider's mother learned about the Bloodmoon from his father, though she was prevented from going with him to help stop it, and Rider learns that his mother is actually the latest of an ancient line of princesses who are tasked with purifying the moon to prevent the destruction of all worlds, including both this one and Rider's own. Finally, the biggest twist of all is revealed, as Professor Wail strikes down Rider's mother as she attempts to purify the Bloodmoon, and in doing so, absorbs its power for himself. Though there have been a few hints dropped that the professor may not be entirely what he seems, this still comes as a huge shock to the player, but the player barely has time to absorb all of this before Wail uses his newly acquired power to slaughter the remaining werewolves, then turns the power on Rider. One of Rider's friends, a boy named Bradley, makes a seemingly fatal sacrifice to cover Rider's escape, while his seemingly fatally wounded mother is also nowhere to be found. In the aftermath of all of this, the world is badly damaged, and new areas are opened up to explore. The third act, consisting of the last 33 percent or so of the game, sees Rider and his friends working together to seal the Bloodmoon Conduits to open up a way to confront Professor Wail. Bradley eventually returns, returning and also saving Rider and his friends from certain doom in an epic scene, and Rider also learns a few more things about his mother and father. Eventually, in the game's penultimate mission, Rider goes to a place called Purefeather Vale, and there, he reunites with his mother again, though she's barely hanging on, sustained only by a magical energy font and rendered unable to leave, lest she die from her wounds. A series of poignant scenes follow, with Rider's mother explaining the last of the game's plot as the two of them enjoy one final day together... but even though Rider has gotten to be with his mother one last time, it's still agonizing for him to let her go, though he needs the power of Purefeather Vale to confront the evil professor. Finally, Rider absorbs his the vale's power and his mother turns into a dove one more time before fading away, giving Rider access to a majestic phoenix transformation and opening the way to the professor's castle/laboratory. After one final dungeon crawl and epic final boss battle, Professor Wail is defeated and sealed away in a cosmic dungeon, imprisoning him forever. Rider, though still grieving his mother, decides to live in this new world with his new friends (and Queen Eyrie, who adopts him), and with the world at peace, there's hope for a better future.
Beyond The Rainbow is released on April 27, 2020, to outstanding critical reviews praising it as one of the best RPGs of the past several years, and another worthy competitor to The Boiling Isles as the year's top RPG and top game overall. It breaks new ground for production values in an RPG, and the Uematsu score is considered one of his best. Though available as a free download for premium Stadia members, the game sells more than a million copies to non-premium members, as most RPG fans who use the Stadia want to own and play the game, and it becomes one of the Stadia's most successful titles of 2020. April 2020, with no less than four major RPG titles, is considered one of the best months for RPGs ever, and 2020 is beginning to establish itself as another "Year Of The RPG", much in the same way that Nintendo pushed 1996 under the same title for its series of SNES-CD RPG hits.
-
Other Significant Titles for April 2020:
Quixsters Arena: In many ways, this game can best be described as OTL's Fall Guys: it's developed by the same studio, and features a wacky array of mini-games and Takeshi's Castle-esque stunts, though instead of featureless lumps as the game's characters, it's the wacky Quixsters kids, both old and new, enjoying the action. The online battle royale mode, which ultimately becomes the game's lasting legacy, plays almost identically to Fall Guys, with 100 players starting out and gradually being eliminated in a series of challenges. The single player campaign mode, however, is also quite fun, with the Quixsters battling out in both mini-games and large areas, with more of an emphasis on playful combat. It's a wild and crazy title for sure, and though critical reviews are a bit tepid, averaging in the high 7s, sales are extremely good, comparable to OTL's Fall Guys, making this one of the most successful games in the series and a major hit for Activision on all the major consoles.
Pigman: Developed by a small studio and published by Take-Two for the Reality, Virtua, and Stadia, Pigman is a superhero game about an anthropomorphic pig who becomes a Batman-esque superhero in a world full of humans. Discriminated against because he's, well, an anthropomorphic pig, Pigman hopes to prove himself by saving people and risking his life, but even then, he often doesn't get the respect he deserves, and this is somewhat of a sad game, with a bit of comedy but also some serious undertones. Reviews are decent, praising the storyline and voice acting, but criticizing the short campaign and simplistic combat, and it would ultimately become more of a cult classic than anything else.
Dragon Quest XI: Steel Of The Ancient Knights: TTL's Dragon Quest XI, developed by Enix-Keiken as a single player RPG on the Reality and Stadia, is a big RPG title similar to OTL's game, though this one features an entirely different plot centered on an ancient order of knights who have risen from the dead to take control of the world, as they feel the present day rulers have strayed from their virtue. The hero and his allies must become the new order of knights and do battle with this ancient order, though there is a deeper evil lying beneath the surface that both groups will eventually have to unite to face. While a strong old-school RPG, it lacks the epic feel and cohesion of its OTL counterpart, and reviews reflect this, averaging around an 8/10 (about a full point below OTL's game). It still sees good sales, especially in Japan, though ultimately would prove slightly less profitable than some of the company's gacha games (it's rumored that resources were diverted away from this game toward the gacha games), and also suffers from comparisons to some of the year's other excellent RPGs.
(...)
"So yeah, I'm glad we got to go back and revisit Stunt Race FX, the old game had everything going against it but now with the Reality it's a real chance for our true vision for this game to be realized, so I just hope people enjoy it."
Even though Cuthbert's nearly 30-year tenure as Argonaut's lead designer is nearing its end, he doesn't seem to be a man with many regrets, which is quite understandable considering everything he's accomplished: not only is he the brainchild of one of the most successful game franchises in history, his keen eye for detail and virtuoso programming skills made him a pioneer of gaming tech, pushing the limits of consoles and influencing so many other software creators by revealing what was truly possible. His legacy remains one of relentless innovation and creativity, and now, as he looks back at his career, he knows he's leaving his team in the best possible place.
"I got to work a little bit on the next Squad Four game, but for the most part, it's all been the new team. I can't wait to see how everyone responds to what they've come up with, but I can't say much more or I'll get in trouble."
Cuthbert has gradually been reducing his role in the development of Squad Four games ever since Upheaval. He took an almost completely hands-off approach to Protectors, though he did slightly more of the work on Betrayal. It wasn't because of the disappointing reaction to Protectors from critics and fans that he returned, rather, he wanted to mentor and coach the new developers that had come to work at the company since development on Protectors ended.
"You know, back when I first got started, I was the guy who needed mentoring, so I felt like mentoring the new team would bring it all full circle."
Cuthbert's approach to Betrayal's development paid off: the game remains one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful titles of its generation, and was named the best game of the past decade in numerous rankings (and #3 on our own list, which can be found here). He thought about stepping away after Betrayal's release, but decided to stay on for one last game, Squad Four Apocalypse, while helming the development of Stunt Race VR, an idea he conceived back in 2015. Now, the Argonaut legend is ready to leave the company he helped build, but even though he claims this is a "retirement", he's left the door open to return to the industry in some capacity.
"I'm always looking for the next big thing in gaming tech, but I'll try to take at least a few years off to spend time with my family and see the world. Hopefully by the time my kids are all grown up, VR will have advanced even more than it already has."
Cuthbert says that Apple's Quest has shown promise, but he'd have to get some time with the glove controllers to know if it might be something he'd be interested in working on. He says that the Hyper Nintendo looks great, especially the adaptive triggers, and that even though he and his team have had the Hyper Nintendo development kit for nearly three years, the reveal still surprised him.
"The new controller, I'm really impressed. Between the Hyper Nintendo's reactive triggers, the Google Glass, and the Apple Quest's advanced VR, I think the big story of the ninth console generation could be all about how we interact with games rather than how good they look graphically."
-from IGN's 8.4/10 review of Stunt Race VR, and their interview with Dylan Cuthbert the day after he announced that he'd be stepping down from Argonaut, both articles were posted together on April 8, 2020
-
Christina Grimmie: And Gloria plays a lot like the old-school Zelda games, with a bit of an anime twist which is a whole lot of fun. Game Arts shows with this one that they can still make proper retro-styled RPGs, and I also appreciate the budget price.
Austin Watson: I'm not so sure I'd really call $39.99 a "budget price", but you do get a lot of game for your buck, there's eight dungeons to explore and a pretty rich world with all sorts of towns, treasures, and secret caves. Plus, you know, there's this.
*A scene plays of the protagonist Gloria talking to a spider demon lady who is blocking her entrance to a dungeon.*
Gloria: What d'ya mean I can't go in? Who do you think you are, spider queen?
Spider Queen: Ah, so you have heard of me.
Gloria: Wait, you really are the Spider Queen?
Spider Queen: Mmm, and you have something in your head besides rocks,...
Gloria: I won't be insulted like this!
Spider Queen: And yet you're still standing there taking my insults...
Christina: Can they just kiss already and get it over with? Anyway, the voice acting is pretty solid, Erica Mendez is always great and she gives Gloria a real punch of bravery and toughness, while that Spider Queen you just heard... well, no spoilers, but Cristina Vee is the voice of the Spider Queen and you know they're not going to waste her on just a few quick scenes.
Austin: If you love games like The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Dreams, Terranigma, and even Popful Mail, you'll have a lot of fun with Gloria and I'm giving this game a 4 out of 5 for its clever combat, deep dungeon diving, great voice acting and cute anime stylings.
Christina: I'm not going to be QUITE so nice to it, I'm giving this game a 3.5 out of 5. It's a good game, and you'll definitely enjoy it, especially if, like me, you enjoy old school adventure games and fun anime wackiness, but I have to go back to the fact that the dungeons just aren't as memorable as they are in pretty much every game I just mentioned, there's no real puzzles to speak of, everything is a bit too linear once you get into a dungeon and that just won't fly. Still, it's a great little action-RPG and it's available on the Reality, Virtua, Stadia, Zero, iPhone G and even the Nexus, so I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre.
(...)
Rose Alvarez: Where Fairytale Imperia falls a bit short compared to Octopath Traveler is in the size of its world, and that's a shame because I loved the time I had in this gorgeous new realm, but there just wasn't enough of it to explore, and I felt like a lot of that is because they needed an excuse to keep you from going back and exploring the old world.
Christina Grimmie: Right! Just when I got all excited and thought "hey, we're going to get to see some of the locations from the old game"... nope, the game makes up some BS and throws up a barricade in your way. And no, it's not a spoiler that you can't go back and see any of the locations from the old game, the advertising for this one has been drilling it into everyone's head that you're going into an undiscovered country, so yeah... you don't get to revisit any of the old locations, BUT I did like this new realm, I just wish it was a little bit bigger!
Rose: And the reason we wish that is out of LOVE. The combat is great, the music is great, the graphics are beautiful...
Christina: Ashlyn has never been more badass, and I'm so happy that Moira Quirk came back to voice her.
Rose: Austin keeps talking about how she was on Guts but that show's just a smidge before our time, isn't it?
Christina: Yeah, I only know Moira from her voiceover work, and she's absolutely amazing here. Although, shameless plug, you can catch old Guts reruns on Paramount+, so if you want to see her being a ref or whatever, go watch that show, because I heard she's awesome.
Rose: And this game is MOSTLY awesome, I just wish it was a bit bigger and that they let you explore more. It's still one of the best portable RPGs you can get, and I've got no problem giving it a 4.5 out of 5. If it was a big bigger, it'd be a 5, but what can you do?
Christina: I'll tell you what you can do. New Game Plus! Which is what I'm going to be doing as soon as I leave today because I really did like this game and I'm also giving it a 4.5 out of 5.
Rose: I'm going to go watch some Guts to see what all the hype's about.
(...)
*The six GameTV hosts, including Austin and Christina, are all gathered around the couch at the end of the show, Christina looks a bit sad but the mood seems to be celebratory.*
Austin: And we're going to be saying goodbye to Christina for the last time, as she leaves GameTV to fulfill one of her all time biggest dreams...
Christina: Which is the only reason I'm not crying right now, you guys!
Avan Jogia: She'll be going to start filming on the Legend Of Zelda movie, which is coming out next year and you all need to go see it when it does.
Christina: *shaking excitedly* I can't wait but I'm so sad to go!
*The hosts all hug her tightly.*
Rose: And then there were two, just Austin and Avan left from the start of the revival... I hope you guys aren't going anywhere!
Austin: No worries, I'm stayin' right here....
Christina: You know if you got cast as Link or something you'd leave in a heartbeat.
Austin: No, no way, I love all the fans!
Christina: *whispering* He'd leave in a heartbeat.
-from the April 23, 2020 episode of GameTV
-
President Kennedy Congratulates Sir Richard Branson On First Spaceflight, Stresses Importance Of Private Sector In Space Innovation
President Kennedy has called Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson to congratulate him on his first successful spaceflight earlier today, according to a statement issued by the White House this evening. Branson's spaceflight, which reached the edge of space as defined by NASA, though not the internationally recognized Karman Line, represents a crucial step forward for private space travel, while also helping to emphasize the importance of NASA's space initiatives for the coming decade, which will hinge on the success of the recently completed next generation Orion spacecraft that will make its first manned flights next year, including a mission to launch a new space telescope into orbit. The Orion craft will also deliver a crew of American astronauts to the Moon in 2024, in a mission that has seen support from both sides of the aisle and to which Senator Marco Rubio has already committed to launching if he defeats the president in November's upcoming election. At a press conference held last week, in which Kennedy discussed a variety of topics, the subject of spaceflight came up several times, with reporters asking the president about both NASA's upcoming space missions and the private missions announced by several entrepreneurs, including Branson and tech tycoon Mark Cuban, who doesn't plan to go into space himself but who does plan to fund a series of space missions, including a possible mission to the Moon sometime around 2030, which would be the first ever private space mission to another celestial body. Kennedy expressed enthusiasm for both NASA and the private sector, and emphasized that when it comes to space, every mission deserves the public's support.
"You know, we're all in this together when it comes to stepping off this planet and exploring the vast frontier of space. I've committed this government not only to funding future NASA missions, but supporting private space endeavors as well. As proud as it makes me when NASA is able to accomplish a first in space, and they've accomplished so many, I'd be glad to see the private sector cross these new thresholds as well, because, and I've said it time and time again, we all benefit when humanity touches the stars. I'm looking forward to seeing Richard Branson's flight next week, and I'm looking forward to seeing what some of our great innovators can accomplish as well," said Kennedy, who then fielded a few more questions about spaceflight, most of them pertaining to the upcoming NASA missions scheduled for the next few years.
The Center for Technological Outreach, which continues to fund accessibility in information technology, has also announced that it will be looking into launching a space initiative as well, as it was one of the last things that late founder Mitsuko Ariyama expressed a desire to achieve before she was tragically killed back in 2018. Ariyama herself had wanted to go to space, though she told those close to her that she wanted to wait until it became cheaper to do so, as she felt the money would be put to better use to help people here on Earth. The Center's research will primarily focus on bringing down the cost of spaceflight, and it will also fund research into the creation of the first space elevator, which would make it far cheaper to bring people and materials up into space. Though the construction of such a device is currently beyond the capability of materials engineering, the Center is hoping to fund research into cutting-edge materials that could make a space elevator possible by the end of the century.
-from an article on Techbiz.net, posted on April 25, 2020
-
Game Spotlight: Beyond The Rainbow
Beyond The Rainbow is an open world action-RPG exclusive to Google Stadia, created by a studio comprised of both American and Japanese developers. The game is intended as a fantasy adventure in which players can freely explore as they help a young boy named Rider find his lost mother, who has transformed into a dove and has disappeared into this vast world. Rider must team up with six other kids, each of whom has their own special powers, to find his mother and save the realm. Players will control only Rider over the course of the adventure, while his six companions can all accompany Rider one at a time, with the player able to switch between the six companions at the game's checkpoints. Each companion has a special skill that augments Rider's abilities, while Rider will also gain the ability to traverse the world more freely as the game progresses, allowing him to clear more obstacles and find more treasure. In contrast with The Boiling Isles, in which character development and personality traits play a major role in quests and progression, Beyond The Rainbow takes a more JRPG-like approach, with a linear main quest and a wide variety of side quests, and gameplay that more closely resembles Secret Of Mana than it does any Western RPG. Rider has the ability to transform into a variety of different beasts in battle, each one with its own combat tricks and abilities, with Rider eventually gaining access to up to 20 different transformations. Some of these are more helpful outside of battle, while others help Rider become faster, stronger, or sturdier in battle. Players can utilize Rider's normal human form as well, and in this form he's more easily able to cast magic, which gets progressively stronger over the course of the game. Loot is found all over the place, lying on the ground, held in treasure chests, and of course, dropped by enemies, and players can use the game's extensive crafting system to make stronger weapons and armor, while other loot is required for side quest completion. The game also has plenty of puzzles, which will challenge players to use Rider and his abilities (fortunately, players won't be required to switch between companions to complete puzzles, it's all Rider). The world is enormous and beautiful, littered with towns, dungeons, and things to do, and it's one of those games with huge draw distances where players will be able to visit any location they can see. Beyond The Rainbow plays a lot like OTL's Breath of The Wild combined with OTL's Ni No Kuni, and draws influence from some of the best games of its genre. It features a beautiful stylized graphical style inspired by modern cartoons, and it features a soundtrack composed by Nobuo Uematsu, which most closely resembles his OTL Final Fantasy IX soundtrack, full of sweeping melodies, quirky beats, and some truly poignant songs as well, including four different lyrical themes. The English dub soundtrack features a pretty strong voice cast, with Rider and his six young companions all voiced by young actors (no one from OTL, since all OTL's kid actors have been butterflied away, but the kids would be recognizable to anyone who follows TTL cartoon voices), and actors such as David Tennant (voicing Professor Wail, who starts the game as a mentor and friend to Rider but who eventually betrays him and becomes the primary antagonist), Sumalee Montano (voicing Rider's mother), Matthew Mercer (the voice of a friendly dwarf lord and powerful blacksmith), and Emily Rose (the voice of Queen Eyrie, another ally to Rider, though she remains an ally throughout the game) among the game's cast. It's easily one of the most expensive games Google has ever produced, and the company hopes it can be a strong competitor to games such as the Secret of Mana remake and The Boiling Isles.
Beyond The Rainbow begins by briefly introducing the player to Rider and his mother, who live together after the mysterious disappearance of Rider's father just after he was born. The two have a close relationship (think Hilda and Johanna from OTL's Hilda comic and cartoon), though Rider sometimes worries his mother by venturing off to dangerous places around town. One day, Rider's mother disappears, and when he finally tracks her down, he sees her transform involuntarily into a dove before flying off through a magical portal. He finds a way to open the portal and goes in after her, though when he arrives, he's been transformed into a cat and has to figure out how to undo the spell with the help of a friendly young girl named Edie. Once Rider turns back into a human after meeting Professor Wail, the adventure begins in earnest, with Rider pursuing clues to try and get closer to his mother, meeting new friends and going on adventures all the while. The game's heavy bird theming is soon revealed, with the initial antagonists revealed to be a flock of ravens who can transform into cruel human soldiers, their gang is known as the Dark Flock and they're the villains for about the first 40 percent of the game, as Rider and friends seek to prevent them from conquering the kingdom inhabited by Queen Eyrie, a beautiful queen who can transform into a majestic eagle. As Rider explores, he learns more about his mother, as well as his father. His father is revealed to have been a werewolf, the king of all the werewolves, who was exiled from his realm after having been defeated by a group of hunters. His mother, who is revealed to just be a normal human, seems to have been teaching herself magic in order to accomplish some task that Rider believes is related to his father. After the defeat of the Dark Flock, the game's second act sees Rider and his friends separated temporarily as the werewolves that Rider's father once led now make their presence known and are the primary antagonists of the game's second act, though the second act is somewhat shorter than the first and mostly involves Rider traveling the world to reunite with his companions and meet the new werewolf leader at his palace, a huge tower known as the Moon's Hollow. At Moon's Hollow, there's a series of climactic scenes, including Rider learning that his father wasn't exiled, but was instead killed after leaving Rider and his mother behind to protect them, Rider's mother temporarily reuniting with him after transforming into a human, and finally, the werewolves' new leader revealing that the werewolves haven't been evil at all, but have merely been protecting the world from a dark force known as the Bloodmoon, which appears in the sky as a terrible harbinger of evil. Rider's mother learned about the Bloodmoon from his father, though she was prevented from going with him to help stop it, and Rider learns that his mother is actually the latest of an ancient line of princesses who are tasked with purifying the moon to prevent the destruction of all worlds, including both this one and Rider's own. Finally, the biggest twist of all is revealed, as Professor Wail strikes down Rider's mother as she attempts to purify the Bloodmoon, and in doing so, absorbs its power for himself. Though there have been a few hints dropped that the professor may not be entirely what he seems, this still comes as a huge shock to the player, but the player barely has time to absorb all of this before Wail uses his newly acquired power to slaughter the remaining werewolves, then turns the power on Rider. One of Rider's friends, a boy named Bradley, makes a seemingly fatal sacrifice to cover Rider's escape, while his seemingly fatally wounded mother is also nowhere to be found. In the aftermath of all of this, the world is badly damaged, and new areas are opened up to explore. The third act, consisting of the last 33 percent or so of the game, sees Rider and his friends working together to seal the Bloodmoon Conduits to open up a way to confront Professor Wail. Bradley eventually returns, returning and also saving Rider and his friends from certain doom in an epic scene, and Rider also learns a few more things about his mother and father. Eventually, in the game's penultimate mission, Rider goes to a place called Purefeather Vale, and there, he reunites with his mother again, though she's barely hanging on, sustained only by a magical energy font and rendered unable to leave, lest she die from her wounds. A series of poignant scenes follow, with Rider's mother explaining the last of the game's plot as the two of them enjoy one final day together... but even though Rider has gotten to be with his mother one last time, it's still agonizing for him to let her go, though he needs the power of Purefeather Vale to confront the evil professor. Finally, Rider absorbs his the vale's power and his mother turns into a dove one more time before fading away, giving Rider access to a majestic phoenix transformation and opening the way to the professor's castle/laboratory. After one final dungeon crawl and epic final boss battle, Professor Wail is defeated and sealed away in a cosmic dungeon, imprisoning him forever. Rider, though still grieving his mother, decides to live in this new world with his new friends (and Queen Eyrie, who adopts him), and with the world at peace, there's hope for a better future.
Beyond The Rainbow is released on April 27, 2020, to outstanding critical reviews praising it as one of the best RPGs of the past several years, and another worthy competitor to The Boiling Isles as the year's top RPG and top game overall. It breaks new ground for production values in an RPG, and the Uematsu score is considered one of his best. Though available as a free download for premium Stadia members, the game sells more than a million copies to non-premium members, as most RPG fans who use the Stadia want to own and play the game, and it becomes one of the Stadia's most successful titles of 2020. April 2020, with no less than four major RPG titles, is considered one of the best months for RPGs ever, and 2020 is beginning to establish itself as another "Year Of The RPG", much in the same way that Nintendo pushed 1996 under the same title for its series of SNES-CD RPG hits.
-
Other Significant Titles for April 2020:
Quixsters Arena: In many ways, this game can best be described as OTL's Fall Guys: it's developed by the same studio, and features a wacky array of mini-games and Takeshi's Castle-esque stunts, though instead of featureless lumps as the game's characters, it's the wacky Quixsters kids, both old and new, enjoying the action. The online battle royale mode, which ultimately becomes the game's lasting legacy, plays almost identically to Fall Guys, with 100 players starting out and gradually being eliminated in a series of challenges. The single player campaign mode, however, is also quite fun, with the Quixsters battling out in both mini-games and large areas, with more of an emphasis on playful combat. It's a wild and crazy title for sure, and though critical reviews are a bit tepid, averaging in the high 7s, sales are extremely good, comparable to OTL's Fall Guys, making this one of the most successful games in the series and a major hit for Activision on all the major consoles.
Pigman: Developed by a small studio and published by Take-Two for the Reality, Virtua, and Stadia, Pigman is a superhero game about an anthropomorphic pig who becomes a Batman-esque superhero in a world full of humans. Discriminated against because he's, well, an anthropomorphic pig, Pigman hopes to prove himself by saving people and risking his life, but even then, he often doesn't get the respect he deserves, and this is somewhat of a sad game, with a bit of comedy but also some serious undertones. Reviews are decent, praising the storyline and voice acting, but criticizing the short campaign and simplistic combat, and it would ultimately become more of a cult classic than anything else.
Dragon Quest XI: Steel Of The Ancient Knights: TTL's Dragon Quest XI, developed by Enix-Keiken as a single player RPG on the Reality and Stadia, is a big RPG title similar to OTL's game, though this one features an entirely different plot centered on an ancient order of knights who have risen from the dead to take control of the world, as they feel the present day rulers have strayed from their virtue. The hero and his allies must become the new order of knights and do battle with this ancient order, though there is a deeper evil lying beneath the surface that both groups will eventually have to unite to face. While a strong old-school RPG, it lacks the epic feel and cohesion of its OTL counterpart, and reviews reflect this, averaging around an 8/10 (about a full point below OTL's game). It still sees good sales, especially in Japan, though ultimately would prove slightly less profitable than some of the company's gacha games (it's rumored that resources were diverted away from this game toward the gacha games), and also suffers from comparisons to some of the year's other excellent RPGs.
