Month: June 2019

Crunchyroll has announced Mob Psycho 100 II: The First Spirits and Such Company Trip – A Journey that Mends the Heart and Heals the Soul’s international premiere will occur at Crunchyroll Expo 2019. The original video animation (OVA) is the follow-up to the second season of Mob Psycho 100, which was one of the best anime to watch during the Winter 2019 season.

The screening will premiere on Sunday, September 1. Following the viewing, Mob Psycho 100 director Yuzuru Tachikawa, character designer Yoshimichi Kameda, and voice actor Setsuo Ito will hold a panel to discuss the creation of the anime. Ito voices the titular Mob, the main protagonist of the anime. For those who can’t make Crunchyroll Expo, the OVA will publicly release on September 25.

Crunchyroll describes the plot of the OVA as follows: “Mob, Reigen, Dimple, and the newest member of the Spirits and Such Consultation Office staff, Serizawa, take a trip up to a secluded hot spring called Ibogami Hot Springs in Zebra Prefecture. Reigen happened to get a request from the matron there to discover the truth behind the strange rumors going around there and save the inn. Ritsu and Teru also join in on this trip and the six of them head out on this super relaxing trip to the hot spring. But on their way there, Reigen and Serizawa start nodding off on the train and somehow get sucked into an eerie parallel world.”

Made by the same folks behind the original season of One Punch Man, Mob Psycho 100 follows the hilarious yet action-packed misadventures of Mob, a middle-school boy who also happens to be one of the world’s most powerful espers. Because of the uncontrollable nature of his powers, Mob needs to keep his emotions in check at all times, which can be difficult when you’re juggling a part-time job as an exorcist and the everyday struggles of being a teenager. Where Season 1 was good, Mob Psycho 100 II raises the bar to tell one of the most beautifully wholesome anime stories of 2019.

Mob Psycho 100 II is available on Crunchyroll and VRV. This year, Crunchyroll Expo–the company’s annual celebration of anime, gaming, and cosplay–will be held August 30 through September 1.

Weeelcoooome to Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN’s Nintendo podcast. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is now out on the Nintendo Switch, but how does it run? We discuss our experiences with it on both the Switch and other consoles, and if you should wait for it to get an upgrade. We also explain why Mario Maker 2 scored a 9.5 (Amazing), where Brian has been (Florida), how Casey’s near-death experience relates to Astral Chain and The Olive Garden, and more! Including: Graveyard Keeper, Dandy Dungeon, My Friend Pedro, Muse Dash, and Slay the Spire.

Make sure to read the Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Review and Mario Maker 2 Review for more details, too! We learned some new things this morning we were unable to discuss in our show: Details about Pokemon Masters, and how to get a job on the Zelda team.

Continue reading…

One of my only disappointments with Eugen’s Steel Division: Normandy 44 was the lack of any love for my beloved Eastern Front of World War II. Steel Division 2 corrects this, adding tons of new, historically-grounded units and divisions from the iconic T-34 tank to the lesser-known woman-led Soviet sniper teams. It does almost everything Normandy 44 did as well or better. But just about everything new it tries gets bogged down in the mud.

If you played the original, Steel Division 2’s multiplayer and skirmish vs AI modes are going to seem very familiar. You select one of 28 thoroughly-researched historical divisions from either the Allied or Axis side to serve as the base “deck” for your forces. There is a lot of fun tweaking to do here as you have to consider trade-offs like having fewer, more hardened troops with higher stats but also higher costs, or a larger number of weak and cheap rookies. And Steel Division’s three-phase battle system makes a return, adding the extra wrinkle of having to think about which units are going to become available in the early, middle, and late parts of the battle.

Continue reading…

Fortnite‘s Season 9, Week 8 challenges are now live across PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. Given that it’s an even-numbered week, this would normally mean that a new Fortbyte is available to collect in the game, but if you’re hoping to find it, you likely aren’t having much success. Here’s what’s going on.

Fortbyte #97 should have arrived in the game alongside Week 8’s challenges. Unlike the secret Battle Stars you can collect when you complete this season’s Utopia challenges, you don’t need to clear any challenges in order to find the Fortbyte; you simply need to have a Season 9 Battle Pass and know where to look. However, while many have already pinpointed the Fortbyte’s location, it appears the collectible isn’t actually live in the game yet, so it won’t show up when you go looking for it.

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened; Week 4’s Fortbyte similarly didn’t go live alongside that week’s challenges, instead arriving a few days later. That will presumably be the case with Fortbyte #97 as well, so we’ll continue to monitor the game and have a Fortbyte guide up once the item goes live. In the meantime, you can still complete Week 8’s challenges if you haven’t already. The trickiest of the bunch is to visit three different clocks. If you don’t know where those are, be sure to check out our clock location guide.

Fortnite’s 14 Days of Summer event is also underway. For two weeks, Epic will be unvaulting a different weapon in the game and offering a new LTM to play each day. There are also 14 Days of Summer challenges to complete, which will unlock exclusive rewards. The first involves dancing at beach parties, while the second asks you to bounce a giant beach ball in five different matches.

Apple’s chief design officer Jony Ive is set to leave to form his own independent design company. Apple states that Ive is expected to depart later this year but it will continue to work closely with Ive on a range of projects. Additionally, Apple will remain a primary client of his new company.

Ive has been at Apple for around 30 years and defined the look and feel of many of its most popular products, including the iPhone, iPad, and Macbooks. Given the impact that the iPhone has had on the technology of the modern day, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say technology wouldn’t be what it is today without him.

“Jony is a singular figure in the design world and his role in Apple’s revival cannot be overstated, from 1998’s groundbreaking iMac to the iPhone and the unprecedented ambition of Apple Park, where recently he has been putting so much of his energy and care,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

“Apple will continue to benefit from Jony’s talents by working directly with him on exclusive projects, and through the ongoing work of the brilliant and passionate design team he has built. After so many years working closely together, I’m happy that our relationship continues to evolve and I look forward to working with Jony long into the future.”

Ive has appeared on stage over the years at various keynotes to reveal new devices in the iPhone, iPad, iWatch, Macbook, and iMac lines, and his design sense has been key to revitalizing Apple as a company and brand, which as led to it having the ubiquitous presence it enjoys today.

“After nearly 30 years and countless projects, I am most proud of the lasting work we have done to create a design team, process and culture at Apple that is without peer. Today it is stronger, more vibrant and more talented than at any point in Apple’s history,” Ive said.

“The team will certainly thrive under the excellent leadership of Evans, Alan, and Jeff, who have been among my closest collaborators. I have the utmost confidence in my designer colleagues at Apple, who remain my closest friends, and I look forward to working with them for many years to come.”

Apple is expected to reveal the 12th iPhone this year and early whispers indicate that it may opt for a larger screen and a smaller screen option. You can read the latest iPhone 12 rumors on our sister site CNET.

Kyogre has officially left Raid Battles in Pokemon Go, but another Legendary Pokemon has taken its place. For a limited time, the Legendary Ground-type Groudon will appear again in five-star Raid Battles–and on top of that, you will have a chance of encountering its Shiny form.

Groudon will be available again until July 10, giving you nearly two weeks to capture it. As usual, you’ll first need to team up with other players in-person at a Gym where a Groudon Raid is taking place and battle the Legendary before you can earn a chance to catch it. Groudon is a pure Ground-type, so your best bet is to bring along Grass and Water Pokemon such as Breloom, Milotic, and the aforementioned Kyogre.

Even if you miss your chance to battle Groudon, you’ll still be able catch it through other means. Groudon and Kyogre are among the Legendary Pokemon you can encounter when you achieve a Research Breakthrough in July’s Field Research tasks. You’ll also have a chance to find a Spinda with a new spot pattern. You can read more details on the official Pokemon Go website.

Groudon isn’t the only Legendary Pokemon returning this week. On Saturday, June 29, Niantic is holding a special Raikou Raid Day. The Legendary dog will return to Raid Battles from 4-7 PM local time, and you’ll have a chance of encountering its Shiny form. On top of that, you’ll be able to receive up to five free Raid Passes during the event hours, which you’ll need to participate in Raids. Meanwhile, Speed Forme Deoxys is available in EX Raids.

Pokemon Go’s next Community Day is set for Sunday, July 21. This time, the event will run from 4-7 PM local time, and the featured Pokemon will be Mudkip, the Water starter from Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. You’ll also be able to earn three times the normal amount of XP for each Pokemon you catch during the event.

The Pokemon Company has a brand-new mobile game called Pokemon Masters on the way this year. The game is launching for iOS and Android devices this summer and is set in Pasio, an island region where the most famous trainers from throughout the series have gathered to take part in the Pokemon Masters League Tournament. You’ll be able to recruit these trainers to your teams and battle alongside them in three-on-three matches. You can read more Pokemon Masters gameplay details here.