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Review: Arcana Famiglia Rinato Is Such a Stylish Otome
Dramatic Create Switch otome games have… something of a reputation, with titles such as The Crimson Flower that Divides: Lunar Couplingand Of the Red, the Right, and the Ayakashi featuring interesting stories and poor localizations. However, it seems like it and HuneX broke the cycle with La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia Rinato, an updated version of an otome game that first appeared on the PSP! The translation isn’t perfect, but it’s worlds better than past games. Which is great, as this is a really dynamic and unique visual novel that deserves people’s attention. The Arcana Famiglia organization defends and protects the island of Regalo, with members who join the family wielding Arcana abilities that grant them special abilities and strength. Mondo, current head, decides on his birthday that he will be holding the Arcana Duello in two months to decide the new head of the family after he retires. Whoever wins will lead and also marry his daughter, Felicita. This would also mean she would be confined to the estate. However, as an Arcana-wielder and family member herself, she’s one of the people obligated to compete alongside various members she’s known and worked with her whole life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVAZ94abDn4 Arcana Famiglia Rinato plays like a traditional otome visual novel for the most part, but the Dramatic Create and HuneX title’s presentation and execution is often rather unique. As you go through the story, images often come up as manga panels. This is complete with sound effect imagery, when appropriate. Given how dynamic the whole affair is, it really helps with the storytelling. We see Sumire engage with her daughter and Luca early on in the opening flashback, conveying the sense of movement and gestures of affection. When the “duel” quick-time-events come up, there are the sfx and often multiple images to convey successful hits and abysmal failures. These does appear alongside more traditional character portraits. All together, it’s an incredible means of showing off the narrative and better conveying characters’ personalities. The way in which things proceed also lend itself to Arcana Famiglia Rinato feeling more engaging. Felicita will get opportunities to visit places around Regalo during her free time and not engaging in a story event, which lets us select which of the seven love interests she’ll meet. It will also mean opportunities to use her Arcana. This can be done a certain number of times per day and basically allows her to telepathically check in with someone to see two possible topics or options that are at the forefront of their mind. (One of them might have her face tied to it.) This allows you to influence affections and the direction of events. Screenshots by Siliconera Honestly, the major downside in all this isn’t the localization. There are occasional issues with that, mind you. Sometimes words are missing or there’s a spelling error. A good example is one of Mondo’s earliest lines. In game, it is “Rejoice, my lovely daughter. So have so many men willing to protect you with their own bodies.” Clearly, the first “so” should have been “to” instead. Or when Sumire is teaching young Felicita to be strong, she forgets the “a” article in “Just because you’re woman, that doesn’t mean you should cry and cling to others.” Small things like this are the main issues I saw come up. Annoying? Sure. Enough to keep me from playing a HuneX otome I’ve wanted to play since 2011? Never. No, the real problem here is that Felicita is a silent protagonist. Everyone here has an interesting personality! Characters are funny! Bombastic! Caring! Mysterious! From how they talk about her and how we see her respond both in actions and with dialogue responses, it seems like she’s an assertive, intelligent, and strong woman! But since she never says a word outside of the choices we make, we don’t get to see that. It really detracts from an otherwise outgoing otome. Screenshots by Siliconera La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia Rinato is such a dynamic, thrilling, and even funny otome game from HuneX and Dramatic Create. It’s so different from other visual novels in the genre we see. It’s a shame that the heroine is a silent one. Especially since the localization seems improved from the company’s other Switch efforts. The fact that this did seem to turn out so well and is an unexpected, deep cut makes me excited for the future of games from these two groups. La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia Rinato is available for the Nintendo Switch. It will come to the PC via Steam in February 2026. It also appeared on the PSP and Vita in Japan. The post Review: Arcana Famiglia Rinato Is Such a Stylish Otome appeared first on Siliconera.
Demon Lord 2099 Modernizes Villainy in a Fantastic Way
We’ve seen a lot of Demon Lord 2099, as Yen Press picked up both the original light novel and later manga adaptation and the anime is on Crunchyroll. Still, it might not be a household name in the same way other villain manga and anime series are. Which is a shame, as the take on the story and concept feels quite unique and the manga omnibus that’s now available in English makes it easy to see a complete story. It really highlights how clever Daigo Murasaki’s idea is. Editor’s Note: There will be some mild spoilers for the Demon Lord 2099 manga below. While Demon Lord 2099 is a futuristic villain manga and anime set in Shinjuku, it also includes elements of high fantasy. Veltol Velvet Velsvalt was an immortal demon lord in Alnaeth in 1599. That’s when he was defeated by a hero named Gram. Since he is immortal, he’d eventually be back with a second chance. Except when he does return, it’s after a 2023 fusion between worlds that combined Alnaeth with Earth. That means the result is a melting pot of magic and technology. Not many immortals survived it, as a result, especially with magic being illegal in city limits. However, his subordinate Machina Soleige did and performed the Methenoel needed to awaken him. Image via Yen Press Of course, since Veltol is a demon lord, his priority is to continue what he started and ascend to a leadership position once again. But as he is starting from scratch in an entirely new world, we get this fantastic situation from Murasaki that involves adjusting to the way things are now and how people he knew might have changed. Marcus, another demon lord from his time period, is already present in the world. As he was awake, he made moves to get himself into the sort of position of power that an overlord would take in this sort of modern time period: CEO of a company called Ishimaru Heavy Magical Industries. Since Veltol’s own power depends on that of followers, it means taking an approach to gain similar notoriety. Which is another reason Murasaki’s story feels clever. He, with the help of Machina and her hacker friend Takahashi, leans into the power of technology and influencing. Before getting into a flashback explaining how Veltol wound up where he is, the Demon Lord 2099 manga begins by showing him as a streamer with 320,719 subscribers. So Machina and Takahashi are helping him tap into public opinion and a “legal in the city” sort of “magic.” It also means as Veltol and Machina face Marcus and fight him, we see the diverse tactics that tap into that additional element to combine it with the magic the two are familiar with. At the same time, we also see how Machina and Takahashi’s presence influences Veltol and makes him more of an antihero than a villain. Demon Lord 2099 is just genuinely clever in its execution. It combines two types of worlds in a manner that makes sense. We see how magic and technology can work alongside each other. Veltol also becomes an antihero villain worth rooting for in the manga, anime, and light novel, and we see how the presence of everyone dear to him helps enhance the story. The Demon Lord 2099 manga omnibus is now available via Yen Press, and it handles the light novel as well. The anime is streaming on Crunchyroll. The post Demon Lord 2099 Modernizes Villainy in a Fantastic Way appeared first on Siliconera.
FFVII Ever Crisis New Year 2026 Updates Include a Tifa Kimono
Square Enix released a brief trailer on social media that went over some of the New Year 2026 updates that will start appearing in FFVII Ever Crisis as of 7am PT/10am ET on December 31, 2025. First and foremost are freebies for logging in. However, there will also be a new kimono costume for Tifa in FFVII Ever Crisis. The costume for Tifa is called the Golden Flower Kimono, and it will be in the FFVII Ever Crisis in-game shop. This means you will need to spend real money to get it. It is part of New Year 2026 Pack Vol 1. The initial tweet showed official art of her wearing it and a clip of her wearing the gear during a fight. The store update portion of the announcement also confirmed that there will be Legendary Pack I (Cloud), Legendary Pack III (Tifa), and Legendary Pack IV (Aerith) sold between December 31, 2025 and January 3, 2026. As for the free login bonuses, they are doled out depending on how many times you log in. When you first show up between December 31, 2025 and January 3, 2026, you immediately get 1 5-star Weapon Voucher, 10 Refined Mythrils, 30 Mythril Ingots, 100 Stamina Tonics, 5,000 Blue Crystals, and 2,026,000 Gil. If people log in for three more days after that, they get 26 New Year 2026 Medals to trade for New Year Lucky Bags with Limit Break Weapons and 3,000 Blue Crystals. Showing up for 14 more days nets someone 20 Mythril Ingots, 50 Sephiroth (Original)-Specific Weapon Parts, 50 Yuffie-Specific Weapon Parts, and 3,000 Blue Crystals. Here’s the full trailer: https://twitter.com/FFVII_EC_EN/status/2005881538353979830 This isn’t the first time Tifa got a kimono costume in FFVII Ever Crisis, as she got gear with that sort of design back in January 2025 too. FFVII Ever Crisis is available on PCs and mobile devices, and the New Year 2026 updates start appearing on December 31, 2025. The post FFVII Ever Crisis New Year 2026 Updates Include a Tifa Kimono appeared first on Siliconera.
River City Ransom: Underground Being Delisted
Conatus Creative announced that the River City Ransom: Underground PC game is being delisted from Steam on December 30, 2025. It is currently on sale on that platform for $2.99, though it is still $19.99 on GOG and Humble. It seems the process is already underway, as images are gone from Steam and Humble both. The reason for the game abruptly disappearing is due to the end of a licensing agreement. Arc System Works is the rights-holder for the River City/Downtown Nekketsu IP. When Conatus Creative started working on this project and began crowdfunding for it on Kickstarter, it entered into an agreement with the parent company. As long as someone owns the game, they’ll still have access to River City Ransom: Underground after it is delisted. Others won’t have access. (The last time it was down on Steam, it was due to a false DMCA takedown.) This River City Ransom spin-off begins with Merv offering a reward for saving the kidnapped Angel, with the River City High gang known as The Flock blamed for it. As things begin, members Bruno, Glen, Paul, and Provie head out to prove their innocence and find both Angel and their missing leader Chris. As we go through the story in the beat’em up, we encounter other characters we can recruit, like Alex and Ryan, beat up opposing gangs, and learn the truth about the situation. Here’s an official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYpfel22L5M River City Ransom: Underground appeared on PCs and is being delisted. The post River City Ransom: Underground Being Delisted appeared first on Siliconera.
Siliconera’s Best Remake/Remaster of 2025
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
Sometimes the best games of a year aren’t exactly games of that year. In our Best Remake/Remaster category, we honor the attempts to preserve and restore favorites of yesteryear. Who did we pick? Read on. These awards represent the consensus of the Siliconera staff. For more of the year’s award selections, check out our Game of the Year 2025 archive. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles For such a beloved game, there was never a truly ideal way to play Final Fantasy Tactics on modern systems. The Ivalice Chronicles solves this, with a full recreation of the original look and two different options for those who prefer quality-of-life updates as well as traditionalists. While it wasn’t an overhaul in the way some were wanting, preserving the original in this way is warranted when the original is this good. Raidou Remastered Atlus has been on a remaster kick lately, but few games deserved or needed it as much as Raidou. It’s an action game in ways that we haven’t seen from Shin Megami Tensei since, and it’s also become something of a grail game in the intervening years because of how tough it was to track down. This new edition preserves the original’s appeal, while making it a lot more accessible than the original Devil Summoner releases. Winner: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition It escaped! One of the Wii U’s last remaining exclusives is no longer so, and the many Xenoblade fans who joined on in the Switch era finally gained access to the cult favorite spin-off. And it gained some new content and mechanical refinements in the journey. It may be fairly recent in terms of games needing remasters, but the circumstances surrounding it make the move not only justifiable but appreciated. It's our Best Remake/Remaster of 2025! And heck, maybe there's still hope for Kirby and the Rainbow Curse. The post Siliconera’s Best Remake/Remaster of 2025 appeared first on Siliconera.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind Blind Box Figures Head to Pop Mart
Pop Mart announced its next anime blind box collection, and it involves a series of small figures based on characters from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind. They will appear on the official site starting on January 1, 2026, with a single one costing $20.99 and a full set of six being $125.94. There’s no word when these might show up on Amazon or at retail stores. Each of these JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind blind box figures are almost four inches tall (9cm), but that can vary depending on the characters depicted and their pose. In each case, we see a member of Passione’s Team Bucciarati and their Stand. There is one secret, and it is Giorno Giovanna with his evolved Stand Gold Experience Requiem. There’s a 1/72 chance of getting it. Here’s the full list of possible figures you can get. If you buy the full box, you are guaranteed six different items, though if you do get the secret it will replace one of the normally available ones. Bruno Bucciarati with Sticky Fingers. Giorno Giovanna with Gold Experience. Giorno Giovanna with Gold Experience Requiem. Guido Mista with Sex Pistols. Leone Abbacchio with Moody Blues. Narancia Ghirga with Aerosmith. Pannacotta Fugo with Purple Haze. Pop Mart frequently sells figures and items based on anime series. Some of the more recent ones involved the Akatsuki from Naruto Shippuden and the Evangelion characters in their pilot seats and plugsuits. The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind blind box figures will be at Pop Mart starting on January 1, 2026. The anime is streaming on Crunchyroll. Viz Media handles the manga. The post JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind Blind Box Figures Head to Pop Mart appeared first on Siliconera.
Kagamine Len and Rin Are the Next Desktop Mate Characters
Following the 19th birthday of Vocaloid characters Kagamine Len and Rin, the twins will join Desktop Mate as DLC. Each of them currently have a January 2026 release window, though there’s no exact release date for either one’s release. However, the product pages for Len and Rin and live for wishlisting now. Each one will cost ¥2,200 after launch, which means they should cost around $14.99 each. There’s no word about a bundle with the two together. Crypton Future Media made the 3D models for both the Kagamine Len and Rin DLC packs. Infiniteloop worked on the animations. If someone owns the add-ons for both characters, they can be linked together for combination animations. Some of the examples included both appearing when an alarm goes off, rather than just one, or them reacting to the other’s animations and behaviors. Here are the initial screenshots showing Kagamine Len in the app. Images via Infiniteloop And here’s how Kagamine Rin looks in Desktop Mate. Images via Infiniteloop A number of other Crypton Vocaloids, and spin-offs of them, already appeared as DLC for Desktop Mate. Hatsune Miku was the first add-on. The 2025 version of Snow Miku, the Magical Mirai 2025 Miku, Kasane Teto, and Megurine Luka showed up after that. Desktop Mate is available for PCs, and the Kagamine Len and Rin DLC will debut in January 2026. The post Kagamine Len and Rin Are the Next Desktop Mate Characters appeared first on Siliconera.
Review: The Good Old Days Is a Goonies Style Adventure
The Good Days is an adventure game with Metroidvania elements about a group of kids desperate to raise a massive amount of cash in a single day by any means possible, only with combat optional. There are also multiple ways to reach that goal and endings as a result. Sound unusual? That’s because Ryoh Tazaki’s Yokogo Systems is behind it. Tazaki also works for Onion Games as a developer on titles like Black Bird, Dandy Dungeon, and Million Onion Hotel. The result is a title that’s unusual, unorthodox, and maybe a little clumsy, but charming nonetheless. When I mentioned The Good Old Days channeling The Goonies, I wasn’t kidding, as the setup for the game is incredibly similar. In the small town of Arostia, a group of kids known as Sean, Bruce, Doc, and Foodie band together as The Noogies and search for treasure. While they get the chance to find it, it’s unfortunately under dire circumstances. Sean’s father disappeared and left a $30,000 debt behind. Bruce, Doc, and Foodie got captured and thrown into underground cells. The loan shark shows up at 10am and wants money by the time night falls. Rather than go to the police, Sean heads into the depths below the city to search for his missing friends and money by any means possible. However, Biff, Chuck, Frank, and their mother heard about Sean’s family’s troubles and hidden inheritance, and they’ll cause trouble for the crew. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRNa5QhXUqM The Good Old Days is a timed adventure. You need to get through the day, finding money by exploring. Maybe you find a lottery ticket? Perhaps you beat foes? There are minigames! You could find the legendary hidden treasure Sean’s family buried down below! This could happen with none or all your friends. You have a lot of options. But it’s also quite deadly, as the underground is filled with bats, rats, ghosts, villainous humans, and environmental hazards. While the bulk of your time will be spent platforming and wandering underground, there will also be points of interest above to visit as you search for cash. Part of the Metroidvania part of The Good Old Days is tied to each of the Noogies’ special abilities, much like how each member of The Goonies had unique traits. Sean is given bombs by the loan shark at the outset of the adventure, which can be used to progress past certain areas, and he’s also fairly average when it comes to moving and jumping. Foodie is slow, but he can headbutt foes and move boxes. Bruce is incredibly fast and has the furthest jump. He can perform an attack that hits above and below him at the same time too, though I didn’t find it as useful as Foodie’s. Meanwhile, Doc has a pretty good vertical leap and can use a radar that shows anything immediately around him. Images via Yokogo Systems There are other items that help along runs. Sean being able to blow up stronger doors is his “thing,” but that can be upgraded. You can get equipment that mitigates some hazards too, like diving gear that removes the threat water poses. These power-ups are maintained through playthroughs when you go with a new game+ run. Given the relatively short length and wealth of endings, it definitely feels like a game to run through at least twice. However, I did notice two downsides. One is that the platforming can feel a little clunky. Nailing some of the jumps is really trying and troublesome, especially before Bruce is rescued. It is absolutely possible to beat a run without Bruce, mind you, but some of the layouts in the underground are frustrating. The other issue is I felt like there could have been more to Doc as a character. All the kids are charming when it comes to the story, and the narrative as a whole is interesting! (Especially since we learn more after each ending.) But since Doc essentially acts as a radar for unseen secrets and is the last character we unlock, I felt like he wasn’t as essential to the adventure. Is he a time-saver? Sure. But since bombs are unlimited and we’re exploring every nook and cranny anyway, I felt like there could have been more to him. Images via Yokogo Systems The Good Old Days captures the same sort of spirit as The Goonies, while also feeling like a unique Metroidvania. There are many ways to approach it and solve Sean’s money problems. All of them can be interesting. Can it get a little clunky? Yes. However, the nature of it and way it encourages replays does mean subsequent runs feel a little more manageable. The Good Old Days is available on the Switch and PC. The post Review: The Good Old Days Is a Goonies Style Adventure appeared first on Siliconera.
Mejiro Dober Debuts in Umamusume: Pretty Derby
The last Umamusume: Pretty Derby Trainee and Support Card banners of 2025 are live, and they make Mejiro Dober a playable Late Surger character and add an SSR Daitaku Helios Power card. The banners are both live until January 7, 2026, after which the unit and card will join the general pool of available items. As I mentioned before, Mejiro Dober is best used as a Late Surger, due to the nature of her Unique Skill and many of her Potential Skills involving that strategy. She’s designed to excel on Mile and Medium Turf tracks, and it would be quite difficult to get her to a place to run Sprint or Long ones. She has a 10% Speed growth rate and 20% Wit one. Her Moving Past, and Beyond Unique Skill can kick in either mid-race or late-race, depending on her positioning and triggers. She can also get Late Surger Straightaways, to help with velocity on that part of the track, and All-Seeing Eyes to startle all other runners late-race if she’s being used as a Late Surger. She's also related to Mejiro Ryan and Mejiro McQueen, which can help with inheritances and buffs in Career. As for the SSR Daitaku Helios Power card, it might be best for Front Runners. The Career Event can net someone Escape Artist, just like the SSR Seiun Sky Stamina card. She also has a level 30 Unique Perk that increases her initial Friendship gauge and grants a Power bonus. She also has Specialty Priority 35, to ensure she’ll be at Power for training in Career. Here’s the official Mejiro Dober Umamusume: Pretty Derby trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00RJHWSib-M And here are the infographics for both the character and card: Images via Cygames Cygames didn’t share the new banner schedule for January 2026 yet. However, we do know what should be next. The Japanese 2021 Christmas banner with alts of Biwa Hayahide and Oguri Cap will appear. Those two will be followed by Fine Motion and Tamamo Cross. Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available for PCs and mobile devices, and Mejiro Dober and the SSR Daitaku Helios Power card are available now. The post Mejiro Dober Debuts in Umamusume: Pretty Derby appeared first on Siliconera.
Hololive and Holostars English Vtubers New Year Karaoke Rallies Announced
Both the Hololive and Holostars English branches of Vtubers will each hold New Year’s karaoke rallies starting on December 31, 2025 and ending on January 1, 2026. These are two separate promotions. The Hololive one features 13 confirmed performers. The Holostars one consists of 10. In each case, the performance will be on the Cover member’s official YouTube channel. First, here’s the schedule for the Holostars English Vtubers participating in their 2025 to 2026 New Year’s karaoke relay. That begins with Regis Altare, then ends with a “something special” segment that might involve multiple members at 9:20pm PT on December 31, 2025/12:20am ET on January 1, 2026. Each spot lasts 20 minutes. 6pm PT/9pm ET on December 31, 2025: Regis Altare 6:20pm PT/9:20pm ET on December 31, 2025: Axel Syrios 6:40pm PT/9:40pm ET on December 31, 2025: Gavis Bettel 7:00pm PT/10:00pm ET on December 31, 2025: Machina x Flayon 7:20pm PT/10:20pm ET on December 31, 2025: Banzoin Hakka 7:40pm PT/10:40pm ET on December 31, 2025: Josuiji Shinri 8:00pm PT/11:00pm ET on December 31, 2025: Jurard T. Rexford 8:20pm PT/11:20pm ET on December 31, 2025: Goldbullet 8:40pm PT/11:40pm ET on December 31, 2025: Octavio 9:00pm PT/12:00pm ET on December 31, 2025: Crimzon Ruze 9:20pm PT/12:20pm ET on December 31, 2025: “Something Special” The Hololive English New Year’s karaoke rally lasts longer between December 31, 2025 and January 1, 2026, as each of the Vtubers will be performing for an hor. Things will kick off with Kiara Takanashi at 11:30am PT/2:30pm ET on December 31, 2025, and then she’ll also be responsible for the closing ceremonies with a call-in from members at 11:30pm PT on December 31, 2025/2:30am ET on January 2026. Shiori Novella and Raora Panthera are absent. Here’s how that schedule looks, complete with links to each performer’s channel. 11:30am PT/2:30pm ET on December 31, 2025: Kiara Takanashi 12:30pm PT/3:30pm ET on December 31, 2025: Gigi Murin 1:30m PT/4:30pm ET on December 31, 2025: Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame 2:30pm PT/5:30pm ET on December 31, 2025: Cecilia Immergreen 3:30pm PT/6:30pm ET on December 31, 2025: Ouro Kronii 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET on December 31, 2025: Ninomae Ina’nis 5:30pm PT/8:30pm ET on December 31, 2025: Fuwamoco (Fuwawa and Mococo Abyssgard) 6:30pm PT/9:30pm ET on December 31, 2025: IRyS 7:30pm PT/10:30pm ET on December 31, 2025: Hakos Baelz 8:30pm PT/11:30pm ET on December 31, 2025: Koseki Bijou 9:30pm PT on December 31, 2025/12:30am ET on January 1, 2026: Calliope Mori 10:30pm PT on December 31, 2025/1:30am ET on January 1, 2026: Nerissa Ravencroft 11:30pm PT on December 31, 2025/2:30am ET on January 1, 2026: Kiara Takanashi and closing ceremonies. The Hololive English New Year’s karaoke rally starts at 11:30am PT/2:30pm ET on December 31, 2025, and the Holostars English one begins at 6pm PT/9pm ET on December 31, 2025. The post Hololive and Holostars English Vtubers New Year Karaoke Rallies Announced appeared first on Siliconera.
Examu Fighting Game Daemon Bride Debuts Worldwide This Week
Daemon Bride, a 2009 fighting game from Examu, is going to appear everywhere as DaemonBride: Additional Gain. Team Arcana will release it on Steam on December 30, 2025. This will be an updated version with additional features like an additional character. [Thanks, Famitsu!] Some elements of Daemon Bride might feel a bit familiar, as this fighting game features a similar sort of partner system as its Examu sibling Arcana Heart. The fighters use Bride partners, which might be an angel or demon. (For example, one of the demon ones is Lucifer and one of the angel ones is Metatron.) Each character in the campaign makes a contract with one of these beings and fights around Tokyo to advance their goals and be the winner. There are some major changes noted that are totally new for this release. One is that Team Arcana noted rollback multiplayer is present. The other is that Dies Irae Deus, who appeared as a boss in the original, is now playable. However, he’s not playable in an arcade story mode, and is only usable in versus style fights. There’s also an opportunity to test out characters and learn their moves via Training mode and an in-game guide. As an example of what to expect, here’s a 2011 trailer showing the original. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33hF8dHVIOU DaemonBride: Additional Gain will come to PCs on December 30, 2025, and the original Daemon Bride fighting game from Examu appeared in arcades in Japan. The post Examu Fighting Game Daemon Bride Debuts Worldwide This Week appeared first on Siliconera.
Siliconera’s Switch 2 Game of the Year 2025
Console launches are exciting! There are fresh new game ideas to show off the hardware, as well as more traditional franchise cornerstones to build out the install base. Perhaps understandably, all three of our Switch 2 Game of the Year finalists are Nintendo-published. We look forward to future years including other teams as third parties have more time with dev kits! These awards represent the consensus of the Siliconera staff. Multiplatform games are considered on the platform for which they received the most staff support. For more of the year’s award selections, check out our Game of the Year 2025 archive. Kirby Air Riders As unlikely as it was, we got a sequel to Kirby Air Ride two decades later. And it was worth the wait! Air Riders delivers a faithful recreation of the original. Now, though, there's a lot more stuff to find and do. Mario Kart World may have been the Switch 2’s launch day flagship, but it won’t be the racer we’ll keep playing throughout the system’s life. Donkey Kong Bananza There hasn’t been a Donkey Kong game of this scale and polish… ever? No shade to Rare or Retro, for sure. But the Super Mario Odyssey-style approach brought to Bananza makes for a game you’ll keep returning to over and over. The terrain tech is a great example of what new hardware can do that isn’t just resolution bumps, and just moving around in the world feels great enough that you’ll seek out more things to do to justify it. Winner: Pokemon Legends: Z-A With recent entries in the Pokemon series hitting up against some technical barriers on the original Switch, Legends Z-A launching with a dedicated Switch 2 build was a big deal. It’s a bonus that it’s a follow-up to the most mechanically innovative entry in the franchise’s history, too! Z-A tries its own ideas, including a real-time combat system that for once justifies a moveset with multiple moves of the same type. We’re left wondering what the next Legends entry will try. The post Siliconera’s Switch 2 Game of the Year 2025 appeared first on Siliconera.
Final Fantasy Tactics Mini Figures Include Ramza, Delita, Alma
Square Enix and Taito announced that volume one of a Final Fantasy Tactics Miniature Figure Collection will appear and consist of Ramza Beoulve, his sister Alma Beoulve, and Delita Heiral. These will appear as prizes in Japanese arcades in early January 2026. There is no news regarding a worldwide release yet, but the retailer Aitai Kuji often sells these prize figures and ships worldwide and they can occasionally appear on Amazon. The Ramza, Delita, and Alma Final Fantasy Tactics figures are based on chibi portrayals of all three characters. They’re equally small in size, as they only stand at just over three inches tall (8cm). They are static figures with no extra face plates in more relaxed stances, though Delita and Ramza are holding weapons. All three wear their outfit and armor from the official art. Here’s the first picture of how the three will look: Image via Taito and Square Enix While these are smaller, static figures, we have seen more elaborate ones. A number of characters from the game are part of Square Enix’s Bring Arts line. Both Delita and Ramza are in that collection, as is Agrias Oaks. The Final Fantasy Tactics Miniature Collection volume one figures of Ramza, Alma, and Delita will debut in Japan in January 2026. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is available worldwide onthe Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. The post Final Fantasy Tactics Mini Figures Include Ramza, Delita, Alma appeared first on Siliconera.
Granblue Fantasy PC Version Heading to Steam Worldwide
Cygames announced that it will be much easier for people outside of Japan to play Granblue Fantasy worldwide, as an English PC version will appear on Steam. This will be independent of the existing release, just as the worldwide version of Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a separate global release. So existing accounts used with the browser-based client or existing mobile versions will not be compatible when it launches on March 10, 2026. This comes after other games and media tied to the series already appeared worldwide. While Steam PC client this will mark the official release of Granblue Fantasy outside of Japan, we’ve been able to play the game in English for years. Cygames just never made it officially available on any region. This meant if someone went with a browser (like via the Chrome app) or downloaded an apk, they could play. However, things like the anime adaptation and spin-off games did appear everywhere. Since this will be a distinct global release, it is possible this Granblue Fantasy PC debut could be on an accelerated schedule like the worldwide Steam and mobile release of Umamusume: Pretty Derby. This means we won’t see the November 2025 Evangelion crossover right away, and instead might see ones like the Persona 5 one before it. The game is over 11 years old now, so we'll have to wait and see to learn more about how this will roll out. Granblue Fantasy will come to the PC via Steam outside Japan on March 10, 2026. It is already available in English via PC browsers and on mobile devices. The post Granblue Fantasy PC Version Heading to Steam Worldwide appeared first on Siliconera.
Review: Synth Riders Is Better in VR Than on the Switch
In VR, Synth Riders is an inventive rhythm game that gets you active and moving in a way Beat Saber sometimes can’t. It even features a strong soundtrack to boot. The Switch version is entirely different. It abandons the first person perspective and motion controls in the name of a more straightforward musical experience with a synth rider hackers racing on roads and rails through a city. While the track listing is still strong, the Synth Rider Switch fiddly controls and a technical issue with the camera keep it from being a memorable and essential rhythm game. While the concept behind Synth Riders involves riding on a board through a high-tech space, moving the rider’s arms in time with the music, the Switch version of the game offers multiple modes. In the campaign, it explains that a rogue AI named Xander controls every element of the world. The hackers Dash 909, Allegra, and BPM-130 fight back by breaking into terminals and riding along with songs to wrest away control. It’s more of an excuse to go through the tracks, get accustomed to the flow of things, and unlock cosmetics like clothing and hoverboards for the characters than tell an engaging story. Meanwhile, the Solo and Multiplayer modes let you go through available songs piecemeal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGHm4FqYdZU My first experience with Synth Riders on the Switch ended up pretty disastrous. When going through the tutorial, a bug kicked in and locked the perspective into one in which the camera appeared alongside my avatar. So I couldn’t any of the inputs. I had to completely exit out of the game to reset and restart to make it return to normal. While this never happened during the campaign, it did happen a few times after selecting and starting single solo songs. It didn’t seem tied to specific tracks. The Switch version of Synth Riders plays in a manner somewhat similar to the VR version of the game. You’re moving the avatar’s hand in time with nodes that appear on the track as they automatically move forward. The positions are ground, outstretched, up, and outstretched in the opposite direction. Some obstacles will require you to jump to go airborne, perhaps also grinding on a rail by holding an analog stick and moving along the line, then landing. There are also obstacles to dodge. Image via Kluge Interactive While these positions are generally fine and easy to memorize, they don’t feel as precise as games like Groove Coasteror Taiko no Tatsujin. It’s something about the position of the indicators, which aren’t as clearly and cleanly visible as something like Hatsune Miku: Project Diva, and the use of the analog sticks for inputs near exclusively that kept me from feeling as control as I do in other games. Especially since it initially takes getting used to the hold notes and the mid-air rails, as the former can sometimes be a bit difficult to spot and the latter can move in unexpected directions. These stages all proceed in the same way regardless of mode, though the Multiplayer approach can get a bit interesting. Competitive and cooperative options are available for up to four people. This can help with getting used to the input method. Plus, it felt more enjoyable and less typical when I played with others. Image via Kluge Interactive Because the Synth Riders soundtrack is honestly quite good. The base game nets someone the Synthwave Essentials, Electro Swing Essentials, and Monstercat music selections. These are the same as ones in the VR game, so they could even sound familiar. Lady Gaga, Gorillaz, Current Waves, 80s Mixtape, and Synthwave Essentials 3 DLC packs also appeared at launch, again pulling from the existing version. The Synthwave Essentials and Monstercat songs are best, I think. But there’s a solid selection and the ones there suit the futuristic design. Synth Riders is a fantastic VR game, one that I sometimes enjoy more than Beat Saber, but that same magic doesn’t carry over to the Switch release. The motion controls and first-person approach in the VR version of the rhythm game make it the best way to play. Especially since I did encounter a major camera bug a few times. It just doesn’t feel as extraordinary, even though the music is fine and there are quite a few modes here. Synth Riders is available for the Switch. The post Review: Synth Riders Is Better in VR Than on the Switch appeared first on Siliconera.