Operation Backlog Completion 2026

New Trailer (and Steam Page) for No Sleep for Kaname Date

 Video games  2 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Apr 092025
 

No Sleep for Kaname Date: From AI: The Somnium Files was my favorite surprise announcement from March’s Nintendo Direct, so let’s talk about the latest details!

Spike Chunsoft released a new trailer for No Sleep for Kaname Date, along with an official game description that confirms the new escape room segments the first trailer implied.

In addition to the “Investigation” and “Somnium” gameplay sections from the previous games, there will now also be “Escape” sections where the player must solve puzzles to escape locked rooms.

It also confirms that it takes place only one day after the resolution of the first game, which raises certain questions for me (you know what I’m talking about), but since it also says Iris has been abducted by a UFO, I have to question what’s going on in this game in general.

The trailer itself doesn’t show too much besides what was already in the Nintendo Direct trailer.

In addition to the trailer, thhe official website has been updated to reveal two new characters, one being an ABIS engineer named Hina and the other being the host of the escape game, Akemi.

The Steam page is up as well, with some new screenshots.

Preorders are open now, too. I’m a little disappointed that there isn’t a limited edition this time, but you do get a couple holographic stickers plus an exclusive Mizuki sticker if you order from Spike Chunsoft’s store. The store page also confirms that the Switch 2 version is a Game-Key Card rather than a regular game card, so even if I intended to get a Switch 2 at launch, I’d still be going for the Switch version.

Anyway, although I have some criticisms of Nirvana Initiative’s story compared to that of the first game, I’m excited for this new game and I can’t wait to see where it goes. What are your hopes for No Sleep for Kaname Date?

Hakuoki SSL ~Sweet School Life~ is Coming West This Year

 Video games  1 Response »  Tagged with: , ,
Apr 072025
 

Eastasiasoft held its spring showcase today, and it started out with quite an unexpected announcement for otome fans.

It was a little over a year ago that Eastasiasoft announced Hakuoki: Chronicles of Wind and Blossom, the Switch version of Hakuoki that combines Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms into a single game.

With a new publisher handling it, I’d wondered if that might lead to more Hakuoki localizations later on down the line, since there are fandiscs and spin-offs.

Well, it must have been a hit for Eastasiasoft, because Hakuoki SSL: Sweet School Life will be coming to the west for the first time later this year!

Hakuoki SSL originally came out in 2014 for the Vita and was ported to the Switch in 2023. This is the first time it will be getting an English translation.

It’s an alternate universe spin-off that puts the characters in a modern day school setting instead of the historical era of the main series, so it sounds like it will be a lighthearted, fun twist on the story.

They also announced a Limited Edition that contains the game, a manual, the soundtrack, an art book, acrylic standees, and a few other bonuses, with preorders going live at Play-Asia on April 10.

I haven’t played Hakuoki: Chronicles of Wind and Blossom yet since 1) my backlog is huge, and 2) it’s a long game, but now I’m motivated to play it before this spin-off comes out! It’s planned for Quarter 4 2025, so at least I have some time…

Are you interested in Hakuoki SSL: Sweet School Life?

Thoughts on the Nintendo Treehouse Live Streams

 Video games  2 Responses »
Apr 042025
 

Nintendo followed up the Switch 2 Direct on Wednesday with two days of live streams from Nintendo Treehouse.

Yesterday’s stream lasted a little over four hours, while today’s stream was around three.

I’ll never forget that amazing E3 when the Treehouse segments after the main show actually included a few new surprise announcements. I loved it. Maybe that wasn’t a successful format, though, because they’ve never done it again.

So these streams didn’t contain any new announcements, just a better look at the games already announced.

Mario Kart World was a big highlight of the live streams, and it does look fun. It just doesn’t look like $80 worth of fun. They also revealed that holding an item behind you is now something that happens automatically, which is an unexpected change. I’m not sure how I feel about it. The game looks beautiful, though.

The other big highlight for me was Donkey Kong Bananza, of course, the Switch 2 game I’m most interested in right now. The collect-a-thon nature appeals to me, and it’s fun to see how you can use environment destruction to get around obstacles. I was concerned it might get repetitive with how much smashing/digging I saw at first, but the later parts of the streams showed more platformer elements.

Metroid Prime 4 looks great, too, but I still want to play the others first.

Meanwhile, I didn’t care too much for watching segments on already-released games that are just getting upgrades on the Switch 2, but I did find it interesting that Bravely Default is getting two mini-games added for the HD Remaster.

Nintendo Treehouse didn’t sell me on immediately getting a Switch 2, but it did help make sure Donkey Kong Bananza and Metroid Prime 4 remain on the list of games I want to keep in mind. Outside of the Treehouse streams, Nintendo also published an interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki about The Duskbloods, which confirms beyond a doubt that it’s a multiplayer-focused game, so I can cross that off my list.

Did you watch the Nintendo Treehouse streams? Have any of the gameplay demonstrations swayed you one way or another?

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