Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s weekly catch-up news feature, the catch-up coffee. With each issue I will bring you the best news that you may have missed. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)!
Utawarerumono spin-off launching in Japan next month
Utawarerumono is an iconic visual novel, so spin-offs are no surprise. Enter Gizoku Tantei Nosuri (loosely translated to “Chivalrous Thief Detective Nosuri”), a visual novel set to launch in December, but only in Japan. It’s time to make a Japanese account on your consoles if you haven’t already!
Haku lives a busy life in the capital of Yamato, but the peace is disturbed when one if this friends senses something strange. The game description reads: “If someone in the east is suffering, she will be there to lend a hand. If someone in the west is troubled, she will save them. A chivalrous thief is sensitive to the signs of those in need… It is from here that the curtains rise on the great Nosuri theater. It is she who will bring to light the true identity of the great evil that undermines the imperial capital.”
Developed and published by Aquaplus, Gizoku Tantei Nosuri will be released digitally for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on December 22 in Japan.
Meet the main character in Samurai Maiden
In the past month, character introduction trailers for Samurai Maiden have launched weekly. The past three have focused on the ninjas: Iyo, Hagane, and Komimi. This week, presumably the last character trailer dropped (the game is out in mere days) and it focuses on the main character, Tsumugi. She’s a young woman living in the 21st century, and she’s been trained in swordsmanship by her grandfather since she was a child. Needless to say, she’s no stranger to the sword.
Samurai Maiden follows Tsumugi as she finds herself transported to the Sengoku Period. There, she meets the infamous Nobunaga Oda in a temple on fire, with soldiers all around. She also meets three ninjas who will help her race through the underworld, where she’s confronted by enraged corpses. The four women (Tsumugi and the ninjas) will battle together, kissing each other to enhance their abilities.
Developed by Shade and published by D3 Publisher, Samurai Maiden will be released for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch in Japan on December 1. It will be released for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch worldwide on December 8.
It’s a mishmash of information in the latest trailer for Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened
I’m quite excited for the remake of Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened, mostly because it’s summed up as Sherlock Holmes plus H.P. Lovecraft. There’s been a gameplay trailer for the game already, but this latest trailer shows off some new gameplay footage, discusses how long players can expect to spend playing, as well as an update from the development team in Ukraine.
The story of the game has been changed a bit to make it fit in with Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One. Generally, though, it’s the same. Sherlock investigates a series of mysterious disappearances link to a dark cult that worships a certain infamous Ancient God. Stop them in their tracks or face unspeakable consequences in the only story that Watson never publishes.
Developed and published by Frogwares, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened will be released for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series, and Xbox One in February 2023.
New courses are coming to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe next week
The Mario Kart series is a classic, and seeing old favourite courses in the latest game is an absolute joy. There is a planned total of six waves due out for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which includes 48 remastered courses from across the Mario Kart series. Players need the Booster Pass to access these courses. Wave 1 launched in March 2022, and Wave 2 in August. Now, it’s been announced that Wave 3 will be released next week. The rest will be released by the end of 2023. This third wave includes two new cups, with eight courses in total.
First up is the Rock Cup, which includes London Loop (from Mario Kart Tour), Boo Lake (Mario Kart: Super Circuit), Rock Rock Mountain (Mario Kart 7), and Maple Treeway (Mario Kart Wii). Then we have the unfortunately named Moon Cup, which makes me wonder if there’s a woman in sight on the dev team since Mooncup is a brand of menstrual cup. Anyway, the Moon Cup will include Berlin Byways (Mario Kart Tour), Peach Gardens (Mario Kart DS), Merry Mountain (Mario Kart Tour), and Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 7).
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Wave 3 will be released on December 7. The game is currently available physically and digitally for Nintendo Switch.
“Needle to say, she’s no strange to the sword.” Long day? 😅
Whoops. Good spot, all fixed now 🙂