Super Nintendo World officially has a grand opening date in Japan for March 18, 2021. The opening has been up in the air regarding when was safe to do so given the issues due to the ongoing pandemic with COVID-19. While the other locations, including Florida's opening in the United States, are still under review regarding any opening dates, folks in Japan can dive into the fun later this month. 

The grand opening was originally slated to happen during Summer 2020, but COVID-19 had other plans. The date then moved to February 4, but another delay was unavoidable for similar reasons. Now, it looks like everything is finally set in stone. 

While this is exciting, I am a little sad that the marketing team missed the opportunity to have fun with "Mario Day" references that would have been allowed with a March 10 (MAR10) opening. Ah, what could have been.

Nintendo fans can also go to the website to learn more about the gaming-driven theme park, which offers a virtual tour of the park in both Japanese and English. You can go on that digital ride right here. 

Not in Japan? Don't worry! More locations will also be opening up in the coming years, including the United States and Singapore parks for Nintendo lovers to enjoy. It's exciting to see Japan's doors opening soon, despite travel bans still in place for many areas in the world. While some areas are still experiencing spikes, other places in the world have the pandemic largely in the rearview mirror. Hopefully, the rest of the world will follow. If anything is going to get people moving to do their part, it's the possibility of a Super Nintendo World trip. 

Are you excited to one day experience Super Nintendo World yourself? What about the theme park has you the most amped up? Sound off with your Nintendo-inspired hopes and dreams in the comment section below! 

[Source: Twitter]

During this morning’s Monster Hunter Twitch showcase, Capcom announced that Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is launching worldwide on July 9 to Switch and, surprisingly, PC via Steam. A new trailer gives us another look at the story-focused game’ narrative as well as teases of the game’s new features. 

Players control a custom Monster Rider, child of the legendary Rider Red. After Rathalos disappears from the world, players must uncover the truth behind a mysterious prophecy centering on the Wings of Ruin. They’ll be joined by Wyverian Ena and the returning Felyne hero Navirou. 

Gameplay consists of traveling to various destinations to hatch, train, and raise your own party of monsters. You’ll need the abilities of your beastie buddies to help you reach out-of-reach areas, traverse environments quicker, and locate treasure. Combat is turn-based unlike traditional Monster Hunter titles, offering a new slant to the classic gameplay as players use their weapons to target monster weak points. You can also partner with your Monster friends to unleash Kinship attacks. The trailer also teased cooperative multiplayer quests, which Capcom say it will elaborate on at a later date. 

Capcom also unveiled a fancy Deluxe Edition for the game. There’s no word on price yet, but it includes the following: 

• Razewing layered armored sets
• Nergigante-inspired hairstyle
• Kuan Coat outfit for your Wyverian companion Ena
• Two new outfits for Navirou: Pukei-Pukei and Nergigante
• Two sticker sets of your companions

Additionally, those who pre-order the game on either platform receive the Kamura maiden outfit for Ena. Switch players also get the added bonus of using the new amiibo figures (Ena, Razewing Ratha, and Tsukino) to unlock three different sets of layered armor and daily bonuses. That’s not all, though. Players with Monster Hunter Rise save data can unlock the Kamura Garb layered armor for their character.

What do you guys think of this new look at Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin and its various goodies? Let us know in the comments. You can read about the new updates regarding Monster Hunter Rise here. 

Do you know a game that we play a lot, but haven't talked about for a bit? Phasmophobia. Since this scary title first launched on Steam as an Early Access adventure, it has evolved immensely to be even more terrifying. The latest Phasmophobia update brings in new accessibility adjustments, changes to the Sanity monitor, and...oh, yeah...ghosts can now open doors. 

Some changes are bigger than others, but many of the quality-of-life improvements tackle the game on a larger scale. But first, let's talk about accessibility tweaks. 

Accessibility

Phasmophobia now has an added accessibility page where players can swap their sounds to mono. Also added is the ability to select the contract difficulty (versus it being randomized), a new button to change the ports for the game (which will help with disconnection issues), and new text on the sanity monitor to show the team's average. 

Quality of Life

With the latest update, it's easier to stay connected to the server and easier to select contracts via a gamepad. Invite codes can also be added with the keyboard number pad in addition to a new button that allows players to easy-add the max number of items desired before taking each contract. 

In an effort to prevent trolling, there is now a delay for closing the truck door once it's been opened. Players will also find changes have been made to swapping characters. This action will no longer "Unready" everyone in queue. An "Are you sure" prompt has also been added after clicking the training button in the game's main menu. 

Ghost changes

Ghosts are terrifying in this game. That's not just me being a wimp, either: The slow crawl and the "will they, won't they" regarding the hunt honestly curls my toes every time I play. But, eventually, even the scariest of experiences can lose their edge after a time, which is why the team has implemented the following changes: 

• The ghost will now follow your around corners if it has lost sight of you rather than searching a random location.
• The ghost will now listen for player voices when hunting and will search those locations. This will not work if you are not the banshee target.
• The ghost can now open lockers and closets outside of a hunt.
• The ghost will now open doors, closets and lockers during hunts. This can be stopped by holding the door however the ghost can still walk through room doors like usual.
• Slightly increased the ghosts chance to wander on all difficulties.
• The ghost will now search around the location it last saw a player rather than searching a random location.
• The ghost will now target any player that gets close to it whilst it's already chasing another player.

Other tweaks

From temp checks to equipment tweaks, below are the additional changes that Phasmophobia players can look forward to with the latest update on Steam: 

Gameplay Changes

• Professional Difficulty: You will no longer be told if the Ghost responds to groups or only if you are alone.
• Professional Difficulty: The power will now always start off.
• Removed the dirty water objective as it was too hard to get. It will still remain as extra photo evidence.
• Removed the temperature objective due to the temperature changes listed below.
• The Activity Monitor will now show an estimated value rather than the true value.
• Glow sticks will now have the same brightness when you are holding them as when they are thrown.
• Improved the movement of ghost orbs so that they stay inside the room longer and are easier to see.
• EMF Readers will now give random values during hunts similar to how the flashlight flashes during hunts.
• The ghost appearing and walking towards you will now count as a ghost event.
• Dead players will no longer count towards the average sanity. Instead alive players will now lose 15 sanity each time a player dies.
• Lowered the resolution of the photos to help with lag spikes when taking the photo.
• The $50 photo reward challenge has been changed to be a total $50 reward over multiple games.
• Banshees will now hunt like other ghosts and target any player when it's target player is outside.
• Improved how the bone spawns to help prevent it spawning in unreachable locations.

Temperature Mechanic Changes

• Lowered the rate the Thermometer updates it's temperature from 1 second to 2 seconds.
• Slightly increased the temperatures variations that show on the Thermometer.
• All rooms will now start with slightly different temperatures.
• If the power is off, the temperature in every room will now slowly drop to 5C/41F.
• If the power is on, the temperature in every room will slowly raise unless the ghost is in the room where it will still drop.
• Professional Difficulty: Due to the power starting off, the room temperatures will start at 5C/41F.
• Each room will now change their temperature at slightly different speeds.
• Lowered the speed that temperature raises in rooms once the power is on.
• Lowered the speed that the ghost lowers the temperature in the room it's in.
• Freezing temperature ghosts will now reduce the room temperature at the same speed as other ghosts. This means that when the power is off, all rooms including the ghost room will drop at a similar speed.

Parabolic Microphone Changes

• The Parabolic Microphones range has been increased from 8 to 30 meters. The width has also been increased from 2 to 6 meters. This is to be used to give you the general direction the ghost and not exactly where it is.
• Reduced the size of the Parabolic Microphone model to give you a better view on Non-VR.
• Removed some ambient sounds from being read by the parabolic microphone and sound sensors that were not caused by the ghost.
• Improved how the parabolic microphone and sound sensors hear player voices to be more accurate.
• Increased the time sounds can be detected by the parabolic or sound sensor from 2 to 3 seconds.
• Fixed several sounds that were not being heard by the parabolic microphone.

Non-VR Changes

• You can now place Candles similar to the Ghost Writing Book.
• Flashlights and UV Lights will now turn on when swapping items if your shoulder light was on.
• Swapping items from a turned on flashlight will now turn on your shoulder light automatically.
• Tripods will now always get placed directly in front of you to prevent situations where you could place them into unreachable locations.

VR Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug where VR players could not speak after a game has finished.
• Fixed a bug where teleport grabbing in VR didn't work when you were dead.
• Fixed a bug where several objects couldn't be seen by the smooth VR recording camera.
• Fixed a bug where VR players couldn't be killed by the ghost if they laid down.
• Fixed a bug where VR players were not setting Non-VR players saved voice volumes.
• Fixed a bug where the money value of a photo would get multiplied per VR player.

Prison

• Fixed a bug where the ghosts room boundary from both cell blocks were extended into the bathroom and hallway.
• Prison will no longer be always added to the contract selection.
• Fixed a bug where cell block exit doors would unlock during hunts.
• Fixed a bug where you couldn't take a photo of the fingerprints on the cell doors when it was open.
• Fixed a bug where the main hallway lights wouldn't flash during a hunt.
• Fixed a bug where the ghost could get stuck on the cell block benches.

Asylum

• Fixed a bug where you couldn't take fingerprints photos on the grey doors.
• Significant performance and load time improvements.
• Fixed a bug where the ghost couldn't knock on the windows.
• Moved the light switches in the reception to make what they do clearer and to make them easier to press in VR.
• Moved most CCTV cameras to help with fps when in the truck.
• Several changes to most rooms to make them easier to navigate and to remove safe spots.

General Bug Fixes

• Fixed several safe spots across all maps.
• Fixed a bug where the ghost could sometimes see you through some locker and closet doors at certain angles.
• Fixed various physics glitches that allowed you to get into locations where the ghost couldn't reach you.
• The Ouija Board will no longer flicker lights when it fails to answer if the power is off.
• Fixed a bug where you could use sanity pills infinitely when the truck was closed.
• Fixed a bug where the ghost was able to target you on several maps when you were outside.
• Fixed a bug where the Non-VR loading screen wasn't covering the entire screen on super ultra wide resolutions.
• Fixed a bug where some objects could still be interacted with by the ghost if they were picked up near the ghost and taken to another location.
• Fixed a bug where the dead body photo evidence wasn't always working if the body moved.
• Fixed a bug where Non-VR dead player bodies would spawn inside the ground if they were crouched.
• Fixed a bug where dead players could use the Ouija Board if it was turned on.
• Fixed a bug where Candles wouldn't always turn off for Non-VR players.
• Fixed a bug where the CCTV monitor would stop working if a player disconnected with a head mounted camera.
• Lowered the camera night vision brightness on all house maps to prevent situations where it is too bright to see the ghost orbs.
• Fixed a bug where the ghost would get progressively less active the more players died.
• Fixed a rare bug where you wouldn't always get fully killed by the ghost.
• Fixed a bug where Non-VR players could place their head mounted cameras back on the hooks when dead.
• Fixed a bug where if you played without an internet connection you could only play one game then had to restart.
• Fixed a bug where the lobby page number didn't change when you clicked refresh.
• Fixed a bug where the lobby server list would show empty pages.
• Fixed a bug where your voice chat would stop working and not reconnect if your microphone disconnected.
• Fixed a bug where the ghost would remain in an infinite hunt if the host disconnected during a hunt.
• Fixed a bug where the maximum amount of lights that could be on was not being changed during ghost events.
• Fixed a bug where the sound sensor wouldn't detect footsteps if you placed it too high.
• Fixed a bug where completing the 2nd objective would also give you the experience reward for the 3rd and 4th objective.
• Fixed a bug where only the host was getting the daily challenge completion for the Ouija board response.
• Fixed a bug where you would be set to offline after completing the training level.
• Fixed a bug where the Ouija board wouldn't always detect that you were talking when using normal push to talk.
• Fixed a bug where sound and motion sensors wouldn't always get assigned to the correct floor on the map.
• Fixed a bug where the ghost was not always appearing for dead players.
• Fixed a bug where you couldn't take an evidence photo of the fingerprints on some bathroom windows.
• Fixed a bug where the ghost footsteps would not register as photo evidence.
• Fixed a bug where ghost photos wouldn't always register and you would get other evidence instead.
• Fixed a bug where the survive a hunt challenge was completing when there was no hunt.
• Fixed a bug where there would be a large spike in network traffic during hunts causing disconnects.
• Fixed a bug where several lights would not light up equipment items and would cause them to be pitch black.
• Fixed a bug where items you have purchased wouldn't spawn in training.
• Fixed a bug where if you left or quit when you were dead you would not lose your items.
• Fixed a bug where taking a photo of the pile of salt would give footstep evidence for a Wraith.
• Fixed several truck mini map errors on all maps.
• Fixed a bug where objects could fall through the basement floor on several maps.
• Fixed several locations where you would lose sanity if the lights were on.
• Fixed a bug where you could get the ghost to interact with objects with voice recognition without opening the main door.

Phasmophobia is available now on Steam. Happy hunting! You can learn more about the ghost hunter simulator by watching our Gameplay LiVe right here. 

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin already has a new trailer and deluxe edition (read about it here), but Amiibo collectors will be happy to know that new figures based on the game are on the way as well. The figures are based on characters Ena, Razewing Ratha, and Tsukino and should look good on a shelf while also providing some in-game perks too. 

In addition to looking spiffy, scanning the Amiibo in-game unlocks three different sets of layered armor plus unspecified daily challenges. The figures will be available when the game launches on July 9 exclusively through GameStop in the US and EB Games in Canada (disclaimer: GameStop is the parent company of Game Informer). Information on when and how to pre-order the figures will come at a later date. 

The previous Monster Hunter Stories game had Amiibo support, plus Nintendo announced last September that Monster Hunter Rise would have its own Amiibo figures as well, so perhaps this news isn’t the most surprising in the world. Still, if you’re a fan of the series looking for more physical representations of that passion, your wish has been granted. If you need to express that love outside of the main games, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has new Monster Hunter Mii fighter skins. 

If you missed this morning’s Monster Hunter Twitch showcase, Capcom also dropped new details on Monster Hunter Rise such as a new exclusive demo ahead of its March 26 launch. You can read all about it here. Fans also learned that Monster Hunter Stories 2 will be launching on Steam in addition to Switch. 

What do you think of the new Amiibo figures? Are you still collecting Amiibos in general, and will you go out of your way to scoop these up? Let us know in the comments!