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Review: Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land Has GBC Vibes Exquisite Laundry Pet’s Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land is a love letter to Game Boy Color RPGs. It’s the sort of game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, sticking strictly to a silly Halloween theme. Which can be quite fun, thanks to unusual characters, turn-based battles, and clever writing. However, the limitations also mean it might get a little frustrating. Gumball is an actual gumball. They were in a machine, but after you select a flavor (color scheme), you drop into Trick-or-Treat Land. You want to get home, but the Chaos Sweets are ruining everyone’s day. If you want a mysterious Scarecrow to use magick to send you back, you need to reach every Hallowed Patches to restore it, dealing with unusual enemies and making the world safer along the way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tsOQlg5afQ It’s probably obvious after seeing some screenshots and that trailer, but Exquisite Laundry Pet went for a Game Boy Color aesthetic for Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land , even adhering to those limitations so strictly that it is available on both a cartridge for Nintendo’s handheld and PCs via Steam . It’s the game’s greatest strength, I’d say. The restrictions forced the developer to get creative with its themes and gameplay, and when you keep that in mind with playing, it really does feel as though it’s calling back to that moment in time. The presentation and gameplay do remind me of what it was like to go through the Final Fantasy Legend or Magi Nation games. Still, even with needing to stay within certain boundaries, there is a whole potion ingredient and food and drink system and quite a few sidequests that unlock things like extra shops to add to its range. That is a bit of a double-edged sword, however. While Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land is charming and features a surprising number of side quests in addition to the main storyline, it’s also very open-ended. You need to go everywhere and talk to everyone to figure out where the seven Hallowed Patches. On the plus side, finding quest items isn’t difficult and even the people you talk to who don’t offer valuable information have fun things to say. However, I do strongly recommend having a notebook nearby so you can jot down who wants what, where they are, and maybe even draw a lil’ sketch of their sprite to ensure you won’t forget their fetch quest. Images via Exquisite Laundry Pet While things are very open-ended and require you to pay attention, the Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land combat system is quite simple and sticks to the theme. As you’d expect from a Halloween-themed affair, Gumball uses treats in addition to spells and skills when fighting. The “treat” action is a basic attack that may or may not land, the abilities are also candy-themed items you pick up as you progress through the world and are far more reliable methods of defeating foes at the cost of MP. You’ll even eventually recruit partners who can join in the fight and help you out! The downside to it is, as this is a very freeform game where you aren’t told where to go and when, it’s very easy to wind up in an area with too-strong opponents and perhaps get frustrated by a one-hit KO. Especially when you’ll have only a few points of HP at the very start. Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land succeeds at keeping the Game Boy Color RPG vibe alive. It offers a lot to do while staying within certain limitations. However, those boundaries also mean it can sometimes be difficult to discern your next steps or running into fights you just can’t win at that point. Still, it’s a cute game and Exquisite Laundry Pet embraces that Halloween and GBC aesthetic. Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land is available on the PC and Game Boy Color . The post Review: Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land Has GBC Vibes appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraFeb 27

Review: Scarlet Hollow Proves Black Tabby’s Storytelling Prowess Slay the Princess proved to be a stunning accomplishment for Black Tabby Games. The team crafted an exceptional story that defied expectations and felt like a refreshing addition to our visual novel libraries. Scarlet Hollow , an episodic follow-up, proves that wasn’t a one-off. The developer once again shows it knows how to handle compelling narratives with many possible outcomes. While there’s still The Final Chapters to close things out and we typically don’t review early access games here at Siliconera, I feel confident in already stamping a seal of approval on this already-impressive title. You’ve never been to Scarlet Hollow. You know the Scarlet came from there and is renowned, or rather notorious, but your mother Vivian never brought you to her hometown. After learning your cousin Tabitha’s mother and owner of the town’s Scarlet Mine died, you take the bus in to stay with her for a week to be there for her and attend the funeral. However, something you soon learn your mother had good reason for leaving, as things are off in the small town. It isn’t that it’s a dying community with a failing mine. There are otherworldly and supernatural things going on, and it seems things will only get more dangerous the longer you stay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjBop46lTn8 While Scarlet Hollow is a traditional visual novel in that involves reading the story and making choices at certain points that change the course of relationships and directions, there are a few elements to it that almost make it feel a bit more like going through a D&D campaign due to the way you establish yourself early on. You aren’t a default and predetermined individual. You select two out of seven traits at the outset, which can determine different responses or possibilities when exploring the town and dealing with situations. So Talk to Animals perk will let you talk to the critters around the area. (But at the same time, you need to be careful about doing so in front of people so they don’t get suspicious!) If you select Powerful Build, you’ll be able to get physical to solve problems. Going with Mystical as one of your innate abilities means you’ll be more aware of the supernatural elements. Another thing that makes Scarlet Hollow stand out is how involved the choices can get. With most visual novels, you make a choice and it sets you down a certain route toward a certain ending. (Black Tabby Games’ Slay the Princess worked like this.) But there’s so much going on here with a staggering number of variants that can affect certain outcomes, relationships with individuals, information you do or don’t possess, and possible options available to handle situations. I feel like sometimes it can feel more like an adventure game, given how often I’d need to think critically about how a choice might affect my character heading into future episodes in terms of their capabilities or potential allies and enemies. Images via Black Tabby Games This is especially true with Tabitha, our cousin in Scarlet Hollow . While there are some more friendly and even romantic-leaning relationships with other characters, there’s a sense of nuance to the dynamic with her that really makes the game stand out. There are many times when I felt like choices I made or responses I chose, even if they weren’t directly to her, shaped her opinion of me. Given the connection throughout the episodes and storyline, it results in some fascinating outcomes. Even better, the reactions made me want to know what would happen if I did choose other extremes or possibilities. Which is another plus about Scarlet Hollow , as it’s evident this will be another Slay the Princess style game where Black Tabby Games makes replaying seem so appealing that it’d be mandatory. The number of cogs and factors here seem staggering. Especially when you factor in the traits. Different combinations feel like they could be so fun! I have two save files going right now with different builds so I can (hopefully) see two different endings from different extremes, but I’m still tempted to go through even more. Images via Black Tabby Games Also stunning is the visual direction in Scarlet Hollow , as Black Tabby Games went with a similar artistic direction as Slay the Princess . There are occasional bits of color, which feel muted and sepia-toned, but it’s largely a monochromatic kind of affair. Everything looks hand-drawn and sketchy, like the kind of art you’d see used in dark, original Grimm’s Fairy Tales or the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark illustrations. It’s eerie, haunting, and gorgeous. Between Slay the Princess and Scarlet Hollow , Black Tabby Games is fast turning into a developer whose titles you can’t afford to ignore. The creativity, character development, and world-building are excellent in this latest visual novel, and the degree to which our experiences can change based on our choices is astonishing. It’s so well-thought out and impressive, and a perfect example of “your choices matter.” Scarlet Hollow episodes 1-5 are available in early access for PCs via Steam , and the first episode is free in the demo. The post Review: Scarlet Hollow Proves Black Tabby’s Storytelling Prowess appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraFeb 26

Metal Gear Solid Naked Snake, The Boss, Eva, and Ocelot Figures Appear This Year Konami will release Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater figures of Naked Snake, The Boss, Ocelot, and Eva in 2026. Game Watch reported they’ll be available as arcade prizes in Japan. There’s no exact release window there, but they should appear in Q3 2026. Meanwhile, Good Smile Company’s online store put up listings for all four and said they’ll appear in Q4 2026 in North America for $20.99 each. [Thanks, Game Watch !] All four of these figures are static ones with no additional parts or poses. Each one features them in relaxed poses, though we do see them armed with signature weapons. They’re non-standard scale, so each one stands at almost eight inches tall (200mm). This also means various height differences between characters aren’t represented. Here’s how the Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Naked Snake, The Boss, Ocelot, and Eva figures will look: Images via Konami And here are the direct links to each figure on Good Smile Company’s site: The Boss Eva Naked Snake Ocelot The Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Naked Snake, The Boss, Ocelot, and Eva figures will appear as prizes in Japan in Q3 2026, followed by a Q4 2026 debut worldwide. Pre-orders at Good Smile Company close on March 18, 2026. The game is available for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam. The post Metal Gear Solid Naked Snake, The Boss, Eva, and Ocelot Figures Appear This Year appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraFeb 25

More Sanrio Desktop Mate DLC Characters Teased The next batch of Desktop Mate DLC will contain more characters than usual, as Hello Kitty isn’t the only Sanrio mascot who will appear. Over the last four days since her reveal , four additional icons were teased on the application’s social media account . This would be the largest number of characters to join the game so far, as previous add-on drops tended to only add between one and two new options to the game. Like Hello Kitty, all of the other Sanrio Desktop Mate DLC character reveals involved silhouettes of the mascots with a brief teaser about their identity. Since the shadows are fairly obvious and the Sanrio copyright is on each one, their identities are incredibly obvious. We still don’t know if they will all be bundled together in one add-on, with people able to see them randomly appear, or if there will be a separate purchase for each character. Here’s the full list of all confirmed Sanrio Desktop Mate DLC characters so far. Cinnamoroll Hello Kitty My Melody Pochacco Pompompurin And here’s a gallery of all of the silhouettes. Images via Sanrio and infiniteloop As a reminder, the Desktop Mate app allows characters to appear on your PC desktop as you work. You can also interact with them. Since its launch, Vocaloids and video game characters appeared as DLC. With the exception of the $7.49 Yukkuri Reimu Touhou Project add-on, each piece has cost $14.99. Desktop Mate is available on Steam. The post More Sanrio Desktop Mate DLC Characters Teased appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraFeb 24

Resident Evil’s Umbrella Corporation ‘Suing’ Nissin Over Cup Noodles As part of Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem promotions, the company shared a tweet on social media announcing that joked Umbrella Corporation, makers of Umbrella Noodles, is "suing" Nissin Foods over its Cup Noodles. The statement involves "IP infringement" case. As of time of writing, Nissin has yet to respond to the allegations or hinted at any kind of product tie-in. Capcom and Nintendo also released a Creator’s Voice video about the upcoming game . [Thanks, Inside Games !] The announcement ended up accompanied by a screenshot designed to look like an in-game look at a discovered document. It noted that on February 24, 2026, the plaintiff Umbrella Corporation filed a case against Nissin Foods due to the likeness between Umbrella Noodles and Cup Noodles. In the replies, a user named Willmesis shared a screenshot from the Resident Evil 3 remake of Jill Valentine in front of an Umbrella Noodles advertisement to highlight the likeness between the two items. https://twitter.com/willmesis/status/2026210592135184562 Here’s the full “Evolving Survival Horror for a New Era” Creator’s Voice video with Resident Evil Requiem Director Koshi Nakanishi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ8BrLpv3AQ The Cup Noodles and Umbrella Noodles “lawsuit” is the second unusual promotion to come up ahead of the launch of Resident Evil Requiem . Prior to that, Yume Group and S.Ride announced a piece of hanging fitness equipment that came with a copy of the game, referencing a part shown in which Grace is hanging upside-down. Resident Evil Requiem will come to the Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam and Epic Game Store on February 27, 2026. The post Resident Evil’s Umbrella Corporation ‘Suing’ Nissin Over Cup Noodles appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraFeb 24

Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Collector’s Edition Announced Following a tease on social media, Gungho confirmed there will be a The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Golden Wings Collector’s Edition. This will cost $274.99 and be sold at Planax . This version will be available for the Switch, Switch 2, PS5, and PC, and pre-orders are open until March 8, 2026. Most of the items in the Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Golden Wings edition are expected. You get a copy of the game, its digital season pass, a Steelbook case to hold the cartridge or disk, an art book, a soundtrack CD with some songs from it. The big item in it is a model diorama. That features Liberl’s Arseille being chased down by Ouroboros’ Glorious, recreating a scene from the title. Here’s the official photo of the limited edition, as well as two closer peeks at the model: Images via Planax, Gungho, and Falcom There is something to keep in mind with this version of the game. Planax noted it will be limited. If someone doesn’t place an order for a copy between February 24, 2026 and March 8, 2026, there won’t be any additional copies made and sold. Also, there will only be “approximately 2,000” PC version editions with Steam codes. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter will come out in Fall 2026 for the Switch, Switch 2, PS5, and Windows PC via Steam, and the Golden Wings Collector’s Edition will release alongside it around that same time. The post Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Collector’s Edition Announced appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraFeb 24

Super Bomberman Collection Is a Multiplayer Blast Recent shadowdrop release Super Bomberman Collection brings back some classic Bomberman games, some for the first time outside Japan, and we’re happy to see it! But if we’ve learned anything from modern retro compilations , the quality is extremely dependent on execution. So how does this one do? The package contains the five Super Bomberman games, all originally released on the Super NES and Super Famicom, as well as two bonus Famicom games. The later Super titles didn’t originally release outside Japan and have received localizations here, which is a nice touch! Frankly, though, these are fairly language-agnostic games and you probably would have been fine. Putting these five games together in one collection might feel a bit redundant! And it is, to a degree. The advantage is in two ways. The first? Historical value. The game makes it easy to look at what power-ups are added in each one, and preserving all five is good regardless. The second is that you can choose your favorite variant. Each of these changes does color the experience, and through either taste or nostalgia, you’ll likely have a favorite. Image via Konami If you’re having trouble deciding, though? We’d recommend going straight to 5 . It has almost all the things from the other games, and there are options to configure it however! And as such a late Super Famicom game that other staff at Hudson were probably already working on Mario Party during development, it really takes advantage of the hardware. If it drops the ball on anything? Maybe it’s aesthetics. It’s trying really hard to do a robot/sentai thing in a way that a lot of the selectable characters feel same-y. It’s also true that each of these games has a solo campaign. The franchise’s bread and butter is its competitive play, but there’s a dedicated group of people who really embrace the single-player arcade levels. And these are good ones! We’ve spent a while playing, and we are undeniably bad at them but there’s a puzzly element to taking on risky opponents in an optimal order. When it comes to gallery modes in retro compilations, our usual stance is that it’s a great effort of preservation! But we don’t spend a lot of time with that stuff. Super Bomberman Collection ’s “unbox” mode feels a lot more robust, though. With the detail and ability to virtually open the box and pull out the manual, it captures a bit more of the nostalgia of the originals. Image via Konami While it doesn’t have built-in functionality for this sort of thing, Super Bomberman Collection takes advantage of system-level multiplayer features like Switch 2’s GameShare and Steam’s Remote Play Together. How well does it work? Better than you’d think! We spent our time testing it out on Switch 2, and didn’t experience any of the frequent connection issues we usually get. What’s more, it’s the sort of game that can weather some minor hiccups if you get them, and it also doesn’t look too bad in the windowed GameShare screen. Super Bomberman Collection , developed by Red Art Games and published by Konami, is out now on Switch 2, Switch, PS5, Xbox Series and Steam. Physical editions of the game will launch on August 25, 2026. The post Super Bomberman Collection Is a Multiplayer Blast appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraFeb 22

Death Howl’s Gameplay and Narrative Help It Fit on Switch Death Howl is one of those unique strategic roguelikes that someone could play for 15 minutes for five hours straight, and it means the Switch version couldn’t come soon enough. I thoroughly enjoyed this brutal game when I played it on the PC . But there’s something about the nature of it that makes the gameplay loop and narrative beats feel highlighted so well here. As a quick refresher, Death Howl is a strategic roguelike with a nearly monochromatic kinds of color palettes and melancholy story. Based on Scandinavian folklore, we follow a grieving mother named Ro searching the other side for her dead son Olvi who was stolen away from her. This means traversing different areas, facing all sorts of entities and beasts with abilities she gathers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGF-v--wGhk The narrative is fantastic. There are so many themes running through it. Revenge is a critical one, since there’s a central stag figure associated with her son’s death and apparent abduction. Not to mention she’s angry with Death itself over the loss. Coming to terms with the situation is another, since this is a journey about grief and clearly she’s going through the bargaining and depression stages while also being angry about everything and denying that this is a situation that can’t be undone. But there’s also this veil of uncertainty over everything. Due to the use of symbolism and design choices, Ro is an unreliable narrator and there are gaps in our knowledge as players. Which means part of the motivation that keeps us going is to finally know the truth of it all. Having the game on the Switch makes it easy to keep going so we can absorb the information and take in what possible truths could be hinted at as we play. The Switch also makes for a good way to appreciate the art direction in Death Howl in the same way that the Steam Deck and other handheld gaming PCs do. This is a strategy game with sprite-based designs, an isometric perspective of the board, and limited color palettes for each region. Actual spirit designs play with shading and color options to depict details that wouldn’t otherwise be possible with the limitations. When there are effects from actions and spell usage, we see intricate animations. While it is possible to view these and take away the excellence, I feel like having it in handheld mode where you could really take a moment to look closer at details. Image via The Outer Zone It also helps that the Switch port is a great version of Death Howl . Given how text-heavy it is for cards and combat, the color and font choices make it clear even when the lettering is little. It’s almost always clear and legible. Pair that with the great controller-based scheme carried over from the PC release, and it is quite comfortable to play. Handhelds are a good fit for roguelike games, and the artistic direction, narrative, and gameplay of Death Howl make it feel especially strong on the Switch. It’s a great port that plays well on the system. The nature of the storyline makes it a perfect game to play in a darkened room. Since the gameplay encourages deck experimentation and strategic decisions, you can really get cozy and experience it. It feels exceptionally at home here. Death Howl is available on the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. The post Death Howl’s Gameplay and Narrative Help It Fit on Switch appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraFeb 21

Preview: Starsand Island Is Built on a Solid Foundation When I first played Starsand Island , it was early in development , not all the different types of professions were ready, and the build felt like a work in progress. Now that the game is properly in early access, it feels far more cohesive. Yes, not everything is there yet and I can’t live my virtual life to the fullest. Some balancing definitely needs to be done. But it does feel more pulled together and ready to go than it originally did. As a quick refresher, Starsand Island is about moving to a rural community your character is already loosely connected to in order to start a new life. Previously, they’d only visited due to their grandpa living there. Now they inherited the home and, after a friend named Solara helps them settle in, they work on becoming part of the community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5h-VhOriYs The biggest change I noticed between my initial Starsand Island experience and this return to the early access build is that there’s substantially more here. The Crafting, Exploration, Farming, Fishing, and Ranching professions feel much more fleshed out than before, with especially farming and fishing offering more variety in terms of yields, ranching adding more animal husbandry options, and many more recipes available when it comes to making things. These feel pretty full right now, though admittedly I haven’t completed any of the professions at this point. All of these seem advanced enough that I suspect I wouldn’t miss too much in 1.0 if I try and go ahead and do as much as possible now. Some professions did really hook me in now in this build. Especially with the Farming and Ranching lines. It seems very easy to get settled, and the range of crops and animal is great right now. There are hybrids possible, if you spend enough time playing, and greenhouses are already present. Like getting to Expert Rancher and accessing the alpaca and ostrich are helpful for the extra eggs, feathers, and wool, not to mention riding them is quite cute. And the DNA element to it is helpful for breeding purposes, should someone focus on that lifestyle. However, I will note that exploration’s combat does seem to still need work. While bows are present as a weapon, adding a nice ranged option, there’s still not much there. We could use more enemies, as well as mechanics like dodging. While the profession changes in Starsand Island probably the first and most obvious area to get a glow-up in early access, the relationship element feels pretty good right now too. This applies to both animals and people. The pet system reminds me a bit of Harvest Moon: Animal Parade , in that you aren’t just buying a new buddy. I mean, yes, Woof and Wow Pets does offer them. But we also adopt wild animals by befriending them and reaching basically three hearts. This means you’re going to need to work to get the fox or squirrel to be a friend. Images via Seed Sparkle Lab As for the human relationship element, it does feel pretty fleshed out even now in Starsand Island . There’s a decent number of love interests at 15 total (8 bachelorettes and 7 bachelors). These feature voice acting, though there’s not much yet , and there are more appearances in quests and interactions with folks that made me want to give gifts and check in daily. In some cases though, I felt like some of the folks were just pretty faces. There isn’t enough to them yet to make them lovable. However, it does seem like that could change. The team stated there will be more to the dating system come April 2026 . I would like and hope to see marriage and kids in the endgame too. However, I will say some stuff doesn’t feel completely balanced or 100% set yet. This is an issue acknowledged on the Steam product page and in the roadmap. I would like a little better performance when really racing through on mounts or on an item like a skateboard. Some character models could be adjusted a little. Getting your house and land built up does take a lot of time, and it doesn’t feel like it’s quite designed for us to get to the point of a massive complex with a home we could have a romance option move into yet. I do wonder if we might see rebalancing progression and development updates, since the crafting part does feel stronger than the pre-launch build I played and the team did mention that’s in the roadmap. Star s and Island is essentially coming along, with the early access version showing a lot of progress from the initial build I played. There’s a lot more to every profession in the game, though exploration could use a bit more additions and adjusting. Romance is starting to seem more viable, and pet adoption is enjoyable. Some rebalancing would be great, but the foundation for the 1.0 version later this year seems pretty stable. Starsand Island is in early access on the PC and Xbox Series X on February 11, 2026, and a full launch that also includes Switch 2 and PS5 versions is set for Summer 2026. The post Preview: Starsand Island Is Built on a Solid Foundation appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraFeb 21

Hello Kitty Desktop Mate DLC Teased Infiniteloop teased the next DLC character for the application Desktop Mate on social media , and it looks like Sanrio mascot Hello Kitty is on the way. There’s no release date for the add-on yet. The image also didn’t show how she’ll look in-app when hanging out on our desktops. The image is vague. It shows a silhouette of Hello Kitty sitting against a white and grey-striped background, so there’s no screenshot from Desktop Mate used. At the top is the Sanrio trademark, helping to confirm that this is her. Across the front is the text “coming soon.” This statement appears in Japanese and English, just like all past add-on reveals, so the DLC will show up everywhere. Here’s the official teaser image. Image via Infiniteloop and Sanrio This comes after multiple Vocaloids appeared in Desktop Mate . In December 2025, Kagamine Rin and Len showed up. Those were sold separately , but have special interactions if both are owned. More versions of Hatsune Miku showed up after that. Both Snow Miku 2026 and JR Tower versions launched. The official roadmap on Steam only shows two more “coming soon” spots. Desktop Mate is available on Steam, and Hello Kitty will be the next DLC character to be added to the application. The post Hello Kitty Desktop Mate DLC Teased appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraFeb 20