Dark Horse Will Publish The Art of The Last of Us Part II This June

Dark Horse Books will peek behind-the-scenes at one of this year’s most-anticipated games with their next artbook… Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II.

The game will make its PS4 debut on May 29, but fans will have to wait until June to dip into The Art of The Last of Us Part II. Spanning 200 pages, the book will be available as a Standard Edition ($39.99) and a limited Deluxe Edition ($89.99), though both will contain “an exhaustive collection of original art” and “intimate creator commentary” about the game’s design:

Follow Ellie’s profound and harrowing journey of vengeance through an exhaustive collection of original art and intimate creator commentary in this deluxe full-color hardcover volume: The Art of The Last of Us Part II.

Created in collaboration between Dark Horse Books and the developers at Naughty Dog, The Art of The Last of Us Part II offers extensive insights into the making of the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning The Last of Us. The Deluxe Edition also features an exclusive cover and slipcase, as well as a gallery-quality lithograph.

The Art of The Last of Us Part II will be available in bookstores on June 16.

Review Roundup – Journey to the Savage Planet

Journey to the Savage Planet is the debut game from Typhoon Studios, and it’s best described as a space adventure with a colorful art style and a whimsical sense of humor. You might see a passing resemblance to Hello Games’s No Man’s Sky and Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds in the game, though some critics point to Nintendo’s Metroid Prime as another inspiration.

Players will explore a mysterious (and, presumably, savage) planet as a newest employee of Earth’s “4th Best interstellar exploration company.” Cataloging animal life, exploring alien ruins, and battling slimy boss monsters are all on this space jockey’s to-do list.

Critics are split right down the middle on this budget game (it’s priced at $29.99), but all of them had at least a few positive things to say about it… Continue reading

Review Roundup – Tokyo Mirage Session FE Encore

Tokyo Mirage Session FE was a wild mashup of the Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem franchises that was originally released during the waning days of the Wii U in 2016.

At the time, few people knew it existed and even fewer played it. But Tokyo Mirage Session FE has built up quite the cult following in the years since it first launched, and now Nintendo has brought the RPG back in an enhanced re-release for the Switch as Tokyo Mirage Session FE Encore.

Are critics still in love with a game that combines musical adventures with interdimensional monster hunting? They most certainly are… Continue reading

Review Roundup – Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot launched today for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and it’s the latest game adaptation of the popular anime series from publisher Bandai Namco.

Kakarot offers players the chance to “experience life in the Dragon Ball Z world.” The massive RPG asks players to “fight, fish, eat, and train” as it attempts to retell the entire saga of Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and all the rest. Because it’s so big, most critics have opted to publish “Review In Progress” articles with their impressions, and so far the game has garnered a wide range of opinions.

Here’s what the critics had to say about it… Continue reading

Studio MDHR Serves Up a First Look at The Art of Cuphead

Dark Horse Comics originally announced The Art of Cuphead all the way back in March of 2019, and they planned to publish the 160-page book (featuring “early concepts, production work, and early ideas” from the game) this past October.

Unfortunately, the book’s release was eventually pushed back to the Spring of 2020, but Dark Horse had a good reason for the delay. With the extra time, the publisher was able to expand The Art of Cuphead to a whopping 264 pages, including content from the game’s upcoming expansion, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course:

Each page of this curated collection of artwork is designed to capture the vintage look and feel of the 1930’s. Take a gander at the game’s traditional hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation. Peek at the early concepts, production work, and early ideas that went into the making of Cuphead’s characters, bosses, stages and more including never-before-seen content from the upcoming DLC!

Relive the most cherished and challenging moments of Cuphead and Mugman’s adventure to reclaim their souls from The Devil, all in a way you’ve never seen before! Guided by personal insights from game directors Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, take a one-of-a-kind trip through the Inkwell Isles and discover an all-new appreciation for Cuphead’s animation style and challenging retro gameplay.

The Art of Cuphead will now be released on March 17, and the game’s developer, Studio MDHR, shared a sneak peek at the book earlier this week on Twitter:

In addition to The Delicious Last Course, Studio MDHR is also working with Netflix to produce The Cuphead Show! Perhaps some concept art from the animated series will make its way into The Art of Cuphead as well.

ALA Launches Game On! Grant Program

The American Library Association’s Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT) has announced a new grant program for librarians looking to build up their game collection. The Game On! Grant will offer funds to a librarian at any institution (public, school, academic, or special) interested in developing “gaming programs or collections” for their patrons:

The Games and Gaming Round Table of the American Library Association is proud to unveil a new annual grant program to enable libraries to develop gaming programs or collections for their public. Through the new Game On! grants $500.00 will be available to be awarded either as one grant of $500 or two of $250 each to assist a library or libraries in developing gaming programs or collections for their communities.

GameRT will be accepting proposals for the Game On! Grant annually from January 1st through March 1st that meet the following criteria:

Candidates must submit an electronic application, explaining why they are interested in the grant and how a new or expanded gaming program/collection will benefit their community. Selection is based upon the quality and appropriateness of the submitted proposals. Preference will be given to applicants who can demonstrate fiscal need for funds based on their institution’s budget.

The winner (or winners) will be announced at GameRT’s ALA Play event at the ALA Annual Conference.

Dark Horse’s The Art of Super Mario Odyssey is Now Available

Nintendo produced hit after hit for the Switch during its first year on the market in 2017. Breath of the Wild at launch… Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in April… Splatoon 2 in July… and Super Mario Odyssey in October. If you’ve got fond memories of that last one, then you should definitely pay attention to the latest tome from Dark Horse Comics.

The Art of Super Mario Odyssey is available on store shelves today, and it is packed with more than 360 pages of “concept art, preliminary sketches, and notes from the development team,” as well as “insight into some early ideas that didn’t make it into the game itself”:

In October of 2017, Super Mario Odyssey took the gaming world by storm. Now, discover the art and expertise that went into creating one of Nintendo’s best-loved games! This full-color hardcover volume clocks in at 368 pages and features concept art, preliminary sketches, and notes from the development team, plus insight into some early ideas that didn’t make it into the game itself! Explore the world of Super Mario Odyssey from every angle, including screen shots, marketing material, and more, to fully appreciate this captivating adventure.

The Art of Super Mario Odyssey is now available to purchase for $49.99, and a trailer for the book has been embedded above.

5 Books for Nintendo’s 130th Birthday @ Engadget

Nintendo was founded 130 years ago today, and there’s a lot of fascinating stories to be found in their long history. But Engadget’s Kris Naudus looked beyond David Sheff’s Game Over and found five more books that pull back the curtain just a bit on the secretive company:

Today is Nintendo’s 130th birthday. No, that’s not a typo. The company’s been around since before video games or even televisions. It started way back in 1883 making hanafuda — that’s a type of playing card with flowers on it. In fact, the company still makes them and you can even buy a set with Mario’s face on the cards.

[…]

From the Color TV-Game 6 to last week’s Switch Lite, it has a pretty storied history in gaming, and you can learn about all that and more though the less interactive but still entertaining realm of books.

There’s a lot to like in these choices, so pick up Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America by Jeff Ryan, Console Wars by Blake Harris, The Game Console by Evan Amos, 33 1/3: Koji Kondo’s Super Mario Bros. Soundtrack by Andrew Schartmann, and Tetris by Box Brown if you haven’t already.