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)!
Odencat announced Fuming-developed Dream Channel Zero
I’ve loved Odencat ever since I played Fishing Paradiso. But with Dream Channel Zero, the developer/publisher is publishing something outside of its own games. Dream Channel Zero is a surreal, crazy, and cryptic adventure game about a boy named Akita who gets sucked into the world of a mysterious video games. He meets Rumiko, who seems normal enough, and they team up to conquer whatever this strange game throws at them and to try and find a way out.
The game’s stage are laid out in a “retro manner” (whatever that means) and has players travelling around an animated world map as they explore locations, trying to hunt down each stage’s boss. Along the way, trigger enemy encounters, visit shops, and discover option events. There is some freedom when it comes to the order in which levels are cleared: simply turn a dial and instantly change the channel, hopping to a different stage.
Developed by Fuming and published by Odencat, Dream Channel Zero will be released for PC/Mac/Linux in “winter” 2024 (presumably this means Q1).
Hanafuda-themed otome visual novel Hana Awase New Moon launches for Switch in October
I can’t believe we’re already at the point in 2023 when games are being announced for October! Hana Awase New Moon has, until now, only been available for PC in Japan; but it’s been announced that the game will be coming (in English) to Nintendo Switch! The popular hanafuda-themed otome visual novel spawned a series, and this game will be the “transplant” of all four volumes of the game. This version also includes an original short story and a renewed hanafuda battle design.
Kasen is a card game played with hanafuda cards. Only those with certain abilities can harness the unique power of the flowers. These people are generally male, and the five most powerful individuals at Kasen National Academy are nicknamed the Five Brights. The story unfolds at the academy, and involves the Five Brights and the maidens devoted to them.
Published by dramatic create, Hana Awase New Moon will be released for Nintendo Switch worldwide on October 26.
Maquette is coming to Switch this week
First-person recursive puzzle game Maquette will be coming to Nintendo Switch! The game is already available for PC and PlayStation, and will eventually be launched for Xbox, but it’s always nice to have things available on Nintendo Switch. It’s still my primary gaming console, and I know I’m not alone with that!
In Maquette’s world, every building, plant, and object and simultaneously tiny and huge. It twists the world into itself in an Escher-esque fashion. Head to the centre of the world to feel like a giant that towers over buildings and walls. Venture further out and start to feel small as things get larger and larger, to the point cracks in the ground become chasms. Explore the scales of everyday problems in a modern-day love story, where sometimes the smallest of issues become insurmountable obstacles. (I think we can all relate to that!)
Developed by Graceful Decay and published by Annapurna Interactive, Maquette will be released for Nintendo Switch on May 25. It is currently available for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.
Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten releases this September for PlayStation
Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten is the latest in the Utawarerumono series, and is set to launch outside of Japan this September; there are two launch dates, one for North America and the other for Europe/Oceania. It features classic turn-based RPG gameplay and systems alongside modern quality of life features. Also, it’s Utawarerumono’s 20th anniversary this year – happy birthday to the iconic series!
The game follows Oshtor, a young fighter who lives a quiet life with his mother and sister. His world is shattered when he meats a mysterious young girl, Shunya, who claims his dead father is in fact alive and well. Her actions continue to create questions, like who is she? Where did he come from? Oshtor will take a journey to discover the truth about both his father and this enigmatic young lady.
Developed by Aquaplus and published by NIS America, Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten will be released for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on September 5 (North America) and September 8 (Europe, Oceania).
