‘Into The Gap’, initially released in February 1984, was the fourth album by Thompson Twins.

It was a multi-platinum album on both sides of the Atlantic, staying at number one in the UK for three weeks and being top ten in the US. The album produced four massive hit singles: ‘Hold Me Now’, a top-five smash in the UK and the US, ‘Doctor Doctor’, ‘You Take Me Up’, and ‘Sister Of Mercy’.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of ‘Into The Gap’, the album has been remastered at Abbey Road by Frank Arkwright and will be reissued as a comprehensive 3-CD set featuring new sleevenotes with interviews with all three band members, a limited edition red vinyl LP, a digital deluxe version and Dolby Atmos digital and Bluray. David Kosten mixed the Dolby Atmos version.

In the 40 years since their commercial peak, Thompson Twins have finally been recognised as quiet visionaries. The band was multi-gender and multiracial, taking on Middle Eastern and Jamaican influences and melding them with cutting-edge technology alongside producer Alex Sadkin (Grace Jones, Robert Palmer, Bob Marley And The Wailers) at the famous Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas.

After an early seven-piece version of the band dissolved, the remaining threesome, Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway, recorded the groundbreaking ‘Quick Step & Side Kick’ album, which broke the top 40 in the US and reached number 2 in the UK. Remarking on the time Tom Bailey remembers “We were no longer a band, Instead, we were designers of pop music. We divided ourselves so that Alannah wrote our lyrics, I wrote our music and Joe, who had come from the theatre, was in charge of our live side, working with Alannah on how we presented ourselves visually.”

The shift to a trio also meant a change in sound, looking back Alannah says ‘The whole reason we were able to make those tracks was because we discovered the synthesiser and drum machine so suddenly we were able to make big sounding records with only three of us in the studio. Marrying traditional instruments and percussion with big synth sounds to get the human warmth with cool machines was what we aimed for. We were constantly accused of it not being ‘real music’, especially in America, because we rejected the who concept of rock and roll and guitars in favour of synthesisers and percussion.”

Tom notes that Alannah’s lyrics were key in making the music resonate “Alannah writing the lyrics was a gift for making our music universal. The words had to mean something to me, but they also had to mean something to the person you don’t know who’s dancing on a Saturday night. Alannah’s lyrics fitted how she was thinking and how I performed. I was able to fully inhabit her ideas.” Joe Leeway also recognises Alannah’s trailblazing spirit “Things are done differently now. All the way up to Doja Cat, women have their own audiences and their own authority. Generations now don’t remember how different it was. I learned a lot from Alannah, who brought a lot about respect for women in a male-dominated world. Alannah writing our lyrics was part of that.”

Once the album was completed, Thompson Twins took to the road In support of the album. The band toured the US extensively, playing their own shows and massive stadiums in support of The Police. All of the trio’s hard work paid off in the USA in 1984 when ‘Into The Gap’ entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #10, and the band, including two future members of The Cure, played a 50-date tour, including sold-out shows at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

There would be further highs in the band’s career, including having Madonna and Nile Rodgers perform with them at Live Aid and the underrated ‘Here’s To Future Days’ album, but ‘Into The Gap’ was the moment that Thompson Twins captured the Zeitgeist on two continents. It was a very long way from the squat in Clapham, London, where the band had formed just seven years earlier. To bring the album full circle, Tom Bailey has recently toured the world playing the album in full to rapturous audiences eager to hear these classic songs live once more.

The post THOMPSON TWINS ‘INTO THE GAP’ – 40th ANNIVERSARY appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

ININ and TAITO have again come together to provide retro gamers and arcade fans with the ultimate gaming experience.

The TAITO Milestones Collection will receive its deserved sequel, with the two partners bringing ten more beloved classics from TAITO’s vault to modern consoles. But for everyone who has already got to experience the first TAITO Milestones, ININ prepared a few options that will allow you to expand your personal arcade collection, as often before, available for pre-order NOW through their partner store Strictly Limited Games.

Apart from the Retail and Digital Edition of TAITO Milestones 2, with the retail edition already available for pre-order, TAITO Milestones 2 will be available worldwide as a Limited Edition

As a tribute to collectors, ININ prepared some bundle options for you to have all 20 arcade classics in one single collection.

TAITO Milestones 1&2 Bundle offers all 20 gems in one Limited Edition Collection, featuring an additional Arcade booklet in an attractive cardboard slipcase, limited to 400 copies worldwide.

TAITO Milestones 1&2 Bundle Upgrade is designed for those who have already purchased the first Milestones collection, featuring the Limited Edition of TAITO Milestones 2 and an exciting Arcade booklet in a colorful cardboard slipcase which will let you also store the edition you already own.

TAITO Milestones 1&2 Collector’s Bundle is the ultimate TAITO’s vault Collector’s Edition, featuring the Collector’s Edition of the first TAITO Milestones collection, the Limited Edition of the second TAITO Milestones collection and of course the educative Arcade booklet, all in a colorful cardboard slipcase. Limited to 400 copies worldwide.

TAITO Milestones 1&2 Collector’s Bundle Upgrade is designed for the biggest supporters, who have already put their hands on a TAITO Milestones Collector’s Edition and only wish to complete their collection. Featuring the Limited Edition of TAITO Milestones 2 and the exciting Arcade booklet, this bundle comes in a colorful cardboard slipcase which will let you also store the edition you already own.

Twenty games, each representing a specific breakthrough in the development and gaming history and spanning a variety of genres. Platform, sports, shooting, puzzle and more, all releasing on Nintendo Switch.

All editions will be released on September 29th, 2023.

The post Taito to Release 20 Vault Classics appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Imprint has been doing an awesome job bringing movies to Blu-ray. Everything from older classics like War of the Worlds, to more recent movies that are old enough they are worth visiting or revisiting if you have had some time away from them.

After Dark: Neo Noir Cinema Collection One brings 6 noir style movies from the 90’s into a really interesting box set.

The box contains the movies Mortal Thoughts, Rush, One False Move, Flesh and Bone, Twilight, and After Dark, My Sweet. And yes the last one is After Dark, My Sweet. The use of that comma in the title makes it a pain to put in a list.

If you have watched a selection of these then you will understand that the movies are incredibly different. The connection of them being noir movies makes it a great bundle, but they all have different plots, different writing styles, different pacing, etc. As someone who has somehow never seen any of these flicks this was great. I was nervous I would be watching too much same same, turns out it wasn’t at all the case.

Take Mortal Thoughts for example. Bruce Willis and Demi Moore star in the gem. Bruce Willis plays the most asshole of asshole husbands. One day he winds up dead and his wife and her best friend are left dealing with the situation. The whole story is framed in the husbands wife (Demi Moore) telling the story to the cops. Initially the movie seems to just be showing the plot, but as it goes on you realize that some of the things you saw are her version of events, and some things aren’t quite right. It isn’t the greatest movie around, but some really solid performances make it a really good watch.

Flesh and Bone on the other hand is a more straightforward story. A young boy and his father are robbing a house when the family wakes up. They are forced to kill everyone but leaves a baby alive. The movie jumps  forward and that boy is working a normal day job when he meets a young woman. Their lives become even more entangled and a romance builds, the kicker, he is the young boy and she was that baby. It all crashes together when they run into his dad.

This movie is slower burn with some relaxed pacing that can be unnecessarily drawn out. Dennis Quade is half decent but Gwenyth Paltrow and Meg do awesome and really give the movie the strength it needed.

Rush on the other hand tells the story of an undercover officer who is trying to get to the bottom of the drug dealership in the town. He needs a new partner and so a young rookie joins him.

He takes her through the ropes of being an undercover narcotics cop and one day they are forced to do actual drugs. Apparently drugs are addictive as hell and so their lives become a bit more crazy and they are forced to make some less than ethical choices. This one has really weird pacing as it jumps through time, then slows the hell down. Again though the movie itself becomes really powerful thanks to the acting involved.

I won’t go through the plot of all 6 movies but as you should be able to tell, they are all very different stories. They are all in that kind of B grade tier of quality, but all elevated via some excellent acting. This is what makes the collection a really good one, these are gems I hadn’t seen but I am definitely glass I have now.

Each movie is in its own Blu-ray case and all of them slot into a nice hardcover box. Also included in the box is a great little book that gives some interesting insight into each movie. On top of this is the cool new special features. Some of the flicks have features with people involved in the movie, but recorded now so they have the benefits of insight. It’s a great touch for the collection.

After Dark: Neo Noir Cinema Collection One is a great Blu-ray collection of consistently good movies.

None of them are outstanding, but they are all really worth your while watching, and as a collection it couldn’t make for a better week of movie nights.

The post After Dark – Neo Noir Cinema Collection (Bluray) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Archival label Light in the Attic is thrilled to announce the first official reissue of Nancy & Lee: the highly-influential 1968 duet album from Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood.

Set for release on May 20th and available for pre-order now, this definitive edition of Nancy & Lee features newly-remastered audio by the GRAMMY nominated engineer John Baldwin and includes an array of exclusive content, including a new interview with Nancy, never-before-seen photos, and two bonus tracks from the album sessions: an ethereal cover of The Kinks’ “Tired of Waiting for You” and an up-tempo version of “Love Is Strange” (first made famous by Mickey & Sylvia in 1956).

While the recordings – both captured in January 1968 – will make their official debut on vinyl in May 2022, “Love Is Strange” is currently available now to stream across all digital platforms. Click here to pre-order Nancy & Lee and stream/download first single “Love Is Strange.”

Nancy & Lee can be found in a variety of formats, including vinyl, cassette tape, CD, 8-track, and digital.

The vinyl LP, pressed at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI), is presented in an expanded gatefold jacket and features the iconic, original cover photo by Ron Joy. Inside, a 20-page booklet offers an array of photos from the legendary singer, actress, and activist’s personal collection, as well as an in-depth Q&A with Sinatra, conducted by the reissue’s GRAMMY nominated co-producer, Hunter Lea (also available in the CD package).

In addition to the classic black vinyl pressing, a selection of colorful variants can be found at independent record stores and select online retailers.

The post First-ever reissue for Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood’s ‘Nancy & Lee’ appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) and Authentic Brands Group (ABG), a global brand owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises, announced an exclusive global publishing deal to represent the historic song catalog of the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” Elvis Presley.

A global music icon and one of America’s most prominent cultural catalysts, Presley helped revolutionize rock and roll, transforming it into a mainstream, commercial genre, pioneering the future of music itself. With songs that are among the most recognizable and popular in history, Presley’s vast musical legacy spans pop, country, R&B, contemporary and gospel.

As part of the expanded relationship, UMPG and ABG will represent Presley’s catalog of legendary hits worldwide, excluding the UK, including “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “It’s Now or Never,” “Memories,” “A Little Less Conversation,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Love Me Tender,” “Viva Las Vegas,” “Teddy Bear,” “Amazing Grace,” “All Shook Up,” “Tears On My Pillow” and countless more everlasting songs.

ELVIS™ and ELVIS PRESLEY™ are trademarks of ABG EPE IP LLC

The agreement builds upon Universal Music’s existing relationship with ABG. In November 2021, Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, and ABG, one of the world’s leading intellectual property owners and entertainment companies, announced a strategic initiative to acquire and actively manage artist brands. In working together, the companies joined forces to expand the legacies and cultural impact of artists worldwide across a wide range of consumer touchpoints to drive opportunities in merchandise, memorabilia, endorsements, brand experiences and content, among many others.

Widely acclaimed as the best-selling solo music artist of all time, Presley has sold more than 500 million records. He holds the record for most songs charting on Billboard’s Top 40 with 114 hits, including an astonishing 40 within the top 10 and 18 reaching number one.

Presley won three Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame, Gospel Hall of Fame, Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the Honky Tonk Hall of Fame, among others. Presley also holds numerous records including the most RIAA certified Gold and Platinum albums, the most albums charted on the Billboard 200, the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the UK Albums Chart, and the most number-one singles by any act on the UK Singles Chart.

ELVIS™ and ELVIS PRESLEY™ are trademarks of ABG EPE IP LLC

Marc Cimino, Chief Operating Officer at UMPG, said: “Elvis Presley has had an unprecedented and lasting global impact on music and pop culture. Jody Gerson and I, along with UMPG’s teams around the world, couldn’t be more excited and honored to work with ABG in making sure that Elvis’ iconic legacy endures for generations to come.”

As one of the world’s leading brand owners, ABG’s portfolio includes iconic celebrity brands such as Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali, and creates memorable brand experiences that come to life across key consumer touchpoints, platforms and emerging media.

“2022 is shaping up to be a banner year for Elvis, highlighted by the highly-anticipated theatrical release this June of ‘Elvis’ directed by Baz Luhrmann, as well as the debut of Netflix’s upcoming animated action series ‘Agent King’,” said Marc Rosen, President, Entertainment at ABG. “We are honored to work in partnership with UMPG as guardians of Elvis’ incomparable catalog, bringing his music and cultural influence to audiences around the world.”

ELVIS™ and ELVIS PRESLEY™ are trademarks of ABG EPE IP LLC

It is hard to overstate the impact that Presley had on pop music and American popular culture. Presley’s unswerving devotion to the music itself – rather than existing norms – ultimately paid off. Channeling R&B, gospel and country influences through his unique voice and audacious charisma onstage, Presley struck a spark with diverse audiences that helped ignite the age of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

In many ways, Presley’s cultural impact was amplified by his early and enthusiastic embrace of TV, film and video – a crossover that would revolutionize the way people danced, inspired visual artists, laid the foundation for MTV and modern music videos, and ultimately transformed the entire genre of live performance.

With Presley’s catalog now represented by UMPG and ABG, his music will continue to reach, captivate and inspire fans for generations to come.

The post UMPG & ABG AGREE TO EXCLUSIVE PUBLISHING OF ELVIS PRESLEY’S CATALOG appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

SNK CORPORATION is proud to announce that BIG BANG PRO WRESTLING is available to download today, March 31st 2022, for the Nintendo Switch.

Muscle-bound wrestlers take the stage for a bombastic all-out brawl. The easy controls allow you to pull off sick and devastating special moves from the push of a button.

The ring is calling you: The game offers ten fighters to choose from, including fledging newbies, masked wrestlers, and hulking heavyweights. Each wrestler comes with their own personalized Finishing Move.

Players will have to fulfill the proper conditions and let it rip to win the fight. Change up the rules with exciting modes like Coffin Death Match where your goal is to toss your opponent into a coffin. Or, try to steal away the reward in Reward Death Match to really stick it to your opponent.

The instruction manual featured within the game is from the original NEOGEO Pocket Color version. Therefore, the control explanations may differ from those on the Nintendo Switch. Local “VS MATCH” is possible, but online functions are disabled.

BIG BANG PRO WRESTLING places you in to the retro ring now.

The post NEOGEO Pocket Color classic BIG BANG PRO WRESTLING now on Switch appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Multi-Grammy winning superstar Michael Bublé will be releasing HIGHER, his 11th studio album on Warner Records / Reprise Records.

Bublé’s first single, “I’ll Never Not Love You” finds the multi-Grammy, multi-Juno and multi-platinum selling global superstar entertainer at the peak of his vocal and creative powers.

Produced by Greg Wells and Bob Rock along with Allen Chang, Jason ‘Spicy G’ Goldman and Sir Paul McCartney, HIGHER is Bublé’s first studio album in three years and follows his hugely successful sold out two-year global “An Evening With Michael Bublé Tour” as well as the 10th year of the massive success of his classic Christmas album.

Standouts on the new album include a magical duet with Willie Nelson of his song “Crazy,” a Bublé heartfelt version of the Sir Paul McCartney penned song “My Valentine” (produced by McCartney), the Bob Dylan classic “Make You Feel My Love,” and three Bublé penned originals including the new single “I’ll Never Not Love You.” Other highlights are Bublé’s take on the Sam Cooke’s classic “Bring It On Home To Me,” “You’re The First,  The Last, My Everything,” and the joyous “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.” The album closes with a dramatic and breathtaking version of “Smile” accompanied by a gospel choir.

Commented Bublé, “This time out, I opened myself up completely to trying new things. I dug deeper while working and surrounding myself with the greatest music makers on the planet with gigantic imaginations.  Whether it was sitting down to write with Ryan Tedder and Greg Wells, recording three songs in one day with my pal Bob Rock along with 40 of the most amazing musicians off the studio floor who hadn’t played music in 15 months, dancing around laughing and crying in my underwear in my home studio when a song sounded just right, every moment felt magical or that the universe was conspiring to bring me to this moment in time 20 years into this amazing ride I’ve been on. I have never been more excited after completing an album.”

“Michael Bublé is a great dance partner. He gives me lots of credit but I credit him for opening up his trust to try working with a new team. He’s a phenomenal hitmaker,” commented Greg Wells.

Added Bob Rock, “Since I’ve worked with him, this was the most focused and inspired Michael has been. He understood the record he wanted to make. He had a clear vision. As soon as we started, he stuck his neck out to make each song get to the place that he was hearing it in his head.”

Michael Bublé started singing at age four in his family’s home in Burnaby, Canada and hasn’t stopped since that time. His self-titled debut album on Reprise Records was released in 2005. A series of multi-platinum, No. 1 albums followed including Call Me Irresponsible, Crazy Love, To Be Loved and Christmas. His most recent album Love debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200.  He has sold over 75 million albums during the course of his extraordinary career.  His Christmas album, released ten years ago continues to sell and stream in the millions and billions and his voice has become synonymous with the holiday season.

As a performer, Bublé has enjoyed enormous success these past several decades as one of the most exciting global touring artists out there with sold out shows in over 30 countries. His most recent tour, “An Evening With Michael Bublé” from 2019-2022 was seen by over a million fans around the world.  He loves hockey, fantasy football, TikTok, and singing. He is the proud father of Noah, Eli and Vida.

Michael Bublé – Higher is out now.

The post MICHAEL BUBLÉ ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM HIGHER appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The 80’s were a crazy time.

Back to the Future was made, Ride the Lightning and Justice For All were released.

Super Mario Bros. dropped on the NES.

Then on top of that, an American company bought over an anime series, but to make it long enough for syndication they grabbed two other unrelated anime series with a similar look and jammed them into one shockingly good series.

That series is Robotech.

Now if you are like me, this 80’s gem actually missed you by.

I am not sure if it even released in NZ and that meant it kinda missed our sphere of existence (even if I wasn’t old enough in the 80’s to say anime) but it was only real recently that I’d heard of it.  What I did know is it was one of the early dubbed anime series and I was very interested to check out the hype. That absolutely crazy backstory had me even more intrigued.

Robotech tells of an Earth where an alien spaceship crashed in the South Pacific.

After a heap of work and research, humans repair the tech and use it to make other cool tech like mechs. In this process they discover that there is of course advanced technology in the hands of aliens and as such the world comes together to make their defense force in case it is ever needed.

It was. I mean of course it was right?  What kind of a mech anime would a show be if no enemies came to use the mechs against.

The first series follows Rick who is an excellent pilot and really good at causing mischief.  He is going to the launch of a new massive ship because his soldier brother Roy is doing a big unveiling of the tech.

Rick is checking out some cool new planes when the original owners of the tech come to earth and Earth finds themselves in their very first battle with aliens. Roy isn’t a soldier but is instructed to fly by people not realizing who he is and he takes off and starts battling away.

Before we know it our protagonist is shooting down enemy vessels and then he discovers something extraordinary, his ship turns into a mech and he crash lands.

It’s an absolutely bizarre story  and it’s a wild ride. Roy is a much more flawed hero when adjusting to the tech than we are used to and the couple of episodes where he is really green is a great ride. This season that ensues is dubbed the first Robotech war.

The second and third Robotech wars take place a few years after.

Each involving a new species coming to earth and being fought off by humans and their mechs. I won’t go too much into all of it because I wrote heaps just covering how the first season started.

The animation team that brought the series over made new episodes to link the TV shows and made changes throughout to make them link. Somehow they make one excellent old school anime series.

This Box Set has all three on Bluray.

The footage has been tidied up a bit so it looks nice and crisp and bright. But what they have done is kept the graininess in the footage which really helps make the show feel like the important part of history that it is.

On top of this the box set comes with 7 hours of footage. This includes insane amounts of cutscenes and things like music videos, but I was drawn to a documentary.

This behind the scenes documentary is just utter excellence. It is from it’s time and the people in America bringing over the show talk about how Japanese animation has its benefits, and the show was a chance to save heaps of cash by using their animation and technology. Watching them talk about anime as a new thing for America is fascinating, and the terrible CRT TV’s in shot make me thankful for the era we live in now.

The Collector’s Edition isn’t just a digital treat.

On top of all that awesome, the Blu Ray cases come slid in a rough paper sleeve which feels really good and they then slot into a bigger hard Robotech case.

It is weird to harp on about something like that but I really rate it.

As well as that the package comes with some really cool Robotech iron on patches but best of all a couple of figures.

The first is a mini Roy, but best of all is a transforming version of his mech. This can switch from plane, to guardian, to mech mode and that is fricking awesome.

If, like me you were / are curious then the new Robotech Complete Series – Limited Collector’s Edition is the best way to enjoy it.

You can watch and enjoy this iconic series with so much valuable extra content, and then on top of that the physical bonuses are well worth their addition.  It is an insanely awesome edition of a classic anime series.

The post Robotech Complete Series (Bluray) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Now other classic consoles are just toys!

Retro Games announces that the THEA500 Mini, a fully licensed reimagining of the much-loved 16-bit home computer, has now entered full production and is scheduled for release in March 2022.

Over the past few months the final list of included games has been announced, cumulating in the final game announcement, the seminal Stunt Car Racer from industry legend Geoff Crammond.  This ground-breaking game received high praise from press around its launch in 1989, including a 93% in Amiga Format magazine and 92% in CU Amiga-64. Other recently announced games include Arcade Pool and Project-X Special Edition 93 from Team 17, F-16 Combat Pilot from Digital Integration and Super Cars II from Gremlin.

This brings the full games list to 25, every one a highly regarded and critically acclaimed Amiga classic.  In addition, if you own other original Amiga games, these can be played via USB stick utilising the WHDLoad functionality of the THEA500.  With users able to tweak setup, controller options and display settings.

 The launch stock of the THEA500 Mini is expected to leave the manufacturing plant in early January 2022.  In addition, due to many fan requests, standalone “solus” packs of the Mouse and Gamepad will also be made available in selected territories.

“Over the last couple of months, my team have been hard at work finalising the firmware of the THEA500® Mini as well as working closely with our manufacturing partners to ensure the highest production quality” said Chris Smith, CTO at Retro Games, “and as a commitment to our very loyal fans, we will also be shortly putting out a new Christmas THEC64 firmware update”.

“In addition, we have in the past excelled at the unboxing experience and feel that this time we have surpassed expectations and will be bringing you our best looking product yet”, follows up Paul Andrews, Managing Director at Retro Games.

THEA500 Mini comes with the original style 2-button mouse and newly engineered 8-button precision gamepad. It hits the shops on March 25th 2022.

The post Here Comes the THEA500 Mini appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Anodyne 2: Return to Dust, the deeply personal lo-fi 2D and 3D adventure game from developer Analgesic Productions and publisher Ratalaika Games S.L., begins a dreamy journey today on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Nano Dust distorts the emotions and desires of the dreamy denizens of New Theland.

To help save those afflicted, The Center creates people called Nano Cleaners, capable of shrinking down, entering beings, and removing the Nano Dust. One such Cleaner named Nova awakens, ready to scrub minds and win hearts.

Traverse a fantastical lo-fi 3D overworld that feels like a half-remembered dream rendered on a PlayStation 1. Drift across genres and tones, feeling whimsical one moment and tragic the next. Roam by foot or transform into a car to find those suffering from Dust, then shrink down to enter their mindscapes. Once inside, wield Nova’s Nano Vacuum to solve puzzles and battle bosses in top-down 2D dungeons inspired by SNES games to remove the Dust.

Deposit Dust to further expand the world and find new citizens to assist. Meet new characters who question the ways of Nova’s creators at The Center. What exactly is Nano Dust? How does it really affect everyone in New Theland? Nova’s curiosity just might lead her to a whole new perspective if she listens to her heart.

With only two creators behind Anodyne 2, each aspect of New Theland feels lovingly crafted. Unravel late-game secrets to explore cut levels and better understand the oft-understood world of game development with commentary straight from the devs. Wander through Marina Kittaka’s surreal dreamscapes accompanied by Melos Han-Tani’s eclectic, emotional soundtrack.

“Anodyne 2 is a unique sequel, accessible to newcomers and fans alike, filled with Marina and I’s peculiarities and design sensibilities,” said Melos Han-Tani, co-founder of Analgesic Productions. “Games as groundbreaking as Anodyne 2 rarely come along, and I guarantee you’ll find yourself affected by its emotional narrative and surprising mixture of 3D and 2D gameplay!”

Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Cross-Buy and Smart Delivery ensure that PlayStation and Xbox purchases respectively have access to both current and next-gen versions of Anodyne 2.

Anodyne 2 is also available on PC via Steam.

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The post PS1 Inspired Anodyne 2 Released appeared first on Shane the Gamer.