FTS: "TANUKI: Pon's Summer" Revealed at Xbox Tokyo Game Show Broadcast (PC, Xbox)

CRITICAL REFLEX & DENKIWORKS REVEAL TANUKI: PON’S SUMMER AT THE XBOX TOKYO GAME SHOW 2024 BROADCAST

Bike through a picturesque Japanese village, deliver mail, land sick tricks and make friends in this Japanese summer adventure, coming to Xbox and PC

TOKYO – Sept. 26, 2024 – Look at the little guy go! At the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2024 Broadcast, CRITICAL REFLEX and indie developer Denkiworks officially revealed TANUKI: Pon’s Summer, a colorful, epic, and chill adventure about an adorable BMX-riding mailman set in a delightful Japanese town. Who said hardcore can’t be cute?! TANUKI: Pon’s Summer is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam.

Step into the furry paws of Pon and BMX in style as a part-time mailman in a picturesque Japanese town, delivering packages, pulling off tricks, and helping locals with quests. In this awesome summer adventure, you’ll enjoy fun activities like bug catching, plating sushi, baseball, sumo and more while unlocking a variety of decorations to restore the Great Tanuki Shrine for the end-of-summer Matsuri festival! Experience village life and create your own unique story as you befriend (or annoy) a cast of quirky townsfolk and manage your relationships with an intuitive, emoji-based dialogue system!

Key Features

• Ride your bike freely while doing sick BMX tricks, grinds, flips and stunts
• Deliver packages and complete odd jobs around the village as a part-time mailman
• Enjoy summer activities like bug catching, karaoke, fishing, baseball and more
• Make friends with – or even upset – the quirky townsfolk with a fun emoji-based dialogue system
• Unlock different decorations to restore the Great Tanuki Shrine
• Explore a lovingly crafted world inspired by the developers’ lived experiences in Kyoto, Aomori, Sapporo and Beppu. Hot summer days in Japan await!

Enjoy the Full Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2024 Broadcast and... game on!

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Gaming To The Rescue: Gaming Put Fun Back Into His Life

Names slightly altered to so the individuals aren't easily identified.

This is a very random topic since it's fresh off of a conversation I had with a guy who's in a much better place right now, thanks to gaming. Shout out to Phil (& Ben). So Phil is dealing with a situation where his roommate jumped into a new place before the end of his lease with Phil... because the guy met someone special who wanted him to move in after a month. (Yeah, that's a wholeeeeee different topic for another day.) So now... Phil is working 10 hours per day on a job that was already bringing him stress while working the standard 40 hours/week. Now he has to work 50 to 60/week until he can move into a 1 bedroom apartment free of his current lease or find a roommate until his lease comes to an end... next summer. Next... Summer. He has a window to get out at the top of the new year, but that's not exactly a week or even a month away. I mentioned legal action, which he's already considering, but... he's on the fence about it. Definitely jacked up, but he's making it work.

The topic of gaming came up, when I suggested a few things to keep his stress down. It's no mystery that gaming can relieve stress... but he was on the fence about gaming until he heard Benny and another co-worker talking about Madden. One thing led to another, and he got an Xbox to play with them online. What started with him playing games here and there, turned into him connecting with them online and playing at a set time for a set amount of time per day.

He said the gaming won't change his annoying (fill in the blank) supervisor, but he said the gaming put fun back into his life... which wasn't there even prior to this situation. But doing something you like to do provides instant gratification after a long day, relieving that stress takes the edge off, and he boosted his social connection with Benny and whoever their fellow co-worker is. We've mentioned some of these things before, but it's really cool to hear how gaming made a positive impact on his life at this time. It didn't change the job, but he looks forward to something after work and talking with a few of his co-workers based on a mutual activity.

Speaking of a mutual activity, it didn't stop there because now they're working out together and sharing meal plans and things like that. I asked him if he thought this would've occured if his roommate didn't move out, and he didn't think so. So the glass is half full and with working out he feels even better, so after moving not only will he still have his game time, lower rent, a steady workout regimen, but he appears to have new friends. He didn't even realize what he gained, but what an awesome trade off it is.

So don't sleep on gaming and connection with those of likemind. Friends weren't even on his radar, and a number of people feel like making friends is like climbing a mountain (nowadays)... but common ground can connect us in more ways than we realize. Oh, by the way... Psychology Today, says that you get a dopamine release from gaming, which is also known as the "happiness hormone". This helps improve your mood and overall well-being. Work-Life Balance immediately comes to mind, and different genre's can serve up different benefits to a degree as well. Open-world and sandbox games allow for creativity and freedom, which is why some of us (i'm in this boat as well) can get wrapped into a game for hours because it gives us the tools to build.

You also have your cognitive benefits that help with problem-solving, mindfulness and flow, etc. So for those of you who find yourselves busy busy and stressed out, consider picking up a game controller.

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Iron Meat: A Nostalgic Ride Down “Contra" Street

If you’re a fan of classic 2D run-and-gun shooters, then “Iron Meat” is a game that will take you on a nostalgic journey down “Contra Street.” While it isn’t trying to be a direct clone of the iconic Contra series, Iron Meat brings back that familiar feeling in its own unique way. With animations reminiscent of a “Heavy Metal” animated film, this game will have you reminiscing about the good old days of arcade gaming (minus the quarters).

Iron Meat is a fast-paced, run-and-gun shooter that immerses players in a world overrun by The Meat—an all-consuming interdimensional biomass. Players will battle against mutated victims and machines, dodge bullet barrages, and crush bosses in nine levels of gore-ific brutality. As Vadim, you must fight back against The Meat and stop the terrors spawned from scientist Yuri Markov’s experiments on the Moon.

Key Features:

• Multi-Phase Boss Fights: Iron Meat pays homage to classic run-and-gun titles with intense boss fights that have multiple phases. With three difficulty settings, players can test their skills, with higher difficulties offering even more challenging boss battles.
• Multiplayer Couch Co-Op: Take on The Meat invasion with a friend in 2-player couch co-op mode. Double the firepower, double the carnage, and double the MEAT!
• Over 30 Unlockable Skins: Customize your character with over 30 unlockable skins. Mix and match parts to create unique combinations, from a shark head on a robot body to a cowboy with demon wings.

Iron Meat isn’t just about nostalgia; the devs are delivering a fresh, 2D experience that makes you want to dive back into the world of classic arcade shooters through a game that the devs want to be bad ass in its own right. Whether you’re gunning down grotesque creatures or dodging environmental hazards, Iron Meat offers an action packed ride from start to finish. Grab another player... because it just makes sense.

If you’re lucky enough to score a physical copy, thumbs up! If not, no worries—it’s available digitally on Switch and PS5 for 10% off until October 10th. Suit up with a friend and… game on!

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