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Splatfest is coming back

TODAY: You can actually defeat Urizen in Devil May Cry 5’s prologue — Looking for a new indie game for Switch? We have recommendations — Microsoft should be unveiling a second new Xbox console soon

Splatfest Returns

New Splatoon 2 Splatfest next month

The eternal battle between Team Mayo and Team Ketchup rages on, and Splatfest will return on May 22nd.

Team Mayo emerged victorious last time, but Team Ketchup is unlikely to take it lying down. Nintendo announced the surprise event after the latest Splatoon 2 update, which rebalanced weapons. The last Splatfest took place in July 2019, but it seems like the war of the condiments is not over after all.

Demo discount: There is also a special Splatoon 2 demo event between April 29th and May 6th. You can enjoy “Turf War, Ranked Battle, Salmon Run, and more” and buy the game at a discount through Nintendo eShop along with a 7-day free trial of Switch Online.

Time For A Quick Daily Quiz?

What was the first Jurassic Park game to let you build your own dino park?

  • Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis
  • Scan Command: Jurassic Park
  • Jurassic Park: Trespasser
  • Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues

The answer will be revealed at the bottom of today’s issue. Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss what the answer could be.

Daily Fact

If you’re good enough you can end Devil May Cry 5 before it even begins

Fans waited over a decade for a sequel to Devil May Cry 4 but if you’re a seasoned devil hunter you can actually finish the game before it has even begun. The prologue can end up being the decisive battle and cause Nero to become the new legendary hero.

Devil May Cry 5 opens with a battle against the powerful demon Urizen, which is meant to show how far you have to go before you can size up to a proper demon by slapping you around a bit and set up the game’s story. But if you’re bad-ass (and incredibly patient) you can actually defeat him right off the bat and end the game!

Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss today’s fact.

Game Spotlights

Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition

Version tested: Switch

It’s a bit hard to play, and it takes a while to wrap your head around the game’s roguelike systems but it’s all worth it to explore the world of Fallen London as captain of the Unterzee. No-one writes stories quite like Failbetter Games, and there’s definitely nothing else quite like Sunless Seas.

If you’ve already played Sunless Sea to death or simply can’t stand roguelikes and their permadeath mechanics, there’s no reason to buy the Switch version. If you’re one of the lucky few who have yet to go mad on a submarine, then you can look forward to nice, treacly roguelike fun with a quintessentially British wit.

Need convincing? It’s the only handheld game where you can go insane and eat your own crew!

DailyBits Verdict: Highly Recommended

ITTA

Version tested: Switch

Picture a mix between Moonrise Fall and Ikaruga, and you’re not too far off from the unusual but very engaging ITTA (https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/itta-switch/) . It’s a boss rush bullet hell action game mixed with slow-paced, atmospheric exploration and if you like either or both of those things, you should play it.

Sure, there are some flaws like slowdown in busy fights while playing in handheld mode, but otherwise it’s a delight: Pretty art and animation, good accessibility options and a surprisingly melancholic sotry. Get ready for tough as nail fights (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V78FKao9h0g) and a distressingly sad world.

DailyBits Verdict: Highly Recommended

Xbox Series S Reveal

Microsoft might unveil Lockhart in May

While Microsoft has been most eager to talk about Xbox Series X, there is also a second new Xbox console codenamed Lockhart.

It seems reasonable to assume that Lockhart is the cheaper and less powerful version of the next Xbox, but Microsoft has yet to confirm that it’s called Xbox Series S – and that it’s actually Lockhart.

Now it looks like they might make some kind of announcement in May. There have also been rumours that the Lockhart has been tested internally by Microsoft employees who have been allowed to bring the console home and deliver test reports.

New headset: Another rumour says that Microsoft is developing a new official headset to replace the 2014 model. The new model will be wireless, and compatible with other devices than just the Xbox.

Perfect timing: Windows Central concludes that Lockhart is likely to be unveiled at an online event Microsoft mentioned in response to the cancellation of this year’s E3.

Call of Duty Reboot

Next Call of Duty might not actually be a Black Ops reboot after all

There were rumours that Treyarch would reboot the Call of Duty: Black Ops series, but according to Jason Schreier – formerly of Kotaku but now of Bloomberg – thinks we’re more likely to see Call of Duty: Vietnam

The new game is supposedly still part of the Black Ops universe, but does not continue the story. We’re not talking about some kind of sci-fi parable either: According to Schreier, it’s the Vietnam war we all know and … don’t particularly like. He added that he’s “poked around and as of right now I don’t think “COD: Vietnam” is the final title.”

Remains on track: Of course, this doesn’t really tell us much about the game – it’s probably not going to be named Call of Duty: Vietnam, and it’s not exactly certain it’s going to be a Black Ops title either. But it’s coming out this year: “…it’s still planned for fall, but nobody knows what’s going to happen in the coming months!” said Scheier.

Back to the past: The Black Ops story started in Call of Duty: World at War in 2008, which served as the prologue to the next four Black Ops games and featured the same characters and timeline of events.

What Else Happened Today?

Quiz Answer - Did You Get It Right?

What was the first Jurassic Park game to let you build your own dino park?

Answer: Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis!

There are surprisingly few games about building your own Jurassic Park games considering how big the franchise is, and how perfect the setting is for that.

Sure, there are light gun games, action games – even fighting games, but the first actual Jurassic Park simulator was Operation Genesis from 2003. Your goal was to excite your visitors with a spectacular dinosaur park, and try to avoid anything getting loose and eating them. For some reason, that excellent idea was left untouched again for 15 years.

Operation Genesis received mixed reviews, but it turned into a bit of a cult classic and still has an active modding community. It’s also tricky to find a legitimate copy of the game now, and well-used copies go for about $100 on auction sites. That’s definitely not an encouragement to save that money and find a torrent. Nuh-uh, absolutely not.

Today’s issue of DailyBits was written by Gavin Herman, Erlend Grefsrud, Simon Priest and Jamie Davey.