Try the Pokémon Unite Public Network Test

Pokémon Unite gets public network test on Japanese eShop

There's a public network test for Pokémon Unite on the Japanese eShop, but you'll need an eShop account set up in that region, and you won't have a great deal of time as it's ending some time tomorrow.

There's been no official response about this being made available locally, as it's entirely in Japanese, so you'll need to be able to translate or map your way through the menus.

Release Date: The Pokémon Company recently announced that Pokémon Unite will release for the Switch first in July, and then mobile devices will get it slightly later in September.

Tencent Touch: Tencent’s Timi Studio is handling development, with it being a multiplayer online battle arena that's going to be free-to-play. The team previously worked on the mobile port of Call of Duty.

What was PlayStation kart racer Speed Freaks called in North America?

a) Speedy Jerks
b) Speed Punks
c) Quick Delinquents
d) Fast Racers

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.

You’re awesome? Tell it to Harmonix

Rock Band 2 had a cheating option called Awesomeness Detection in its Game Modifiers menu that would let Harmonix know that “you are awesome!”

No-one ever quite figured out what the option did, except state the obvious, but the official Harmonix podcast eventually revealed the awful truth: It did nothing. You are not awesome. Sorry.

Join our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss today's fact.

Tim Sweeney calls Google Play rotten

Epic Games is already locked in a legal tussle with Apple over Fortnite and the App Store, but CEO Tim Sweeney does not appear afraid to open a second front against Google and its Play Store.

Google Play also blocked Epic's attempts to monetize Fortnite without giving Apple or Google a cut, and while Epic Games has focused on bringing Apple down a notch since last summer, it looks like Sweeney is ready to cut Google down to size as well.

It's rotten: “Google Play desperately needs competition. Blocking popular apps like Fortnite against users' wishes, while force-installing government apps without users' consent. It's a business with a rotten soul,” Sweeney said on Twitter.

No escape: Google forced the installation of the MassNotify contact tracing app on Android devices without user consent in the state of Massachusetts, which clearly didn't impress Sweeney.

Epic scoops big NIS announcement

Epic Games Store has perhaps inadvertently stolen NIS America's thunder by announcing localized versions of their classic RPGs ahead of the Falcom 40th Anniversary event.

Four Trails games have finally been localized and are coming to PC and consoles, with PlayStation 4 and Switch versions confirmed so far.

• The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero – Fall 2022
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure – TBA 2023
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie – TBA 2023
• The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails – TBA 2023

Launch ahoy: There's a chance the PlayStation versions will be out before the PC versions, since NIS America traditionally lead with console releases, with PC trailing a few months after.

Mario Golf: Super Rush review round-up

Mario is back on the green in Mario Golf: Super Rush, featuring the rather unique Speed Golf mode that turns golf from sedate pastime to hectic race. The critics have already had a swing at it, but is it a hole-in-one or does it call for a mulligan?

Review scores

• Wccftech (Score 9/10) – ”Mario Golf: Super Rush is the plumber’s best sports outing in a good long time, featuring smartly-revamped core mechanics, beautiful, varied courses, clever new modes, and a single-player Adventure full of fun twists. The game may be a bit light on content (something Nintendo is promising to address with free updates), but aside from that, Mario’s form is close to flawless this time around.”
• Game Informer (Score 8.25/10) – ”Despite the underwhelming nature of the story mode, Mario Golf: Super Rush delivers plenty of golfing greatness. With a strong foundation and multiple fun avenues of play, Mario Golf: Super Rush carries on the long-standing tradition of Nintendo sports games by being a good time regardless of your fandom of the actual sport.”
• Nintendo Insider (Score 8/10) – ”…the story mode once again lacks punch leaving little (outside online) to keep lone players occupied. That being said, new modes Speed Golf and Battle Golf are fantastic additions and the mechanics at play continue the series trend of offering an accessible and highly satisfying golfing experience. Get some friends together and Mario Golf: Super Rush is a hole in one.”
• God is a Geek (Score 8/10) – ”While the single player adventure is a little underwhelming, Mario Golf: Super Rush is a terrific multiplayer experience I can see being added to over the years.”
• Nintendo Life (Score 7/10) – ”Mario Golf: Super Rush is a game that in many respects hits its marks. Golf Adventure has plenty of charm and offers a fun way to learn various mechanics and unlock courses… This ain't the Masters, but for Mario Golf fans it is a solid par.”
• TheSixthAxis (Score 7/10) – ”It's great to see Mario Golf: Speed Rush reviving another Mario sports franchise for Nintendo Switch, but it's a game that feels that restrained in some places and muddled in others. The Adventure mode loses its focus half way through, and it lacks course variety, but underneath it all, this is still a fun, accessible and often frantic golf game that is easy to enjoy.”

• NEO: The World Ends With You demo coming for PlayStation 4 and will go live later today
• There’s a demo for Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin available on the eShop, allowing you to give it a test run before it releases on 9th July
• Nightdive teases I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream remaster in a tweet from the company's CEO
• Final Fantasy VII Remake Integrade will make changes to the infamous Honey Bee visit
• New trailer for Aliens: Fireteam Elite wants you to pre-order the co-operative horror shooter, which has had a slight name change and is set for release in August
• Sony Interactive Entertainment celebrates Pride with a list of curated games, a wallpaper, and more

What was PlayStation kart racer Speed Freaks called in North America?

ANSWER: Speed Punks!

Before Funcom became famous for their MMOs and particularly Conan Exiles, they made a racing game for PlayStation called Speed Punks (or Speed Freaks outside North America). Sure, it’s superficially a Mario Kart clone, but it actually has a lot of personality of its own and impressed critics at the time.

Speed is literally the name of the game, and the races are all about collecting charges for your boost. Being a child of the late 90s and early 2000s, the intro featured a Jamiroquai track and the races were accompanied by bubblegum drum’n’bass, dub, and jungle. It probably won’t be re-released ever again, so make sure to have quick fingers if you see it at a garage sale one day.

Today's issue of DailyBits was written by Gavin Herman, Nick Akerman, Erlend Grefsrud, Simon Priest, and Jamie Davey. If you have any feedback or news tips for the team, please email us!