Video game news this week has plenty to chatter about, and we're just going to start with the ones that have us the most excited.
ConcernedApe gives an update on Haunted Chocolatier
It's not quite Hollow Knight: SIlksong, but ConcernedApe's follow-up to Stardew Valley, Haunted Chocolatier, was announced by the man in 2021 and Stardew fans have clamored for any and all additional information about the game.
Well, it's taken a long hiatus with how much Eric Barone has worked on Stardew, what with the 1.5 update and the more recent (and still substantial) 1.6 update that launched twice this year (first for PC, then for consoles). And he admitted that it meant taking a long break from working on Haunted Chocolatier.
But now we have an official update at the game's blog! It basically thanks fans for their patience and lets us know that he's going to build and make it like he did with Stardew, so please continue to be patient. This isn't going to be an early access game; we'll get it when it's ready. But he did offer some new screenshots, and it looks just as wonderful as we hoped.
Take all the time you need. We're here when it's ready.
PlayStation 30th Anniversary console updates
PlayStation's 30th anniversary kicked off this week with a new trailer (more on that in a second) and limited-time retro skins for your PS5 menus. Which my husband immediately chose the PS2 and the sounds kicked in some major nostalgia for him. It's a very cute throwback for gamers to enjoy, and I'm sure there's more to come over the next few weeks.
But speaking of that new trailer they released...
Is that PlayStation 30th Anniversary trailer a tease for Bloodborne 2?
Much like fans wanting Haunted Chocolatier updates, Bloodborne fans have been dying for any news on a sequel for... well, quite some time. And the 30th Anniversary trailer that Sony released has one of the last clips from Bloodborne with the title card "It's about Persistence:"
Most likely it's just referring to how persistent you have to be in a Souls game and not how persistent fans have been for a sequel to Bloodborne, but we can always hope.
But let's quick backtrack to the PlayStation 2.
Total number of PS2s made and sold
As my husband proclaimed when he swapped to that PS2 retro skin on our PS5, the PlayStation 2 is one of the best-selling consoles of all time at 160 million units. And Sony basically confirmed that... they made right around that number. So they sold almost every unit they made. That is pretty darn impressive.
New game releases this week
We've got two new releases this week we want to highlight for you.
First up is Infinity Nikki, which is a free-to-play cozy gacha game and is apparently the fifth in the series! It looks incredibly adorable and incredibly cozy. Rock Paper Shotgun calls it a Genshin Impact except it's pacifistic.
The other big release this week is Path of Exile 2 in early access. This game... man, this game looks like it's going to take hundreds of hours of my life away. It looks like what I wanted Diablo IV to be and so much more. The early access is PC only; consoles won't have it until full release. So if you have a PC or a Steam Deck, be prepared to invest hours of your life into this game
Nintendo Switch Online adds more Donkey Kong
The newest release for Nintendo Switch Online members gives us more Donkey Kong! But it's not Donkey Kong 64!
Nope, it's Donkey Kong Land III. And over the last few weeks, it's been Donkey Kong Land and Donkey Kong Land II, all for Gameboy, so you have the entire trilogy at your disposal. Maybe one day we'll get Donkey Kong 64 and the Donkey Rap, but it's not today.