Games

As the clock strikes midnight for half the globe, Japan is already four hours into the year 2025. With a blend of apprehension and excitement, many are ushering in the new year. To cling to the comforting and enjoyable aspects of this transition, let’s look at a tradition stemming from the mind of Hirohiko Araki, the creator of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Since 1991, he has been sharing illustrated JJBA greeting cards almost annually.

In the past, video games were designed to be played for an indefinite period after purchase. Players could revisit these games multiple times, even years later. Regrettably, live service games have significantly altered this pattern, with some titles becoming obsolete over time. The most recent instance is “Friday the 13th: The Game“. Launched in 2017 by Gun Interactive, the game based on the horror movie franchise has experienced a prolonged and disheartening decline. Sadly, the game’s servers will be shut down today, leaving many fans disappointed.

In the spirit of celebrating the New Year, “Star Wars” is revisiting an old favorite by airing episode 6 of “Skeleton Crew,” directed by Bryce Dallas Howard. Notably, this is her second time directing for “Star Wars” television series, having made her debut in 2019’s “The Mandalorian” (“Chapter 4: Sanctuary”). After that, she helmed the season 2 episode “Chapter 11: The Heiress,” which introduced the live-action version of Katee Sackhoff’s beloved character, Bo-Katan Kryze. Her directorial work continued into season 3 with “Chapter 22: Guns for Hire,” an episode that showcased cameos from popular stars (Jack Black and Lizzo as Captain Bombardier and the Duchess) and ended with Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) handing over the Darksaber to Bo-Katan.

2024 has reached its conclusion, making it an ideal moment to ponder over the past 12 months. As we’ve done previously, we made some forecasts at the start of the year. It’s now time to assess which predictions proved accurate and which ones missed the mark. This year, editor Sammy Barker and assistant editor Liam Croft tied for first place in 2023. However, let’s see who’s ahead this time around as we delve into the results.

The Dragon Ball series, including its successors and offshoots, chronicle the journey of Son Goku, a Saiyan who transforms from an Earth-dwelling child to a powerful warrior. As the story unfolds, Goku matures, turns adversaries into comrades, makes friends, marries, and even starts a family, with his children eventually joining him in battling formidable foes, either for amusement or to save the world. In 2024, Dragon Ball Daima picks up where it left off, with the saga showing no signs of abating. With its impact felt not only in Japanese but also Western animation and video games, Dragon Ball is undoubtedly one of the most influential anime series ever created, and its influence continues to shape popular culture moving forward.

An imaginative supporter has crafted a chilling horror spin-off for the movie “The Batman” in a recently released trailer. The surprising announcement that the release date for “The Batman Part 2”, initially set for October 2, 2026, has been pushed back to October 1, 2027, has left many passionate fans eagerly awaiting their reunion with Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight in a state of anticipation. As the wait continues until 2027 when “The Batman” returns, this creative fan has taken it upon themselves to merge footage from the 2022 movie, creating a trailer that infuses the Matt Reeves-directed film with a sense of horror. This innovative trailer will serve as a temporary fix until we can finally welcome “The Batman” back in our lives again in 2027.