Author: Trafficblast

The status of A Nightmare on Elm Street has been stuck somewhere in limbo over the past several years. After a 2010 reboot failed to reignite the franchise, fans have been waiting for yet another return for Freddy Krueger, in some form. It was first reported in 2015 that David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (Orphan, The Conjuring 2) would write a new reboot, though there’s been no news of the film in the time that followed.

However, Johnson-McGoldrick was able to give GameSpot a bit of an update. While promoting Aquaman–which he’s one of the screenwriters of–the writer revealed, “It’s still happening.” Of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll see it just let. “Nothing is percolating just yet,” he continued.

Instead, Johnson-McGoldrick is currently focused on The Conjuring 3. “The Conjuring universe is sort of first and foremost on [New Line Cinema’s] horror burner,” he admitted.

There is clearly still a desire for the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, though, and Johnson-McGoldrick recognizes that. “Everybody wants to see Freddy again I think, so I think it’s inevitable at some point,” he added.

Of course, when it finally comes to pass, there’s plenty to learn from the last reboot of the franchise. The 2010 film wound up with a score of 35/100 on GameSpot sister site Metacritic, leaving most reviewers underwhelmed for a variety of reasons–many related to Freddy Krueger himself. While Jackie Earle Haley is a fine actor, his take on the monster of a bladed glove simply didn’t hold a candle to Robert Englund’s original version–in terms or terror or humor.

As it stands now, there’s no set release date for a reimagining of A Nightmare on Elm Street. Still, hearing that the interest is still there is reassuring. The world needs more Freddy Krueger creeping us out in our nightmares.

Additional reporting by Michael Rougeau

Editor’s note: Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth is out now in Japan, but hasn’t been confirmed for the West yet.

There are few things I love more than the Persona franchise. Each of the separate stories from Persona 3, 4, 5, and the spin-offs in between have brought me boundless joy, lessons learned, and unbreakable bonds with their respective cast of characters. However, I often see each game as its own contained world, as they all portray their own captivating struggles and triumphs. And I just as often wonder what it would be like if these characters met somehow, which is why I hold Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth so dear. It retained the unique aspects that made 3 and 4 special and proved that it’s far from a game simply thrown together for the sake of fan service.

Naturally, I wondered the possibilities with Persona 5’s flamboyant Phantom Thieves, and how they could fit into the already-endearing crossover mix. Well, Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth makes that dream come true. Its premise revolves around each crew getting stuck in a supernatural movie theater, which lends itself so well to the idea of three separate worlds colliding in a light-hearted, yet consequential fight for liberation of friends, both new and old.

As with any entry in the Persona franchise, mainline or spin-off, music plays such an immense role in creating a specific vibe. It’s the most important part of creating lasting memories of these games, and from what I’ve heard already, Q2 hits just as hard as everything else in this series.

Persona Q2 uses the familiar tried-and-true dungeon crawling mechanics from the Etrian Odyssey series, incorporating its non-traditional turn-based combat and challenging fights into the eccentric JRPG. You have to think differently about the sequence of turns and who’s able to perform what in relation to enemy agility and movesets, since turns don’t play out until all actions have been decided. And of course, the intricate system of persona fusion and party composition were factored in seamlessly in the first Persona Q game, emphasizing the strategic aspect of the original RPGs. With Q2, I’m hoping for another deft execution of that formula featuring tough fights that encourage devising clever sequences of actions each turn whether it be endurance-testing boss battles or normal encounters during exploration.

Persona Q2’s biggest challenge is in how it balances this monstrous list of charming personalities and dedicating enough time and opportunity to let them have their moments. The Phantom Thieves are the focus in Q2, but if the first Q game is any indication, I’d trust Atlus to devise ways to let everyone shine and remind me of why I loved them in the first place. The fact that the cheery, yet sassy female protagonist from Persona 3 Portable is being brought into the same timeline tells me that they’re pulling out all the stops to celebrate the past three games.

It’s an ambitious crossover that unites my favorite games, characters, and soundtracks in one place. It’s as if I had different groups of dearly beloved friends somehow meet each other, get along, and band together in a stylish fight for what’s right.

As with any entry in the Persona franchise, mainline or spin-off, music plays such an immense role in creating a specific vibe. It’s the most important part of creating lasting memories of these games, and from what I’ve heard already, Q2 hits just as hard as everything else in this series. It’s evident in the groovy new opening track “Road Less Taken” and the Persona 3 Portable-themed battle song “Pull The Trigger” that already has me hooked. There are plenty of remixes of familiar tunes, but when they’re paired with interactions between characters from other games, it brings a sense of cohesion that emphasizes the idea that they’re all in it together. I’m always quick to attribute these wonderful soundtracks to series composer Shoji Meguro, but hearing the voices from the lead artists from each original game (Yumi Kawamura, Shihoko Hirata, Lyn Inaizumi, Lotus Juice, and Mayumi Fujita) belting out their unique styles in brand new swing-inspired jazz-rock tracks hits me right in my feelings.

Persona Q2 is already out in Japan and it’s been tough not to peruse through the footage that’s already out there. Everyone is here. It’s an ambitious crossover that unites my favorite games, characters, and soundtracks in one place. It’s as if I had different groups of dearly beloved friends somehow meet each other, get along, and band together in a stylish fight for what’s right. This might be the 3DS’s swan song, and it’d be a hell of way for the storied handheld to end its tenure.

You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

This video has an invalid file format.

Sorry, but you can’t access this content!

I know Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee have only just been released, and I’ve enjoyed diving back into Kanto all over again, but more than anything else that journey has just made me crave a brand-new adventure. Seeing old creatures brought to life in ways we’ve not seen before with the Switch‘s superior graphical capabilities was thrilling, and while the nostalgia Kanto carries with it is welcome, I feel a new region with all-new monsters would help use the Switch’s hardware in a more interesting way. It’s for that reason I can’t wait for the “core” Pokemon game for Nintendo Switch.

I’d also welcome the return of the traditional catching and battling mechanics, as well as the slightly more strategic elements omitted by Let’s Go, such as abilities. Forgoing random encounters in favor of physical Pokemon in the overworld was a masterstroke though, so I hope that remains in the “core RPG” Game Freak is working on for Switch.

Plus, how great will it be to play a proper Pokemon adventure on your TV? Being able to take a Pokemon game on the go has always been great–and of course, that will be no different on Switch–but I’d always dreamed of exploring Johto or Hoenn on a bigger screen with more powerful hardware.

Right now, we don’t know a huge deal about the upcoming Pokemon game for Switch. The Pokemon Company has confirmed the title will launch during the latter half of 2019, and that it’s working on a method of transferring old monsters to the new games.

“We’re definitely always thinking of that kind of forward-moving functionality, especially since we’ve introduced [Pokemon transfer service] Pokemon Bank,” Pokemon director Junichi Masuda told GameSpot in October. “Now, up to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, you’re able to store your Pokemon, and we know they’re very important to everyone. I mean, obviously, people would be very sad if they couldn’t use their Pokemon in a future game. So, it does get complicated when you talk about the details and we’re still figuring it out, but we do have plans to find ways to let players use their Pokemon in the next game.”

Neither The Pokemon Company nor Game Freak have actually stated whether the new Pokemon game will be a brand-new entry–or entries–in the series, signaling the start of generation eight, or if it will simply be a remake or “upper version” of a previous game. However, since Let’s Go Eevee and Let’s Go Pikachu are Pokemon Yellow remakes of sorts, and the previous games, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are upper versions of old games as well, it would be a surprise if the upcoming RPG was not a totally new game. With any luck, that means we’ll get to explore a new region with all-new creatures in just a few months! Roll on 2019.