AFA Arcade: The Quarry, Tekken Bloodline, TMNT: Cowabunga Collection and More

Today, animated film and TV is more popular than ever, but the biggest and most successful part of the animation industry is actually video games. Animation is a big component of almost every game (rare exceptions being text adventures and visual novels) and many games feature excellent storytelling. We cover games every now and again on AFA but we're planning on levelling up our games coverage with our new feature AFA Arcade. This regular column will bring you news from where the gaming and animation worlds meet as well as the gaming industry as a whole. Don't expect updates on the latest hardware or the newest Call of Duty or Madden- we aim to highlight the standout work being done in the games industry, whether it's a triple-A game or something from the smallest indie developer. 

Do you work in the animation side of the games industry, or are you an indie game developer? We would love to hear from you!

Netflix has announced the first animated series based on the iconic Namco fighting game Tekken. The brawler has previously inspired a traditionally animated OVA (Original Video Animation) in its 90s heyday, as well as 2011 CG movie Tekken Blood Vengeance. Tekken Bloodline, on the other hand, employs cel-shaded 3D, so falls somewhere in between. Bloodline will come to Netflix later this year. It seems the series will focus on the character of Jin Kazama, grandson of the series's chief villain Heihachi. We just hope there's time for some of the more bonkers Tekken characters to show up like Kuma (the bear), Gon (a tiny T-Rex) and Panda (you can probably work that one out for yourself).

Power is everything." Jin Kazama learned the family self-defense arts, Kazama-Style Traditional Martial Arts, from his mother at an early age. Even so, he was powerless when a monstrous evil suddenly appeared, destroying everything dear to him, changing his life forever. Angry at himself for being unable to stop it, Jin vowed revenge and sought absolute power to exact it. His quest will lead to the ultimate battle on a global stage — The King of Iron Fist Tournament.

Moving on to something else that was at its most popular in the 1990's- a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles release is coming. If the forthcoming retro-styled TMNT: Shredders' Revenge has got you jonesing for some old-school turtle action, you'll want to pick up The Cowabunga Collection from Konami. It collects 13 classic Turtles games from way back, including Turtles In Time, Tournament Fighters and The Arcade Game. Some featured games are included in both 8-bit and 16-bit versions. The Cowabunga Collection will be released this year for PlayStation and Xbox Consoles, Nintendo Switch and Steam.

Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers is a new romantic visual novel set in an alternate future that looks a lot like our past. Can you find love in a neon-heavy world where arcades never died? The game releases for Switch, PlayStation and Xbox consoles on May 27. It's also coming to Steam, where you can now download a demo.

 

 

 

 

Revealed during Sony's recent State of Play stream earlier this month is the bonkers looking new action game ExoPrimal. New from Capcom, ExoPrimal sees players pilot Exo-Suit mechs against... dinosaurs that have started randomly falling from portals in the sky. Where's Dr Strange when you need him, huh? ExoPrimal will be released for PlayStation and Xbox consoles and Steam in 2023.

 

Supermassive Games, the people who brought you the ace interactive slasher movie Until Dawn are back with a 'spiritual sequel' to their breakout hit. The Quarry takes a classic horror setup- a bunch of teens staying at a cabin in the woods are stalked by a mysterious killer and lets you decide their fate. The game features the voices and likenesses of David Arquette, Justice Smith, Ariel Winter, Brenda Song, Lance Henrickson and more. Coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 this June.