City Connection begins 2023 with two new release date announcements. Metal Black S-Tribute and Puzzle Bobble 2X / Bust a Move 2 & Puzzle Bobble 3 / Bust a Move 3 S-Tribute are coming to PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam next month. City Connection recently released Elevator Action S-Tribute and Cleopatra Fortune S-Tribute for the same platforms and brought Akai Katana Shin that I’ve been playing for review to Steam worldwide. Metal Black is available through Arcade Archives, and it will also be available through this new City Connection S-Tribute next month. Check out a screenshot below:
Metal Black S-Tribute features
・Rewind
Rewind gameplay a by certain amount of time and resume.
・Slow Mode
Slow game pace down with a single button press.
・Quick Save/Load
Save game state at any point.
・Online Ranking
Switch to online ranking mode in settings to enter your score into the online leaderboards and check how you compare with others.
・Unlimited Credits
The limit on the number of continues can be disabled, allowing for infinite continues.
・Stage Select
The game can be started from any stage.
・Energy Acquisition Amount
Change the amount of energy increased when acquiring NEWALONE. Raising the amount makes it possible to easily reach maximum power and casually enjoy the game. Lowering the amount makes it harder to accumulate energy, so that gameplay is more challenging.
・Energy Release Amount
Change the amount of energy decreased when performing a beam energy attack. Lowering the amount makes it possible to use the attack longer, raising the amount shortens the attack.
・Scan Lines
Mimics the nostalgic CRT monitor display.
Puzzle Bobble 2X / BUST-A-MOVE 2 Arcade Edition & Puzzle Bobble 3 / BUST-A-MOVE 3 S-Tribute modes and features
◆Featured modes
Arcade editions of Puzzle Bobble 2X / BUST-A-MOVE 2 Arcade Edition … Home console ports of the Japanese and overseas versions of the arcade games Puzzle Bobble 2 and Puzzle Bobble 2X (1 or 2 players).
Arcade editions of Puzzle Bobble 3 / BUST-A-MOVE 3 … Home console ports of the Japanese and overseas versions of the arcade game Puzzle Bobble 3 (1 or 2 players).
Challenge Mode … Meet certain conditions to clear stages (Puzzle Bobble 3 / BUST-A-MOVE 3).
Collection Mode … Play a total of 1,026 stages designed by players from the time (Puzzle Bobble 3).
Edit Mode … Place bubbles in the field to create your own stages (Puzzle Bobble 2X / BUST-A-MOVE 2 Arcade Edition).
◆Convenient features and option settings only available in S-Tribute
・Rewind
Rewind gameplay a by certain amount of time and resume.
・Slow Mode
Slow game pace down with a single button press.
・Quick Save/Load
Save game state at any point.
・Unlimited Credits
The limit on the number of continues can be disabled, allowing for infinite continues.
・Scan Lines
Mimics the nostalgic CRT monitor display.
Hopefully they are as good as the Deathsmiles I II collection City Connection released. You can watch trailers of both releases on the Steam pages here and here.
Metal Black S-Tribute and Puzzle Bobble 2X / Bust a Move 2 & Puzzle Bobble 3 / Bust a Move 3 S-Tribute release on February 1 or February 2 depending on your timezone for Steam. The release dates for the other platforms outside Japan are not confirmed as of now.
