All posts by Nova Solaris
Nova Solaris

Dave the Diver In the Jungle DLC — Dave and friends in the jungle

Dave the Diver: In the Jungle DLC Out 18 June — Plus Mobile and a New Spin-Off

MINTROCKET’s hit indie diving sim is trading salt water for mud on 18 June 2026 — the In the Jungle DLC sends Dave somewhere he has never been before: a freshwater jungle biome full of new creatures, new cooking ingredients, and a surprisingly useful multi-function gun. If you bounced off Dave the Diver after the base game or its earlier Godzilla DLC, this expansion and everything that MINTROCKET announced alongside it make a strong case to jump back in.

DAVE THE DIVER – In the Jungle DLC Official Release Date Trailer — via MINTROCKET on YouTube

What Is the In the Jungle DLC?

Dave the Diver In the Jungle DLC key art
Image courtesy of MINTROCKET

The In the Jungle expansion is a story-based DLC that runs roughly 10 hours from start to finish. Dave and the gang relocate to a quaint jungle village and befriend the locals, unlocking a whole new layer of gameplay built around freshwater exploration, creature taming, and jungle-specific minigames.

The standout new tool is the Jungle Gun — a versatile piece of kit that transforms on the fly between a net gun, shotgun, sniper rifle, and standard firearm, giving players multiple ways to tackle the wildlife and hidden challenges lurking in the undergrowth.

There is also a crossover with the mobile classic Cut the Rope baked into the DLC, though MINTROCKET has kept the specifics quiet ahead of launch. A live-action short film produced by Sharknado studio The Asylum and directed by Anthony C. Ferrante premieres on IGN on 17 June, one day before the DLC drops globally.

More from MINTROCKET: Bancho the Chef, Mobile, and Fortnite

Bancho the Chef cooking RPG from MINTROCKET
Image courtesy of MINTROCKET

The In the Jungle launch is not the only big MINTROCKET announcement this week. The studio dropped a flurry of news in its latest Dev Dive video on 12 June:

  • Bancho the Chef — A brand-new RPG-meets-cooking simulator set in the Dave the Diver universe, following protagonist Bancho as he explores Asian cuisines across different regions. Revealed at the Sony State of Play on 2 June, the game features DualSense haptics and adaptive trigger support on PlayStation. No release window yet.
  • Dave the Diver Mobile — The full base game is coming to iOS and Android in August 2026, making it accessible to a whole new crowd of Singapore mobile gamers who have been waiting for a legitimate port.
  • Fortnite Collaboration — Dave cosmetics arrive in Fortnite on 25 June at 5 PM PT for players who buy the game on the Epic Games Store.

Platforms, Price, and How to Get It

The In the Jungle DLC launches 18 June 2026 on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. On Steam, a pre-order discount knocks the price down to US$8.99 (regular US$9.99) — that discount runs until launch day, so there is still time to save a dollar. Console pricing has not been confirmed in SGD; check your regional storefront for local pricing.

If you have not played the base game, Steam is running a 50% discount on Dave the Diver through the DLC launch window — a great entry point before diving into the jungle.

Physical fans can also look forward to a Complete Edition and a Collector’s Edition for PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2, both targeting a Q3 2026 release.

Last words

Dave the Diver already has a strong following among Singapore indie gamers, and everything MINTROCKET is doing here — a meaty story DLC, a mobile port for the mass market, a brand-new spin-off, and Fortnite reach — feels like a studio firing on all cylinders. The In the Jungle DLC in particular looks like the most ambitious expansion yet, leaving the familiar Blue Hole behind for something genuinely different. Mark 18 June in your calendar, and keep an eye out for more game news on GameTrader as the launch approaches.

Attack on Titan: Become a Scout at Hita’s Forest Park

If you’ve ever watched the Survey Corps go screaming through the canopy on ODM gear and thought “I want to do that,” there’s a forest in Kyushu that has been waiting for you. Forest Adventure Okuhita — tucked deep in the hills of Hita, Oita — runs a limited-time Attack on Titan collaboration that turns its zipline obstacle course into a Scout Regiment training run. Cloak on, blade in hand, the only thing missing is the Titans.

Visitors in Survey Corps cloaks at Forest Adventure Okuhita's Attack on Titan collaboration

Why Attack on Titan, and why Hita?

This isn’t a random anime tie-in. Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama is from Hita, and the town has leaned into being the spiritual home of Shingeki no Kyojin — there’s even a bronze statue trail of Eren, Mikasa and Armin nearby. So when the official Forest Adventure Okuhita park recreates the “Forest of Giant Trees” arc, it’s doing it on the franchise’s home turf. The course frames your safety briefing as Survey Corps enrollment, then sends you out on a mission inspired by the Female Titan capture operation.

So what does “role-playing as a Scout” actually involve?

The base attraction is a proper high-ropes adventure course: 35 activities spread across four sites, including swaying suspension bridges, a single-plank bridge that won’t stop wobbling once you start, and a Tarzan swing that flings you off a treetop platform onto a net. The headline thrill is the ziplines — four of them, with two stretching over 150m across deep valleys, and the longest runs around 180m at roughly 30km/h. The whole circuit takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Zipline through the cedar forest at Forest Adventure Okuhita

That’s the part that does the heavy lifting for the fantasy: gliding between cedar trunks on a harness is about as close as a theme attraction can get to the feeling of ODM gear without the imminent threat of being eaten.

The Attack on Titan magic comes from the add-on collaboration option, which has run at roughly ¥1,500 per person on top of admission. It kits you out with:

  • “Wings of Freedom” original non-slip gloves
  • A rental Survey Corps “blade” prop to carry through the course
  • A special completion certificate carved from Hita cedar — your proof you survived recruitment

Travel creators have captured the vibe well. In a widely shared Instagram reel, food-and-travel account @japanomnom framed the experience simply: “POV: It’s your first day in the Survey Corps.” During special collaboration runs, guests can even don Survey Corps cloaks for the photo spots dotted along the trail.

“POV: It’s your first day in the Survey Corps” — via @japanomnom on Instagram

Watch it in action

We Got the Ultimate Attack on Titan Experience — via OniGiri on YouTube

The practical stuff: price, height limits and getting there

Standard admission runs ¥3,800 per person for adults and children, dropping to ¥3,500 each for groups of eight or more, with the collaboration option layered on top. To take on the course you’ll need to be at least 140cm tall or 10 years old, and under the 110kg weight limit. Kids 17 and under need an adult along (one adult can supervise up to three children), while high-schoolers can go solo with ground-level supervision.

Survey Corps themed obstacle course at Forest Adventure Okuhita

The park sits in Nakatsue, Hita City, near the old Taio Gold Mine — punch “Taio Gold Mine” into your navigation. It’s roughly a 1.5–2 hour drive from Fukuoka, so a rental car is basically essential. Bookings, including the Attack on Titan option, go through the park’s official reservation site.

One important caveat: the Attack on Titan collaboration is a recurring limited-time event, not a permanent fixture. It has returned across multiple seasons (2021, 2023 and 2024 among them) and the themed option has been listed again heading into 2026, but the exact dates shift each run. Check the official booking page or the Hita City Tourism Association for the current window before you plan around it — the base adventure course, however, runs year-round.

Worth building a trip around

Kyushu is an easy, underrated add-on to a Japan itinerary: fly into Fukuoka, and Hita is a doable day trip — the same region as Yufuin and Beppu’s onsens, if you want to soak away the muscle ache afterwards. For an Attack on Titan fan, slotting in a morning where you actually strap into a harness and play Scout beats another merch run, and it’s hands-down one of the closest real-life brushes you’ll get with the world of Shingeki no Kyojin.

For more trips and tie-ins worth your leave days, browse our community features and guides.

Star Fox on Switch 2: Free Demo Out Now, Full Game 25 June

After a decade on the sidelines, Fox McCloud is back — and Singapore Switch 2 owners can already take the Arwing for a spin.

Star Fox — Overview Trailer — Nintendo Switch 2 — via Nintendo of America on YouTube

What Is Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2?

Nintendo has handed the keys to its long-dormant space-shooter franchise to Velan Studios, the New York-based developer behind Knockout City. Their brief: reimagine Star Fox 64 for a new generation on Switch 2, with a “cinematic take” that keeps the classic rail-shooter bones but rebuilds everything else from scratch. That means fully voiced dialogue, a sweeping new orchestral soundtrack, and a complete visual overhaul of Fox McCloud and crew as they battle to protect the Lylat System from the villainous Andross.

New lore is part of the package too: the game opens with a story prologue centred on Fox’s father, James McCloud, adding depth for both newcomers and returning fans. Perhaps the strongest endorsement of the project comes from Takaya Imamura — the original Star Fox character designer from the 1990s — who said the new designs are “exactly” what he always envisioned for the franchise.

The Free Demo Is Live Right Now

Nintendo released a free playable demo on the Switch 2 eShop on 12 June, and it is still up and waiting. Open the Nintendo eShop on your Switch 2, search for “Star Fox,” and download. The demo covers the opening tutorial sequence and the Meteo stage, giving you a real feel for the revamped flight controls — including the optional Joy-Con 2 mouse mode, which lets you steer and aim with pointer precision rather than analogue sticks.

Star Fox Switch 2 Arwing gameplay screenshot showing Fox McCloud in the Lylat System
Image courtesy of Nintendo

New Features in Star Fox 2026

Beyond the single-player campaign, Velan Studios has added substantial new multiplayer and co-op content to justify the Switch 2 exclusivity:

  • Online 4-vs-4 team battles — Team Star Fox takes on Team Star Wolf across multiple arenas
  • Two-player co-op via local play or GameShare online — one player pilots, the other handles weapons
  • Three difficulty tiers (Easy, Normal, Expert), each adjusting enemy behaviour and story outcomes
  • First-person cockpit view as an alternative to the default third-person camera
  • amiibo support for Fox, Falco, and Wolf figures, unlocking in-game cosmetic rewards
  • USB camera GameChat integration that mirrors your facial expressions onto your character avatar in real time during online play
Star Fox Switch 2 online 4v4 multiplayer with Star Fox vs Star Wolf teams
Image courtesy of Nintendo

The Character Redesign Debate

One aspect of Star Fox 2026 that Singapore fans will have strong opinions on: the new character models. Velan Studios gave Fox, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy significantly more realistic, animalistic proportions — longer snouts, fur textures, expressive ears — a sharp departure from the rounded, almost toy-like designs of the ’90s originals. The reaction online has been genuinely split. Some love the cinematic polish and feel the characters finally look like actual anthropomorphic animals. Others feel it strips away exactly the charm that made Star Fox 64 iconic in the first place. Takaya Imamura’s endorsement has added some weight to the “pro-redesign” camp, but this debate is not going away before launch.

How to Get It in Singapore

Star Fox launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on 25 June 2026. The digital price in the US is US$49.99 — SGD pricing is to be confirmed on the Singapore eShop, but Switch 2 titles at this tier have typically landed in the SGD 67–70 range locally. A physical edition is also expected through local retailers. The game file is 14.8 GB, so plan your storage accordingly if you are going digital.

Pre-orders are live now on the Nintendo eShop. For those who just want to try it today, the free demo requires no purchase and no subscription.

Last words

Star Fox 64 holds a real place in the memory of Singapore gamers who grew up with the Nintendo 64 — “Do a barrel roll!” is practically part of the shared vocabulary. Whether Velan Studios’ bold reimagining earns those memories or unsettles them is something each of us will decide on 25 June. In the meantime, the demo is free, it takes minutes to download, and it is a genuinely solid way to spend a Sunday morning. Keep an eye on our Nintendo news section for more Switch 2 coverage ahead of launch.

One Piece: Grand Gourmet — Kairosoft’s Sim Hits Switch 2 on 23 Oct

When Kairosoft — the Japanese studio behind beloved management sims like Game Dev Story and Pocket City — announced it was teaming up with Bandai Namco to build a One Piece restaurant game, the response on social media was immediate and loud. ONE PIECE: Grand Gourmet launches globally on 23 October 2026 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC (Steam), iOS and Android.

ONE PIECE: Grand Gourmet – Announcement Trailer – via Nintendo of America on YouTube

What Is One Piece: Grand Gourmet?

Grand Gourmet is a restaurant management sim set aboard the Baratie Number 2, the legendary floating restaurant from the One Piece universe, now with a second location crewed by the Straw Hats. You work alongside Sanji to develop menus, recruit staff from across the One Piece cast, and keep hungry pirates — and the occasional Warlord — fed and satisfied.

Kairosoft’s signature loop of gradual upgrades, resource management and unlocking new content translates naturally here: cook new dishes, expand the floor plan, and attract rarer and rarer customers as your reputation grows on the seas. If you’ve sunk time into any of their previous sims, the formula will feel immediately familiar — but dressing it in One Piece’s world adds a layer of fan-service depth that most management games can’t touch.

400+ Characters and a Pixel-Art Straw Hat Crew

ONE PIECE Grand Gourmet characters in pixel art style
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco

The headline number is the cast: over 400 One Piece characters appear in a bespoke pixel-art style created specifically for this game — the first time most of them have ever been rendered that way. Familiar faces show up as both staff you can hire and customers rolling through your door, each bringing their own personality quirks and dining preferences.

Bandai Namco confirms that character events will unlock unique story beats, and that dishes take inspiration from the franchise’s most iconic arcs, including decor and recipes themed around Whole Cake Island and Egghead. Interior customisation runs deep too — over 200 furniture and decorative items let you build everything from a rowdy pirate tavern to a refined haute-cuisine experience worthy of a Yonko’s palace.

How Singapore Players Can Get One Piece: Grand Gourmet

The October 23 release is a simultaneous global launch across all platforms. Nintendo has listed the game on the Nintendo Malaysia/Singapore eShop, confirming regional digital access for Switch and Switch 2 owners. PC players can wishlist it on Steam, and the mobile release on iOS and Android means this is one of the more accessible One Piece games in a while — no console required.

No SGD pricing has been announced yet (to be confirmed closer to launch), but Kairosoft’s mobile titles typically fall in the premium-one-time-purchase bracket, so expect something in the S$10–S$20 range on mobile and standard eShop pricing on Switch. We’ll update once official prices are confirmed. Check our Game News feed for updates.

Last Words

One Piece: Grand Gourmet is one of those announcements that makes complete sense in hindsight — the Baratie is one of the series’ most beloved settings, Sanji has always been the perfect anchor for a cooking game, and Kairosoft’s expertise with the management-sim format means Singapore fans are not just getting fan-service: they’re getting a game built by people who know exactly how to make the loop satisfying. The mobile release especially removes the Switch 2 paywall that’s been the barrier for some of the other big October titles.

23 October 2026. Mark it.

Rhythm Heaven Groove key art showing the game logo and characters on a yellow background

Rhythm Heaven Groove: What Singapore Players Need to Know

The previews are in, and they are glowing. Nintendo’s beloved rhythm series returns on 2 July 2026 for Nintendo Switch after an eleven-year absence — and the early word from media who played it suggests the long wait was absolutely worth it.

Rhythm Heaven Groove – Overview Trailer – Nintendo Switch — via Nintendo of America on YouTube

Eleven years later, Rhythm Heaven is back

The last mainline entry — known as Rhythm Paradise in Asia and Europe — was Rhythm Heaven Megamix in 2015 on the Nintendo 3DS. Rhythm Heaven Groove is the first brand-new game since then: no compilation, no remake — a fresh collection of over 80 single-player rhythm mini-games and more than 30 multiplayer games for co-op and competitive play. It launches globally on 2 July 2026 for Nintendo Switch and is backwards compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.

The concept has always been beautifully straightforward — press buttons in time with the music — but what makes the series special is how every mini-game uses its unique audio-visual pairing to make that simple input feel satisfying in a completely different way each time. Nintendo Life’s Alex Olney, who played a preview build, wrote that despite the simplicity, “yet I had difficulty getting bored with most of them,” capturing the series’ mysterious pull. TechRadar went further, calling it “on track to become my favourite Nintendo Switch release of 2026.”

Rhythm Heaven Groove ball character rhythm mini-game screenshot
Image courtesy of Nintendo

What’s new: Beatspell, multiplayer, and 80+ mini-games

Groove introduces a brand-new mode called Beatspell: an RPG-style campaign where players become wizards and cast rhythm-powered spells to fight monsters. Damage dealt is based on your timing accuracy, layering light RPG progression on top of the series’ core mechanic. It unlocks as you progress through the single-player game. Reviewers found it “strangely engaging” — PC Mag compared it to “freestyling” — though some noted it feels like a self-contained experience rather than a natural extension of the mini-game flow. Either way, for a series that has stuck to the same structure since the GBA, this is an ambitious addition.

The multiplayer suite looks genuinely strong for a party game. Nintendo Life highlighted Ninja Bodyguard, a co-op mode where two players time button presses to protect a king from incoming arrows, and Cake Grab, a competitive game where players press A as close to 3 PM (in-game time) as possible to claim a slice of cake — the winner’s hair grows with each victory. Metro’s preview of the multiplayer, as reported in the Nintendo Life preview roundup, called it “a boon for the Switch’s multiplayer arsenal.”

Rhythm Heaven Groove kitchen cooking rhythm mini-game
Image courtesy of Nintendo

The music is by Tsunku♂ — and that story is worth knowing

Every Rhythm Heaven soundtrack has been composed by Tsunku♂, the Japanese music producer who created Hello! Project and Morning Musume. In 2014 he was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer, and in 2015 surgery removed his larynx, ending his singing voice permanently. He composed Rhythm Heaven Groove‘s entire original soundtrack after that surgery, as noted by Nintendo Inquirer — a fact that adds a quiet weight to every earworm the game produces.

The soundtrack spans the full Rhythm Heaven tonal spectrum: absurd, bouncy, strangely emotional. Each of the 80-plus mini-games is paired to an original track purpose-built to function as a timing guide while also being a song worth listening to on its own. That dual-purpose design is the series’ signature magic, and previews confirm it is intact here.

Rhythm Heaven Groove jump rope mini-game screenshot
Image courtesy of Nintendo

Last words: Singapore pre-orders and what to expect

Nintendo Singapore has an official page for Rhythm Heaven Groove, confirming it for the region. Physical copies are available for pre-order now at ToyOrGame.com.sg (S$10 deposit, full price to be confirmed), and the game will be stocked on Shopee and Lazada at launch. The US price is USD$39.99 — when it was confirmed, Nintendo Life called it a “welcome surprise” given that most Nintendo first-party titles launch at USD$59.99 or higher. The local SGD price has not been officially announced, but that US pricing bodes well for Singapore fans.

If you played the DS or Wii entries and still remember the staccato satisfaction of a perfect frog leap or a well-timed wrestling pose, Groove is the one to mark on your calendar. It launches 2 July on Nintendo Switch — and the Switch 2 plays it natively too. Keep an eye on our Game News section for a full impressions piece closer to launch.

2026 Pokemon North America International Championships banner

Watch Pokémon NAIC 2026 Live Tonight — Free Blastoise in Pokémon Champions

The 2026 Pokémon North America International Championships (NAIC) is live right now — and there is a very good reason for Singapore fans to tune in beyond the world-class competition: stream on Twitch tonight and you will walk away with a free Blastoise for your Pokémon Champions roster.

2026 Pokémon North America International Championships Preview Show — via The Official Pokémon YouTube channel on YouTube

What is the Pokémon NAIC 2026?

The NAIC is the final International Championship of the 2026 Pokémon Championship Series, running June 12–14 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Competitors are fighting for a share of over US$500,000 in prizes and, crucially, direct invitations to the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco this August.

Four games take centre stage: the Pokémon Video Game Championships (VGC), the Trading Card Game (TCG), Pokémon GO, and Pokémon UNITE. This weekend also marks a first: Pokémon Champions makes its inaugural appearance at an International Championship — the biggest competitive stage the new mobile game has seen yet, ahead of its global launch on June 17.

How to Watch from Singapore

The main broadcast streams on Twitch.tv/Pokemon and YouTube.com/@PlayPokemon, with a central hub at Pokemon.com/Broadcasts where you can hop between game streams, check the schedule, and find caster line-ups.

Broadcasts run approximately 7am–6pm PDT each day, which works out to roughly 10pm–9am SGT. Yes, that means late-night viewing — set an alarm, grab some snacks, and settle in for the big matches after dinner.

Get a Free Blastoise in Pokémon Champions

Blastoise Cherish Ball event drop for Pokemon Champions at NAIC 2026
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Here is the deal: watch Twitch.tv/Pokemon for a cumulative 60 minutes over the three-day weekend and you will earn a Twitch Drop code for a battle-ready Blastoise in a Cherish Ball. Make sure Twitch Drops are enabled in your account settings before you start watching. Redeem the code by June 18, 4:59pm PDT (June 19, 7:59am SGT) — do not sleep on this one.

Watching a partnered co-streamer for 45 minutes earns you 12 Quick Coupons instead — items that shorten Pokémon recruitment wait times by one hour each, handy for building your team faster once the game launches.

How to activate Twitch Drops: log into Twitch, go to Settings → Connections, and make sure your Pokémon Champions account is linked before the stream starts.

More Drops Across Every Pokémon Game

Pokemon TCG Live Twitch Drops rewards at NAIC 2026
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

The Blastoise is the headline reward, but every major Pokémon title has drops running this weekend. Here is the full breakdown:

Pokémon TCG Live (Twitch.tv/PokemonTCG)

  • 30 minutes: Digital Chaos Rising Booster Packs
  • 45 minutes: Two Special Illustration Rares (SIRs)
  • 60 minutes: Mega Blastoise Avatar Cosmetics — jacket, coin, card sleeves, and deck box
  • 45 min on a partnered co-streamer: Two Ultra Rare Cards

Pokémon GO (Twitch.tv/PokemonGO)

  • 30 minutes: Timed Research featuring Seaking with Icy Wind and 20 Goldeen XL Candy
  • 45 minutes: NAIC Battle Bundle (Elite Charged TM, Rare Candy XL, 25 Fast TMs, 25 Charged TMs)
  • Claim deadline: June 26

Pokémon UNITE (Twitch.tv/PokemonUNITE)

  • Password revealed live during broadcast: 2026 NAIC Logo Sticker
  • 20 minutes: Platinum Blastoise Boost Emblem
  • Redeem by August 29

Important: each game has its own dedicated Twitch channel, and watch time is tracked per channel. Watching Twitch.tv/Pokemon counts toward Champions drops, not TCG Live drops — you will need to switch tabs intentionally if you want rewards across multiple games.

Last Words

Whether you are deep in the VGC meta, chasing championship-calibre cards for your TCG Live collection, or just want a head start building your Pokémon Champions team before launch day on June 17, there is something worth staying up for this weekend. The NAIC is the last shot for competitors to earn direct World Championship invites, and with Pokémon Champions joining the International stage for the first time, history is being made.

Set an alarm for 10pm SGT, drop into Twitch.tv/Pokemon, and clock your 60 minutes. That Blastoise is free for the taking. For more Pokémon events and gaming news, keep it locked to GameTrader.SG.