Asia Gaming Beat: 19 July 2025

The middle week of July is filled with games big and bigger, and a movie adaptation of the most popular fighting game that isn’t Street Fighter. 

The Big Picture

There’s nothing major this week that hasn’t been covered in the past few (one involving Streamline Studios), so we’ll just go through various musings & thoughts: 

-The 13th rendition of Japanese indie games showcase BitSummit is proof that if your events company & circle persevere and make the right connections, you can last as long as humanly possible while targeting your own niche. 

-There are currently two first-party games on the Nintendo Switch 2, with one of them being an overpriced kart game. While the other title is a great 3D platformer, we suggest waiting for three to four more first-party titles before committing to its exorbitant entry price (RM2,488 minimum in Malaysia).

-From the looks of the new trailer, the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2 movie is proof that video game adaptations can sell if they stick to what they know best and deliver. In this case, the ultraviolence and the R-rating.  

Short Beats

Film company New Line just released the official trailer of the upcoming action movie Mortal Kombat 2, the latest live-action adaptation of the Mortal Kombat series.

The beta test for upcoming mobile first-person shooter Crossfire: Legends will be out in Southeast Asia from 23 July to 22 August. 

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 locks Spongebob Easter Egg behind the game’s US$70 Deluxe Edition. Players however can pay an extra US$20 to unlock this on their Standard version. 

Malaysia’s big fighting game tournament, FV Major 2025, is celebrating its last hurrah this 26 to 27 July at Sungei Wang Plaza, Kuala Lumpur. 

Nearly 8,000 titles released on Steam worldwide have disclosed GenAI usage this year alone. 

PixelJunk Eden 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 2008 psychedelic arcade classic, will be out for PC, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 on 10th October. 

Japan’s biggest indie gaming fest BitSummit 13th is happening right now until 20th July. 

Op-Ed

We reviewed two games this week: Mario Kart World and Shadow Labyrinth. 

We also recap the top news & games we’ve played/shows we’ve watched on our recent video podcast. 

Games Out This Week

Donkey Kong Bananza is an exclusive Nintendo Switch 2 3D open-world platformer with tons of action, minigames, and puzzles. You play as the titular ape as he bashes his way to the underground for golden bananas together with his singing sidekick Pauline. 

Shadow Labyrinth is a new Bandai Namco-made search-and-action 2D title set in a dark sci-fi universe where you clash against iconic arcade characters in new forms.

Upin & Ipin Universe is a new open-world adventure all-ages game from Streamline Studios. Explore the vibrant world of Upin & Ipin Universe—an open-world adventure inspired by kampung life, full of local charm, culture, and heartwarming stories from Malaysia. 

World’s End Club is an adventure puzzle title where you’re put into a storyline with 12 kids crossing over 1,200 kilometers on a cross-country trip in Japan and beyond. This game’s narrative is brought to you by Zero Escape series creator Kotaro Uchikoshi and Kazutaka Kodaka. Out for PC and consoles.

Edens Zero is a 3D action role-playing game based on the space fantasy comic by Hiro Mashima of Fairy Tail fame. Control a diverse cast of characters as your team embark on an epic adventure across different planets while battling powerful enemies!

Golden Tee Arcade Classics is a collection of all six classic Golden Tee arcade golf games, with improved controls and a new practice mode to brush up your skills. Out for PC and consoles.   

Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact is the new 3v3 fighting game based on the famous Hunter x Hunter manga and anime series. Features high-flying combo-heavy tag-teaming combat. Out for PC, Nintendo Switch, & PlayStation 5. 

Recommended Viewing

There’s a ton of awesome indie games being showcased and displayed at this year’s BitSummit event in Japan. Check out the livestream here.