Yo-Kai Watch 4 ++

Last Summer, the blokes from Level 5 brought fans the latest installment of the Yo-Kai Watch franchise, called Yo-Kai Watch 4, and while this is basically an improvement compared to past installments, well, the new battle system is worth enjoying as well as the time-bending storyline, fans said they want some more. In response, the upgraded version of Yo-Kai Watch 4, called Yo-Kai Watch 4 ++, is out in the bag and into the Nintendo Switch and, for the first time, the PlayStation4, giving players more to expect the original doesn’t.

Yo-Kai Watch 4 ++ (PS4)

Yo-Kai Watch 4 ++ (Switch)

With YW 4++, fans can expect a bigger and more enjoyable Yo-Kai Watch experience with new co-op mode, new playable Yo-Kais to team up, and new quests to take on. Life on the human world and spirit world couldn’t get even bigger than this, even if its timey-wimey of course.

The Busters co-op mode have became a fan-favorite for the Yo-Kai Watch players and with the mode back on Yo-Kai Watch 4++, players can team up online to take on powerful bosses and score greater rewards. Trouble is, though, since this is on Switch and on PS4, online subscription (Switch Online/PlayStation Plus) is required, meaning players will have to waste their precious Yens to play this wondrous online co-op mode. Shame.

Anyway, if you think you are familiar with the original YW4 game, then think again because in YW4++, there are new locations to explore, new bosses to take on, and new playable Yo-Kai to team up. There's even a special guest appearance of Jinpei Jiba from the upcoming Youkai Gakuen Y movie as well.

If you are playing the original Yo-Kai Watch 4 game on the Nintendo Switch, you can purchase the upgrade pack DLC to take advantage of the new and exciting features offered on YW4++, including the wonderful but rather expensive Busters co-op mode. Once more, you can carry over your progress to this upgraded version as well so you can continue where you left off while experiencing additional stuff. You get the idea.

The Yo-Kai Watch franchise has been one of Level 5's most successful franchise ever made and inspirited fans the world over. With YW4++, the franchise expands to further heights because not only the Switch version is offered but for the first time for PS4 users. Sounds controversial but there's nothing they can do. Still, whichever console they're playing, YW4++ promises to stir up some memories for the fans who are spending the rest of the day jumping through time, teaming up with new and familiar Yo-Kai characters, and enjoy the enriching storyline that changed the franchise forever. The more you know.

GT SPORT: LC vs. GR Supra

With the final SUPER GT race bids farewell to Lexus after 13 years and welcomes Toyota back for next season, it might be the ideal time to compare the the outgoing and the incoming, in normal road-going forms of course, as the Lexus LC500, their current luxury sports coupe, battles against the Toyota GR Supra, the reborn sportscar and the first representative of the Reiwa era cars to see who is worthy of taking its place on SUPER GT duty.



It's hard to believe that the LC500 will be the last Lexus to race at the GT500 class of the Super GT after 13 years since the SC430 went on service and followed by the RC F and the Concept LF-LC, but with Toyota's triumphant return to the GT500 class starting next year with the controversial but long-awaited GR Supra, the new decade will be a heck of a welcoming back party for the Toyota emblem as well as the revived Supra. Although welcoming, I still demonize these two Toyotas for being classified as Gran Turismo exclusives, but never mind all that, let's compare these two Toyota sports cars.



Although this is the first Japanese sports car of the Reiwa era, the Toyota GR Supra isn't exactly Japanese or so because while it says Toyota, it's surprisingly engineered by BMW and built in Austria, meaning that this fully-imported GR Supra has some Eurasian flair on the global stage. Born in Europe but raised in Asia, the GR Supra really is a world-class sportscar that tickles the fancies of every car enthusiast who wished for Toyota to bring back the Supra. In the range-topping RZ form, it comes with the 3.0L BMW TwinPower Turbo engine producing 340PS of power and 500Nm of torque while mated to an 8-speed Steptronic gearbox.



"You have a GR Supra? That's cute," so says someone who drove a Lexus LC because while the powertrain isn't as sophisticated as the Supra's, the TNGA platform lurking through the LC really means business on the go. The 477PS 2UR-GSE 4.0L V8 engine that powers it may not be capable enough to outsmart the Europeans but the soundtrack is definitely music to their ears and the best thing about the LC is that while it's not as fast as today's European luxury coupes, it's still a blast to drive and you can't stop driving one until you are fully satisfied.









Having a blast driving these two at their natural home track, the Fuji Speedway, the Lexus LC and the Toyota GR Supra are starting to show their true colors. The LC is challenging but enjoyable while the GR Supra feels so accessible to drive even with the BMW connection lurking through its skin. They maybe road cars but they are starting to feel like proper SUPER GT racers and as I had fun driving them, the LC and the GR Supra went for a timed lap to see which one is worthy of being part of the SUPER GT story.

After timed laps, here are the results;

LC500 - 2:02.645
GR Supra - 2:03.614

What a surprising result! These two Toyota sports cars bear a near one-second difference and by such result, looks like the GR Supra is nearly a second slower compared to the Lexus LC500, which is surprisingly impressive because while the LC packs more power than the Supra, the Supra is surprisingly lighter than the LC, making it a stalemate comparison between the two. It's too close to call for these two Toyotas.



Although a second slower compared to the LC500, the GR Supra has got what it takes to replace the LC500 in next year's Super GT and carry on with the tradition of Toyota's motorsport history that has been in their mantra for generations. It really is a bargain sports car that can be as enjoyable to drive as the heavyweights and after a close call with the LC500, I believe it's ready.



Although I still demonize this car, the GR Supra never fails to surprise me and I can't wait to see what's next for the world-class sports car that has the heart of a true Toyota despite being born in Europe by Bimmer people. The more you know.

GT SPORT: Soul, electrified

With the world braces for an electrified future, Porsche accepts the electric car challenge by creating their first-ever electric car that delivers the same Porsche feeling in a zero-emission promise.



The result is the birth of Porsche's first electric sports saloon, the Taycan, and GT SPORT has the exclusivity to bring the new Taycan to the virtual world for all to witness the electrified vision of Porsche.



Only Gran Turismo Sport players have been given the opportunity to have their first taste of Porsche's electrified vision with the Taycan and now that it's here in the world of Gran Turismo, let's investigate more about Stuttgart's first electric car that promises pure Porsche DNA in an electric car packaging.



Unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Taycan is Porsche's first fully-electric sports saloon which marks the beginning of the new era for the German sports car maker responsible for the legendary 911, the 718, the Panamera, and other models. At launch, the Turbo and the range-topping Turbo S will be offered and it's very confusing why they gave a Turbo naming on an electric sports saloon like this even though it has no ICE that powers it.

Anyway, wrong naming aside, the range-topping Turbo S unleashes up to 560kW overboost power from its unique electric drivetrain with 800v of system voltage and 93.4kWh Performance Battery Plus, meaning it's capable of going from 0-100kph in less than three seconds.

Apart from the electric powertrain that leaves them a first impression, the Taycan features a wide array of centrally networked chassis systems that will keep the electric car sporty and comfortable wherever it will go.



Upon trying out the Taycan firsthand in the game, the acceleration is worth a first impression to me because with all that power, it can get away quicker than the competition, but in terms of handling, it's a different story. Because it weighs about two and a half tons and with four-wheel drive, it feels bulky to drive and mild to handle, meaning it's too grippy to let loose and can be easily prone to understeer if you are approaching to the corner. It might be worth a break in the ligaments but if you keep driving with this Porsche, the more you will appreciate about the Porsche DNA the Taycan carries. It maybe difficult to get round corners with precision but it's worth a shot in a Taycan.

To explain what I'm on about, I had a little spa day on my own and if by spa day, it's not what you expect.





At long last, the famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is back in the world of Gran Turismo and the return of the Belgian track is the perfect sandbox for Porsche's first electric sports saloon.





From Eau Rouge to Rivage, I can really feel all the drama the Taycan went through and with all that mildness and all the grip, feels like the struggle is real and my arms are starting to leave an impression on the Taycan's grippy and mild driving feel, no matter the ever-changing elevation I've been through during my so-called spa day. Speaking of which, I did a timed lap to see how fast the Taycan went through Spa and I have a little footage for us to watch.

I did it in a 2:46.806, meaning that despite the weight and handling that upsets me the most, the Taycan is surprisingly a decent and enjoyable track day car that you can challenge yourself with if your arms are fully prepared for the worst.



It's still too early to tell the outcome of Porsche's first-ever electric sports saloon but thanks to GT SPORT, we have the experience we need to understand how the Taycan is made. If you haven't got the chance to experience what's what behind the wheel of the Taycan, be sure to play Gran Turismo Sport right now because this is the only chance you'll need to experience Porsche's electrified vision.

GT SPORT: How the Mazda Roadster progressed

2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the Mazda Roadster (known in the world market as the MX-5 Miata) and here at GT SPORT, it's time to experiment the first and the latest generation of Mazda's lightweight, open-top, sportscar that impressed the speedo boys worldwide with its accessible dynamics that made it unique.



How about a quick history lesson, shall we? The first Roadster (designated as NA) debuted in 1989 under the name, Eunos Roadster. which of course, Eunos is one of the brands from Mazda aside from Efini and Autozam back then. Sold worldwide as the MX-5 Miata, the Eunos Roadster was hugely popular among enthusiasts because of such lightweight chassis. The Eunos Roadster is powered with either a B6-ZE 1597cc 4-cylinder DOHC engine that produces 120ps/6500rpm of power or the BP-ZE 1839cc 4-cylinder DOHC engine that produces 130ps/6500rpm of power. There are so many special editions of the NA Roadster, including the S-Special, V-Special, or the J Limited.

The latest Roadster (designated as ND) still retains the same Roadster legacy while gaining its new look and new features. The ND is a hundred kilograms lighter than the previous NC model and it is powered by a SKYACTIV-G 1.5L petrol engine developing a reasonable 131PS of power and 150Nm of torque while mated with either a Toyota-derived 6-speed automatic or a newly-developed SKYACTIV-MT 6-speed gearbox developed specifically for the new Roadster.

Now that we know about the first and the latest Roadsters, how about a little experiment at Tsukuba Circuit, the venue of a popular one-make race series for Mazda Roadsters?



By taking the past and the present Roadsters for a spin round Tsukuba, you can really feel how much the Roadster recipe has improved over the past three decades. The NA Roadster is all about being a driver-focused sportscar with a no-nonsense point of view that lets drivers do the talking rather than the car itself. The ND Roadster, meanwhile, may be more poshed-up compared to the first one but despite having luxury stuff onto it, it still feels like a Roadster. It just is.

To see how much the Roadster has improved from the NA to the ND, it's time for a quick lap attack round Tsukuba.

After a quick lap round Tsukuba, here are the lap times;

NA - 1:16.703
ND - 1:13.344

So, three decades of Roadster history, it took about three seconds to improve the recipe, which is rather obvious but I'll take it into consideration.



For three decades, the Mazda Roadster has been the prime example of what a proper sportscar should be; focusing solely on dynamics rather than the performance itself and while it is not as fast and powerful as today's sportscars, its fun-to-drive character can't be beaten out cold and let's hope the Mazda Roadster will continue to soldier on for several years even though in this ever changing world where sportscars are continue to rule out in favor of bigger ones that don't do dirty things.

Never change, please.

Code Vein

This is by no means one of the most anticipated JRPGs ever to hit this fall and after a yearly drought that kept them waiting until the right time comes, Bandai Namco's newest role-playing game, Code Vein, hits hard with its bewildering storyline, unique cast of characters, and fluidic gameplay that will keep them hanging on to the very end.

Code Vein

In Code Vein, players venture through the post-apocalyptic world as a Revenant and battle through the harshest worlds to uncover the past and end the nightmare once and for all.

Code Vein features a breathtaking character customization system where players can personalize what sort of Revenant will be before jumping off to the beginning of the story. Apart from the character customization, players can experiment with various Blood Codes, Blood Veils, Gifts, and weapons, as well as buddy characters to team up, giving them many ways to take on numerous creatures and enemies as you venture through the post-apocalyptic world in style and substance.

If the going gets too tough by yourself, never fear, because Code Vein is not just for single play, it's also a co-op play where you can team up with another Revenant online and take on various challenges that you can't accomplish alone.

While not focusing on the main story, there are so many ways to do in Code Vein such as taking on side quests and much more, giving you more ways to accomodate in the post-apocalyptic world any time.

With its anime-style graphics, harsh locations that reflect the end of days, unique characters to meet and team up, and various battle styles to experiment, Code Vein truly is one of the most terrifying but rather unique Japanese Role-Playing Game that you can't get enough of. You'll spend a lot of days understanding the storyline, the quests, the open-world madness, and the battle styles to experiment and like most RPGs, you can't stop playing this game until you hit the ending credits. Simple as that...or is it?

Bandai Namco is known for their maddest video games in history and Code Vein truly is one of the maddest video games they've ever made and once played, you might fall in love with this post-apocalyptic JRPG game that will keep you hanging to the very end.

RAGE 2

The original RAGE, launched eight years ago, was a tour de force from the madmen behind hit FPS games like Quake and the legendary FPS game, Doom. It pits players on a role of an Arkist surviving in a world decimated by an asteroid and reign down destruction against enemy factions and a ruthless organization known as The Authority. This cult classic game really spells madness...right up to the endgame that left them wondering what might have been because once it's over, it's over, and they'll have to do it all over again. So, with the lesson learned, the men from Bethesda decided to call on the best people possible to create a long-awaited sequel to the cult-classic FPS and this time, they've got it right.

RAGE 2 (PS4)

RAGE 2 (Xbox One)

Made in collaboration with two of the maddest game developers in the world, id Software and Avalanche Studios, RAGE 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the original that is set three decades after the destruction left from the first one and in this game, players are back in the wasteland as the new main character, the last surviving Ranger named Walker who lost his home and now extracts revenge against menacing factions and in due course, destroy The Authority once and for all.

With new and returning characters aside, RAGE 2 is surely be a slaughterfest fans wouldn't want to miss thanks to new and exciting features fans and newcomers can't wait to get their hands on. Because the new main character is an Arkist, just like the previous protagonist from the previous RAGE, Walker possesses destructive abilities and some destructive arsenal of weapons which allows him to carve his own path of destruction against mutants, enemies, even The Authority. They're all upgradable, of course, to make it even more powerful against stronger enemies you might come across later.

With the right abilities and the right weapons, you can create devastating combo attacks that can easily to turn the tables in battles and when the right time comes, you can engage Overdrive, which makes your weapons and abilities more powerful as well as taking advantage of sick perks such as faster movement and health regeneration.

Believe it or not, the Wingstick from the previous RAGE is back and it's even more lethal than ever thanks to its new homing feature that can home in through enemies and can be upgraded for even more explosive effects. Everybody loves a powered-up Wingstick, right?

While taking a break from all of the main missions, the open world possibilities in RAGE 2 are near endless as you can take on various things to do in the wasteland such as toppling out enemy convoy, take on a wave of mutants in Mutant Bash, race, and more. There's so much you can do while warming yourself up for bigger ones later. On foot, behind the wheel, feel free to do whatever you want.

If RAGE 2's becoming too bored because of you being too basic, don't worry because somewhere in the Wasteland lies the mysterious being known as the Wasteland Wizard. Apart from selling outrageously-priced goodies, he can sell you some cheats that will make the gameplay even more exciting. Cheats such as the hilarious "He's on Fire" cheat, the one-hit kill cheat, the electricity cheat, the one where you can eject the Phoenix vehicle instead of you up in the air, and many more. There will be more post-launch that will make RAGE 2 even more rewarding and hilarious so keep an eye out on them later on.

Of course, just because you've done RAGE 2 doesn't mean you're done with it, there will be various contents coming your way later on with global community challenges to take on, new cheat codes, new weapons, and two new expansions coming up later on, with the first expansion "Rise of the Ghosts" coming this summer. These things will keep RAGE 2 even more RAGE-ier than ever.

So, thanks to new and explosive ways to carve your own destructive path in the wasteland, RAGE 2 is becoming the ultimate action thriller game you can't wait to get your sadistic hands on and trust them, this is the game you won't "rage quit" on because once you get hooked on this explosive sequel, you will always come back for more destruction until your head hurts really bad.

Not only it's better than the original RAGE eight years ago but this is surely one of the most insane post-apocalyptic shooter adventure game of the year, full stop. So insane, you'd really want to be like them for sure even until the endgame.

GT SPORT: R34 vs R35

The R34 Skyline GT-R is no doubt the best Japanese sportscar emerged from the early years of the Heisei era while the R35 GT-R is the best modern Heisei era Japanese sportscar ever made. For the climax of this Heisei-ending tribute, the two best Heisei era sportscars are now clashing for the grand finale to decide which is the best Heisei era sportscar.



For five decades, the GT-R has been the pinnacle of the history of Japanese sports cars since the first Skyline H/T 2000GT-R of 1969 and with the best examples representing the Heisei era, the R34 Skyline GT-R and the R35 GT-R, this will be the ultimate firecrackers to celebrate not just the end of this wondrous era but for five more decades of Nissan's fire-breathing monster that earned the Godzilla nickname by speedo boys worldwide.

So, how should I stage the last dance for the best Heisei era Japanese sportscars? There's only one venue I know and this venue is the one that staged the Japanese Grand Prix rather than Fuji.



The Suzuka Circuit is the perfect battleground for these two Godzillas as this time attack on GT SPORT will decide once and for all who will be crowned the best Heisei era car.

Without further ado, it's time to engage the climax revue for two of the best cars from the Heisei era.



After the endgame in Suzuka, here are the results...

R34 - 2:37.494
R35 - 2:25.138



Ladies and gentlemen, I hereby declare the Nissan GT-R R35 as the best Japanese sportscar of the Heisei era.

The R35 Nissan GT-R is no doubt the best Japanese sportscar of the Heisei era. Revived in 2007, received numerous updates every year, gained two minor changes in 2010 and 2016, upsetting every single supercar in the world, such work of art really made the R35 GT-R a powerhouse masterpiece Nissan ever created and although this car keeps getting better and better all the time, there's one thing I can say about this car; the perfection of this machine can't be improved and that is why the Nissan GT-R R35 is the best Heisei era car of all time.

Now that the Heisei era is well and truly over, what will Godzilla's next step will be in this brave new era they called Reiwa? Only time will tell.

Arigatou, Heisei!

GT SPORT: The modern Heisei JDMs

Earlier, after a little game at Tsukuba on GT SPORT, I crowned the R34 Skyline GT-R as the best Japanese sportscar to emerge from the early years of the Heisei era. Continuing on our farewell tribute to the Heisei era on GT SPORT, it's time to bring in the modern Heisei JDMs. Before you ask, no, you won't see the GR Supra in here because that one hasn't been on sale yet.







As the Heisei era tips to the climax here's how the Japanese car industry progressed so far. For Mazda, the only sporty offering in the SKYACTIV era is basically the ND Roadster, which celebrates its 30th birthday this year, the Lancer Evolution X is the last Lancer Evolution ever made and its reign ended in 2015 with a Final Edition, today's WRX STi is all about conquering the Nurburgring rather than rallying, Toyota wowed us with the 86 (which is made in cooperation with Subaru), Lexus continues to upset the luxury car market with their flagship LC grand tourer, and today's NSX is a hybrid supercar. Out of the modern Heisei JDMs, the R35 Nissan GT-R reigns supreme or is it?



To find out, I'm using the Tsukuba Circuit again to see which one of the modern Heisei-era Japanese sportscars is the top star and I got a little something for it later on so ladies and gentlemen, let's get this show on the track.



After the time of their lives at Tsukuba, here come the results...

Roadster S (ND) '15 - 1:14.018
86 GT '15 - 1:11.302
WRX STi Type S '14 - 1:07.100
Lancer Evo.Final '15 - 1:06.282
LC500 '17 - 1:06.129
NSX '17 - 1:03.377
GT-R '17 - 1:01.974



Here you are, ladies and gentlemen. The R35 is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best modern Heisei-era Japanese sportscar ever made but the question now is, is it really the best Heisei-era car? Check back for the big finish of this Heisei-ending tribute.

GT SPORT - The early Heisei JDMs

Today marks the end of the Heisei era and what better way to pay tribute to this golden era than sampling the most iconic Japanese sportscars emerged from the early years of the Heisei era? Of course, since the Gran Turismo franchise is part of those that were born from the Heisei era, our little game of GT SPORT takes us to the heroes of Gran Turismo, the best Japanese sportscars emerged from the early years of the Heisei era.



The FD-spec RX-7, the original Honda NSX, the Impreza STi, the JZA80 Supra, the R34 Skyline GT-R, and any of the pizza-lamped Lancer Evos are known to be the best of the Japanese sportscars to emerge from the early years of the Heisei era and here in GT SPORT, they have what's greater or nearer as the drivers can get from those Heisei era JDM sportscars.

These Japanese sportscars emerged from the early Heisei years are known to be collectibles for speedo boys worldwide because these cars are notoriously known for its street cred and known to be tuned to wake the neighbors after hours. Whether they can let them roar through the Shutokou by nighttime or living the track life by day, these Japanese marvels are everywhere and whether you love them or hate them, Japan is home to those street machines like these and as a tribute, let's take them to the common battleground for testing cars before hitting Japanese roads; Tsukuba.



Ah, Tsukuba Circuit. If my memory serves me correctly, the Tsukuba Circuit is the favorite playground for the over-the-video motoring program known as Best MOTORing. Over the years, we seen professional drivers across Japan testing out the coolest and the weirdest on this very track they called home. Of course, Best MOTORing may be officially dead several years ago but here in GT SPORT, people can do their Best MOTORing homage on this very track while sampling most of the cars offered in-game, just to give them their first impressions.

With the best JDM cars from the early Heisei era stepped to their very own Holy Land of sampling and time attacking, they are ready for a revue they will remember forever.

It's showtime!



After their Tsukuba revue, here are the results...

Impreza 22B-STi Version '98: 1:07.522
NSX Type R '92: 1:10.581
RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) '02: 1:07.700
R34 GT-R V-Spec II Nur '02: 1:06.864
Lancer Evo.IV GSR '96: 1:08.481
Supra RZ '97: 1:07.330



So, there we are. The R34 Skyline GT-R, launched from 1999 to 2002 is without a shadow of a doubt, the best Japanese sports car to emerge from the early Heisei years and no matter the opinion, I placed my fate that this is the best Japanese sportscars to emerge from the early years of the Heisei era.

Next time, let's pit in the Japanese sportscars from the modern Heisei era.