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All Anyone At Gamescom Can Talk About Is Dolly Parton
During Gamescom's Opening Night Live, the unexpected death of music icon Dolly Parton became a dominant topic in the Twitch chat, overshadowing game announcements. Despite her limited direct involvement in gaming, fans paid tribute to her widespread cultural impact and personal connection to many.
Entire Mario Kart World OST now available on Nintendo Music, behind-the-scenes performances released
Nintendo has made the entire 348-song soundtrack for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe available on Nintendo Music, including the Free Roam tracks. To commemorate the release, the company has also shared behind-the-scenes live studio performances of the music.
Yoshiki and Josh Groban unite for new recording of "Forever Love" — MP3s & NPCs
Yoshiki and Josh Groban have announced a new recording of the X Japan song "Forever Love," set for release on August 28. The track was recorded live at Walt Disney Concert Hall and features Groban singing in both English and Japanese. Yoshiki expressed his emotion at hearing Groban's Japanese rendition, while Groban called it an honor to collaborate with the iconic artist.
BUBBLE POP: THE SEA - A rather lovely puzzle bobble clone for the Commodore 64 by J5
A new Commodore 64 game, Bubble Pop: The Sea, developed by J5, has been released. This bubble shooter is a polished clone of Puzzle Bobble, coded in 6502 assembly language with AI assistance for coding and graphics. The game features responsive gameplay and an original score by Toxic Avenger with dynamic sound effects.
Takedown: The Folly of Fighting Fire with Fire
The Huntrix crew developed a "diss track" titled "Takedown" as a competitive strategy against their rivals, the "Saja Boys." This song was crafted as a direct response to their opponents.
Revenge Wife (HOLYCHILD's Liz Nistico) announces debut album 'Alien Witch' — MP3s & NPCs
Liz Nistico, the solo project of HOLYCHILD's Liz Nistico, has announced the debut album 'Alien Witch' for Revenge Wife, set to release on September 30. The album features 12 tracks, mostly produced by Nistico, and includes the lead single "What If It *Is* Me?!" with a music video directed by Nistico. Revenge Wife will also preview new material at Echo Park Rising and perform in New York City.
Interview: Mike Huguenor (Jeff Rosenstock) talks 'Surfing the Web With the Alien' video game — MP3s & NPCs
Musician Mike Huguenor discusses the creation of his retro side-scrolling game, 'Surfing the Web With the Alien: The Game,' inspired by the realities of touring. The game, set for release on Steam and Game Boy, aims to capture a DIY punk spirit. Huguenor also shares his thoughts on other games he enjoys and his desire to create music for a 'Silent Hill' title.
The best Los Angeles events for the week of August 17 - August 23 — MP3s & NPCs
This article highlights notable events happening in Los Angeles from August 17 to August 23. Events include a video game music night at Moroccan Lounge, Mt. Joy's anniversary tour at the Greek Theatre, improv comedy shows at UCB Theatre, and a sketch comedy performance by Friendo at The Pack Theater.
Rise Against release new singles “Katy Bar The Door” and “Living Undercover” — MP3s & NPCs
Rise Against has released two new singles, "Katy Bar The Door" and "Living Undercover," recorded at The Blasting Room. The band will embark on a headlining tour across the United States this fall with support from Alkaline Trio, with tickets currently on sale.
Valorant pulls in BMTH and Spiritbox singers for VCT anthem, and it's exactly what we need
Riot Games has released the official anthem for the Valorant Champions Shanghai tournament, titled 'If The Sun Burns Out Tonight.' The track features Oli Sykes of Bring Me The Horizon and Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox, with production by Grabbitz. This marks a return to heavy metal influences for Valorant's anthems, aiming to recapture the balance of electronic and strong vocals that made previous tracks successful.
YOASOBI to hold pop-up event in Los Angeles — MP3s & NPCs
J-pop act YOASOBI will host a pop-up event in Los Angeles on August 18 and 19, featuring exclusive tour merchandise and a signing session for their vinyl release. This event follows their Hollywood Bowl performance, concluding their North American tour. The pop-up will be held at Complex LA.
Weekend Discussion - August 9, 2026
This Weekend Discussion article from Shacknews covers various topics including a mention of a remake for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, updates for Ghost Recon Wildlands, and a review of Chop Chop Inc. It also features a list of songs the author is listening to and mentions actor Sam Neill's final role in a Zelda movie. The article concludes with a call to subscribe to Shackpass and engage in the Shacknews Chatty comment thread.
Deltarune's 'The Third Sanctuary' is an affront to time signatures, and also one of my favourite songs in…
This article analyzes the song 'The Third Sanctuary' from Deltarune, highlighting its complex and unconventional use of time signatures to convey narrative themes. Composer Toby Fox masterfully employs shifting rhythms to reflect character uncertainty and story progression, creating a unique musical experience that has also inspired numerous fan covers and reinterpretations.
Anthrax release new single "Everybody's Got A Plan" — MP3s & NPCs
Anthrax has released a new single titled "Everybody's Got A Plan" from their upcoming album Cursum Perficio, due September 18 via Megaforce Records. The accompanying music video features live footage from their performance opening for Iron Maiden in Lisbon. Drummer Charlie Benante described the song as a favorite and the video as a montage matching the song's velocity.
Metal The Gathering: From ripping packs in a moshpit to a secret allstar metal MTG group chat, Atreyu explain why Magic…
Metalcore band Atreyu discusses their unique performance at Magic Con, blending their music with the Magic: The Gathering card game. Bassist Porter McKnight shares his lifelong passion for Magic and how it connects him with fellow musicians through a 'Metalcore Magic' group chat, highlighting the shared community and camaraderie between music and gaming.
The Avalanches announce new album 'No Bad Memories’ — MP3s & NPCs
The Avalanches have announced their fourth studio album, 'No Bad Memories,' set for release on October 16 via Modular. The announcement was accompanied by the release of their new single 'Can’t Get Over Losing You,' featuring singer Portraits of Tracy. Keyboardist Robbie Chater expressed his admiration for Tracy's talent, while Tracy shared her positive experience collaborating with the band.
Lumines Remastered Brings the Classic Audio-Visual Puzzle to Mobile
Lumines Remastered, the updated version of the classic 2004 PSP puzzle game, has been released on Android for mobile devices. The game features its signature audio-visual experience with house, trance, and techno tracks, along with various modes and unlockables. It offers touch controls or controller support and is available for $7.99 on the Google Play Store after a free trial.
Morning Audio Files
Spotify has reached 300 million premium subscribers, while Sega has released a 100-track playlist on Spotify and Apple Music featuring the work of Sonic composer Jun Senoue. The article also briefly touches on AI music applications.
Weekend Discussion - August 2, 2026
This Weekend Discussion post from Shacknews reflects on various topics including a potential Ocarina of Time remake, strategies for Surviving Mars, the value of physical media, and music recommendations. It also highlights recent Shacknews articles covering Gears of War: E-Day, Blue Reflection Quartet, and Silent Hill: Townfall.
Stellar Blade: Blood Rain's AI slop music video is terrible for us all
The article criticizes ShiftUp's use of AI-generated music and video for Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, calling it detrimental to the game's artistic integrity and the broader gaming industry. CEO Kim Hyung Tae's pro-AI stance is highlighted, contrasting with the company's previous success with human-created music in Nikke: Goddess of Victory. The author expresses concern that normalizing such practices could lead to a future of soulless, mass-produced games.
