Store fights Pokemon scalpers with a mandatory quiz

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Okay, so I just heard about this and it’s amazing! If you’re planning to flip Pokemon cards at Bic Camera in Ikebukuro, you’re going to have to prove you’re a real fan first. Someone named Ryo Saeba shared a picture of a notice saying they’re making everyone take a Pokemon quiz before they can even buy the cards. It’s a great way to stop scalpers, honestly!

Xenosaga: Pied Piper launches April 30 for Steam and Nintendo Switch in Japan

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The game Xenosaga: Pied Piper is now available as part of the G-Mode Archives+ collection. Originally released in Japan for Vodafone flip phones in July 2004, it later came to the i-mode platform in July 2006. The game is a prequel to Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht, taking place a hundred years earlier, and features the character Ziggy. You can watch the trailer for Xenosaga: Pied Piper below.

Japan’s Yen Rises, Bitcoin Falls: A Tale of Two Currencies

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The Bank of Japan’s monetary policy decision on Tuesday, a masterclass in bureaucratic indecision, has sparked wild speculation about a rate hike by the end of the second quarter, much to the delight of market analysts who thrive on such chaos. The yen, that most fickle of currencies, is now dancing with glee, while Bitcoin, ever the tragic figure, laments its woes.

Top Chef Recap: Jammed Up

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Restaurant Wars was a surprisingly smooth episode. It was refreshingly simple, with the only real challenge – handling takeout orders – not significantly impacting the results. The episode opened with news that Jennifer had to withdraw from the competition due to a hospital stay, and Justin chose to be with her. Sieger returned to take her place, joining Oscar, Brandon, and Jonathan’s team, who decided on a Latin-Southern fusion concept called Terra Reina. Sieger would be the executive chef and handle order expediting, while Brandon and Jonathan would cook, and Oscar would manage the front of house. The other team, opting for a broader Southern theme and naming themselves Carolina Queen, featured immunity-winning Anthony as executive chef, with Laurence and Sherry on cooking duty and Duyen handling front of house. During menu planning, Sieger volunteered to create both an appetizer and a dessert on top of his executive chef responsibilities, and Oscar planned an entree that Brandon would prepare. Brandon also took on a dessert, while Jonathan covered both an appetizer and an entree. On the Carolina Queen side, Anthony focused on an entree, Duyen on an appetizer, Sherry on both an appetizer and dessert, and Laurence on an entree and dessert. The division of labor on Carolina Queen, with each cook handling two dishes, felt more typical of past Restaurant Wars episodes, so it will be interesting to see how that approach plays out.

XRP Price Collapse: The Final Frontier of Financial Despair?

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XRP price failed to stay above $1.440, which is less impressive than a toddler holding their breath in a swimming pool. Now it’s plummeting like a poorly written sci-fi novel, joining Bitcoin and Ethereum in their shared descent into madness. The price has now carved a neat little hole in the $1.4320 and $1.430 regions, proving that even numbers can feel lonely.

Matthew Lillard Thanks Nostalgia for Career Revival

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He links his recent career comeback to a sense of nostalgia, having appeared in films like Five Nights at Freddy’s, Scream 7, and Daredevil: Born Again since 2023. Despite this success, he surprisingly doesn’t think people are genuinely excited to see him act. “I believe I’m working because people are feeling nostalgic, not because they actually like me,” he explained. It seems Lillard underestimates how much his fans are looking forward to his projects!