Review: How ‘Have a Nice Death’ stands out from the rogue-lite crowd

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 10:23:24 GMT

It’s hard to stand out as a rogue-lite. The genre has grown in popularity in recent years because of the success of instant classics such as “Spelunky” and “Hades.” These games built a reputation on their difficulty and they balanced that out with their addictive and deep gameplay.Similar to the original rogue-lites, these games force players to run through procedurally generated dungeons, but the catch is that players only have one life to reach the end. If they die, they have to start over. It’s a brutal game design, but rogue-lites mitigate the challenge by letting players carry over at least one element from their run.WELCOME TO DEATH INC.“Have a Nice Death” fits that bill. The new title from Magic Design Studios is a side-scrolling adventure, which puts players in the shoes of the Grim Reaper. He’s been so successful at taking peoples’ souls and helping them leave their mortal coil that he essentially built a global co...

Mid-Market Whole Foods location closing -- just one year after opening

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 10:23:24 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The Whole Foods Market location in downtown San Francisco is set to close at the end of business Monday, just a year or so after opening in March of 2022, KRON4 has confirmed. Employees at the store will be transferred to other locations nearby."To ensure the safety of our Team Members, we have made the difficult decision to close the Trinity store for the time being," said a Whole Foods Market spokesperson. "All team members will be transferred to one of our nearby locations." Wood Street encampment evictions set to begin today in Oakland The grocery store, one of the largest in San Francisco, opened on March 10, 2022. At the time, the grocery store chain, which is owned by Amazon, called Mid-Market location San Francisco's "flagship store." "The store's design nods to classic San Francisco with inspiration from the former Crystal Palace Market, the modern, industrial feel of the Tenderloin district and the iconic colors of the Golden Gate Bridge," read pa...

Park officials list best 'super bloom' hot spots in South Bay

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 10:23:24 GMT

(KRON) -- Santa Clara County Parks officials said an "extraordinary" display of wildflowers are expected to bloom this spring thanks to the Bay Area's unusually wet winter. Parks officials wrote Monday, "The explosion of flowers, known colloquially to some as a 'super bloom,' is expected to be in full swing once a prolonged period of sunshine and warm weather occurs. It is expected to last through May."Parks director Don Rocha said, "It’s been a cold and rainy winter for many in the Bay Area, but our reward will be an awesome array of wildflowers for everyone to enjoy. Our accessible trail system will provide outstanding opportunities for all to view, no matter their skill level. Once the bloom begins, Parks staff will continue to monitor the trails to keep visitors up to date for the best places to view the wildflowers."Visitors can find hot spots for the upcoming wildflower array using the county's ArcGIS system.According to SCCP, some of the best local parks for finding colorful ...

Al Jaffee, longtime Mad magazine cartoonist, dead at 102

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 10:23:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Al Jaffee, Mad magazine’s award-winning cartoonist and ageless wise guy who delighted millions of kids with the sneaky fun of the Fold-In and the snark of “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions,” has died. He was 102.Jaffee died Monday in Manhattan from multiple organ failure, according to his granddaughter, Fani Thomson. He had retired at the age of 99.Mad magazine, with its wry, sometimes pointed send-ups of politics and culture, was essential reading for teens and preteens during the baby-boom era and inspiration for countless future comedians. Few of the magazine’s self-billed “Usual Gang of Idiots” contributed as much — and as dependably — as the impish, bearded cartoonist. For decades, virtually every issue featured new material by Jaffee. His collected “Fold-Ins,” taking on everyone in his unmistakably broad visual style from the Beatles to TMZ, was enough for a four-volume box set published in 2011.Readers savored his Fold-Ins like ...

Shields to fight Gabriels in Detroit at Little Caesars Arena

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 10:23:24 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — The Motor City has landed a big punch to get back in the fight game.Claressa Shields will fight Hanna Gabriels for the women’s world middleweight championship on June 3, bringing boxing to Little Caesars Arena for the first time since it opened in 2017.DAZN, which will carry the match live, made the announcement.Shields, who hails from Flint, Michigan, headlines the card that will include up-and-coming fighters from Michigan.“Claressa opening up the building will forever be imbedded in the rich history of Detroit like the Joe Louis fist in downtown,” Shields’ promoter, Dmitriy Salita, said Monday. “This event will transcend sports because of Claressa, what she represents and accomplished as a young girl from one of the most challenged places in the USA, who believed in herself and made a positive choice every day of her life when she was a kid to be a champion.”Gabriels, who is from Costa Rica, became the only opponent to knock Shields down before losing to her in 201...

Hoskins hopeful for potential October return for Phillies

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 10:23:24 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rhys Hoskins leaned on his left crutch as he helped injured teammate Bryce Harper raise the Phillies’ 2022 National League championship banner. He got a standing ovation as he hobbled to the field two days later to accept his championship ring.Hoskins’ participation in Philadelphia’s opening weekend festivities was about all he could muster as the slugging first baseman recovers from a torn ACL in his left knee.But should the Phillies make another run in October, Hoskins is ready to spike the seven- to nine-month rehab expectation and play in the postseason.“I’m going to do everything in my power to give myself an opportunity that if and when we are playing in late October, I have a chance to contribute to that,” Hoskins said Monday.The 30-year-old Hoskins — playing on a $12 million, one-year contract — spoke to reporters for the first time since he “felt a pop” and was injured in late March while fielding a grounder in a spring training game. Hoskins hit 30 home...

Saudi diplomat: Talks with Houthis aim to revive Yemen truce

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 10:23:24 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen said Monday his trip to the Houthi-held capital of Sanaa was aimed at reviving a cease-fire and re-starting political talks to end the nine-year conflict.Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber met with Houthi officials in Sanaa on Sunday for talks also attended by Omani officials. The trip came as talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis gained momentum after the Kingdom reached a deal with Iran last month to restore their diplomatic ties. Iran is the Houthis’ main foreign backer in Yemen’s conflict.Al-Jaber said on Twitter that his trip was meant to “stabilize the truce and cease-fire, support the prisoner exchange process and explore venues of dialogue between Yemeni components to reach a sustainable, comprehensive political solution in Yemen.”His comments were the first by Saudi Arabia on the visit.Yemen’s conflict began in 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthis seized Sanaa and much of Yemen’s north, ousting the internationally recognized govern...

Stone practicing for Golden Knights, game return uncertain

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 10:23:24 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone returned to practice Monday for the first time since back surgery Jan. 31 forced him out of the lineup.He was in a blue noncontact jersey, and coach Bruce Cassidy said Stone’s return to game action was still unknown.“This is his next phase of returning to playing and recovery and integrating with the team,” Cassidy said. “We’ll see how he responds to it (Tuesday). It’s just good to have him around.”Stone was injured Jan. 12 against Florida, and at the time, he was second on the team with 17 goals and 38 points.This was this second time in less than a year that Stone underwent back surgery. He also had a procedure May 19.Jack Eichel, who shares the team lead with 27 goals and leads the Knights with 65 points, will miss his second straight game with a lower-body injury when Vegas hosts the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night.Zach Whitecloud will also miss the game after suffering a lower-body injury Saturday at Dal...

Mexican ballad singer Julián Figueroa dies at 27

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 10:23:24 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican ballad singer Julián Figueroa has died at the age of 27, his mother confirmed Monday. Figueroa was the son of actress Maribel Guardia and singer Joan Sebastian, who died in 2015. Guardia wrote that Figueroa died of a heart ailment. Like his father, Figueroa sang northern-inspired ballads backed by a traditional band. His hits included songs like “Yo sería”, “Ay amor” and “Volaré.” Guardia wrote in her Instagram account that her son died over the weekend.“They found him unconscious in his room last night,” she wrote. “When the ambulance arrived and the police found him dead, there was no sign of violence. The medical report says he died of an acute heart attack.”Figueroa was survived by his mother, and his wife, singer and actress Imelda Tuñón, and their son. Funeral plans were not immediately announced.Joan Sebastian, one of Mexico’s great ballad singers, died in 2015 at age 64.He was best known for sentimental love songs like “Tatuajes” and “Secreto de Am...