text: Biden also performed strongly in Pennsylvania's other urban, suburban, and exurban areas. Crucially, he carried Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) by 20.4%, the widest margin any nominee had won the county by since 1992. Centre and Dauphin both remained in the Democratic column; in the past, these counties voted Republican, though Centre County is home to Pennsylvania State University, while Dauphin County has followed the trend of urban areas becoming more Democratic. Biden also narrowly reclaimed two counties anchored by industrial cities which had long voted Democratic before Trump flipped them in 2016, Northampton (Bethlehem) and Erie (Erie), and improved on Hillary Clinton's margin in his birth county of Lackawanna County (Scranton), a county Hillary Clinton had barely kept in the Democratic column in 2016. In suburban Cumberland County, adjacent to Harrisburg, Biden shaved Trump's margin from 17.8% to 10.5%. Northampton and Erie were the only counties to flip from one party to the other; Northampton has voted for the winner of the state in every election from 1952 on.


title: 2020 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania

text: Trump maintained much of his momentum throughout rural and industrial Pennsylvania from four years earlier, with convincing victories in counties that were once competitive or even Democratic-leaning. He kept Luzerne County (Wilkes-Barre), which had voted Democratic six elections in a row before 2016 (and which had voted with the winner of the state from 1936 through 2016), in his column, although his margin in it was cut from 19.3% to 14.3%. Trump also won the former Democratic stronghold of Westmoreland County, although his margin in this county, crucial to his win in 2016, declined. Other previously competitive counties that Trump performed well in included Berks and Cambria, both of which voted for Obama in 2008. Trump further ran up the score in other conservative exurban counties, most notably in Lancaster and Lebanon counties, though his margin shrank somewhat in both.


text: Trump won whites in the state by 15 points, although like in the rest of the country, there was a clear disparity between college-educated and non college-educated whites. Biden won whites with a college degree by 9 points, while Trump excelled with whites without a college degree, winning this group by 32 points. Additionally, there was a gender disparity with the white vote; Trump won white men by 15 points, but only carried white women by 3 points. Finally, there was an age gap; Biden won young voters by double-digit margins, whereas Trump performed strongly with middle-aged voters; senior citizens were more even, breaking slightly for Trump.


text: Within minority blocs, Biden fared well, as he won black voters by 87 points, and won Latinos by 42 points. Three other critical voting blocs broke for Biden this cycle; he won independent voters by 8 points, moderates by 17 points, and first-time voters by 23 points.


text: On November 24, 2020, the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Kathy Boockvar, certified the results, and Governor Tom Wolf, in accordance with the law, signed the certificate of ascertainment for the Biden/Harris slate of electors for Biden and Harris and sent it to the Archivist of the United States.


text: On November 25, 2020, the Pennsylvania Senate Majority (Republican) Policy committee held a public hearing regarding the counting of ballots in this election. Trump planned to attend the meeting but he canceled the trip.


text: After a group of Republican congressman filed a lawsuit to stop certification on November 22, Judge Patricia McCullough ruled to halt further state certifications pending a hearing. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled on November 28 to unanimously overturn Judge Patricia McCullough's ruling to halt certification. Moreover, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court also dismissed with prejudice the requests of Representative Mike Kelly and other Republicans to either invalidate all 2.5 million mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania, or to invalidate all 6.9 million ballots in the state and have the state's Republican-controlled Legislature choose the presidential electors for the state. The rationale for the decision was that the Republicans were challenging the law too late; they had been able to challenge the law since it became live in October 2019, but they only filed the lawsuit when the results of the November 2020 election were "becoming seemingly apparent". Hence, the Republicans had failed to act with "due diligence" in their handling of the case. By the time of the court's decision, the Pennsylvania election results had been certified in Biden's favor. The congressmen appealed to the US Supreme Court, but on December 8, 2020, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the request in one sentence.


text: On December 31, 2020, Pennsylvania Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-9), Congressman Glenn ‘GT' Thompson (PA-15), Congressman Mike Kelly (PA-16), Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10), Congressman Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), Congressman Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), Congressman John Joyce (PA-13), and Congressman Fred Keller (PA-12) released a statement that summarized their belief that the Pennsylvania state legislature had taken unlawful actions regarding the 2020 election process which, in their opinion, resulted in a "highly questionable and inaccurate vote total".


text: On January 6, 2021, as Congress certified the Electoral College results confirming President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the winners, there was an objection to Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes, brought forward by U.S. Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district and officially signed onto by U.S. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri. The objection failed 7–92 in the Senate, and 138–282 in the House.


title: Kingdom of Portugal

text: The Kingdom of Portugal (, ) was a monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also known as the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves after 1415, and as the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves between 1815 and 1822. The name is also often applied to the Portuguese Empire, the realm's overseas colonies.


title: Kingdom of Portugal

text: The nucleus of the Portuguese state was the County of Portugal, established in the 9th century as part of the "Reconquista", by Vímara Peres, a vassal of the King of Asturias. The county became part of the Kingdom of León in 1097, and the Counts of Portugal established themselves as rulers of an independent kingdom in the 12th century, following the battle of São Mamede. The kingdom was ruled by the Alfonsine Dynasty until the 1383–85 Crisis, after which the monarchy passed to the House of Aviz.


title: Kingdom of Portugal

text: During the 15th and 16th century, Portuguese exploration established a vast colonial empire. From 1580 to 1640, the Kingdom of Portugal was in personal union with Habsburg Spain.


title: Kingdom of Portugal

text: After the Portuguese Restoration War of 1640–1668, the kingdom passed to the House of Braganza and thereafter to the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. From this time, the influence of Portugal declined, but it remained a major power due to its most valuable colony, Brazil. After the independence of Brazil, Portugal sought to establish itself in Africa, but was ultimately forced to halt its expansion due to the 1890 British Ultimatum, eventually leading to the collapse of the monarchy in the 5 October 1910 revolution and the establishment of the First Portuguese Republic.


title: Kingdom of Portugal

text: Portugal was an absolute monarchy before 1822. It alternated between absolute and constitutional monarchy from 1822 until 1834, when it would remain a constitutional monarchy until its fall.


title: Kingdom of Portugal

text: The Kingdom of Portugal finds its origins in the County of Portugal (1096–1139). The Portuguese County was a semi-autonomous county of the Kingdom of León. Independence from León took place in three stages:


title: Kingdom of Portugal

text: Once Portugal was independent, D. Afonso I's descendants, members of the Portuguese House of Burgundy, would rule Portugal until 1383. Even after the change in royal houses, all the monarchs of Portugal were descended from Afonso I, one way or another, through both legitimate and illegitimate links.


title: Kingdom of Portugal

text: With the start of the 20th century, Republicanism grew in numbers and support in Lisbon among progressive politicians and the influential press. However a minority with regard to the rest of the country, this height of republicanism would benefit politically from the Lisbon Regicide on 1 February 1908. While returning from the Ducal Palace at Vila Viçosa, King Charles and the Prince Royal Luís Filipe were assassinated in the Terreiro do Paço, in Lisbon. With the death of the King and his heir, Charles I's second son would become monarch as King Manuel II. Manuel's reign, however, would be short-lived, ending by force with the 5 October 1910 revolution, sending Manuel into exile in Great Britain and giving way to the Portuguese First Republic.


title: Kingdom of Portugal

text: On 19 January 1919, the Monarchy of the North was proclaimed in Oporto. The monarchy would be deposed a month later and no other monarchist counterrevolution in Portugal has happened since.


title: Kingdom of Portugal

text: After the republican revolution in October 1910, the remaining colonies of the empire became overseas provinces of the Portuguese Republic until the late 20th century, when the last overseas territories of Portugal were handed over. Most notably in Portuguese Africa which included the overseas provinces of Angola and Mozambique of which the handover took place in 1975, and finally in Asia the handover of Macau in 1999.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Torrie Anne Wilson (born July 24, 1975) is an American former professional wrestler and model. She is best known for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE, previously the World Wrestling Federation).


title: Torrie Wilson

text: As a fitness competitor, Wilson won the Miss Galaxy competition in 1999. Shortly after, she was signed by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where she stayed from 1999 until 2000. In 2001, she began appearing on World Wrestling Federation (WWF) television as part of The Invasion (by WCW, of the [then-] WWF) storyline. Her most high-profile storylines took place in 2002 when she feuded with Dawn Marie, and 2003 with Sable. Wilson has also been a part of the all-female stable (i.e., a group of storyline-associated characters), known as Vince's Devils, which ended its run in 2006.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Aside from pro wrestling, Wilson has been on the cover of several magazines, including "FHM" and "Playboy" (which Wilson posed for twice, one featuring both Wilson and Sable).


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson was born in Boise, Idaho. She says that, while growing up, she was painfully shy. Wilson found her niche in many school activities, including cheerleading, dance, and track and field.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: During her sophomore year of high school, after Wilson's interest in modeling grew more serious, her mother urged her to pursue it. They visited an agency and were informed that Wilson would have to lose weight to be considered for jobs. In the process of losing weight, she began a bout with anorexia nervosa and then bulimia that lasted from ages 14-to-20.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: After recovering from the disorder, Wilson became involved in fitness. She began eating six meals a day and working out. She placed third in her first competition, and she later won the Miss Galaxy competition in 1998. She then spent some time on the Extreme Fitness Team. As part of the Women's Tri-Fitness Championships in 1998, Wilson won first place in the Grace and Physique round.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Later in 1998, Wilson moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. She began acting classes and was introduced to an agent who helped her gain a few jobs.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson's start in wrestling came when she attended a World Championship Wrestling (WCW) show with her boyfriend in 1999. After going backstage, she was asked to walk out to the ring with Scott Steiner. Later, Kevin Nash expressed an interest in doing a storyline with her. She first appeared on the February 8, 1999, episode of Nitro (later named "Samantha"). It was revealed, in the storyline, that Wilson was brought in by the New World Order (nWo) to seduce David Flair into turning against his father, Ric Flair. They appeared together on February 21 at SuperBrawl IX when Wilson slapped Ric, and David zapped him with a taser. After Ric won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship from Hollywood Hogan at Uncensored inside a Barbed Wire Steel Cage match, David and Wilson took some time off from WCW television in April before returning in May to accompany David to the ring for matches. At the 1999 Bash at the Beach, Wilson acted as a valet for Flair as he successfully defended the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship against Dean Malenko.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: She continued to accompany David to the ring until September when David was on the telephone with Wilson and later found out that Wilson was in the Filthy Animals' locker room flirting with Billy Kidman, which resulted in a feud between Flair and Kidman. On the October 18, 1999, episode of Nitro, Wilson turned on him, resulting in Flair losing the match and the Animals beating on him; after the Animals stopped assaulting David, Wilson left with the Filthy Animals. It was around this time that Wilson began managing Kidman and his Filthy Animals teammates. As a result, she found herself involved in the Animals continuing feud with The Revolution. On the November 22, 1999, episode of "Nitro", during a tag team match between Kidman and Konnan facing Creative Control for the WCW World Tag Team Championship, Kidman looked up at the Turnertron and saw that Wilson and Eddie Guerrero were shown flirting inside his locker room on the "Kidcam", a hidden camera segment, which led to a storyline feud between Kidman and Guerrero. Following this, Wilson once again disappeared from television. Wilson however returned on the January 19, 2000, episode of "Thunder" managing Kidman, and in April 2000, Kidman and Wilson joined a stable known as the New Blood, making them both villainous characters. As part of their newest storyline, Kidman became jealous of the attention Wilson began to give to fellow New Blood member Horace Hogan. In June, Wilson gave Kidman a hit at the Great American Bash, causing him to lose to Horace's uncle, Hulk Hogan.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson was taken off of television following the encounter, reappearing at July's Bash at the Beach during a match between Shane Douglas and Buff Bagwell. After the match, Wilson and Douglas left together, which led to a feud between Kidman and Douglas. At September's Fall Brawl, Wilson and Douglas defeated Kidman and Madusa in a mixed tag team match with scaffolding erected above the ring. Wilson was released from WCW in December 2000.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson made her television debut as a heel on the June 28, 2001, episode of "SmackDown!" as part of The Alliance during the Invasion angle in 2001. In her first storyline with the company, she portrayed Vince McMahon's latest affair. She also regularly teamed with fellow WCW performer Stacy Keibler. The duo made their wrestling debuts in a Bra and Panties match against Lita and Trish Stratus at the InVasion pay-per-view, which Stratus and Lita won by stripping Keibler and Wilson to their yellow and white bikinis. The following night on "Raw", Wilson defeated Stratus in a Paddle on a Pole match. Despite her relative lack of in-ring experience, Wilson, alongside Keibler and Ivory, regularly feuded with the Divas, as well as interfering in matches on behalf of other wrestlers in The Alliance.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: She became a face during the Invasion storyline when her character began an on-screen romance with Tajiri. This new romance caused the evil Stacy Keibler to turn against Wilson, and as a result of this, Wilson defected to the WWF. Wilson defeated Keibler in the first lingerie match at No Mercy. When the first brand separation of the company roster took place in March 2002, Wilson was drafted to SmackDown!. Shortly after this, as part of the storyline, Tajiri soon became jealous over the increased attention that Wilson received from other men, so he forced her to wear a geisha outfit, and he also appeared to mistreat her in matches. She depantsed Rico on the April 25, 2002, version of "SmackDown!". Wilson finally grew tired of this, and during Tajiri's match against The Hurricane, she got on top of the announcer's table and stripped off her clothing. The distraction allowed The Hurricane to pick up the win. At Rebellion, Wilson and her real life boyfriend at the time Billy Kidman defeated John Cena and Dawn Marie in an intergender tag team match. After the match, Wilson and Kidman kissed. Wilson then got her first WWE Women's Championship match on SmackDown! after Women's Champion Molly Holly invaded the show interrupting Wilson's photoshoot and challenging her to a match in which Wilson was unsuccessful in winning.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson started a controversial feud with Dawn Marie in September 2002, in which Dawn would start a relationship with Wilson's real-life father Al Wilson. On the October 17 episode of "SmackDown!", Wilson teamed up with Rikishi in a losing effort to the team of Dawn and Matt Hardy In response, Wilson defeated Dawn at No Mercy in October. Soon afterwards, Dawn would get engaged to Al, and told Wilson that she would break it off if she spent a night in a hotel room with her, though Dawn would later reveal this was a lie. Dawn would eventually show footage of this at Armageddon. The feud continued into 2003 when Dawn and Al got married on the January 2 episode of "SmackDown!" in their underwear. One week later, Al then, in storyline, died from a heart attack after having rigorous sex numerous times in succession on their honeymoon. Wilson defeated Dawn again to end the feud at the Royal Rumble in what was billed as a "Stepmother vs. Stepdaughter match."


title: Torrie Wilson

text: In May 2003, Wilson appeared in a pictorial and on the cover of "Playboy" magazine. A few months earlier, when her pictorial was announced, a short storyline feud with Nidia developed, with the latter being jealous of the fact that Wilson was chosen for the cover and spread in the magazine. In weekly vignettes aired on "SmackDown!", both Nidia and her on-screen boyfriend Jamie Noble made trips to The Playboy Mansion to complain to Hugh Hefner over his choice. On the "SmackDown!" after WrestleMania XIX, during a segment labeled as Wilson's "Playboy Coming Out Party" former Diva and "Playboy" covergirl Sable made her return to WWE after a four-year absence. This began a storyline between the two women where for weeks, Sable played mind games with Wilson, being friendly one moment and unfriendly the next. This all led up to a bikini contest between the two at Judgment Day, which Wilson won. After the contest, Wilson kissed the former Women's Champion Sable on the lips, showing her that there were "no hard feelings" due to Wilson's win over the WWE veteran. Continuing her feud with Noble and Nidia from earlier in the year, Wilson managed Billy Gunn upon his WWE return in the summer of 2003. The feud came to an end after Nidia and Noble both became fan favorites and sided with Gunn and Wilson. After the formation of this alliance, Wilson, Nidia, and Dawn Marie feuded with Shaniqua for a short period of time, which led to Shaniqua physically dominating Wilson and Nidia in a handicap match.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson teamed with Sable in March 2004 to feud with Raw Divas Stacy Keibler and Miss Jackie. The feud's storyline centered on the latter duo's jealousy of Wilson and Sable as "Playboy" cover girls, as well as their recently being named cover girls yet again, as the two Divas were announced to be featured together in an upcoming "Playboy" March 2004 issue. After weeks of rivalry, Wilson and Sable defeated Keibler and Miss Jackie in a "Playboy Evening Gown match" at WrestleMania XX by stripping their opponents of their evening gowns. Wilson also wrestled Rene Dupree to a draw on the April 29 edition of SmackDown. In May, Wilson began a second feud with Dawn. As part of the feud, the two had a match with Wilson's career on the line when the "SmackDown!" General Manager at the time, Kurt Angle, made the stipulation for the match at Judgment Day, which Wilson defeated Dawn to keep her career. Later in the year, Wilson engaged in a short feud with Sable, who defeated her at The Great American Bash. On the July 1 edition of SmackDown, Sable was defeated by Wilson in a rematch. In November, Wilson began feuding with Hiroko. On the December 2 episode of "SmackDown!", Wilson teamed up with Rey Mysterio and Rob Van Dam in winning effort against Hiroko, Kenzo Suzuki and Rene Dupree.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: On February 10, 2005, on a special episode of "SmackDown!" (recorded on February 4 in Saitama, Japan), Torrie defeated Hiroko in a kimono match by removing her kimono first. Torrie was then involved in a short-lived feud with MNM valet Melina. On July 24 at The Great American Bash, the two of them faced in a bra and panties match with Candice Michelle as the special guest referee, in which Wilson was defeated. A rematch between both of them took place on the July 28 episode of "SmackDown!", where Melina was once again victorious.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: It was revealed on August 22, 2005, that Wilson and Candice Michelle had been moved to the Raw brand as a part of a trade in exchange for Stacy Keibler and Christy Hemme. On that night, Wilson and Candice turned heel by attacking 2005 Diva Search winner Ashley Massaro. Her and Candice's storyline feud with Massaro continued over the next couple weeks, as the duo, along with their enforcer Victoria (dubbed as the "Skankateers" by Trish Stratus), made things difficult for Massaro. On the September 5 episode of "Raw", Wilson defeated Massaro after interference from Victoria and Candice. Massaro evened the score on the September 12, 2005, episode of "Raw" when she brought out the returning Stratus, and the duo proceeded to attack the heels. Later that night, Wilson teamed up with Victoria in a losing effort to Stratus and Massaro. This led to a tag team match at Unforgiven, where the team of Stratus and Massaro defeated Wilson and Victoria. The following night on "Raw", Wilson was defeated by Stratus. After the match, Wilson, Victoria and Candice attacked Massaro and Stratus. The feud continued into "WWE Homecoming", where Stratus and Massaro defeated Wilson, Candice, and Victoria in the first three on two Bra and Panties match by stripping all three of their opponents.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson was absent from WWE television for quite some time after this, leading to rumors and false reports that she had been released from WWE. In actuality, she had taken a leave of absence to tend to some "personal issues". Wilson was surprised by the rumors after some media personnel offered to help her find work. WWE issued a statement on their website, in which Wilson also commented, denouncing the rumors. In the statement, she joked she had to "call the WWE office and ask them if they forgot to fire me".


title: Torrie Wilson

text: On October 17, Wilson made her return to "Raw", where she, Candice and Victoria faced off against the team of Stratus, Massaro, and their new ally Mickie James in a winning effort after Wilson pinned James. On the November 28 episode of "Raw", Wilson teamed up with Victoria and Candice Michelle in losing effort to Stratus, Massaro and James. On the February 13 episode of "Raw", Wilson was accompied by Candice in a losing effort to Massaro. Wilson soon turned face once again, after Candice and Victoria both turned against her. On the March 13 episode of "Raw", Wilson helped Stratus retain the Women's Championship against Victoria who was accompanied by Candice. The following week on "Raw", Wilson teamed up with Stratus to defeat Victoria and Candice. The storyline feud between Candice and Wilson led to a match where Wilson faced "Playboy"'s newest cover girl, Candice, at WrestleMania 22 in a "Playboy Pillow Fight". Wilson won the match, but the feud still continued on-and-off for some time. On the June 12, 2006, episode of "Raw", Wilson defeated Candice in the first ""Wet and Wild match"", a wrestling match involving water balloons and squirt guns, in which the winner of the match would be on the cover of the "WWE 2006 Summer Special" magazine.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson also made a special appearance on WWE's ECW brand on August 22, 2006, representing Raw in a bikini contest against ECW Diva Kelly Kelly. A winner was not decided, however, and a six-person mixed tag match began pitting Wilson, Tommy Dreamer, and The Sandman against the team of Kelly Kelly, Mike Knox, and Test. Wilson's team was victorious.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: In the final months of 2006, Wilson entered into an on-screen relationship with Carlito. On the November 27 episode of "Raw", Wilson participated in a #1 Contenders Diva Battle Royal that was won by Victoria. On the December 11 episode of "Raw", Wilson was defeated by Victoria and after the match Chris Masters proceeded to put Wilson in a Masterlock until she was saved by Carlito. During this time, Ric Flair took an interest in Carlito, and Wilson accompanied the duo in a series of tag matches. On the March 12 episode of "Raw", Wilson was defeated by then Women's Champion Melina, after the match Melina attacked Wilson but was stopped by Mickie James, who was then stopped by Victoria, Melina then attempted to escape but was stopped by Ashley Massaro. In May 2007, however, Carlito turned against Flair and dumped Wilson when he became a heel. For laughing at Vince McMahon, he decided to put her in a match teaming up with Carlito, in which she lost on the June 4, 2007, episode of Raw.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: The storyline came to a halt when on the June 11 episode of "Raw", Wilson was drafted from Raw to SmackDown! as part of the 2007 WWE Draft. As she returned, she acted as a valet for Jimmy Wang Yang and the duo was placed in feuds against Victoria and Kenny Dykstra.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: At SummerSlam, Wilson participated in a number one contenders Battle Royal which was won by Beth Phoenix. On the September 21 episode of "SmackDown!", Wilson was one of the bridesmaids at the Theodore Long – Kristal Marshall wedding. On the September 28 episode of "SmackDown!", after losing to Victoria, she was attacked in the ring by the debuting villainess Krissy Vaine, but the feud was prematurely dropped when Vaine left the company. On the October 29 episode of "Raw", Wilson competed in the Halloween Divas Battle Royal eliminating Victoria before being last eliminated by Kelly Kelly, who defeated her with a strike to the groin. On the November 16 episode of "SmackDown!", Wilson teamed up with Mickie James in a losing effort to Phoenix and Victoria. She was on James's team at Survivor Series, which was victorious over Phoenix's. Wilson's last on-screen appearance was during the November 23 episode of "SmackDown!", defeating long-time rival Victoria. In November, Wilson took time off from wrestling to undergo physical therapy in relation to a previous back injury. Torrie then made several final appearances as part of the company in February 2008, for autograph signings during the Wrestlemania Fan Axxess tour – such as February 9 and 11. Following this, she took more time off. On May 8, 2008, Wilson was released from her WWE contract and she subsequently retired.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Eleven months after her release, Wilson returned on April 5, 2009, at WrestleMania XXV, competing on the 25-Diva Royal to crown Miss WrestleMania, which was won by Santina Marella. Wilson was shown in the audience at WrestleMania XXVIII with her then-boyfriend, Alex Rodriguez, of the New York Yankees.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: On the January 22, 2018, episode of "Raw", Wilson was honored being "one of the greatest female superstars in the history of WWE" and made a special appearance as part of the 25th anniversary of Raw along with fellow wrestlers and former co-workers; The Bella Twins, Maryse, Kelly Kelly, Lilian Garcia, Michelle McCool, Terri Runnels, Maria Kanellis, and fellow Hall of Famers Trish Stratus and Jacqueline. On January 28 at Royal Rumble, Wilson made a surprise entrance at number 9 during the first women's Royal Rumble match, in which she eliminated Dana Brooke before ultimately being eliminated by Sonya Deville. On October, 28, Wilson took part on a Battle Royal during the first all-women's pay–per–view, in which the winner would receive a future WWE Women's Championship match, but was unsuccessful as she was eliminated by Mandy Rose.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: On March 4, 2019, it was announced that Wilson would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2019. At the ceremony on April 6, she was inducted by Stacy Keibler. The next night at WrestleMania 35, she appeared during transmission while she was introduced as part of the 2019 Hall of Fame class. She made another appearance during the Raw Reunion on July 22, 2019, and on Raw Legends night on January 4, 2021, where she appeared in backstage segments.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: On January 31, 2021, Wilson participated in the Royal Rumble at the women's Royal Rumble match being the 17th entrant and the only Hall of Famer in the match. Ultimately, she was eliminated by Shayna Baszler. Later in April, WWE Network listed her as one of the many female performers who made an impact in WWE outside the ring.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson has appeared in nine WWE video games. She first appeared in "WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth", followed by "WWE WrestleMania XIX", "WWE Raw 2", "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain", "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw", "WWE Day of Reckoning 2", "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006", "WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007", and "WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008". In addition to WWE licensed games, she also appears in "WCW Backstage Assault".


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Aside from "Playboy", Wilson is considered to be a sex symbol and has also appeared on the cover of several other magazines, including the September 2006 cover of "FHM" magazine.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson was also number forty-three on "FHM"'s 100 Sexiest Women in the World list in 2007. She has also been on AskMen.com's list of the Most Desirable Women in the World twice: she was number twenty-two in 2006 and number sixty-five in 2007.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson, along with several other Divas, filmed Timbaland's music video "Throw It on Me" in April 2007. Also in 2007, Wilson made a special appearance, along with Mick Foley, at the Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai. She appeared on the February 6, 2008, episode of "Project Runway," where the contestants designed wrestling attire for several of the Divas.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: In April 2009, Wilson signed on to appear on the NBC reality show, "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me out of Here!", which premiered in June. On the show's season finale, Wilson was named the runner-up to winner Lou Diamond Phillips.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: In September 2011, Wilson along with Candice Michelle filmed Lilian Garcia's music video "U Drive Me Loca".


title: Torrie Wilson

text: On August 31, 2022, Wilson signed with Clubhouse Media, an influencer-based social media firm and digital talent management agency.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson says she did not watch wrestling when she was younger, but says that since becoming involved in the industry, she has become a fan of Hulk Hogan. While working for WWE, Wilson was on the road up to 300 days per year. She had a Maltese named Chloe, who traveled with her. While on the road, Wilson worked out at least four days a week. Usually, her workout consisted of an hour of cardiovascular workouts and a half-hour of lifting weights. Wilson also has a close friendship with Stacy Keibler. At one point, they were roommates in Los Angeles, California.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: After dating for four years, Wilson married Peter Gruner (known on-screen as Billy Kidman) on July 11, 2003. They lived in Tampa, Florida when not traveling. The couple divorced in 2008.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: In September 2007, Wilson launched her clothing line, "Officially Jaded", alongside Nick Mitchell, a former WWE wrestler who was known as "Mitch" of the Spirit Squad. The couple began dating in mid-2006 while she was still married to Billy Kidman. She opened a store in The Woodlands, Texas, at the upscale Market Street district.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: On September 14, 2008, Torrie made an appearance at the inaugural Wrestler's Rescue event held in Piscataway, New Jersey, an event to create awareness and to help raise money to support the health care needs of retired professional wrestlers.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson dated New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez from 2011 to 2015. Wilson married Justin Tupper on September 19, 2019.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson's father, Al Wilson, died on April 4, 2019, two days before she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Wilson's wrestling style was technical, which included an arsenal of moves like dropkicks, clotheslines, suplexes and pinning moves. Among her finishing and signature moves included the Nose Job which was a sitout facebuster, the swinging neckbreaker, DDT variations, a handspring back elbow (dubbed springboard elbow) and the stink face.


title: Torrie Wilson

text: Her gimmick was that of the all-American glamorous and sexy girl next door who sometimes carried her female dog Chloe with her during matches. She was cited by WWE as being "one of the most desired Divas during her seven years with WWE. And while she never held the WWE Women's Championship, the former Miss Galaxy winner can lay claim to performing in one of the most downloaded matches in WWE.com history: a Bikini Contest against Sable from Judgment Day in 2003."


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains is the twentieth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series "Survivor". Premiering on February 11, 2010, it was the show's fourth season to feature contestants from past seasons, after "", "", and "", and was only the second season to feature a cast consisting entirely of returning players, after "All-Stars". The season was filmed in Upolu, Samoa. Unlike previous seasons, the and this season were filmed back-to-back with a commenced short break occurred between seasons due to budget circumstances over the worldwide Great Recession.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: The twenty contestants were initially divided into two tribes based on their prior reputation in their previous seasons, Heroes and Villains. When ten players remained, the two tribes merged and named their new tribe "Yin Yang." After 39 days, Sandra Diaz-Twine became the first two-time "Survivor" winner, defeating Parvati Shallow and Russell Hantz with a vote of 6–3–0. Despite receiving zero jury votes, Hantz was voted by fans to win "Sprint Player of the Season" award for the second consecutive season and the $100,000 prize that went with it, earning the fans' vote over runner-up Rupert Boneham. Additionally, Hantz received a nomination in the 2010 Teen Choice Awards for his performance on this season.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: According to host and producer Jeff Probst, the production initially selected 50 players from past seasons, narrowing down the list to twenty and keeping one spot open for a possible player from "Survivor: Samoa". Some selections were made to match players that production thought would be exciting to see together, according to casting director Lynne Spillman.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: Several notable omissions have been directly addressed by Probst, the production team, and former contestants over the years. While Richard Hatch, winner of the original "", was asked to return for this season, he had to apply to leave the country since he was under house arrest at the time; his request was denied by a federal judge in Rhode Island. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly days before filming began, Probst revealed that "Cook Islands" winner Yul Kwon, Michael Skupin of "The Australian Outback", and Terry Deitz of "Panama" had been considered for the "Heroes" tribe but were ultimately not chosen; Kwon, Skupin, and Deitz returned for "", "", and "", respectively. He also said that they had considered having Ozzy Lusth, of "" and "", compete for a third time, but had ultimately decided against it; Lusth returned for "" three seasons later, and again for "" in 2017. "" winner Brian Heidik was in talks to participate in this season, however Probst and other producers felt "too repulsed" to include Heidik once again. Probst also revealed that the producers would have liked Elisabeth Hasselbeck from "" and Colleen Haskell from "" to participate on this season, but knew neither of them would have accepted the offer. Another notable omission was that of Jonny Fairplay, of "" and "Micronesia", which led Probst to say that Fairplay was a "Survivor quitter" after asking to be voted off first in "Micronesia", and quitters are not asked back. Shane Powers of "" was cut and replaced by Russell Hantz of "". However, Jonathan Penner, of "Cook Islands" and "Micronesia", claimed that his spot was revoked in favor of Hantz, but he would later return for "Survivor: Philippines". Yau-Man Chan, of "" and "Micronesia", and Corinne Kaplan of "" were asked to return, but had to decline due to work commitments. Kaplan was replaced by Danielle DiLorenzo, and would eventually return for "". Natalie Bolton and Erik Reichenbach, both of "Micronesia", were on site as alternates. Reichenbach would return for "Survivor: Caramoan". According to episodes of the podcast "Talking with T-Bird", Judd Sergeant of "" and Shii-Ann Huang, of "Thailand" and "", were both in the casting process for this season as well. Randy Bailey said that Ace Gordon of "Gabon" was close to coming back for this season as a member of the Villains tribe, but he was ultimately not chosen. Coby Archa of "" said that his castmate from that season, Ian Rosenberger, attended casting finals. "Fiji" winner Earl Cole was also considered for this season. Jenna Lewis, of "Borneo" and "All-Stars", was considered for the Villains tribe. It was also revealed by Candice Cody that Parvati Shallow was originally supposed to be on the Heroes tribe, and her on the Villains tribe. Sierra Reed of "" was originally going to be a member of the Heroes tribe, but she had to step down because she got engaged to a producer from her season.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: There were twenty contestants overall, divided into two tribes, Heroes and Villains. After ten contestants were eliminated, the tribes were combined, or merged, to form one tribe, Yin Yang. Nine contestants made up the jury, who ultimately decided who would win the game, and the $1 million grand prize.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: Due to the back-to-back filming of "Survivor: Samoa" and this season, the other players did not have an opportunity to see Russell Hantz's gameplay in "Samoa" nor reveal more information about him; however, the players were told by the production crew that Hantz was considered "one of the five most notorious male villains of all time" prior to the start of the game.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: Russell Hantz and Rob Mariano returned to compete once again in "". Hantz would later compete in "Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders" at an international level. Benjamin "Coach" Wade returned to compete in "". Rupert Boneham, Candice Woodcock, and Tyson Apostol returned for "". Boneham returned with his wife, Laura, who appeared in "Heroes vs. Villains" as a loved one and they would later compete on "The Amazing Race 31" together; Woodcock, now using her husband's surname of Cody, returned with her husband John; and Apostol returned with his girlfriend (now wife), Rachel Foulger. Cirie Fields, James "J.T." Thomas Jr., and Sandra Diaz-Twine returned to compete in the 34th season of the show, "". Diaz-Twine and Mariano returned in "" to serve as mentors. Diaz-Twine, Shallow, Mariano, and Apostol all returned to compete on "". Diaz-Twine competed on "" with her daughter Nina.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: Outside of "Survivor", Colby Donaldson hosted "Top Shot", which ran on the History Channel for five seasons. Apostol competed on "". Stephenie LaGrossa and Cirie Fields competed on the USA Network competition series, "Snake in the Grass".


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: The twenty returning castaways were divided into two tribes of ten based on their previous style of gameplay. The Villains dominated the earlier challenges due to Rob's leadership, only going to Tribal Council once in the first 14 days, and the Heroes were quickly whittled down to six members. The Villains tribe was divided into two factions: Rob's alliance of six, and the minority alliance of Russell, Parvati, and Danielle. At their second Tribal Council, Rob's alliance decided to split the vote between Russell and Parvati out of fear of Russell's hidden immunity idol. Rob's right-hand man Tyson, knowing that the minority alliance was voting for him, became uneasy and, following a confrontation from Russell, deviated from the plan, voting for Parvati instead of Russell. This error would prove fatal; Russell played his idol on Parvati, negating the four votes against her, and Tyson was voted out. The Villains lost the next Immunity Challenge and, due to Jerri aligning with Russell and Coach's inability to pick a side, Rob was voted out.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: During the challenges after Rob's elimination, the Heroes were led to believe that the women of the tribe were methodically eliminating the men. J.T. found the Heroes' hidden idol, and the Heroes collectively agreed to sneak it to Russell during a challenge, the last male Villain remaining, with hopes that Russell would use it to eliminate Parvati and align with the Heroes at the merge. Instead, Russell shared the idol with Danielle, Jerri, and Parvati, unaware that Parvati and Danielle had also found the Villains' idol. Without Rob, the Villains lost the next two Immunity Challenges, leaving Sandra as the last remaining Villain outside of Russell's alliance of four.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: With five Heroes and five Villains remaining, the tribes merged into Yin Yang. Russell crafted a story to explain the fate of the immunity idols, suggesting Parvati had played one against his. The Heroes took Russell's word, though Sandra, through Rupert, tried to warn them of Russell's duplicity. With Danielle winning the first individual immunity, Russell gave Parvati his idol prior to Tribal Council, believing the Heroes would target her. The Heroes became concerned on Russell's story, and changed their vote to target Jerri, believing her unlikely to possess an idol. At the vote, Parvati played both idols for both Jerri and Sandra, negating the Heroes' votes and eliminating J.T. Despite attempts to align with the Villains' majority, Heroes were consistently eliminated. However, after Russell realized that Parvati and Danielle's true loyalty was to each other, Russell betrayed Danielle, working with the remaining two Heroes to vote her out. After this, the final Heroes were eliminated, leaving Sandra, Russell, Parvati, and Jerri as the final four.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: Russell, having won final immunity, felt he would have a better chance in the final tribal council against Sandra, who he felt did little in the game, over Jerri, who was the final player voted out. At the Final Tribal Council, Russell was lambasted for his poor social game, jury management, and open backstabbing. Parvati and Sandra both tried to sway the jury in their favor, with Parvati highlighting her social and physical game, as well as her idol play that changed the course of the season. However, Parvati was also lambasted for being extremely close with Russell throughout the entire game. Sandra argued the opposite, saying even though she was weak in challenges, she always interacted with both sides and still was involved in strategy. She also highlighted her loyalty to allies Courtney, Tyson, and Boston Rob, and campaigned for Russell's removal since day one. Parvati received jury votes from all the villains except Courtney, and Sandra received all the Heroes' votes plus Courtney's, making Sandra the first two-time winner in Survivor history.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: Unlike previous seasons where a break in production occurred between seasons, the twentieth season was shot twenty days after "" was completed, taking advantage of the existing infrastructure from that season. Casting for "Heroes vs. Villains" was done simultaneously with casting for "Survivor: Samoa". "Heroes vs. Villains" features ten former Survivors known for their acts of integrity and honor, the "Heroes", and ten former Survivors known for their deeds of deception and duplicity, the "Villains". The cast was officially announced during the 36th People's Choice Awards on January 6, 2010. Jeff Probst, the show's host, stated that while they wanted to do another season where they brought back former players for the show's ten-year anniversary and 20th cycle, they did not want to simply do another "" season. On reflecting on the most popular players, they realized that these players were either seen as liked or despised for those respective seasons, and opted to use that as the theme for this season. While the players were classified as Heroes or Villains, "Survivor"s creator Mark Burnett did not expect these players to maintain these roles in the game, but rather to do what they need to survive to the end. Rather than the usual slogan "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast", the slogan for this season is "Return, Revenge, Redemption" as in case with "". All challenges in this season were based on challenges used in previous seasons.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: The 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami occurred shortly after the completion of filming for this season; a CBS spokesperson stated that no crew members were harmed from it.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" was met with universal acclaim, and is generally considered to be one of the show's best seasons. "Entertainment Weekly"'s "Survivor" columnist Dalton Ross ranked "Heroes vs. Villains" as the third-best season of the series, only behind "" and "" (both tied for first); he cited such memorable aspects as "the Russell vs. Boston Rob feud...Tyson voting himself off, J.T. giving Russell his immunity idol, and Parvati handing out "two" immunity idols at one Tribal Council." Ever since 2012, "Survivor" fan site ""Survivor" Oz" has consistently ranked "Heroes vs. Villains" at or near the #1 spot of its annual poll ranking all seasons of the series – it was #1 in 2012, 2013, and 2015, while it was #2 in 2014 (behind ""). "The Wire" and "The Purple Rock Podcast" both also rank "Heroes vs. Villains" as the greatest season of the series, while Examiner.com ranks it as the second best season behind "", and Zap2it ranks it as the 7th-best season. In 2015, former "Survivor" contestant and podcast host Rob Cesternino's website saw "Heroes vs. Villains" ranked as the #1 greatest season of the series, both by Cesternino himself and by the website's fan poll. The season was still ranked #1 in 2021 during Cesternino's podcast, "Survivor All-Time Top 40 Rankings". In 2020, "Inside Survivor" ranked this season as the show's second-best out of the first 40 saying that ""Heroes vs. Villains" works so well despite the theme's silliness because of how so many cast members fully lean into their designated roles, regardless of how accurate they are. It is "Survivor" at its most theatrical, and everyone comes to Samoa ready to play their parts." In 2021, Kristen Kranz of "Collider" also ranked "Heroes vs. Villians" as the second-best season of the series writing, "labeling one group heroes and the other villains was a brilliant strategy for this season of all-star returning players. Not only did we get to watch the villains try to out-villain each other, but we also watched as the heroes considered their methods and play around with the villain role a bit this time around," while also adding that season's players "were the cream of the crop," and that, "Usually, contestants get to decide for themselves which side they belong on, but this season was a chance to prove whether these players were worth the title of hero or villain and if they would change sides if the opportunity presented itself." Critics considered the season to be a strong contender for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards, but it was not nominated. "Newsweek", "IGN", "The Hollywood Reporter" and "Entertainment Weekly" all listed this pass up as one of the biggest Emmy snubs for the year.


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: In the official "CBS Watch" issue commemorating the 15th anniversary of "Survivor", "Heroes vs. Villains" performed extremely well across all six major polls that were held: It was voted by viewers as the #1 greatest season of the series; Sandra's burning of Russell's hat in the final episode was voted as the #1 most memorable moment, and Parvati handing out two immunity idols in the 10th episode was #8 on the same list (thus making this the only season to have more than one entry in that particular list); five of the top ten contestants voted by viewers as the greatest were in this season (Mariano, Hantz, Shallow, Diaz-Twine, and Fields); the final immunity challenge of the season was voted as the #5 most unforgettable challenge; and in the "most attractive" polls for both males and females, Donaldson ranked second in the male category, while in the female category, Shallow ranked second, Kimmel ranked fourth, and Woodcock ranked sixth (thus tying with "Micronesia" for the highest amount of entries in the female category).


title: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

text: In a 2015 interview, Jeff Probst admitted that, if "Borneo" is not taken into consideration, then "Heroes vs. Villains" ties with "Cagayan" as his personal favorite "Survivor" season.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: Xenoblade Chronicles is an action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Wii. Initially released in Japan in 2010, it was later released in the PAL regions in 2011 and then in North America in 2012. A port for the New Nintendo 3DS was released in 2015, and a remaster for the Nintendo Switch was released in May 2020. "Xenoblade Chronicles" is the first entry in the "Xenoblade Chronicles" series, a subseries which forms part of the larger "Xeno" metaseries. Although no direct narrative connections exist to previous "Xeno" games, it incorporates aesthetic and narrative elements from both fantasy and science fiction. The game features navigation through an open world split into zones, side-quests tied to party members' affinity, and a real-time action-based battle system which incorporates the main character's ability to see brief glimpses of the future.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: "Xenoblade Chronicles" takes place on the frozen bodies of two warring titans, the Bionis and the Mechonis. The people of Bionis, including the human-like Homs, are in a perpetual war with the Mechon machine race of Mechonis. Key to the Homs' efforts in fighting against the Mechon army is the Monado, a sword that is said to have been wielded by the Bionis. During an attack on his colony, the main protagonist Shulk discovers his ability to wield the Monado and sets out on a quest for revenge with his best friend, Reyn, with others joining in as the game progresses.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: The concept for "Xenoblade Chronicles" originated in June 2006 when the game's executive director and lead writer, Tetsuya Takahashi, visualized and then constructed a model of two giant titans frozen in place with people living on their bodies. Development began in 2007 under the title "Monado: The Beginning of the World", though it was eventually rebranded with its current title in honor of Takahashi's previous work. The script was worked on by Takahashi, anime writer Yuichiro Takeda, and Nintendo writer Yurie Hattori. The music was handled by six different composers, including first-timer and lead composer Manami Kiyota and industry veterans Yoko Shimomura and Yasunori Mitsuda, with the latter writing the ending theme.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: The game was announced in 2009 under its original title and released in Japan the following year. Despite releasing in Europe and in Oceania, its North American release remained unconfirmed until December 2011, during which time a fan campaign called Operation Rainfall drew considerable attention to the game. Upon release, the game received critical acclaim as one of the best recent role-playing games, while its New Nintendo 3DS port was praised for successfully re-creating the game in portable form. Particular praise went towards its storyline, which was called innovative and surprisingly complex by many critics, and it also met with commercial success in both Japan and the West. In the years since its release, it has been considered among the greatest games of all time. A spiritual successor by the same development team for the Wii U, "Xenoblade Chronicles X", was released in 2015. A sequel for the Nintendo Switch, "Xenoblade Chronicles 2," was released in 2017. A third entry, "Xenoblade Chronicles 3," was released in 2022.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: "Xenoblade Chronicles" plays as an action role-playing video game (RPG), where the player controls one character out of a party of three using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk or the Classic Controller. The game employs an open world design, with players able to freely navigate seamlessly interconnected environments. A day-and-night time cycle exists in the game, with the time of day often affecting in-game events, quests, enemy strengths, and item availability: for instance, stronger enemy types appear at night. While time flows automatically and a day cycle repeats about every ten minutes in real time, players can adjust the in-game clock to the desired time at any point. Additionally, while the game is about exploration, many areas, called "Landmarks" aid in traversing the land by serving as warp points, allowing the player to instantly return to that point at any time. The game also supports a "save anywhere" feature, where players can save at any point outside battle. The game also contains a New Game+ mode, which pulls over much of the player's progress from their first playthrough into future playthroughs.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: Exploration, quest completion, and item collection are large parts of the gameplay. The player is encouraged to explore the large environments, which generally allow the player to visit whatever can be seen in the horizon. While exploring, the player may choose to take on side quests from various non-player characters that inhabit the game's world, as they commonly involve locating certain items or killing a certain number of enemy characters. When the necessary requirements are fulfilled, some of the quests are completed automatically without the player needing to manually notify in-game characters of its completion. Item collection plays a role in the game in the form of the game's "Collectopaedia". Scattered across the game are glowing blue orbs, and upon coming into contact with the orb, the player is awarded a random item that they can add to the Collectopaedia; when a certain number are collected, the player is rewarded with new items. Aside from the Collectopaedia, there are also ether crystals to be found from fallen enemies or ether crystal deposits, which give the player access to a multifaceted "Gem Crafting" mini-game, allowing for the creation of gems that may increase battle stats when equipped.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: Many in-game systems affect the general flow of gameplay. The "Affinity" system tracks the relationships between characters and locations in the game. "Location Affinity" tracks the interpersonal relationships between all of the game's named characters, depicting to which degree they get along with one another, and a town's general perception of the player's controllable party. Completing quests can alter perception of the characters, and open up additional story sequences. There is also "Party Affinity", which is strictly the level of affection between each party member, ranging from indifference to love. These affinities can be raised by having characters participate in battle together, giving gifts, or using the "Heart-to-Heart" system. These "Heart-to-Hearts" are intimate moments between two characters that can show more of a character's personality, history, or thoughts, and can be initiated by having a certain level of Affinity between them. The Affinity system ties into how efficient characters work together in battle and gem crafting. The game also has an extensive customization system, which includes changing the characters' outfits and weapons. These changes are directly reflected in the game, appearing in the field and even during scripted cutscenes.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: "Xenoblade Chronicles" has a real-time action-based battle system, where the player manually moves the current lead character in real-time, and party members will "auto-attack" when enemies enter their attack radius. Manually input attacks, called "Arts", may also be performed by the player, but in a limited fashion. Battle Arts are only available after a "cool down" period that occurs after every use, while character specific "Talent Arts" only become available after enough auto-attacks are executed. Both party members and enemies have a finite amount of health points, and attacks deplete this value. Combat is won when all enemies lose their HP, but the game is lost if the player's character loses all their HP and has no means of being revived. Health may be restored by the player by using healing Arts in battle, or the player may let characters' HP regenerate automatically outside of battle. Winning battles earns the player experience points, which allows the characters to grow stronger by leveling up and learning new Arts. Arts for each character must be set by the player on their respective set up, called a "Battle Palette", outside battles.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: Several other systems are present to affect the flow of battle. The "Party Gauge" slowly fills as party members successfully land hits on enemies, and filling the gauge allows the player to chain multiple attacks together, for extra damage. All party members have an "aggro ring" around them as well; the more actions a character performs, the larger it grows. Larger aggro rings lead enemies to focus their efforts on that respective character, leading to a strategic aspect of luring and diverting attention of enemies. Each character has a "Tension" gauge, which represents a character's morale: at its highest point, characters have a high probability of dealing a critical blow and less chance of missing an enemy. The game's "Vision" system, where main character Shulk can see glimpses of enemies' future attacks, also factors into battles. With knowledge of an enemy's potentially dangerous attack, the player can prevent it from happening by alerting a teammate, allowing the player to activate one of their Arts, or by using an Art of their own to stop the attack. The Vision system is tied to the "Party" gauge, which is filled by boosting team morale, using Arts with special effects, and avoiding or dealing critical hits. The three-tiered gauge gradually depletes outside of battle, and one tier is needed to either revive characters or alert a teammate to a vision. When all three tiers are full, the party can execute a chain attack.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: The setting of "Xenoblade Chronicles" originates in a world that was nothing but endless ocean until two titans, the Bionis and the Mechonis, came into existence and battled each other until only their frozen corpses remained. In the eons following their battle, they became the home of multiple forms of life. The Bionis is home to organic lifeforms, most prominently the humanoid Homs, who are virtually identical to humans both in appearance and biology; the diminutive and furry Nopon; and the avian humanoid High Entia, whose lives span centuries. Conversely, the Mechonis is home to the mechanical humanoid Machina, whose lifespans span several millennia. A substance known as ether is given off by all life forms, and can be used both as a form of magic and as a method of fuel. The Monado – the namesake of "Xenoblade" – is a mystical ether-controlling sword used by the Homs in the battle against Mechonis, which grants visions of the future to its wielder when fully controlled.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: The game's main character is Shulk, a young Homs scientist who lives in Colony 9 on Bionis. During an attack by Machina warriors called Mechon, Shulk comes into possession of the Monado. During his journey, Shulk is joined by Reyn, one of Shulk's childhood friends and headstrong member of the Defence Force; Dunban, a former wielder of the Monado and the brother of Shulk's childhood friend and love interest Fiora, who also joins Shulk; Sharla, a medic and sniper from Colony 6; Melia Antiqua, princess of the High Entia and a High Entia-Homs hybrid; and Riki, a Nopon chosen as the hero of his village. Other important characters include Zanza, god of the Bionis and the game's main antagonist; Lady Meyneth, goddess of the Mechonis; Shulk's mentor Dickson; Mumkhar, a cowardly soldier who fought alongside Dunban and wished to wield the Monado for himself; Egil, self-proclaimed leader of the Machina; and Alvis, a mysterious man who aids Shulk on his journey.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: "Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition" adds a new storyline, "Future Connected", set one year after the events of the main story. Taking place on the Bionis's Shoulder, an area not explored in the original game, "Future Connected" follows Shulk, Melia, and Riki's daughter Nene and adopted son Kino as they seek to reclaim the High Entia city of Alcamoth. The story also prominently focuses on Melia's relationship with her half sister, Tyrea, who briefly appeared in the main story.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: The game's opening details events one year past, when Dickson, Dunban and Mumkhar were fighting a Mechon army. Mumkhar deserts them then gets attacked and, in the process of defeating the Mechon, the Monado paralyses Dunban's right arm. In the present, Shulk studies the Monado in Colony 9, where Dunban and Fiora live. Colony 9 is soon attacked by a group of Mechon, led by a special Faced Mechon called Metal Face. Dunban is injured when he attempts to use the Monado again, prompting Shulk to use it: he wields it with ease, and receives visions of the future from it. While the Mechon are driven back, Metal Face proves immune to the Monado and appears to kill Fiora before running out of energy and fleeing. Motivated by revenge, Shulk sets out together with Reyn to pursue and kill Metal Face, and are soon joined by Sharla, Dunban, Riki, and Melia. Guided by a vision from Shulk, the group travel to the High Entia capital to gain entry to Prison Island. Shulk also meets Alvis, who is revealed to share Shulk's ability to wield the Monado. Gaining entry, they encounter Zanza, a giant being who created the Monado and who offers to improve it so that Shulk can destroy the Face Mechon, who are revealed to have Homs inside. Shulk accepts and Zanza improves the Monado, but is then killed by Metal Face and another Mechon called Face Nemesis during an attack on the capital. During the ensuing battle, Face Nemesis is damaged to reveal an amnesiac Fiora controlling it.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: Initially disheartened, Shulk is rallied by his comrades and sets out in pursuit of Metal Face and Fiora. During a peaceful encounter with Face Nemesis, Metal Face attacks the party, revealing himself to be Mumkhar. Egil, the leader of the Mechonis, then intervenes, spiriting Fiora away. On the way to the Mechonis, the party defeat Mumkhar, then face off against Egil and Face Nemesis. After the fight, Shulk and Fiora are separated from the group. During their time together, Shulk learns that Fiora had been fully awake inside Face Nemesis, but another being was controlling her actions. Reuniting with the group, they meet up with a friendly Machina named Vanea. She reveals that the Bionis and Mechonis were initially at peace, before the Bionis' god Zanza launched an unprovoked attack, possessing a friend of Egil, the giant who was imprisoned on Prison Island and killed. Since the battle a year before, Egil had been working to infuse the Mechon with people from the Bionis in order to create Face units who would be impervious to the Monado. Going to face Egil, Fiora is taken over by the other presence, the Machina goddess Meyneth. They reach Egil as he reactivates the Mechonis and begins an attack on the Bionis, seeking to prevent the Bionis from using its population as food and saving the Mechonis from another attack. Despite fighting him, Shulk manages to make him see that they both wish for a return to peace. At this point, Dickson appears and shoots Shulk, who throughout the journey has been possessed by Zanza, Dickson's master. Zanza uses the Monado to destroy the Mechonis, stealing Meyneth's own Monado from Fiora's body and killing Meyneth; the party narrowly escape with Shulk's body, with Egil sacrificing himself so they can escape.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: In the aftermath of the Mechonis' destruction, pure-blooded High Entia begin transforming into Telethia, beings whose one purpose is to purge Bionis of life. While the party is initially helpless before the Telethia, Shulk awakens and manages to defeat a Telethia raid on Colony 6, although Alvis is revealed to be a disciple of Zanza. Making their way to Prison Island, they defeat first a High Entia disciple named Lorithia, then Dickson. The party then travel to face Zanza, who declares the life of Bionis as simply his food and vessels, then offers Shulk the chance to become his disciple. Shulk rejects the offer, and during the ensuing battle produces a new Monado; prompted by Alvis, the spirit of the Monado, Shulk kills Zanza. Alvis then shows Shulk Zanza's origins: both Zanza and Meyneth were originally human scientists working to create a bubble universe from the Earth. The experiment ended in disaster, obliterating the universe and causing Zanza and Meyneth to be reborn as gods. Alvis was originally the artificial intelligence from the experiment station. After the new universe's birth, Zanza and Meyneth created life in their image, and Zanza created the cycle of Bionis out of fear that he would eventually fade from existence as his creations would forget him and seek life beyond Bionis. With the current universe threatened with death, Alvis asks Shulk to remake the universe. Shulk wishes for a world without gods, where everyone can decide their own fates. In the new universe, the survivors of Bionis and Mechonis build a new settlement and live peacefully together, Fiora is restored to her Homs form, and both her and Shulk look forward to Alvis' promise of endless worlds and races beyond their own world.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: The "Definitive Edition" epilogue scenario "Future Connected" picks up one year later. With the world's restoration underway, Shulk and Melia set out together to the remnant of Bionis's shoulder after reports that the High Entia capital Alcamoth has reappeared, and are accompanied by two young Nopon stowaways, Kino and Nene. Their ship is attacked by an energy beam from a black fog on Alcamoth, and learn from a local High Entia outpost named Maxis that the land is being attacked by the Fog King, a being from outside the current reality. Shulk and Melia help resolve ethnic tensions between the garrison and a local township housing Machina, while Melia makes her peace with Tyrea who is in the area doing research on the Fog King. Shulk and Melia eventually find a way to weaken the Fog King, aided by surviving Telethia, and reclaim Alcamoth. The scenario ends with Melia being crowned as Empress of the High Entia.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: "Xenoblade Chronicles" was developed by Japanese development company Monolith Soft, with Tetsuya Takahashi forming the original concept and serving as the game's executive director. Takahashi had previously worked in the 1990s on "Xenogears", then on the "Xenosaga" trilogy after founding Monolith Soft in 1999. "Xenosaga" was intended to be a six-part series, but low commercial performances forced the planned "Xenosaga" series to be halved. After these events, the entire development team was in a state of low morale. The initial concept for "Xenoblade Chronicles", of people living on the bodies of gigantic gods, came to Takahashi in June 2006. Struck by his idea, he immediately committed it to paper and showed the draft to other senior staff, who were favorably impressed. One of them, an executive called Yasuyuki Honne, thought it would make a good 3D model and bought materials to create it. Construction began in July: during this period, younger staff acted as models so that Takahashi could establish which parts of the gods' bodies could be used as habitable and navigable environments in various poses.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: After the model's construction, Takahashi decided to combine the model's concept with an unrelated story idea, which became the basis for a new game after positive feedback from staff. Takahashi later said that one of the main reasons for developing the game was to bolster team morale after the commercial failure of the "Xenosaga" games. The team first showed their proposal to Nintendo prior to the final development stages of "". Development began over four years prior to its release, with the first prototypes for the game being developed in April 2007. It was at this point that co-director Genki Yokota was brought in by Nintendo to handle any system-related issues due to his previous experience with RPGs. After being contacted regarding both "Xenoblade Chronicles" and fellow Wii JRPG "The Last Story", head of Nintendo's licensing department Shinji Hatano said that the games should be made for a wide audience and using a "romanticist approach". Takahashi was involved in every aspect of the game's development, from its initial concept to the debugging stage. At the beginning of development, the game was going to be a stand-alone title unrelated to the "Xeno" series, bearing the title "Monado: The Beginning of the World". Later, then-Nintendo president Satoru Iwata had the title changed to its current one to honor both Takahashi's previous titles and the effort he was investing in "Xenoblade Chronicles". According to Takahashi, the ""Xeno"" designation was more along the lines of a symbol, calling back to the previous works of Monolith Soft. When describing the title's meaning, Takahashi described ""Xeno"" as meaning "different nature" or "uniqueness", while the ""Blade"" part was closely tied to the narrative, particularly the game's ending.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: A key element of the game for Takahashi was creating an ideal balance between gameplay and story, something that he felt was lacking in other JRPGs which focused too much on story. Takahashi's previous experiences with the "Xenosaga" games and "", which had been called out for being old-fashioned when compared to other RPGs of the day, influenced his work in this regard. The mechanic of Shulk getting glimpses of the future became the foundation of the entire battle system. Takahashi briefly experimented with a turn-based battle system that incorporated the feature, but it did not work out. In a separate issue, Takahashi decided against a transition between the environment and a battle arena as he felt such a transition would negatively interrupt the flow of gameplay. The game features a fully open world, which was described by Takahashi as "overwhelming, like an MMORPG", describing the world size as being roughly equivalent to the Japanese archipelago. The scale of the world was derived from Takahashi's wish to showcase the grandeur of the experience. In addition to this, the number and length of cutscenes was cut down significantly from those present in the "Xenosaga" games, with Takahashi considering such a development method as having become a "dead end". The wish for an expansive world also became tied up with the wish to reward players for exploration, which entailed the creating of a huge amount of content creation such as items and accessories. The gameplay was influenced both by previous Japanese RPGs and Western RPGs. When the team ran into difficulties, Takahashi went to Nintendo in a "deflated" state to suggest numerous means of meeting the game's projected deadline. Yamagami rejected all of Takahashi's proposals and instead insisted the team persist with their vision, saying he would persuade Nintendo to continue supporting them.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: The scenario was created by Takahashi, Yuichiro Takeda and Yurie Hattori. Takahashi was responsible for creating the main concept, but as he was going to be director and executive producer, he was unable to also take on full script-writing duties, so he asked Takeda to be his partner in creating the scenario. Takeda was a writer for anime who had previously collaborated with Takahashi on adaptations of the first "Xenosaga" game, in addition to writing the script for "Xenosaga I & II", the Nintendo DS remake of "Xenosaga" and its sequel. Takahashi deliberately chose someone outside the video game industry as he wanted a different perspective on the story's pacing. Hattori was brought in during the early development stages due to her experience with scenarios for Nintendo games, which enabled her to look at Takahashi and Takeda's scenario from an objective viewpoint. A key element in the scenario was contrasting senses of scale, which Takahashi described as "contrasting the realms of the micro and the macro", while the main story themes were characters embarking on a great and evolving journey, and overcoming a predetermined future. Despite multiple fantasy elements, "Xenoblade Chronicles" is based within a science fiction premise, although such elements were kept low-key during the first part of the game.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: Despite their earlier work together, it was the first time Takahashi and Takeda were so intimately involved in a project. Takeda found working on the project more difficult than he initially anticipated: his standard writing form was for the anime series format, which was limited to episodes of 2025 minutes. With "Xenoblade Chronicles", the volume of story and writing work was much larger and offered more freedom for dramatic expression. Conversely, his previous experience enabled Takahashi to easily plan the structure and scheduling for the game. During the initial writing stages, Takahashi did not give precise instructions to Takeda: he instead gave a rough outline that they worked on together, then they passed the developing script between themselves, along with producers Shingo Kawabata and Koh Kojima, to iron out rough elements. Takahashi compared it to playing a game of catch, something he was unused to doing for his game scenarios. The ending underwent revisions: while Takahashi and Takeda felt they had created a fairly explanatory ending, Hattori still felt unsatisfied. After a second look, Takahashi and Takeda realized that it would appear perplexing for someone outside the writing process, so they rewrote it to be more player-friendly. The final script contained a large amount of dialogue: the sheer volume, which included dialogue spoken in battle, made for a difficult experience while recording. Due to all the effort, Takahashi was emphatic that as much of it as possible be used, although he sometimes felt that there was too much. In the end, some dialogue needed to be cut as testers felt that the characters talked too much. Takahashi's overall writing style was made deliberately more mature and subdued than other games within the genre.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: One of the elements that was of great concern to both Takahashi and Takeda was the main protagonist Shulk. Takahashi had noticed that, in the majority of RPGs, the main protagonist was all too easily disliked even if other characters became fan favorites. Consequently, one of the main priorities was to make Shulk as appealing as possible to players. During this process, it was suggested that Shulk be a silent protagonist, but there was a general wish from the staff for him to speak. In addition to this, Takahashi needed to confront the problem faced in any RPG with voiced characters, which was developing them suitably and writing appropriate dialogue between them. The companion character Riki was cited by Takeda as a favorite of his: on paper Riki sounded an unlikable character, but his voice and appearance acted as a counterbalance to his remarks. One of the scenes where Hattori had input was a scene between Shulk and Fiora which showcased their connection: the original scene had Shulk touching Fiora's cheek, which Hattori felt would look "creepy" coming out of the blue. The scene was altered so Shulk touched her hand instead. One of the early concepts Takeda suggested was that one of the main protagonist's party would betray them and become the final boss, but Takahashi rejected this idea as he felt it would run counter to player expectation. During the course of its development, the story underwent so many revisions that Takahashi forgot what his original concept was, although the basic framework remained intact throughout.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: The original score for "Xenoblade Chronicles" was composed by Manami Kiyota, ACE+ (a musical production group composed of Tomori Kudo, Hiroyo "CHiCO" Yamanaka, and Kenji Hiramatsu), and Yoko Shimomura. As with other parts of development, Takahashi was deeply involved, constantly rejecting pieces due to what he felt was not fitting for the game. He admitted that this was due to early samples he had given the team for his vision for the music, which they had followed too faithfully for his liking. At Takahashi's request, Nobuo Uematsu's record label Dog Ear Records assisted with production.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: The music team was led by Shimomura, who was initially very confused by the odd naming of tracks, along with getting the opportunity of using sounds not normally used in compositions in her other projects, such as electric guitars. Kiyota had only previously done superficial work on video game titles; she accepted Dog Ear Records' offer for her to compose music. ACE+ was recommended to Takahashi by Dog Ear Records. Kiyota handled environmental tracks, while ACE+ was in charge of battle tracks in addition to other musical pieces. The team's main goal was to create music that went beyond the typical sound of RPGs. In hindsight, Yamanaka attributed the harmony of the six composers' works to Takahashi's organization and overall direction. The final score contained around ninety tracks. One of the hardest tracks for Shimomura was a nine-minute track that Takahashi requested to match with a movie scene. Later, he said the track needed to change midway through, essentially necessitating the creation of two conjoined themes. The majority of the game's music was written by Kiyota and ACE+, with Shimomura writing eleven tracks. The music was recorded at Burnish Stone Recording Studios in Tokyo. The chorus work was provided by Yamanaka, Kiyota, and Masao Koori.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: The game's ending theme, "Beyond the Sky", was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and performed in English by Australian singer Sarah Àlainn. Mitsuda was brought in to the music team due to his previous experience with the soundtracks of "Xenogears" and the first "Xenosaga" game, and due to Takahashi's long working relationship with him. Takahashi himself personally wrote the original Japanese lyrics for the track, which were translated into English by Lisa Gomamoto. When Mitsuda was contacted, the project was nearing completion, with very little development and composition work left. Despite this, before creating the main theme, Mitsuda asked if he could read the script, which was much larger than he anticipated. The track caused much stress to Mitsuda, who was tasked to create the game's most important song, which needed to incorporate both the diversity of the entire rest of the soundtrack, and mesh with Takahashi's grand vision for the ending of the game.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: An official soundtrack album for the game, "Xenoblade Original Soundtrack", was released by Dog Ear Records on 23 June 2010. It entered the Oricon charts at #80, and remained in the charts for five weeks. Upon release, the album received praise from critics: while multiple critics were surprised that Shimomura and Mitsuda's contributions were less substantial than originally thought, they found the majority of the music composed by Kiyota and ACE+ to be enjoyable. "Beyond the Sky" also received unanimous praise.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: "Xenoblade Chronicles" was announced during E3 2009. Its official title and release window were not announced until the beginning of 2010, alongside the announcement of "The Last Story". The game released in Japan on 10 June 2010. Over a year after its Japanese release, it was confirmed for release in European territories under the title "Xenoblade Chronicles". This version included both the English and Japanese voice tracks. According to Adam Howden, Shulk's English voice actor, he was not given much information prior to his audition, and was never given the full script during recording. According to him, the translated script needed to be altered as some lines came out as longer or shorter than the Japanese originals, and he was told to give Shulk a neutral British-accented voice. Concerning the game's localization, Takahashi stated that while some minor changes were made in the English versions of the game, like some bug fixes, minor adjustments to gameplay balance, and slight rewriting of some written content, none of the changes led to any significant differences. Initially planned for release on 2 September 2011, it was released two weeks early on 19 August. In addition to the standard edition, a special edition with a Red Wii Classic Controller Pro was also released. It was later re-released in Europe on the Wii U's Nintendo eShop on 5 August 2015.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: Despite being confirmed for a European release, "Xenoblade Chronicles" did not have an official confirmation of a North American release. Additionally, although the project was announced at E3 2009, the finished game was absent altogether from E3 2011. In an interview on the French television station Nolife, Mathieu Minel, the marketing manager of Nintendo France, stated that Nintendo of Europe had desired to show the game at it, but Nintendo of America would not allow it, sparking speculation that it would not be released in North America. In response to this, a dedicated fan campaign was launched called Operation Rainfall. Its goal was to raise fan awareness of the situations felt by three Wii RPGs: "Xenoblade Chronicles", "The Last Story" and "Pandora's Tower". Among the campaign tactics used by Operation Rainfall were emails, organized campaigns, online petitions, phone calls, and messages on Nintendo's Facebook and Twitter accounts. One of the most notable efforts was a call to pre-order the game via the original ""Monado: Beginning of the World"" placeholder on Amazon.com. Their efforts resulted in "Xenoblade Chronicles" becoming #1 in the site's pre-order gaming charts, beating "" and the PlayStation 3 bundle for "". The campaign also received support from Mistwalker, the developers of "The Last Story", and "Xenogears" and "Xenosaga" writer Soraya Saga. Takahashi later stated that Monolith Soft developed the game assuming that it would be released overseas.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: In the months following these activities, Nintendo of America officially stated that there were no current plans to release the three asked-for games in North America, despite acknowledging the great demand for the titles. Rumors eventually emerged that the title would see a North American release when it was listed on the website of gaming retailer GameStop. Soon after this, Nintendo officially announced that the game would be released in the region. In a 2013 interview, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé revealed that Nintendo were considering an American release for "Xenoblade Chronicles" while Operation Rainfall was active, and that while the campaign did not factor into their decision, they were aware of it and took it into account while deciding whether the release would make a profitable release. "Xenoblade Chronicles" eventually released in North America on 6 April 2012. It was released in North America as an exclusive to Nintendo's American store, and GameStop's website and stores. The eShop version released for North America from 28 April 2016.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: A port for the New Nintendo 3DS, titled "Xenoblade Chronicles 3D", was released worldwide in April 2015. It features StreetPass functionality, as well as compatibility with the Shulk amiibo. The port was originally announced in August 2014 alongside the New Nintendo 3DS. The port was co-developed by Monster Games, a frequent collaborator with Nintendo on well-received ports. They were requested for the job by Nintendo as the staff at Monolith Soft were already working on the next "Xenoblade" title. Development on the port started between Autumn and Winter 2013 initially for the original Nintendo 3DS, but initial testing showed that the original platform lacked the memory and power to effectively run the game, since the Wii's processing capabilities were greater than the regular 3DS. Hearing about the New 3DS, it was decided to use its increased processing power to realize the game's ambition. Its increased power made the port possible, and its button layout, with the inclusion of the ZL and ZR shoulder buttons and the C-Stick, meant that the original Wii Classic Controller button layout could be used without adjustment. As part of the alterations made to the title, much of the on-screen information was moved down to the bottom Touch screen so as to de-clutter the top screen, while the layout was carefully arranged so as to maintain the feel of the original as much as possible.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: To maintain a steady frame rate and the seamless transitions between environments, unspecified "technical tricks" were used. They also worked hard to include 3D capacity despite the resultant technical difficulties. The most difficult part of the development was getting the game's scale to work within the new hardware. This entailed the creation of a new graphics engine with a custom visibility culling and complex level of detail systems. All of the environments were rebuilt and optimized for the new system while keeping the original aesthetic intact. The reason given for porting the game to the New 3DS rather than the Wii U home console was that the length of the game could be intimidating for the modern gamer, who was becoming more used to on-the-go, quick gaming sessions.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: An expanded remaster of the original game, "Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition", was announced in September 2019 during a Nintendo Direct presentation. In addition to enhanced visuals, remastered music, an updated user interface, and other quality-of-life improvements, "Definitive Edition" also includes a new epilogue scenario titled "Future Connected", which centers on the character Melia and is set one year after the main game's events. It was released worldwide for the Nintendo Switch on 29 May 2020.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: Since its release, "Xenoblade Chronicles" has received critical acclaim, earning perfect scores from Digital Spy, "Joystiq", "GamePro" and "RPGamer", and near-perfect scores from most other video gaming websites and magazines. The game received "universal acclaim", according to review aggregator Metacritic.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: The story was cited by many as being innovative and enjoyable despite a fairly standard premise, while its open nature was seen as a welcome change for the genre: "IGN" critic Keza MacDonald said that she had been shocked out of expecting Japanese RPGs to be similar to the linear and story-driven "Final Fantasy XIII". Its battle system and handling of quests also received praise, with the latter being seen as a great improvement for the genre due to its user-friendly workings. The one point that generally drew criticism were the graphics, with multiple critics disappointed that they lacked the polish of other contemporary consoles. "IGN", "Eurogamer" and "Edge Magazine" cited the game as a triumphant comeback for the JRPG, and a prime example of the genre. The battle system, and to a degree its general gameplay, was favorably compared by multiple critics to that used in "Final Fantasy XII".


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: The New 3DS port also received "generally positive" reviews, according to Metacritic. The port was generally received similar praise to the original "Xenoblade Chronicles": many points of praise regarding its gameplay and story were shared with its original release, while new praise was given to the fact that an RPG of its scale had been successfully ported to the platform at all. Despite this, critics cited the graphical downgrade and lackluster implementation of 3D effects as detrimental factors, generally resulting in lower scores for the port when compared to the original game.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: At the 2011 Japan Game Awards, "Xenoblade Chronicles" received the "Excellence" award. In IGN's Best of 2012 awards, the game was named "Best Wii/Wii U Game" and awarded with "Best Wii/Wii U Story". It was also nominated in the "Best Overall Role-playing Game" and "Best Overall Story" categories. In RPGFan's "Game of the Year" awards that same year, it was named "Best Traditional RPG", and was a runner-up for "Best Combat" and "Best RPG", losing both to "Mass Effect 3". It was also awarded the site's "Reader's Choice Best RPG" award, with 24% of readers' votes going to "Xenoblade Chronicles", beating "Persona 4 Golden" to the award. In RPGamer's "Best of 2012" awards, it was named as the year's best RPG, along with earning awards for "Best Story" and "Best Music". At the 2012 Golden Joystick Awards, the game was nominated in the "Best RPG" category, although it lost to "". "Slant Magazine" named it as "Game of the Year" in 2012.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: During its opening week, "Xenoblade Chronicles" reached the top of Japan's gaming charts, selling 80,000 units. By the end of 2010, the game had sold over 161,000 copies, making it the eighth best-selling Wii game of the year, and eventually reached almost 200,000 units by the end of 2013. In the UK charts, "Xenoblade Chronicles" debuted at #7, and reached #2 in the dedicated Wii charts despite stock shortages. According to "Gamasutra", it was the fourth best-selling game in the UK during its first week. In the US gaming charts, the game was excluded from the NPD Group's monthly assessment due to it being a retailer exclusive. Investment banking firm Piper Jaffray estimated it to be one of the best-selling games in the United States during the month of April 2012, along with "Mass Effect 3" and "Prototype 2". In a later interview, it was stated that the game sold better in the West than in Japan.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: "Xenoblade Chronicles 3D" fared worse, selling 56,932 copies in its first week in Japan. Roughly 78,000 Japanese copies had been sold by the end of June 2015. In the UK charts, the game debuted at #27, becoming the third best-selling Nintendo product of that week. According to NPD Group figures, the game sold under 75,000, failing to enter the top ten. However, Nintendo stated that the game was the fifth best-selling platform exclusive that week.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: The 2022 CESA Games White Papers revealed that Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition had sold 1.68 million units, as of December 2021.


title: Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

text: Shulk has been featured as a playable character in the "Super Smash Bros." crossover fighting game series, appearing in its "Nintendo 3DS" and "Wii U" and "Ultimate" installments. Gaur Plain, a location in the game, appears as a stage along with several music tracks; one of the game's recurring antagonists, Metal Face, appears as a hazard on said stage; Dunban and Riki (and Fiora in "Ultimate") accompany Shulk during his Final Smash. Additionally Riki also appears as an Assist Trophy, using his own Arts to disrupt opponents. Fiora was later featured as a playable character in the crossover game "Project X Zone 2", representing the "Xeno" series alongside "Xenosaga" character KOS-MOS, opposite Metal Face as an enemy character. By using experience gained during development of "Xenoblade Chronicles" and listening to feedback on the game, Takahashi and the team began work on a spiritual successor for the Wii U. Titled "Xenoblade Chronicles X", it was released worldwide in 2015. A sequel for the Nintendo Switch, "Xenoblade Chronicles 2", was released worldwide in December 2017, and Shulk and Fiora can appear as optional Blades to recruit via the DLC expansion pass.


title: Kenny Johnson

text: Kenneth Allen Johnson (born July 13, 1963) is an American actor, producer, and model. He is known for his roles as Detective Curtis Lemansky in "The Shield", Butch "Burner" Barnes in "", Detective Ham Dewey in "Saving Grace", Herman Kozik in "Sons of Anarchy", Matt Webb in "Prime Suspect", Caleb Calhoun in "Bates Motel", Dominique Luca in the CBS drama series "S.W.A.T.", and Tommy Welch on "Chicago Fire" (2014–2015).


title: Kenny Johnson

text: Johnson was born in New Haven, Connecticut and was raised on a 30-acre farm in Weathersfield, Vermont. For his college education, he attended Central Connecticut State University, where he played football and basketball.


title: Kenny Johnson

text: Prior to starting his acting career, Johnson spent approximately four years modelling for agencies including Wilhelmina and Ford Models. This path led to him living for a year in Boston, Massachusetts, before finally settling in Los Angeles, California, where he eventually found acting.


title: Kenny Johnson

text: Johnson got his start in television commercials, including one of the first ads for LA Gear. A former champion arm wrestler, he appeared as bit characters in various television programs, such as "Family Matters", "Grace Under Fire", "Caroline in the City", "", "Sliders", "18 Wheels of Justice", "Just Shoot Me!", "", "Lie to Me", "" and "The Protector".


title: Kenny Johnson

text: In 1998, he appeared in the first several minutes of the first "Blade", as Heatseeking Dennis, who was saved from a vampire played by Traci Lords. In October 2005, he appeared in the "Smallville" season 5 episode "Mortal" as metahuman Tommy Lee. He also appeared in the 2006 Hallmark Channel original film "Desolation Canyon", with Stacy Keach and Patrick Duffy. Johnson then starred in the 2005 film "Zzyzx", a thriller about two friends who take a detour on their way to Las Vegas.


title: Kenny Johnson

text: Johnson originally auditioned for the role of ill-fated Terry Crowley in "The Shield", which ultimately went to Reed Diamond. Casting directors were so impressed with his audition that they asked Johnson to come in for the role of Curtis Lemansky. He was unsure of how to go about the character, as the role was not very developed at that point. During the audition, Johnson made some choices for the character that he initially thought ruined his chances of winning the role. However, the audition turned out to be successful and he was cast. Lemansky quickly became a major player in the first season because of the chemistry Johnson shared with his castmates.


title: Kenny Johnson

text: After "The Shield", Johnson had recurring roles in "Cold Case", first as a supposed murder victim, and later as a love interest for Lilly Rush. He was later cast in the TNT series "Saving Grace", as Detective Hamilton "Ham" Dewey. Johnson also appeared during the second, third and fourth seasons of "Sons of Anarchy" as Sgt. At Arms and biker Herman Kozik. He also directed and starred in the short film "I Heard the Mermaids Singing".