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An XBLA Threefer: RocketBowl, Samurai Shodown 2 and Shotest Shogi
For the second week in a row, we're being treated to an Xbox Live Arcade threefer. Because, you know, XBLA twofers are so 2007. And heading to the XBLA this Wednesday, September 10th will be D3Publisher's RocketBowl, the SNK Playmore 2D sword fighter Samurai Shodown 2 and AI Factory's chess-inspired Shotest Shogi. All games will cost 800 Microsoft points except Samurai Shodown 2, which will be available for the oh so nice price of 400 MS points.
RocketBowl scheduled for Sept. 10th XBLA release
Admittedly, we may be a bit late on this announcement, but who ever said late news isn't important news? (Don't answer that.) Ahem, over the weekend, D3 Publisher announced that their "refreshing twist on a classic sport" RocketBowl will be releasing to the Xbox Live Arcade on Wednesday, September 10th for 800 Microsoft points. What exactly is RocketBowl? Picture bowling, on 10 crazy courses with ramps and other doodads, Xbox Live multiplayer, equipment upgrades and (of course) bowling balls that are rocket propelled balls of death. Genius! Now only if we could get our hands on one of these rocket-powered bowling balls for some real life pin action. Though, we hear they're illegal in twenty-seven states and all of Europe.[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
'Bikini Samurai Squad' slashes Stateside on 360
Who's going to notice a game with a title like "Onechanbara" on store shelves? But add a subtitle like "Bikini Samurai Squad" – not forgetting imagery of said swimsuit sporting swordswomen – and you have a chance. D3Publisher is taking a chance on the cult Xbox 360 import, which stars two sisters on a mission to battle zombie hordes ... while wearing next to nothing. A quick parsing of the game's page on D3's site returned the following words: "expose," "thrusting," "deep," "inside," and "desperate." Oh, and lest we forget the ability to check out the "super sexy" twins in the "exclusive dress-up mode." The game has yet to be rated by the ESRB, but surely it's E10+ fare, no? D3 hasn't set a release date for the game yet, but it's likely to debut early next year along with Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers for Wii.[Via Shacknews]
First Puzzle Quest: Galactrix trailer is rather hexy
We understand that trailers for puzzle games, even ones with strong RPG elements, aren't exactly titillating. With very few explosions, no dialogue, and the repetitive swapping of multi-hued bricks, the odds are somewhat against them. If you never played the first Puzzle Quest, the above trailer will probably look as bland as eating toast at a Kenny G concert -- however, those who have gemswapped their way through the Challenge of the Warlords understand the fancy-tickling capacity of this debut Puzzle Quest: Galactrix trailer. With looks at the new hex-based gameplay, the massive galaxy the game takes place in, and the new visual aesthetic, this one video should be enough to cause visions of hexagons to dance in your head until the game's Q1 '09 release.
D3 to release Shaun the Sheep this Fall, Coraline in early 09
D3Publisher has announced that it has acquired the rights to make games based on stop-motion animations Coraline and Shaun the Sheep (via Gamasutra). The former, Coraline, is a film adaptation of a Neil Gaiman book directed by Henry Sellick (The Nightmare Before Christmas). The adventure game is expected to ship early 2009 for DS and unknown home consoles alongside the film's February 6 debut. Unlike the film, the game will not be using 3D glasses, according to D3 COO Yoji Takenaka.The other game adaptation, Shaun the Sheep, is based on a British TV show from Aardman Animation (Wallace & Gromit), who previously worked with D3 on a game for Flushed Away. The adventure title will be exclusive to the DS and is due out this Fall.
Want to play Puzzle Quest: Galactrix early?
D3Publisher is looking for some help with the next Puzzle Quest game. See, they need people to give it a play, however it should be noted that this only applies to folks living in the L.A. area. Where's the east coast love, D3? How do you get on board with this? Send an email with the subject "Puzzle Quest Research" to lisa[at]mindofthegamer[dawt]com before April 18th. Names will be chosen on a first come, first serve basis, and are also subject to "additional criteria" needed to qualify. We guess you'll find that out the day of.The lucky gamers that do get to head on down for some quality time with new Puzzle Quest stuff will not only get to play Galactrix, but also that Xbox Live expansion, Revenge of the Plague Lord, along with "other" Puzzle Quest stuff. Any of our west coast readers going to sign up for this?%Gallery-16886%
Help focus test new Puzzle Quest game in LA
D3Publisher of America is looking for volunteers to focus test the "next game in the Puzzle Quest franchise." If you live in the Los Angeles area and have played the original Puzzle Quest, contact lisa[at]mindofthegamer[dawt]com and place "Puzzle Quest Research" in the subject line. Emails must be received by April 18 and participants will be chosen on a first come, first served basis; there will also be screening for "additional criteria." We spoke with a representative who told us participants will be mostly testing Galactrix, a little Revenge of the Plague Lord, and "other" Puzzle Quest related things. Those who score a golden ticket, let us know what you find out.%Gallery-16892%
Puzzle Quest 1.5 gets name, dubbed Revenge of the Plague Lord
Refusing to heed our suggestion, D3Publisher has picked the name for it's upcoming version 1.5 update for Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. The download, which will drop over Xbox Live this spring, will carry the rather tortured title of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Revenge of the Plague Lord. Let us pause now and catch our breath.According to D3, the mouthful was picked from a collection of more than 500 suggestions sent in as part of the last month's call for potential monikers, which turned out equally labored names as "Sorceress of Malbec" and "The Scourge of Antharg," the contest's two runner-ups. Still, while we find the chosen name difficult to swallow, we remain excited for the expansion, which promises to tempt us with new hero professions, spells, items, and quests. Goodbye free time, we hardly knew ye.
Video: Super duper Dark Sector launch trailer
You may find it odd that nearly every Dark Sector post we do is some sort of video, but we have good reason. You see, Dark Sector kind of took us by surprise, most impressive thing being the game's intense visuals and over the top decapitations. With that in mind, how could we not want to blog about the game's video gameplay? Right? So, today we bring yet another Dark Sector video and this time it's the official launch trailer that gives a bit of the game's back story and a bunch of in-game gore. Sever heads, take off arms and toss that boomer-blade like you mean it.
Gruesomely enjoyable Dark Sector glitches
Posted over on their developer blog, the Dark Sector team decided to give everyone an insider's peek into some of the final bugs and glitches they discovered while nearing the end of the game's development cycle. But before you start to yawn and thoughts of missing textures or broken geometry glitches enter your mind, know that we aren't talking about those kind of bugs. We're talking about bugs and glitches where the AI goes crazy, the physics create spectacular sights and flaming bodies get launched through the air. Yes sir, over the top, hilariously gruesome glitches. Thankfully, the Dark Sector team captured video of a few of these glitches before they were removed and, well ... we'll let you watch the awesome for yourself. Personally, we would have kept the vending machine "bug" in the final build ... that is so many types of awesome.
Nameless Puzzle Quest DLC needs your help
D3Publisher just announced a new Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords expansion that's set to release to the Xbox Live Marketplace sometime this Spring and it's packed full of goodies. It'll be an expansion comprised of four new Hero professions, new items, new spells, new quests, new monsters, a new enemy and the list goes on and on. It's an exciting piece of DLC for fans of Puzzle Quest, except there is one tiny problem. D3Publisher doesn't have a name for the DLC ... oops.So fanboys, that's where you come in. How they see it, Puzzle Quest fans are a knowledgeable and creative enough bunch to name the new set of DLC in their official Puzzle Quest DLC naming contest. Kicking off later today, you can head on over to the Puzzle Quest's official website through March 21st to recommend a name for the DLC. So, go ahead and get your creativity on, help D3Publisher and make the Puzzle Quest world a better place to live. We have faith you'll do the right thing.[Via Game Stooge]
Puzzle Quest getting XBLA expansion, fans asked to name it
Puzzle Quest was among our favorite titles released last year over Xbox Live Arcade, with the unlikely mix of casual puzzling and role-playing edging its way into several of our staff's top picks for 2007. Now publisher D3 has announced that the game will soon be getting what it calls a "tremendous amount" of new content by way of an upcoming downloadable expansion. There's just one problem -- it needs a name.The add-on, which promises a new villain in Antharg, the Lord of Plague, as well as new spells, items, and quests on top of four new hero professions (Bard, Rogue, Ranger and Warlock), is currently being dubbed " Puzzle Quest: 1.5," but that name is hardly appropriate. To this end, D3 is calling for players to submit name suggestions on the official Puzzle Quest website starting today at noon through Friday, March 21. Once a name has been decided, the expansion will be made available this spring over Xbox Live. We're already brainstorming our ideas -- might we suggest Puzzle Quest: The Addictioning?
Video: Dark Sector's boomer-blade in action
After getting a taste of the game's multiplayer, our Dark Sector itch has been getting stronger and stronger. We can't put our finger on it quite yet, but we're intrigued by D3Publisher's violent little game and we want more. So you could imagine how relieving it was to be treated to yet another Dark Sector trailer, one that scratched our itch while at the same time making us think. We're starting to think that this boomer-blade (that's our new name for Dark Sector's signature weapon) is a Swiss army knife of death. Just watch for yourself. It can be lit on fire, be electric, decapitate and aid in a wrestling style back-breaker moves. Yup, we enjoy the boomer-blade. Even if not used for killing, one could still open a can of chicken noodle soup with it.
Details on Dark Sector's multiplayer modes, including 360 and PS3 differences
Dark Sector's two unique multiplayer modes have recently been detailed, along with some notes regarding the key differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. Gamers keeping score will be interested to know that the 360 wins this round with slightly better ranking and matching options, although both versions appear robust in the online department.The game's "Infection" multiplayer mode pits one "infected" player against a legion of troopers, with a trooper taking over the role upon killing the target (similar to Halo's Juggernaut mode). The "Epidemic" mode is a standard team battle affair, except that teams only earn points by killing the opposing team's leader.Both the 360 and PS3 versions of Dark Sector offer these mutiplayer modes via online play or LAN, and both support up to ten players per match with five maps to choose from. Leadersboards are present for both games, although the 360 version will use Microsoft's TrueSkill ranking system. Also included in the 360 version are Quick Game, Custom Game, and Ranked Game options, while PS3 users can only create, join, or search for multiplayer games. The game is scheduled for a spring 2008 release, although further delays certainly wouldn't be surprising.
Bangai-O Spirits on DS features unique 'Sound Load' technology
As we reported last month, classic Treasure shooter Bangai-O will be getting a second life on the DS as Bangai-O Spirits, due for North American release in the second-quarter of 2008. The former Dreamcast game is being published by D3Publisher, and we learned during a special GDC event that it will feature one of the strangest uses of the DS's microphone that we've heard of in a while. The "Sound Load" feature on Bangai-O Spirits will allow users to share custom levels, high scores, and replay videos as sound. Sound. When the mode is active, the selected data is converted into an audio track, which is played through the speaker of one DS, and can be intercepted by the microphone of another, where it is read and turned back into game data. The sound files can even be uploaded to computer, for easy sharing of content over the internet. We're as amazed as you are. Bangai-O Spirits will also feature competitive and co-op multiplayer for 1-4 players through local wireless. For more information on the game, do check out DS Fanboy's colorful overview. We've also appended a gallery of new screenshots (which don't quite capture the game's hectic and explosive gameplay). %Gallery-17024%
Sci-fi Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is headed to XBLA
Today, D3Publisher and Infinite Interactive sent out word that the latest in the Puzzle Quest franchise, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix will be releasing to the Xbox Live Arcade sometime this Fall. Details are light, but D3Publisher revealed that Galactrix will take the franchise into the sci-fi genre, nearly opposite of its older brother Puzzle Quest: CotW. D3Publisher also promise to include a "rich and detailed storyline and fresh gameplay elements" into the mix. Which is a good thing, we wouldn't want Galactrix to have a non-existent storyline or stale gameplay elements ... that gets a thumbs up from us. Feel free to browse the Puzzle Quest: Galactrix concept art, renders and screenshots in the super awesome gallery below.%Gallery-16881%
Puzzle Quest sequel cited in D3 press release, coming 2008
Last year's Puzzle Quest was a surprise hit/addiction that eventually landed on every platform in existence. So it's with little shock that a recent press release from D3 Publisher, which announced Adam Roberts as the new European Managing Director, mentioned a forthcoming sequel to the game due out this year.The revelation is found in the last sentence of the release, "The company will also be releasing video games based on Aardman's popular Shaun the Sheep character in 2008, alongside the eagerly-awaited follow-ups to the best-selling Ben 10 and Puzzle Quest." Wait a second, more Ben 10 and Shaun the Sheep, too? O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! We've contacted D3 for a statement.
Checking out more fighting in Naruto: Ninja Destiny
Following up yesterday's trailer that sold us on the gameplay is another trailer that shows us ... more gameplay. But hey, we're not complaining, because we're liking what we see here. The DS is starved for great fighting games (well, those of us outside of Japan are), so we're excited to see a suitable installment in the genre. Anyone else excited for Naruto: Ninja Destiny?%Gallery-15479%
Naruto: Ninja Destiny has some smooth gameplay
Wow, we must say that we're fairly surprised the gameplay looks so good. Maybe it's because we only got short bursts of gameplay footage when the game was announced for North America, but we're extra excited about the title now. And, with the beefed-up state it'll find itself in once it arrives in our native country, we're even that much more happy. It's like a happy overload or something.What do you all think? Stud or dud?%Gallery-15479%
NARUTO: Ninja Destiny gets beefed up for North America
Even though Japanese gamers know their way around a video game, it would seem that Tomy and D3 are doing all they can to make sure NARUTO: Ninja Destiny is better than its Japanese cousin when it arrives in North America. What they've done is smoothed out the framerate, increasing the tension of combat. Nobby Matsuo, the associate producer from Tomy , says "the gameplay experience markedly different is what you would be used to if you played the Japanese version in terms of the button responses, attacks and the speed of the combat. It's a lot more frantic, it's a lot faster." Hey, we're all for fast combat in a ninja-based game!Other improvements include an overhauled story mode, where the North American storyline is completely different from the Japanese version of the game. The single player campaign will take place between episodes 100 and 140.%Gallery-15479%
