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No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise discounted before it's even out
Amazon has already discounted Konami's PS3 release of No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise to $29.99, suplexing $10 off the retail price. For some reason, the retailer chose to forgo its usual credit offers, discounting the game directly. Heroes' Paradise hasn't even been released yet -- that happens tomorrow. As even more incentive to buy the game today, Amazon is also throwing in some exclusive pre-order DLC items, in the form of the "Cross Saver" beam katana and the "Moto Magazine 2" motorcycle. It might be nice to have a different motorcycle to look at during the open-world driving segments.%Gallery-130625%
Let Travis Touchdown show you how to play No More Heroes with Move
Say you're interested in No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise, but you have no imagination. How best to communicate the Move controls to you? Japanese publisher Marvelous has figured it out, by having someone dressed as Travis Touchdown demonstrate the game using the PS3 motion controller. That way, you won't be confused at all about what motions to perform, and whom you'll be manipulating when you make those motions! Just for reference, we're reasonably certain the controls work even if you aren't wearing a Travis Touchdown costume. You won't have to worry about that until a Kinect version of No More Heroes comes along. Warning: he goes through most of the second assassination, so if you'd consider that a spoiler, don't watch.
No More Heroes: Red Zone packs Move controls, new material in Japan [Update]
The weekly Famitsu leak has brought early word of another re-release of No More Heroes coming to Japan, called No More Heroes: Red Zone. This PS3-only version adds material not found in last year's Japanese PS3 release of No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise, including PlayStation Move compatibility, and five bosses from No More Heroes 2. It also restores the full CERO Z rating. The Japanese PS3 release was cut down to fit a more generally acceptable D rating. All of this material is included in Konami's upcoming Western release of Heroes' Paradise, but Red Zone also reportedly includes ten missions that were cut from the original Wii version. This could be exclusive content -- or it could just be a bonus that Konami hasn't told us about yet! We're asking the publisher now. Update: Konami told Joystiq that this is the same version we're getting in America.
Moon Diver review: Lunar mayhem
Do you remember Strider? I'm not asking if you have a vague awareness of it or even if you've played it -- do you remember the excitement of its arrival on the Sega Genesis? It was the first game to shove eight megabits of memory into a single console cartridge, a fact loudly proclaimed by an emblem on the box art that screams "8MEGA MEMORY." It featured enemies like a giant centipede made out of people, an evil guy in a robe who (as the story goes) took out five of the seven continents without breaking a sweat, and, of course, giant robot dinosaurs. If you owned a Sega Genesis in 1990, Strider was a Big Damn Deal. 21 years later, it can be said with no great amount of equivocation that the quietly-released Moon Diver is about as far as one can get from a Big Damn Deal. What Moon Diver is, however, is as close to "Strider for the 21st century" as we may ever see. It looks like Strider, it plays like Strider, it even features a production credit from none other than Kouichi Yotsui, Strider's director. While it never explicitly references the 20-and-change-year-old classic, it is quite obviously cut from its cloth. Moon Diver's prime target audience, then, is those who do remember Strider as a Big Damn Deal. %Gallery-117024%
Mindjack video introduces 'Instant Multiplayer,' gaudy pre-order bonuses revealed
Don't let the truly appalling voiceover work in the video posted after the jump distract you from said video's key thesis: Square Enix's Mindjack's multiplayer mode looks pretty unique. Online players can instantly jump into your single-player campaign, and can inhabit the bodies of monsters, mechs and humans to shoot and sliiiiiide their way towards either helping or hindering your progress. Check out the trailer below to see all the body hackin' (body, body hackin') unfold. If the "Instant Multiplayer" shown below appeals to your manipulative senses, Square Enix has announced some incentives for early adopters. Anyone who pre-orders the game will be able to download the "Ability Pack," which gives them an unlimited sprint boost, as well as a gold uniform for their in-game soldier. Because nothing helps you blend in with the crowd like a bright gold jumpsuit, except for literally anything else.
No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise on PS3 includes bosses from No More Heroes 2
Those "additional boss characters" added to the Western PS3 release of No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise? "All of the additional bosses in the game are from No More Heroes 2," Konami's Tak Fuji told GameSugar, "making this much more than just the original Wii game." That's welcome news for people experiencing the series for the first time through this PS3 game, as it now encompasses at least a bit of a sequel. He didn't mention which bosses or how many -- but we can guarantee that whichever bosses are included, whether it's the revenge-obsessed young man who pulls his own head off, the flamethrower-wielding ghost of a murdered child, or the robot filled with cheerleaders, they're going to be weird. Fuji also indicated that Konami is at least considering a Kinect-enabled release on Xbox 360. "We have, and are still tossing around ideas for linking NMH with the Kinect for Xbox 360 gamers," he said, "but since the Kinect is such a unique device, it's a bit more difficult. This isn't to say that the Kinect is a poor interface by any means, but more that in its uniqueness it requires a bit more care and planning to bring Travis to the Xbox 360. So if we were to do so, we'd need more time." It's worth noting that Heroes' Paradise was released on both Xbox and PS3 in Japan, so there is a 360 version to work with.
Mindjack hacks your head on January 18
Square Enix has announced a January 18 release date in North America for Mindjack, a once-delayed shooter that sees urban environments descend into anarchy and everyday citizens succumb to remote control. The commentary on our connected society might be about as subtle as a steamroller, but developer Feelplus Inc. will put the concept to use in its networked single-player campaign. When the non-player characters in your game lose control, they become puppets to online invaders, who can either aid or crush you. Should that pique your curiosity -- along with that of your online friends or family -- you can pick up the game for either Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 when it launches. Oh, and if you head past the break, you'll encounter the latest trailer. We don't know yet if its bluster is indicative of the overall marketing campaign, or if Square Enix will get something more subversive and suited to the game's content. Mindjack is out in Japan on January 27. %Gallery-106473%
No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise will be PS3-exclusive in North America
Two months after Konami announced that it had picked up the PS3 publishing rights for No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise in Europe -- with added PlayStation Move controls -- the publisher has revealed plans to release the same HD port in North America. Heroes' Paradise is a high-definition version of Grasshopper Manufacture's Wii assassinate-em-up No More Heroes, with a few extra modes (including a cutscene viewer and a "Rebout" boss rush mode), new visuals and, for the North American and European releases, the choice between DualShock-based or Move controls. In addition, an announcement on the PlayStation Blog teases "additional boss characters that were not available in the original episode" for the PS3 version. No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise will be released for PS3 in 2011 -- no plans for an Xbox 360 release outside of Japan have been announced. Of course, you could always go get the spectacular Wii version, which has been out since 2008, but if you've waited this long for an HD version, you may as well hold out. %Gallery-106024% [Thanks, Israel]
No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise, now with PlayStation Move icons
European PS3 owners can look forward to playing No More Heroes in HD, with Move controls, courtesy of Konami. Those of us in North America, so far, can only look forward to importing No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise, as the publisher hasn't made any announcements regarding the title. The screens released by Konami today look about how you would expect: No More Heroes, in HD, with little (non-pixelated!) Move controller icons in the UI where Wiimote simulacra once stood. However, it seems that Konami (or developer feelplus) took the initiative to put even more controller icons on screen than were in the Wii original, as seen above. In the original game that was just an arrow -- and we all figured out what it meant.%Gallery-99916%
Konami releasing No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise on PS3 in Europe, with Move support
Konami Europe has picked up the rights to No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise, the Feelplus-developed HD port of No More Heroes -- but seemingly just the PS3 version and not the Xbox 360 release. To make the news even more baffling, Konami is adding PlayStation Move support. That's right, the motion controls that were replaced in the game's transition from Wii to PS3 are back! Both previous No More Heroes games were published in Europe by Rising Star Games, which was first a subsidiary of -- and then a content partner with -- Japanese publisher Marvelous Interactive. We're following up with Konami's American branch to find out whether Travis Touchdown will appear in HD in North America. The European release is scheduled for 2011.
Review: Ninety-Nine Nights 2
Galen hasn't had the best few months. Though he might be the self-proclaimed "ultimate warrior," his world has been invaded by the Army of the Night, his home has been destroyed and his family killed. So he's doing what any other ultimate warrior would do in a similar situation: He's slaughtering everything. But here's a surprise I learned from N3II: Ninety-Nine Nights, a.k.a. Ninety-Nine Nights 2: Indiscriminately wiping out your enemies is, for the most part, crazy boring. When it's not boring, it's incredibly frustrating. And on a few rare occasions? Frustratingly boring. %Gallery-94289%
Mindjack trailer hacks through your eyes, into your brain
After talking to some of the game's producers and getting our hands on it, we think we're finally starting to understand feelplus and Square-Enix's Mindjack. Though the single-player game seems like your typical cover-based third-person shooter, it's set apart by a single (albeit potentially massive) feature: Friends (or strangers, if you'd prefer) can, at any time, join your game, hack into and control a member of the opposing force or a member of your squad. In short, it's an instant action multiplayer experience that start at any moment without warning. It's a hugely compelling concept, and one we're looking forward to checking out for ourselves when the game launches in October. For now, we (and you) will have to make due with the trailer just after the break.
Mindjack coming from feelplus and Square this October
Japanese studio feelplus has been busy lately, with a New More Heroes port, Ninety-Nine Nights II and the recently revealed Necromachina. Now, we get a look at its latest project, the third-person actioner Mindjack, coming to 360 and PS3 in October from Square-Enix. As a "Mind Hacker" you'll battle foes by possessing enemies, vehicles, even innocent bystanders to use as your meat puppets. We'll have more for you on the game soon, but, for now, would you settle for some screens? %Gallery-95392%
'Moon Diver' now called Necromachina, added to Square Enix E3 lineup
We don't think Square Enix appreciates the genuine toil that goes into producing a high-quality photoshop. That one we made yesterday, of the guy diving into the moon? It will never be relevant for anything ever again. The publisher recently announced that the Feelplus-developed, side-scrolling action title formerly known as Moon Diver will come to the U.S. PSN and XBLA under the moniker Necromachina. (How are we supposed to make a photoshop out of that? It is virtually impossible.) Accompanying the announcement was a fast-paced gameplay trailer, which is posted after the jump. It looks awfully slick, with sharp 2.5D visuals and old-school action-platforming -- but even from this very first trailer, we can already tell it's going to be punishingly difficult. We'll get a chance to test that hypothesis when we get our hands on the game at E3.
Square Enix and feelplus team up on 'Moon Diver' for XBLA
Andriasang reports that Square Enix has pulled back the curtain obscuring the identity of its next project: a 2D action game called Moon Diver, coming this year to the Japanese Xbox Live Arcade. The title, which will be developed by Lost Odyssey and Ninety-Nine Nights 2 creator feelplus, pits four-player teams of ninjas -- presumably moon ninjas, which we all know to be the coolest type of ninjas -- against waves of monsters in an attempt to protect a post-apocalyptic Earth. We still have so many questions: Is it coming to America? Can we see some screenshots? Are we expected to dive into or off of the moon? We suppose our curiosity will have to be sated by these slim, slim details for now. We'll try pestering Square Enix for answers to these pressing questions at E3.
Ninety-Nine Nights 2 demo hacks, slashes XBLM
A quick note for all the "Games that are like Dynasty Warriors" fans: a demo for Ninety-Nine Nights 2 is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. The demo offers up two missions from the game. One sees players hacking and slashing their way through massive hordes of enemies. The other mission also sees players hacking and slashing through massive hordes of enemies, only said horde of enemies is led by a gigantic beastie (as seen above). Two further notes: Check the equipment available to you -- particularly the fire resistance accessory, which helps a lot with the aforementioned beastie. Don't get too invested in the demo, because it doesn't let you actually kill the beastie. Xbox.com: Add the Ninety-Nine Nights 2 demo to your Xbox 360 download queue
No More Heroes remakes outsold the original by a little
We're not going to say that No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise is a hit, but those of us in constant fear of Marvelous running out of money can breathe a sigh of relief, as the remake has brought a little cash in (more considering that the game is a port and therefore probably less expensive to produce). In fact, both versions managed to make it into the Media Create top ten, with the PS3 version's 16,000 copies securing a #7 position and the Xbox 360 version's 15,000 copies at #8. Both of these actually outperformed the Wii original, which sold 11,700 copies in its debut week back in 2007. Now that we think about it, however, the real story might be that 15,000 people in Japan bought an Xbox 360 game in a single week. %Gallery-78530%
No More Heroes: Wii vs. Xbox 360
No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise was released in Japan last week, allowing the site PS360 to set to work comparing the new HD version (in this case the Xbox 360 release), ported by Feelplus, to the Wii original. After the break, you can see the intro to both versions, presented in split-screen. We suggest watching them in full-screen, because you can't really compare resolutions or detail inside a tiny window. You can, however, see noticeable differences in texture detail, and especially shading -- the Xbox version has crazy high-contrast shadows on everything. You can also hear the new Japanese voice acting, which sounds totally silly. The second video compares load times between the Xbox 360 version installed to the hard drive and the Wii's disc-based version. Surprisingly, in some cases, the Xbox game takes much longer to load! While that's not a huge deal-breaker, Siliconera reports that users are complaining on Amazon about freezing as well. It's hard to determine how widespread the issue is, because it's an Xbox 360 game released in Japan, and thus probably not in that many hands.
New trailer for No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise adds to our frustration
Other than providing a more specific April release date of the 15th (in Japan at least), the latest trailer for No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise which we've dropped after the break does little but fill us with frustration. First and foremost, we don't have any idea what it says because the whole thing's in Japanese. Second, the quick cuts don't give us enough of a chance to ogle the newly HDified graphics in the Xbox 360 and PS3 port. Third, we wanna see pure madness produced by that light ... sword (not a saber, that's for sure) if the game's gonna be in HD. We might normally say something at this point about hoping for the best when the game arrives at retail, but this one's a Japan-only release, folks. Time to bust out that extra milk money (and Japanese dictionary) for the import copy, eh? %Gallery-78530%
Konami publishing Ninety-Nine Nights II this spring in North America
Konami, which picked up the publishing rights for the Xbox 360-exclusive N3II: Ninety-Nine Nights in Japan, has announced that it'll also publish the feelplus-developed sequel in North America. In fact, the North American release is slated for the same spring 2010 window as the Japanese version. N3II features five different storylines telling the three sides -- humans, elves and goblins -- of a "free for all" battle. Prepare your thumbs, because that sounds like a lot of button-mashing! But you know, if all those storylines can maintain the kind of epic narration featured in this new trailer, N3II is guaranteed to be a multi-million seller. Wouldn't you agree? %Gallery-85843%
