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Ocean Commander the rarest of things: a disc-based Wii shmup
Thanks to the Virtual Console, the Wii could become the best console for shmups since the Saturn, yet not many publishers have released original shoot-'em-ups on old-fashioned discs. To date, the exceptional Blast Works has been the pick of a small group that also contains Castle of Shikigami III, Monkey King, and Milestone's Ultimate Shooting Collection.All of which means Ocean Commander will face a depeleted formation of opponents when it launches in Q1 2009. Set on a waterlogged Earth in 3011, the game sees you piloting the Ocean Commander ship, a dextrous craft that can change form, though precisely which forms isn't mentioned in the press release. The title uses the Wiimote and Nunchuk (which allows for 360° aiming), and there will be a dozen upgradeable weapons, 21 levels, and 30 stages. Of course, such stats can't compete with Blast Works' infinite number of levels and stages, but count us interested.%Gallery-32402%[Via press release]
CustomPlay Golf is customarily customized for its customers
If there's anything you can hit with a stick, someone will make a game out of it. Some will even customize it. On a completely unrelated topic to customization, a new golf game has been announced, called CustomPlay Golf. What? Since the Wii works pretty well for golf, CustomPlay Games will release the latest installment of their series on Nintendo turf, along with the usual PC version. It's shaping up to be a pretty comprehensive golf title, with fifteen complete 18 hole courses (270 holes), along with Crazy Golf and Mini-Golf modes. Let's see ... Pitch and Putt, Driving Range, Matchplay, Strokeplay, Stableford ... the list of content goes on. The release appears to detail PC content -- namely, online play for up to seven players -- but hopefully it'll all be included with the Wii version.CustomPlay are good at what they do, and what they do is create golf simulations. The above screenshot is for the PC version, but we're hoping the Wii won't fall too far behind in the graphics department. This should actually be a serious title to watch when it's released in Q1 2009, so don't let Tiger be your only outlet of fairway fun.[Via press release]
Website or command center? You decide
Don't tell us the delay for Commando Steel Disaster was caused by a bunch of web developers anxious to show off their fancy animations before the game was released. The official website for this hot run-and-gun title has gone live, and is an admittedly cool little package featuring screenshots, concept art and the original trailer.That trailer is good and all, but this is a war those badass little sprites are fighting. Get some fitting tunes and the blood will really rise! Commando Steel Disaster is set for an release on August 19 in North America, so there's plenty of time to get in some Metal Slug action before then. It's pretty much the same thing.%Gallery-18362%[Via press release]
Matchman enters the side-scrolling shooter arena
Here's a quirky title announced from the UK publishers Lexicon Entertainment: Matchman. Partnered with the Chinese developers TF-H Co. Ltd., this game is scheduled for the DS, Wii, and PS3 in 2009. The game itself is a side-scrolling shooter involving pure black and white graphics in the style of really, really old cartoons. The gameplay is probably going to be run-of-the-mill, but boss battles seem to switch things up. Instead of firing madly, you give a boss monster apples until its stomach explodes, for example. We assume the game will be a downloadable PlayStation Network title for the PS3.[via SiliconEra]
We hope Matchman matches our expectations
One of the more interesting games that's been announced recently is Matchman, which is being released for the DS, the Wii, and (oddly enough) the PS3. The developer for this one is TH-F, who normally develops Chinese games. Thanks to a partnership with Lexicon Entertainment, though, Matchman is slated for a worldwide release.Blah, blah, and so on -- not that that's out of the way, let's get into the juicy, colorless details. We're not calling the game "colorless" as an insult, mind you; it's just literally in black and white. (Hey, it worked for Echochrome). Aside from that little detail, you may also be interested to know that Matchman is a side scrolling shooter with a storyline that's based on a combination of classic fairytales.As for the enemies, don't expect to always kill them with a classic "shoot 'em up" mentality. Some bosses you might have to feed until they explode (it's just a wafer-thin mint!), while others you'll have to manipulate (we're not sure how). The game will feature a "Commuter" mode, too, designed for people who take public transportation (so that they can play with one hand and drink a cup of coffee in the other). That sounds like a funny enough idea, we only hope that the rest of the game has the same sense of humor.Check out the gallery below to see the concept art for Matchman.%Gallery-24271%
Test your useless knowledge with Super Brain Tease
From the consistently high Brain Training sales in the UK, we have to assume that at least some of you Brits are nuts for the kind of games that give you a mental workout. Lexicon Entertainment is even banking on that assumption, as the company is releasing five different trivia games under the Super Brain Tease license. Each game will have a different subject, giving you a choice from the following: Football (aka soccer, for those of us in the U.S.) History Geography Music Movies We find it amusing that you Brits are so crazy about your soccer, er, football, that Lexicon has ditched a broader "Sports" category in favor of something so specific. All poking fun aside, though, should these titles sell well enough they'll only be the first of many. The main allure of such games, we're sure, will be their budget price points, as each edition will be offered for £9.99. If the idea of trivia at such a cost interests you, you can expect to see the Super Brain Tease series hit retail in Q4.[Via press release]
Commando: Delay Disaster
Remember when we said that Commando: Steel Disaster's early-May release date "puts Commando mostly out of the way of the late-May/early-June rush of action-oriented DS games?" As it turns out, that's not the case. Lexicon Entertainment announced today that the game would be delayed until May 30th in Europe. You know, right around when every other DS game and their mother comes out. Many of the late-May through July dates are for the North American region, but we're assuming that a lot of you English-speaking Europeans import games without tangible release dates because of the cheap dollar. Does this delay push this game off your radar, then, in favor of other things? Gallery: Commando: Steel Disaster [Via press release]
Commando locks and loads for U.S. release
Mana's Metal-Slug-but-not-really run-and-gun Commando: Steel Disaster will be coming to the U.S. in Q3, courtesy of XS games. We've been keeping tabs on Commando for a while now, anxious for some Metal Slug-style blasting, and a U.S. version has felt increasingly likely since a European release for the game was confirmed.With a Metal Slug 7 release date still to be fired our way, we fancy that Commando might just beat SNK's title to shelves, while the trailer we posted earlier this month suggests it could be a capable imitator.%Gallery-18362%[Via press release]
Commando: Steel Trailer
Lexicon Entertainment has made a new Commando: Steel Disaster trailer available, and it certainly impresses. It seems that Lexicon knows exactly how to convey the important qualities of a shooting game through video. We admit that we're a bit disappointed with the lack of actual in-game sound effects in the trailer, and we don't even know if that music appears in-game.The graphics and animation are great, actually, but even that's not what really gets our attention. What tells us that this might be an interesting run & gun is that the player dies in almost every scene. In the trailer. That's hardcore.[Via GoNintendo]
Commando to Slug it out in Europe this May
It's been quite some time since we've heard from 07 Commando, the surprisingly nice-looking total ripoff of Metal Slug. Since then, the name has changed to Commando: Steel Disaster -- maybe because it's "08" now? Today, publisher Lexicon Entertainment announced a European release date for the derivative run & gun: May 9th. They'll probably beat Metal Slug 7 into stores (SNK's game was fairly early at GDC), which is probably an important component of the business model. We wouldn't mind an extra seven levels of Slug-esque shooting, ourselves, before the main course comes out.%Gallery-18362%[Via GamesPress]
