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Nanostray developer working on action title for 3DS
German developer Shin'en Multimedia recently told Cubed3 that the team responsible for its two DS shoot-em-ups, Nanostray 1 and 2, has been working on an action game for 3DS since last October. No more specifics were given out about the identity of the title, though one logical conclusion leaps to mind: Burgertime. What else could it possibly be? Fine, we've got our fingers crossed that the mystery project is Nanostray 3, or, following the trend of game titles on the handheld, Nanostray 3D. Maybe even Nanostray 3D The Third, if they wanted to add a little regal flair. We've contacted the developer for more info on its 3DS debut.
WRUP: Shooting crystal bugs edition
With three high-profile titles releasing in North America this week, we're having a hard time deciding what game (or games) to pick up for this weekend's promised downtime. Should we go with the tried-and-true formula of shooting everything in sight and get Nanostray 2? Or, should we see about putting on our gumshoes and solving a case or two in Insecticide? Perhaps the more epic quest is in order and we should go with Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates? Maybe we should just go with them all?While we try to decide, tell us what you've got going on in your gaming world this weekend. What will you be playing?
Metareview: Nanostray 2
Despite the incredibly varied critical reaction to Nanostray, we know the shmup was popular with many of the readers, and that means there's a lot of concern over the recently-released sequel. So how's it looking? So far, on par with the first, though we're not seeing any of the high-scoring reviews the original garnered ... at least, not yet. Games Radar: 80% -- Sometimes, it's okay to just be what you are. "Nanostray 2 doesn't try to re-invent the genre, and that's totally fine. The no-nonsense weapons and controls are easy to get the hang of, each stage has its own unique collection of enemies and environmental gotchas, and there's rarely a moment when the screen isn't flush with bullets, ships, and explosions. Detailed 3D graphics give the two-dimensional action plenty of depth, while the soundtrack consists of a manly mix of lasers, explosions, and trippy rock-trance music."Nintendo Power: 60% -- Nintendo Power's negatives sound like positives to us! "Nanostray 2 is an odd mix of old and new; it looks and plays better than any of those old games, and it has the polish of a fresh title, but its brand of twitchy, frenetic action and on-hit deaths is so 1985." (Feb. 08, p. 89)GamePro: 80% -- GamePro had praise for the new controls. "What Nanostray fans won't find are the much-maligned touch controls, which Shin'en rightly decided to deep-six. The D-pad controls your ship's movement, while the A and B buttons pull main and secondary weapons duty. The L and R buttons shift the position of satellites, floating Gradius-like orbs that supplement your main blasters. The touch controls do make a cameo, however, as alternate control settings, but we'd steer clear, anyway."
Nanostray 2 means more boss fights
Sequel Nanostray 2 is going to be jam-packed with boss encounters, doubling the 8 boss fights of the first game into 16 for the sequel. The bosses this time around aren't confined to being just robotic, either. They're organic and offer up more complex attack patterns than before. If there's anything we want besides more boss fights, it's for those boss fights to be more complex.Nanostray 2 is currently slated for a January 15th release in North America.%Gallery-4607%[Via Go Nintendo]
DS Daily: Space available
Thanks to the Virtual Console, the Wii has become a haven for shooters. But the DS, with no Virtual Console, hasn't. There are very few original shmups on the DS, as well -- pretty much just the Nanostrays and Ketsui. We are of the opinion that any system that can handle a shooter -- which is any system -- should be loaded with them. This is especially true for a platform like the DS, which is both extremely cheap to develop for and ubiquitous. If a niche game is going to do well, it'll be on the DS.So why hasn't the DS become a shooter's paradise? Is the screen gap really that much of a problem? Are shooters too hardcore? Or is there some other reason, do you think, that the DS has yet to fill up with shmups?
Don't stray away from these Nanostray 2 screens
The fine folks over at 1UP have dished out a bundle (what's a good term for more than a small amount, but less than a lot?) of new screens for Nanostray 2, which, we might say, looks like the hotness. We loves us some Raiden and Ikaruga, so this game is currently living in a house on the corner of Right up avenue and Our alley street.Any of you gamers dying to shoot down uncountable hordes of enemy ships with us?%Gallery-4607%
Majesco picks up Nanostray sequel for 2008
Despite what you might have heard, Shin'en's Nanostray 2 is alive and well, as Majesco announced that it will publish the sequel to the portable shooter, or shmup as the kids say, next year for the Nintendo DS. Despite this announcement, however, a firm release date has not yet been confirmed for Nanostray 2 beyond the rather nebulous 'early 2008.'Majesco also handled publishing for the original Nanostray in 2005, which itself was a spiritual successor to Iridion 3D and Iridion II for the Game Boy Advance, both of which Majesco published as well, so as shockers go, this one hardly registers a blip. Players looking forward to picking up Nanostray 2 can expect half a dozen game modes, as well as more than 30 different missions (both horizontal and vertical) for both single and two-player gaming. Most interesting, however, is that Nanostray 2 will also finally include internet ranking, a feature announced and later dropped from the original Nanostray, thanks to Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection.
Nanostray 2 meanders under Majesco's wing
As expected, Majesco has announced its plans to publish Nanostray 2, developer Shin'en's sequel to the 2005 shoot-em-up, in North America and Europe. Though the original game was widely regarded as a somewhat mediocre shmup with janky touchscreen controls, its initial limited availability sent collectors scrambling for copies before Majesco eventually restocked shelves with bulkier shipments; hopefully, those troubles will be avoided this time around.Addressing the complaints many had with tacked-on touchscreen features, Nanostray 2 will have three control schemes -- classic control, left-handed touch control, and right-handed touch control. Multiplayer cooperative (multi-card) and duel modes, both played locally, will also be incorporated, as well as online leaderboards. Expect Nanostray 2 to traipse into stores early 2008.%Gallery-4607%
Fresh Nanostray 2 screens
While we can honestly say we've never played the first Nanostray game, every bit of media that pops up for Nanostray 2 causes us to wonder if that was a mistake or not. And, you know, it makes us want to play Nanostray 2. The latest crop of screens show off the usual stuff: ships flying around and explosions. Thankfully, those are just the kind of things we look for in our screenshots.So, be sure to hit up our gallery below for all of the latest screens.%Gallery-4607%[Via Go Nintendo]
Scrolling through Nanostray 2
The official site for Nanostray 2 has been updated with a shiny new video. We don't want to spoil anything, but it's a lot like taking one of the screenshots and waving it up and down in front of your face. With, y'know, music. Really, this video deal is going to be the hot new thing.You know the drill -- check it out after the jump.
Take another look at Xyanide Resurrection [m]
Chris has been posting a lot on Xyanide Resurrection, and like many of you, I was skeptical about this game. Playlogic kept touting its revolutionary video technology, yet all we had to look at was still screens. Now that I had a chance to see the game in motion, I'm kindly requesting that all of you take another look at the game. I love retro shooters, and although this game does share similarities with Iridion and Nanostray, its really much, much prettier. Check out the video, after the cut, or download this hefty Motion JPEG video to your PSP's VIDEO folder:
Nanostray 2 website goes live
The website for Nanostray 2 has officially launched and within it's very electronic, tube-like walls are some screenshots from the game, as well as a synopsis on what the game is. The launch of the site doesn't bring us that much more, but it does include a section, set aside, for keeping world ranking score. Could that mean that full Wi-Fi Connect support for some multiplayer gameplay is on the horizon for the game? One could only hope ...See also: Nanostray gets the sequel treatment Project manager talks Nanostray 2 First scans of Nanostray 2
First scans of Nanostray 2
French gaming site Jeux-France snagged some scans from (what we assume) is a German gaming mag, showcasing some of the early environment work in Nanostray 2. While our inability to translate foreign text is well-documented, you, lovely reader, are often much smarter and more adept at said translating. So, care to let us know?
Project manager talks Nanostray 2
Manfred Linzner, Project Manager for Shin'en Multimedia, recently conducted an interview with news site Cubed3. The topic of discussion was the announcement of Nanostray 2 for the DS and in what ways Shin'en hopes to improve upon the original game. The interview brings up some very solid points, such as the difficulty of switching weapons using the touch-screen in the first game. Manfred is quick to blame this on Nintendo, actually, stating they forced Shin'en to incorporate touch-screen controls into the game. This time around, however, the game is 100% funded by Shin'en and such follies should not be expected in the sequel, according to him.
Nanostray gets the sequel treatment
Nanostray, a title that received mixed reviews, is seeing a sequel release. Announcing development has already started on the title, Shin'en Multimedia let the cat out of the bag on some of the features in the upcoming game. Nanostray 2 is to feature touch-screen controls this time around, as well as "Wi-Fi functions over the internet." We're assuming it'll support Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection service, however this is not exactly said in the article. Score!The official site for the game can be found here, however it lacks any kind of content at the moment. This is to be corrected in the next few weeks as further information on the title surfaces.
