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Flower, Sun and Rain DS remake coming to NA in 2009
If you're itching a "murder and mystery in paradise" kind of game, you need look no further, but you will have to wait. Marvelous and XSEED have announced (via press release) that the DS remake of Suda51's Flower, Sun and Rain is coming to North America in 2009. While it's not specified when in 2009, the ever-reliable (not really) Amazon UK page lists November 14, so we're hoping early in the year. Flower, Sun and Rain revolves around the eponymous hotel where the main character must repeat the same day -- and terrorist attack -- over and over again. Basically, it's just like Groundhog's Day except with an unfortunate dearth of Stephen Tobolowsky. Gallery: Flower, Sun, and Rain
TGS 2008: No More Heroes 2 debut trailer
"I will be back" is all beam katana-wielding Travis Touchdown can utter in this debut trailer for No More Heroes 2, before he presumably jumps into battle against a woman with six metallic arms beckoning him to fight. Other than its existence and a possible second title (the trailer calls it both NMH2 and NMH:Desperate Struggle), we've got nada on the game or its platform (should it decide to venture away from the Wii). Check out the (currently unembeddable) trailer here.
Suda 51's new horror game to use Unreal Engine 3
Remember back when Mark Rein let loose somebody was working on Unreal Engine 3 for Wii? Well, we finally know what game will be using it, we guess. Kind of. We don't really know much about the exact game, per se. What game? The one that EA is publishing from Q Entertainment, Resident Evil co-creator Shinji Mikami and the man responsible for one of our most favorite Wii games, Suda51. Suda says Unreal Engine 3 is a "powerful, easy-to-implement game engine" that is aiding his company to "quickly bring our vision to life." He also added that the "tools and technology" allow him to "create games faster, easier and with less risk." So are we excited? Well, maybe. It's not like the Wii version is mentioned and we would think it should be, considering no title up until now has utilized Unreal Engine 3 technology. But, hey, we'll try to be as optimistic as we can, because we feel confident in the abilities of all involved, to tell the truth. Now if only we could some information on what this game is ...
Grasshopper goes Unreal for EA horror franchise
It may seem like a stretch, but we're keeping a close eye on every scrap of information surrounding the collaboration with Goichi "Suda51" Suda and Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami (as well as Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment). Publisher Electronic Arts has announced (via press release) that Suda51's studio Grasshopper Manufacture has licensed Epic's Unreal Engine 3 for the multiplatform horror franchise. We're curious what the use of UE3 means for the Wii version of the game, given Epic's non-support of the console.Unfortunately, what's lacking in the press release is any information about the game itself. Said Epic VP Jay Wilbur, "Grasshopper Manufacture is one of the most daring and innovative studios in the world, and we can't wait to see what they're able to do with Unreal Engine 3." Welcome to the club, buddy.
No More Heroes dev. will rerelease their first game on PS Store
Some of you might not know who Suda "Suda51" Goichi is, but perhaps you've heard of his game, one of the most talked-about titles on the Wii, No More Heroes. Another American release he was involved in was the PS2 title killer7, which featured a unique twist on the FPS genre. If you are a fan of these niche titles, you are in luck. Developer Grasshopper Manufacture's (where Goichi is CEO) very first title, released in Japan for the original PlayStation back in 1999, titled The Silver Case, will be headed over to the Japanese PS Store. The game yet another one-of-kind adventure title that featured usually deep characterization and unconventional plot, containing a story about murders that seem be committed by a dead man.No word on whether The Silver Case will get a stateside release; though a remake and a spinoff of the original is currently being ported and localized for the DS. That gives us a glimmer of hope of an English version, but don't count on it. Of course, we'll keep you updated if any of that changes.
Suda51 bringing PS1 work The Silver Case to PSN
The name Suda51 conjures up memories of some truly unique experiences, not the least of which being his most recent work, No More Heroes. For only a very few will it jog memories of a Japan-only PS1 release titled The Silver Case, which the designer announced is headed for PSN at the "Foreign Video Game Unlawful Assembly 2K8" he organized (and so wonderfully named). It's not clear if the release will be Japan-only, although it has been previously announced that English-language Nintendo DS versions of a remade The Silver Case and its mobile phone sequel, Silver Case, 25 Ward are in the works. It's probably not too far a stretch to imagine the localized text could be used to create a North American PSN version of the game.
Suda and team recount making of No More Heroes
Toilets seem to go hand-in-hand with Goichi Suda and No More Heroes. Around the time of the game's release, Suda mischievously compared making the game to defecating, and he's now revealed that he was inspired to make No More Heroes while perched on the porcelain throne. This in turn led to the title's quirky save mechanic, as seen above.These are just two nuggets from a "Making of No More Heroes" piece at the Official Nintendo Magazine site. Suda also mentions how Johnny Knoxville influenced the character of Travis Touchdown, while artist Katsuyoshi Fukamachi and assistant director Toshihiro Fujikawa reflect on the myriad challenges they faced during No More Heroes' eight-month development cycle, including the chaotic final weeks, which both describe as a "total nightmare." It's definitely worth a read, partly because Suda is one of the industry's most entertaining and frank interviewees, but also because he's talking about one of the best Wii games of the last twelve months.%Gallery-4611%
EA publishing action horror 'franchise' from Suda51 and RE creator Shinji Mikami
And here we thought the only talk of "Dream Team" was going to involve the Olympics! But no, an incredible wealth of talent in the gaming industry is coming together to produce something we hope is very special. With a mixture of talent like this, we wonder how it couldn't be!So, facts: EA and No More Heroes (otherwise known as the best game on Wii) developer, Grasshopper Manufacture, have signed a publishing agreement regarding an "all-new action horror game." On top of that, the title in question is being produced by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. Oh, and Q Entertainment is also involved. It's okay, we just wet our pants a little too.Sadly, that's as much as we know. The source link is full of the kind of carefree lauding that most press releases have, so we're just going to have to wait for more info on this project before we get so excited that we start typing in italics.[Via Joystiq]
Flower, Sun and English Screens
Click to embiggen. Rising Star Games has planted a European release date and the first English language media for Flower, Sun and Rain on the internet. Although the release date (October) is old news grandad, everything else is new, including the very lovely and understated boxart above, featuring a passenger airliner cruising across a calm, salmon-colored sky, a bomb presumably tucked away somewhere on board.Some (very) minor details/impressions we picked up from the screens: We've now got our first look at the memo pad that can be used to make notes. Handy! Somehow, vampires are involved, thus escalating Flower, Sun and Rain's awesomeness. The 3D sections look more crude than we recall. We wonder: will Rockstar be able to better this? Geeks and freaks ahoy! %Gallery-12911%[Via press release]
Taking a scary stroll behind the scenes of Twilight Syndrome
Famitsu has a pretty interesting video for those of you who've been watching Twilight Syndrome: The Forbidden Urban Legend. They sat down with three of the young ladies featured in the horror title for a behind-the-scenes talk about things that we can only imagine. We don't speak Japanese, sadly.But there's footage from the game, along with a plethora of screens! As much as we're certain we'll never get this game in North America, we still like to pretend it can happen.%Gallery-20543%
New Twilight Syndrome video isn't as creepy as the old Twilight Syndrome clip
As ominous as the quiet subway scene in the first 50 seconds of this video might be, there's little in this new trailer to convinces us that Twilight Syndrome: Kinjiraneta Toshi Densetsu (Twilight Syndrome: The Forbidden Urban Legend) will be even half as scary as Twilight Syndrome: Search for the PlayStation.Check out the old commercial we embedded past the post break to see what we mean! The animated skeleton and bugs are a bit goofy, but the smiling girl that pops up at the end for half of a second freaks us out every time!Fun trivia: Did you know that famed game designer Goichi Suda worked on the original Syndrome games during his tenure at developer and publisher Human Entertainment? More fun trivia: Did you know that we have Twilight Syndrome: The Forbidden Urban Legend's boxart after the break? It's all true!%Gallery-20543%
X-Play says No More Heroes is a game for cheap bastards
We say it's a game for people who enjoy awesome games. But, hey, we're just some internet blog. Although, when you think about it, being on a TV network that nobody watches might be better than being an internet blog that nobody reads. But, we digress. Any favorable exposure for No More Heroes is certainly welcome, because we're absolutely sure that every person that owns a Wii console also needs to own this game. In fact, we still have nightmares about how mixed the game sales were.Head past the break for the video.%Gallery-4611%
Flowers, Dungeons, and Pain confirmed for Europe
A new batch of European release dates has suddenly materialized from Nintendo, and is packed with all sorts of exciting confirmations. The most thrilling, for us at least, is the news that Flower, Sun, and Rain will be getting that rumored European release this October, followed by Lux Pain in November. If you want to know where to send your effusive "thank you" letters, Rising Star are the ones in charge of localizing both titles. Other items of interest include a specific launch date for Bakushow, and Euro versions of Pokémon Platinum (big surprise, right?) and Dungeon Maker.But here's a question: what's with DS Novel? It's been hanging around on these lists for the best part of eight months now, and we're still no nearer to learning a release date or what it even is. Check out the full list for yourselves past the break!%Gallery-12911%%Gallery-18526%
Circuit City has huge sale next week
Next week is going to be hard on your wallet. Circuit City is going to be having a big sale, according to DVDTalk, and our favorite Wii game is going to be available for insanely cheap. Supposedly, you'll be able to nab Suda 51's No More Heroes for only $19.99 (or you can try your luck at nabbing it from us). If, for some crazy reason, you haven't gotten the game yet, you need to do so next week.Aside from that, the deal is further sweetened through the retail giant offering buy one, get one %50 off on select games. These games include: LEGO Star Wars Super Mario Galaxy Super Smash Bros. Brawl Mario & Sonic at the Olympics Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 Mario Kart Wii Outside of the games, they've also got DVDs and other junk on sale. If you're into that sort of thing.[Thanks, Nate!]
Fanswag: Get a copy of No More Heroes on us [update]
Update: The contest has come to an end. Winners have been contacted and confirmed. Thanks to all who entered and better luck next time!We're going to be honest here: we just couldn't trust you to do the right thing and get No More Heroes. So, we picked up three copies ourselves to make sure that some of you got your hands on the game. The only crummy part is that we have but 3 copies and not the 50 we wanted to order. We blame our bank account, which is mainly filled with loose buttons and bottlecaps. Our bank account is a shoebox under a loose brick in our cell that Joystiq keeps us locked up in, if you were wondering.But, we digress. This is about you! And about how you are going to get a free copy of No More Heroes (retail value $29.99)! What do you need to do to enter? Well, for this, we thought about the game's protagonist, Travis Touchdown, and how he's such a punk, rebel badass. So, tell us the most rebellious thing you've ever done! Did you, like our own JC Fletcher, get spotted checking out a Ramones CD once in a local music store? Or, have your rebellious spurts been more tame than that?Simply leave a comment (you can leave one once per calendar day) between now and the end of the giveaway, which is Thursday, May 8th at 11:59pm ET (winners will be selected via random drawing the following day), and you're entered. The giveaway is only open to legal and current residents of the United States and Canada (excluding Quebec) who regularly check their email (we're serious, folks, if you don't check your email and win, someone else is getting your game so be on top of that). Also, you have to be 18 years or older. This is a mature game, folks!Best of luck to you all and don't forget to give the official rules a read.%Gallery-4611%
Flower, Sun, and Rain rumored for Europe
We're convinced that Rising Star is the best thing to happen to Europe since the Euro usurped the dollar (grumble). After the rumor that the company is localizing Lux Pain in the continent, Suda51's upcoming DS port Flower, Sun, and Rain also showed up on Amazon UK's website. If you haven't taken notice of this game, it's like Groundhog Day, only with less Bill Murray and more bomb on a plane.These Amazon UK listings better have some weight behind them, or the hearts of niche gamers in Europe will be broken. Won't someone think of the children? Gallery: Flower, Sun, and Rain [Via Siliconera]
Hey, you sitting there reading this, buy No More Heroes already!
Look, folks. We've presented you with many opportunities to pick up Suda 51's amazing game for a lot cheaper than the usual $49.99 price tag. Now, Amazon is selling this game at a ridiculously low price of $29.99. That's thirty frickin' dollars. Thirty!Whatever your excuse for not opening up the Amazon page right now and ordering the game, know this: it isn't a good enough reason. We're serious about this; if you don't own the game and read our site, we're going to call your parental units and rat you out. That's how serious we are about you needing to buy, and play, this game. Especially when it's this cheap. %Gallery-4611%[Thanks, Steven! You're a kind and wonderful person!]
Send your desktop to Lospass
In order to promote the new remake (or port or whatever it is) of Flower, Sun, and Rain, Marvelous has released a new desktop wallpaper featuring protagonist Sumio Mondo running away from Toriko Kusabi, identifiable here by her distinctive dress. It comes in 1024x768 and 1280x1024 flavors.We love this wallpaper because of the fact that even though it's an action scene, the game's art style imparts a vacation-like serenity to the image. It's a very mellow run. We also love it because it bizarrely echoes the composition of another piece of promotional material for a Suda 51 game, which itself contained a little tribute to this game.%Gallery-12911%
No More Heroes: not a bomb
Looks like all the anecdotal "I bought it!" evidence was accurate: Marvelous Interactive president Yasuhiro Wada announced on the company's website that No More Heroes has sold 100,000 copies in the U.S. Compare that to the 40,000 that shipped in Japan and it's clear that what once was a bomb is now kind of a hit for our favorite video game band, Grasshopper Manufacture. NPD doesn't seem to agree, reporting 65,000 copies sold in the U.S. in January. We don't know if Marvelous's numbers are from a different estimate or including February or what.Marvelous is shipping 160,000 copies to Europe, as they expect even more demand. This may be the reason for the brief delay. Overall, they are shooting for 500,000 total sales. That may not sound huge by most game standards, but for a tiny company like Grasshopper, and for such a bizarre game, that's huge.%Gallery-4611%[Via NeoGAF]
WRUP: The last time we make this about No More Heroes edition
None of the releases this week really appealed to us, just as they didn't appeal to any of you who bothered to comment. So, we figured we'd talk a bit about No More Heroes and the fact that the boss fight with the #2 ranked assassin is driving us crazy. Seriously, how cheap can you get? We'd go into further detail but we fear that there are still a few of you out there who have not picked up the game. Shocking, we know.Anywho, enough about what we're playing. What about you all? What game(s) will get you through the days ahead?%Gallery-4611%
