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Taito InvaderCade for iPad brings invasive price tag (video)
Sure, Taito is a veritable grandfather of the arcade world, but ¥15,800 ($209) for a nostalgic iPad Space Invaders box with one lonely einzelkind fire button? Atari also has some standing in this business and its worthy alternative costs just $60, while even the genre-founding iCade now seems a bargain at $100. Anyways, check out the video after the break to see an old Japanese bloke waiting patiently for his refund.
Taito is making its own iPad arcade cabinet
First ThinkGeek's iCade went from joke concept to real product, then Atari introduced its own iPad gaming controller. Now Taito, maker of legendary video game Space Invaders, is joining the fray with the InvaderCade. GameSetWatch reports the cabinet has only a single button and a ball-top joystick for controls, but the InvaderCade also serves as a charging dock with stereo speakers and a headphone jack. The InvaderCade is coming to Japan on October 11 -- no word on a US release as of yet -- and its launch price in Japan will be around US$205. It'll be interesting to see if the InvaderCade actually catches on at that price and with single-game branding on the cabinet itself. The iCade costs less than half as much as the InvaderCade, while Atari's joystick accessory is cheaper still at $60. Both products feature more buttons and less specific branding than the InvaderCade, so Taito may have trouble justifying the product's higher price.
Space Invaders Infinity Gene propagates to Android tomorrow
After engagements on iOS, PSN, and XBLA, the techno-trippy, genetics-themed shmup Space Invaders Infinity Gene is mutating into an Android game. The shooter will be available for purchase tomorrow on the Android Market for $5. If you're an Android adherent, and at all interested in the idea of a shooter that slowly "evolves" new abilities, visual styles, and gameplay elements as you play it, you'll want to check this out. Not only because we think it's a novel shooter with accessible touch controls, but also so you can use your money to influence Square Enix to port Reisuke Ishida's follow-up game, the amazing Groove Coaster.
Elevator Action Deluxe in action
Not even a week before the release of Elevator Action Deluxe, Square Enix sent out the first trailer for the PS3 update. Between the exaggerated art style, the Cowboy Bebop-style intro, and the inexplicably dancing enemies, this just looks like fun. Well, it looks like those things and the classic Elevator Action gameplay. Speaking of classic Elevator Action gameplay, the trailer reveals that Deluxe "fully contains the arcade version." There's guaranteed to be at least one good game in the download, then. Elevator Action Deluxe (and the original) will be out on PSN August 30 in North America, and August 31 worldwide.
Elevator Action Deluxe descends to PSN on Aug. 31 [update: screens]
Taito is keeping fairly close to the source material in Elevator Action Deluxe, in a Bionic Commando Rearmed sort of way. The PSN game is essentially an HD update with the original side-view gameplay and the familiar rows-of-doors stage layout. Additions to the formula include new weapons, occasional high-speed elevators, and new (offline) multiplayer modes. Those modes include a deathmatch, and competitive modes in which players race to steal secret files from red doors. The secret files, according to the website, are now represented by "TAITO old game pamphlets!" We don't have to wait long at all to experience the new Action: it'll be out August 30th in North America and August 31st elsewhere, for $9.99/£7.99/€9.99. Update: Check out some new screens in our gallery.%Gallery-131057%
Square Enix opens Elevator Action Deluxe teaser site
Square Enix has officially acknowledged the existence of Elevator Action Deluxe, a game first mentioned in an Australian rating. The teaser site for the game shows Japanese, American, and European ratings, suggesting a worldwide release, and PS3 and PSN logos, suggesting platform exclusivity. Unfortunately, we don't know any more about the game itself yet. The only reference to that is an animation of the classic arcade game, ending in a reveal of the words, "He'll be back." But after outstanding recent downloadable Taito games like Groove Coaster and Space Invaders Infinity Gene, we're eager to see whatever the company has planned for Elevator Action.
Daily iPhone App: Groove Coaster
Groove Coaster is a new rhythm game from the creator of the popular iOS title Space Invaders Infinity Gene, and it too is earning lots of accolades as a beautiful and addictive title. It starts out simply enough: just tap on the screen in time with the music as your little character follows a line through 3D space. But while early levels are slow and relatively easy, later levels get more jagged, with quick turns and quicker hits required. Near the end of the game, there are other gestures to play with, and all of the levels have you ranked with various grades. Game Center and Facebook integration lets you compete and share scores with friends, so that will lend a nice chunk of replay value as well. Groove Coaster is a great title, available for $2.99 on the App Store right now.
Portabliss: Groove Coaster (iOS)
Did you know that you can download handheld games now? That's amazingly convenient! The only inconvenient part of it is finding the right games to buy -- and that's where we come in, with our Portabliss column. In each installment, we'll tell you about a downloadable game on the iPhone, iPad, Android device, DSi, 3DS, PSP, etc. Today: Groove Coaster! Groove Coaster takes the flashy style of Space Invaders Infinity Gene, a game that turned music into shmup stages, and applies it to a straight-up rhythm game that takes no time to learn and, perhaps, too long to bring myself to stop playing. It's really fun! And, before I go any further, it's temporarily 99 cents, so go buy it. OK, now back to the game. Groove Coaster takes its name from roller coaster-like lines, dotted with, well, dots that indicate when to tap the screen. When your avatar crosses one of these dots, you tap anywhere, or occasionally swipe to the side, hold, or "scratch," corresponding to the beat. It's pretty easy to understand! And, at first, it's pretty easy to play.%Gallery-129422%
Groove Coaster available now on iOS for 99 cents
We've gone from not knowing the release date of Taito's iOS rhythm game Groove Coaster to having the date -- and discovering that it's today. You can get Space Invaders Infinity Gene creator Reisuke Ishida's new game from the App Store right now, as a universal app, for 99 cents. It'll go up to its normal price of $2.99 soon after launch, so if you have any kind of predilection toward rhythm games at all, you should jump on this without hesitation. That'll free up a couple of bucks that you can put toward the soundtrack, which has also been released on iTunes.%Gallery-129422%
Groove Coaster is an iOS rhythm game
Taito teased Groove Coaster, from the creator of Space Invaders: Infinity Gene, earlier this month. Today, two new trailers reveal the nature of the game. Groove Coaster is a touch-controlled rhythm game for iOS -- one that looks exceedingly simple. You just tap anywhere on screen when a circle icon lines up with a glowing icon in the middle of the screen. Of course, being from Infinity Gene's Reisuke Ishida, the rhythm gameplay takes place in a wireframe, vector graphics-esque world with original dance music and beautiful lighting effects. Check out one gameplay sample above via Famitsu and another, after the break, posted by Taito.
'Groove Coaster' coming from Space Invaders Infinity Gene creator
Reisuke Ishida, the creator of Taito's mobile/XBLA/PSN shmup, Space Invaders Infinity Gene, is working on a new game called Groove Coaster. No details -- no release date, platform, or even genre -- have been revealed, but the teaser site offers some clues. A pulsating graphic of an Invader with headphones suggests that it'll still use Taito's iconic characters (and thus will be a Taito-published game). The teaser site calls it an "exhilarating next-gen groove game," which suggests it'll be musical in nature. It also says the game is "coming soon," which our experts have interpreted to mean it's coming soon.
Hollywood officially out of ideas, options movie rights for 'Space Invaders'
Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Gigi Pritzker, two producers who, collectively, are responsible for both The Wedding Planner and all three Transformers films, have secured the rights to produce a movie based on Taito's classic Space Invaders. When asked why movie rights for Space Invaders would even exist, the entire human population of Earth crumbled into exasperated, bewildered piles of dust. We first caught wind of a potential Space Invaders adaptation in a report by the L.A. Times last year, however it's unclear whether or not di Bonaventura's Space Invaders and Warner Bros.'s Space Invaders are one-in-the-same. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the pair have begun the process of finding a writer to pen the script, which we can only assume will have very little to do with space/invaders, and everything to do with Shia LaBeouf.
'Elevator Action Deluxe' rated for PS3
Another vintage Taito series is coming up again (ding!) according to an Australian classification board listing. Square Enix is preparing Elevator Action Deluxe for PS3, developed by a company called B-Project Inc. Despite the name, there's no way this game is as deluxe as the recent arcade title Elevator Action Death Parade -- that game has real elevator doors. We would expect a new Elevator Action to build not on the light-gun gameplay of that arcade game, though, but on the side-view, floor-to-floor espionage and combat of the original and its excellent sequel. And by "expect" we mean "hope."
'Space invaders in Real Life' is exactly that
What would you do if you woke up one day and suddenly discovered invaders, from space -- Space Invaders, if you will -- totally all up in your planet? You'd put those sick gaming skillz to work, right?
Space Invaders Infinity Gene soundtrack evolves into digital release
Square Enix has made it possible to enjoy the excellent Space Invaders Infinity Gene soundtrack, by Taito "house band" Zuntata, for use even outside of shmup-related activities. The publisher has released the album on CD, the Amazon MP3 Store and iTunes (and mora in Japan), bundling all the tracks from the iPhone and XBLA/PSN releases, plus the iPhone update, into a single music collection. The CD edition also includes "a visual reference guide/sticker sheet depicting all 90 characters from the game." This is the first simultaneously digital and retail release for a Zuntata album; if you want to know why that's so awesome, we suggest listening to some preview tracks on iTunes. That way, you'll hear how cool the music is and realize you didn't have to mail-order a $50 CD from Japan.
PopCap and Taito team up to bring Pop Tower to Japan
PopCap Games and Taito announced a partnership this morning that would oversee the launch of a new "dedicated mobile social game service" in Japan. The service is named, appropriately enough, Pop Tower. The service will add an "all-new metagame with RPG elements" to several of PopCap's titles (Bejeweled, Chuzzle, and Zuma were all named), unifying multiple PopCap properties under one persistent leveling system. Beyond unnamed new modes being added and the RPG metagame, additional "social elements" will give players the opportunity to communicate with friends. As we've come to expect with most games moved from the Western market to the East, microtransactions will play a major role in the monetization of Pop Tower's titles, allowing for the purchase of "in-game virtual goods and premium service options." And hey, if that means we can play as Björn the Unicorn across multiple PopCap titles and persistently level him up, consider us sold.
Square Enix and Disney release Puzzle Bobble: Disney Edition for cell phones
Is Bubble Bobble still Bubble Bobble without its adorable dinosaur mascots? Square Enix is having Bubblun and Bobblun sit out for the latest Puzzle Bobble (Bust a Move) in favor of someone named "Mickey Mouse." Puzzle Bobble: Disney Edition for Japanese mobile phones combines the familiar bubble-shooting, color-matching game with cutesy Disney characters. Mickey is joined by Minnie, Donald, Winnie the Pooh, Stitch, and Marie from the Aristocats. We must admit that the renditions of those characters are pretty cute. The more we look at that Pooh bear, the less we mind the exclusion of the dinosaur mascots. Of course, whether or not we like the look is totally meaningless, since this is only being released on Japanese cell phones.
Bust a Move goes 3D with 'gimmick bubbles' on 3DS
Following Nintendo's announcement of Japanese launch details for the 3DS, Square Enix announced a new version of its venerable Bust a Move/Puzzle Bobble franchise, called Tobidasu! Puzzle Bobble 3D ("Jump Out! Puzzle Bobble 3D") In addition to the normal match-three gameplay, the 3DS puzzler includes "gimmick bubbles," which will involve the third dimension in some way. How that will work has yet to be announced, but we suspect the "gimmick" label will prove quite accurate. Puzzle Bobble 3D will jump into Japanese retail this spring.
Space Invaders Infinity Gene Xbox 360 & PS3 preview: a classic evolved
Space Invaders: Infinity Gene is coming to PS3 and Xbox 360 next week, on September 14 and 15, respectively. Although based on the iPhone version of the game, the HD presentation and the much-needed ability to use a gamepad makes it a worthwhile upgrade over the iPhone version. It's far easier to pull off combos, powered by consecutive shots, with a controller -- especially when you're able to see your ship (instead of your thumb). For those unfamiliar with the game, the concept centers around the evolution of the shooter. Starting with the iconic intro stage to the original arcade game, Infinity Gene introduces new gameplay and visual elements as you reach certain score targets. The first upgrade allows you to move your ship freely across the X and Y axis, and eventually you'll be able to move along the Z-axis as well. The visuals transform from a monochromatic not-even-8-bit look, to a wild barrage of colorful vectors. Like the rest of the recent Space Invaders games, Infinity Gene may be more fun to look at, than to actually play. The entire presentation is high-concept -- every time the bright white "EVOLUTION" screen appears on the screen, it's hard not to think how odd this title really is. It's definitely intriguing, but perhaps not everyone's cup of tea.%Gallery-101728%
Space Invaders Infinity Gene lands on PSN and XBLA in September
The Square Enix Downloadable Games Twitter account has brought excellent news to those of us who despise UFOs and want to see them destroyed in an ever-increasing variety of ways: The company tweeted that the PSN and XBLA versions of Space Invaders Infinity Gene will arrive in September. The game's official site also features that date, both on the page itself and at the end of a brief new trailer (accessed by clicking the box labeled "The Beginning"). We can expect this date to evolve into a more specific date soon, and then an actual playable game after that.
