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Cave's Dodonpachi Maximum coming to Windows Phone on March 7
Apparently not satisfied with bringing bullet hell madness only to iOS devices, Cave has announced a new Dodonpachi for Windows Phone. Entitled Dodonpachi Maximum, the game brings features ships and enemies from both Dodonpachi Blissful Death and Dodonpachi Resurrection.Weapons are fired automatically, leaving players only with the task of lining up their shots and navigating Maximum's many, many bullets. Thankfully, the game also features adjustable difficulty for less nimble fingers. Dodonpachi Maximum will be available March 7 for $5.%Gallery-149509%
Super Mario 3D Land, Resident Evil Revelations talks at GDC
Super Mario 3D Land director Koichi Hayashida will present a postmortem talk at GDC entitled "Thinking in 3D: The Development of Super Mario 3D Land." Attendees will be required to cross a pit of moving blocks while being chased by evil purple versions of themselves in order to attend.Or, what will actually happen is that Hayashida will discuss developing for 3D devices, and "share development philosophies learned from Mario creator and legendary Nintendo designer, Shigeru Miyamoto."Another 3DS-centric talk is "Revealing the Truth About Resident Evil Revelations," presented by producer Masachika Kawata. And Cave COO Mikio Watanabe will discuss "Retro and Japanese Social Games on Smartphones," bringing attention to the company's recent endeavors in porting crazy shmups to iOS.
Cave mercifully provides Dodonpachi Blissful Death on iOS this week
We'll be transparent about this: we had to look up the difference between Dodonpachi Blissful Death, the new iOS game announced by shmup developer Cave, and current App Store release Dodonpachi Resurrection. How embarrassing. It turns out that Blissful Death (known in Japan as Dodonpachi Daioujou) is the direct predecessor to Resurrection, first released in 2002. Cave is bringing the classic bullet-hell shooter to iPhone 4 and above this Thursday, February 9, at a price lower than Cave tends to charge for its iOS releases: $4.99. It comes with multiple difficulty modes, for those of us prone to involuntary phone-smashes.
Cave to put projects on hold, refocus on social gaming
It's easy to forget sometimes that video games are a business, as well as a means of artistic expression and recreation. Even developers like Cave, whose sterling reputation is due almost entirely to its long-time devotion to the incredibly esoteric bullet-hell genre, have to make tough decisions in order to continue existing. The Deathsmiles developer's fiscal outlook isn't shaping up to be quite what it had expected, and as a result the company will be placing unknown projects on hold in order to devote more resources to social gaming, Andriasang reports. Originally expecting to earn ¥1.4 billion ($18.9 million) in sales between June 1 and November 30 2011, the company now anticipates earnings of ¥1.3 billion ($16.8 million), which has prompted Cave to change its forecasted operating gain of ¥10 million to an operating loss of ¥31 million for the period. Operational earnings for the entire year were lowered from ¥310 million to ¥50 million. In a nutshell, people aren't buying as many infuriatingly difficult games as expected, which is surprising considering how popular masochism has become recently.
Embers of Caerus dares you to go dungeon diving in the deep dark
While the indie Embers of Caerus might not even be in alpha yet, the developers wanted to give fans and followers a Christmas present in the form of a special preview of one of the Forsaken World's dungeons. If you're expecting a brightly-lit funhouse full of dizzying sights, you may want to prepare for a shift in perspective. Once we enter the cave mouth, we're plunged into darkness with the occasional flickering torchlight -- and creepy cackle -- as our only points of reference. The video takes its time poking through the bowels of the earth, discovering more creepy sights and sounds the deeper it goes. And while it might not be packed wall-to-wall with mobs -- this is a very early glimpse into the game, after all -- there is a terrifying surprise laying in wait at the end. You may need to go get your security blanket in preparation, especially if you watch it with the lights off and headphones on. You can watch the full video after the jump! [Thanks to Ron for the tip!]
Portabliss: Bug Princess (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: Bug Princess. The iOS App Store has taken away almost all of the "mystique" from Cave games. For years, if you wanted to play one of the company's brilliant shooters, you had to find an arcade that had an import cabinet (good luck!) or import one of the console ports yourself, an effort that often required modifying your system. The scarcity added an element of allure. Now, Cave games couldn't be more accessible. You can download a Cave shooter from anywhere you can get a wi-fi signal -- or even elsewhere, if you don't mind eating into your 3G limit. As if to symbolically mark the final transition from rare oddity to easily acquired pastime, Cave has renamed its 2004 shooter Mushihimesama to the notably less exotic Bug Princess for its iOS release.
Microsoft Kinect used to map asteroids, glaciers, other scary things
Ken Mankoff is a PhD student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he studies ice and ocean interactions. He also counts himself among a growing legion of environmental scientists who have begun using Microsoft's Kinect to create detailed, 3D maps of caves, glaciers and even asteroids. As Wired reports, the Kinect has garnered something of a cult following within the scientific community, especially among those who, until now, have relied upon comparatively more expensive and complicated technologies to gather detailed 3D data. The approach du jour for most researchers is something known as Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) -- a laser-based technology capable of creating precise maps over relatively large areas. The Kinect, by contrast, can only see up to 16 feet in front of itself, but at just $120, it's significantly cheaper than the average LIDAR system, which can run for anywhere between $10,000 and $200,000. It's also surprisingly accurate, capable of capturing up to 9 million data points per second. Mankoff, for one, has already used the device to map a small cavern underneath a glacier in Norway, while Marco Tedesco, a hydrologist at the City College of New York, is looking to attach a Kinect to a remote-controlled helicopter, in the hopes of measuring so-called meltwater lakes found on glaciers during the summer. Then there's Naor Movshovitz, also a PhD student at UC Santa Cruz, who's more interested in using the Kinect and its image processing software to figure out how asteroids behave when broken up by a projectile. There are limitations, of course, since the device still has trouble performing amidst severe environmental conditions, though its supporters seem confident they'll find a solution. Read more at the source link below.
Cave and Microsoft's Deathsmiles 2X experiment turned out pretty well
Cave's decision to offer Deathsmiles 2X as a "Games on Demand" title in North America back in May has paid off. In an interview with Siliconera, Cave game development manager Makota Asada said that, as "an experiment," the offer "was pretty good for what we were expecting." So good, in fact, that Asada said Cave would be willing to try this again. "Yes, we do think we might do it again in the future." According to Asada, it was Microsoft who approached them looking to dip its toes into the digital imports waters. Deathsmiles 2X is, obviously, a sequel to the company's previous shmup, which was offered as a retail disc in North America. "Because our titles are shooting games, language is not that important, so we decided to try it along with Microsoft," Asada concluded. No matter what language you speak, we can all agree things need to get shot -- and Cave is pretty good at that, so kudos to them.
Cave crafts casual Castle Creator for iPhone
The next iPhone game from Cave isn't a shmup, nor is it a music/dating game. It's kind of a strategy game, actually. In Castle Creator, you build a castle and the town around it, and then battle with other players' towns. Originally released in Japan on the GREE network, it's now headed to iPhone. Siliconera caught the announcement on a recent Deathsmiles stream event, and then found the trailer Cave posted to YouTube (above). Before you watch the trailer, let us prepare you with the following two pieces of information: first, "Shirotsuku" is the Japanese title of the game, and it means roughly "Castle-making," and second, this is definitely the best trailer music you're going to hear today.
Deathsmiles iOS getting update August 6, see it on Ustream August 5
The iOS version of Cave's delightfully spooky/cute and incomprehensibly difficult bullet-hell shooter Deathsmiles will be receiving its first major update on August 6. In addition to new costumes and music, Cave will also be importing new weapons from two of its other shooters, Guwange and Dodonpachi Resurrection. At the moment, it's unclear whether or not these items will be included in the update, or will appear as for-pay DLC. The full update will be showcased on Ustream on August 5 by producer Masa King, who will also be making a "surprise announcement" of some kind. Our guess? Deathfrowns.
Cave developing shooter for Windows Phone 7
As far as Deathsmiles developer Cave is concerned, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform can go to hell. Bullet-hell, that is! Makoto Asada, head of Cave's Game Development Department, has announced via dev-blog that the company is currently developing a shooter for Microsoft's burgeoning smartphone OS. Beyond the fact that development is somewhere between 20 and 30 percent complete, details are scarce. No screenshots or other information have been given, though the announcement refers to the game as an original title, which more than likely means it won't be a port of Cave's recent Deathsmiles release for iOS (above). It's also safe to assume that the game will be bewilderingly difficult.
Rising Star picks up KOF XIII, Dodonpachi Resurrection for PAL territories
Those of you in Europe hoping to pick up King of Fighters XIII won't have to make the awkward decision of which region to import it from. You'll get your very own release of SNK's latest HD fighter this October on either Xbox 360 or PS3, thanks to Rising Star Games. Rising Star Games is also bringing something to Europe that, to date, hasn't been announced in North America: the Xbox 360 port of Cave's shmup Dodonpachi Resurrection. That'll be out in November. Find the rest of Rising Star's slate of upcoming games after the break.%Gallery-129437%
Deathsmiles comes to iPhone July 7, see it on Ustream July 1
This month, Cave gave the iPhone version of Deathsmiles a "2011" date. We didn't have to wait long to find out when in 2011 -- and we won't have to wait long to play it. Cave announced that you'll be able to enter Deathsmiles' moe gauntlet on July 7. For the first four days, it'll be priced at $4.99/£2.99/€3.99, then the price will go up to $8.99/£5.49/€6.99. If you're uncontrollably thrilled about the new iPhone shmup, you'll be able to get an early look at it on Friday, July 1. Cave is hosting a Ustream "live sneak peek" event introducing Deathsmiles and revealing new content for the iPhone version. The 30-minute broadcast will be translated into English on the fly, for those of you who are into Cave shooters but not so into them that you learned Japanese.%Gallery-126265%
Deathsmiles upon iPhone this year, new trailer arrives today
Do you want to play games on your iPhone, without being accused of being a "casual gamer"? Here you go: Deathsmiles. If someone regards you in a manner that suggests they doubt your core-ness while you're playing a Cave shooter, you can be secure in the knowledge that that person is so wrong. Also, don't worry so much about being a core gamer, you hypothetical person. The iPhone version of the side-scrolling arcade/Xbox 360 shooter is due sometime this year. Prepare yourself with the trailer after the break and the new screens in our gallery.%Gallery-126265%
Deathsmiles 2X unavailable in Canada and Mexico
Deathsmiles 2X was supposed to be "available in North America" this week as the first Games on Demand import, except that the definition of "North America" seems to come with some caveats. The game is only available in the United States, halted at the borders for Mexico and Canada. Won't someone give Deathsmiles 2X's a VISA? A Microsoft representative told Joystiq: "We're always listening to community feedback and work closely with our partners to determine the best approach for releasing games in other regions, but have no additional details to share at this time." Ruh-roh. Siliconera reports that developer Cave is currently "coordinating" with Microsoft on the issue.
Deathsmiles 2X going straight to Games on Demand next Tuesday [update]
The Xbox 360 "Games on Demand" digital retail service has, until now, only featured games that were already available on disc in a given region. Cave is bucking the trend by sending the shmup sequel Deathsmiles 2X directly to Games on Demand in North America, skipping a disc release in the region. Cave is also skipping localization for the $30 game -- it'll be released in Japanese, which, for a shmup, shouldn't be a problem. Deathsmiles 2X will launch via Games on Demand next Tuesday, May 17. In the Facebook post announcing the unique release, Cave said it "will be giving this format a try for getting some of our Japan-only shooters released overseas." It's kind of an ideal solution for the company -- it gets to self-publish its shooters in North America, without the expense of localization, manufacturing or distribution. Oddly, Cave told Siliconera that you'd have to use a credit card to buy the game; it can't be purchased with Microsoft Points. (Note: When purchasing Games on Demand titles, the payment option defaults to credit card, though normally users have the option to switch it to Microsoft Points.) After the break, you can watch some footage of the game that's also unlocalized (because we grabbed it from the Japanese website). Update: Microsoft told Joystiq that you will be able to use Microsoft Points to purchase Deathsmiles 2X. Retrieve the pieces of that points card from the shredder!
New Nin2-Jump trailer is pretty much a movie
We wouldn't blame you for considering this Nin2-Jump "trailer" to be more like a tiny film. If you're on the fence about Cave's platformer, which is due out this Wednesday on XBLA, we suggest you watch the five-minute flick from start to finish, then get your 400 points ready.
'Death Smiles 2X' rated by ESRB, Cave publishing
Our mothers always said "If death smiles at you once, you should try to wrap up your personal affairs. But if death smiles a second time, he's probably just flirting." Imagine our disappointment then when we read the ESRB listing for Death Smiles 2X to find it was not, as we'd assumed, a dating sim set at River of Styx High, but rather an Xbox 360 follow-shmup to Cave's bullet hell release Deathsmiles (seen above). Cave will take over publishing duties from Aksys on the game, which features shooting "various projectiles (bombs, bullets, lasers, arrows, etc.) at elephants, pigs, goblins, bats, and monsters in constant air battle." ... OK, so that's probably a better concept than ours. Probably.
Way too much Akai Katana Shin footage
After the break, you'll find four videos of Akai Katana Shin, the (unfortunately region-locked) Xbox 360 version of Cave's latest arcade shmup, including one clip of the console-exclusive "Zetsu" ("Absolute") mode, one "expert mode" clip, one "beginner mode," and finally a new trailer. This may prove to be too much sensory input for your brain. Just a warning. After watching this, it's kind of a bummer to think that it's stuck in Japan, but the good news is that it's possible to justify the purchase of a Japanese Xbox 360 and this game by comparing the cost to that of an arcade board. Right? Sure. Or you could wait for someone to localize it.
Nin2-Jump casts a shadow on XBLA April 27
Hey, Joystiq Biomass -- does anyone know the steps you have to take in order to establish a national federal holiday? We'd like to pitch Uncle Sam on turning April 27 into "National Silhouette-based Platformer Day," as it was recently announced that Cave's shadow-puppety XBLA title Nin2-Jump will arrive worldwide on the 27th, right alongside the similarly backlit action-platformer Outland. As promised, Nin2-Jump will arrive on the platform at 400 Microsoft Points ($5), and the proceeds of your purchase will go to the Red Cross' Japanese disaster relief efforts.
