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'Katamari Damacy Reroll' upgrades the original for HD
The original Katamari Damacy game is coming back, and this time it's in high definition. Katamari Damacy Reroll is a remastered version for the Switch and PC that's due in December 7th, complete with motion control via Joy-Con, HD Rumble support, and a two-player mode. The arrival of the game simply makes sense, as we argued the original Wii's motion controllers made it an ideal target for a port many years ago -- the Switch adds everything we'd hoped for and more.
The Big Picture: 'Dark Souls' gets creepy with 'Limbo'-like mod
The Dark Souls series might not be the game for those folks who lack patience, but what you see up above is something just about anyone can appreciate. Reddit user CystisomaMagna was fooling around with the Reshade mod for the game and happened across some settings that turned the world of Lordran into a monochromatic, but still absolutely dangerous, wonderland. The user notes that the Limbo-esque modification isn't just for show, and that it's even possible to keep the game's HUD intact with it active. It might not get you soft-banned, either. Wanna know how to activate it on your system? That's what the videos embedded below are for.
'Dark Souls III' is coming in early 2016
What, did you think From Software would take a break from releasing its punishing Souls games just because Bloodborne is out the door? Just the opposite. The studio has just teased Dark Souls III, the next title in its dark fantasy action series. There's not much to know beyond its early 2016 release date, but From's signature bleak landscapes are intact. There's also what looks to be a lava giant in the brief preview clip, so there will very likely be some epic battles ahead. And while it's safe to presume that DS3 will reach the Xbox One given its appearance at Microsoft's E3 event, it's not an exclusive -- the odds are that it's headed to the PlayStation 4 as well. Update: Dark Souls III will indeed be released for Xbox One, PS4 and PC (via Steam). Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
Documentary chronicles the sounds of console gaming's early years
When it comes to video games, more often than not audio gets the short shrift because, well, you can't see music in a screenshot. It's with that in mind that Red Bull (yes, that Red Bull) is putting together a documentary series about the scene surrounding classic Japanese video-game music called Diggin' in the Carts. The first episode focuses on the early days of the industry at Namco Bandai and Nintendo and features interviews with, among other luminaries, the first person in charge of game music for the Mario company, Hirozaku "Hip" Tanaka. Tanaka would go on to produce the iconic scores for Balloon Fight and Metroid, as well as design the sound chip for the first Game Boy. This premiere episode, embedded below, also showcases just how early soundtracks were composed. Spoiler: it involved more wave-forms and soldering than it did keyboards and drum machines. Interested in seeing more? A new clip is scheduled to release every week for the next month-and-a-half.
Tamagotchi celebrates its super sweet 16 with an Android app, Ferrari cake nowhere in sight
In celebration of 16 years of Tamagotchi, Namco Bandai has cooked up a new mobile app based on the brand's original virtual pet. Free to download from Google Play, this piece of '90s nostalgia has been re-imagined with new features like color, improved image resolution and Facebook sharing. Fancy new bells and whistles aside, you'll still need to feed and discipline your digital pet in order for it to thrive. So, if your device is running Android 2.3 or higher and you're ready to clean up some pixelated poop, head on over to the Play Store to download your household's newest edition.
Nintendo's Wii U gets first free-to-play game as TANK! TANK! TANK! gets divided on eShop
Namco's TANK! TANK! TANK! may have a great title, but it looks like its sales trajectory wasn't too far off from its name. The bizarre Wii U tank battle game is going free-to-play as of this week's eShop update -- at least in Europe -- dividing the game into three pieces based on game modes, each costing £1.59 (€1.99). Should you choose to not pay Namco's light toll, you can play each of the game's modes for free three times per day -- that toll raises to £7.99 (€9.99) apiece after February 28th, so you may want to act quickly. The new pricing and division of the game goes into effect this Thursday, when the EU's Wii U eShop updates.
Tamagotchi coming back as an iOS app
Truth be told, I was just a little too old to land in the middle of the Tamagotchi craze: My childhood was more full of Trapper Keepers and Game Boys than the famous Japanese virtual pets. But of course I saw them all over the place back in the '90s, as did everyone, really. And now the original toy is returning on iOS, as an upcoming app called Tamagotchi l.i.f.e. Now, there already is an official Tamagotchi app on the App Store, but it's more of a remake, with newer graphics and a little more social spin. This new app is designed to look more like the old version, presumably, playing a little bit more off of the now-retro vibe of the old craze. It's supposed to be on the App Store soon, so we'll keep an eye out for it. In the meantime, as you might imagine, there's no shortage of virtual pets apps on the App Store, including the very Tamagotchi-like Pet Monster, and even a virtual puppy. But Tamagotchi is the original creature you could kill by not feeding it enough -- hopefully Namco Bandai nails the feel of the old toy with this new app. [via AppAdvice]
Nokia and Namco Bandai bring arcade classics to Asha Touch line
Whoever said low-cost phones have to miss out on the portable perks? Nokia's throwing an old school bone to buyers of its budget-minded Asha Touch line, linking up with Namco Bandai to make 22 classic hits available for download. The titles, accessible now on the Nokia Store in over 52 countries, range from $0.99 to $2.99 apiece and include oldies-but-goodies like SoulCalibur, Galaga and Ace Combat. So, if you take your pared-down, 3-inch devices with a dash of retro-gaming and feel like an on-the-go session with PAC-MAN is long overdue, then you'll be well sated by this partnership nod to coin-operated gaming's past. Official PR after the break.
AI competition pits Ms. Pac-Man against ghosts in the Manichean struggle of our time (video)
While the world breathlessly awaits the Pac-Man reality TV show, the University of Essex held a programming competition starring that other yellow chomper. The Ms. Pac-Man vs. Ghost Team contest pitted 13 competitors from nine different countries against one another, to see who could create the most elusive Ms. Pac-Man or the wiliest ghost gang. The participants coded routines for the titular hero or Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Sue, with organizers then running the programs against one another on the Java-based playing field. The highest single-game score went to Atif, who racked up 69240 points versus DarkRodry's ghosts, while ghost team Legacy2TheReckoning held RandomMsPacMan to a mere 410 points. Another competition will take place in August, so limber up your coding fingers, Pac-Maniacs. In the meantime, strap on your headgear and cheer on your round yellow hero in the video below.
Namco Bandai sale this weekend on the App Store
If you want to score a deal on some classic games for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, Namco Bandai is celebrating spring (and, coincidentally, Mother's Day) with a sale on some of its best-selling titles this weekend. From now through May 9, you can grab games like Star Trigon for US$0.99, Tamagotchi: 'Round the World for $0.99, Lost in Time: The Clockwork Tower for $2.99, and PAC-MAN for $1.99. According to 148Apps.com, which offers a complete list of all the discounted games, the sale may be limited to the US store only.
The World's Biggest Pac-Man game takes over the internet, your life
It's officially the weekend, which means you've got two choices: one, mimic iTr3vor and toss up a YouTube video of yourself dancing in an Apple Store, or two, blow your own mind with the magic of HTML5. In between hour-long Pica-Pic sessions, we'd recommend killing time in The World's Biggest Pac-Man game, which can be "played for fun" or linked to your Facebook account for those who savvy statistics. We'd bother telling you more, but we're fairly sure you're already firmly occupied with the source link. You're welcome. Or, we're sorry.
Pac-Man reality TV show coming, and not a moment too soon
Not since Hollywood Reporter told us about a possible Asteroids bio-pic have we been excited about a film or TV show: Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Merv Griffin Entertainment has hammered out a deal with Namco Bandai to develop a reality TV show based on Pac-Man. Envisioned by Merv Griffin Entertainment's president of TV Roy Bank as something "big" and "crazy" like Wipeout or Fear Factor, the company wants "to take what Pac-Man is and bring it to life, to bring what is essentially the world's biggest game of tag to television." If this doesn't sound like the definition of a mid-season replacement, we don't know what is.
Interview: Firemint's Rob Murry and Steve Faulkner of Infinite Interactive
Firemint and Infinite Interactive surprised us all the other day with the news that the one company was buying the other, but Firemint's Rob Murray and Infinite's Steve Fawkner weren't surprised themselves. "We've actually been talking about this for years, going back to 2006," Murray told TUAW today. Fawkner actually showed Murray a prototype of his company's Puzzle Quest game back in the day, and that reportedly encouraged Murray to start a game of his own that eventually became Flight Control, which itself spawned the Firemint company. "It's always been in the back of our minds, sometimes we've talked about it. It's only now that we've been able to make it possible." So the first question is: why now? It turns out that the two companies may have more in common than we think. "The studios have evolved with similar kinds of ideas and similar kinds of things," says Fawkner. "We've wanted to get into digital distribution for a long time, and Rob's already headed down that path, so it really made sense to go ahead and bring the studios together and go along that path together."
iPhone apps on sale for Halloween
Happy Halloween weekend! This is my favorite holiday of the year, not only because it's a fun time for parties during my favorite season, but also because it seems to be an excellent time for developers to put a little something special into their apps -- like put them on sale. There are quite a few sales hitting the App Store this weekend -- Sega has some of their titles on sale again (including Ecco the Dolphin and the great Shining Force), and Namco Bandai is doing the same. You can pick up Bit.Trip Beat and the original Pac Man game for just a buck each, among a few other good deals. PopCap has brought Plants vs. Zombies down to a buck for the holiday, and EA has a "Monster Sale" going on, too, with Wolfenstein RPG, Snood, and more on sale for just one cent less than a buck. All treats, no tricks on this Halloween weekend. There will probably be a few more sales announced before the weekend ends -- we'll try to keep an eye out for them, and let you know when we see them. Want even more quick app sale announcements? Watch our Twitter feed -- we'll often post quick free app and sale app notices there.
Easy Piano title lets DS Lite users tickle the ivory
We know that DSi of yours is all the rage, but you did hang on to that DS / DS Lite, didn't you? Phew. Starting this November in Europe and other PAL regions, you'll have a remarkably good excuse to bust that unit back out, as this new peripheral looks to require that all-but-forgotten GBA slot. At any rate, the title (which goes by Easy Piano in case you glossed over the headline) will allow players to bang out masterpieces such as Bittersweet Symphony, Every Breath You Take and Pachelbel's Canon on the 8-note, full-octave keyboard accessory. All told, 40 songs will be made available, and there's even a "creation mode" that enables owners to record up to four 3-minute-long jams. Now, if only we had a North American price and release date to pencil in, we'd be all set.[Via Joystiq]
Hori's Tekken 6 Xbox 360 / PS3 joystick ain't a bad way to burn $150
Got a knack for fighting titles? Have a particular fondness for Tekken? If so, you definitely shouldn't be playing with a stock controller, and that's exactly why Hori has crafted the beauty you're inevitably peering at above. The stick, which will ship as part of a Tekken 6 Wireless Fight Stick Bundle bundle, will be made available soon for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (shown after the break), and according to our pals over at Joystiq, it'll be on sale at a variety of respected retailers for $150. Said MSRP also includes a collectible art book and a pinch of pride, which totally justifies the somewhat steep asking price. Right? Right.
BottleRocket confirms work on Splatterhouse
A BottleRocket representative has confirmed an earlier report suggesting that members of the former Splatterhouse developer's team had been brought on by Namco Bandai to help finish the job. "Yes, that is true," commented the rep, who added the while the studio couldn't talk about how many employees had accepted Namco's offer, "It is my understanding that Namco only offered contracts, not full-time employment."BottleRocket was forcibly removed from developing Splatterhouse by Namco last February over an unspecified "performance issue", with the re-imagining instead rumored to now be in the hands of the team responsible for Afro Samurai.
Rumor: Namco takes Splatterhouse From BottleRocket [update]
Namco Bandai has reportedly swiped the hockey mask out from under Splatterhouse developer BottleRocket Entertainment, giving the nearly-finished project to the publisher's internal Afro Samurai team instead. Sources close to the company say that Namco officials reclaimed all dev kits and Splatterhouse assets from BottleRocket last Friday, according to Kotaku, apparently leaving the California dev with nothing else to work on besides cleaning out its desks.If true, it's unclear why Namco would wait so long to pull the project from BottleRocket, with the gory PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 action title set to go gold sometime in March. We've reached out to both Namco Bandai and BottleRocket for further comment, and will update once we hear more.Update: We've heard back from both developer BottleRocket and publisher Namco Bandai – read their responses here. If you know anything about the specifics of this most unfortunate situation, be sure to let us know!
Splatterhouse focuses on gore for 'a very messy good time'
1UP has pummeled new details out of Namco Bandai and The Mark of Kri devs at BottleRocket concerning the upcoming Splatterhouse remake, which will bloody up the Xbox 360 and PS3 sometime next year. Among the finer points spilled include a return of many of the series' weapons, including the 2-by-4 and meat cleaver, while Rick's arsenal has been expanded to include multiple weapon classes and "a few surprises."Speaking of the original, while Namco believes the source material's graphics are "best left to nostalgia," the team notes that they have tried to remain faithful to the series' 80s horror movie vibe. Even so, the devs admit that gore is what the game "is going to be all about," promising that players will have "a very messy good time." It's amazing what you can do with that little 'M' on the box. Still, we wonder if the title will come with a disclaimer warning kids that inevitably get hold of Spatterhouse that lumber is absolutely not to be used in this manner.
Tekken 6 punching PS3, Xbox 360 in Fall '09
Tekken 6, the latest in Namco Bandai's seminal fighting series, will be delivering a body blow to consoles next fall. Oh wait, you say, we already knew that. True, Microsoft confirmed last October that in Fall 2009 Feng Wei, Devil Jin and the rest would strike the Xbox 360 across the face. In addition, CVG reports that the game will get an equal bout on the PlayStation 3 at the same time.The announcement was made during a recent event put on by Atari, which will publish the title in Europe on both platforms, adding yet another marquee feather in the once-struggling company's hat. Next year is shaping up to be a memorable one for fighting game fans with Street Fighter IV and Tekken 6 going toe-to-toe. So tell us, where do you place your bets?
