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Gaijin Games ups the ante on WiiWare with Bit.Trip: Core
The sequel to the very fun (yet, very punishing) Bit.Trip: Beat has been revealed in Bit.Trip: Core, GameSpot reports. If you thought it was tough keeping track of rogue pixels assaulting you from one direction, then you're going to have an even tougher time with Core, as the player must now defend against attacking pixels from four different directions. Another big change comes in the controls department. The first game featured motion-based controls, but in Core you're stuck in the middle of the screen, pushing directions on the d-pad to shine a beam of light toward rushing pixels. It's essentially the same type of gameplay, combining rhythm and shmup elements, so if you liked Bit.Trip: Beat, then you'll likely find value in this. The game also adds a progress meter showing you how far you've made it into a stage, as well as a screen clearing ability that will hopefully ease the experience up a bit. Bit.Trip: Core is due for release on WiiWare sometime this summer.
Buy BlazBlue at GameCrazy, get a free collector's edition Mana Potion
click to Mana-size Aksys Games, publisher of the upcoming 2D fighter BlazBlue, has announced a partnership with Harcos, creators of the Mana Energy Potion energy drink (not to be confused with the Final Fantasy potion). Specifically, those who purchase BlazBlue from GameCrazy will receive a special Collector's Edition Mana Energy Potion. Judging by the picture, we'd say it's really more of a regular Mana Energy Potion in a spiffy box, but who are we to argue with a press release? Still, if you love 2D fighters and questionable energy products and live near a GameCrazy, you might as well go for it. BlazBlue releases this summer for Xbox 360 and PS3.
Aksys Games talks about the drive to make BlazBlue
The folks at Aksys Games love their jobs ... almost as much as fighting games. In this latest promotional trailer for summer's BlazBlue, the company spotlights the people behind the game, the community surrounding it and what motivates it to pour its all into this fighting game franchise. It may not have much in the way of gameplay footage (well, anything in the way of gameplay), but it'll likely be enough to tide over the crazy 2D fighting fans out there. That's, um, you.
Joyswag: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
Update: Sorry, folks, entry is closed. Thank you all for entering and keep an eye on your email inbox!We have 3 copies of the super fun Bit.Trip: Beat to give away, thanks to the fine folks at Gaijin Games! You all know the drill: follow the rules below and you might just win! We'll be crossing our fingers just for you. Leave a comment telling us the toughest (but still fun) game you've ever played You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day This entry period ends at 2:59 pm ET on Friday, April 3. We'll randomly select 3 winners at that time to each receive a Bit.Trip: Beat for WiiWare (ARV: $6.00) For a list of complete rules, click here %Gallery-43105%
Wiikly Wares: Bit.Trip: Beat and Summer Games II
Monday's aren't just for loathing, with the Wii receiving one new WiiWare and one new Virtual Console game today. So, while you may he miserable at the office or in the classroom, you have new gaming goodness awaiting you at home. Here's what's on offer:WiiWareBit.Trip: Beat (Aksys Games, 1-4 players, 600 Wii Points): Developed by Gaijin Games, this title is like a combination of Pong and the craziest rave party you've ever been to. Don't believe us? The proof is in the video pudding, friends!Virtual ConsoleSummer Games II (C64, 1-8 players, 500 Wii Points): Featuring 18 different competing countries and 8 different sports - cycling, equestrian, fencing, high jump, javelin, kayaking, rowing and triple jump - this C64 title brings all of the drama of the Olympics right into your living room. Or your bedroom. Depends on where you have your Wii set up, really.%Gallery-43105%
The Bit.Trip.Beat stops on WiiWare this Monday
Ready to go on your first Bit.Trip? The folks at Aksys have confirmed to us that the hard-as-nails retro-themed WiiWare-exclusive music game will make its US debut on Monday, March 16th. The concept is rather simple: just tilt your Wii Remote to slide your Pong-esque paddle up and down. Deflect oncoming bullets to create some pretty rad chiptune music. As easy as this sounds, the wild barrage of notes that soon floods the screen will lead to many, many game overs. With support for up to four players on one screen, Bit.Trip.Beat has us pretty excited. It's the kind of game that you can just play and get into a trance. %Gallery-43105%
VC Friday: Tabletop Time
This week's PAL WiiWare update features two games that have already come out in North America, one of which has been out for pretty much forever -- fossil record indicates dinosaurs playing it, T-Rex buried in the midst of awkwardly trying to waggle with its useless forelegs. According to WiiWare World's review, Next Level Games' Jungle Speed actually seems to be a good time, and a much more energetic experience than might be expected from a card game.As for Family Table Tennis -- we still like the game, but we're a bit sad to say it's up to 800 points now. First, Nintendo says it's going to raise Wii prices, and now a moderate price hike on cheap WiiWare games? Lousy worldwide economic crisis ... Jungle Speed -- WiiWare -- 1,000 Wii Points Family Table Tennis -- WiiWare -- 800 Wii Points As usual, enjoy videos of both games after the break.
BlazBlue confirmed for North America summer release
With its global online support, we expected that Arc System Works' console port of arcade brawler BlazBlue would eventually be released outside of Japan. Now niche publisher Aksys has quietly revealed plans to bring the elegant 2D fighter to North America for both the Xbox 360 and PS3. Like their counterparts in Japan, fighting game fans in North America can look forward to mastering super moves and combos this summer, as players beat the heat by staying indoors away from bears and tiresome physical activity. With King of Fighters XII slated for a July release as well, the only question we're left with is: How will our hands survive? [Thanks, Nick]
BlazBlue throws a beatdown on PS3, Xbox 360
Arc System Works, the folks behind popular 2D fighting franchise Guilty Gear, are planning on bringing their high-def 2D fighter, BlazBlue, to the Xbox 360 and PS3 IGN reports. Currently only available in Japanese arcades, the title is being ported to home consoles in the region, with release aimed at this summer. Notable additions to the console port include a story mode, with individual stories for each character available. This story mode will offer branching storylines based on the battles you win, as well as the choices you make while playing. Director Toshimichi Mori says the story mode easily offers 30 hours of gameplay. On top of that, gamers can look forward to online support for battling folks around the globe, as well as DLC, which Arc has planned, yet no specific items were mentioned. The console version of the game will also provide all characters with Astral Heat special moves, which were only given to a select few boss characters in the arcade version of the game.
Watch this exclusive Bit.Trip: Beat trailer
No, we're serious. You don't know what unspeakable acts we had to perform to secure this exclusive trailer for the Gaijin-developed, Aksys-published Bit.Trip: Beat. If you don't watch it, we're going to throw out this BFF bracelet you made us and show up at your house demanding those mix tapes back. You know, the ones that had all of those Air Supply and Bryan Adams tracks on them. So, watch the 4-bit goodness in the video above and stock up on some Wii Points. You're going to want to check out this quirky rhythm game when it releases. Gallery: Bit.Trip: Beat
Retail and download releases for the week of January 19th
Another week, another slew of new gaming content for the Wii. This week, we've got two new WiiWare titles that we've all been waiting for, as well as one new Virtual Console game and a handful of retail releases. Hop past the break for this week's full list. Planning on getting anything? Let us know in the comments!%Gallery-34273%
Bit.Trip Beat bringing funky chiptunes to WiiWare
The upcoming WiiWare game, Bit.Trip Beat, goes for a retro style that makes Mega Man 9 look futuristic in comparison. Comprised of 8-bit chiptunes and giant pixel blocks, Bit.Trip Beat certainly looks the part of an '80s arcade game.This video highlights the simple gameplay. It appears you must simply align a Pong-esque paddle to hit a stream of notes as they stream to the left of the screen. While it looks simple, the team promises it will be "challenging." The game will also feature 4-player local co-op, which should make for an interesting experience.Alex Neuse, designer at Gaijin Games, said the "team wanted to make a game that used the tools of today to inspire the fun of yesterday." We wonder if Wii fans will agree with the team's vision, or if it'll be passed off as a bit too retro for their tastes.
Blazblue: Calamity Trigger to debut at Anime Expo
From the guys that brought you Guilty Gear, Arc System Works' latest 2-D fighter will be having its location test at Anime Expo 2008 taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 3rd - 6th. We previously reported on the game in February and now there is an official website with some information plus a promise of "Coming this winter!" for the US. Though the location test takes place in the "console gaming room," this is the arcade version of Blazblue. Some of us here are huge 2-D fighter fans and we can't wait for this winter to try this out! [Via Siloconera]
VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 4/21/08
Well folks, we're back with video commentary and ready to give you the lowdown on this week's Virtual Console releases. This week will go down in history for us, as it shows the release of one of the best NES games ever here in the United States. So what are you waiting for? Hit up the video above, then cruise past the break for the rest.
Taking out the trash in Castle of Shikigami III
Aksys Games' Shikigami no Shiro III may not have enjoyed amazing first-day sales in Japan, but we're still glad it's coming to North America. If you're clueless to the whole thing here, hit up the video above. Basically, you just shoot the crap out of everything in sight. We're sure there's more to it than that, but we really don't care. Shooting things is enough for us.%Gallery-11810%
Get a taste for Jake Hunter's kind of justice
When not figuring out who ate all of the damn pizza rolls, Jake Hunter is often busy solving other, less-important mysteries. You can get a taste for his caseload by hitting up the video above, which indicates (to us, at least) that this is going to be one sweet game. Not only do you solve crimes, but you get to beat up street punks through turn-based combat. So hit up the trailer above and see the latest on Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles. Zwapp!%Gallery-9685%See also: 2008's Biggest Blips - Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles[Via Go Nintendo]
Guilty Gear 2: Overture release set for Q3 2008
Today, Aksys Games announced that the anime fighting franchise that is Guilty Gear will be making its way exclusively to the Xbox 360 platform Q3 2008 with the release of Guilty Gear 2: Overture. But remember kids, Overture is not going to be a traditional Guilty Gear game. Overture is what is described as a 3D action game with elements of an RTS as you command an army into battle, so don't go into this looking forward to old school 2D sprite fighting. Aksys did reveal a few specifics, stating that Overture will allow for you to command 50 "servants" into battle and that the game will support Xbox Live multiplayer. Our only question, will die-hard Guilty Gear fanboys support a game that strays so very far from the traditional path?
A plethora of BlazBlue stuff just for you
Here's a trailer for BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (they've officially dropped the "e" in blaze and we'll roll with it). Since the resolution on the video is fairly low, we've also got some high-res screens for you to check out. The game's got the same style as you'd expect from the Guilty Gear crew -- similar music, too. You get to see four of the characters in action and as time progresses, hopefully a much larger cast will show up to play. Along with the high-res screens, you can check out a lengthy post on the PS3Forums about the game's battle system. Enjoy!
Check out Hoshigami Remix
The English version of Hoshigami Remix is well on the way to completion, as these new screens show.The game's battle screens are looking very much like Final Fantasy Tactics, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The three difficulty settings should help out players who are new to the whole tactical RPG scene, whilst keeping veteran players happy.We're promised around 50 hours of gameplay, with branching storylines and multiple endings to find. You'll also be able to trade items with your friends over wi-fi. Head past the break for the screens.
