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New Blue Dragon screens toast our eyeballs
After the opening of the official site for Blue Dragon Plus late last week, we can start fretting less about the game's protracted development, and concentrate more on gawking at pretty pictures.Conveniently enough, Famitsu has just posted a selection of fresh Blue Dragon Plus screens and art, and things are looking as vibrant as ever -- it's encouraging to see Mistwalker and Brownie Brown cramming so many enemies and pyrotechnics into the DS's relatively small screens. Apparently, finding something/someone to fight will not be difficult.Advance past the break for more screens and art.%Gallery-15148%
New details for Blue Dragon DS, due out this summer
Last month, publisher AQ Interactive confirmed that Blue Dragon Plus for the Nintendo DS had been delayed, but that it would be coming this summer. Translations from the publisher's official BDP site (via NeoGAF) indicate the game is set to be a "simulation RPG." The description and subsequent new screenshots remind us of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (not a bad comparison, mind you).The site also seems to indicate that BDP takes place just after the events of the first Blue Dragon. So with a bold-faced spoiler alert we caution you against clicking on the main website as, once it loads, it gives away a big part of the Xbox 360 version's storyline. Same warning goes for the gallery below. Gallery: Blue Dragon Plus [Via DS Fanboy]
Blue Dragon Plus site shows promise
And by "promise" we mean "screenshots." And also the fact that if AQ Interactive is bothering to set up a site at all, it means that they're probably planning to release the game for really reals. The "system" page on the new website confirms that Blue Dragon Plus is a "real-time simulation RPG," although the screens (which, by the way, are the first we've seen that haven't been scanned from a magazine) do a pretty good job doing that by themselves!If you've played through the original Xbox 360 game, the site will make it immediately obvious to you that this is a direct sequel, taking place after the events of that game. %Gallery-15148%[Via NeoGAF]
Bad news for Away, good news for Blue Dragon
Publisher AQ Interactive announced that Blue Dragon Plus has been delayed until summer. But rather than being disappointed by this, we're quite delighted, because summer is much sooner than never. Mistwalker announced earlier this week that it had been delayed indefinitely, leading some to believe that might be shelved for good.Away: Shuffle Dungeon has also been delayed by AQ Interactive, resulting in somewhat of a different reaction. We were surprised to find that Blue Dragon Plus has a release date now after its presumed cancellation, but this delay was a reminder to us that Away had a release date at all. Back in October, Mistwalker said that Away would be out on January 31st, and in the latest scans you can just barely make out a February 28th date. We just didn't realize that it was (supposed to be) out so soon. It's currently planned for a summer release as well.
Japanese Wii software sales for 2007: How did Wii publishers fare?
The year is almost over, and we could probably debate for hours about which games were the best, but in the end, money talks. So, how did Wii games actually sell in 2007? A kind NeoGAFfer compiled a list that shows how much each Wii game sold this year in Japan, based on Media Create figures up until December 2nd. It's also important, though, to consider how Wii game publishers did this year in Japan (check the stats in the image above). Nintendo certainly had a great year, with over 8 million sales for 17 games. Square Enix also did pretty well for itself with Dragon Quest Swords (the only game released by the company for the Wii before the December 2nd window). As for the other third parties, however, the median game sales seem somewhat poor. Yet, considering the amount of shovelware released this year, it's hard to say that some of them didn't deserve it. Check the list of game sales here to decide for yourselves. You may notice one major disappointment (yes, we're talking about Zack and Wiki) or two, but how many other third-party games, in your opinion, really deserved to sell better than they did?
Blue Dragon DS nothing to do with cards after all
Remember those vicious rumors regarding Blue Dragon DS being a card-based RPG? Well, looks like they may have been wide of the mark, as a new scan gleaned from the pages of Japanese publication Shonen Jump suggests otherwise. Instead, the magazine describes the game as a "real-time simulation RPG," a label that brings to mind the recently released Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. Whatever the hell Mistwalker's game is -- and the screens do suggest a kind of real-time strategy/RPG hybrid -- there's certainly no mention of cards. Pleasingly, that March 2008 Japanese release date seems to have held, which surely means we'll have more information on this in the not-too-distant future. Go past the break for the Shonen Jump scan.
Is Mistwalker's next DS game a random dungeon crawler?
Are the Blue Dragon developers working on a "roguelike" action RPG for the Nintendo DS? And more importantly, what the hell is a roguelike?Siliconera has deciphered the Japanese press release for Mistwalker's DS title Away, which has been renamed Away: Shuffle Dungeon. Using the Socratic method common sense, Siliconera has deduced that since the Blue Dragon random dungeon generator DLC for Xbox 360 has been titled "Shuffle Dungeon Maker," Away must be using the same term to describe its primary gameplay mechanic: randomly-generated dungeons that the player has to traverse.Roguelike is a special term reserved for dungeon-crawling action games that utilize randomly-generated level design. The term comes from the game Rogue, and the genre includes titles like Nethack and Tales of Middle Earth. Away could potentially be the first game in this genre to appear on the DS (although homebrew efforts have previously been made). Roguelike or not, Away: Shuffle Dungeon is is due out in Japan on February 28 (which just happens to be someone's birthday...).
Vampire Rain downpours July 3rd
Well, if you're a little pissy about not getting the demo in your area, at least you won't have to wait long for the retail to be released. Microsoft just sent out a release stating that Vampire Rain will be shipping July 3rd for $59.99. Not only that, but a Fan Site Kit can be downloaded at the www.vampirerain.com. So, does the idea of merging Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Sam Fisher from the Splinter Cell series interest you, or does it run a little dry?
Vampire Rain demo available in Canada & Mexico, not U.S.
The Vampire Rain demo was first released in Japan on Tuesday, and we suspected that it would become available in North America shortly thereafter. Well, we were right and today it is, but unfortunately for some (or rather, most), it's only available in two thirds of this continent. While being available in Mexico and Canada, as well as portions of Europe, Asia, and Australia, the demo is not on Marketplace in the US. Quite frankly this is quite odd, and we hope the rest of you get your hands on it sooner rather than later. We guess we can get you "exclusive" hands on impressions later today, if we aren't too busy.
Bewitching images of the Bullet Witch comic
Our man, Godfree, sent us some new images of the upcoming Bullet Witch comic. Atari seems to really be pushing this game and is now offering the comic to anyone who pre-orders Bullet Witch. What we've seen of Bullet Witch looks decent, but the comic threatens to be more interesting than the game itself. We're wondering if Atari and Prima -- the comic's publisher -- are planning to create an actual series or just leave it at one promotional comic book. Bullet Witch has an interesting concept, so hopefully they'll turn it into a full-fledged series. Hit the "read" link to see more full size images.[Via Gamertag Radio]
Bullet Witch to miss Halloween
Bullet Witch is a game that we've been marginally excited for in the past. A run-and-gun 3rd person action game, Bullet Witch, was once a Japanese game without an American publisher. That is, until Atari announced it would publish the game under the new policy of diversifying their lineup. That, however, was way back in August, and not much has been said since. Until now: EB now has Bullet Witch listed for a February 2007 release. Granted, EB and their ilk don't always have the most accurate release dates, it's nice to see Bullet Witch on the radar. Then again, once Lost Planet comes out, we may not need another 3rd person action game.[Thanks, delerious]
Ding, dong, the Bullet Witch is published
As part of an ongoing initiative to bring us games with "mass market" appeal, Atari has agreed to publish Cavia's Bullet Witch. The agreement was made with AQ Interactive, the game's Japanese publisher. Atari noted that the deal signifies the beginning of an ongoing relationship between the two companies. Nique Fajors, Atari's vice president of sales and marketing said of the deal: "We are very pleased to announce this partnership with AQ Interactive Inc. and look forward to working with them on Bullet Witch and beyond. To offer an engaging and unique title such as Bullet Witch to kick start our partnership underlines Atari's commitment to bringing interesting and different titles to gamers all over the world."Good news indeed. Now how about a release date? Oh, and, Atari, there's this other game that could use a US publisher, too. Could you handle that? Yeah, that'd be greeeeat, thanks.
New Bullet Witch preview vids
This cute, Keira Knightley look-alike is actually Alicia, a badass witch from the near future whose charge is to rid the earth of invading demons. Like most witches, Alicia has a broom, only hers can be converted into a machine gun, shot gun, heavy cannon, or gatling gun -- all with a flick of the wrist. GameTrailers shows you how in a narrated preview vid of the aptly titled Bullet Witch for Xbox 360.There is also a new trailer of the Devil May Cry-inspired shooter, but as Chris Farley once said, "Mother of mercy, I don't speak Japanese!" Barring any further delays, Bullet Witch should hit Japan by the end of the summer. Any publishers care to bring this one over to the States with subtitles, please?
New Bullet Witch media
TeamXbox has a new five-minute gameplay video from Bullet Witch, a futuristic action-adventure from Japanese developer AQ Interactive. You play a gun-toting, spellcasting witch who runs around in stilettos blasting demons that have invaded Earth. Sounds a lot like Hellgate: London, and the various third person angles and gunplay reminds me of Brute Force.Bullet Witch has slipped a few times, and the linked article mentions a July 27 release date in Japan. However, it also says the game is only 80% complete at this point, so Japanese gamers might be waiting until the end of the summer. No news on a North American release, but GameTrailers has some additional vids.
Bullet Witch blows things up real good
Xboxyde has a new and very long gameplay video from AQ Interactive's Bullet Witch. I'll say one thing: inanimate objects run in fear from the Bullet Witch. At least they would if they weren't inanimate. After the less than impressive E3 video, this one shows a much better looking game with some impressive gunplay and bigger 'splosions. The video is highly reminiscent of Otogi on the original Xbox, which isn't a bad thing at all.The game will hit Japanese shelves on July 27th. Any would be importers out there?
Bewitching Bullet Witch screens
Xboxygen has a bunch of screens from AQ Interactive's twice-delayed third-person shooter, Bullet Witch, currently scheduled for Japanese release July 27 (Will retailers bother to put it on display?). I know the 360 needs all the help it can get in apathetic Japan, but how about giving gamers who actually give a witch a chance to play this game sometime soon.[Thanks Dionysos]
