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Promotional Consideration: Moons, Zombies, Dodgeballs, and Tactics
Aside from its preview page tease and Time Hollow's localization, there wasn't much in the way of exclusive DS news in this month's Nintendo Power, at least compared to what we've seen in recent issues.Paging through the magazine, however, we spotted at least two advertisements that we wanted to share with you. As we were tearing them out to throw into our scanner, we thought, "Why not post all of the other DS ads (and the cover)?" Join us past the break for the scanned pages!
WiiWare games hacked, pirated, and brought to North American Wiis
Only a few weeks after pirates figured out how to install Virtual Console games on their Wiis for free using the Twilight Hack, a clever trick for running unofficial code on an unmodded systems, hackers have expanded their counterfeit offerings to allow bootleg copies of WiiWare titles.We're not yet sure if online modes are working, but the fact that pirates can install Japanese WiiWare ROMs/WADs on a US system, as shown above with Family Ping Pong, is impressive (and criminal!). Considering how fast the Wii's piracy scene has been moving, someone will likely soon release instructions on how to bypass microtransactions and install downloadable content updates for free, too.How long will it be before Nintendo steps in to end these shenanigans? Will that mean the end of Wii homebrew, as well? See, this is why we can't have nice things.
PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Battle Fantasia
Battle Fantasia is an upcoming fighting game from Arc System Works -- a name fighting fans will recognize from the Guilty Gear series. The game will be released soon in Japan, hence why there's currently a playable demo up on the Japanese PSN. If you've got a Japanese account go check it out, if not, then read our impressions right here.On the demo there are two modes you can play: versus CPU and story mode. We headed towards versus CPU first to get a feel for the controls. Sure enough, we engaged in battle, played around with the commands, and ultimately felt that the experience was most akin to Street Fighter Alpha. Everything from combo inputs to that specials bar at the bottom of the screen all mimic the classic set up. The artistic style is unique, though; it's like Guilty Gear meets Disney's version of medieval times.
Battle Fantasia videos show off battle mechanics, characters
Arc System Works is breaking away from their high-res 2D sprite model for fighters and are trying something new with Battle Fantasia -- it's still 2D, but with uniquely 3D characters. If we could describe the result, it'd probably be a cross between Guilty Gear and Radiata Stories. The colors and character designs just seem reminiscent of those found in Tri-Ace's under-appreciated RPG, but the fighting is distinctly Guilty Gear in execution. There's another video after the jump, so give it some of your love, too!
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus on its way to PSP
Arcades be doomed to oblivion -- the only true way to experience the maniacal and menacing fighter known as Guilty Gear is to play it on the go. Curse in public! Shout in victory on the bus/plane/train! Famitsu has leaked out information that a port of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus is coming to the PSP. For the uninitiated, this is the most complete and balanced version of the game to date, so you're guaranteed hours of awesomeness. What's more, it seems an ad-hoc mode for three-on-three tournaments is in the works. More details on that as they surface. For now, drool in anticipation!
Jake Hunter gets busy boxart
Thanks to a sweet thread over at GAF, we've got a look at the boxart for upcoming Aksys title Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles. Regular readers of the site will know that we're pretty darn anxious to get our hands on this game and give it a try. If there's one thing we'll say about the boxart, it sure is busy. There are tons of characters crammed onto the boxart, but none is so prominently displayed as the lead man, Jake Hunter himself. And, because of this, we consider the boxart a great success. What about you all?See also: 2008 Blips - Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles%Gallery-9685%
DS Daily: Super Bangai-O Brawlers
There's a considerable number of DS games out there that we cherish, but Super Dodgeball Brawlers and Bangai-O Spirits must rank amongst our greatest obsessions.By a happy coincidence, both titles recently released within days of one another in Japan, so the next question is obvious: as the U.S. still has a couple of months to wait for these gems, did you buckle under the pressure and import either? If so, we'll be happy to place our extreme envy to one side for the time being, and listen to your impressions! We're nice like that, see.%Gallery-16997%%Gallery-14440%
Super Dodgeball Brawlers plays dirty
Hands-on impressions of Super Dodgeball Brawlers have been coming in since the game's release in Japan earlier this week, and while previews indicate that the game's "pacing" seems slow in comparison to the NES original, we're happy to hear that this design decision is in favor of a much deeper experience with stat-tweaking and buyable upgrades. Even without an online component, Brawlers already sounds like a title with a lot of replayability! All the special throws and jumping skills won't save you, however, when your opponent can pick up and toss a bomb at you, literally (0:50). As you can see in these two in-game videos -- complete with face-smashing sound effects -- a mess of potential weapons litter the arena, enticing you to abandon the gym pastime's dated rules. According to 1UP's preview, the Canadian team, in particular, has no problem relying on under-the-belt strategies rather than its own abilities.Why bother waiting to get beaned when you can just run across the chalked line and mollywhop whoever has the dodgeball? Head past the post break for another foul-play-filled Super Dodgeball Brawlers clip. %Gallery-14440%
Super Dodgeball Stats: the strategy behind the face-smacking
NeoGAF's Sp0rsk has provided us with new information about Million's Super Dodgeball Brawlers -- after buying it. At least those of us waiting for the English version can benefit from his gameplay sessions (even as we cry).The "Create a Dream Team" mode gives you 150 stat points to distribute among your team. There seem to be some light RPG elements involved as well, as you can shop at one of the stores from River City Ransom, which probably ups some of those stats. You can also change the appearance of your team members.In addition, the special team attacks actually temporarily change the team's stats rather than executing a large attack. You can boost your team's catching ability, speed, and such. Now we just need someone to change Brawlers' "American release date" stat.
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%
Heaven or Hell! Aksys bringing Guilty Gear 2 Overture to Xbox 360
Proving that old sprites never die (they just go 3D), upstart publisher Aksys has confirmed that it will release Arc System Works' "tactical action game" Guilty Gear 2: Overture in North America this fall for the Xbox 360. The game, which takes characters from the Guilty Gear 2D fighting game series and injects them into a kind of bizarre amalgamation of 3D action and strategy, cannot help but remind us of last year's Soul Calibur Legends...and we're less than enthused to put ourselves through that experience again without some measure of alcohol.The game is the latest attempt at reinventing the storied franchise, following 2004's Guilty Gear Isuka, which upped the ante by allowing up to 4 players slug it out in a chaotic battle royal. Overture instead turns its attention to the series' complicated, often convoluted post-apocalyptic storyline, with spiky-headed Sol Badguy and his rectangular sword leading the charge in large scale battles while "balancing resources and deploying troops." Frankly trying to wrap our heads around how this will all work has given us a headache, so we're just going to file this one away in our 'might be interesting' basket and go have a lie-down.%Gallery-18161%
Princess on Ice not as sinister as it sounds
For some reason, the phrase Princess on Ice made us think of some kind of Mafia situation, a game about putting a princess on ice. We don't even watch that much Sopranos. Anyway, as the more well-adjusted among you can gather, it's actually an ice-skating thing. Well, you might find that sinister as well.European publisher 505 Games is co-developing Princess on Ice with Arc System Works, to be released in Europe in April. Presumably this will also be released by Arc in Japan. It's no surprise that 505 is so actively seeking content that is designed for girls. 505 got lucky when they agreed to be the European publisher for Cooking Mama, which brought in real money.%Gallery-17562%[Via GamesPress]
Videos from 'that other Brawl'
Though Aksys published these Super Dodgeball Brawlers clips to keep the game fresh in our minds, the videos are also a reminder of the potential that playgrounds have to serve as battle arenas for our nation's youth. Imagine a utopia in which children of all creeds and races, rich or poor, can come together during recess and pummel each other with dodgeballs, crude weapons, and their own two fists. It is a dream we have worked our entire lives to realize.The Brawl Mode in Super Dodgeball Brawlers is a window to that dream, allowing up to eight kids to battle it out in a no-holds-barred, free-for-all game of Murder Ball. Adolescents are encouraged to swing lead pipes at each other, throw exploding rocks, and transform the dodgeball into a tire-hugging panda whilst a small yapper-type dog cheers them on. Wipe that proud tear from your eye and step past the break for another clip of elementary school children locked in gladiatorial combat.%Gallery-14440%See also: 2008's Biggest Blips: Super Dodgeball Brawlers
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!
Arc System Works unveils another fighter: Battle Fantasia
A while back we showed you some screenshots of another of Arc System Works' upcoming games, BlazeBlue (translation isn't perfect, but it'll do). Now Arc System Works is taking a stab at another 2D fighting game, this one more in the cutesy, Arcana Hearts style -- except you can play as more than little girls. Details are scarce, as this new game, dubbed Battle Fantasia, has just been revealed in Famitsu, but it seems there are some kind of HP and MP gauges. A story mode and online mode will be available for the PS3 and 360 when the game releases in May ... in Japan. Who knows if we'll see it stateside, but remember, PS3 games are region free.
Guard your grill: Super Dodgeball Brawlers trailer
We estimate that about 95% of the people who're hyped about Super Dodgeball Brawlers's release are nostalgic fans of the original NES game, scarred veterans of the flickering playground. Publisher Arc System Works must have come to the same conclusion, as its latest promotional trailer introduces the return of the Kunio dodgeball series with "archival footage" of the 1988 title, positioning Brawlers as a modernized remake. Smart move!This minute-and-a-half-long video has a lot more excitement than the mini-clips we've featured the past two months -- it has florid lines of text flying around, chaotic scenes grabbed from the 8-player free-for-all battle mode, and some dude lifting a vending machine over his head. Expect Super Dodgeball Brawlers to hit Japan this March 19th (the February 21st date advertised in the trailer is from before the game was delayed).%Gallery-14440%See also: 2008's Biggest Blips: Super Dodgeball Brawlers
2008's Biggest Blips: Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles
Developer: Arc System WorksPublisher: Aksys GamesRelease: May If your law-and-order interest leans more towards the law side, you'll want to take a break from the Ace Attorney series and try out Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles. As with Phoenix Wright, most of this adventure title relies on menu interaction to move the plot along, but you'll spend more time on the streets interrogating suspects, following leads, and digging up clues from crime scenes. Aksys plans to publish the game in the US with a budget price of $19.99, promising 4-to-5 hours worth of playtime for each of the game's three cases.Those of you who've followed our coverage of Jake Hunter (Tantei Jinguuji Saburou) already know that it's an established series in Japan, boasting two decades-worth of releases for nearly every video game platform since the Famicom Disk System. But were you aware that before he ever hit the screen, our chain-smoking gumshoe had dozens of hardboiled crime novels to his credit? It's true! We've collected quite a few of the paperbacks, scanning and posting them below for your viewing pleasure: %Gallery-9685% placeholder text placeholder text Back He'll never settle
You can't dodge these Super Dodgeball Brawlers screens
We haven't really seen much on what is sure to be the sports game of the century: Super Dodgeball Brawlers. Actually, scratch that. We've seen so many different aspects of the game, we can probably already go insane within a mental playground constructed of the game itself. We will feel the agony of being crushed by a 225mph fast ball to the gut. In reality, we'll have just walked into a bus. Probably on the day it releases.But, we digress. There's always more to look at, more to appreciate about the game. These new screens in our gallery, for example (which come courtesy of JeuxFrance) are more the former: just more of the game to look at.%Gallery-14440%
Super Dodgeball Bummers: Arc delays the game
Japanese publisher Arc System Works announced that they're delaying the release of the Japanese version of Super Dodgeball Brawlers from February 21 to March 19, citing the usual desire to improve the game. We asked American publisher Aksys Games if the delay would affect the U.S. release, which, according to Nintendo's gigantic list, was slated for April. The Aksys rep told us that the game had never actually gotten a confirmed release date, but that since the American version is built from the finished Japanese game, Aksys will certainly have to wait for the final version before releasing it elsewhere. In happier news, Aksys posted another spate of wonderful special-attack videos, this time focusing on the French team. The new Fake Shot (above) may be the most diabolical throw in the history of the series.
2008's Biggest Blips: Super Dodgeball Brawlers
Developer: MillionPublisher: Aksys GamesRelease: April 2008 Parents:You've seen the news. Our children are rapidly falling under the sway of insidious video games, spending hours upon hours watching and even taking part in the most brutal acts of violence imaginable. Games like Grand Theft Auto and Manhunt 2 are designed with nothing in mind but a devious plot to corrupt our children and disrupt our society. Not only that, but many of these games expose our youth to graphic sexuality. Case in point: Mass Effect, which is a pornographic game targeted at preschoolers and (reportedly) given away with boxes of cereal.The latest threat to our children's sensitive minds comes from Super Dodgeball Brawlers, a game of such stark brutality that it should be banned. And yet, it's going to be released on the Nintendo DS, a game system for children. This shocking violence simulator allows children to play a game called "dodge ball," in which characters break up into teams and attempt to murder each other with thrown projectiles. Disgustingly, this "dodge ball" is presented as a sport, suggesting that it's an acceptable activity for children to engage in on the schoolyard or in the park. Publisher Aksys Games should be held accountable when this deadly game begins claiming young lives. It's bad enough that children will be taught to use harmless playground balls as weapons, but Super Dodgeball Brawlers takes the corruption a step farther. It satisfies murderous fantasies by giving the players super powers, allowing them to electrify the ball, multiply it in the air or throw it at super-speed. These attacks will even turn our harmless pizzas, cacti, panda bears, and Eiffel Towers into brutal weapons. Kids will even be able to drop the pretenses of sportsmanship and batter each other directly. Worst yet, Super Dodgeball Brawlers will allow children to connect their DS units wirelessly and perform the simulated violence in groups of eight. Even if you can keep this out of your own home, your children are in imminent danger of having the offending software forced onto their DSes. We must put a stop to this! If you don't complain to your congressman and do your best to block sale of this disgusting game, it will be on you when children, too addled by flashing lights and cartoons to understand the difference between fantasy and reality, begin acting out this "dodge ball" with their friends.%Gallery-14440% Ninja Gaiden Back EXTREME INVADING
