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Arkanoid and Space Invaders Extreme are likely to be localized
If you've already imported Arkanoid and Space Invaders Extreme, there's a good chance you might be kicking yourself in the near future. While it hardly counts as official confirmation, Gamestop recently listed the two games on the company's website. As you've probably guessed, this means you can preorder the items online, which cost a (relatively) cheap $20 each.According to Gamestop, Space Invaders will be available on June 10th, while Arkanoid's release date is July 1st. Unfortunately, the game seller has yet to list the paddle peripheral, but we bet it's only a matter of time.See also: 2008's Biggest Blips -- Space Invaders Extreme[Via GoNintendo]Read: Space Invaders Extreme at GamestopRead: Arkanoid at Gamestop
Mario Kart cheat adds paddle controller support
As fun as Taito's paddle controller might be, the peripheral's limited compatibility restricts experimentation with any games outside of Arkanoid DS or Space Invaders Extreme. What about the other Breakout DS clones or all the titles packed in Retro Atari Classics? Will they ever know the wheeled affection they desperately pine for? Or will their love go unrequited, the spinner playing the part of the "little red-haired girl?"Yasu's Action Replay "cheat string" doesn't unlock universal support for the paddle, providing us with a Valentine's Day miracle, but it does allow the controller to be used with an unexpected title -- Mario Kart DS. It's an important first step towards the greater goal! As you can see in the demonstration video above, it's not the most effective control scheme. We're sure that won't stop the jerks "snakers" out there from finding a way to exploit the setup.
Sleepless in Arkanoid DS
There's no question that we're fans of the arcade-style paddle controller that's available for Arkanoid DS. You had us at "Arkanoid," Taito, but to throw in the spinner, too? This must be what love feels like.For anyone interested in importing this wonderful game, though, there is one tiny caveat. If the paddle controller is inside the GBA slot while the DS is closed shut, the handheld won't go into sleep mode. To clarify that statement, the game itself will sleep, but the peripheral will continue to suck the juice out of your DS (the greedy little thing).It's okay, sweet paddle, we won't hold it against you. We love you just the way you are -- don't ever change. Let's hug it out and move on.
DS releases for the week of December 3rd
Fans of rhythm and fighting (righting?) might want to cast their eyes toward the release of Draglade this week, but the real excitement (at least, to us) is everything releasing outside the U.S. Well, maybe not everything, but there are certainly some interesting titles to consider, including Arkanoid in Japan and Myst in Europe. Alvin and the Chipmunks American Girl: Julie Finds a Way Draglade The Golden Compass Left Brain Right Brain Strawberry Shortcake: The Four Seasons Cake Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2008
Taito's terrific trailers (Exit DS, Arkanoid DS, Legend of Kage 2, and Cooking Mama 2)
Much like with yesterday's fantastic Space Invaders Extreme clip, Taito put out new promotional videos for four of its upcoming games -- Exit DS, Arkanoid DS, Legend of Kage 2, and Cooking Mama 2. The three-and-a-half-minute Exit DS trailer above, in particular, is pretty slick, reminiscent of Lucky Number Slevin's opening credits. Despite the touchscreen control issues many brought up when previewing Exit DS at the past TGS event, the action-puzzler looks pretty fun! The rest of the streaming videos are available for you to check out at Dengeki's news page. Make sure to watch the Legend of Kage 2 clip all the way through, as the gameplay bits have been tucked at the end, after all the character art and gusts of cherry blossom petals.
Arkanoid DS plays dirty
We thought Arkanoid DS was awesome from the moment we first saw it. The customizable graphics and sound effects, the varied width of the levels, the quest mode, and, most importantly, the miraculous paddle controller won us over. For that matter, the word Arkanoid won us over. Being way-huge fans of the NES game (and its controller) we were pushovers.But now we find out that Arkanoid DS has a story mode full of adorable mascot characters? With their little Vaus-shaped heads, they look like a cross between the Prince of All Cosmos and Bomberman. That's just not fair. We were already going to buy the thing; now we have to super-buy it or something. Maybe we'll buy the inevitable mascot goods -- the plush dolls, DS styli, and such.
Arkanoid gameplay details revealed, once hidden behind wall of colorful blocks
Taito's new versions of Arkanoid and Space Invaders fill us with happy feelings about being people who play games on the DS. Every time we're reminded of the existence of the little DS paddle controller, we smile. NCSX is now taking preorders on Arkanoid DS, both in bundled and non-bundled form, as well as separate paddle controllers in four different colors. The game is expected to ship on December 6th.But until then, we can look at screens and learn what we can about the game. For example, levels will come in 7-, 9-, and 11-block-wide variants. "Decoration" options will become available for purchase using points obtained ingame. You'll be able to buy new backgrounds, block shapes, Vaus paddle shapes, and even sound effects.The "Clear Game" mode is the normal Arkanoid mode in which you break all blocks to clear a level. It will contain 28 zones, each made up of five rounds, for a total of 140 rounds. And that's entirely separate from the "Quest Mode" which has different (as yet unknown) conditions for winning each round! So basically what we are saying is that there are a lot of levels in Arkanoid DS. That guarantees infinite playability for people like us who can't even reliably clear round 3 in NES Arkanoid.
Furu Furu Park's Love Challenge
We haven't heard anything from Majesco's Furu Furu Park in a while, leading us to wonder if it had been cancelled. Apparently it continues to live, since Games Radar has posted a quick preview of the game. The gist is that even if you think minigames are passé, you may find something to love in the pure weirdness of the game.One of the weirdest parts of the game is the "Love Challenge" mode. We have been curious about this since we saw it in Japanese screenshots (as pictured above), and Games Radar was kind enough to detail it in their preview. Basically, it's a two-player mode in which the goal is to perform at a similar level. Your similarity-- and thus, your compatibility, is then judged by the game's love expert, Afro Love. We look forward to the stories of true love being discovered after short Arkanoid games. If Afro Love tells you it's for real after Arkanoid, you know it's for real.
TGS07: Kohler validates our enthusiasm for Arkanoid and Space Invaders
Whereas we must be content to sit here and tell you how awesome we think Arkanoid DS and Space Invaders Extreme will be, people like Chris Kohler get to go walk up to the things and play them-- with the Arkanoid paddle controller. He played the demos of both games at TGS and came out with positive impressions of both. He described Space Invaders Extreme as "a light-and-sound-orgy, frenetic, what-is-going-on, super fun shooter that spans both screens of the DS." It's a mix of, say, Rez, Galaga, and Space Invaders, in which waves of invaders swoop in, all in different shapes and sizes, and you shoot them, which creates sound effects that play along to the beat of the music. There are weapon powerups and semi-random bonus stages. It all sounds a lot more involved than the original Space Invaders, or any of its extremely similar sequels, while maintaining the hypnotic rhythm. Could this be a good Space Invaders for 2008? If this is marketed correctly, a well-updated Space Invaders on the DS could generate bajillions in Japan.Kohler's Arkanoid impressions weren't as detailed, focusing instead on the peripheral, about which he was more than effusive. He says that the paddle is "literally just like standing in front of a miniature arcade machine." The dial spins on "ball bearings or something," so you can spin it like the steering wheel on a Super Off-Road machine.Read - Space Invaders ExtremeRead - Arkanoid DS
Play Arkanoid DS right now
The websites for Taito's largely retro-tastic DS lineup have all appeared, just in time for TGS. Unfortunately, the text is not going to be of much use to anyone who can't read Japanese (or, as personal experience can attest to, anyone who can only kind of read Japanese). And even if it were, most of the links in the sites are still greyed out, awaiting updates. However, the site for Arkanoid DS contains treasure in the form of a generous five-round Flash demo. We are impressed, both with Taito's largesse and with the actual game. New additions to Arkanoid include a robotic voice that announces the name of every powerup you pick up, and thumping, hypnotic techno music courtesy of Zuntata. We didn't even know Arkanoid needed techno music, but it turns out it totally does. Speaking of thumping techno music, the Space Invaders Extreme site is basically a browser rave-- which works, for us. Here are all the new Taito DS game sites: Arkanoid DS Cooking Mama 2 Exit DS The Legend of Kage 2 Pet Shop Story DS Space Invaders Extreme A demo for Exit DS will be on the game's site soon, but the link is inactive at the moment. May we suggest playing the Arkanoid demo as a way to pass the time? [Via GoNintendo]
Space Invaders Extreme gets a techno-fabulous makeover
What's the Extreme part of Space Invaders Extreme? We believe it's an extreme visual similarity to Q Entertainment's stylish puzzle games like Lumines, Every Extend Extra, and Gunpey. Or, to make a more direct connection between shooter and shooter, Space Invaders Extreme looks a lot like Rez. And you will never hear us say that's a bad thing.In fact, Extreme looks pretty cool, and not just in its presentation. The movement of the Invaders is now tied into the game soundtrack (another nod to Rez), adding a new element to the already-hypnotic Invaders experience. And, yes, the Arkanoid DS paddle controller works.
Poll results: New games in old franchises
Last week, we asked you which of the many upcoming DS sequels to NES-era classics turned your heart to a heart-shaped powerup. No surprises here: the overwhelming majority of you picked Konami and WayForward's Contra 4, which we've been hyping into the stratosphere ourselves. If you voted for Contra 4, CONSIDER YOURSELF A HERO.Of course, all of these games look unfathomably awesome, and are all winners. But in the other regard of receiving votes from DS Fanboy readers, Super Dodge Ball DS is more of a winner than Arkanoid DS, International Track & Field, and The Legend of Kage 2, in that order. The important thing is that you guys cared enough about these games to click on a button within a blog post.
Taito goes DS-only at TGS
Taito knows where the money is in the Japanese video game market: the DS. Thus it seems that they've decided to concentrate their development efforts on games for the money-printing handheld. The company released the list of games they'll be displaying at this year's Tokyo Game Show, and every single one is a DS title. Most of the games are things that we already know (and have said "yay") about, but two games are new: the first is Space Invaders Extreme, which, we hope, is either more of an update than Space Invaders Revolution or includes Akkanvader. We also hope it works with the Arkanoid paddle controller. The other is Pet Shop Monogatari DS, which is an RPG about a pet shop. The lineup includes: Cooking Mama 2, Exit DS, Arkanoid DS (and its controller), The Legend of Kage 2, Pet Shop Monogatari DS, and Space Invaders Extreme. All games that we would totally play at TGS ... if we were going. Which we aren't.
New iPod nano, classic ship with three games, no Parachute
Apple just made a whole slew of iPod-related announcements, with just the faintest hint of gamer love. Revealed during Steve Jobs' special iPod event, both the revamped iPod nano and the iPod classic will ship with three games: Vortex, iQuiz, and Klondike.Klondike is just a fancy name for that Solitaire card game we all know and love, so nothing new there, and iQuiz is a remixed version of the older iPod "guess which song this is" game. Vortex, meanwhile, is a circular, three-dimensional brick-busting game in the style of arcade classics Breakout and Arkanoid. All three titles were developed in-house by Apple, and both Vortex and iQuiz can also currently be purchased on the iTunes store.Even if the new nano is the Gimli to the old nano's Legolas, it's nice to see both it and the classic getting more into games. Jobs also promises more iPod games coming to the iTunes Store (Hey! You know what would be awesome on the iPod? Peggle!)Although not addressed during the event, it's assumed that the brand new iPod touch will join the iPhone in being unable to play any games purchased from the iTunes Music Store.
Poll: New games in old franchises
The DS is seeing an unparalleled boom in surprise sequels to venerable franchises. That leaves retrogamers and other sensible people in a dangerous financial situation. With many of these games currently yet to be confirmed for US release, we face the possibility of expensive imports, or letting them pass us by.Even if everything on this list comes out stateside, picking them all will make for a costly exercise and a terrible poll. So we're asking you to choose: given the opportunity to pick up only one new DS game based on an 8-bit series, which would you choose? A WINNER IS WHICH RETRO SEQUEL International Track & Field Super Dodge Ball DS Arkanoid DS The Legend of Kage 2 Contra 4 Free polls from Pollhost.com
Track your pain relative to others' in Arkanoid DS
Arkanoid is not especially well-suited to multiplayer. In fact, Breakout and its ilk serve as a single-player alternative to Pong: the sentient or AI antagonist is replaced by an immobile target set that requires as much precision and reflexes as the opposing paddle would (Of course, Arkanoid complicated things by adding enemies, but those are still more obstacles than opponents). When we first saw the news about Arkanoid DS, our thoughts did not go straight to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. We never said that this game would be totally awesome if it were online.But it is awesome. And it is online. Sort of. Arkanoid DS will feature online rankings, which are perfect for a classic arcade game. We look forward to sharing our humiliatingly low scores with the gaming public. We also look forward to hearing the new music from Taito's house band, Zuntata. The original Arkanoid music was sparse, limited only to a short tune at the start of the game and cues at new levels and deaths, but it's all great.[Via GoNintendo]
DS Daily: Extras
Sometimes, extras and add-ons can be great ... but sometimes, even nifty ideas (like sewing machines) don't really go anywhere. The DS has already been home to several offbeat additional devices, though they tend to surface in the Japanese market only. Recently, Slide Adventure: Mag Kid featured a brand-new control mechanism, and the wildly popular Love & Berry brought a card reader to the DS. Let's not forget the camera, either, or Arkanoid, or ... we could go on.The question is: do you want any of these? Of course, unless you import, it's probably a pointless question, but let's be hypothetical here.
Three control schemes for Arkanoid DS, two are for crazy people
You aren't limited to the awesome spinner controller if you want to play Arkanoid DS. If, for some reason, you'd like to play with the stylus or the d-pad and shoulder buttons, you go right ahead. Taito has made those options available for fun-hating people like you.Or, you know, if you don't want to pony up the extra 1,050 yen ($9.15) for the package containing the white dial/spinner, or the 1,800 yen ($15.69) for a spinner in one of the alternate colors. We must admit we do understand financial concerns. However, most Japanese DS games cost as much as the bundle, and, to us, the spinner is an integral part of the experience.
Doh commands you to look at Arkanoid screens
Arkanoid DS is a game made by people who respect classic gameplay. Taito chose to make a block-breaking game on a system with a touch screen, but did they settle for stylus-based play? No! Arkanoid traditionally uses a dial controller to operate its paddle, and thus a new peripheral was born. Each copy of Arkanoid DS will include a white paddle controller; the black, pink, and silver controllers will be sold separately for 1800 yen ($15.29).Since the game is so traditional, we were initially slightly (only slightly) put off by the choice to make the blocks square instead of the Arkanoid-correct rectangles. We changed our minds when we saw the Space Invaders level made possible by square blocks. It's only one of the 140 Clear Game levels, in addition to the Quest Mode challenges. We still play a lot of NES Arkanoid, and we really want to see Taito succeed with this. We really want the DS to become the new NES.
Arkanoid DS keeps it real with attachable knob controller
Sure, using your fingertips to control gameplay was novel at first, but we scarcely-satisfied geeks are always looking for more elaborate control schemes to wrap our sweaty palms around. For DS owners who just so happen to adore Arkanoid, that fantasy will soon be coming true, as the Arkanoid DS title will reportedly play nice with "a special controller resembling the arcade controller (complete with the knob)," and will be available in silver, white, black, and pink. As if you couldn't have guessed, both the game and the oh-so-enthralling controller have only been confirmed for a Japanese release, but here's to hoping we Americans get our chance too, even if it's a few months later.[Via Joystiq]
