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Hudson says Ys coming out next week (again), may be joined by Helix
Once again, Hudson Soft has updated their Virtual Console page with a release date for Ys Book I & II. They say it will be out this Monday. Last time they dated Ys, Nintendo chose not to release it or any of the other games that had been announced for that day, choosing totally different games instead. Will it show up for real this time? We hope so. We'll have 800 points ready. Would Nintendo really do that to the same game twice? Well, okay, but will they?Ghostfire Games also sent out a press release announcing that their rhythm/exercise game Helix will be released on WiiWare this Monday for 1,000 points. We wish both companies the best of luck in having their games released.
Eletons of info about the Adventures of Kai & Zero
Siliconera interviewed Gregg Nolan, a product manager at Konami, about the upcoming Elebits: Adventures of Kai & Zero and how it diverges from the Wii game. Obviously, the most notable change is in the perspective; and, with the perspective (and the necessary control changes) comes a genre change: Adventures is now an action-RPG.Helping you on your adventure are 50 new "Omega Elebits," elemental creatures different from the normal electricity-generating Elebits (who also appear). And they shouldn't cause players to backtrack through the entire game to catch them all. "We didn't want to make Elebits: Adventures of Kai & Zero a game that was too difficult. We want it to be a pick up and play, fun experience that anyone can play. You are going to find the Omega Elebits when you need them."From Nolan's comments, it sounds like the adventure-style Elebits DS games are planned as a new, continuing branch of the franchise separate from the grabby Wii games. "Mukaitouge-san who is the producer of the first one basically said that the DS experience will be the next direction for the next DS experience. The first Wii game will be the story and the starting point for the next Wii game."Which means that yes, there will probably be more Elebits games on both systems.%Gallery-26907%
Kingdom Hearts 358/Secondhand impressions
As usual, Square Enix showed a new trailer of one of their most anticipated games, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, at DKΣ3713, and as usual, that trailer was not released to the public (see also: closed-theatre Final Fantasy XIII trailers at TGS). We may not be able to see the trailer, but attendees were, and we can at least read their descriptions.According to IGN's Jeff Haynes, the trailer introduces "an additional 14th member (of Organization XIII) who happened to be female that resembled Kairi." The trailer shows single- and multiplayer gameplay including multiple Organization members.And if the trailer impressions aren't enough, Haynes even played the game. Apparently, the computer-controlled partner in single-player is actually capable for once: "In many cases, he would land two or three strikes before we had a chance to, which was particularly useful when we were surrounded."
Gaming to Go: The World Ends with You
Ah, TWEWY. That's The World Ends with You for the lot of you, though any Japanese readers might know by it a seemingly happier name. But no matter what you call it, doesn't that acronym just rock your pretty pink socks? Seriously, stop reading and say it aloud. Do it right now. Let the letters roll off your tongue and perhaps you'll get a tantalizing taste of the title we've been raving about for the last few months. You also might sound a little silly. My bad.But what's that? You've already played The World Ends with You? Good for you! I might be treading well-worn ground with this week's edition of Gaming to Go, but Square Enix's latest epic deserves mention for one simple reason: it makes fighting fresh, fast, and -- most importantly -- fashionable. Tired of tedious turn-based battling? Tired of donning drab, colorless garments whenever you step into the war zone? TWEWY might be just what you need!What other game actively rewards you for playing in short bursts? That feature alone makes The World Ends with You an easy recommendation for a gamer on the go. Hit the jump if you need further convincing, you fashionista, you!%Gallery-11943%
A side-on view of Mega Man Star Force 3
It's been almost three months since the launch of the teaser site for the Blue Bomber spin-off Mega Man Star Force 3, but finally Dengeki has posted the first screens.These include several shots of the new side-on view that was promised for battles (as previously used in the Battle Network series). It looks like the hotness, if we're honest, but we're hoping they kept the old vertical battling display in as an option for us crusty traditionalists! Hit the "Source" link for the full set of shots.[Via Go Nintendo]
Diablo II project invites Blizzard's wrath
You would think that homebrew developers would have learned not to "borrow" Blizzard's franchises after the company's lawyers crushed the unofficial StarCraft DS port under their heels, but that's not the case!For his first DS project, French programmer Le Rodeur has decided to create Diablo II: Sorceress Adventure, an unauthorized side-story for the dungeon hack featuring the female witch class.The very early alpha (v. 000.1) released so far has very little worth noting -- a tiny sorceress sprite that you can move on an empty, tiled field. It's certainly not as far along as the StarLite alphas, which had buildable structures, touchscreen controls, and even basic multiplayer support. You can pretty much see everything the demo has to offer in the screenshot after the post break. Perhaps all of these fanmade games will finally convince Blizzard into developing for the system? Probably not! For now, we will have to settle for these doomed projects and photoshopped images of characters playing DSes.See also: Wish upon a StarLite: StarCraft homebrew
E308: Dinosaur King unearths a trailer
Our unfaltering love of dinosaurs makes us want to also love any video game having to do with such awesome and mighty creatures, like Dinosaur King. Yet, once again, the juxtaposition of cartoonish graphics with real-world imagery leaves us uneasy. We were really feeling it until the anime sprites showed up out of nowhere. Perhaps we need to actually see the show this is based on to understand the allure. At the same time, thoughts of digging up fossils, having a dinosaur compendium, and fighting dino battles are incredibly tempting. Too bad Sega didn't forgo the license and just hunt for the meat of it all. The music in the trailer makes one thing clear, though: dinosaurs rawk. Not that we needed another confirmation of that fact.Interested parties can also check out the new screens in the gallery below.%Gallery-22668%
The Sale Ends with You [update 2]
E3 news is still trickling in, but we wouldn't be the DS Fanboy you know and love if we neglected to tell you how to buy cheap games.The latest hot sale is something we've seen before -- The World Ends with You at Amazon for $29.99. Yet, that offer quickly went out of stock way back when, and many of you poor, unfortunate souls didn't get a chance to nab it at the time. In fact, from what we understand, the game is still hard to find at certain locations.You can still get the title minus the "Square Enix tax," though, thanks to Amazon's revisiting of its previous sale price. This is a game that's actually worth all $40, too, so $30 is definitely a bargain.[Update: Well that lasted a good ... half hour. Those of you who are set on the sale, it might be worth it to keep checking in at Amazon throughout the day. As of this moment, though, it seems that the price has gone back to $39.99.][Update 2: Well, what do you know, the price has gone back down to $29.99 again. That's one small step for man, and one giant "woot" from mankind. Once again tipped by supa_s -- we think he must have the magic touch.] Gallery: The World Ends With You [Thanks, supa_s!]
E308: From mop-tops to monsters, Avalon Code looks the part
Put this in your logbook: Avalon Code looks resplendent. Matrix Software has already demonstrated its mastery of the DS hardware through its remakes of Final Fantasy III and the soon-to-be-released Final Fantasy IV; and if the latest dozen screenshots are anything to go by, Avalon Code and its mop-topped hero can stand proud next to either of those. Thank goodness it's heading this way!%Gallery-22487%[Via press release and Gamekyo]
A look at Mega Man Star Force 3 through its promo stuff
While the main Mega Man series is about to have its first new release in nine years, the universe of Mega Man spinoff games continues to expand as rapidly as ever. The latest is Ryuusei no Rockman 3, the third in the Mega Man Star Force series, which is itself spun off from the Mega Man Battle Network games.Capcom will sell Star Force 3 artwork at Tokyo's World Hobby Fair, and while we probably won't have the opportunity to go buy a poster or a commemorative fan, we can look at the new character art featured on those items. In the newly detailed portrait of the Mega Man character, we can see the Hunter VG device that enables the new "Wizard" monster-summoning system.
Namco Bandai wished for a good-looking Dragon Ball game
Maybe the company completed a journey for the mystical Dragon Balls and summoned the Eternal Dragon, because short of magical intervention, it would be hard to create what Dragon Ball DS has become: a licensed Dragon Ball action-RPG that looks really, really great. It's Goku: Phantom Dragon Ball, basically.Even in scans, the sharp 3D graphics come through, and the stylus controls seem enjoyable. Shown above: the maneuver for performing the Kamehameha: scratching back and forth quickly across the screen, then slashing forward -- all while brightly colored kana spell out the signature halting "ka-me-ha-me-ha."If this successfully rips off the Zelda style, players could be in for a good time. We're excited -- if only because we're pretending it's a stylus-controlled Dragon Power remake.
The World Ends With You remix album is a sensory overload
We already know that the It's A Wonderful World + The World Ends With You remix album will sound amazing -- one only needs to play the game or listen to samples of the compilation on Square Enix's dedicated site to appreciate that Takeharu Ishimoto's magical soundtrack is one of the best this year -- but the packaging of the album will also look totally classy.Unlike the original soundtrack, this album contains tracks from both the Japanese and the North American and PAL editions of the game. It hits Japan (and the iTunes Store) on July 30th, when it will retail for ¥2,100 ($19).%Gallery-11943%[Via Go Nintendo]
Kingdom Hearts, Sigma Harmonics playable at Square Enix event
Square Enix announced the lineup of their DKΣ3713 last week, but neglected to mention which of the displayed games would be playable and which would be shown only as closed-theater video presentations. DS fans lucky enough to attend the exclusive event will find themselves extra lucky: both of the DS games on display at the show, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Sigma Harmonics, will be playable. That means that we may get some new information or gameplay impressions from this show. According to a Famitsu magazine interview with Tetsuya Nomura (as translated by NeoGAF's duckroll), 358/2 Days is in the midst of being "tuned and balanced." Feedback from attendees will help shape the final game.
Avalon Code heading west, Steal Princess, Luminous Arc staying put
Marvelous has some intriguing DS wares on the horizon, yet it looks like that's where most of it will stay -- on a horizon far, far away from the majority of us. Sob.Part of a recent financial report from the publisher contained forecasts for forthcoming releases, as spotted by a keen-eyed Siliconera commenter and posted on NeoGAF. The estimations for Avalon Code's were notable, as they included figures for the U.S. and Europe, which in turn tells us we'll be getting the diary-keepin' ARPG here in the west at some point before March 2009.Alas, we'd only just finished chest-bumping one another and shouting stuff like "HELL YEAH" when our excitement was tempered by the realization that Luminous Arc 2 and Steal Princess didn't have figures for the U.S. or Europe. This (probably) means that those games won't be localized this financial year (despite our hopes for the former). That's not to say they'll never make the trip across, of course, but for now it's one in, and two out.%Gallery-22487%%Gallery-15251%[Via NeoGAF]
Dungeon Maker digs its way west this September [update 1]
We all owe Rising Star Games several evenings' worth of drinks at the bar, for without them we western folk may well have missed out on some potentially magnificent games.And here's another one! After its recent confirmation that Dungeon Maker was coming to Europe, the company has settled on a release date of September 19th (those of you in the states needn't despair; after all, Europe is one small import away), and whipped the covers off of the PAL boxart. Doesn't that golden shovel hint at amazing possibilities? What deadly traps will it help us lay? What rare and exotic monsters and treasures will it help us ensnare? We'll know soon enough![Update 1: First English screens! Hit the gallery!]%Gallery-25001%[Via press release]
Europeans: start painting those Moogles
It's not exactly clear when the European armof the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Moogle Paint contest opened up, but it looks like it was originally set to end before June 12th, since the official rules still say that's when winners will be notified. We think it has actually just started, and that the June 12th date is supposed to be for the U.S. contest. In any case, you have from (some time) until the end of July.If you're in Europe (there's a list of eligible locations in the official rules), you've got Ring of Fates, and you like painting Moogles, you're (eligible to be) in luck! You could win framed art, a soundtrack, or other prizes signed by character designer Toshiyuki Itahana, or even have your design used in a future game! Unfortunately, you can only enter once, so you'll have to pick one KISS makeup design to use instead of submitting them all separately.%Gallery-3462%[Via press release]
More information for your Avalon Code logbook
Matrix Software's Avalon Code affords players a decent amount of customization in terms of weapons: as revealed in this latest update, you'll be able to equip a weapon in each hand, from a selection including swords, axes, crossbows and other implements. In addition, you can use items to add elemental attributes to those weapons, increasing their effectiveness against certain types of monsters. We're sure you'll be able to identify monsters' elemental weaknesses on sight, both from having played an RPG before or from possessing a modicum of common sense (if there are ice monsters, for example, they would obviously be weak against Cap'n Crunch fire), but just in case they aren't obvious, that information will be among the data gathered when you attack the enemy with your book.
A Witch's Tale casts a spell on us
NIS America's workload for the rest of 2008 is greater than we initially thought. Not only are there localizations of Disgaea and Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure to take care of, but the company is developing an entirely new ARPG, A Witch's Tale.Due in October, the game tells the story of a tribe of witches who lived beneath the world's surface, practicing rune magic. One day, they set out to invade the surface world, but are stopped by a mysterious figure by the name of Alice, who seals the witches underground again with their own magic. The trailer above is the only media of the title released thus far, and features no gameplay sections (though Siliconera reveals that players must draw runes on the touchscreen to attack enemies), but we like what we're seeing so far: there's a fairly charming gothic fairytale vibe to proceedings.
Watch dinosaurs be kings
If you like watching dinosaurs beating the snot out of each other, you'll probably enjoy the Dinosaur King trailer above. The battle animations looked pretty cool to us, and we found ourselves letting go of some of the worries that plagued us earlier.Even so, we were disappointed when watching the second gameplay trailer (embedded below), only to see that the stegosaurus has the exact same moves as the triceratops. If all the dinosaurs can do the same things, we can foresee the battles in the game getting old fast.It does seem that each dinosaur has an attack specific to its own kind, though, so we hope that will be enough to keep things interesting. Gallery: Dinosaur King
Filling your diary in Avalon Code
This gameplay trailer for Matrix Software's Avalon Code provides a nice representation of the ARPG's gameplay, as far as we can tell: fast-paced battles against big hobgoblins in silly hats, with menu controls in the lovely book-like interface on the bottom screen. Here, we can see a player switching out characters in the middle of this hobgoblin battle.Interestingly, data about the hobgoblin doesn't appear in the book until the hero has pulled off a combo attack against the creature. It appears that the basic attacks still caused damage, but that there's some kind of prerequisite for obtaining monster information.We're pretty sure the actual game will have sound, by the way.%Gallery-22487%
