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Giant monsters are coming to Japan
There aren't many details about Daikaiju Battle Ultra Coliseum, but Namco Bandai is bringing the game to Japan this summer. All we know is that it's a fighting game, involving giant monsters. While that's not much to go on, it sounds pretty fun to us -- taking a giant robot (like the weird guy pictured to the right) and beating up on a Godzilla-like character or other monster would be too cool. Hopefully we'll see some trailer footage soon. Thanks to the freeloader and the nature of fighting games, if this one incorporates just the right amount of cheesiness, it might be worth the import.[Via Siliconera]
Eminence records Soulcalibur IV orchestral score
Eminence, a Sydney-based orchestra known mostly for their renditions of popular anime and videogame scores, has been tasked to record the orchestral set pieces for Soulcalibur IV. All in all, Eminence recorded seven music pieces at Trackdown Studios in Sydney, Australia. Eminence's director and concert master, Hiroaki Yura, told IGN that the music they recorded was "mostly the opening, the ending credit, player selection [screen] ... and a little bit of battle music."Junichi Nakatsuru, the composer for Soulcalibur IV, was also on hand to oversee the recording of his masterpieces. He stated that he was conscious about bringing out the game's story through music. Not just the new title's story but the series long tale: "This Soulcalibur IV project itself is basically the result of all the previous Soulcaliburs and I'm taking all the good bits [from those games]... and building on them."With a talented group of musicians working on a passionate composer's work, it's safe to assume we can expect to hear excellent music in the final game. To hear just how good Eminence sounds, have a listen to the clip after the break. The clip showcases music from a game unrelated to Soulcalibur; however, we think you'll be impressed from the mad skills nonetheless.
Check out Sky Crawlers in motion
Should you happen to be as excited about Sky Crawlers as we are, you might be interested in this trailer -- even if it's just a total tease. We can't tell much about the game from this video, but it sure does look nice. We like the oldschool planes, too, as opposed to modern jets, but maybe that's just us. Here's hoping that more info on Sky Crawlers gets released soon! %Gallery-18921% [Via Gemaga]
Breaking sweat with more Family Trainer shots
GAME Watch has posted new shots for Bandai Namco's Athletic World: Family Trainer (known in the U.S. by the far blander -- not to mention inaccurate -- moniker of Active Life: Outdoor Challenge), as well as lots of snaps featuring people jumping on, crawling across, and twisting on the Power Pad Family Trainer mat that ships with the game. Oh, and leaning, obviously. We hope it's sturdily constructed!If you've been keeping up with our coverage, you'll have already acquainted yourself with the events on display, but hit the "Read" link below to gawk at plenty of new screenage.[Via Jeux France]
Tiny Sprites of Gundam
Gundams are huge -- 50-foot-tall mechanical monsters that leave great shockwaves as they traverse the battlefield. Except, of course, in strategy games like Emblem of Gundam, in which Gundams are tiny, thumbnail-sized sprites, rendered so small due to the need to cram as many as possible onto the screen.The latest screenshots put aside the cinematic presentation in favor of the real game, which has a lot of numbers and a lot of little robots. Custom teams can be built from a stock of mobile suits on each side. Each unit seems to add to a team's total attack and defense value, which seems to affect the first-strike ability of the attacking team.
Taiko Drum Master: So many guests
Taiko no Tatsujin: 7-tsu no Shima is turning into the Love Boat of DS rhythm games: a massive confluence of guest stars at various levels of notoriety. Also, much like The Love Boat, the music is great.Not only will Doraemon, the Oshiri Kajiri Mushi, and characters from Namco Bandai's own The Idolm@ster be popping in, but the seven titular islands will play host to even more game characters. Adorable little animate tiles from Mojipittan (a version of which is launching on WiiWare today) will dance, presumably to "Futari no Mojipittan," the game's signature tune. Characters from the horror/comedy manga (and, of course, DS game) GeGeGe no Kitarou spook it up, as do characters from the similarly gothy-cute Fukoumori. The Spelunker (of Spelunker) is no doubt happy to get a break from heights for a while.Finally, yes, those are the Power Rangers -- sort of. Our Power Rangers have undergone countless team, costume, and even show changes, because the Japanese shows from which they use footage (pretty much everything in costume) change. The latest such Japanese show, and the one represented here, is Engine Sentai Go-Onger.
Sky Crawlers gets more screens and a website
If the time is just crawling for you until Sky Crawlers comes out, at least there's now an official website for the game to keep you busy. The site is in Japanese, but it's not too hard to click on buttons and hope for the best. There's not much to see at the moment, though, except for the snazzy screens we've conveniently added to the gallery below. So, those of you who are afraid of the cold, harsh arms of the internet don't even have to leave the safety of Nintendo Wii Fanboy for now. Reminder: Make sure to click on the "Hi Res" button when viewing the photos, or else you're just a fool.%Gallery-18921%[Via NeoGAF]
We're not cheering for We Cheer
It turns out another cheerleading game that's not Ouendan is coming to the Wii. Can we get a facepalm, please?Not that we have anything against cheerleading. We're just curious why there's a sudden revival of the sport, which has inspired two companies to bring it to the Wii. Seriously, people, it's been years since the Spartans SNL sketches or Bring it On made the general public view cheerleading as anything other than an excuse to ogle cute girls.Nevertheless, joining THQ in the pep parade is Namco Bandai with a game called We Cheer. There's no word yet on whether Namco's game will involve the balance board, too, but we think it's a safe bet (think We Ski). We hope this is the last cheerleading game we'll ever have to write about; unless, of course, iNiS feels inspired to bring an Ouendan adaptation to the Wii. We'd be totally fine with that. Seriously, iNiS, make it happen.*Note: Looking up "cheerleader" in Google Image Search is absolutely scandalous.
Duel Love: it's educational
Duel Love may seem controversial, but it's just another DS training game. There are training games on the DS that cover all sorts of subjects, from driving to cooking. Why not one about caring for high-school boys who take part in a secret fight club? And, uh, nipple rubbing?Think about it this way: what if you were to come across a kid who just got beaten up in a tournament-style fistfight, in such pain that he can barely whisper a request for a massage? How would you attend to his bruises? How would you know how to give him the most effective massage? That's where Duel Love comes in.Apply gentle pressure to the post break to see a couple more videos!
Sky Crawlers screens soar past our expectations
We have one word to describe Sky Crawlers: Gorgeous. Yes, looks aren't everything, but we're too busy mopping up our own drool to care about such technicalities. Also, since the game is being made by the same people behind Ace Combat, we're going to bet that the gameplay in this will be just fine. At the very least, the controls sound solid. Simply enough, you move your plane around with the Nunchuck, and then point and shoot with the Wiimote. The best shots of the game are in our gallery (below), but some more Famitsu screens are posted after the break. So, click away if you're looking for some nice Wii eye-candy.*Note: The pictures look best when viewed in their full resolution, so make sure to click here to see them in their glory. If you prefer, you can also click on the "Hi Res" button in the gallery.%Gallery-18921%
Ace Combat team making Wii flight sim
Click for larger version. Remove Petit Copter from the equation, and pickings are awfully slim when it comes to Wii flight sims. So what's a budding Biggles to do? Pray for a Wii update to the absolutely flawless* Pilotwings 64? Well, that's one option (and something we do on a daily basis anyway), but Bandai Namco is hoping to provide another in the form of Sky Crawlers, a flight game based on an animated film that's to be released on August 2nd in Japan.The latest edition of Famitsu has the first shots of the title, in which the Wiimote doubles up as your throttle, and the nunchuk is used to steer. Even though the film is based on a fantastical premise -- youngsters fighting a war organized by adults as a form of entertainment -- the game features realistic visuals.In summary, we're keen to see more of this, particularly as it's developed by the same team behind the Ace Combat series. With any luck, we'll be able to banish the craptacular likes of Wing Island from our memories forever.* Seriously, don't argue with me here. Like, seriously. I have maimed for less.
Fill your cuteness quota with this Taiko Drum Master 2 DS trailer
If this trailer doesn't melt your cold, embittered hearts, then you might as well resign yourself to a life alone, never loving anyone because you're just a tin man. Okay, maybe we took that too far, but come on! Smiling drums, happy music, ninja cats ... it's all one giant bundle of cuteness.We told you yesterday about the various instruments in Taiko Drum Master: 7 Islands' Adventure, and this video shows them in action for a few seconds. We also love the customizable elephant Taiko drum, and -- can we reiterate -- ninja cats!Rhythm games and quirky Japanese titles are right up our alley, so we enjoy this series because it incorporates the two. Is anyone else getting pumped for the next Taiko Drum Master?
Mojipittan supports Wi-Fi, still doesn't support English
We're a little wistful when we look at the new Wii Ware Kotoba Puzzle Mojipittan. It's a game built around making Japanese words, so there's kind of an inherent problem with localizing it. The Wii Ware version, just like every other version, is therefore locked away in Japan forever.But it looks so fun! And the use of the hiragana syllabary means that novice-to-intermediate Japanese learners could play it a little without having to worry about kanji. This particular iteration of Mojipittan, in addition to only costing 1,000 Wii Points, has another feature that makes it especially interesting: online play for two players.In addition to the normal Scrabble-like game, this Mojipittan features a "War Mode" in which players battle over board territory with their words, with the winner occupying the most space.
We Ski gets the Kirby treatment
The Japanese boxart for We Ski (Family Ski over there) used a simple ski-resort signage theme. It may not have been the most exciting boxart, but it's pretty nice-looking, and kind of serene. Very vacation-y. The American boxart dials the serenity way down and the excitement way up. We expect the totally extreme skiers here to be headed back to the lodge to slam some Chibi Mountain Dew. Except for the guy in the back, who just came along because there was an extra ticket, even though he doesn't really like skiing.The facial expressions remind us of Nintendo of America's frequent edits of Kirby boxarts. Nintendo knows that if we're going to buy a game about a spherical pink baby, he had better be one angry baby. A few examples can be found after the break.
We can actually understand this Emblem of Gundam trailer
It's odd for a Gundam game trailer to be in English, since there's only about a 0.1% chance that such a game will end up in English-speaking markets. The language choice of this trailer is also strange, considering that it's on the official Japanese website for the upcoming title, Emblem of Gundam. Maybe Namco Bandai knows that everyone in Japan is going to buy the game anyway, so they're trying to encourage imports. In any case, if you'd like to check out the newest trailer for Emblem of Gundam, we've tucked it away after the break. It doesn't tell us much about this title that we wouldn't already expect, but it will help whet the appetite of the Gundam fanboy or girl inside of you.Warning: The video will autoplay if you venture past the break.
Taiko Drum Master sequel needs more cowbell
Further securing its place on our list of games that need to be imported, Taiko Drum Master: 7 Islands' Adventure will feature more than just a drum. Siliconera reports that the game will include six other percussive instruments, like a tambourine, a bell, and, well -- some other types of drums. There may even be more instruments at hand, but we're going to guess that it stops at seven, since there's a "seven" in the game's title (eat your heart out, Sherlock Holmes). It may be a rather simple addition, but it's a nice enough change to add a little bit of freshness to the Taiko Drum Master series. If your looking to import this game, you won't have to wait long; it's set to release in Japan on April 24th.
Family See-saw Fighting Trainer
Namco Bandai has released new screens of the events in Athletic World: Family Trainer, including a couple of new games that weren't covered in the last roundup. "Kenken Step" involves dodging stone idols that move toward the player (we think), and "See-saw Fight" is actually a kind of Twister/Simon/DDR thing in which players hit a specific spot on the Family Trainer mat in response to onscreen cues, with see-saw level representing performance.Amazon now has a boxart for the American version of the game, called Active Life: Outdoor Challenge, as well as a potential September 20th release date and a $60 price. Since it's impossible to talk about this game without comparing its sales potential to Wii Fit, we'll say this: ironically, this game's game-ness may be its biggest liability. Wii Fit makes a concerted effort to be an exercise program with some little minigames in it, focusing on things like weight tracking and exercise training and such. Outdoor Challenge is a video game that requires movement. The "expanded audience" will be more interested in the "serious" exercise tool, and gamers will still find Outdoor Challenge too non-game-like. But on the other hand, $60 is probably less than Nintendo will charge for Wii Fit.
Tekken 5: DR gets modes, rumble support in new update
Namco will soon be re-energizing the PS3 version of Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection with a new update coming March 18. The update is set to bring on a few changes by adding gameplay modes, DualShock 3 rumble support, and doing a little patching up of things all around. The most notable addition to Tekken 5: DR is the Pickup Match Mode that let's players continuously fight new opponents without having to switch back to the matching room. This change will probably make the experience feel more arcade-like as there's a quicker transition from match to match. You can also change your match search settings after the brawl, just in case you want to face another type of opponent. Other tweaks call on the ability to create/display names for rooms, an added flag option for rooms which toggles certain search/fight conditions, an adjustment to the point allotment system, and match results are now unrecorded when Rank Match is set to off. After reading all that, we bet you can't wait to fire up your PS3 and grab that update. Hold on just a sec there, you might want to sit down for this: this update is currently only for the Japanese version. Yep. We feel your anger; however, we're positive this baby will be coming our way soon. Namco probably just needs to test the waters and make sure everything is all hunky-dory before unleashing this killer patch upon the rest of the world.
Bubble Wrap Keychain: The Game for Wii Ware
Bandai's "Mugen Puchi Puchi" keychain was a huge success in Japan, fulfilling the near-universal love of popping bubble wrap. The draw is that it simulates bubble wrap but never runs out (the name translates to "infinite pop pop"), and playing wacky noises on every hundredth pop. It's as bizarrely compelling as it sounds.And now it's going to be a bizarrely compelling video game! Ouchi de Mugen Puchi Puchi Wii is a game based on the premise of "oh, hey, bubble wrap!" You'll be able to squeeze bubbles with the Wiimote, scoring combos based on popping in time with the game's music. Each of around 40 stages will have a different background, music, and bubble popping sound! The game will also randomly test your stress level, which is almost guaranteed to be chill. We're calling it right now: this is our most-wanted Wii Ware game. Bandai Namco has to do the right thing here and localize it.
Soulcalibur IV box art: PS3 = dark side
Ooh, our comrades at XBF found these two uber-cool box arts for Soulcalibur IV. The cover art, minus the lightsabers, showed up on Gamestop's website. It appears that these pack shots play heavily on the Star Wars guest characters, Yoda and Darth Vader, creating a strong light-vs-dark theme. The box arts seen here could very well be just placeholder until the actual ones come out; however, they do look quite similar to Soulcalibur II's artwork that also featured guest characters.While we've definitely got the cooler guest character in Darth Vader, the 360 version has series heartthrob, Siegfried on the cover. They've also got the Soul Calibur sword and the new female character Hilde, while we've got Soul Edge and everybody's favorite buxom babe Ivy. Now XBF asked their readers which one do they think has the better design, and we're doing the same! So which one do you like better?[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
