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Watch Dark Souls 2 as a radical refugee from the 80s cartoon lineup
Between the faux VHS tracking, fetishistic synthesizer use and art style that's equal parts lazy anime and Trapper Keeper doodles, this amateur reimagining of Dark Souls 2 as a cartoon from the Reagan era would fit seamlessly between Saturday morning episodes of MASK and Jem And The Holograms. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Rise from your demise in this Dark Souls 2 trailer
The indomitable human spirit is the subject of this latest Dark Souls 2 trailer, which shows the punishing series isn't defined by how often you die, but what you learn from your demise each time.
Tales of Asteria announced for iOS, Android devices
Tales fans have Tales of Zestiria and Tales of Xilia 2 to look forward to, but those aren't likely to pull several Tales protagonists into one game. Tales of Asteria is, though! Bandai Namco has announced the mobile-oriented RPG with a spring release on iOS and Android devices planned for Japan. Visiting Asteria's promotional site shows some familiar faces - Lloyd, Milla, Yuri, Luke, Sophie and Cress are all accounted for. Gematsu's report states that Asteria will feature voice acting and a "cross slide" battle system. Gematsu's translation adds that the story will involve "fragments of a star that [make] wishes come true." Unsurprisingly, Asteria's inhabitants seem eager to fight over magical, wish-granting star bits, which brings in the six protagonists to solve the problem. Each hero is brandishing their own glowing object on the site's home page - we suppose stealing the star fragments for themselves could be a possible solution to the world of Asteria's conflict! Or ... you know, a great way for them to make a lot of new enemies. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Dark Souls 2 pre-orders now include early access to useful weapons
As if guaranteed defeat and crushing frustration weren't enough to tempt players into pre-ordering Dark Souls 2, Namco Bandai has sweetened the pot by offering early weapon access to those who pre-order the game's Black Armor or Collector's Edition incarnations. Far from a game-breaking boon, this bonus offers players a choice between five weapons and their complementary shields that would otherwise not be available until a few hours into Dark Souls 2. None of the armaments on offer appear to provide any spectacular bonuses, but they are a drastic improvement over the arguably functional weapons players would otherwise start their quest carrying. You'll find a full list of these readily available killing implements past the break. As mentioned above, earning these weapons early will require players to pre-order either the Black Armor or Collector's Edition versions of Dark Souls 2. We covered the contents of the $120 Collector's Edition in September, but the Black Armor Edition includes a special metal case and a soundtrack disc alongside the game for $60. Neither the Black Armor Edition nor the Collector's Edition have yet been announced for the PC iteration of Dark Souls 2, though that's to be expected given that the game's release date is still in question. [Image: Namco Bandai]
It's an encouraging start, but the real Dark Souls 2 lies ahead
Speaking as a seasoned loser of Souls, playing the first two hours of Dark Souls 2 doesn't provide the culture shock of the previous two games. Demon's Souls bellows its cruelty by killing you mercilessly within minutes of starting, while Dark Souls literally sends you round in a circle like some kind of sick joke, but there isn't something in the opening of From's latest action-RPG that screams out "I am what Dark Souls 2 is!" Not that this is a bad thing. If there is something that defines the opening beyond its genetics, it's a new attention to accessibility. Yet that DNA of slow, torturous exploration remains encouragingly unscathed.
SoulCalibur: Lost Swords heading to Europe, Australasia this spring
SoulCalibur: Lost Swords will launch this spring on PSN, Namco Bandai (soon to be Bandai Namco) announced today. The launch window for the free-to-play fighting game is for Europe and Australasian regions; no word on a North American release date as of yet. It was originally expected in winter 2013. Meanwhile, Japanese players should be able to check out the game today. SoulCalibur: Lost Swords is exclusive to PS3, and features weapon forging and discovery as well as elemental combat. According to the trailer that accompanied the announcement, players will "gather allies from around the world" by using friends' characters for support in their battles. Other than that, it is entirely a single-player experience.
Namco Bandai turns into Bandai Namco on April 1
Namco Bandai officially announced plans to change its name to Bandai Namco. The change, which spans the company's many regional subsidiaries, will go into effect on April 1. Yes, that's April Fool's Day. No, we're pretty sure Namco Ban – sorry, Bandai Namco is serious here. The publisher was the result of a merger between Namco and Bandai in September 2005. The umbrella company's logo, seen above, will be used for all of the publisher's products going forward. Up until this point, Namco Bandai used its traditional, individual Namco and Bandai logos on some of its games. For instance, Tales of Xillia sported a Namco logo, while Dark Souls featured the Namco Bandai one. [Image: Bandai Namco]
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle to see limited physical release in the West
We've known for a while that developer CyberConnect2 was planning to bring its manga-based 2D fighter JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle to Western territories, and now we have a few more details on how exactly that's going to happen. According to Crunchyroll, when JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle makes its English-language debut, the game will feature all of the updates released to date for its Japanese counterpart. Additionally, the Western iteration of the game will include an exclusive arcade mode that pits players against randomly-selected opponents. By defeating these foes your character can earn gold which is useful in purchasing upgrades and items for use in future battles. Despite the added content, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle will not see a wide-scale release outside of Japan. Instead, the PlayStation 3 game will appear as a download on the PlayStation Network, while limited quantities of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle will appear in physical, boxed form on Amazon and at publisher Bandai Namco's Club Namco online store. Both retailers have priced pre-orders of the physical game at $50. While it's still unclear when JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle will appear, Crunchyroll claims that the fighter will be released in March. When asked, Bandai Namco representatives refused to confirm or deny this timeframe. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Amazon lists Dark Souls 2 for PC release date as May 31
Amazon has listed Dark Souls 2 PC Steam keys for pre-order, with a tentative release date of May 31, 2014. Only a digital, standard version of the game is currently listed, with the Collector's Edition and Black Armor Edition nary to be seen. We already knew the console version of Bandai Namco's upcoming RPG would be coming to crush our dreams - and bones - on March 11, but were merely told we'd have to wait "shortly thereafter" for a PC version. Before you get too excited, be aware that there are some eyebrow-raising qualities about this listing: for one, the date is at the very end of the month, which is often retail-speak for "does not actually come out this day, but probably sometime around it." Second, May 31, 2014 is a Saturday - not exactly the most popular day of the week for a game to release, even if it is a game that will likely suck up most of your weekend time. Those grains of salt firmly taken into your hand, feel free to do with this information what you will. [Thanks, Justin!] [Image: Amazon]
'Delayed development' cancels Pac-Man Museum on 3DS, Wii U
Yesterday, we brought you a happy story on the free copy of Ms. Pac-Man included with early purchases of Pac-Man Museum. Today, we bring you gloomy news: The compilation's 3DS and Wii U ports are no longer planned for release. Pac-Man Museum was first announced last summer. At that time it was slated for release on Steam, Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network, and the Wii U and 3DS eShops. That story from yesterday only mentioned the Steam, Xbox Live and PSN iterations of Pac-Man Museum, prompting Nintendo Everything to contact publisher Namco Bandai. According to the site's report, both the Wii U and 3DS versions of Pac-Man Museum have been cancelled "as a result of delayed development." While this cancellation is depressing news for Nintendo devotees, those who have access to any of the platforms Pac-Man Museum will be appearing on should give the game a shot, if only for Pac-Man Battle Royale. Unless you frequent Japanese arcades, you probably won't have many other chances to experience the gleeful chaos that is four-player Pac-Man.
Pac-Man Museum arrives February 25, free Ms. Pac-Man DLC in tow
Come February 25, Pac-Man Museum will make its PlayStation Network debut, with Xbox Live and Steam versions following on February 26. Buy the game early and you can add a gratis copy of Ms. Pac-Man to your new surfeit of pellet-chomping adventures. As its name would suggest, Pac-Man Museum is a compilation drawn from the dozens of games starring everyone's favorite ravenous yellow pie chart. Included are copies of Pac-Man, Super Pac-Man, Pac-Land, Pac & Pal, Pac-Mania, Pac-Attack, Pac-Man Remix and Pac-Man Battle Royale - an especially addictive multiplayer take on the Pac-Man formula that's relatively rare outside of Japanese arcades. Those who purchase the game on Steam will also receive a copy of Namco Bandai's recent franchise redux Pac-Man: Championship Edition. Regardless of which platform you prefer, those who purchase Pac-Man Museum between launch and March 31 will receive a free copy of Ms. Pac-Man, arguably the highlight of the franchise's arcade entries. After March 31, this Ms. Pac-Man DLC will feature a $5 price tag.
Free-to-play JRPG Tales of Phantasia launches for iOS
Namco Bandai has resurrected its 1995 Super Famicom RPG Tales of Phantasia as a free-to-play IOS app supported by in-game microtransactions. The iOS version of Tales of Phantasia retains the classic JRPG's storyline and unique side-scrolling battle system, but ramps up its difficulty to encourage players to purchase optional status boosts and items that revive characters after death. Touch Arcade reports that the game's microtransaction system requires a constant online connection. Tales of Phantasia has seen numerous ports over the last two decades, including enhanced remakes for the PSOne and PSP. The majority of these ports were exclusive to Japan, however. Previously, the only existing English-language version of Tales of Phantasia was a Game Boy Advance port published by Nintendo in North America in 2006. Phantasia is the first of several Tales of... series games debuting stateside in 2014. Tales of Symphonia Chronicles will launch in February, followed by the release of Tales of Xillia 2 later this year. The latest series entry, Tales of Zestiria, was recently announced for the PlayStation 3 in Japan.
Ridge Racer Unbounded: Crashing through expectations
You know Ridge Racer, right? It's that arcade racing stalwart that occasionally revives itself for a new platform launch or awkward update, but consistently delivers drift-heavy, if not somewhat stale, racing mechanics? Or maybe you know it like I do, as a game to occasionally obsess over, to replay over and over while its electronica soundtrack bounces along in the background. Either way, Ridge Racer Unbounded is none of those things. Sure, Unbounded's driving still leans heavily on drifting, and the soundtrack is still composed of bouncy, synthetic beats, but Unbounded is an entirely different beast from previous entries in the series. It combines elements of both Split/Second and Need for Speed to concoct a hybrid Ridge Racer experience like none before, and -- at least thus far -- creates a surprisingly refined experience as a result.%Gallery-130924%
Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions save files are permanent, unable to be reset or erased
When Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D dropped earlier this summer without the ability to reset save files, gamers were justifiably mad. And though it's been over a month since that story broke, it seems that another Japanese publisher didn't pick up on the resulting backlash. Namco's latest 3DS title, Pac-Man and Galaga Dimensions regrettably contains that exact issue. According to Wired's Game|Life blog, there is simply no way to erase a save after it's been written to the cartridge. "I've looked all over, even going so far as to ask a Namco Bandai representative, and it doesn't seem like there's a way to erase the game data," the post reads, noting that this design doesn't just affect the earned in-game awards (which can't be deleted), but also high scores. That means the most recent high score is the only one that the game records -- bizarre! As Capcom's version of the save file issue sparked reaction from both retail and consumers (and, eventually, Capcom), we've reached out to GameStop for comment about Namco's own misdeeds.
Namco Bandai leading boxed retail sales in Japan for 2011 (thus far)
Namco Bandai is leading the pack in boxed retail software revenues in Japan, according to a surprising report in Japanese gaming mag Famitsu. Topping the likes of Nintendo, Square Enix, and Sony Computer Entertainment, Namco Bandai (known as Bandai Namco in Japan, where Bandai is king) is finding success with giant robots -- namely, Super Robot Wars Z 2, a PSP strategy game that sold well in April, and Ore no Imōto, a PSP adventure game. Second and third place are occupied by Nintendo and Square Enix, respectively, with the former representing 15.5 percent of Japanese software revenues and the latter taking 8.2 percent (a massive decline for both companies compared with last year). Meanwhile, Sony Computer Entertainment and Spike make up the bottom of the list, likely due to their total lack of games about super robots and the wars that said super robots continue to fight.
Majin and the Giant Collection of Screens
Click to enter the Forsaken GalleryNamco Bandai sent out a Majin-sized update for Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, bestowing upon us forty new screenshots of the boy and his behemoth. Game Republic seems to have hit upon the secret formula for emotional resonance: the quiet-looking, overgrown ruins of stone buildings, and the pair of explorers therein, give Majin game a strong Ico vibe. Just replace Ico's reedy, ethereal princess with an enormous, moss-covered Muppet and you've got Majin. Which is fine with us -- more games should take Ico as inspiration. And to be honest, Yorda would have been way more helpful if she were twenty feet tall. %Gallery-89245%
Meet your giant new pal: Namco Bandai announces Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom
Namco Bandai has announced that it's localizing Majin: The Fallen Realm, Game Republic's action-adventure about a boy and his giant, adorable monster pal. The game, now called Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, is expected to release in North America on both PS3 and Xbox 360 this summer. According to the publisher's press release, Majin stars a "cunning young outsider" who explores a kingdom that was mysteriously overwhelmed by a "dark force" one hundred years prior. During his travels, he meets Majin, a super-strong monster, and the two explore the kingdom together. Gameplay-wise, the player works with the AI-controlled Majin, who acquires new abilities throughout the game, as they solve puzzles, fight enemies, and navigate ruins together. Namco Bandai calls it an "emotional journey of courage and respect." %Gallery-86981%
RE5, Beautiful Katamari hit Games on Demand
As promised, both Resident Evil 5 and Beautiful Katamari are now available via Xbox Live Games on Demand. Resident Evil 5 is available everywhere except Korea, while Beautiful Katamari is available everywhere except India. The North American price for Resident Evil 5 is $29.99, with Beautiful Katamari going for $19.99. As usual, prices vary by region, so be sure to check your local details before plunking down the e-money. It's worth pointing out that this week also marks the release of the Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition DLC. In other words, you could actually own the entirety of the Gold Edition in a purely digital format (you know, if that's your thing). Strangely absent from Marketplace are the promised Resident Evil Avatar items, though we imagine those will be coming along shortly. Unless they're zombie outfits, in which case it may be a while before they shamble online. Shortcut: Download Resident Evil 5 to your Xbox 360 (via Xbox.com) Shortcut: Download Beautiful Katamari to your Xbox 360 (via Xbox.com)
Prope's Ivy the Kiwi? migrating to Wii and DS
In November, Yuji Naka's studio, Prope, revealed a new original IP, Ivy the Kiwi? ... for Windows Mobile. The latest Famitsu reveals that the developer is porting the game to some game consoles! Namely, DS and Wii. Namco Bandai will release Ivy the Kiwi in Japan on April 22 -- it's the first Prope game to be published by someone other than Sega or (in the case of the Windows Mobile version) Prope itself. However, despite its origins as a mobile game, and its simple pick-up-and-play gameplay (which involves stretching and bouncing drawn lines to move a bird through a maze), Ivy the Kiwi is destined for retail on consoles, at a price of ¥3,990 ($43). %Gallery-78174%
Namco registers Japanese trademark for 'Pac-Man Kart Rally'
Pac-Man World Rally for PS2 Namco Bandai has registered trademarks in Japan for Pac-Man Kart Rally -- and Pac-Man Rally Kart. It just couldn't decide! Siliconera notes that the previous Pac-Man kart racer, Pac-Man World Rally (not Rally World) was never released in Japan, so if this one is intended for Japan, it'll be the nation's first Pac-Man vs. ghosts racer. As for what Namco Bandai will use this trademark for, we have no real information. It makes sense for Namco Bandai to be thinking of releasing new Pac games on the 30th anniversary of the arcade original. Were we to guess, we would point out that there have been a lot of iPhone games out of Namco lately, and Konami recently put a mascot kart racer on the platform.
