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SCIV scans: medieval cleavage galore
Hot on the heels of the revelation that Soul Calibur IV will feature online play, images pulled from the related EGM article are beginning to hit the internet. The images come to us courtesy of Xboxygen, and they are quite, ahem, revealing. We are of course referring to the amazingly supported female naughty bits (made even more amazing considering the game takes place in an age before the underwire bra). The image above also reveals a well-wrought thong (or a spectacularly painful wedgie). Ogling aside, the images certainly do look sharp. We also have to point out that one shot contains a dodo. Given that Soul Calibur IV looks to be the last in the series, the fact that it contains an extinct bird seems appropriate. Here's hoping the gameplay does a better job of evolving (ba dum bum, psh!).Hit the "read" link for more images.
Virtual bubblewrap: the best / worst gadget ever made
Bandai Asovision has taken possibly the most enjoyable side benefit of having a gadget obsessed life and made it 100% legitimate with the PuchiPuchi, a gadget that emulates the joy of popping bubble wrap. The PuchiPuchi simply features eight buttons that each make a popping sound when you press them: for extra enjoyment, the creators have sought to include bonus popping sounds like "door chime" and "sexy voice" every 100 pops, and there's also a one-in-a-thousand chance that your PuchiPuchi will be a super special "puchi lucky" toy with a heart shaped bubble. Frankly, the concept is so absurd -- and, well, Japanese -- that it might just work. Still, we've got to admit to hoping that each PuchiPuchi includes a healthy portion of real bubble wrap on the side.
Tamagotchi: Party On! for $18
Reviews for Tamagotchi: Party On! haven't been favorable, but if you've ever wanted to compete against your friends in an election for the Sparkling President of Tamagotchi planet, have we got a deal for you! Amazon is selling Namco Bandai's minigame collection at a bargain price of $17.99, shipping them out for free with orders totaling over $25, as usual. The deal ends today, and we don't expect the game to stay in stock for long, so snatch up a copy now, while you can![Via CAG]
Ace Combat 6 stick cheaper than a real jet
Namco Bandai has announced that it will release a special bundle for its upcoming aeronautical adventure, Ace Combat 6. The bundle will include the game, a limited edition Xbox 360 faceplate and the sweet flight stick combo seen above. The stick is manufactured by HORI, makers of the ultra-hard-to-find Dead or Alive 4 arcade stick. But how much does it cost, you say? Not $89.95! No, not $79.95. Not even $69.95! That's right, the Ace Combat 6 bundle will retail for ... $150! The bundle is expected to arrive this holiday season. Any flight sim junkies out there willing to take the plunge? [Via Joystiq]
Afro Samurai going the way of the video game
Let's run through the list: Samurai combat? Check Exagerrated afro? Check Voicework by Samuel L. Jackson and Ron Perlman? Check The hip hop-infused anime Afro Samurai has all the elements of a game destined for greatness. Namco Bandai showed a trailer for the game and, according to Game Daily, looks to have "lots of acrobatics and plenty of swordplay." Licensed games historically have been of subpar quality, with some exceptions. If they can get Jackson and Perlman to revise their roles for the game, we're sold.See Also: How to make The Boondocks into a video game
Taki's back in Soul Calibur Legends
We knew that in addition to Siegfried and Ivy, Soul Calibur Legends would feature other playable characters from the series. Everyone's favorite underdressed ninja, Taki, is joining the roster, to help the other two battle wave after wave of wimpy-looking mummies and three-foot-tall ninjas. Astaroth is also visible, though it's not clear if he's a player character or an enemy.Of course, now that we think about it, putting a female assassin in the game hews even closer to Death By Degrees territory. Well, Soul Calibur was always better than Tekken, so maybe the spinoff action games will follow the same pattern!
Translate! Ultimate Stars
Jump Ultimate Stars is one of the most popular DS games with importers. Since it's a fighting game, it's not a huge deal to play Jump without knowing Japanese, but there are a lot of missions that may be difficult to figure out. Also, the game actually tries to tell a story, which is rare for a fighting game. Abel Tamayo wrote in to tell us about a wonderful wiki project he's managing, called, appropriately enough, the Jump Ultimate Stars Translation Project. We've seen amazing fan translation projects from single translators, but never a project done in a collaborative wiki format. It's a great idea, one that will allow tragically busy people to help out. If you know Japanese, why not sign up? Translating a fighting game-- that's another rarity. SNK never bothered to do it.
Soul Calibur 4 about to reveal its true form
Ever since the announcement was made that Soul Calibur was getting a little side story treatment on the Wii, the fighting game enthusiast crowd let out a collective sigh. They expected a big, next-gen announcement of their favorite fighting franchise. Namco Bandai heard you, oh brave warriors! In just a few short weeks, make your way to the nearest corner store and pick up a copy of the freshest EGM you can find. They'll be unveiling the first look at Soul Calibur 4.As EGM said, "if you're truly looking to give your opponent something to cry about, it's all about wielding sharpened steel, and nothing beats Namco Bandai's Soul Calibur series for weapon-based fighting thrills. In our world-exclusive preview, we'll reveal the future direction of this beloved series." We know the future direction! It's definitely headed towards the PS3 and probably the 360. We can't wait to grab our copy on July 3rd. Once we get the info, we'll gladly forward it to you.
Tamagotchi movie to prove whether kids really will watch anything
Sure, we all feared this day might come, and while we had certainly hoped that the ten-year anniversary would mark the close of a craze that should have never happened, it looks like Bandai is going to milk this thing one more time. Of course, we saw new life in Tamagotchi land earlier this year, but in a new movie set to debut this December, several of the Tamagotchi characters will be thrilling youngsters and annoying parents by "befriending a human girl who shows up at their virtual home on a star." The animated picture will be distributed by Toho Company, and while we're not certain if this flick will actually make it to US soil, let's hope for all of our sakes that it stays fairly contained.
Namco not happy about PS3 sales, states new plan
Namco Bandai shot out a statement recently that went over their latest software plans for the next-gen consoles. Citing slower sales than expected from the PS3, they imagine their Gundam Musou title (Dynasty Warriors: Gundam outside of Japan) will only sell 300,000 copies instead of their previously estimated 500,000.From their statement: "PS3 did not make a good start, which will make the transition from the old game console to the next generation system more prolonged than we had earlier thought. This will keep a lid on sales of our video games in the first half, although we believe that sales of PS3 will increase in the second half (to March 2008)."Namco Bandai announced a total of 23 PlayStation 3 titles in that time frame (24 for the 360) and the Nintendo Wii gets the majority of 37 titles. This translates to one thing: multi-platform. If the PS3 sales are slow, which they are, then Namco Bandai isn't going to stick around and keep making exclusive titles on Sony's platform. Why else would there be more for the 360 than the PS3? They've got one exclusive, we think, and most of the others will be multi-platform. Whatever the case, let's hope sales pick up so Namco Bandai can make a fantastic game utlizing the full potential of the PS3.
Mobile Suit DS Lite
As if packing 500 characters, 300 mobile suits, and over 120 stages from 15 different Gundam series wasn't fan service enough, Bandai Namco plans to release a special edition DS Lite bundle with SD Gundam G Generation Cross Drive. The customized, crystal-white handheld will feature the same red branding seen on Amuro Ray's Rx-93 ν Gundam in the animated film, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack. It's doubtful that the strategy-RPG game or the DS Lite will ever make it stateside, so interested parties will likely have to settle for importing when the title hits Japanese shelves this August 9th. The bundle's 21,840 yen price tag comes out to approximately $183, but expect to pay a premium if you're buying from an online shop. Head past the post break for a look at SD Gundam G Generation Cross Drive's packaging and screenshots.
Namco Bandai present incredible earnings
It's no secret that Namco Bandai is a huge advocate of Sony and the PlayStation 3 -- just like how Capcom might be a huge advocate for Microsoft and the XBox 360. There's no shame in it. Every developer and publisher might find their niche in certain hardware and dev kits. That's why when Namco Bandai (hereafter known as NamBan for the heck of it) released their earning statements for the period ending March 31st, we must rejoice at their success.First up, NamBan's full year profits were in the green with a 71% growth, despite slower-than-expected sales of the PS3 and its games. The last quarter ending saw an increase of 1.8% in net sales (about $3.83 billion). Most game sales were generated in Japan, with heavy hitters including Gundam, Tamagotchi (seriously?), and Power Rangers (seriously!).They're doing well and expect to increase further next year. They propose a 4.5% increase to net sales, operating income to rise 6.6%, and net income to go up by about 9.3%. None of this matters, though, unless we go out and buy their games. So, everyone together now, let's say that tired line we know and love: Riiiiiiiiiiiiidge Racer! Break!
Keep up the neighbours with four player Drum Master
Namco Bandai have announced that Taiko: Drum Master will feature a four player mode in its forthcoming DS incarnation. Previously popular in the arcades and on PS2, the rhythm action title is based on Taiko, the Japanese drum. The game will support download play from one cart, so maybe you'll want to start persuading a friend to head down to your local import shop. Players can drum along to a variety of musical styles, ranging from Jpop to classical via the theme from Super Mario Brothers. You'll also be able to customise your drum with a selection of cute costumes. With this due out in summer, and Ouendan 2 on its way soon, it looks like rhythm action fans are in for a treat over the coming weeks.Screens after the break.
Rock 'em sword 'em robots
It's a Gundam!! Namco Bandai has launched the official site for its recently-announced Mobile Suit Gundam MS Front 0079 title. Set to hit Japanese stores this July 28th, the 20-plus-year-old franchise shows no signs of slowing down with its second game for the Wii console in just a few months. We spotted footage of the FPS in action at the teaser page, and have embedded them for your mecha-loving enjoyment after the post break. The barren setting looks unimpressive, but the videos give you a good idea of how the Wii remote will be used for melee combat and aiming with ranged weapons. Judging by what we've seen so far, Mobile Suit Gundam MS Front 0079 might be our first chance to finally wield something resembling a lightsaber on the Wii!
Monolith Soft now part of Nintendo's monolith
All those Wii and DS profits must have been burning a hole in Nintendo's pocket, because they went developer shopping and picked up Monolith Soft. We guess they really liked that one screenshot of Disaster: Day of Crisis.Monolith Soft is responsible for the reviled Xenosaga series (the Japanese limited edition release of Xenosaga II included the unfortunate figurine seen here, nicknamed MOK-KOS), the crossover strategy game Namco X Capcom, and, in conjunction with Tri-Crescendo, the two Baten Kaitos games. Maybe now we'll get that pseudo-religious science-fiction Kirby RPG we've all been waiting for!
Nintendo buys Xenosaga dev Monolith Soft
Japanese development studio Monolith Soft has been purchased by Nintendo from Namco Bandai, according to a press release (PDF file) from credible Japanese news source Nikkei translated by gaming site The Platformers. Our team of translators have discerned from the release that Nintendo now owns 80% of the company's stock, while Namco Bandai still retain 16% of their original 96% holdings in the developer, whose total worth is approximately 75 million yen.The studio, formed in 1999 by former Square employee Hirohide Sugiura, is responsible for the Xenosaga and Baten Kaitos series. The company is also reportedly developing Disaster: Day of Crisis, a Wii title that hasn't been seen since its appearance at E3 2006.We've contacted Nintendo further details. For the console maker, this gives them an experienced second party RPG developer. We'll keep you updated as this story progresses.[Thanks for the translation help, Patrick and Andrew]
Gundam 0079 revealed, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core announced
We have yet to get the first Gundam game in the US, and Bandai Namco is already moving on to another one. Whereas SD Gundam SCAD Hammers used the pudgy lil' SD Gundam characters, this one is based on Gundam 0079, which is serious business. We've got a scan featuring the first images from the game after the break.Also announced, but not yet shown, was a Wii version of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core-- this is apparently 2D Fighter Announcement Week. We're a little scared to see how a precise 2d fighting game will use the Wiimote, and we're hoping that we can skirt the issue with configurable Classic Controller functionality. At least until Hori gets around to releasing a wireless joystick.
US gets equipped with Mega Man Star Force cartoon
Mega Man series fans have something else to look forward to in the near future, besides the never-ending stream of spinoffs and sequels. Viz Media has licensed the anime adaptation of the latest spinoff, Mega Man Star Force (Ryuusei no Rockman in Japan) for US audiences.The story is some baffling thing about a human kid merging with an alien entity called Omega-Xis to become Mega Man, which we're sure will make more sense after we play the game. It makes us a little nostalgic for the sparse robot vs. robot storyline of the original Mega Man series, but not the original Mega Man cartoon. Do you think the cartoon will be good enough to promote a game with three versions? We make fun of Capcom for all the Mega Man overload, but we're huge fans and will no doubt fill our TiVos with episodes of this series.
Ace Combat 6: a Timed exclusive for the 360
Back when it was just a rumor circulating a Microsoft-centric website, Famitsu scans revealing Sony-staple Ace Combat 6 pushed onto the 360 seemed like another hit against Sony. Turns out it is, but it's not a critical hit for massive damage. Just a regular ol' hit, since it has recently been revealed that the title will be a timed exclusive for the 360.The news is taken from the PS3Forums, but they've gotten the information from the Official XBox Magazine, so we're going to let this one slide as the truth. The thing is -- when the PS3 owners get their hands on it after a few months, what sort of special features or tweaks will have been made? Seems we've something to get excited over after all. Oh, and no, the screenshot isn't the actual boxart. But it's a cool one.
Namco bringing compilation title to the DS this Summer
Namco Bandai has announced today that they plan on bringing a new title to the DS this Summer. With a title like Namco Museum DS, we wonder what it could include? Lucky for us, we have a press release that spells it all out. This game is to feature 8 different titles from Namco's past. These titles, which are their best-sellers (natch), include: Pac-Man Pac-Man Vs. Galaga Xevious Dig Dug II Galaxian Mappy Tower of Druaga Namco Museum DS will retail for $19.99 when it hits retail shelves this Summer.[Via press release]
