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This $250,000 Gundam will rock your, uh, socks
What's better than a 5-inch Gundam? Why a 5-inch Gundam slathered in platinum with diamonds for eyes, of course. This $250,000 robot soldier is manufactured by Bandai and will be on display next month at Baselworld, in Basel Switzerland. You know, for the big watch and jewelry show everyone's been talking about... sheez. Great, but we're not interested until this can be produced on a 1:1 scale.[Via Impress]
Bandai hatches Tamagotchi handset, coming to AT&T
Just in case your kids haven't gotten into WoW, MSN, or any other addictive pursuit, Bandai and PlayPhone bring drug-like amusement to cellphones with Tamagotchi (see our playful mockup over there on the right). Tamagotchi as a game isn't anything terribly new on mobiles, but unique on this prepaid mobile device is the ability for kids to convert their prepaid minutes to credits on the Tamaphone.com website. Youngsters will be able to pick up things like wallpapers, ringtones, and games all on their own without a credit card or any adult interaction required (of course, parents will still have control over what they are up to at the site). No word on when this little hatchling will pop up, but it should ring in at roughly 100 bones and will make its home on AT&T's network. Based on the the Motorola V190 of old, it ain't exactly packed full of the absolute newest tech, but kiddies will likely adore it.
Osu! Tatakae! Nodame Cantabile!
We've already helped a student pass his exams in Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, and then we reunited a little girl with her dead father in Elite Beat Agents, so what's the next challenge on our rhythm-gaming plate? Turning our eyes towards Namco Bandai Games' Nodame Cantabile, it looks like we'll be conducting music with a ragtag class of students. The Nintendo DS has been home to many manga/anime licenses, so it's no surprise seeing the shoujo series appear on the handheld. Judging by what we've seen so far, the game plays like a simplified version of Ouendan. Players tap a series of floating notes in time with the music, filling up a "life" gauge with each successful hit. Missing a beat depletes the gauge, ending the level when the gauge is emptied. A flash demo of the game has been put up to promote Nodame Cantabile DS, and you don't even need to know any Japanese to play! Check it out after the post break. [Via NeoGAF]
EB Games wants to sell you PS3 Time Crisis with gun
EB Games lists a PS3 version of arcade game Time Crisis 4 that might be released late this year. Sure, a "no image available" page with little other information doesn't usually interest us, but this might-be $89.99 game might include "Guncon," which might be a PS3 version of the light gun. Maybe. Is this another Namco Bandai exclusive?The GunCon and GunCon 2 connected with a wire to previous PlayStations, but we can only imagine that a PS3 version would work wirelessly over Bluetooth. (Seriously, our imaginations are that good.) And as long as we're imagining, why not include some Sixaxis controls to look or move?Namco Bandai hasn't officially announced a PS3 version of the game and told us the company chooses not to comment on the EB Games listing.
Rumor: Namco Bandai hard at work on three... games? [update 1]
Remember Cellius, the subsidiary company formed by Namco Bandai and the head of Ken Kutaragi? You'd be forgiven if your memory is a bit hazy on the matter, since the $824,000 investment had naught to show for its efforts at the time. Today brings a different story, however, along with a slew of scans supposedly escaping from the pages of a recent Famitsu issue. It would be wise to sprinkle the word "supposedly" throughout this entire post, as these images have migrated hands and servers so many times, it's difficult to pinpoint their source or level of authenticity.[Update 1: The caution was justified, it seems. Our Japanese translation slave brings up the following points: These likely aren't scans at all -- they're either mock-ups or leaked page template files. There is no confirmation that these are PS3 games or even games at all! Team Aces is behind the wheel, however, and they recently made Ace Combat 6 an Xbox 360 exclusive... If Cellius is involved, it is not evidenced here. While this new information doesn't rule out the possibility of these being PS3 exclusives anyway (the internets would certainly like to believe so), it would be wiser to take a step back and merely view these as new-gen game concepts. Though the stunning screenshots of Brave Arms, Chain Lim!t and Second Season 01 could represent target renders or similar technical tomfoolery, the abundance of guns, explosions and atmospheric lighting conveys quite a bit of excitement nonetheless. Take in the full scans images after the break.
First HD DVD/DVD Twin disc hits U.S. in June, along with new HDi features
Add one more dual format disc type to the pile, as Bandai Visual will bring the HD DVD/DVD Twin disc to the U.S. June 26, with the release of its bestselling OVA Freedom, and will also be one of the first releases to include HDi network capabilities. As opposed to the combo releases so far that have HD DVD on one side, and DVD on the other, the Twin disc allows up to three layers of either HD DVD or DVD content on the same side of the disc, no flipping necessary. Your old-school DVD player might have trouble with the disc, so its been limited to Japan-only releases so far. Bandai's been working with Microsoft and Memory-Tech to tweak the VC-1 codec for Japanese anime, and the company says after this they will start releasing other HD DVD and Blu-ray titles in Japan and overseas. The SRP for Freedom Vol.1 (of 6) is $39.99 and while we don't know much about the series beyond its mix of CGI and 2D animation, it does heavily represent that most holiest of foods, ramen.
Is Beautiful Katamari coming to the 360?
That radio lounge of orangeness Orange Lounge Radio is reporting that Namco's Beautiful Katamari will be gracing the Xbox 360 this October. OLR claims that the information comes from someone in the video game distribution circle and even goes as far to nail down a date and price. They say we'll be seeing an October 17th release for Beautiful Katamari with a retail price tag of $39.99. We're always skeptical about rumors and so the validity of this news (though, OLR defends their story), especially since the Katamari franchise has been built upon a not so solid foundation. No less, we'd love to roll balls of junk around on our 360 this October and think a lot of fanboys would enjoy the colorful experience at a $40 price point.[Via Joystiq]
Treasure Gaust battle mode screens
Treasure Gaust, Bandai Namco's Pokemon-esque monster game that uses magnetic fields to generate monsters, is headed toward a Spring 2007 release in Japan. We've got some new screens that show off the battle mode, which is more Pokemon Stadium than Pokemon Ruby, in that it is presented in full 3D. We like the pseudo-cel shading they've used.Treasure Gaust's battling appears to be more action-based than Pokemon, as well. Players pick three creatures and battle with an opponent's three creatures in an underwater arena. You can capture defeated enemies to train them as partners. If a monster-collecting game with more action and more mysterious natural forces sounds good to you, then this may be exactly the game you're looking for! At least, it's as close as anyone's ever going to get to that specific description. We hope Banco decides to localize this one, because we're eager to play with the magnetism gimmick.
Mojipittan will help you learn hiragana, humility
No, it's not another training game. Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan (Word Puzzle Mojipittan) is a Scrabble-style board game from Bandai Namco in which players use characters from the Japanese hiragana syllabary to spell words. Therefore, it's really, really, really hard to play if you don't know a load of Japanese words, and basically impossible if you can't read hiragana. Mojipittan has appeared on other platforms before, but as the Shockwave demo says, "The stylus makes it simple!" We suggest giving the demo a shot and seeing if you're up for some wordplay. The bouncy music and adorable tile mascots may convince you to enroll in Japanese classes.[Via GAME Watch]
New Tamagotchi Party On screens
If any Wii games have been lacking in vibrant color, it's because Tamagotchi: Party On! took all the color from a year's worth of games. Seriously, this game more than cancels out Sadness in mood and, especially, in color saturation. In these screens, we can see what looks like a game board-- we would guess it connects the minigames, in the style of another well-known minigame collection.This is, at least in terms of visuals, the most charming minigame collection we've seen since Incredible Crisis. Will it be as much fun? At least minigames have the potential to be more interesting with unique control schemes like the Wiimote provides. Check out some screens after the break!
... and the Quickspot trailers just keep on coming
Another pair of trailers have been bestowed upon us for the upcoming game Quickspot. And we've already laid the details on the line for you, so we'll just point you past the post break for some new trailers on the game. The pair of trailers, which are officially the fifth and sixth, show off some more gameplay as well as the menu screen interface. [via press release]
Tamagotchi Party On! gameplay videos
Why didn't anyone tell us that Tamagotchi: Party On! was so adorable? We could have been staring dreamily at it since the Japanese Wii launch. What a missed opportunity.Party On! is a minigame collection about trying to become the president of Tamagotchi Planet, and is full of edgy political satire cute competitive games that involve shaking hands, opening kind-of-unsettling animated doors, and directing traffic, from what we see so far. We love the appearance of this game, which recalls Parappa the Rapper without actually being flat. Speaking of Parappa, the Tamagotchi DS games were developed by Parappa creators Nana-On-Sha, but this one seems to be the work of an internal Namco Bandai team. If we ever hear confirmation that Nana-On-Sha is developing for the Wii, you will hear about it immediately. We will interrupt your regularly scheduled websites. Enjoy some videos after the break![Via GoNintendo]
Quickspot goes gold
NamcoBandai just sent us a press release stating that its game Quickspot has gone gold and is expected to meet its date with retail shelves in the U.S. on March 13th. For those unaware, Quickspot is a title where players must spot the differences between a pair of seemingly identical images. Time is of the essence, as players must not only have eyes as sharp as an eagle's, but be fast with the stylus as they mark the differences on the dual-screen handheld's touch-screen. The game is to release with a MSRP of $19.99 US.Check past the post break for the press release, if you're into that sort of thing.[via press release]
See if you can spot this new Quickspot trailer
NamcoBandai sent us over some new footage for their upcoming title Quickspot, giving us all a better idea of how the final product will be. We already knew the game was going to be a time-based affair where the player needs to spot differences in two pictures, but we didn't know that it would look so fun. With the right price, we could easily find ourselves adding this title to our library.The trailer has been embedded past the post break for ye olde convenience.
Tales of Phantasia 2 for DS?
Rumor alert! NamcoBandai is allegedly planning a load of new, and new-ish, games in their Tales series for Nintendo consoles. The rumor gives titles for three new (potential) games, one of which is headed for the DS. If internet rumormongering is to be believed, Namco is working on a 2D sequel to the oft-ported Tales of Phantasia. We can't comment on the veracity of the rumor's specifics, but it seems likely that more Tales games are headed, in abundance, to every platform that Japanese gamers like. Not only has the series already made its dual-screened debut, RPG-spamming has been their modus operandi since before the DS was popular. Now that the most popular console in Japan by far is also the cheapest to develop for (being a handheld), continuing the trend seems like a Tale of the Obvious.
Two new Tales games for Wii?
Rumor has it that NamcoBandai is planning two new games in their popular Tales series-- well, one new game and one new-ish game-- for the Wii. The PS2 Tales of the Abyss, as the Internet would have us believe, will get an upgraded port on the Wii, with new content and improved loading. In addition, a new game called Tales of Harmony is possibly in the works, which will take place 10 minutes (!) after the end of Tales of the Abyss. Get 'em both (if they're real) and you've got an epic RPG marathon!For unattributable rumors, they seem awfully specific, which makes them either more credible ... or credible enough fakes that we will reward the con artists responsible by believing them. We choose to believe, because the Wii could use some Japanese RPGs! We think that the one-handed Wiimote would be a great, relaxing way to play an RPG.
Bandai's Human Player virtual "pet"
We've seen some virtual pets over the years, but we're not entirely sure what to make of the virtual pet. Do you mate them and create strange new breeds? Or fight them to the death via IR? Apparently (and hopefully) neither this time; Bandai's new Human Player is a little more like you than an amorphous pixelated blob. You start by taking a 50 question "Eco-Gram" that assigns your little avatar one of 22 personalities, which commingles (or rejects) other Human Players, and establishes quaint, confined "interpersonal" relationships. Hits Japan for ¥2,980 ($25); it's certainly a new take on the virtual pet, but still a little creepy for our tastes; we're strongly hoping this isn't how we get reincarnated.[Via Kilian Nakamura, thanks Michael]
Magnetism-based monster collecting game from Namco Bandai
A DS game is on its way to Japan featuring something new to a Nintendo system -- a gimmick. Entitled Treasure Gaust: Gaust Diver (and coming in "Crimson Red" and "Deep Blue" versions -- thanks for that trend, Pokémon), the game is based on a popular Japanese handheld toy that requires kids to hunt magnetic fields; when they find one, it apparently generates some kind of trainable monster (thanks for that trend too, Pokémon.) Insert Credit, in their report on the game, equated it with the old Barcode Battler toy, which made Campbell's Soup labels mm, mm, powerful for like one whole summer.While we question the wisdom in training children to intentionally expose their electronics to magnets, we love the idea of using video games to give little practical physics lessons, and we love the idea of tying the real world into gameplay in unexpected ways. This game makes a nice companion piece to the momentum-based Wii game we're working on, TV Buster.[via Insert Credit]
Japanese women's mag turns to gaming
We can see it now: Cosmo DS, complete with thousands of relationship quizzes, hairstyle tips, and healthy recipes. Could it work? Maybe not here, unfortunately (this blogger might, y'know, rent it), but a women's magazine in Japan is gonna give it a go. Anan, a fashion-and-more mag, has hooked up with Namco Bandai to produce the latest female-friendly craze (at least, they hope) in Japan. A few screens have surfaced -- hit the jump to give 'em a peep.
Bandai at the International Toy Fair
While Mattel and VTech are doing their best to keep kids imaginative, or at least assimilate them into the gadget-filled world, Bandai's new creation lets kids "live the Tamagotchi life 24/7." Forget "edutainment" and prepare your child for life as a WoW gold farmer, heavy raider or professional ganker. The new Tamagotchi Connection V4 lets your child enjoy his or her virtual pet through every stage of virtual life, including going to school and choosing one of 15 careers -- and hopefully a few solid years in a retirement home telling anyone who will listen how when it was young, pixels were this high. The V4 will be followed by the V4.5 in the middle of the year, and both versions will let you take your pet online for more games to play and items to win, while offline you can communicate with your friends' Tamagotchis via IR.
