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Soul Calibur IV now burns online
This is the sort of thing we like to hear. In the latest issue of EGM, Namco has confirmed that Soul Calibur IV will feature online play. The news comes straight from the game's director, Katsutoshi Sasaki, who says that online play is part of all current-gen consoles and "with the current environment, we really couldn't make SC4 without online play." We would be remiss if we didn't point out that every iteration of Soul Calibur has appeared on a console capable of supporting online play, but we digress. In other news, players will be able to take their custom "create-a-character" avatars online, though Sasaki isn't sure whether or not players will be able to trade them. We shudder to imagine all the Takis and Ivys -- wearing nothing but flesh-tone underwear -- we'll be facing online.Now, if only we could get Sasaki-San to have a talk with SEGA about Virtua Fighter 5.[Via Joystiq]
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]
Ace Combat 6 trailer locks on to internet
The first trailer for Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation has found its way onto the intertubes, courtesy of GameSpot. Much to our surprise, the game features jets and the piloting of said jets. The first in the Namco series to appear on a non-Sony platform, Ace Combat 6 looks to up the ante with an emotional plot line centered around terrorism and protecting the next generation (of people, not consoles) from harm. The trailer features lots of interaction between a mother and her little girl, jets, terrorists, and plenty of swelling music. Check it out and tell us what you think. [Thanks, Dark Mobius]
Free Pac-Man Championship Edition from GTR
We were as surprised and delighted as anyone when we Pac-Man Championship Edition turned out to be such a great game. Whether or not it will go down in gaming history is up for debate. Whatever becomes of Pac-Man CE, right now it's simply a good game. "Sure, it's fun, but what about the price?" you say. Well, we've got you covered. Actually, Gamertag Radio has you covered but we won't be bothered by semantics. The point is that GTR is giving away five copies of Pac-Man CE absolutely free. Head on over for your chance to win. Oh, and did we mention this week's episode features Aaron "this will go down in video game history" Greenberg? Well, it does. Listen to Aaron speak his mind and win free Pac-Man CE. Not too shabby, eh?
Soul Calibur IV revealed, first trailer
Good news for fighting fans, Soul Calibur IV has been officially unveiled for the Xbox 360.The trailer reveals, well, basically nothing. We see some character models, though they could easily be pre-rendered. What's more, they don't even move. Finally, we are treated with a logo and "2008." The text in the trailer also implies that Soul Calibur IV will be the last title in the series. Honestly, there isn't much to learn from the trailer. Let's hope next month's EGM -- whose contents will no doubt spill all over the internets ahead of time -- gives us something we can really sink our teeth into (this is where most blogs will make tasteless Ivy jokes).[Via Joystiq]
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.
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.
Ace Combat 6 a timed exclusive only
It was announced last month that Ace Combat 6 would be making its way to the Xbox 360, making it the first entry in the series to appear on a non-Sony platform. What was more, no announcements were made regarding a PS3 version of the game, leading many to assume that the game was exclusive to the Xbox 360. It turns out that the PS3 (and possibly other platforms) will see the title, though not simultaneously with the 360. According to a post on PS3Forums, the latest issue of PSM confirms that the game will be a timed exclusive for the Xbox 360. The length of the exclusivity period isn't mentioned. Even though it's only a timed exclusive, it's interesting that Namco would release a long time Sony exclusive on a Microsoft platform first. At any rate, more console love is better for everyone, right? Prepare to fly the deadly skies later this year.
Beautiful Katamari for 360 now on Gamefly
It looks like Beautiful Katamari is now as close to official confirmation as possible. A listing for the game has appeared on Gamefly, ready to be inserted into your queue (ewww) at a moment's notice. The game is slated for an October 30th release, though that could easily be a placeholder date. It's not official confirmation, but we find it hard to believe that Gamefly is in the habit of offering games that don't exist. Hit the "read" link to see the game's entry on Gamefly.[Via Live Gamer]
Ace Combat flies onto 360
Wow, it's quite a day for new 360 titles that were once Sony exclusives. First Capcom announces that Devil May Cry 4 will be making an appearance on the Xbox 360, and now we've learned that Ace Combat 6 is making the jump as well (we should really start keeping a checklist). A flight combat game, Ace Combat has graced only Sony platforms since its inception, with entries in the series landing on PS1, PS2, and the PSP. The news comes from Pro-G, who in turn pulled the info from the latest Famitsu. Very little is known about the game except that it will feature combat between two factions. Online versus and co-op are also expected. The game is scheduled to arrive some time in 2007. Could this open the door for more major Namco franchises on the 360?
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!
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]
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.
Ken Kutaragi to become Chairman of Cellius
BandaiNamco and SCEI today announced that they are forming a new Tokyo-based subsidiary company, Cellius, in a bid to develop fresh content for Sony's Cell Broadband Engine. Cellius will be in the hands of "PlayStation's dad", Ken Kutaragi, who will be appointed as the new company's Chairman. Initial investment from BandaiNamco and SCEI is approximately US$824,000; SCEI will have a 49% stake in Cellius, with BandaiNamco controlling a 51% share. Although there are no plans for Cellius to work directly on PS3 games, the new outfit will be producing "interactive entertainment" and "business contents" when its doors open on March 6. What those terms actually entail, we'll just have to wait and see, but perhaps Ken Kutaragi will now have a fair opportunity to show us what he was talking about at last year's Tokyo Game Show conference. Click through for the Japanese (PDF) press release.
Ms. Pac-Man waka wakas XBLA this week
Okay, we're prepared to accept all the cries of "hypocrite!" when we say this, but we're excited to announce that Ms. Pac-Man is this week's Xbox Live Arcade release. Normally we trash retro offerings, but as retro games go, it doesn't get much better than Ms. Pac-Man. The superior sequel to Pac-Man (duh), Ms. Pac-Man ups the ante with more speed, more levels, moving fuit, and, um, a bow. We kind of wish Namco had released Ms. Pac-Man to begin with, but then how would they ever have sold us Pac-Man? The game drops this Wednesday and will be available for 400 points. Check out the "read" link for more screen shots.You may now proceed with the shouting.
Square Enix (almost) bares all at Jump Festa
1UP has again braved the bands of manga-fiending young'ns to investigate the happenings at this year's Jump Festa jumpoff. While all major Japanese publishers (and Microsoft) were present, Square Enix was reppin' in full force, offering playable versions of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP), and Seiken Densetsu: Heroes of Mana and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (both for DS). Trailers for additional titles were also on display (see embedded videos below). In a private theater, Square Enix previewed more new footage from its upcoming 2007 lineup, including a glimpse at Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PS3). The montage concluded with a brief flash of an armored man, grimacing as he stood on what appeared to be a battlefield. The teaser shot was followed by the words: "And something new coming in 2007."
Tales of Destiny 2 screenshots
Tales of the World isn't the only Tales game heading to Japan. Bandai-Namco is adding yet another excellent Tales game to the PSP library, which continues to expand, much to the anguish of American PSP owners. Jeux France has tons of new screenshots of Tales of Destiny 2, a port of the popular PlayStation 2 RPG. Unlike Tales of the World, this game features some old school 2D graphics. However, with large, eye-catching sprites, and some cool battle animations, ToD 2 will most likely look quite stunning on the portable screen. Expect it to hit Japan in 2007, and potentially never come out in the US. Boo.
