Bleach
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TGS 08 hands-on: Bleach Soul Carnival
There are probably two questions our readers are most likely to have about Bleach: Soul Carnival, PSP's upcoming 2D chibi-reworking of the popular Shonen Jump series. First: is it good? Second: will it come out to the States? In spite of a strong following in the States (and a slew of other Bleach titles on the Wii and DS), it doesn't appear as if there are any plans on bringing any of Sony's Bleach games out of Japan. And that's a shame, really. Soul Carnival looks to be a worthwhile addition to the PSP lineup.The Heat the Soul series on PSP were met with fan excitement, thanks to their diverse rosters and impressive graphics. However, with five iterations in less than five years, it was clear that Sony had milked that franchise a bit too much. With Soul Carnival, the Bleach series moves away from being a serious fighter, to a cute 2D sidescrolling brawler.Well, we approve of the transformation. While the chibi Bleach characters will be love/hate amongst series fans, we have to say that these new cute interpretations of series favs looks rather charming on the PSP's small screen. They style works very well with the gameplay as well. The intuitive beat-em-up controls make the game instantly accessible -- an aspect crucial in good portable games design.%Gallery-34587%
DS releases for the week of October 6th
An interesting week for releases around the globe, though the news will, of course, be dwarfed in the wake of all things DSi. Among this week's noteworthy titles are Prey the Stars (at last!), and Korg DS-10 for Europe. Bleach: Dark Souls Crash: Mind Over Mutant Imagine: Babysitters Imagine: Fashion Designer New York Kage Densetsu: The Legend of Kage 2 Pop Cutie: Street Fashion Simulation Prey the Stars Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals
Bleach: Versus Controls
If Treasure is going to continue making Bleach fighting games -- Bleach: Versus Crusade is the third, a very unusual occurrence for a developer that shuns sequels in general -- we're going to have to start learning things about the Bleach series. Right now it's "that one anime with the Treasure fighting games." Actually, now that we think about it, that's enough. We don't really care who all these people are; we're quite satisfied to know them only as cool-looking cel-shaded characters in this game, who often fight in tag teams. It's possible that this game will play much like the DS Bleach games. Versus Crusade, according to this Famitsu post, supports both the Classic Controller and the GameCube controller. That doesn't rule out a continuation of the existing Wii Bleach style, but the Treasure involvement suggests otherwise.
Bleach fighting goes online in Versus Crusade
Sega has announced a followup to its Bleach GameCube/Wii fighting game series, as pretty much everyone expected -- it's a manga license, for one, and other consoles' Bleach series have been prone to sequelitis. The latest fighting game is called Bleach: Versus Crusade, which is maybe the most straightforward name for a fighting game ever. It looks sufficiently like Shattered Blade that we're going to guess that Polygon Magic is still developing.These scans from Shonen Jump reveal the first screens of the new 3D fighter, which features online battles. In addition, Sega's Versus Crusade site has opened in teaser form, promising new content on the 29th. The Sega x Bleach portal site already has a short video of the game in action (it's chapter 2 on the sidebar).
Bleach: Shattered Price
Want to try the Wii fighting game that Gamespot rated a 3.5 "bad"? No? What if we told you that it was based on an anime series? Actually, Gamespot's review score for Bleach: Shattered Blade is way on the low end of a fairly equal distribution of scores from 35% all the way up to 80%. What does that mean for us? It means we have no idea whether or not we'd like it, and neither does the reviewing community in general. If you ever wanted to try Shattered Blade, either due to Bleach fandom or love of fighting, today would be a good day for it. It's Amazon's Deal of the Day for $20.
Finally, more footage of Bleach: Soul Carnival
Sony's been keeping their upcoming PSP-exclusive chibi Bleach game under wraps for quite some time. A trailer hidden in the last Heat the Soul game revealed this upcoming 2D action title, but little has been seen since then. Well, a new Japanese ad is ready to introduce the game to the masses. The game, which will be available in Japan in October, will undoubtedly tear up the sales charts like every other major PSP release these days.
Bleach: Soul Carnival gets October release in Japan
PSP sure does have a ton of Bleach games. At least, in Japan. The upcoming Soul Carnival takes Bleach in a whole new direction. It ditches the 3D fighting of the Heat the Soul series, and replaces it with new chibi-infused 2D platforming action. This brand new PSP exclusive will hit Japan this October ... while the rest of the world sits and waits for any PSP Bleach game to release.The first trailer is re-posted, after the cut.[Via PSPHyper]
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/30-7/6
The most recent Japanese charts showed us that musical instruments have more legs than horses, as Band Brothers DX jumped up into the first place spot. Meanwhie, Nanashi no Game made its debut in the top ten, but only sold a total of 30,000 copies. Hardware sales were also interesting, as the DS stubbornly held onto the second spot: PSP: 56,439 (2,442) Nintendo DS: 47,455 (1,429) Wii: 44,525 (3,955) PlayStation 3: 14,359 (3,614) PlayStation 2: 11,768 ( 4,095) Xbox 360: 4,776 (328) With the Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G craze finally starting to quiet a bit, we don't think it will be too long before the PSP dips closer to DS sales (as long as Nintendo's handheld can maintain its own momentum). Enough about the future, though -- it's all about the now. So, go on and see how software fared last week in Japan by clicking past the break.
Bleach: The Third Phantom poisons everyone with new trailers
Bleach is cool. It's like the cool kid in a playground of anime, and the fansubbers go mental at the slightest hint of a burnt DVD collection. Hey, nothing wrong with that, it's just some bloggers feel left out, having not caught a single episode in their life. So, it's no surprise that the latest trailers for Bleach: The Third Phantom have already been downloaded thousands of times.The above video is the opening cinematic, which is pretty low-budget and lame. It's a DS game, but maybe the tiniest bit of animation wouldn't go astray. Either way, the trailer after the break shows the real meat-and-potatoes of Bleach, and you can check out the unexpected strategy gameplay in action. Fighting game, schmighting game -- this has evil flying clown things.%Gallery-20014%
Brawl Stage of the Week: Hueco Mundo
This week's stage is by IGN user Tabris_Arkangel, who had a lot of custom levels to choose from. We ended up picking "Heco Mundo" [sic] because 1) it rocks, and 2) when do you ever see a Bleach stage, really? We've featured a lot of stages here, many of them themed. But Bleach? That's not a concept we often come across.
Gamefly sales continue to tempt us
Gamefly is having a sale on some of its used-but-in-great-condition games again, also offering free shipping to spice up the deal a bit. As always, we're passings these savings along to you, while picking out a few we think are worth highlighting for their respective prices: Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire for $12.99 Dewy's Adventure for $14.99 NiGHTS for $14.99 Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law for $14.99 Manhunt 2 for $14.99 Victorious Boxers: Revolution for $15.99 Soulcalibur Legends for $15.99 Bleach: Shattered Blade for $17.99 Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for $27.99 Super Mario Galaxy for $36.99 Click on the picture or "source" link to see the full list of Wii games, but keep in mind that you might be able to find some of them cheaper elsewhere.
Fresh screens appear for Bleach: Dark Souls
Click to enter gallery When it was confirmed that the sequel to Bleach: The Blade of Fate would be arriving stateside, we were ecstatic because, as you all know, the DS needs more good fighting games. And, aside from Jump Ultimate Stars, this is to be the best. For those of you still waiting to get your hands on Bleach: Dark Souls (we realize a great deal of you imported it because you show up at Game Night), check out our gallery below. We just updated it with a bunch of new images from the game. Hopefully, it'll help you with that wait.%Gallery-17918%
No escape from these new Bleach: Heat the Soul 5 clips
For some reason, Bleach: Heat the Soul isn't on schedule for a US release. Too bad, because these new gameplay clips from the latest game in the franchise (they're up to #5 now) look pretty solid. Fighting games are few and far on our handheld -- we'd love to see something other than Naruto on the horizon. Perhaps, someone, somewhere, will head our pleas for a US release of any of the Heat the Soul games. Onegai? Until then, we're simply going to have to import the games.
Bleach: Soul Carnival trailer hidden in Heat the Soul 5
A trailer for an unannounced PSP Bleach game was hidden away in the latest handheld brawler, Heat the Soul 5. As seen by the video, this chibi 2D game is a strong departure for the franchise. This teaser is admittedly short, but we're pretty sure that Sony Japan will release more details shortly. (And, when are we ever going to see a Bleach PSP game in the US? Please?)
Bleach: Dark Souls presents bright, colorful screens
We know many of you enjoy the Bleach. Whether it's the anime, manga, or very capable fighting game on the DS (and, we suppose, on some smaller level, the cleaning product), you folks are fans. In fact, you all just might convert us!And with the Japanese sequel finally making its way to North America, we're pretty close to taking the plunge and checking out what you all have been going on about. In the meantime, we'll have to settle for the new Bleach: Dark Souls screens in our gallery. Give them a look yourself, then tell us why we need to be as excited about this game as you are!%Gallery-17918%
Bleach: Dark Souls gets Japanese boxart for North America
Those of you who've been anxiously awaiting the follow-up to Bleach: The Blade of Fate, know that the wait is finally over. That's right, folks, we now have the boxart for the game. And even though it shows a surprising similarity to the Japanese boxart, we still love it all the same. Oh, you were waiting to play the game? Dude, it's all about the boxart now, nobody plays games anymore.Horrible attempts at humor aside, this has to be one of the most anticipated DS games right now. A good 2D fighter on the DS that works over Wi-Fi?! You better believe it!%Gallery-17918%[Via press release]
Bleach sale: Time to stonewash your DS
Sega may be releasing Bleach: Dark Souls stateside this summer, but that doesn't mean you should pass up on this $18.99 Amazon deal for the original fighter, Bleach: The Blade of Fate. Really, the discounted title shares the same selling points as its sequel: Developed by Treasure Single-cart multiplayer Four-player battles Supports online matches The only advantages Dark Souls seems to have over The Blade of Fate are its new story and its expanded roster of 44 playable characters. Who actually needs that many characters?!%Gallery-12160%[Via CAG]
Bleach: Heat the Soul 5 downloadable demo
BANKAI!!! Heat the Soul 5, the latest addition to the PSP-exclusive Bleach fighting series, is available for trial in this downloadable demo. None of the Heat the Soul games have been announced for US release, so this is the only way to try the game before importing it.1. Download the demo zip file.2. Extract the contents of the zip file.3. Connect your PSP to your computer using a USB cable.4. Go to the PSP/GAME folder.5. Copy NPJG90020 folder into the GAME directory. Make sure there are no sub-directories in this folder. Check out our new demos site:demos.pspfanboy.com
Fresh screens from Bleach: The Third Phantom
We don't have to tell you that we've liked the look and turn-based gameplay of Bleach: The Third Phantom. Don't get us wrong, we like fighting games as much as the next person, but we always appreciate a franchise trying to stay fresh. It looks like Bleach: The Third Phantom might just do that.If you're looking for a fresh fix, Gemaga has some new screens up for perusal. They show off some of the in-game menus, as well as a couple battles. Anyone interested in this installment in the franchise, or do you like your Bleach to be strictly in fighting game form?%Gallery-20014%
Bleach: The One that Isn't a Fighting Game
Since we first heard about it, Bleach: The Third Phantom has lived up to its name, with Sega offering little in the way of news or screens. The official site is now full of great-looking screens of the Bleach game that somehow is a sequel to, but is not itself a Treasure fighting game. In addition to the screens, which we have collected as a gallery, the website features short animations of the combat, which still looks pretty fighting-game-like despite being turn-based. If the animations aren't animated enough for you, the "System" area of the website features a large collection of Flash animations which illustrate the game in action. The Third Phantom is scheduled for a June 26th release in Japan, and we wouldn't be too surprised to see it follow its more action-oriented predecessors in localization.%Gallery-20014%[Via Gpara]
