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Puzzle Quest 2 and Ancients of Ooga hit XBLA June 30
It's pretty much accepted that none of us here at Joystiq are good people. We have to wonder, then, just what we did to deserve a much-desired sequel and a new NinjaBee game in the same week. It's a mystery for sure, but Major Nelson has announced that both Puzzle Quest 2 (as previously dated) and Ancients of Ooga are slated to arrive on Xbox Live Arcade next week. If you want to dip into some puzzle-fueled role-playing, you'll need 1200 MS Points ($15) for Puzzle Quest 2. Meanwhile, the gastronomic platforming of Ancients of Ooga will run you 800 MSP ($10). Check out a new trailer for Ancients of Ooga after the break.
Puzzle Quest 2 drops on XBLA June 30
Clear your schedule, Xbox 360 owners: you're going to have an ongoing appointment with some gems in the next couple of weeks. D3 Publisher has announced a June 30 release date for the XBLA version of Puzzle Quest 2, at a price of 1200 Microsoft Points. If you're wondering how you'll possibly survive the agonizing nine-day wait, may we suggest the DS version of the same game? It's out ... tomorrow.%Gallery-95954%
Puzzle Quest Chapters 1 and 2 free on iPhone this weekend
Whether you're bored, cheap or in desperate need of a new on-the-go gaming addiction (perhaps for that long flight out to the west coast for a major electronic entertainment convention?), you'll want to hop on the App Store with all available haste to take advantage of a pretty wicked offer. For this weekend only, the first two installments in the pseudo-episodic iPhone version of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords have been rolled into one totally free package. The third (and final) chapter of the game is still selling at its usual retail price of $1.99, but we wouldn't worry too much about that. It's not like you'll be compelled to get that far in the game because it's super, super addictive or anything. Download: Puzzle Quest Chapters 1 and 2 (Free)
NintendoWare Weekly: X-Scape, Ben 10, Wild Guns
Even though it's a holiday here in the US, Nintendo has released a plethora of new downloadable titles for the Wii and DSi. It's a great thing, not simply because OMG moar gamez, but because it gives us a distraction from the day's festivities. There's only so much of Aunt Linda's trip to the Grand Canyon we can listen to, you know? %Gallery-86442%
Hands-on: Puzzle Quest 2
"So would you call this a return to form?" I asked Infinite Interactive's Steve Fawkner right before I picked up the controller to play Puzzle Quest 2. "Yes, very much so," he replied. Fawkner isn't shy about admitting that Puzzle Quest Galactrix deserved a few of the lumps it got from fans ("They didn't like it when minigames blocked progress on the main game"), and so when his team set out to create a full-fledged sequel to the gem-matching, role-playing hit, they wanted a good mix of updated gameplay that didn't stray too far from what made the first title so good. And from my short play session, it seems that's exactly what they got. A lot has changed from the first Puzzle Quest, and while fans will miss a few things (my beloved Druid class is gone!), most of the changes are in service to, and succeed at, making the game more fun. %Gallery-88301%
Namco Bandai game segment records annual losses ... but Ben 10 sales soar!
Namco Bandai's "Content" segment, which combines its video game software and arcade machine products, recorded ¥6.86 billion ($74.68 million) in operating losses for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010. The division proved the most costly for the company, which also runs a successful "Toys & Hobby" segment, in addition to several other businesses. Overall, Namco Bandai suffered ¥29.08 billion ($317.28 million) in net losses for fiscal 2010, but the company forecasts a modest turnaround in net income of ¥4.5 billion ($49.1 million) for the current fiscal year. The games segment, which this fiscal year includes the previously separate "Visual and Music Content" division, is forecast to post ¥3.5 billion ($38.19 million) in operating income over the next four quarters; aided by an estimated 90 game releases, which are predicted to bring in ¥88 billion ($960 million) in sales. In fiscal 2010, Namco Bandai software sales, which encompassed 86 titles (or 225, if you're counting localized versions), totaled 22.737 million units and ¥77 billion ($840 million); with portable games accounting for a significant 9.701 million units sold. Multiplatform versions of Ben 10 Alien Force and its sequel, Ben 10 Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks, in the US and Europe during the fiscal year, combined to sell 1.89 million copies alone. The console version of Tekken 6 was the publisher's only title to move more units than either of those two Ben 10 games. A third Ben 10 title, Protector of the Earth, added another 610,000 units sold in the fiscal year. Across all Namco Bandai products, "Ben 10" the franchise racked up ¥17.9 billion ($195.3 million) in sales. Not quite Mobile Suit Gundman numbers (¥34.6 billion), but still. Head past the break for the complete list of Namco Bandai's top-10 bestsellers and sales distribution by platform.
Puzzle Quest 2 trailer for DS drops in
If the Puzzle Quest 2 XBLA trailer last month wasn't your thing, check out the promo for the portable version of the RPG puzzler. The trailers are almost identical, except that all the XBLA shots are replaced with clips showing almost the exact same scenes on the DS. It's certainly good for comparison. D3 Publisher has already stated that Puzzle Quest 2 on DS will not be plagued by the loading time issues found in Galactrix so if that's been keeping you up at night, rest easy. %Gallery-88300%
Puzzle Quest 2 trailer is a real gem
Infinite Interactive and D3 Publisher would like to remind you that they have claimed your free time this spring. Puzzle Quest 2 is on the way, bringing back the diabolical alchemy of match-three puzzles and fantasy role-playing that turned us all into gem-hoarding monsters the first time. As the trailer above shows, Puzzle Quest 2 features an entirely new storyline, so we'll get to meet new characters just as memorable as whoever it was we were playing as between rounds of the puzzle game last time. %Gallery-88300% %Gallery-88301%
D3 serving God Eater to North America in Q3 2010
Namco Bandai's God Eater debuted to strong sales in Japan upon its release on February 4. Namco Bandai -- or rather, its subsidiary, D3 Publisher -- has wasted no time in announcing a localized version of the PSP action RPG. The Monster Hunter-like God Eater, targeted for a Q3 2010 release, puts players in control of "God Eaters," people fighting against the monsters that have overtaken the modern world. They do this with transforming magical weapons called Jinki -- giant weapons that become beast-like when powered up. While you wait for Q3 to arrive, why not try the game right now? You can download the Japanese demo from the game's website.
This Wednesday: Matt Hazard brings 'Blood Bath & Beyond' to XBLA, PSN on Thursday
Faux video game legend Matt Hazard returns (this time, for real) in Blood Bath & Beyond, blasting his way onto XBLA and PSN this Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. The 2D side-scroller has the protagonist battling through his "classic" gaming past, fighting "pirates to penguins; lighthouses to laser-wielding astronauts; Mounties to mechanical rhinos" for $15 (1200). The idea behind Matt Hazard sounds so perfect on paper: take thirty years of video game cliches and mock them. Sadly, as evidenced by Matt Hazard's first outing, Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard, instead of creating humor from the conventions, it ironically relied on them for the core gameplay -- thus, creating a game that invariably could mock itself and was its own punchline. Hopefully, this time around Hazard will make the jokes instead of being one. %Gallery-74470% Source -- This week on Arcade: Matt Hazard [Major Nelson] Source -- Parody Alert!!! Matt Hazard [PS Blog]
D3 Publisher: Puzzle Quest 2 won't have Galactrix's load time issues
As exciting as the prospect of Puzzle Quest in Space might have been, the excitement offered by Galactrix was completely derailed by the game's outrageously lengthy load times. However, in a recent interview with Kotaku, D3 Publisher's Michael Cerven claimed that the recently announced Puzzle Quest 2 won't be plagued by the frequent intermissions, as developer Infinite Interactive "rebuilt the DS engine from the ground up to be fast and perform smoothly with very quick load times as opposed to retrofitting the lead SKU code for the DS." If Cerven's claims are true, we suppose this is good news for the impatient puzzle-solvers out there. However, we got so much stuff done during Galactrix's near-constant loading screens. We even learned to speak Esperanto! Ĉi tiu estas rakonto pri videoludoj!
Bioshock 2 coming to Japan, courtesy of D3 Publisher
Good news, Japan! D3 Publisher is localizing Bioshock 2 for you and, this time around, you won't have to wait that long to get your ADAM-soaked hands on it. Andriasang reports D3 Publisher will release the 2K Marin, et al.–developed sequel sometime in early 2010 -- presumably close to the February 9 US release date. We just hope the new Japanese ad campaign dials back the completely frightening a bit.
Hands-on: Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond
As disastrous as the first game was, there's no denying that the Matt Hazard concept has potential. The games industry has been around for decades now, and it's ripe with material to poke fun at. Blood Bath and Beyond, D3's upcoming download-only sequel to the first Matt Hazard, embraces the legacy of retro games by becoming one: this side-scrolling 2D shooter is unapologetically old-school. Matt Hazard's "in your face" attitude is immediately evident from the moment you see the difficulty select screen. You can traverse the game through "Wussy" mode, but real gamers will want to play in "Damn This is Hard" mode -- with the most daring playing the Contra-inspired "F**k This S**t" mode, which kills players in just one hit. Like its retail predecessor, Blood Bath and Beyond struggles to be innovative. However, at least this iteration of Matt Hazard succeeds far more at getting the basics right. This is a simple game: simply run around shooting enemies. Weapon selection is gone, as well. You can run over power-up boxes and use upgraded weapons (like flamethrowers and shotguns) with finite ammo. %Gallery-74470%
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix jumps onto PSN this week
The PlayStation Blog has sent a sub-space transmission that Puzzle Quest: Galactrix will materialize on the service this Thursday, May 7, for $20. The Puzzle Quest sequel arrived earlier this year on other platforms to mixed reviews -- with the DS version having its own special loading issues.So, take a spin around the galaxy this Thursday, and hopefully the jumpgate hacking missions won't make you experience Galactrix's patented brand of frustration.%Gallery-16892%
This Wednesday: Galactrix Flocks things up on XBLA
The good news: Flock and Puzzle Quest: Galactrix are both headed to Xbox Live Arcade this week. The bad news: They will cost you not only an arm, but also a leg to obtain. Flock clocks in at 1200, while Galactrix will set you back two Hamiltons (aka 1600). If you can live without a couple appendages -- what with computers doing everything these days, you probably can -- you can enjoy the space-faring successor to Puzzle Quest and ... erm ... a UFO-enabled herding sim. Herding is more fun than it sounds, trust us. %Gallery-28184% %Gallery-16892%
Namco Bandai now owns 95% of D3 Publisher
Namco Bandai has gobbled up 19,990 shares of D3 Publisher, giving them ownership of 95.02% of the company. Siliconera reports the house that Pacman built has purchased the majority of the company at a combined buyout value of 1,239,380,000 yen ($12.55 million). In mid February, Namco Bandai -- who at the time made deals with D3's board, resulting in a 70% ownership of the company -- announced plans to purchase the remaining 30% of D3 Publisher stock. The remaining shares were purchased at the originally announced offer of ¥62,000 (US$626) per share (which sounds crazy to us). D3 Publisher owns the overseas rights to the Ben 10 franchise as well as the Vicious Engine, the back end that powered such PSP titles as Dead Head Fred and 300: March to Glory. D3 is also responsible for Dark Sector and the OneChanbara franchise. Can someone say "buyers remorse?"
MTV's Totilo: DS version of Galactrix plagued by load times
Considering our outrageous, unslakable handheld lust for Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, we didn't think anything could keep us from diving back into our dual-screened device for a go at Galactrix -- though a report from MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo is giving us slight cause for concern. According to Totes, the DS version of the game suffers from "surprisingly long load times." Yes, he said the DS version -- not the Commodore 64 version. We were confused at first as well.Totilo said that the four to five-second load times occur before each puzzle, during mission selection and when checking inventory. Doesn't sound like much, but as he assures us, "it adds up." Anyone else notice their precious seconds being squandered whilst participating in some interplanetary gem-swapping?
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard launch trailer
There is one overriding fear present as we watch the Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard launch trailer. It's clear that the developers are attempting to create a parody of some of gaming's most tired stereotypes. That's a neat concept, and one we can get behind. The fear is that if the game doesn't have decent gameplay -- a likely possibility at this point -- all the humor in the world doesn't matter. Without fun gameplay, you see, all you're left with is a title full of gaming's most tired stereotypes. At least the trailers are funny, though.
Galactrix may not arrive Feb. 25, Xbox.com is a big fat liar
Much like Xbox.com's fiction about an Exit 2 release today, it was apparently also being a lying liar telling fibs about Galactrix's release next week. Siliconera spoke to a representative for redundant publisher, D3 Publisher, which informed the site it had "not confirmed" a date for the XBLA version of the crack-infused RPG puzzler.Sure enough, changing from yesterday, the Xbox.com page now notes that Galactrix's release is T and B to the D (i.e. to be determined). The only way to be sure and play Galactrix next week is to purchase it on DS or pirate it from the web pick it up for PC on February 24.[Via Siliconera]
Xbox.com lists Puzzle Quest Galactrix for Feb. 25
Xbox.com has updated its previous listing of Puzzle Quest Galactrix to note a February 25 release date. If this date holds, it means the XBLA version will not require a six-month wait again, arriving in XBLA's virtual retail space around the same time as the DS and PC versions.We contacted publisher D3 and the company could not confirm the date nor pricing at this time. For those who still haven't tried Galactrix, the follow-up to multi-platform sleeper hit Puzzle Quest, there's always the Flash-based demo available. However, we recommend anyone with addictive personality traits not come within a parsec of the title.[Via GameBytes]
