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Child of Eden preview: Son of Rez
After dazzling a room of Tokyo Game Show attendees with an extravagant Child of Eden demonstration, designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi offers a far-too-modest appraisal of his "multisensory shooter." This level's still early, he apologizes, and the game currently shares no statistics upon completion. And sorry, but there's no Game Over screen. It's like sitting down in an opulent French restaurant and being told by the waiter that -- sorry! -- the kitchen isn't dishing out cheeseburgers and mini donuts tonight. Later, I ask Mizuguchi if Child of Eden, which he describes as a "feeling good game," even needs to introduce something so contrary like a Game Over screen. Does this mesmerizing mix of thumping music and abstract visuals really need an element of failure? %Gallery-103243%
The Genki Rockets promote new album in Shibuya
Fans of Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Lumines games should be familiar with The Genki Rockets. The group of unnamed artists, including Mizuguchi himself, has performed a number of Lumines tracks, the most familiar of which is "Heavenly Star." The group is preparing a new album, creatively titled Genki Rockets 1. To promote their new album, the group played a show at the Shibuya Apple Store and performed various songs from Lumines II.Songs from their performance will be available on iTunes later next month.
No More Genki Rockets
You'll be able to acquire VHS cassettes featuring music videos in No More Heroes, for viewing back at Travis's nerdtacular home (on an apparently tiny TV, judging from our hero's posture.) The first such video to be revealed is Genki Rockets' "Heavenly Star," which is appropriately nerdy for inclusion in the otaku-fronted game.How nerdy is "Heavenly Star?" Well, the song's not about Doctor Who or anything, but it is performed by a group of fictional musicians who are from the future. Like the Gorillaz, the Genki Rockets manifest as holograms in live performances. And this (gorgeous) video was produced by Q? Entertainment's Tetsuya Mizuguchi for inclusion in Lumines II. Of course, you don't need to wait for No More Heroes or go buy Lumines II to see the video; we've embedded it after the break.
PSP cases for girls with expensive taste
In case there are any fellas in dire straits to find the perfect gift for that very special girl gamer, we've got a potential deal maker. The PSP cases shown are a collaborative effort between X-girl, PS Pictogram, dance group Genki Rockets and luggage manufacturer Porter. Each case costs 9,975 yen, which makes it about $110 in U.S. currency. It even comes with buttons. Come on, you know she's worth it. Go ahead and splurge. [Via Kotaku]
Mizuguchi-produced single to grace Japanese phones
"Chaku-song" and "chaku-movie" represent Japan's most popular system for getting full songs and music videos to replace traditional ringtones on cell phones. And now Tetsuya Mizuguchi is in on the game, with the release in Japan yesterday of his Genki Rockets' "Heavenly Star" track in the "chaku-song" and "chaku-movie" formats. Phone users in Japan can download the soaring technopop of "Heavenly Star" (vocal and all) to their handsets for just ¥105 (US$0.88), with the music vid going for ¥315 (US$2.64). Welcome to synaesthesia, indeed.
Heavenly Star now available on iTunes
Genki Rocket's Heavenly Star is now available on the iTunes Store for 99 cents. It's easily one of the fan-favorite tracks from Lumines II. Of course, if you're a PSP Fanboy, you probably already have the song for your PSP.[Via 1UP]
Japanese Lumines II to feature expanded soundtrack
I praised Lumines II's soundtrack for its breadth and diversity. However, it looks like the upcoming Japanese release of this puzzle favorite will improve the already impressive song lineup by adding more Japanese music into the game. 1UP reports that artists like DJ Ken Ishii and the Genki Rockets will have additional songs, making this version of the game something importers and Mizuguchi collectors will certainly want to keep an eye on.The game's still far off: February 15th for 4980 yen ($43). The game won't be published by Bandai Namco, as previously expected. Rather, it will be self-published by Q? Entertainment, making their very first foray into publishing.
Exclusive: Heavenly Star fan pack
As you may already know, Lumines creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi has made a music video for the upcoming video-infused Lumines II. The catchy tune by Genki Rockets has been stuck in my head for the past few days, and I decided to share the love through this exclusive Heavenly Star fan pack. Included in this zip file are 20 PSP-formatted wallpapers, the song as an MP3 and a PSP-formatted version of the music video."While most of my creative energy has been devoted to video games, because music plays such an important role in them, it seemed ideal to create an original music video," Mizuguchi stated about his original creation. Lumines II hits stores on November 7th. DOWNLOAD
