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See more of Sine Mora in its first trailer
It's been about a year since we last heard anything about Sine Mora, the shmup from Grasshopper Manufacture and Digital Reality -- and what we heard then was that it existed. Now, as the next GamesCom approaches, we have our first look at the "diesel-punk" shooter in a new trailer. Sine Mora takes place in a world of retro-futuristic submersible biplane things, mecha steamships, giant octo-bots, and overwrought voiceover. We'll get the opportunity to inhabit this world (and shoot everything in it, of course) via XBLA and PSN "this winter," the trailer reveals.
Warner Bros. picks up Lollipop Chainsaw for Western release
Grasshopper Manufacture's cheerleader-versus-zombie action game, Lollipop Chainsaw, will be released outside of Japan in 2012, thanks to Warner Bros. Interactive. The publisher announced a new partnership with Lollipop's Japanese publisher, Kadokawa Games. That seems like a good match -- both companies are media conglomerates who have only recently expanded into games. Warner is using those media connections to bring in some Hollywood talent: writer/director James Gunn (Slither, Dawn of the Dead) will "bring his cult humor and edgy storytelling to Lollipop Chainsaw." Considering that the Suda 51 game already appears to be 100% cult humor ... that's a lot of cult humor. If WB is putting this much effort and cash into the writing, it seems possible that the company could go so far as to market the game, something that didn't fully happen with Grasshopper's last game. [Image: Famitsu]
Grasshopper Manufacturing 'Lollipop Chainsaw' for PS3 and 360 [update]
Being a secondhand report of data out of an early leak of Japanese mag Famitsu, it's only right to approach the news of Grasshopper Manufacture's Lollipop Chainsaw for PS3 and Xbox 360 with skepticism. The reports also describe it as a game about a cheerleader raised by zombie hunters, who uses her acrobatic training and a chainsaw to destroy zombies ... which certainly sounds like a Suda game. Additionally, the zombies will spray pink blood on the screen when destroyed, something that Siliconera says is meant to convey a "pop" feel. According to Andriasang, Suda 51 is serving as creative director, with the very busy Akira Yamaoka working on sound. It's reportedly 70% complete, and will be published by Kadokawa Games. Update: Famitsu has posted the first artwork and screenshots of the game, including the above screen.
Shadows of the Damned director Guarini leaves Grasshopper, forms Ovosonico
Though the marquee names associated with Shadows of the Damned were Suda 51, Shinji Mikami, and Akira Yamaoka, it was Massimo Guarini who actually directed the stylish shooter for Grasshopper Manufacture. He'll have a chance to amend that crediting oversight with his new studio, the just revealed Ovosonico Productions. Grasshopper confirmed to us that Guarini has left Suda 51's camp-heavy dev house. GameSpot noticed the site and dug through its source code, which revealed the slogan "Games, Music, Films with an attitude" -- not exactly a surprise given Guarini's multi-disciplined media production past. The main site also characterizes the company's work as "The sound of bold ideas," ambiguously hinting at its future. It's not exactly a huge surprise that Guarini left, given the depressingly low initial sales numbers of the excellent Shadows of the Damned, but it is a surprise he's starting his own studio -- Guarini's worked for a variety of studios across the industry, originally getting his start at Ubisoft. It's currently unclear where Ovosonico is based, but we've followed up for more info.
Zelda sold well in June, Child of Eden and Shadows of the Damned did not
Three major Japanese-developed games came out in North America in June: one of which performed really well, the other two ... not so much. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D showed up at #5 on the software top ten chart yesterday. Nintendo subsequently announced that it sold "more than 283,000 units," making it the second best-selling game on a single platform, right behind Infamous 2. It's the first 3DS exclusive to chart on the top ten. Meanwhile, two games weirder than Zelda attracted far more exclusive audiences. Child of Eden, the NPD told Joystiq, sold approximately 34,000 units in its debut month, ranking at number 83. At the same time, Shadows of the Damned managed to sell 24,000 copies, combined, on PS3 and Xbox 360. Damn.
Shadows of the Damned promoted internationally with 'Playbox' magazine, Trivium album
When you think of Shadows of the Damned, your mind might linger on the music ... of Orlando-based metal band Trivium. At least, that might be the case in Germany, where EA is engaging in an unlikely cross-promotion, giving away copies of Trivium's album "In Waves" on its website in a contest tied in with Shadows. In Japan, the promotions aren't quite as random. There, Shadows of the Damned will come with a code to download the soundtrack (as offered in the US by Amazon), along with a "Playbox" magazine featuring cover art of Garcia's girlfriend Paula, and interviews with Suda, Shinji Mikami, and Akira Yamaoka. This isn't the first time Grasshopper Manufacture has mocked (and mocked-up) Playboy Magazine to promote one of its games; in 2007, it posted images of idols dressed as No More Heroes' Sylvia Christel and called the series "PLAYSYLVIA."
Your emergency dose of Shadows of the Damned
If you crave more footage of Garcia Hotspur shooting things and cursing in two languages -- but you have yet to receive your copy of Shadows of the Damned -- you might consider today's trailer an adequate stopgap. It's nonstop shooting and polyglot obscenity. There's even a dick joke!
Shadows of the Damned review: Hell and back
Of all the gags in Shadows of the Damned, the biggest may be that it's rated "M for Mature." Believe me, the game is anything but. Over the course of its narrative, I wielded a weapon called the "Hot Boner," shoved any number of revolting things into a wailing infant's mouth and sprinted across a giant, mostly naked woman's body (including a breast roughly the size of a gazebo). And the dick jokes -- so many dick jokes. In short, Shadows of the Damned is insensitive, puerile, gross, incredibly profane and ... kind of wonderful. %Gallery-124633%
Shadows of the Damned dev diary examines the sounds of Hell
Another developer diary for Shadows of the Damned is out, this time featuring Suda 51 and the game's composer, Akira Yamaoka. Once again, rather than opt for boring translators, each creator is given a dramatic -- and goofy -- voice over. Appropriate, given the game's over-the-top presentation.
Evangelion Sound Impact trailer shows six rhythm minigames, one awful pun
We were really excited about finding out what the Grasshopper-developed Evangelion game would look like -- and what Akira Yamaoka's new soundtrack would sound like, and so we went to the newly opened official site ... only to find that the video was region-locked. Way to reinforce the message that we're not getting this game, Namco. Luckily, Andriasang found a YouTube capture of the trailer, allowing those of us outside Evangelion's native land to see the quick hints of the rhythm minigames included in the PSP game. We can also see that it's officially called "3nd Impact," which is a pun on the Japanese word for the number three, "san." So .... "san-nd impact." This has been your Pun Education Moment.
Shadows of the Damned trailer shows who's boss
Were we to face off against an ugly demon who erupted into a Hellish bird monster, we'd scream, run ... maybe pee. We are not Garcia Hotspur from Shadows of the Damned. Without flinching, he just calls the monster a pendejo and starts shooting. Check it out after the break. If you're inspired by this display of stupid machismo, you can bear your appreciation of Shadows of the Damned on your desktop. GHM posted three new wallpapers to Facebook, promising to post more every day until the June 21 launch.
Yamaoka scoring Grasshopper-developed Evangelion rhythm game
It's not often we'd rush to post about a Japan-only licensed anime game for PSP ... but the latest Evangelion game revealed by Famitsu is a little unusual. Rebuild of Evangelion Sound Impact, is, as the title suggests, a rhythm game based on the Evangelion anime series. It's also being developed by Grasshopper Manufacture, led by Doshin the Giant creator Kazutoshi Iida. It also has over 30 tracks of music from the series, arranged by Akira Yamaoka. If you were, separately, a fan of Grasshopper Manufacture, Yamaoka, and Evangelion, well, now those fandoms are connected, and you're freaking the hell out. We're, um, guessing. Rebuild of Evangelion Sound Impact is due for release in Japan September 29, with two separate special editions containing either a soundtrack, or a soundtrack plus a t-shirt and headphones. Good thing the PSP is region free!
Shadows of the Damned screens show Hell from a new perspective
The latest screens from Shadows of the Damned include things we've come to expect (by which we mean total horrors) -- as well as something we didn't. The screen above shows a stylized, side-scrolling 2D segment that kind of looks like And Yet It Moves moved to Hell.
Shadows of the Damned trailer is very subtle
The Shadows of the Damned trailer after the jump shows off the game's unique weapon upgrade system -- but unfortunately, it's titled "Enlarge Your Johnson." Check it out if you'd like to learn how to properly bolster your armaments; just make sure your browser doesn't spam-block us in the process.
Shadows of the Damned screens don't do much for Hell's tourism
Warning: the latest screens from Grasshopper Manufacture's Hellacious shooter Shadows of the Damned feature some ... disturbing imagery. We see a hanging dead body, a giant tattooed monster about to get shot in his demonic beanbag, and -- is that a cage full of eyeballs? The guy seen here, who appears to have a head made of three skulls hacked together, is among the tamer images. And this is apparently just from acts 1 and 2.%Gallery-123625%
Pre-order Shadows of the Damned and get the Damned soundtrack
Shadows of the Damned is, among other things, a delivery system for new Akira Yamaoka music. Pre-ordering the game, according to a new announcement, will get you the soundtrack, featuring some new Yamaoka tunes and English punk band The Damned, in an even more convenient format. Pre-orders of Shadows of the Damned from the EA Store, GameStop and Amazon will come with a free download of the 12-track soundtrack. Amazon specifies that the incentive applies to existing pre-orders, too, so if you've already put money down on the Suda-Mikami grindhouse epic, you're already getting a musical bonus! You can hear a bit of the soundtrack under the funny voice-overs in this dev diary.
Suda and Mikami get silly in Shadows of the Damned dev diary
Watch as famous game designers Goichi Suda and Shinji Mikami pretend to strangle each another, act like zombies and generally goof off. The point? They're promoting Shadows of the Damned, the new survival-horror title they're co-developing for EA. Oh, there's plenty of gameplay footage in here, too.
Shadows of the Damned preview: Hardly Hell
As the tall, blood-covered Frankenstein doppleganger leapt from a gigantic flame in the middle of a courtyard, I thought to myself, "Man, this guy could really use a bath." The shock set in when the demon reached into his own chest and ripped out its heart, then ate it, causing him to transform into a gigantic beast-man with a grotesque wolf's head. Howling at the moon, he summoned forth a mouthless steed covered in blood and rotting skin. Mounting his hell ride, he then conjured a trident and spear from the ether and set his sights on me. If there's one thing I can say about the brief 15-minute Shadows of the Damned demo I played this week, it's that the game isn't short on crazy. Also, I wish I got to kill that demon and the disfigured horse he rode in on. %Gallery-121868%
Shadows of the Damned launching on June 21, 2011
At a recent event in San Francisco, Suda 51 from Grasshopper Manufacture announced the new launch date for Shadows of the Damned: June 21. That gives it two weeks to get out of E3's way (the game was originally scheduled for June 7). Shadows of the Damned is a bizarre, horror-themed third-person shooter coming from EA Partners and a trio of well-known Japanese developers. If the names Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil), Suda 51 (No More Heroes) and Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill composer) don't ring any bells, then you really have no idea just how weird this game is going to be.
Shadows of the Damned concept art is ... Aaah! AAAAAH! WHAT?
Listen, Grasshopper. We get that Shadows of the Damned is supposed to be an action game set primarily in the deepest bowels of Hell -- that doesn't mean that you need to turn the game's Facebook fan page into some kind of Hellwindow by uploading the concept art posted below.
