Gundam
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It's a Gundam! ... sale
If you'll play any SRPG or mobile suit game you can get your hands on, regardless of whether it's in English or not, break open your wallet for SD Gundam G Generation: Cross Drive. Play Asia has the not-due-for-localization title on sale for the next week, asking only $14.90 for the chibi mecha game. As you can see in the trailer, Cross Drive plays a lot like the Super Robot Taisen GBA games Atlus brought to the states two years ago.Hopefully, we'll see similar deals for Gundam 00 when the 3D action-stravaganza comes out (and stays) in Japan.
PS3 budget lineup heading to Japan, 'likely' Europe
Savior of stingy spenders and bane of box art, the budget lineup, is set to incorporate several PlayStation 3 titles in Japan next month. IGN reports that the official "PlayStation 3 the Best" branding will highlight familiar titles at friendlier prices, with Resistance: Fall of Man, FolksSoul (aka Folklore), Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Gundam: Target in Sight, and Ridge Racer 7 pinching the first pennies -- or, uh, yanking the first yen. The "Best" games will sell for ¥3,800 ($36), which represents a saving of roughly ¥2,200 ($21) for Sony-published games and ¥3,200 ($30) for third-party titles. On the other side of the ocean, Sony told GamesIndustry.biz that a similar "Platinum" range of budget games would likely arrive in Europe. "We have introduced a Platinum range of best-selling titles for all of our platforms to date, and it is likely that we will do so in the future for PS3," said a spokesman, noting that the timing and lineup had yet to be finalized. We'll let you know what Sony America has to say about a budget lineup as soon as they accept our collect call. Read -- "PlayStation 3 the Best" for Japan Read -- "Platinum" for Europe
Worldwide PSP releases for the week of Feb. 3
Despite the fact that there's not much PSP action in North America this week, the two other major regions are getting some games that should please just about all PSP owners.North America Games Downstream Panic! Europe Games Final Fantasy Final Fantasy II Asia Games Mobile Suit Gundam Gundam: Giren's Ambition - Axis no Kyoui Bomberman Land Portable (Hudson the Best) Coded Soul: Uke Keigareshi Idea NBA Live 07 (EA Best Hits) It seems weird that the Final Fantasy remakes are just now getting their European releases, since they were released Stateside in June and July last year. In Asia, gamers are getting yet another Gundam title, and they usually sell like hotcakes so it will be interesting to see how well it does.[Edit: Oops, we were wrong, or should we say Sony's official PSP site failed to list Downstream Panic! as shipping this week.]
Gundam 00 looks better than you expected
With the number of Gundam games already released for the DS -- two SRPGs and two Mahjong titles, none of them ever localized for the US -- it's easy to ignore Bandai Namco whenever the publisher pushes a new mobile suit game out there. "Yahh! I'm tired of this Gundam mush and molasses. Get this out of my life! I don't need it!"But it's not so easy to turn your eyes away from this Gundam 00 trailer, is it? This is the business, right here. The fast-paced combat looks right out of Zone of Enders, exactly how a Gundam 3D action game should play. You'll also see clips of Gundam 00's model-building tutorials and text-adventure portions, so make sure to watch the entire two-minute video if that's the sort of stuff that impresses you. Whatever your Gundam interest, it's in this trailer.
Gundam 00 includes the full Gundam experience
Namco Bandai's latest Gundam game, Gundam 00, does feature, you know, flying around and shooting at other big robots and all that big-robot-game stuff. It looks pretty okay for a 3D DS game, although we react to new Gundam games with a mixture of apprehension and outright fear. It also features a graphical text adventure element, in which you carry on conversations with 2D portraits of Gundam 00 characters. But those two things aren't Gundam enough, nor are they DS enough. That's why Bandai Namco included a training mode designed to help you build Gundam model kits. An extra mode in the game, "GUNPLA Navi," provides step-by-step tutorials, with photographs, for building Bandai's line of Gundam models. The only part you have to figure out for yourself is how to divide your time between building models and playing the game! And, of course, buying more Gundam stuff!
Namco Bandai fires Gundam OO onto the DS
Good news, Gundam fans! (And we know you must be out there, or else there wouldn't be so many games based on this anime franchise.) Namco Bandai just announced a new title for the DS that's scheduled for release in March 2008. The game will be based on the most recent Gundam series, Gundam OO. Of course, like the G Generation games, these probably won't be released outside of Japan (blame your respective countries for not loving anime enough, the fools), but we're sure hardcores won't mind importing.Also, if you love a good dose of mech porn giant gun-toting robots, Famitsu scans of the game are sitting pretty after the break.
New red and black colored PSP unveiled
The next limited edition PSP system is designed for the new Gundam game. Sporting a red face and a black back, the system is tattooed with the "Principality of Zeon" and a logo. This limited edition system comes bundled with the upcoming game and will be priced 25,890 Yen (around $212). The bundle hits the Japanese populace on February 7th.[Via PSPHyper]
Another Gundam game for all your mech fetishes
Have you ever casually approached a friend and asked, "Want to play a game of Kidou Senshi Gundam: Giren no Yabou, Axis no Kyoui?" We doubt it, but come February 2008, you might. Well, you'll refer to it by its English title, Mobile Suit Gundam: Giren's Ambition, Threat of the Axis, which is still a mouthful. This is the first Giren offshoot title in five years, and it's coming straight to your PSP.The game is a hexagonal strategy game, distributing your forces and moving them about in a strategy phase, then battling enemies in turn-based combat -- sort of like Fire Emblem titles. But with gigantic robots. In this game, you'll find scenarios from plenty of other Gundam franchises to play through, so no matter which Gundam floats your boat, you'll find something to enjoy. That is, if promises of a 20-30 hour game with 400 robots hitting PSPs at the end of February isn't exciting enough.
Sunrise tests the limits of anime fandom
Anime fans are crazy. This is incontrovertible fact. They'll spend money on pretty much anything (last link NSFW) bearing the likeness of one of their favorite characters. But will they buy a DS card with a database of information about anime shows? Sunrise thinks so. They're ... probably right.If you've ever wanted to read background information about Gundam, Cowboy Bebop, or any of Sunrise's other animated series, in Japanese, and on your DS, then this program, whose title is something like Sunrise's Common Sense, Everyone's Lack of Common Sense, is precisely the product for you.
Extended gameplay video for Gundam 0079
At least one fan is super-pumped about the recent Japanese release of Mobile Suit Gundam MS Sensen 0079. YouTube user gevurah22 uploaded seven minutes of footage from the title and encourages everyone to import with a quickness if they can. Quality isn't the highest, but it does offer an extended look at the game for those who are considering picking it up if (when?) a US release is announced. %Gallery-5185%
MotoGP'07 and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam demos on Xbox Live
You know what's hot right now? Giant robots. Seriously, the kids can't seem to get enough of them. First you got that Transformers movie that came out earlier this month, and now you've got a demo for Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. ... And that's it. That's not really a lot, is it? Well, upon further reflection, it appears that not only is giant robot fever on the way out, but we're going to have to find some way to unload 100,000 "I Love Giant Robots" T-shirts. Great.If you need a palate cleanser, there's also a MotoGP'07 demo on Live. It's perfect for when you want to practice speeding away from creditors coming to repossess your 100,000 "I Love Giant Robots" T-shirts. ... Not that we'd ever have need for that.[Thanks, Machiavellian]
The Club Nintendo Gundam tortures retro nerds
We aren't die-hard Gundam fans, but we are fans on a superficial level of cool-looking robot things, and we can't deny a love of free stuff that comes with video games. Even more than that, we're fans of old game consoles, which is why the custom Famicom color scheme on the exclusive Club Nintendo edition Gundam RX78-2 model kills us. We're totally imagining a guy inside that Gundam piloting it with the Famicom Robot.That is it. We are officially moving to Japan and getting Mobile Suit Gundam MS Front 0079 buying a Gundam model and some paint.[Via Dengeki]
GUNDAM CRISIS attraction opens up, fanboys unite
Right on schedule, the GUNDAM CRISIS attraction at the Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park in Japan has opened its door for fanatics paying guests, and just as we expected, a whole slew of live photographs have made their way out. Fanboys (and girls) hoping that a great deal of care would be taken in its construction are likely to be pleased, as the 1:1 creation certainly bears a resemblance to the real deal. Without further ado, head on past the break for a few more shots, and tag the read link if you're looking for the whole roll.[Via Slashgear]
New videos for SD Gundam G Generation: Cross Drive
It's highly unlikely that SD Gundam G Generation Cross Drive will ever make it to the states; obtaining rights for 500+ characters spanning over a dozen different series, most of which having never made it out of Japan, would be a nightmare. Still, we like to keep up to date with the SRPG on the off-chance that a North American publisher might take a risk and pick it up, much like Atlus did with Super Robot Taisen Original Generations 1 & 2 for the GBA.Bandai Namco has updated Cross Drive's official site with a two-minute-and-a-half trailer and a new commercial, advertising its August 9th's release. If you're at all interested in the title, or if you just have a bizarre fetish for chibi mobile suits, make sure to check both of the clips out!See also: Mobile Suit DS Lite
Dynasty Warriors 6 announced for the PS3
According to Gamers Creed, Koei just announced the release of Dynasty Warriors 6 for the PlayStation 3 at the PlayStation Premiere event in Tokyo that happened earlier today. Not a whole lot of additional information was announced, but we did hear TGS will be the big unveiling of the game. Also, according to other sites Dynasty Warriors 6 is planned for release this year in Japan, so it sounds like it should be hitting the shelves shortly after it's unveiling.Koei has never been ashamed to milk that franchise for all its worth, so it's not a huge surprise we're getting a new Dynasty Warriors but it's still exciting. Hopefully they will be able to address some of the issues that plagued the last-gen versions (i.e., incredible fogging, low rez textures, repetitive graphics and shallow gameplay). Dynasty Warriors: Gundam is a decent attempt at a next-gen DW, but isn't quite what a lot of people were hoping for. Will DW 6 be able to satisfy our next-gen hack-and-slash needs?
Club Nintendo members get exclusive Gundam figure
And we get exclusive jealousy. To promote the release of Mobile Suit Gundam MS Front 0079, Nintendo and Bandai Namco are giving away neat free stuff. Preorders of the game are rewarded with Gundam 0079 memorial DVD's. And Club Nintendo, purveyor of many frustratingly awesome freebies, is giving away limited-edition Gundam RX78-2 models-- in an exclusive color.There are some new screenshots of the game at GAME Watch, but we don't know if we even want to look. Games are just no fun unless buying them earns you junk you didn't even want in the first place.
Worldwide PS3 releases for the week of July 9th [UPDATE]
It's a good thing everyone's still busy with The Darkness, Rainbow Six and Ninja Gaiden Sigma. This week's releases are a bit bare. Check out the full release list below.US Game No new games EU Games No new games Asian Games Gundam Musou Railfan: Taiwan High Speed Rail Don't forget that PS3 games are region free and make sure you call ahead before you head out to the shops. Release dates are fickle fellows.[UPDATE] All Pro Football 2K8 has a release date of July 16th, not July 10th as previously thought. Sorry, you've got another week to wait.
PSP Fanboy Theatre: Volume 26
PSP Fanboy offers the latest and greatest movie and game trailers, formatted for the PSP in this new weekly feature. Check it out every Saturday. PSP owners can download files wirelessly via m.pspfanboy.com.Instructions: Save all movie and thumbnail files to the VIDEO folder. These high resolution 480x272 videos require firmware 3.30 or above. (Note: OE custom firmware will also play these videos.)New for PSP: Get selected videos delivered automatically to your PSP via our new RSS feed. Dynasty Warriors:Gundam [PS3, 360] Download MP4 (11.5MB) | Download JPG The following videos are featured after the break: Lair (PS3), Rise of the Argonauts (PS3, 360), Sicko, Interview
Fusing the world of Gundam and Dynasty Warriors
In a recent conference call with the press, Namco Bandai's localization producer Nobuaki Taguchi revealed numerous new details on its upcoming Gundam brawler. The game, which now has a confirmed August 28th ship date, is the first Gundam and Dynasty Warriors game that will feature both English and Japanese voices.Although there will be no downloadable content, it appears that fans will have a lot to look forward to. There are two main game modes to explore, "Official" and "Original" mode. In "Official" mode, players will go through classic Gundam storylines based on the official manga and anime series. "Original" mode weaves a new tale for the game, that somehow manages to incorporate the various Gundam universes involved. Some of the series to be incorporated into the game include Mobile Suit Gundam (the first Gundam), Gundam Seed, G Gundam, and Gundam Wing.
New screenshots and art from Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
The awkwardly (but aptly) titled Dynasty Warriors: Gundam is coming to PS3 and Xbox 360 later this summer, and Namco Bandai has released a plethora of new screens and artwork for the title. Developed by Koei's Team: Omega Force, the creators of the original Dynasty Warriors series, the game has players using fan-favorite mechas from "more than 6" TV series (we're assuming that means 7?).%Gallery-4062%
