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Joystiq impressions: Bomberman Live! (XBLA)
I recently played Bomberman Live! at a Hudson media event, getting a sense for this title that goes back to the original Bomberman formula. This Xbox Live Arcade game is expected to launch later this month and will be available for 800 points ($10).How is it? It's Bomberman. Will you like it? It's Bomberman. Do you like Bomberman? It's Bomberman.%Gallery-4716%
Hudson admits Bomberman Act: Zero was crap
It seems so important to have some presence on YouTube these days. Every company, network, and politician is out to reach all the obsessed YouTubers with their "message," be that "buy my product," "watch my show," or "vote for me." Typically, we don't pay these much mind. Especially those fed to us by game companies. It is somewhat refreshing then, to see Hudson open its making-of Bomberman Live video by admitting that Bomberman Act: Zero was a piece of garbage. Yes, that goes a long way towards restoring our faith in the franchise, for truly it was a festering pile. It's heartening to know that Hudson began with "let's not make another Act: Zero" as a base for their upcoming Xbox Live Arcade offering.It's okay, Hudson. We all make mistakes. As long as Bomberman Live delivers, all is forgiven.[Via selectbutton]
Bomberman Live rated, on XBLA soon?
Old school gaming fans rejoice! The official page for Bomberman Live has appeared on Xbox.com. Well, to be more precise, it's not published on the Xbox Live Arcade page yet, but it's available for those who know where to look. It's actually been there for some time, but now we have some new reinforcement that the game is on its way to XBLA soon. Yes, the game has been rated by the ESRB, so things are looking good. We're so excited that we just might explode. Get it? Get it?! Oh, never mind.
Mario Party 8 fastest-selling game in the franchise
Eight time's a charm, apparently, as Nintendo was quick to serve up a piping-hot press release tooting their own horn, declaring that Mario Party 8 is the fastest-selling entry in the series. In little over a month since its May 29th release in the United States, the title has sold over 550,000 copies. Nintendo's George Harrison sees this as a victory for both the franchise and Nintendo's new console, stating the "overwhelming response not only reminds us how much fans absolutely love the Mario Party franchise but also proves the unmatched ability of the Wii system to attract new players."
Torrent of TurboGrafx-16 titles set for Australia's Virtual Console
Making up for its delayed arrival to Australia's Virtual Console, the TurboGrafx-16 will debut in the world's smallest continent next week with eleven releases! Hudson's VC site lists that over a third of the games will be shmups -- no big surprise there -- but classics like Dungeon Explorer, Military Madness, and Bomberman '93 are also set to appear at the system's opening ceremony.The US, having been spoiled with dozens of TG-16 releases since the Wii's launch, will receive only one PC-Engine title next Monday: Dragon Spirit, an impossibly hard, vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up in which you pilot a blue dragon. Check past the post break for Hudson's planned releases across all territories this July.
Bomberman Live explosive interview
DAKing240 over at Xbox 360 Achievements got to sit down with Peter Dassenko, Associate Producer at Hudson Entertainment about their upcoming Xbox Live Arcade release, Bomberman Live. The interview covers a lot of interesting points, like the development process for the game, and how they came up with some of the title's more interesting Achievements. It's a good read,and Peter has some uniquely clever ways of answering some of the questions. Check out the full interview by clicking the "Read" link.
Turbografx-16 primer: required reading for Wii Fanboy fanboys
Of the systems whose games are currently available on the Virtual Console, the Turbografx-16 is the most obscure. It didn't seem that obscure to us, since we had one and played it frequently, but we recognize that most people went with the Genesis or SNES in the 16-bit console wars. That's fine, we guess.Now that the Virtual Console is making the games easily and cheaply available, you have an obligation to buy at least one and see what you've been missing. Okay, actually you don't, but we'd at least like you to read this article about the system so we can feel like we did something good for TG16 fandom today, even though it was retro historian extraordinaire Racketboy who did all the work. Then, if you happen to go download Alien Crush, that would be cool too.Do you know the difference between the TurboBooster and the TurboBooster Plus? Can you put the system cards in chronological order? Read all about it and learn what it was like to be a Turbo fan in the '90s. It was pretty confusing, in terms of hardware.
Joystiq hands-on: Fishing Master (Wii)
I grew up fishing and still sometimes make it out on to a lake, river, or ocean to try to hook a meal. I attended Camp Fish. I know how to cut a herring so that it rolls in tune with a salmon's appetite. And I've been waiting for a good Wii fishing simulation, an obvious game idea, given the rod-like Remote. Fishing Master is not that simulation.Instead, Fishing Master is a more casual title that glosses over many parts of real fishing technique. Real fish are attracted to different colors of bait depending on the weather conditions, but Fishing Master has seasons and no other weather patterns. Rod position plays the most important role in keeping a fish on, but like most fishing games, Fishing Master uses the reeling-too-hard-or-not-hard-enough-meter to decide if a fish gets away.But I understand these design decisions and still had fun with a recent version of the game. With its projected September U.S. release from the recent Japan-only launch, casual anglers and gamers may be hooked.
Joystiq impressions: Omega Five (XBLA)
As recently leaked, Omega Five is Hudson's next XBLA game to ship after July's Bomberman Live. At a blogger event today, Hudson briefly showed this chaotic Natsume-developed title, and I got a chance to helm a floating ninja-like character in this side-scrolling shoot-'em-up world.What?Yes. Not the first shooter to star human characters, Omega Five sure has a lot of "strange" going for it. But that could be a good thing.%Gallery-3982%
Hudson confirms U.S. Fishing Master (Wii)
At a designed-to-be-informal blogger get together today, Hudson announced the Japan-only Wii game, Fishing Master, will be localized and released in the U.S. later this year. The game isn't the fishing simulation real-world anglers have been hoping for, but its waggling controls may still appeal in-part to those players. Instead, Fishing Master is a decidedly Japanese game -- your dog barks to help identify strikes -- that hopes to find an international audience of casual players.All other Japanese features, like the kinds of bait, types of fish, and locations based on prefectures, will remain intact for the rest of us. Hudson hopes to ship the game in September. Stay tuned for our hands-on impressions of the game.
Father of Sudoku says Slitherlink is the next big thing
When asked by the BBC what the next big Sudoku-like craze will be, puzzle guru Maki Kaji (whose business card reads "Father of Sudoku") points to Slitherlink. The grid-based logic puzzle has all the ingredients of another hit -- easy to learn, straightforward gameplay, and simple rules. Even though it doesn't have the broad appeal of Sudoku, Kaji says it could easily earn the title "son of Sudoku".In Slitherlink you stare at a grid made up of dots and the numbers 0, 1, 2, and 3 scattered about. Your goal is to join the dots around the numbers using the same number of lines as the number they are next to. The line snakes around the grid like ... a snake. Hudson published Puzzle Series Vol. 5: Slitherlink in Japan earlier this year and the game has received high marks from reviewers, including a 10/10 from Eurogamer.It isn't known if Slitherlink DS will make its way out of Japan, but thanks to the world wide web and the humans that populate it, a Slitherlink-inspired game has been crafted in Flash, cleverly titled Slither Link.
Zonk gets ESRB'd
We knew it was coming, since it's been released in Japan, but the ESRB's ratings page has provided further confirmation that Air Zonk is on the way. Bonk fans and shooter fans alike (that had better include everybody) would do well to check out this adorable horizontal shmup starring the "punkic cyborg" descendent of the original Turbografx-16 mascot. Appropriately, Zonk was the mascot for the Turbo Duo, which was a later TG16 variation that included built-in CD hardware.[Via Siliconera]
Bomberman Live in early July, 800 points
Bomber-fans rejoice, for we have discovered the price and (rough) release date for Bomberman Live on Xbox Live Arcade. Speaking to the Official Xbox Magazine podcast, Hudson's Joel Breton revealed that the game will release for 800 MS Points. This isn't exactly surprising, as it's becoming the de facto price for all original XBLA content. Breton also reveals that Hudson plans to release the title in early July. Jokes concerning Independence Day and blowing up your friends ensues. If you'd like to listen to the interview, it occurs at approximately 17:15 during episode 68 of the KOXM podcast.So, will you pick up Bomberman Live for 800 points?
1UP takes a gander at Bomberman Live
For classic multiplayer fans, there is perhaps no Xbox Live Arcade title as anticipated as Bomberman Live. Published by Hudson and developed by Backbone Entertainment, Bomberman Live looks to properly bring classic Bomberman action into the online arena, and 1UP recently got an extended look at the game.. Sure, many attempts have been made -- even Saturn Bomberman had online play -- but Xbox Live gives Bomberman Live an edge unknown to previous online entries. Bomberman Live allows for up to 8 players online or 4 players locally. The game also allows multiple players on one 'box to venture online (here's hoping the game allows non-Live subscribers as guests). In addition to the traditional deathmatch mode, Bomberman Live also includes other modes, such as the Paint Bomb mode featured in recent titles. The game also features Vision camera support, which will snap a shot of each player the moment they are defeated and also give the round winner a few moments to gloat on camera. Finally, there are loads of costume pieces that players can use to customize their, um, Bombermen (Bomberfolk, Bomberpeople?). Costume pieces are unlocked by collecting Costume Balls during gameplay.All in all, it sounds like Bomberman Live is everything that old school fans could hope for. Here's hoping the game lives up to its legacy (or, at the very least, better than Bomberman Act: Zero). So, how much would you be willing to pay for "real" Bomberman.
Rumor: New Bonk game headed to the Wii
A listing from the computer system at Hollywood Video hints at the possibility of a new Bonk game coming to the Wii at a budget price of $14.99. The release is most likely a port of a previous Bonk game (or a collection of them). However, the Virtual Console has already enjoyed two Bonk releases (with a third, Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure, confirmed for the future), so maybe Hudson saw the demand for the big-headed caveman and whipped up something special for Wii owners? Then again, it could be a belated Y2K computer prank, in which case we'll be in the cellar eating canned food for the rest of the week. Just in case.[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]
Rumor: Hollywood Video computer hints at budget Bonk
This picture of a Hollywood Video listing teases us with the delightful possibility of a new Bonk game on the Wii, at a $14.99 price point. It's highly doubtful that it would just be a retail release of the $6 Virtual Console game, so this could potentially be something new! Or at least something new to us. Some possibilities: It's a Wii port of the Gamecube remake, which was never released in the US, and is apparently quite good. It's something that certain Wii Fanboy bloggers have been pining for over the last few years. It's a console release of the Bonk's Return cell phone game. It's an original game! For $15 somehow! It's a trick! Get an axe. We wouldn't mind any of the three possibilities that result in a game being released. We love Bonk and would be thrilled with a new Bonk release, much like a pithecanthropus computerurus would be thrilled by delicious meat popping out of a giant squashed flower.
Omega Five, not another Harvest Moon
A French website dug up information on Omega Five, a Hudson Entertainment game being developed for Xbox Live Arcade. This would be the second time in recent memory a French website got a hold of Hudson information early. In March a French site published a video for Bomberman Live (the video wasn't even released publicly until this week) and that video was released four days before the game was officially announced. This time, Xbox Gazette reports that Natsume, best known for the Harvest Moon series, is working on a side-scrolling shooter for XBLA called Omega Five.The game will allegedly be a standard shooter with the exception of enemies coming out of 3D backgrounds. Details are still very sketchy and for some bizarre reason the French site says the game will cost 800 MS points, which sounds reasonable, but is probably a total shot in the dark. Now that the info is out, just like the Bomberman Live stuff, it probably won't take too long to get a basic statement acknowledging the games existence -- you know, unless Hudson and their PR pull a Beautiful Katamari stunt.[Via XBLArcade]
Bomberman Live achievements are, um, live
Our friends at Xbox360Achievements.org have uncovered the achievements for Bomberman Live, which is set to debut on Xbox Live Arcade some time this summer. While the game contains plenty of achievements of the "win X number of games" variety, it also has a few that are a little ... eclectic. We're not sure which one we like better, "The Good, The Bad, and The Bombed" or "Girl Power!" The first requires you to outfit your character with all the cowboy accessories and frag an opponent that is wearing the same. The latter asks players to don the girl outfit and win a "girl only" match on Xbox Live. Of all the games that could promote girl-on-girl action, Bomberman was the last one on our minds.Hit the "read" link for the full list of achievements.[Thanks, Jonah Falcon]
Australia to be Bonked
Australia never got an official release of the NEC Turbografx-16 system, so they never got the chance to ignore classics like Bonk's Adventure and Alien Crush like we did here in the States. Hudson, proving that they are good people, are going to start releasing Turbografx games on the Virtual Console in Australia, starting this July. They plan to release more than 60 games this year, which is 36 more than are currently available in the US. That indicates that not only will Australia be completely caught up with us, but that we'll all get a bunch more TG16 games this year!Does this mean that we'll get MSX games in the US? Please?
Momotaro Dentetsu franchise going to Wii
The DS version of Hudson's popular Momotaro Dentetsu series of video board games is still selling in large numbers (and was a big enough release to get its own special edition DS Lite). As reported on Takahashi Meijin's blog (!), Hudson's next entry in the series will be on the Wii.Momotaro Dentetsu 16, like the other games, focuses on a particular geographical location within Japan. This time, the theme is based on Japan's northern island, Hokkaido.%Gallery-3674%[Via GoNintendo]
