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Marugoto Teikoku Hotel provides accommodations for your DS
Shaberu! DS O-Ryouri Navi Marugoto Teikoku Hotel (Talking DS Cooking Navi Marugoto Teikoku Hotel), the cooking tool based on recipes from the upscale hotel, is headed to Japan on June 21. When it comes out, e-gourmands will have an option as to how they'd like their service: with or without pouch.For 4,280 yen, Japanese consumers can buy the basic program, but for only 1,000 yen more (about $8.25) they can add this Koei-branded DS case. What's $8 to someone who eats at the Marugoto Teikoku Hotel? Probably a roll or something.
Producer spills his guts on Dynasty Warriors DS
Yoshihiro Kishimoto, producer of Dynasty Warriors DS: Fighters Battle, conducted an interview recently with Pocket Gamer. He describes the challenges in fitting the game onto the DS, and talks about the decision to go with buttons rather than make use of the stylus. We think carving through hordes of enemies at a time with the stylus would have been pretty entertaining, but maybe that's just us.The screens and video that we've seen so far of Fighter's Battle haven't exactly inspired us to go on a crazed rampage of sword wielding destruction, but we remain ever hopeful that this will change once we get the US version into our blood-soaked hands.
Opoona's website does not require the Nunchuk
Koei has opened the official website for their adorable Wii "Lifestyle RPG" Opoona, and the site is as colorful and, well, round as everything else we've seen about the Nunchuk-only game. There's not much English to be found, but the links all have English labels, allowing you to navigate with ease and find visual content. Clicking around will get you plenty of screenshots, and the "dark rogue" link takes you to a gallery of enemy creatures. They are mostly-- that's right-- colorful and round. It's kind of a major theme in the design.
A long look at Dynasty Warriors DS
Well, this video is better than the screenshots, at least, but are we alone in seeing that seizure-inducing ripple effect? At least it mostly fades once you get off the wooden flooring and out onto the grass and dirt. But maybe Dynasty Warriors DS is right up your alley. Watch the video, judge for yourself, and let us know.
More Opoona screens for fans of cute space RPGs
Koei has released some new screens from Opoona, showing more interaction around the space station area. Some of the locations revealed include a coffee shop, an art museum, and a library. Little Opoona looks quite cheerful as he explores these areas, for someone who just became separated from his parents. He's the spheroid Ryo Hazuki of the future.This latest update brings us the names of some of the characters in Opoona's world. His father and mother are called Daddiina and Mommiina, which is just adorable. Gordy, the captain of the space station's guards, a young boy named Ted who wants to grow up to be a guard, and a young honor student named Mira round out the known cast. It's starting to sound like an RPG, isn't it?
Cooking Navi goes high-end
Cooking Navi has been a smash in Japan, so it's hardly a surprise that the game would get a sequel. This particular sequel, however, is somewhat of a surprise. Shaberu! DS O-Ryouri Navi Marugoto Teikoku Hotel (Talking DS Cooking Navi Marugoto Teikoku Hotel) is a new version of the game containing recipes from the chefs who cook in the prestigious Japanese hotel.We're thinking about picking up Koei's latest nongame, since we'd love to try some gourmet Japanese cuisine. But we have a concern: isn't Cooking Navi supposed to be about basic recipes and helping regular people make them? Seriously, look at those seven chefs on the box. This interactive cookbook has the potential to be the hardest game on the system.
New Opoona trailer shows off gameplay, induces drooling
A new gameplay trailer for that quirky title from Koei called Opoona has made its way over to IGN's video section. This newest trailer shows us some environmental exploration, lots of character dialogue and some battle footage. Personally, the more we see on this game, the more we can't wait to get our hands on it. It should also be noted that some of the cutscenes in the trailer might spoil the story for some of you.Also, IGN decided to play nice now and have allowed us to embed the video past the post break, as per our usual routine
Import game releases for the week of 04/01/07
Every week we pray to the import gods and ask them to give us more import games to enjoy. This week we have an anime based game, a sports game and a ton of budget re-releases. Keep reading to see what's coming from Japan this week. Continued after the jump ...
Koei bringing G1 Jockey to Europe
We understand that the Wii is all about immersion. Seriously, look at the name of the site. We get it. But shouldn't there be a line somewhere that we're just not going to cross with the motion controls? Wherever that line is, Koei seems confident that whipping horses is on the good side of it. We're not so sure. Oh, not because we're huge animal activists or anything (though we don't whale on horsies; it's just not classy), but simply because of this: think of all the damage people will do to themselves and others while using the Wii remote and nunchuk to whip things. These people couldn't even bowl -- how do you think they're going to handle this?Dear God, Koei. Think of the children. Thank goodness the game looks very blocky and not particularly attractive! That will save us!All humor and graphical value judgments aside, we're all over a horse racing game on the Wii, sure. For one, horse racing is big with the Touch Generations set (in fact, remind us not to let Mom hear about this one), and second, for a sprawling racing/breeding game with many different features, the versatility of the controller could really come in handy. We're just not sure that whipping is where it's at. We admire the dedication to realism, and appreciate Koei's previous racing games, but we're as yet unconvinced on this front. G1 Jockey is scheduled for a June release in Europe, and is already out in Japan. No word yet on a U.S. release date.
Koei's 2007 release lineup, UK style!
We'll cut to the chase here -- the following are the releases planned by Koei for the UK audience in 2007. They've got titles for pretty much every console, including their entry into the Wii market. List, sha-bam! Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner - Raidou Kuzunoha vs The Soulless Army (PS2, April 27) G1 Jockey Wii (Wii, June) Dynasty Warriors: Fighters Battle DS (DS, Q3) Orochi Warriors (PS2 and X360, October) Bladestorm: The Hundred Years War (PS3 and X360, Q3) Prey The Stars (DS, Q3) Fatal Inertia (PS3 and X360, Q3) Not only is SMT:DS-RKvTSA one of the craziest, longest, most aggravating titles to say (especially when someone asks "hey, what're you playing?"), it's coming out pretty late for you guys. If you're an Atlus fan, snatch it up because they only produced about seven copies here in the US. Otherwise, don't worry about it. Bladestorm and Fatal Inertia seem to be pushed back again, into the third quarter. Hmm. Perhaps they're perfecting the AI of the groups of people we'll undoubtedly slice through in the former?
Koei's chief executive resigns... maybe this is why.
Our reasoning behind Kiyoshi Komatsu's resignation is pretty simple: he was tired of doing the same thing over and over and over and over, but the rest of Koei disagreed. They alienated him at work, egged his car, stole his milk money and whatever else people can do to be good old-fashioned jerks. So, he decided he couldn't take it anymore and said he was resigning because of "personal reasons". Sound about right?Replacing Komatsu is Kenji Matsubara, a man who joined the company in 2001. While his expertise has mainly been concentrated in online content as well as mobile phone titles, he's excited enough to take over and lead Koei on the path to ultimate glory.What I found interesting was that Koei was established in 1978. That's a long time ago! Especially to sit around and work on the same period in Chinese history. But, we'll soon see how they handle the Hundred Years War.
Koei chief exec's dynasty comes to end
A Koei spokesperson has confirmed that chief executive officer Kiyoshi Komatsu has resigned due to "personal reasons." At least, that's the official explanation. Kenji Matsubara will supercede Komatsu as chief exec, promoted from his position as head of software division #4, which specializes in online and mobile content.Further implications of the shake-up are not yet known, but there is already an internal push toward switching the company's focus away from consoles and onto the online and mobile markets. A Dynasty Warriors MMO? It's a start.
New Opoona screens still don't explain the controls
We've had our eye on Opoona since the initial announcement-- an RPG for the Wii is, at this point, a rarity, as is a game from Koei that doesn't involve beating on thousands of soldiers in ancient China. But, of course, the real issue with Opoona is the control scheme, which uses only the Nunchuk. Whaaaaa? Unfortunately, these new screens don't really provide an adequate explanation for that design choice, though they do a pretty good job of showing the game in action, as does this new trailer. Sure, the Nunchuk is adequate for cycling through menus and for analog movement, but so is the Wiimote. We don't exactly get it.What we do get is the art design and the environments. We are completely buying what Koei is selling over here, because the look of Opoona is basically Lego Phantasy Star Online. Anything that recalls the vaunted PSO gets our attention. We've posted some selections from the gallery after the break-- if you're interested, be sure to follow the "read" link and see the full 35-image preview.
Opoona video footage (with elevator music to boot!)
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Opoona_video_footage_with_elevator_music_to_boot'; With the news of the nunchuk-only RPG hitting the Wii, we found the idea of a game controlled entirely with the nunchuk very odd. What would we do with our Wiimote whilst playing this game? Shove it into our pocket? Let someone else hold it and tell them they're totally controlling the action? The possibilities are endless ...If you want to see what the action looks like, we suggest you check out the embedded video past the post break, as it's chock full of game footage and elevator music.
Koei announces Opoona for Wii, Nunchuk-only
A one-handed Dynasty Warriors spinoff, ideally played blindfolded (or while watching something else), was the announcement we'd been hoping for. Sadly, Koei revealed it's got a fresh concept in the works for Wii. Opoona, named after its main character, is a quirky action-rpg in which players must travel to various intergalactic colonies by obtaining special licenses associated with certain jobs (e.g., rescuer, idol, detective) in order to solve the mystery of Opoona's siblings' disappearance and determine who or what has landed his parents in the hospital with serious injuries. Koei claims that Opoona is controlled entirely with the Nunchuk controller.Some relevant names have been attached to the project, including Artepiazza's Shintaro Majima as lead artist and Sachiko Yukimura as planning director; both industry vets have been involved with numerous Dragon Quest games. Most notably, Final Fantasy XII composer Hitoshi Sakimoto will handle music production.Koei has not announced a release date for Opoona, but unconfirmed sources have targeted summer 2007 in Japan.
Finally, an RPG for the Wii-- and it's Nunchuk-only?
Opoona is a new game from Koei that casts players in the title role, as a visitor to planet Landroll who must earn job licenses to gain access to areas of the planet and investigate the incident that injured his parents. These licenses correspond to jobs, which the player is free to choose.Opoona is also a game that is controlled entirely with the Nunchuk. The game uses an "Active Bombom" combat system wherein players whip projectiles with the nunchuk. Movement outside of battle is also controlled by the Nunchuk, leaving your poor, neglected Wiimote dangling lamely from its tether.The control system has us intrigued. There must be more to it. There has to be a reason for using the Nunchuk over the Wiimote, other than gimmickry, and we look forward to finding out. Please, have a look at the two regrettably small screens after the break and ponder the issue!
Some Bladestorm screens to get you pumped
It's a guilty pleasure of many "intelligent" gamers -- those games that let you shut your mind down, mash your face against your controller and pull off a series of moves resulting in satisfying cries of death from less-than-responsive AI opponents. We've talked about Bladestorm: The Hundred Years War before and you should know the premise by now. You take the role of one of a number of European characters who may or may not have been in the war and... unleash havoc via Dynasty Warriors standards.What we hope has been improved in this next-gen iteration for the 360 and PS3 is an increased on-screen character count. Too often did officers just vanish in the PS2 Dynasty Warriors games because there were so many peons floating around doing nothing at all. Except dying. You know what? These new screens seem to indicate just that. Take a look and enjoy. Maybe online play would spark some life into this guilty pleasure. Imagine that!
Romance of the Three Accessories
Happy News about Games Related to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms Day! So far, it's been a solemn event that we've observed respectfully, thinking about how ugly DS games affect us all. But we've got marginally better news for you, so don't take down your traditional NGRRTK Day decorations. Hori have released some relatively nice DS accessories in a black-and-gold color scheme to tie into the release of Sega's new card-based arcade adaptation Sangokushi Taisen DS, including a stand, a DS card case, and a stylus. Sure, they're not totally new items-- the stand looks to be the same design as the one reviewed by CheapyD, but they're black, with goooooolden eeeeemblems on them.We like the blackness of this set, but we aren't sure about advertising any affiliation with Sangokushi Taisen DS or any other arcade-fad card games. Also, we like to keep our DS systems in our gentle, loving hands while we play, not relegated to a cold, unfeeling stand. It's a DS-fan thing; we have a very positive opinion on the concept of touching.[Update 1: fairly major; this set is NOT a tie-in to Shin Sangoku Musou DS, but to a VERY SIMILAR-LOOKING Sega card-battling game Sangokushi Taisen DS that also uses the classic Three Kingdoms story as its setting.]
Dynasty Warriors DS Screens (horrifying 3D ahead)
Koei, ever the masters of careful, deliberate game design, have been judicious with their Shin Sangoku Musou (Dynasty Warriors) series, taking care not to saturate the market with incrementally-upgraded sequels and spinoffs, and sequels of spinoffs, that serve only to extract as much cash as possible from fans. Oh, wait, we were thinking of someone else. That is exactly what Koei does. Their most egregious cash-in: this new Dynasty Warriors DS. Dynasty Warriors games aren't exactly renowned for their graphics, but this... is an insult to fans of the series. If we are being a little harsh on Koei, it's because every game they release that is not a Gitaroo-Man sequel (on the DS this time, please!) is like a jaggy little polearm poking us ceaselessly.Note to developers: when you're thinking of making a DS game (and we've all been there, right?) please ask yourself if it really needs to be in 3D. If the answer is "yes," then ask yourself if it really needs to be on the DS. We love our little system (hence the title, focus and content of this site) but 3D can be a hit and miss affair. "Enjoy" some screens after the post break! Oh, did we mention that there's some kind of inscrutable card system tacked on for some reason?[Via NeoGAF]
Gundam Musou PS3 bundle: a system-seller?
Pre-orders for the Gundam Musou PS3 hardware bundle were opened in Japan yesterday, with Amazon selling the 60GB console-plus-game-plus-stuff set for ¥72,000 (US$594). The stuff included in the package is pretty nifty, mind: arty cards, technical dossiers, and glossy character profiles. The marriage of Gundam and Dynasty Warriors looks like it could be a happy event for all concerned, with Gundam Musou currently ranked fifth in Weekly Famitsu's readers' most wanted chart. If VF5 couldn't energize sales of the PS3, perhaps Gundam Musou can.
