Konami
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Castlevania heading to PSP?
One of my favorite games on the DS is Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. The series has always mesmerized me, ever since I started playing the Game Boy Advance games. Konami gave me a huge castle to explore, and tons of ways to traverse through it, and I loved it. Unfortunately, I missed what people call the best Castlevania game ever: Symphony of the Night. Yes, it's coming to Xbox 360, but wouldn't it be absolutely lovely on the PSP screen? 1UP spoke with Koji Igarashi and forced the issue:1UP: Castlevania series seems to always stick to the Nintendo handhelds, the GBA and DS. So I'm wondering, do you see yourself doing any PSP Castlevanias in the future? I mean, Konami seems to support the system pretty well -- so I'm wondering if you're personally interested in doing a PSP game. And in the very least, would you want to bring Symphony of the Night to the PSP, given that Sony is eager to start offering PS1 games for download? Igarasahi: I think the PSP is an interesting platform with a big and beautiful screen, so I would like to put my hands on a PSP version. As for offering SOTN, yes, I would love to provide it as a download if the users would want that.This is where, if I were the interviewer, I would turn into a rabid dog and scream "YES!!!" while potentially frothing at the mouth. But the love for the PSP doesn't stop there. It appears that Igarasahi-san wants to develop original games for the system as well:1UP: Can you just clarify your comments about developing for the PSP? Igarasahi: Basically, I would like to move to a multiplatform basis, so PSP is included as one of my targeted platforms.
Metal Gear Solid 4 in late 2007, hopefully -- new trailer for now
According to a Famitsu report, Hideo Kojima estimates that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will need at least another year's worth of development time before it's finished. While Kojima had previously promised to deliver in 2007, he's narrowed that window to late 2007 -- at the earliest. For now, Konami is offering a new trailer, which is currently premiering at Tokyo Game Show.The new trailer -- partially captured in bootleg form from the show floor here & here -- is allegedly 100% gameplay, although Konami has tweaked the camera perspective for clarity. At just 6 minutes, it's significantly shorter than the E3 presentation, but reveals new gameplay elements, including stealth items (e.g. an oil drum), the Octocam suit, and a shift from stealth-orientated missions to player's choice gameplay (i.e. you have a goal and are free to decide how to achieve it).[Thanks, nijah]
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Japanese site up
There are few people allowed to crack whips other than Devo (they just do it so well). Fortunately for the gaming world we are more than happy to see a member of the Belmont family authoritatively crack one in the name of beating down one of time's most ferocious night stalkers -- vampires. Even though being able to live forever would be pretty cool, we aren't huge fans of sucking blood or having our blood sucked, so they must ultimately be destroyed. The poor Belmont family has been trying to do this for years and they do it so well, it almost looks like an art. Then again, if they were to ever fully succeed in killing off these blood suckers, what or who would they fight next? We see where you are going with this and no, cowboy-space-vampires riding pink mechanical horses across the galaxy is not a good idea. Sorry. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is really catching our eye and we recently found out that the Japanese site for the game is up. As usual, knowing Japanese would help while exploring it.
FIFA 360 deserves red card, EA gyps again
It's as simple as this: FIFA 07 for Xbox 360 will include 7 professional leagues (actually, just 6, as Juventus is the only team featured from Italy Serie B) and 21 stadiums for $59.99. FIFA 07 for Xbox/PS2 will feature 28 leagues and 47 stadiums for just $39.99. Which one you buyin'? Heck, even the thrifty ($29.99) DS version's got 25 leagues packed inside that tiny cart, which begs the question: what's limiting EA's "next-gen" sports releases? Both FIFA and Madden continue to lack content and features present in the Xbox and PS2 versions. The good news is, Pro Evolution Soccer's arrival on Xbox 360 will likely encourage EA to clean up its act for the next go-around. Unfortunately, without competition, the same can't be said for Madden ... [Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
TGS: XBLA hits Tokyo with Contra and friends
Tucked in Microsoft's TGS press release announcing 1080p support and Japanese HD-DVD info, was a short bit on Xbox Live Arcade's presence at TGS. They revealed the following list of Konami and Namco Bandai titles: Contra Gyruss (previously unannounced) Dig Dug Track & Field New Rally-X (previously unannounced) Rush'n Attack (previously unannounced) Ms. Pac-Man Yie Ar Kung Fu: a "Japan-exclusive Xbox Live Arcade game" and "one of the very first fighting games" will be released in 2007 Some of these we've known about, others we've seen before (Contra was at Microsoft's E3 event, and, oh yeah, it's also ingrained in our consciousness), but there are some interesting additions, including a Japan-exclusive title. Our question is, why is Konami wasting their time with some of these games when all we want are those classic Konami beat 'em ups? You're sitting on a gold mine Konami! Seriously, you're sitting on it. Get up and let us at it. Microsoft's TGS press briefing:Xbox 360 to add 1080p support, PS3 to lose bullet pointHD-DVD add-on hits Japan Nov. 17th for ¥19,800Blue Dragon hits Japan this holiday
Konami pits DS against PSP
This winter, Konami is hedging their bets by releasing a flurry of games on both the PSP and the DS. The upcoming titles Marvel Trading Card Game (trading cards for a handheld? really?) and Xiaolin Showdown will be released for the competing platforms, and Konami is also debuting a pair of games based on the animated series Winx Club. But their real winner, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, is exclusive to the Nintendo DS -- and a good thing, since it makes heavy use of the Nintendo handheld's touchscreen. Anyone wanna guess which console's games will win in this deathmatch? Where did we leave those sales figures ....
Wii Virtual Console partners
When Nintendo first announced the Virtual Console service, it seemed as though Nintendo themselves would be just about the only ones releasing their past games. Of course, Nintendo's library is beyond incredible, but with the exception of Sega and Hudson, it just seemed as though companies weren't going to be taking advantage of the service. (insert clichéd "tides have turned" line here) Nintendo has announced Virtual Console partnerships with twenty-four separate publishers, the full listing of which can be seen after the break. The big boys are all on-board: Square-Enix, Konami, Bandai-Namco. A few of the companies don't seem to have much of a legacy at all, however, which implies that they may be working on some smaller-scale original games for the VC service. In addition, it appears that the Virtual Console will now be supporting the MSX (pictured above), an older arcade system. Iwata-san also expressed in interest to bring even more consoles to the Wii: we here at the Fanboy pray to the rings of Saturn. (Fun fact! Did you know that video game mega-franchises Dragon Quest and Metal Gear first appeared on the MSX?)
Scramble now available on Xbox Live Arcade
Scramble is not Lumines Live. Now that we've accepted that, let's consider the once delayed 1981 shooter and why you might be inclined to spend 400 MS points ($5) on it. Clearly, its educational value with regards to the many dangers of spaceship travel (observation: everything is out to kill you) is unsurpassed, but the core gameplay is quite easily sussed out. Scramble is a very basic and very traditional shooter -- more than enough description for shooter fans to show interest and everyone else to write it off as old hat. As with Konami's other Xbox Live Arcade releases (like the excellent Time Pilot from two weeks ago), the download includes updated graphics and sound, online matches, achievements and scoreboards. Microsoft should be announcing the next round of Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays within the next week. Hold on to your plummeting, musically inclined blocks until then.
More Tokyo Game Show lineups: Konami edition
Here's another bulleted list of things you'll be hearing more about by the end of September! Isn't it exciting? Check it out. Elebits (Wii) Coded Arms Assault (PS3) Mahjong Fight Club (PS3) Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) Mahjong Fight Club National Competition Version (PSP) Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops (PSP) World Soccer Winning Eleven 10 Ubiquitous Evolution (PSP) Silent Hill Origins (PSP) Mahjong Fight Club DS (...DS) Boktai DS (...DS) World Soccer Winning Eleven DS (oh, forget it...) Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS) Otogi Juushi Akazukin (DS) Survival Kids Lost in Blue 2 (DS) Well, there were some other games for the PS2, arcade, mobile, and PC, but they didn't exactly raise many brows. Nothing for Microsoft's system, either. You can check out the full list at IGN, but the rest isn't much to get you excited about.
Elebits developer diary
Producer Shingo Mukaitoge has begun a developer's diary for Elebits over at IGN. The first round of what we assume will be many to come has the gentleman discussing the game's origins, as well as presenting a handful of new screens. Quite a bit of the entry is used to talk up the Wii's controller. The versatility of the control scheme and the Konami team's imagination eventually led to the Elebits we see today. The first developer diary is sadly lacking in revealing any new information on the game, but we look forward to further entries down the line to correct this.
Scramble delayed, have some UNO instead
Scramble, Konami's arcade shooter that was slated to hit Xbox Live Arcade today, has been delayed. According to the press release that arrived in our inbox, the game hit some bumps during the certification process. As such, the boys in Redmond are giving it an extra week to iron out the kinks. So, whatever will we do with our empty Wednesday? Grab the new PGR3 theme deck for UNO, of course! Depending on who you ask, it might actually be more exciting than Scramble.Anybody grab the deck yet? Any spiffy cards?
25-year-old XBLA game delayed by a week
In a moment that's sure to elicit a grin or an unstoppable urge to fling your retinas into the back of your head, a game that was released in 1981 has somehow managed to be delayed for a week in the year 2006. Konami's side-scrolling shooter, Scramble, was all set for release this Wednesday when Microsoft's elite and possibly overworked team of testers concluded that the game simply wasn't ready to hit Xbox Live Arcade. The official word reveals that "during the final testing and certification of the title, we discovered some minor issues that should be addressed. Therefore, we are going to take an extra week and fix these items to ensure a high quality game experience for all when the title does launch on its new date of Wednesday, September 13." This isn't the first time the weekly XBLA release schedule has had to make due without a new game -- this week's replacement is a Project Gotham Racing 3 UNO deck priced at 100 points ($1.25 in non-funny money). As exciting as theme decks and picture packs may be, the consistency of game releases has been somewhat shaky so far. Let's hope future XBLA Wednesdays don't have more games taking XBLA sick days. Har.[Thanks Matt!]
Winning Eleven bundle includes carrying case as well
With the delay and super-snazzy bundle, Winning Eleven DS has been quite the topic lately. Well, another incentive to pick up the game has just been revealed in the equally-snazzy DS Lite carrying bag. While the special edition DS has seen equal parts criticism and acclaim, we're certain this bag will help bring some of the bundle's critics over to the other side (or at least help line some pockets through ebay).[Via Go Nintendo]
Elebits to have online bits?
Regardless of what we've heard about third-party titles not being online until 2007, Konami is saying that Elebits could very well ship with online capabilities. During Konami's recent Summer BBQ 2006 event in San Francisco last week, Denis Lee, who is the Group Marketing Manager at Konami, revealed that "the team is looking into online and trying to find out what the best kind of gameplay they can get into the game is and still make launch window. We're working on a few ideas, but we're not talking about online specifically."So Konami is looking at online gameplay for Elebits, but can't really comment on how it will be implemented. Co-op is a given, but what other kind of cool online gametypes would support the overall focus of the title? How about some time-based challenges?
Time Pilot warps onto modern day XBLA
Time-traveling, zeitgeist shooting news now, with Konami's 1982 classic, Time Pilot, hitting Xbox Live Arcade today. Much like Frogger, the game has been given a few enhancements, including Xbox Live cooperative and versus play, enhanced sound and somewhat shinier graphics. The latter feature can be disabled if you prefer to keep things authentic -- we find that the retro visuals give a better indication that you've hit an enemy, whereas the revamped graphics have smoke trails that make it easier to spot incoming missiles. Is Time Pilot worth 400 MS points (or $5 in crazy money)? Well, the answer to that question largely depends on the value you attach to the score leaderboard. If you actively visualize your friends and their pitiful scores sitting in the cockpits of the biplanes, jets and UFOs (from the futuristic 2001 level) you're currently blasting to smithereens, the game is an absolute and horribly addictive blast. In terms of length, however, you'll find that Time Pilot takes very little time to complete, with only one of the achievements posing much of a challenge. The decision's easier if you fondly remember (or scornfully loathe) the game from your earlier, possibly emulated days, but we've been told that today's young people are generally enamored by games that involve shooting things until they spectacularly explode (as depicted in the following screenshots).
Lunar Knights take to the skies
The protagonists of Lunar Knights will hunt vampires wherever, whenever -- even if it means taking the fight to the depths of the final frontier. To fight vampires.Space vampires. Indeed.There's a second video as well which features Aaron and Lucian keeping their feet (mostly) on the ground in the fight against the undead. Check it out.
Metal Gear Solid case free with pre-order
You're probably going to get Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops anyways, but if for some crazy reason you're still on the fence, Konami has offered one of the cooler pre-order bonuses I've seen in quite some time. Pre-order the game at Gamestop and you'll get a case for your system for free. Not just any case, though. A pretty spiffy-looking silver case with the image of Snake giving a salute. This is some classy stuff, and is sure to be as eye-catching as the $500 Signature Edition PSPs.[Via Gamespot]
Pro Evo Soccer exclusivity proves enigmatic
Furious footie fans were quick to cry foul when Microsoft announced at the Leipzig Games Convention that Pro Evolution Soccer 6 was to be a 12-month, next-gen exclusive for the Xbox 360. The initial wave of anger has since been replaced with confusion, as several remarks from Konami seem to indicate that Microsoft was already celebrating a goal which they hadn't quite scored yet. Has Microsoft been caught in a lie or is this merely a case of misinterpretation and marketing hyperbole? The story thus far: After the initial announcement, Konami shoots down claims that Pro Evolution Soccer 6 is exclusive to the Xbox 360, pointing out that the game is a planned "multi-platform release" in order to satisfy "as many people as possible." Konami was right to take issue, as Microsoft never claimed to have total exclusivity. The deal only encompasses next-generation platforms. That means the PS2 version, sure to be the most widely played one, remains unaffected. Next, 1UP has a chat with series producer Shingo Takatsuka and triumphantly reveals that "Winning Eleven is not exclusive to Xbox 360." Well done, especially considering that Microsoft was speaking about Pro Evolution Soccer and not Winning Eleven. Same game, different regions. Microsoft is certainly to blame for not clarifying further, but nabbing Pro Evolution Soccer affects European territories, the only place where the series goes by that name. Takatsuka goes on to say that Konami "never said exclusive for one year on the next-gen platforms. We said this year. We were agreed that it was this year." The agreement largely occurs by default, as the man admits that the PS3 entry in the series has no chance of being completed before 2007. Next Spring is the earliest date it could see release and even then, it would be the Japanese Winning Eleven first, followed by the European edition. Can Konami put together the European release before 12 months have elapsed? Absolutely, especially if they want to prove Microsoft wrong. It would seem that Microsoft could be accused of being overly vague but not of being untruthful. Both Microsoft and Konami are correct and the confusion thus far is only due to different naming conventions and choice marketing words. Still, it'll be interesting to see which really lasts the longest -- Microsoft's 12 months or Konami's development time on a PS3 Pro Evolution Soccer 6. The race is on. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in.] Read -- Microsoft's original announcement. Read -- Konami denies 360 exclusivity. Read -- Series producer chimes in on the situation.
Dramatic Yu-Gi-Oh! gameplay
Konami has shown us PSP fanboys a lot of love. We were so mesmerized by games like Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops that we forgot all about Konami's other games, like Yu-Gi-Oh! The PSP installment takes place in the new GX universe, and will allow players to play against each other wirelessly. The game seems to feature relatively impressive visuals, but the load times seem a bit much. A load screen for every room you enter, and then a load screen before a match seems a bit too much for impatient young gamers. But, at least the characters appear to be over-the-top dramatic, as if they got acting lessons from Charlie Chaplin. The games out in November.
Racing in your pocket: Pocket Racers
Konami really loves the PSP. Even more than terrorists. A few days ago, they announced the not-so-imaginatively named Pocket Racers, which places you in Micro Machines-sized racers speeding through real-world environments. It's like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids... but with cars! Well, that was a lame analogy, but at least the screens they've released look pretty damn sharp.[Via PSP World]
