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Castlevania: PoR gameplay footage
First we brought you the trailer -- now we offer a look at the actual gameplay of this exciting Castlevania title. Watch closely to see both characters in action. Anyone else simply dying to get their hands on this? Whips and spells and portraits, oh my!
New trailer for Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
The latest installment in Konami's long-running Castlevania series is looking pretty tight, but it's the new gameplay additions that get us excited. Not only do we get twice the vamp-hunting goodness, but the potraits in the castle act as portals, allowing Jonathan and Charlotte to take the fight to new dimensions. Now that's dedication.
Kicking back with Winning Eleven 2007
There are some great previews coming out of Leipzig, and GameSpot has a look at Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 that compares the game now with the build available earlier this year at E3. The control scheme for this forthcoming DS title seems very similar to older versions. The DS's left trigger feints, the right trigger is for a dash, and the d-pad moves your player. The Y button shoots, and the X, A, and B buttons all perform various passes. For anything more complicated, a series of buttons is required. Further, they report the game seems to be playing faster now than at E3, and the movement and graphics seem to be improved. Unfortunately, for the purpose of the preview, only the single player mode was activated, but GameSpot reports the following menu options: world tour, network, Konami Cup, original team, and training. Sounds like a bevy of options for the soccer fan with a DS.
The winner of Leipzig? PSP
NOTE: This editorial is the opinion of Andrew Yoon, and does not represent the opinion of PSP Fanboy, Joystiq or Weblogs, Inc.Every video game convention, there's a "winner" of some sorts. It's pretty safe to say that the Nintendo Wii "won" the last E3, proving that waving around our hands can be fun. Not only did the Wii prove that the control scheme works, there was an amazing list of exclusives, from Nintendo's own Mario to third party efforts, like Red Steel. Nintendo wowed the crowd at E3 because of the amazing quality and potential of the games for its system.Did Nintendo pull the big win at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany this year? No. Did Microsoft? No. Sony took the win for this year's show, but not because of a great showing of PlayStation 3 goods (there were none at the show), but because of Konami's absolutely excellent lineup of upcoming PSP games. Yes, you heard me right: PSP "won" Leipzig.
Between the darkness and the light: Lunar Knights
Konami with a vampire hunting game? Say it ain't so! But there's nary a Belmont in Lunar Knights (psst, don't call it Boktai), the action RPG coming to the DS in November. Like the newest installment in that other gothic franchise, Lunar Knights features two heroes: Lucian and Aaron. But they're not exactly regular guys -- their power is dependent on a solar cycle, with Lucian's power waxing at night and waning during the day, when Aaron comes to the fore. The top screen of the DS will display weather and solar cycle effects. This new 'paraSOL' system (how's that for a pun?) will impact every aspect of the game, from the polar opposite heroes to the enemies they face. As Aaron and Lucian fight to save their futuristic world from a dark fate at the hands of an undead army, they are supported by Terrenials, embodiments of the elements the world is built from. These Terrenials have their own attacks and can enhance the man characters, allowing them to take on even more powerful forms. And just because space vampires are awesome, when the planet-side evil is vanquished, Lucian and Aaron blast off for all new adventures as they try to dispose of their enemies once and for all. We're not quite sure how the light/dark cycle might function there, but the Terrenials, at least, accompany our heroes into the final frontier for further support.
Fight evil llamas and chickens in Death Jr. 2
Konami's Gamers Day has been very good to PSP owners. Gamespot (are they the only ones covering this event?) posted some new gameplay videos of Death Jr. 2 in motion. While I can't really see any HDR lighting in it, the game does look pretty sharp, and if Gamespot is to be believed, it does have advanced light blooming and shadow effects. Although my eye may not be trained to see the technical details, I do see that the quirky charm has been retained: there are crazy chickens that shoot lasers at you!!! They are far more vicious than the chickens of Zelda and clearly, they must be stopped.Watch - Fight against chickensWatch - Boss fight
New Coded Arms Contagion footage and details
Coded Arms Contagion didn't really impress former PSP Fanboy blogger Adam, and looking at new footage posted a few hours ago by Gamespot, it doesn't really seem like the game's shaping up too well. Although the original Coded Arms' randomly generated maps are no more, the controls still look awkward and sluggish, and the graphics and animations don't look too good, especially in light of Konami's other PSP gems. The controls are customizable, and the game will feature 20 hours of story-driven single player gameplay and 8-player online infrastructure multiplayer... but I can't really get too excited for this game. Why not check out some of the footage, and judge for yourself? (Hopefully, the game will shape up a lot more: according to IGN, the game's only 30% complete.)Watch - Interview with producerWatch - Gameplay footage
Bloody beautiful Silent Hill trailer [Update 3]
A few hours ago, we revealed the very first footage of the game in motion. Now, Konami has revealed an official trailer from the Games Convention in Germany Konami's Gamer Day, and it is absolutely mind-blowingly beautiful. Comparing the game to Resident Evil 4 seems apt, not only because of the gameplay, but because of the insane quality of the graphics. Watch and be amazed.[Update 1: Footage actually from Konami's Gamer Day, not Games Convention. Also, Gamespot has added two excellent gameplay videos to their site. They seem to feature some awkward hit detection and camera, but hopefully that'll be worked out soon. Check out video 1 here and video 2 here.][Update 2: A video interview with the producer reveals that the playable build is very early, with most everything being placeholders. So, yes... the graphics and the animations are going to be much better. Players of the original Silent Hill be able to experience how the town became the way it did, but the main character of the game is not responsible for it. The town will be a mix of old and new, with two thirds of it being new. The game will be large: "a good size PSP game." The game features 4 vocal tracks, one of them being featured in the trailer.][Update 3: Another video of the game in motion, now featured after the cut.]
Microsoft head butts FIFA, Pro Evo Soccer into exclusivity
Speaking at the Leipzig Games Convention, Microsoft has announced that if you want to play the most graphically impressive footy games without gallivanting outside and running the risk of getting someone's head lodged in your chest, you'll have to do it on the Xbox 360. In what is sure to be a valuable coup, both FIFA 2007 and Pro Evolution Soccer 6 are bound exclusively to the Xbox 360 for a period of 12 months. The latter game is hugely popular in Europe and may prove to be quite a head butting killer app for Microsoft's next-generation console. The exclusivity doesn't include current generation consoles, it seems, but a significantly improved 360 version of Pro Evolution Soccer with Xbox Live support would likely prove irresistable to most. As for FIFA, well, it has "ultra realistic player motion and delivers complete responsiveness due to its ability to branch animations and the real-time calculation of real human biomechanics," according to producer Hugues Ricour. "Essentially our software engineers are writing human decision-making code." Look forward to not making a decision at all regarding the console when you buy a next-gen soccer game in 2007.
Elebits Japanese site launch and new trailer
The official Japanese site for the upcoming Konami title Elebits recently launched. Along with the new site, there is a brand-new trailer which is likely to get several of you (although it should be all of you) excited for the upcoming game. In the trailer, some more of the interactive environments are shown, as well as three players all going at it at once, tearing apart things in a search for those little Elebits.The idea behind the game is really cool, but imagine if you came home and found some lunatic in your house, ripping apart your silverware drawer or pulling out your prize-winning carrots from the ground, all in some crazed search for these Elebits. Personally, we wouldn't stand for it. Then again, Wii Fanboy bloggers don't so much live in a house as a dark, wet hole in the ground.
Metal Gear to support GPS
There aren't too many high-profile games that use Sony's upcoming GPS peripheral. Off the top of my head, I can only think of two: Hot Shots Golf and Homestar. Well, Konami has added one incredibly huge title to the list of GPS-compatible games: Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, considernig how the last Metal Gear game on our system came with another crazy peripheral: the Solid Eye. Konami hasn't revealed how the game will support the device, but what kind of crazy ideas can you think of?[Via IGN]
Roomba Frogger
Remember when Phillip Torrone and Limor Fried modded a Roomba and played Frogger across a four-lane highway? No? Well, if you did, it would be the perfect segue into this week's Roomba mod breakthrough.A company called myRoomBud -- apparently started, built, and run by kids (peep this child labor pic) -- has designed a version of Frogger (pictured) that features myRoomBud's Roobit the Frog (a costume character mod for Roomba). Using a RooTooth device and some clever code work, myRoomBud modded its Roomba to sync up with the in-game Roobit. Yes folks, so incredibly pointless that it could've only been conceived by the minds of children. So where do we download?[Via TechEBlog]
More XBLA lovin', Time Pilot, Lumines!
For those of you who missed it on Joystiq, the Official Xbox Magazine (UK) revealed the next batch of games for Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays. The list reads thusly: Aug. 16: Texas Hold 'em Aug. 23: Time Pilot Aug. 30: Scramble Sept 6: Lumines Live! Hmm...two (arguably) obscure retro arcade titles sandwiched by Texas Hold 'em and Lumines Live! Not bad at all. While few will doubt the appeal of card games or the wonderfully addictive Lumines, one must wonder how well Time Pilot and Scramble will do. Any fans of these retro classics out there?Bonus points for anyone that can point out the connection between Konami's Time Pilot and Capcom's XBLA smash hit, Street Fighter II.[Via Joystiq]
Symphony of the Night on XBLA!
Fans of androgynous vampires rejoice, 1UP reports that Castlevania: Symphony of the Night -- widely regarded as the best in the series, and frequently listed in various "greatest games of all time" lists -- is coming to Xbox Live Arcade. It is, unfortunately, the Playstation version which does not include the Saturn's bonus area. Still, this is incredible news for Castlevania fans and gamers everywhere -- enough to wash away the taste of the awful 3D Castlevanias perhaps? Oh, and Konami is planning quite a few more classics as well (Time Pilot, anyone?). Hit the read link for the whole story.[Thanks Joe(dragonjoe) and Rivithed
Konami leaves Hawaiian offices -- Frogger squashed
Konami is cleaning up their act! Their Hawaii studio closing will affect 40 employees (but may be getting jobs elsewhere in the company). The games created there include: Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor, a few Frogger games, and Todd McFarlane's Evil Prophecy. Whew! Konami had good reason to close down that office. Those games were stinkers. In Frogger, your frog died if he hopped in water. How does that work?The Japanese studios will concentrate on the gaming market, but rumors circulate that the American armpit section of Konami will be concentrating enegy on the casino circuit. Oh well, it's not impossible. So for those of you anxiously awaiting the next Frogger adventure, apologies. You may wait for a little longer.[via Joystiq]
Konami to shut down Hawaiian studio
Much like the spritely amphibian star of Frogger, it seems that Konami's Hawaiian studio is destined to be mangled by a large (and largely oblivious) truck traveling on the "streamlining operations" freeway. Roughly 40 employees will be affected by the year-end closure, with Konami hoping to relocate most of them to positions throughout the rest of the company. No specific reasons for the change are cited, though John Strom of Enterprise Honolulu suggests that it stems from Konami's desire to scale back all game development in the US and focus on casino gaming facilities instead. Konami has not confirmed such a plan, but with most of their titles emerging from the buff Japanese arm, it's hardly inconceivable. The Hawaiian studio was responsible for games such as Frogger Beyond and Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix -- a roster not nearly as impressive as their valiant resisting of the obvious impulse to combine the two franchises into some sort of rhythmic, frog-stomping adventure.See also: Real-life Frogger (or: Roomba hacking is fun) XBLA Wednesdays unveiled
Kojima to design Snake's Smash Bros. Brawl stage
Sparked by remarks from a Nintendo Power contributor, reports indicate that Hideo Kojima will design Snake's stage for Wii's Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Nintendo Power's Chris Hoffman recently commented, "If you want to talk about something big, how about the news Hideo Kojima, Snake's creator, is designing Snake's level in Brawl? Snake's inclusion means we're not only getting one of the best characters in gaming, but one of the best developers as well."With Sakurai at the helm and Kojima lending, not just Snake, but his actual development talent, are we anticipating the ... Best. Smash Bros. Ever?
Bomberman: Act Zero bombs
I'm publishing Dirk Dorkelson's Bomberman: Act Zero rant in near entirety:According to the Official Xbox mag review, which gives Bomberman: Act Zero a whopping 4 out of 10, the ultimate party game won't be playable at parties. For some bizarre, boneheaded reason, the game is only multiplayer if you play it online. A quick check of Konami's website seems to confirm this, with it listing the game as a single-player game, with 2-8 players online.Sadly, this also probably means that my married friends who I game with online all the time won't be able to play the title with me over Xbox Live unless they take turns playing. Lame.How the hell could they screw up something so basic? Isn't the true joy of Bomberman inviting a few friends over and blasting the hell out of each other while having a few beers?Also, the game has 99 levels in the single-player mode. But you can't save your progress.OXM calls it "impossible to love." Color me disappointed.
Silent Hill Origins - Comic-Con interview
The exclusives keep on hitting the PSP. Konami showcased Silent Hill Origins for the PSP and GTtv caught up with Producer William Oertel to find out more about the game. You can just watch the video embedded above, but here are some of the more interesting details he points out: It's a prequel to the original Silent Hill, not a remake. "[The main character] is an interesting character... he's a little bit more physical... he's not too emo." "It's going to be a much more personal experience than playing on the console." The barricade system modifies controls so that it changes constantly, making it much more interesting and dynamic. "It's a huge game." It seems like Konami's placing a lot of effort into their PSP efforts, and they have to be commended for that. This game, along with Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, show that the company knows what it's doing.
Winning Eleven and yet another DS bundle
Because we need options when we're looking to buy a DS Lite, and Nintendo knows us for the bundle junkies we are, Konami's World Soccer Winning Eleven will be bundled with the Jet Black DS Lite in late September. Of course, the black Lite is being released September 2 in Japan, but the Winning Eleven version is reportedly prettied up with a special graphic a la the Pikachu Lite. What'll it be? Konami's not telling yet ... but we're holding out for a sweet headbutt shot. And bad news, soccer fans -- looks like this bundle is only going to be offered in Japan for now. [Via The MagicBox]
