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Confirmed: Nintendo Media Summit in early October
Didn't we already have a Nintendo Media Summit this year? By golly, we did! But, still, it turns out that rumor is true, as Nintendo will be holding an event on October 2nd and 3rd, showcasing games for both the Wii and DS in San Francisco. We know because we just got our invite.So what should we expect? Well, something on Disaster: Day of Crisis we imagine, but anything outside of that is anyone's guess. What do you all think?%Gallery-30942%
Disaster: Day of Awesome Trailers
Two trailers for Disaster: Day of Crisis are now available on the Japanese Nintendo Channel. The first, above, does an excellent job of channeling American action movies, which is good for something that purports to put the player in one. It's got a brooding hero, stern-voiced narration from some kind of military official, and explosions all over the damn place. The second trailer combines the gameplay footage we've seen with a bit more context, which basically means walking around. Presented this way, it seems a bit less like a collection of disconnected events. We don't mind saying that these trailers have worked. We could really stand to hear about a US release.%Gallery-30942%
Disaster: Day of Crisis survival guide explains gameplay
As is usually the case with oft-delayed titles, details concerning the mystery-shrouded Disaster: Day of Crisis have been slim indeed. Thankfully, the official Japanese site for the disastrous survival game recently added a few explanations on how you'll be guiding optimistic protagonist Raymond Bryce through his very own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.According to a translation from Siliconera, the combat portion of the title plays like a light gun shooter with a Time Crisis-esque cover system. However, you'll need to bust out your best Smooth Moves to make it through the motion-sensitive survival segments, furiously shaking your Wiimote to outrun a tidal wave, push a bus, perform CPR or place an irate phone call to a puzzlingly absent FEMA. We'll have to wait on reactions from our Eastern Hemisphere acquaintences to see how these two great tastes taste together.
Disaster: QTEs of Crisis?
Little is known about the actual gameplay in Monolith Soft's Disaster: Day of Crisis (even though it comes out in Japan on the 25th), but a series of short video clips on the Japanese website make it seem like the gameplay may be divided into small, diverse segments (which we would hesitate to label as "minigames"). Each video in the "player action" section of the website shows Ray performing a different action, from jumping across chasms to rescuing survivors to driving -- all with different, context-sensitive control schemes. Many of those actions involve pressing buttons at the right time according to onscreen prompts.If the game is really divided into discrete chunks of gameplay -- drive in this level, perform CPR in this level, shoot guys in this level -- then Disaster could end up being a sophisticated Dragon's Lair-style game. If these actions are all part of a consistent style of gameplay, then it's an adventure game in which a lot of different stuff happens.%Gallery-30942%
You are the star of Disaster: Day of Crisis
We're starting to think that the mythical Disaster: Day of Crisis may someday turn out to be a real video game! No, really! Nintendo of Japan has released a series of short commercials for the action/survival game, proving that they're probably going to sell it! The ads are built around the theme of the game as an action movie with you as the protagonist. Each starts with "Movie star on Wii" and keeps a persistent arrow with the word anata "you" pointed at the onscreen Raymond Bryce. The commercials end with the tagline "Starring: You." A pretty exciting way to start your fake acting career!%Gallery-30942%
Disaster: Day of Crisis hits Japanese shelves on Sept. 25
Imagine our surprise when we heard that Nintendo of Japan plans to release Disaster: Day of Crisis on September 25th. After hearing barely anything about the game for months, including a no-show at E3 and PAX, we were incredibly doubtful the game would release this calendar year, yet alone at all. But, sure enough, the official Nintendo of Japan website has it listed. Right here.So with a Japanese release ironed out and the European release date for October 24th set in stone, when can North America expect the game? We've contacted Nintendo and are awaiting word. As soon as we get it, we'll update the post.%Gallery-30942%[Via Wiiz]
Nintendo says Disaster: Day of Crisis is 'still in development'
Following last week's Australian classification of Disaster: Day of Crisis, we've all gotten our hopes up again that the game could actually release during the Wii's lifespan. As a response to that, a Nintendo of America representative told GamePro that the title is, in fact, "still in development." Sounds good to us, but could you give us something else, Nintendo? More info? No? Okay, then. Back to waiting it is.
Disaster: Day of Crisis gets Australian rating
Following rumors of a cancellation, it's nice to hear any kind of news about Monolith Soft's Disaster: Day of Crisis -- even if that news is somewhat inconclusive. It seems the title, which was announced alongside Nintendo's latest home console before being put on indefinite hold, recently received a Mature rating from Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification (for "violence, themes and infrequent coarse language", for those who were curious) on Wednesday. Could this signify an end to Disaster's time out? We'll let you know when we hear something more concrete.
Day of Crisis not a disaster
Although the Disaster: Day of Crisis delay was recently confirmed, it's not time to panic just yet. While the words "indefinite delay" caused a stir among Wii owners, it seems that Nintendo isn't shelving the title. It's true that there's no new targeted release date, but according to Nintendo, Monolith Soft just needs more time to work on the game.The timing of the delay has also caused a few folks to speculate that it has something to do with the terrible tragedies that occurred recently in China and Burma. This would make sense, seeing as a game of this nature might hit a little too close to home in Asian markets for the time being. The wake of such events also helps to put things into perspective for a moment, as being upset over game news is trifling in comparison -- but we digress.So, is the delay indefinite? Technically, yes. But is Disaster: Day of Crisis canceled? Not likely. [Via Siliconera]
Wii Warm Up: Disaster: Delay of Crisis
Monolith Soft's Disaster: Day of Crisis has been delayed indefinitely from its original July date, though we aren't 100% certain of the veracity of the rumor. It certainly seems to have had a rocky history since its debut at E3 2006, so we wouldn't be too surprised if Nintendo pulled it for retooling -- or cancelled the thing altogether.Do you believe that Disaster is still coming? Do you believe that an "indefinite" delay at this point would mean the end of the game? It's a question of faith, we suppose, put to those who care.Alternately, and more enjoyably, let's talk potential edits that could be made to make it more of a stereotypical Wii game. Balance Board minigames? Mii integration? Charles Martinet?
Is Disaster: Day of Crisis gone forever?
Sad news, if you're willing to buy into this rumor. According to QJ, a supposed Japanese press release was fired off by Nintendo where they explain that Disaster: Day of Crisis has been put on indefinite hold. We're taking this with a big grain of salt, to be honest, because we don't want the rumor to be true and because QJ doesn't even source anything on the rumor.Without a credible source (or any source, for that matter), we're hard-pressed to buy into all of this. However, it's a good discussion topic, as many are still waiting for Reggie to deliver on his promise of delivering a big Wii title at E3 and hoped this would be it. Until we hear more word on this, we're just going to sit in the corner, with our hands over our ears, singing to ourself as we refuse to buy into this.
Fresh screens from SRW OG Endless Frontier
If perhaps a large chunk of gameplay footage and the screens in our gallery below haven't sold you on this game, we really don't know what to do for you. It's okay that something we present not immediately pique your interest; you're going to like what you're going to like. In case you're receptive to reasons why you should like the game, however, we have several. They're reasons in the form of new screenshots in our gallery below. Outside of that, we really got nothing.Oh wait, there's boobies! People seem to respond to those, right?%Gallery-14186%
11 minutes of SRW OG Endless Frontier's elaborate battle animations
As shallow as it might seem, these battle animations are the only reason why we bother watching these SRW OG Endless Frontier clips, or any video for the Super Robot Wars series, for that matter. It's like loading up a Marvel vs. Capcom 2 combo video to watch an intricate series of strikes pile up with no sign of ending anytime soon.So, here we have eleven minutes of precisely that -- floating HP-damage counts, KOS-MOS's poorly secured top, and team attacks acrobatically combining martial arts and heavy weaponry. What else were you expecting? SRW OG Endless Frontier ships out to stores in Japan this May 29th.%Gallery-14186%[Via Nicovideo]
New scans feature Disaster, Super Mario Stadium
Click for larger image We were a bit shocked to receive any kind of update at all about Disaster: Day of Crisis, much less a release date. Monolith's survival adventure is one of those games that disappears for months at a time, then pops up with just a few screens. For some reason, we think of it as perpetually on the brink of cancellation. But Nintendo's serious enough about releasing it to, uh, print a page in a retail pamphlet about it! Interesting factoid: Bears are now natural disasters.Another page (after the break) tinily reveals new screens of Super Mario Stadium: Family Baseball, which was just announced for the U.S. as Super Mario Sluggers. From the title, we know that the new game will be developed by Namco Bandai and will share gameplay aspects (though certainly not controls!) with their Family Stadium games. Miis will also be playable!
Disaster: Day of Release
After being announced almost two years ago (note: two years in the game industry is roughly equivalent to 853 Earth years, or at least it feels that way) Famitsu finally managed to yank a Japanese release date for Disaster: Day of Crisis from beneath the rubble.July 3rd is the day to note down in your BFF journal, and are we relieved about that. The long stretches of silence in the build-up left us fretting about the fate of the title, but now we know: the natural-disaster-survival-me-do is definitely coming! Yaaay!While we're on the subject of Japan and release dates, we should also mention that Famitsu has Super Mario Stadium Baseball down for a June 19th release. As someone who finds baseball to be a dense, impenetrable mystery (this could have been written for me), I'll leave it at that.Update: Image credited (thanks, Brian)[Via Go Nintendo]
Heavy mechs and heaving chests: SRW OG Endless Frontier commercial
Though we still have two months before Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Endless Frontier ships to stores in Japan, Banpresto already has a commercial for the Monolith-Soft RPG at its official site. The 15-second spot has everything you'd expect from a Super Robot Wars title -- ornate mechas swinging swords and firing giant canons at each other.Oh, and at some point, KOS-MOS's (Xenosaga) top spills open, exposing her cleavage for no discernible reason. Perhaps it's a special attack? Does it consume SP? We might just have to wait until May 29th comes around to find out!%Gallery-14186%
Soma Bringer video explosion 3: The Legend of Curly's Gold
If there's one thing we like about Soma Bringer, it's the fact that there's always plenty to look at. The gaming journalist in us loves that, while the game-obsessed geek in us loves that. It's a very feel good thing.And, on top of the video above, there are two more fresh trailers for the game, conveniently situated past the break for your viewing convenience. Hit them up and then make fun of us for a City Slickers 2 reference in the comments.%Gallery-8412%
Bringing the Soma to Japanese televisions
We don't know what it is about Japanese adverts that we like so much. Maybe its the pleasantly-voiced women they find to narrate these things. Maybe its the remarkable ability to condense information and every interesting aspect of the subject material into a brisk advert.Anywho, we're loving everything we've seen on Soma Bringer. It has amazing graphics and looks to include quite the solid battle engine. Surely we're not the only ones?%Gallery-8412%
Monolith planning to Bring more Soma?
Having seen video of Monolith Soft's Soma Bringer and having found it to be, well, basically sumptuous, we're tentatively pleased to hear that it's probably going to be a series. That's according to a newly-translated tidbit in a "Creative Voice" interview with Soma Bringer producer Tetsuya Takahashi and composer Yasunori Mitsuda. In a discussion about the building of the Soma Bringer world, Takahashi makes this casual mention of the plan: "As this is the first title, it does not have to comprise of every single detail of the world, instead the elements of the storyline best suited for an Action RPG were selected to be told."We're tentatively pleased, of course, because we really have no idea if Soma Bringer is a) any good, and b) planned for localization at all. If both of those conditions are satisfied, then yay for sequels![Via NeoGAF]
Soma Bringer video explosion: the sequel
It's been a whole two days since we've had anything to look at on Soma Bringer, and we've been needing a fix. Thankfully, one of the kind souls over at GAF got their hands on numerous gameplay videos from the title. So be sure to hit up the video above then cruise past the break for a bunch more of the video goodness.
