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Namco blames Wii for arcade closures in Japan
Namco Bandai is shuttering between 50 and 60 arcades in Japan, and it's laying the blame squarely on Nintendo's shoulders. "A lot of the types of games that people played at an arcade can now be done at home," said company spokesman Yuji Machida. Namco figures that Japanese kids are saving up their pocket money to buy the latest and greatest Wii game or accessory, which is clearly unacceptable. Sega Sammy also has plans to close about 100 of its arcades, but there's no word of finger pointing from that camp. While we're certain the Wii's popularity has a little something to do with it, perhaps Japanese gamers are just beginning to learn something their American counterparts got down years ago: why leave the couch? Ever?[Via Joystiq]
Joystiq interview: Namco Bandai stacks the deck with Culdcept Saga
By all accounts Omiya Soft's Culdcept franchise has no business being as fun as it is. An admittedly bizarre meshing of board and collectible card game antics, the resulting gameplay potpourri comes across as one big happy accident, but one that has endured since well before the Saturn was pushing up daises. With iterations released in Japan for Sega's final console pair as well as the original PlayStation, North American gamers got their first taste of this unique hybrid in 2003 when NEC released Culdcept for the PlayStation 2 to modest critical acclaim. Since that time, however, the franchise has faded into obscurity, but will soon be given another chance, this time under the banner of Namco Bandai for the Xbox 360. Culdcept Saga, which has been available for some time in Japan, marks a decidedly different sort of experience for Xbox 360 owners, one usually associated with XBLA downloads rather than a full-on retail release, though even trepidatious players may find the $39.99 price difficult to pass up, especially those looking for something different to play during their FPS downtime. In advance of the game's early February release we managed to corner Namco Bandai's Nobu Taguchi, who is spearheading Culdcept Saga's localization here in North America. Taguchi was more than willing to set us straight on a number of topics, from the title's multiplayer gameplay to changes made regarding how DLC will be handled...and more. Check out the full interview after the jump. %Gallery-13956%
Today's crossover video: Soul Calibur Star Wars
We hoped it was a joke, but trailers don't lie, do they? Sure, the best part of that one Star Wars was when Yoda flipped out and killed people. (Actually, it was probably the best part of all three.) But a Yoda-and-Darth cross-over to Soul Calibur IV? We're not sure if we should feel bad for Star Wars or Soul Calibur.But here's the trailer. Watch it with your splayed fingers covering your eyes after the break. Or drink from the HD faucet at GameTrailers.
One Piece screen and trailer blowout, game goes gold
With the release right around the corner (January 22nd), One Piece: Unlimited Adventure is based on the popular anime series and follows the Straw Hat Pirates on their trek across an uncharted isle as they hunt for treasure. The game will include Adventure mode, Survival mode and VS. mode, for multiplayer gaming. Unlockables consist of up to 40 characters, along with various costumes and secret items. Head past the break for some more trailers and hit up the gallery below for some screens.%Gallery-12553%
Dr. Kawashima goes mobile with Namco Bandai brain game
Floating head doctor Ryuta Kawashima has once again been called upon to lend his expertise and disembodied features to a brain training game, this time for mobile phones. CVG reports that Namco Bandai's Brain Coach with Dr. Kawashima will use a "scientifically proven series of fun brain training challenges" to exercise and activate several parts of your brain, most likely the ones that shut down whn u rite a txt msg to ur palz. Brain Coach has only been announced for Japan so far, but given the popular trend kicked off by Nintendo's Brain Training and its intelligent ilk (almost all of it featuring Kawashima), it's unlikely to stay there for very long. Kawashima's constant presence in the genre practically makes him the mental Madden.
Afro Samurai trailer sports plenty of blood, not much else
What can we expect from the Afro Samurai video game? Based on this short trailer -- which premiered during the Spike Video Game Awards -- we'll be seeing lots of blood, and the voice talent of Samuel L. Jackson, who also provides the main character's voice in the anime series. The first announcement for this game came way back in June, and it looks like we have pretty much the same information then as we do now: expect swordfighting, acrobatics, and a blood-spattered badass voiced by the badass to end all badasses. At least now the blood is confirmed.
Want two GunCons? Buy two copies of Time Crisis 4
Namco-Bandai has a habit of doing inane things -- frequently . The company's latest misadventure involves the sale of the Guncon 3. More accurately, it's more about the non-sale of the Guncon 3. See, although Time Crisis 4 is a two-player game, only one Guncon is bundled with the game -- and you can't buy another one separately. Basically, you'll need to buy another copy of the game to get another Guncon.The whole thing plays out on a Live Support Chat posted over at The Consumerist. The guy who contacted Namco-Bandai is informed that he can always have the second player use "a controller" if he wants to play co-op and is told, "If you wish to play two players using two Guncon 3s then you will need another copy of Time Crisis 4." Redonkulous, but not unheard of. Come on, let's break up those peripheral bundles from day one![Thanks, Alkaiser]
Culdcept Saga demo shuffles onto XBLM
If there's one thing Xbox fans have been clamoring for, it's a weird RPG / card / board game hybrid ... thing. Enter Culdcept Saga from Namco. The game has players rolling dice and battling enemies with magical cards that contain magical beasts. Sound appealing? Good. You might want to grab the demo off of Xbox Live Marketplace, because it's up right now, at this very moment. We're going to be giving it a try for the sheer uniqueness of it all. Expect a report later today. In the meantime, feel free to issue your own right here.
Tales of introductions and battle
Namco Bandai's Tales franchise has been around for quite some time and the idea to bring it to the DS in the form of Tales of Innocence seems like a no-brainer. But, is the game going to be any good? Is it going to be the Tales experience fans are looking for?Hopefully, these pair of trailers will help you answer that question. So, check out the game's intro above and some battle footage past the break.
Time Crisis 4 producer says Guncon 3 'more accurate than Wii'
We're happy with on-rail shooters on the Wii. We enjoyed Resident Evil: Umbrella Chroncles, love to talk about Ghost Squad and we're definitely looking forward to House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return. We'd say the console is a pretty good place to look to for developers anxious to produce an on-rails shooter.Producer for Time Crisis 4, Teruaki Minami, thinks the new Guncon 3 is more advanced than the Wiimote, however. While we'll entertain his thoughts on how it's more advanced in the LED department (hint: it's got more of them), we're pretty confident that the Wiimote beats it on innovation and the fact that it is included with the system. But, we'll still allow him to state his case, as he claims "Guncon 3's LED markers are actually much more accurate. Much better than Nintendo Wii's controller. In the Wii, there are only two LED points, but for the Guncon 3 there are six LED points, so it is more accurate than the Wii." OK, it's more accurate, but is it totally necessary? Can the average consumer even tell the difference?
First Fragile trailer and gameplay details leave us wanting more
Since it first emerged earlier this month, Namco Bandai's Fragile ~ Farewell Moon Ruins has been a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Slowly but surely though, more on the tri-Crescendo-developed "ruin exploration RPG" is being revealed, and the past weekend saw a flurry of new media (such as the trailer above from the official site), all of which points to an RPG rich on atmosphere and suspense.Famitsu also had a few tidbits of gameplay information. Apparently, protagonist Seto will be equipped with a flashlight, which players will be able to control by pointing the Wii Remote at the screen. A metal detector will also be available (again, this will be controlled using the Wiimote), as well as "other tools." There is also talk of demons appearing during combat, though sadly a rather impenetrable translation prevented us from learning more. Nevertheless, you can color us intrigued.Head past the post break for a selection of screens, as taken from last week's magazine scans.
Questionable Soulcalibur Legends for Wii goes gold
When we first took remote in hand to try out Soulcalibur Legends for the Wii at E3, the whole incident compelled us to throw away our clothes and take a shower while trying to wash ourselves clean of the experience altogether. But the filth would not come off. Granted, this was of an early build, but given the state of things, our hopes for the fighter-made-action game were left irrecoverably gutted.Now, however, Namco Bandai sends word that the game has gone gold, and while we have trouble caring, Wii owners on the lookout for something original (regardless of quality) can look forward to getting dirty themselves November 20. Just don't say we didn't warn you.
Namco Museum Remix mixes in Miis
NamcoBandai hit us up with a press release, chock full of new screens (see them in the gallery below) as well as a new trailer for Namco Museum Remix. The trailer even shows some of the Mii integration the game offers. And, as you can imagine, we're dying to get this game in our hands and into our Wii.%Gallery-3280%[Via press release]
Neat Accessory Sets of Innocence
We like Hori's themed Protect Cases. They're an easy, inexpensive, and impermanent way to give your DS Lite a "limited edition" look. This way, you can deck out your DS like you spent $200 dollars on a bundle, but then if you decide that the game is terrible or something, you can just toss the cover and not have a constant reminder of your own folly on the top of your system.From the looks of it, Tales of Innocence won't be terrible, and so there will no doubt be an audience for this nice-looking set. It includes a clear Protect Case and a maroon Tales of Innocence extending stylus, for $23. It'll be released on December 6th.
TGS07: Beautiful new Tales of Innocence trailer
The post-show media just keeps rolling in! We're not complaining, though ... far from it, when the media in question is as mind-boggling as this Tales of Innocence trailer. Even us dedicated DS fans are sometimes impressed with the capabilities creative developers can wring out of our handheld. This latest Tales installment is due for release in December in Japan, and there's no word on localization, but after seeing this trailer, we can only hope Namco Bandai picks up the slack. [Thanks, creamsugar!]
TGS07: Game Center CX, the new game about old games, previewed
1UP's original Retronaut, Jeremy Parish, took in some Game Center CX at TGS, and it sounds as meta-fabulous as we thought. The central gimmick of the game is that you play as two kids who are themselves playing games; they have a Famicom-esque system in front of them and a pile of magazines. Both the games and the magazines are original creations based on classics; the games imitate Galaga, Lode Runner, and others, and the magazines talk about those games in a style reminiscent of Famitsu.We're as bummed about the fact that this game will never make it to the U.S. as we are about the Game Center CX show. We're sure Spike TV or G4 or somebody could make decent money from a subtitled version of the show, but we don't know how big the market would be for a game about it. Too bad for what is basically a love letter to retrogaming.
PSP Fanboy review: Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes
Why is Naruto so angry? That's because he knows a certain percentage of people out there are thinking that licensed games are sloppily slapped together and serve no other purpose but to milk the cash cow. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes, published by Namco Bandai, is surely using the license to its advantage, but the game behind it is no slouch either. This anime fighter is fast-paced, frantic and fun, but some design choices may leave serious fighting genre fans looking for something more refined.%Gallery-3241%
Soul Calibur IV E3 trailer on XBLM
The E3 trailer for Soul Calibur IV, which we must have missed during all the hubbub, has finally landed on Xbox Live Marketplace. The trailer features the first gameplay footage of the game, and so far things are looking pretty damned good. In particular, we're really digging one of the new female fighters. Wielding a sword and halberd simultaneously, and sporting a full suit of armor, she's intriguing to say the least. Everything else looks like good old-fashioned Soul Calibur fun, only a lot prettier. All of this coupled with the introduction of online play has us fairly excited to get a crack at the full game. Now if we can just get a demo to tide us over until the game's release in 2008, we'll be set. Get to it Namco.
Screens of Innocence
Dengeki Online has the latest from Namco Bandai's next entry in the Tales series, and it looks pretty sharp. A lot of these screens appear to be stills from the trailer we saw last month, but it's nice to be able to take a closer look at what we'll be seeing. The character designs really maximize the capabilities of the DS, and it really seems like an improvement from some of what we've seen in the post-Final Fantasy III era of handheld RPGs.
Welcome back to the screens of Soul Calibur
German site Gamefront showed off some new screenshots for the action-adventure take on the Soul Calibur franchise recently. The new screens show off busty pirate lass Ivy, as well as a little more from Siegfried and Sophitia, all of whom have been confirmed as playable characters. It still seems as though the screenshots (which we've added to the gallery below) are improving all the time, and this pleases us, but we'd like to see some of the other characters who will be featured. Specifically, this blogger feels a need to take tiny Talim up against giant Egyptian-styled enemies. You know how it is with dynamite and small packages.%Gallery-3272%
