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Video: Eternal Sonata battle and story
GameVideos has posted some footage from the upcoming Eternal Sonata, Namco's magical adventure starring Chopin and his musical cohorts. The video embedded above showcases the game's combat engine, which was detailed by Joystiq last week. Players will have 5 seconds to deal as much damage as possible. The combat plays out in real time but the five second timer only drains when players are moving or performing actions. In other words, players have as much time as they need to come up with a strategy before actually moving. All in all, it looks like a very interesting combat system and should provide a nice change of pace for RPG fans that are sick of turn based combat. The second video displays some of the game's story elements. We have to issue a warning though. The video is technically safe for work, but passerby may question your manhood if they see you watching it (as long as you happen to be a man, of course). The graphics are bright and colorul, making good use of outlining characters in a cartoon style. It's not exactly cel shading but it's close. Check out the second video after the break.
Ace Combat flies onto 360
Wow, it's quite a day for new 360 titles that were once Sony exclusives. First Capcom announces that Devil May Cry 4 will be making an appearance on the Xbox 360, and now we've learned that Ace Combat 6 is making the jump as well (we should really start keeping a checklist). A flight combat game, Ace Combat has graced only Sony platforms since its inception, with entries in the series landing on PS1, PS2, and the PSP. The news comes from Pro-G, who in turn pulled the info from the latest Famitsu. Very little is known about the game except that it will feature combat between two factions. Online versus and co-op are also expected. The game is scheduled to arrive some time in 2007. Could this open the door for more major Namco franchises on the 360?
Ace Combat 6 revealed as an Xbox 360 exclusive
In an event that shall only be referred to as "Mondayton," Capcom shocked everyone by announcing a would-be exclusive for Microsoft's platform. Today, it's Namco Bandai's turn. Mirroring the Xbox 360 launch with Ridge Racer 6, Ace Combat 6: Kaiho e no Senbi has been unveiled as an Xbox 360 exclusive. IGN did the Famitsu translation work for the rest of us and fished out the details. Helming the project will be Ace Combat veterans Hiroyuki Ichiyanagi and Natsuki Isaki, serving as producer and director respectively. There will be two huge additions to the series with the first being the Dynamic Mission system. Players will be teaming up with ally pilots that can be manipulated to take care of various tasks outside the scope of the primary objective, which can then open up new missions mid-battle. The other addition? Online play, of course. While no number of players are mentioned, there are currently battle royal and team battle modes, as well as a co-operative play that allows players to team-up against an enemy force. Ace Combat 6 is due out in Japan this year with no set release or announcement for the Western world, though expect one sooner than later.
RUMOR: Ace Combat lands on Microsoft's ship
Sony has to stop losing these games! Perhaps "losing" is too strong of a word. Maybe it should be more of a "let slip through one's fingers" phrase. Anyway, a scan has come out of the magazine Xboxyde showing pictures of Ace Combat 6 and a big "XBOX360" tag. So, it's safe to assume that the game is going multi-platform, right? ...Right? Sadly, no. Rumor is going around that the long-running flight game is going to be a Microsoft exclusive. That's right, it's moving all the way to Microsoft and won't look back. On top of the announcement of Devil May Cry 4 is going to be multiplatform (you'll notice Nick didn't post that one... he was busy crying into a pillow. Not really.) these dual announcements are fairly damaging blows to Sony. Well, you know what they say... money is power. Not "knowledge is power", interestingly enough. Come on, Sony! Hang on to MGS4 and FFXIII or else you've got very little outside of your own development house.
Joystiq plays Eternal Sonata, new screens
Joystiq got a chance to sit down and get some play time with the upcoming Eternal Sonata, known as Trusty Bell in Japan. We've been intrigued by the title's quirky premise (Chopin and his magical, musical friends go on a whirlwind adventure) ever since Eternal Sonata was first announced. Joystiq reports that the game's combat system is actually real time. Characters still take turns fighting, but each character has approximately five seconds per turn to deal as much damage as possible. Extending the real time combat is a battle system called Echoes. Essentially, as you string together melee attacks, you build the strength of potential spells. The Echoes system is also used to power up party based spells. Joystiq also reveals that there is no traditional overworld map and that players are free to explore as they wish. Additionally, there are 10 playable characters and players may organize their 4 person party in any manner that they wish, though certain situations will require the use of certain characters. Hit the "read" link for Joystiq's detailed impressions. Also, check out the Eternal Sonata gallery for plenty of beautiful screen shots.
Hands-on impressions and English screens of Eternal Sonata
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Hands_on_impressions_and_English_screens_of_Eternal_Sonata_Trusty_Bell'; Better known as Trusty Bell to the kids on the street, Namco Bandai's action-RPG is set for a worldwide release this Summer on the Xbox 360. Though missing in action since its Tokyo Game Show debut last September, we recently got our hands on Eternal Sonata, complete with fully English text and voice overs. And while the new screenshots don't offer a glimpse, we also got to check out all ten playable characters in Chopin's journey. From our brief time with Tri-Crescendo's epic in the making, it's clear that Eternal Sonata is every bit as incredible as it looks. %Gallery-2144%
Mojipittan will help you learn hiragana, humility
No, it's not another training game. Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan (Word Puzzle Mojipittan) is a Scrabble-style board game from Bandai Namco in which players use characters from the Japanese hiragana syllabary to spell words. Therefore, it's really, really, really hard to play if you don't know a load of Japanese words, and basically impossible if you can't read hiragana. Mojipittan has appeared on other platforms before, but as the Shockwave demo says, "The stylus makes it simple!" We suggest giving the demo a shot and seeing if you're up for some wordplay. The bouncy music and adorable tile mascots may convince you to enroll in Japanese classes.[Via GAME Watch]
Tales of the World coming to America
We've complained about our lack of Tales of the World a lot on the Fanboy. Well, it looks like Namco Bandai is finally listening and giving English-speaking gamers what we want: a localized version of Tales of the World. This PSP-exclusive RPG is a fan-service feast for Tales fans, featuring characters from previous Tales games, such as Tales of Symphonia and Tales of the Abyss.In an interview with IGN, Namco Bandai revealed that "players will be able to use Grade Points they have earned in battle to purchase special items or equipment ... the US version of Tales of the World will be slightly more tuned than the overseas version."While that's certainly good news, we can only hope for more in the future: "Although I do not have details as to whether other PSP Tales titles will be reaching the shores of the US at this point, I can say that such possibilities do indeed exist." Tales of the World will hit American shores later this year.See also:Pictures, Anime Intro, Video
Tamagotchi Party On! gameplay videos
Why didn't anyone tell us that Tamagotchi: Party On! was so adorable? We could have been staring dreamily at it since the Japanese Wii launch. What a missed opportunity.Party On! is a minigame collection about trying to become the president of Tamagotchi Planet, and is full of edgy political satire cute competitive games that involve shaking hands, opening kind-of-unsettling animated doors, and directing traffic, from what we see so far. We love the appearance of this game, which recalls Parappa the Rapper without actually being flat. Speaking of Parappa, the Tamagotchi DS games were developed by Parappa creators Nana-On-Sha, but this one seems to be the work of an internal Namco Bandai team. If we ever hear confirmation that Nana-On-Sha is developing for the Wii, you will hear about it immediately. We will interrupt your regularly scheduled websites. Enjoy some videos after the break![Via GoNintendo]
Smash Court Tennis 3 goes PSP; includes Game Sharing
Namco Bandai just announced Smash Court Tennis 3 for the PSP. It'll feature 16 tennis stars, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin. "We are thrilled to announce that the next iteration of our popular Smash Court Tennis series is set to appear on the PSP system," said Makoto Iwai, Executive Vice President and COO of Namco Bandai Games. "With the franchise's signature gameplay and new enhancements, Smash Court Tennis 3 is the perfect on-the-go package that's made for a jet-setting tennis pro."Virtua Tennis will be the game to beat for Namco's next. However, there's one feature that I'm particularly psyched about: the ability to compete against other PSP owners with a single UMD through Game Sharing. It's a horribly under-utilized system: being able to play tennis against any other PSP owner should offer a great deal of potential. [Update : New screenshots can be found at WorthPlaying.]
Namco Bandai announce Outpost Kaloki successor for Wii
While not a true sequel to the Xbox Live Arcade launch title, Namco Bandai have announced Space Station Tycoon for the Nintendo Wii; a follow-up to NinjaBee's Outpost Kaloki X. This will be the first title that has gone from a console specific, download initiative and turned into a full-fledged retail product.In an interview with IGN, players from both Namco Bandai and Wahoo Studios (the house of NinjaBee) talk at length in bringing their intergalactic management sim to the Wii. Aside from a bevy of tweaks and improvements to the core of the game, Space Station Tycoon will feature customizable space stations, co-operative play and will be entirely playable with only the Wii remote.The developers also make it clear that Space Station Tycoon does not utilize any content from Outpost Kaloki. Still, it does look mighty familiar. Space Station Tycoon is currently scheduled for a Summer 2007 release.
Tekken 6 -- coming to an arcade probably far away from you!
I said this to one of the folks who took the time to shoot me a message on the PlayStation Network (NDoerrFans, if you're interested), but before I gave Virtua Fighter 5 the ol' test, I had only played Soul Calibur as far as 3D fighters go -- and I hated them. Raised on Street Fighter 2, Samurai Showdown, Guilty Gear, Guilty Gear X (never did pick up X2), I found the "realisitic" fighters slow, boring and pretty clunky. I still think high-res 2D fighters are the top-tier of awesome, but that's a different style of play. Now I'm interested in Tekken 6 as well as Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection (coming on March 1st to the US PS-Store, according to IGN's release date schedule) since Virtua Fighter 5 has become my favorite PS3 game. Tekken 6 is coming to arcades this year. Namco-Bandai hasn't been really specific about it, but they're going to begin location testing before the weather gets hot. So, look around your arcades around, oh, May? In Athens, there's only one arcade in a really crummy mall and the arcade... sucks. So we'll leave it up to those of you in more popular arcade arenas to let us know how the title looks and plays.
Trusty Bell Update: New screenshots and website
Known as Eternal Sonata on this side of the ocean, Tri-Crescendo's (Baten Kaitos, Baten Kaitos Origins) Xbox 360 RPG Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream is gearing up for a Summer release in Japan. Details have been scarce since its incredible Tokyo Game Show debut this past year and today a slew of new screenshots and artwork have popped up. The official site has also been updated with a brand-new look, as well as a direct-feed version of the original trailer, last seen at the Tokyo Game Show. Trusty Bell will be hitting the streets of Japan in June and with any luck, the States by the end of this year. Read - The latest Trusty Bell Screenshots Read - A newly outfitted website for Trusty Bell [Update - We made the classic Ace/Crescendo mix-up. Thanks, Taf!]
Eternal Sonata screens drip with happiness
Alright, we're excited about Eternal Sonata. That's a given now. We want to play it and enjoy its wonderful Chopin-has-magical-friends story. We want it bad. Maybe that makes us just a little strange, but we don't care. It looks wondrous and we hope there are unicorns in it. If you're like us and aren't afraid to admit your addiction to child-like wonder, you may be interested in scoping out some new screens of Eternal Sonata over at Xboxygen. They are filled with color, sparkles, and baguettes. Hit the "read" link to enjoy them all.
Trusty Bell: new scans, Japan release date
Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream (known as Eternal Sonata in the west) has finally received a Japanese release date. Featured in the latest Famitsu, Bandai Namco's Trusty Bell will arrive in Japan on June 14th. For those that don't know (the game has been off the radar since TGS) Trusty Bell is an RPG involving Chopin (the composer), a dream world, and lots of interesting characters. With a Japanese release date of June 14th, we just might see the US localization before next year. In the meantime, check out some fresh scans at Xboxyde. See also: GameStop: Blue Dragon roars in June
Tales of Phantasia 2 for DS?
Rumor alert! NamcoBandai is allegedly planning a load of new, and new-ish, games in their Tales series for Nintendo consoles. The rumor gives titles for three new (potential) games, one of which is headed for the DS. If internet rumormongering is to be believed, Namco is working on a 2D sequel to the oft-ported Tales of Phantasia. We can't comment on the veracity of the rumor's specifics, but it seems likely that more Tales games are headed, in abundance, to every platform that Japanese gamers like. Not only has the series already made its dual-screened debut, RPG-spamming has been their modus operandi since before the DS was popular. Now that the most popular console in Japan by far is also the cheapest to develop for (being a handheld), continuing the trend seems like a Tale of the Obvious.
Two new Tales games for Wii?
Rumor has it that NamcoBandai is planning two new games in their popular Tales series-- well, one new game and one new-ish game-- for the Wii. The PS2 Tales of the Abyss, as the Internet would have us believe, will get an upgraded port on the Wii, with new content and improved loading. In addition, a new game called Tales of Harmony is possibly in the works, which will take place 10 minutes (!) after the end of Tales of the Abyss. Get 'em both (if they're real) and you've got an epic RPG marathon!For unattributable rumors, they seem awfully specific, which makes them either more credible ... or credible enough fakes that we will reward the con artists responsible by believing them. We choose to believe, because the Wii could use some Japanese RPGs! We think that the one-handed Wiimote would be a great, relaxing way to play an RPG.
Tekken 6 screenshots, characters spotlighted
Honestly, I haven't been following Tekken 6 news as stringently as I probably should have. So, if the two characters highlighted on the official Tekken website aren't new or recently introduced, apologies are in order. Anyway, we have here "Zafina" and "Leo" -- the former appears to be a gypsy of sorts, the latter is a very, very effeminate guy. We think. On the website, there are a plethora of fresh screenshots and a downloadable trailer as well as wallpapers of the two characters mentioned above. Take a gander at your leisure... but... we've got another question to pose. The 3-D fighters have a tendency to blend together in the uneducated mind. Knowing this, which 3-D fighter is your favorite and why? Do you prefer using weaponry, like in Soul Calibur? Do you enjoy the realistic fighting in Virtua Fighter? How about the blatant exaggerations and bloodiness found in Mortal Kombat? Or is Tekken your flavor of choice? Let us know!
Magnetism-based monster collecting game from Namco Bandai
A DS game is on its way to Japan featuring something new to a Nintendo system -- a gimmick. Entitled Treasure Gaust: Gaust Diver (and coming in "Crimson Red" and "Deep Blue" versions -- thanks for that trend, Pokémon), the game is based on a popular Japanese handheld toy that requires kids to hunt magnetic fields; when they find one, it apparently generates some kind of trainable monster (thanks for that trend too, Pokémon.) Insert Credit, in their report on the game, equated it with the old Barcode Battler toy, which made Campbell's Soup labels mm, mm, powerful for like one whole summer.While we question the wisdom in training children to intentionally expose their electronics to magnets, we love the idea of using video games to give little practical physics lessons, and we love the idea of tying the real world into gameplay in unexpected ways. This game makes a nice companion piece to the momentum-based Wii game we're working on, TV Buster.[via Insert Credit]
Tekken 6 unveiled at AOU 2007
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Tekken_6_unveiled_at_AOU_2007'; Namco has unveiled the arcade version of Tekken 6 at Japan's AOU 2007 coin-op exhibition, along with a new website. The new page features a brief trailer of the new fighter, several screenshots (available below for your convenience) and wallpaper of the two new characters: Leo and Zafina.It's difficult to comb much information from the trailer concerning the newcomers to the series, but from the looks of it, Namco is set to challenge the throne of Itagaki when it comes to underage heartthrobs with Leo. Zafina, on the other hand, is a Latina woman of the mature persuasion who looks to possess a highly unorthodox fighting style. Joining them thus far are old favorites Asuka, Jack, Brian Fury, King and Dragunov, though the cast will naturally swell as time goes on.Though it is quite early (and due for a 2007 release, according to the trailer), Tekken 6 appears to be around the same level of visual quality as last years Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection. While one can argue that even Tekken 5 wasn't a graphical leap beyond Tekken 4, we're keeping our fingers crossed for some serious upgrades.%Gallery-1673%
