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It's Gundam great! Mobile Suit Gundam info/boxart blasts off!
Well, it's time for another Gundam game. What's this one about? Well, for all you lovers of everything Gundam, we'll summarize the summary from Just Pause. It's U.C. 0068, Degwin Sodo Zabi has become the leader of the Republic of Zeon. He starts a new government, proclaiming himself sovereign of the new Principality of Zeon. You take control of a rebel in this new principality and you know what? You battle the Earth Federation. Interesting twist, indeed. Or you could be boring and play as the "good guys" (totally subjective if you're a Gundam fan). Get prepped for some mech-space-earth-everywhere destruction upon PS3 launch. Oh! Almost forgot. This here's the boxart. It's pretty keen.[Thanks, Scott!]
Japanese software sales chart, Oct. 2-8: The Gundam Strikes Back
The last time a PSP title was this high in the Japanese software sales chart, it was SD Gundam G Generation Portable, and it was the fastest-selling PSP game to date. And now it's Gundam Battle Royale's turn at trying to upset Nintendo's DS games, which Andrew predicted more than a month ago. Is the guy psychic or something? 1. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (PS2) - 263,897 / *NEW* 2. Pokemon Diamond (DS) - 254,080 / 1,074,127 3. Pokemon Pearl (DS) - 212,193 / 980,881 4. Gundam Battle Royale (PSP) - 64,986 / *NEW* 5. New Super Mario Bros. (DS) - 40,114 / 3,233,793 6. Zaidan Houjin Nippon Kanji Nouryoku Kentei Kyoukai Kounin: KanKen DS (DS) - 38,799 / 84,091 7. Minna no Tennis (PS2) - Sony - 32,962 / 416,507 8. Final Fantasy III (DS) - Square Enix - 30,418 / 781,713 9. Brain Training 2 (DS) - Nintendo - 26,600 / 3,288,248 10. Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS) - Nintendo - 22,787 / 3,305,244 While Gundam Battle Royale's sold less than half of what SD Gundam G Generation Portable (155,634) sold in its first week, it was still enough to capture the fourth spot. It seems the Japanese eat up these Gundam games faster than my fat uncle Johnny at Thanksgiving. Has Sony finally found its PSP cashcow? Hmmm.
TGS: Wanna play a 360 RPG? Get in line
So, you're at the Tokyo Game Show and you want to play one of those new fangled Xbox 360 RPGs like Blue Dragon, Trusty Bell, or Lost Odyssey. Then you probably shouldn't have had that bag of bran muffins and coffee earlier, because that is one long line. 1UP is reporting that show goers were waiting in line for up to two hours to get a chance to play Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey. The article notes that lines aren't uncommon, and that the Squeenix line is longer, but it does show that the Japanese have a marked interest in these two titles. Could the 360 actually be gaining ever precious mindshare in Japan? With only 100,000 (recently discounted) PS3s this holiday and only a minor price difference between the Wii and the 360 Core System/Blue Dragon bundle, only time will tell. [Thanks, The1] 360 at the Tokyo Game Show: Eternal Sonata gameplay/combat video Metal Slug blasts its way onto XBLA Lost Planet and Viva Piñata video Microsoft TGS briefing video now available DOAX2 video makes us feel naughty
Trusty Bell confirmed for US release
At least, that's assuming Namco Bandai is only releasing one RPG set within the mind of a dying composer next year. The official press release reveals a new RPG called Eternal Sonata and describes the inevitably epic story as such: The story of Eternal Sonata begins as a famous composer, on his deathbed, drifts between this life and the next. In his reverie, a happenstance encounter of a young girl who accepts her terrible destiny and a young boy fighting to save her, changes the destiny of the world. Though piano maestro Chopin (not pronounced chop-in') isn't directly mentioned, it seems safe to assume that Eternal Sonata and Trusty Bell have his final and frighteningly colorful dreams in common. Judging by the TGS trailer, screenshots and IGN's preview, Eternal Sonata features absolutely charming graphics, classy music and a turn-based combat system that seems slightly reminiscent of those found in Xenogears and two thirds of Xenosaga. We certainly look forward to playing the English version next year and facing off against an evil, bio-mechanical Beethoven boss.
TGS: Eternal Sonata gameplay/combat video
A new video of Eternal Sonata (the western name for Namco's Trusty Bell) has popped up over at GameVideos. More than just a showcase for the pretty environments, fans will be happy to know that the video shows off the game's previously unknown combat engine. The combat, as far as we can tell, is similar to Grandia but with real time elements. Each character has a limited amount of time to execute real time combos and spells. Then the enemy has a similar amount of time to retaliate. One might assume that higher level characters have more time to act. At any rate, it might give turn based haters a reason to take another look at Eternal Sonata. Turn based haters ... sounds like the name of a band. See the video after the break.
Joystiq hands-on: Ridge Racer 7 (PS3)
Namco Bandai's Ridge Racer 7 is gorgeous. After 36 minutes of waiting in line and 13 seconds of loading screens, we got a chance to play a track of one of the few PS3 games running in 1080p. The attention to detail is impressive, including: Taillights blur and stretch while in tunnels Effective shadowing and reflections against your car When nitro is activated, giant flames blast out from the back of your car and the environments blur accordingly. One thing we noticed was that you could not damage your car -- not by running into other cars, skidding against the side rails, or ramming straight into a wall. And while all tires left tracks, they would disappear by the next lap.Everything else is what you'd expect from a racing game. Is it incredibly realistic? Not really, but the game was still pretty fun, and one of the few titles that pushed the PS3s graphics capabilities. Favorite moment: Everyone in line, myself include, finished the race by drifting our cars to the point where we crossed the finish line backwards.
Trusty Bell gets US name, Chopin missing
First the good news, Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream, is coming to the US (and presumably Europe). Now the other news, it will be called Eternal Sonata in the US. We'd like to chime in and say that Namco is lucky Konami hasn't snagged that one for a future Catlevania release. Finally, there's potentially puzzling news: "The story of Eternal Sonata begins as a famous composer, on his deathbed, drifts between this life and the next. In his reverie, a happenstance encounter of a young girl who accepts her terrible destiny and a young boy fighting to save her, changes the destiny of the world. Uncover the light that shines in each of us in this enduring tale of good and evil." Did anybody see that? Look closer. That's right, Chopin's name is nowhere to be found. Could Namco be removing the Chopin influence from the English version, or is it simply left out of the press release? The linked article refers only to a "famous composer." Eternal Sonata's strongest aspect thus far is its intriguing story, and we can only hope that it doesn't get lost in translation. [Via OpenXBOX360]
Best Buy gets exclusive Mage Knight promo
Namco Bandai Games has announced an exclusive retail promotion with Best Buy for Mage Knight Apocalypse, which will be available next Tuesday. This limited edition version of the action-RPG includes a redemption coupon for a free Mage Knight dragon figurine from the popular WizKids tabletop game. According to a Namco Bandai spokesperson, the collectible is intended to give gamers "extra incentive to dive into the Mage Knight universe." Hopefully, Apocalypse will live up to its expectations, or we could be seeing lots of little dragons on eBay in the near future.See also: Mage Knight Apocalypse web site goes live Single player RPGs are alive and well
Tokyo Game Show videos aplenty [update 1]
Videos have started hitting the net from the Tokyo Game Show 2006, and they're already impressing us. It's nice to see so many new RPGs coming out. Here are some of the best for your viewing pleasure.
TGS: video of Trusty Bell
Let's get this out of the way right now: if you don't like news about RPGs, this is going to be a rough couple of days. As for the rest of you, read on. You might remember the whacked out concept behind Namco's Trusty Bell -- you know, Chopin (yeah, that Chopin) is dying of tuberculosis and flies away to a magical dream world where he is granted magical powers. Let's just say we thought the idea was, well, wacky at first, but it's grown on us. A lot. And seeing this video just put it much higher on our list. If you're still a non-believer, just think of it this way: if someone told you they were making a game about plumbers jumping on turtles, what would you say? See the (beautiful) video after the break.
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
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?)
Namco's TGS 360 lineup, 4 whole games!
Bandai Namco has announced its lineup for the Tokyo Game Show being held this month. To put it bluntly, PS2 and PSP owners have a lot to look forward to. The 360 isn't left entirely out in the cold though, with four games on display. The four games to be shown are Culdcept Saga, Mobile Suit Gundam: Operation: Troy, Idol Master, and Trusty Bell. We don't know too much about these games other than Trusty Bell, the game starring a delusional Chopin and his musical companions. Also, we have to congratulate Bandai Namco: Mobile Suit Gundam: Operation: Troy may be the very first game to have two colons in its title. Seriously though, we're intrigued by Trusty Bell. Here's hoping for some Marketplace videos (or, heaven help us, a demo). [Via QJ] See also: Trusty media for Trusty Bell
More Tokyo Game Show lineups: Namco-Bandai edition
Here's Namco-Bandai's list of TGS games -- all but Captain Tsubasa will be playable. Take a deep breath and browse on! Mobile Suit Gundam Target in Sight (PS3) Ridge Racer 7 (PS3) Tales of Destiny (PS2... is this a remake of the PSX game, or is this Abyss?) Battle Stadium D.O.N. (PS2) .hack//G.U. Vol.2 (PS2) Dragon Ball Z Sparking! NEO (PS2) Captain Tsubasa (video only) (PS2) Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Phantom Blood (PS2) Naruto Kinoha Spirits!! (PS2) Digimon Survivors Another Mission (PS2) Kamen Rider Kaputo (PS2) Gundam Seed Destiny Federation vs. ZAFT II Plus (PS2) Tales of Fantasia Full Voice Edition (PSP) Ridge Racers 2 (PSP) Bounty Hounds (PSP) Ace Combat X Skies of Deception (PSP) Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology (PSP) Gundam Battle Royal (PSP) Gunpei Reverse (PSP) Tales of the Tempest (DS) Corner Shop 2 (DS) Gintama (DS) Oto wo Tsunagou! Gunpei Reverse (DS) Battle Stadium D.O.N. (Gamecube) Idol Master (360) Trusty Bell (360) Culdecept Saga (360) Gundam Operation Troy (360) Whew! Information overload! Not to mention... Gundam everywhere! There are a lot of games here and the PS3 and 360 both have at least one high profile title to look forward to. Ridge Racer 7 will be playable and that's awesome. We hope. What do you guys think?
Pac-Man wakka wakka wakkas XBLA
The good news: it's Wednesday and there's another Xbox Live Arcade game to blow some MS bucks on. This time it's Pac-Man, part two of Namco's arcade offerings following Galaga, and he's also fetching 400 MS Points ($5 in Earth money). The bad news: Pac-Man is the last game confirmed on Microsoft's initial Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays list. We know Microsoft wants to keep up the weekly cycle, but with no announcement of future games, it makes us feel uneasy. Official Xbox Magazine listed the following titles and dates ... Aug. 16: Texas Hold 'em Aug. 23: Time Pilot Aug. 30: Scramble Sept 6: Lumines Live! ... but Microsoft naturally shot 'em down. We're thinking OXM is right on the money (they are official), and Microsoft's just being cautious.See also:The growing list of Xbox Live Arcade titles
Single player RPGs are alive and well
WorthPlaying has posted 25 new screens from Mage Knight Apocalypse, which is now just five weeks from release. Namco Bandai's take on the WizKids IP joins a solid lineup of 2006 single player RPGs that began earlier this year with Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Titan Quest, and continues with this week's Dungeon Siege 2: Broken World. The next few months will also see the releases of Gothic 3 and Neverwinter Nights 2, while a sequel to the underappreciated Sacred arrives in 2007. Although many of these games offer multiplayer components, their development teams have focused on producing deep campaigns that offer significant replay value. In Apocalypse, for instance, each of the five playable races will have unique quests to complement the main missions. How many of these titles do you plan to purchase, and do you think they are better values than MMOs?
Warhammer: Mark of Chaos new media
Not to be outdone by its futuristic cousin, Warhammer: Mark of Chaosis sporting some updated media of its own. Namco Bandai's revival of the classic strategy franchise has a new video over at GameTrailers. And in case you missed the E3 trailer, it's worth checking out just for the Final Fantasy-quality cinematics.GameSpot is also serving up seven new Chaos screens and a designer diary from award-winning composer Jeremy Soule (of Neverwinter Nights and KoTOR fame).See also: Joystiq E3 impressions - Warhammer: Mark of Chaos
Square-Enix and Namco-Bandai are on the patch
At a press meeting in Tokyo yesterday, president of Square-Enix Yoichi Wada and vice-president of Namco-Bandai Shin Unozawa talked about the next generation of gaming and the importance of online features. They stressed this was not limited to MMO's but all future titles. A lot of the talk seemed to beat around the bush for lower development costs, citing ad placements in games (ramping it up for the online world ... ads are in a ton of games already, so possibly a randomized billboard or something? You know?) and software updates rather than gratuitous amounts of bug testing. Which is a patch, more or less.So, is releasing software updates better than actually going through bug testing? Sure, it costs less, but those who've played games like Oblivion know that these updates can come too late -- eternally trapped as a vampire since the quest to cure was bugged, unable to enter this guild or that, effectively losing many hours of work on the game. But would such a thing have been caught by bug-testers anyway? If nothing else, the release of next-gen games would be pushed back a lot farther without patches as an option.Hopefully the PS3 will smartly incorporate software testing but not allow unfinished or unpolished games to reach the market (although it does happen...). Oh, about the Playstation 3, Unozawa tossed in: "The Playstation 3 will definately sell." That's nice of him to say! That's "definately" reassuring.
The Wiimote as a Power Glove
From the hey, that's a great idea department comes a conceptual rendering of what it would be like to throw caution and embarrassment to the wind and strap a pair of wiimotes to your arms. The full ad depicts a guy with a Wii controller on each punch-capable limb next to some screenshots of the Xbox titles, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, Breakdown and Fight Night Round 3. The connection between dual wiielding action and Super Punch-Out should be obvious in your mind, though we recommend you swiftly move on to the conclusion we reached:Namco Bandai should port Breakdown to the Wii. Immediately. The game (which had a really fun story) was critically undone by unwieldy controls and unfair combat, problems that could very well disappear when given the opportunity to beat up those pesky T'lan warriors (or hallucinated cats) by flailing your own, more reliable fists. Oh, and let's not forget the joys associated with consuming magically restorative soda and protein bars. [Via 4cr. Kudos to zaiten.]
Ridge Racer & Exit sequels bound for PSP, reports Famitsu
Famitsu reports that Namco Bandai is developing a Ridge Racer sequel for PSP. Ridge Racers 2 (Japanese title) will feature 18 courses from previous games -- ranging from Ridge Racer to R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 -- and will come packed with six car classes. Unfortunately, the multiplayer will remain 8-player ad-hoc. Ridge Racers 2 is scheduled for a September release in Japan.A sequel to Exit, Taito's throwback action-puzzler, is also in the works. Kangaeru Exit (Japanese title) will include 110 new levels, plus bonus downloadable stages, and will reportedly downplay action elements, focusing more on puzzle solving. Of course, what made the action fall flat in the original Exit was unresponsive controls -- let's hope the team attends to this issue as well. Like Ridge Racers 2, Kangaeru Exit is on track for a September release in Japan.
