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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?)
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
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.
Wii impressions: Final Furlong
Gimmick. Clutch the Wiimote in one hand, the nunchaku in the other, and shake your wrists up and down. You call that a game?Visually, there's nothing to hold your interest, and because all you need to do is shake, there's really no reason to watch the race. Is Namco Bandai targeting the blind demographic with this one?
Soul Calibur movie rumors resurface
More than two years ago Warren Zide's Anthem Pictures scooped up the film rights to the Soul Calibur series. With the recent discovery of a teaser website, there's a possibility that the movie adaptation is now underway and set for release in 2007.According to 1UP, Anthem has teamed up with 2nd Degree Media and will shoot the film in Canada, China, and Romania. A trio of no-name producers is reportedly signed on to the project. Namco Bandai did not respond to 1UP's query.
PlayStation 3 spring launch is "impossible"
Namco Bandai president Takeo Takasu has gone public with his knowledge, or lack thereof, of the PS3's launch date. Takasu told Bloomberg, "Without any announcements so far, the spring release is impossible." In response, Sony issued a vague rebuttal, stating, "Nothing has changed with our plans."But if Namco Bandai, a company that helped boost the PlayStation brand in the past, is still in the dark, then it's safe to assume (as recent certification setbacks have implied) that the PS3 will not launch in Japan within the next few months. But Takasu isn't necessarily concerned, just as long as Sony's next-gen console hits retail by the winter shopping holiday season.[Thanks, The1 & gaminghobo]
