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Digimon: Day versus night
With this new pair of trailers for Digimon World Dawn and Dusk, we're sensing a strong pro-day, anti-night vibe. The Dawn trailer seems much more interesting and offers more information, while the Dusk video is rather perfunctory. "There's some Digimon! Stuff happens! You want it!" The monster above knows it, too. He senses the contempt for all things evening, and it displeases him. Don't believe us? See for yourself after the jump.
Dragon Tamer knows exactly how to tame gamers
We somehow managed to resist Pac-Man World Rally, but we aren't sure how many times we're going to be able to see the Prince in games and keep our wallets holstered. We love Katamari Damacy like nothing else, and it's all we can do to remind ourselves that series creator Keita Takahashi is no longer making Katamari games, and that the Prince has become a Namco franchise character rather than a labor of love.Still, seeing a "Princesaurus" in Dragon Tamer: Sound Spirit weakens our resolve. It doesn't matter what the game actually is (a monster-breeding/fighting game that uses sound inputs to generate monsters), we have a hard time saying no to that little face. It has an attack called "Katamari on the Rock" as well. If anyone had told us back in the day that Katamari Damacy would be a strong enough property that Namco would use it to promote other games, we'd have either laughed or given that person a sincere hug.
More (D) cups runneth over: new SC IV shots
If you were worried that Ivy would be the only character with comically large breasts in Soul Calibur IV, then we can officially ease your mind. Namco Bandai has released some fresh screens and character art from the upcoming weapons-based fighter, and, well, the proof is in the pudding as it were. In addition to Ivy's mammoth mammaries, both Sophitia and her sister Cassandra have ample bosoms and some revealing outfits with which to showcase them. They don't quite have the "science experiment gone wrong" quality that Ivy's bust has, but they're nothing to sneeze at. And Voldo, well, Voldo has some special cleavage and bulges of his own. Check out the gallery below for the new images.%Gallery-6024%
News concerning Namco Museum
Word came down the tubes today that Namco Bandai's upcoming compilation title Namco Museum DS has just struck gold. Or, wait ... is that gone gold? Either way, there's some kind of gold involved.Those who've been waiting for the game, ever since the first list of its included titles was revealed, can rest assured that they'll have their fix of nostalgia on the go come September 10th.%Gallery-4650%[Via press release]
Rumor: Space Station Tycoon cancelled
The mill is at it again, churning out a rather chunky rumor that Namco Bandai's Space Station Tycoon has gotten the axe. According to IGN, best case scenario has the title receiving a severe delay, but not cancellation. It should be noted, however, that there has been no official comment from Namco Bandai.The reason for all of this speculation? Wahoo Games, the developers behind the title, are apparently having a tough time with the Wii hardware and have run into several technical problems. Now, before everyone jumps in saying "the Wii is not two GameCubes duct taped together," keep in mind that we don't know what these technical difficulties are, should they even exist.
USK lists Warhammer: Mark of Chaos for 360
Ah, the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle, better known as the USK or, simply, the German version of the ESRB. We love 'em. Why? Because they constantly tip us off about games that publishers work so darned hard to keep secret. For example, the USK has now listed Namco Bandai and Black Hole Entertainment"s Warhammer: Mark of Chaos for the Xbox 360. A real time strategy title that debuted last holiday to decent reviews, Mark of Chaos would be yet another addition to the Xbox 360's burgeoning RTS library. The 360 game has another subtitle tacked onto it, making the full title actually Warhammer: Mark of Chaos -- Battle March. Whether this means we'll see a completely retooled game or an expansion to the original we're not sure. In an interesting twist, the entry on in the USK database is labeled "GC-Demo" which would lead us to believe we'll see a Mark of Chaos demo before too long. Once again, thanks USK![Via IGN. Thanks, IncredibleBulk92]
Knights of Ratatoskr battle screens
Well, at least we can say that the game isn't scheduled for release anywhere until spring of next year, which means these screens are probably far from final. When last we checked in on the follow-up to the 'Cube's Tales of Symphonia, things were looking pretty nice. These latest battle screens, however ... let's just say they're looking a little geometric. Still, with months yet to go, we can only hope for a sharper, crisper take on the first game's action. After all, there's an entire extra GameCube taped on there!%Gallery-5354%
Hellgate: London release date set for Halloween
Clever! What immediately springs to mind when you hear the word "hellgate"? Simple: it's a gate leading, ostensibly, straight to Hell where all sorts of freakish ghoulies live. Tack "London" on the tail end of that and you've got one scary-ass video game title. What better day to unleash Hellgate: London upon an unsuspecting world than October 31st, All Hallows Eve, Halloween! Unfortunately, despite having one of Europe's premier cities right there in the title, Europeans will have to wait until November 2nd (oh, that's not so bad) to play Flagship Studios debut title.That date is all they're sharing for now. If you're looking for details about that $10/month optional subscription-based service – featuring "huge amounts of content on an ongoing basis in the form of quests, character classes, demons, items, etc." – you'll have to wait some more. That information is "coming soon."
Tales of Rebirth shows off 2D splendor
If you love 2D gaming as much as most RPG fanatics who buy handhelds do (seriously, it's practically the only medium left to see it on if you don't count Nippon Ichi's continued support of 2D niche titles on consoles), then you'll probably salivate over the Tales of Rebirth gallery we've compiled for you. Taken from the official Japanese website, you can get an idea of what to expect -- a 3D map a la Symphonia with 2D battles a la Phantasia, Destiny, and Eternia/Destiny 2. While our review for Tales of the World wasn't exactly glowing, we still stand behind the franchise as a decent RPG experience and Rebirth might be the best Tales experience next year. Enjoy the gallery!%Gallery-5384%
PSP Fanboy review: Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology
Games in the Tales franchise are about a dime a dozen anymore, but did you know back in the day they sold incredibly poorly and were incredibly niche? I know that, because since the very first Tales title hit US shores, I was hooked and looked forward to every sequel, until they started to seemingly grow on trees. The latest title to make its way to our PSP is Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology and we've got quite a few things to say about this game: how does it stack up against the other titles, what does it bring new to the table, and most importantly, does it suck? This review hopes to cover all these bases and more.%Gallery-4026%
Extended gameplay video for Gundam 0079
At least one fan is super-pumped about the recent Japanese release of Mobile Suit Gundam MS Sensen 0079. YouTube user gevurah22 uploaded seven minutes of footage from the title and encourages everyone to import with a quickness if they can. Quality isn't the highest, but it does offer an extended look at the game for those who are considering picking it up if (when?) a US release is announced. %Gallery-5185%
Take a peek at Knights of Ratatoskr
Informative tidbits on Namco Bandai's upcoming Tales game, Knights of Ratatoskr, may be few and far between, but we do have some nice new screens from the official site to tide us over. The sequel to Tales of Symphonia is currently slated for release next spring in Japan, so it'll likely be late fall before we start to hear more. Time can't pass quickly enough![Via Siliconera]%Gallery-5354%
Tales site offers up some assets
If you're interested in navigating Japanese websites, the online space set aside for Namco Bandai's upcoming Tales of Innocence game is a cup of tea you should be most satisfied with. There's some screens from the game, character bios and an incredible wealth of Japanese text that our minds are incapable of translating. There's also a trailer at the site, but we already showed it to you, fine reader.[Via Go Nintendo]
Tales of Rebirth scans prove 2D is still the way to go
Even though Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology was released so very recently, the folks over at Namco Bandai haven't wasted any time in reviving what was the sixth Tales game to be released: Tales of Rebirth. Originally on the PS2 in Japan, this port over to the PSP proves (at least, to us) that Tales games simply look their best when they keep themselves limited to two dimensions. With a loose date of 2008 for Japan, we aren't entirely sure this game will make its way over here since the PS2 version never did, but for those with a guilty addiction to Tales games, they're hoping it does.[Thanks, Saigon!]
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes: the story, or lack thereof
In a recent conference call with Namco Bandai, we learned new details about the upcoming PSP-exclusive Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes. We enjoyed our brief time with the game at E3, and wanted to learn more about why it's being exclusively distributed in the US and Europe. The decision to make a new game for the English language audience came about because the story of the Japanese anime had progressed too far to make the Japanese PSP game relevant.However, we're puzzled -- according to the localization director at Namco Bandai, "there isn't really a story" in the game. Beyond the fighting, there isn't much else to do, although he noted that there's Naruto's Room --a place where collectible images and videos can be viewed.Supposed "technical limitations" prevented the game from getting Infrastructure multiplayer, something that we would've loved to see in the game. However, the Game Sharing feature seems to be fairly advanced, giving players with access to the game "as normal."We're a little disappointed to see the game doesn't have a fleshed out story, as the original PS2 series. Hopefully, the gameplay will make that point irrelevant. For now, enjoy the new screenshots we've secured in our updated gallery below:%Gallery-3241%
Gundam 0079 screens rise from the ashes
Finally, some Mobile Suit Gundam MS Front 0079 screens that are as big and beautiful as the stars themselves. It's been a while since we saw anything on the title -- and even then, we were limited to tiny screens and grainy scans -- but it looks like the wait was worth it, even if the bloom is a little crazy at times.The game released this week in Japan, so what you see here is how it'll look if (when?) the title makes it to our shores.%Gallery-5185%
PSP Fanboy review: Smash Court Tennis 3
Namco Bandai's PSP-exclusive Smash Court Tennis 3 is not Virtua Tennis. But, that isn't a bad thing. Smash Court has a unique style that tries to take a serious, more simulation-oriented approach to the sport. It will take some time to get used to the sluggish controls. However, players will find a lot of content and depth in this UMD -- even if it does have some questionable AI practices and glitches.It's clear from the moment you begin the game that Smash Court Tennis is easy on the eyes. The menus are easy to read, and fairly stylish. The graphics look very sharp on the PSP, with little to complain about. The text overlays that appear during matches are sleek and professional. The game certainly does a great job with visual presentation.%Gallery-4120%
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Joystiq hands-on: Beautiful Katamari
Katamari Damacy is a strange, strange game. This is a fact of which its fans are patently aware. I'm an Xbox guy, so my experience with Beautiful Katamari at E3 was my first with the series. Considering this is also the first time the series will be showing up on Xbox, it seemed like a good fit for me to try it out. For the uninitiated, the object of Katamari is to roll things up into a ball. By things, I mean all things. Thimbles, cats, bushes, people, cows, buildings, boats, everything: it's all up for grabs. You do this by manipulating the thumbsticks. That's it. That is the game. But most of you already knew that, so the next question is "why should I buy this game again on the Xbox 360?"
X3F Hands-on: Beautiful Katamari
Katamari Damacy is a strange, strange game. This is a fact of which its fans are patently aware. I'm an Xbox guy, so my experience with Beautiful Katamari Damacy at E3 was my first with the series. Considering this is also the first time the series will be showing up on Xbox, it seemed like a good fit for me to try it out. For the uninitiated, the object of Katamari is to roll things up into a ball. By things, I mean all things. Thimbles, cats, bushes, people, cows, buildings, boats, everything: it's all up for grabs. You do this by manipulating the thumbsticks. That's it. That is the game. But most of you already knew that, so the next question is "why should I buy this game again on the Xbox 360?"
Joystiq checks out Ace Combat 6
Joystiq got a chance to try out Ace Combat 6 at E3 last week, and they came away impressed. Of particular note are the game's incredible graphics. According to Joystiq, the earth below is damned near photo-realistic. Even individual buildings are actually rendered. Furthermore, the gameplay proves to be intense, with midair skirmishes occurring all throughout the open skies. Ground and naval combat come into play as well, and players have some control over that as well, being able to command allies to target certain enemies. Yup, not much bad to say about Ace Combat 6 at all. Check out the game's jaw dropping graphics in the gallery below. Better yet, check out the demo on Xbox Live. %Gallery-5045%
