Q4 2010
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Alundra and Arc the Lad on PSOne Classics Oct. 12
Two PlayStation action RPGs originally published by Working Designs will be released on PSN tomorrow -- though, because they're digital, there won't be any room for cloth maps, toys, or other trinkets. Sorry! The upside is that the digital releases of Alundra and Arc the Lad, published by MonkeyPaw Games, will only run you the customary $5.99 PSOne Classics price. In its press release, MonkeyPaw teased that it "[plans] to promote the titles with some of the historical swag from the titles' original releases." What could that mean? We're following up with MonkeyPaw to find out. These two games won't be in the new PSOne Imports Store, as they were both officially localized and released here. They'll be in the regular PSOne Classics area instead.%Gallery-104801%%Gallery-104806%
Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary hits Europe on Dec. 3
Europe will be able to play Super Mario All-Stars on the Wii -- and, perhaps more importantly, collect some new Mario stuff -- on December 3. Nintendo of Europe announced plans today to release Super Mario All-Stars: 25th Anniversary in the region, in a deluxe package similar to the Super Mario Collection Special Pack coming out in Japan this month. The new Wii package includes Super Mario All-Stars (SNES versions of Super Mario Bros. 1-3 and The Lost Levels), a history booklet, and a CD with selections from throughout the series, through Super Mario Galaxy 2. With all the special edition items in Japan and this in Europe, we in North America feel left out of the festivities. We're checking with Nintendo of America about potential release plans for the collection here. Update: Nintendo UK posted an image and a press release here.
Nintendo reveals Super Mario 25th Anniversary DSi XL [update: now pictured!]
At it' press conference in Japan this afternoon (well, in Japan it's the afternoon), Nintendo announced plans to release a Super Mario 25th Anniversary Edition DSi LL (DSi XL, as it's known in the West) to the Japanese public on October 28. Andriasang's liveblog of the goings-on also give it an ¥18000 ($215) price point. Unfortunately, like all other things regarding Super Mario's big two five, this is likely to stay grounded in Japan. Update: here it is, straight from Nintendo's site.
Bit.Trip Beat hits iPhone, iPad on Sept. 30
The long anticipated release of Gaijin Games' Bit.Trip Beat on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch is this Thursday, September 30. The glowing-finger-enabled dev Alex Neuse (seen above) announced as much with a toothy grin via the Gaijin blog this afternoon -- he later told us via email that the game will run $4.99 on iPhone/iPod Touch and $6.99 on iPad. Additionally, DLC will be available on day one, as will Game Center support. Aside from new levels and an HD up-res of the graphics, the game will also be getting multiplayer support on iPhone/iPad. Take a peek at the gallery below and join us in rapt anticipation for Thursday morning, won't you?%Gallery-101131%
Shantae: Risky's Revenge unbottled Oct. 4
Shantae fans have waited eight years for a followup to the WayForward-developed Game Boy Color platformer. According to an email sent out to Shantae Fan Club subscribers, the wait will end in less than two weeks. The note announces the October 4 release date for the DSiWare sequel, Shantae: Risky's Revenge. The original could be considered an early experiment in Capcom publishing Western-developed games -- sort of a proto-Dark Void. Except Shantae is remembered fondly.
White 320GB PS3 coming to Japan October 21
There's been White PS3s released before, sure. And 320GB hard drives? You bet. But together? That's a first! As seen on Sony Japan's official website, the "classic white" 320GB HDD-equipped model will sell for ¥34,980 ($410; same MSRP as the black 320GB) and comes with a single, matching DualShock 3. Also being introduced today is a "white/blue" alternating-colors PSP. Though it won't be shipping with any games, this model visually contrasts the red and black God of War PSP (which is also being released in Japan sans God of War). Both color options go on sale November 18 for ¥17,800 ($208). Neither the White PS3 Slim nor the blue/white PSP has been announced for North American release, but we're hoping the folks at SCEA realize that North Americans like clean design choices too!
Retro City Rampage shooting for December on WiiWare, 'in talks' for XBLA and PSN
While demoing Retro City Rampage, one of the PAX 10, its creator Brian Provinciano revealed to Joystiq that the game would likely launch in December of this year. Up until now, all we had was a tentative Q4 2010 window -- Provinciano nailed the last month of the year as being an optimal time to subject the world to his experiment at seeing how many inside jokes he could fit into a single game. WiiWare is currently the only platform, though Provinciano noted that he was currently "in talks" with Microsoft on bringing the game to XBLA. PSN was also on the table, he offered. A PC version would be out of the cards for "at least a year." Provinciano began the game as Project Grand Theftendo, where he sought to create an 8-bit version of Grand Theft Auto 3 that ran on the NES. We'll have a preview of the game soon. %Gallery-97765%
Namco remakes arcade classics again in Wii's Namco Museum Megamix
The last time Namco Bandai released a Museum collection on Wii with updated versions of its classics ... it didn't really work out. Namco is trying again with Namco Museum Megamix -- sort of. In fact, many of the remixed games in this collection are the same as in the previous collection, judging from the materials released. The Galaga Remix seen in the screenshots is the same "defend Pac-Man" rail shooter seen in the 2007 game, and Pac-Motos and Pac-n-Roll Remix, described in the press release, was also present. That's right, Namco has now taken to re-releasing its remakes. The Megamix adds at least one new rearrangement: Grobda Remix, based on a shmup you're forgiven for now knowing about. It'll also feature original (read: good) versions of Pac-Man, Mappy, Rally-X, Galaga, and more. Megamix will be out in November.%Gallery-101314%
Jam City Rollergirls rolling out on WiiWare later this year
A game based on roller derby is something that never occurred to us, but it seems incredibly obvious now that someone's doing it. Frozen Codebase announced Jam City Rollergirls, a WiiWare game based on women's flat track roller derby and featuring real roller derby leagues. This is the second "official," licensed WiiWare game for an unconventional sport that we can think of, and it's far less disgusting than its contemporary. Frozen Codebase plans to release the circular skating and violence sim in the fourth quarter of this year. Jam City Rollergirls will also be at PAX this weekend for the curious to give it a spin.
Tokyo is a battleground for animals in PS3's 'Tokyo Jungle'
The latest game to be born from Sony's "PlayStation CAMP" initiative, which brought us both What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? and Patchwork Heroes, is simple to describe yet difficult to explain. Tokyo Jungle is about animals running free in the streets of Tokyo in the year 20XX, and doing their best to survive against the other creatures roaming the city. Story Mode takes players through missions, each played as a different animal, including a race horse craving competition and a pet Pomeranian craving ... food. During these missions, you'll learn what happened to make the humans leave Earth. Survival Mode allows players to pick from over 80 different animals -- like elephants, chimps (in overalls!) and porcupines -- and survive as long as possible. Tokyo Jungle will arrive in the still-populated Japan this winter. [Thanks, Copland]
Nintendo of Japan releasing Mario collection for Wii in October
Nintendo's Japanese release calendar includes a currently unannounced game called "Super Mario Collection Special Pack." This coincides with the rumored announcement of just such a thing from a Nintendo retailer conference in Japan. Andriasang translated a Game Jouhou report of leaked information from this event -- normally we'd put little stock in third- or fourth-hand information like this, but the subsequent inclusion of the game on Nintendo's official calendar lends a bit of credence to the claims. According to this translated scuttlebutt, Super Mario Collection is a "revival" of Super Mario All-Stars for the SNES. We don't know if that means just a port, or additional included games, or further graphical updates -- though at 2,500 yen ($30) we don't expect extensive remaking. The "Special Pack" name reportedly refers to an included book showing material from 25 years of Mario game development, along with a soundtrack CD featuring music from the whole series. Nintendo has scheduled the release of this game for October 21, which means that we should see official information very soon. It also means that No More Heroes 2, out in Japan the same day, officially has no chance of selling any copies.
Top Hand Rodeo Tour supports PlayStation Move, equine perspiration
Indie developer Perpetual FX has announced its first PlayStation Move title, due out this December on PSN: Top Hand Rodeo Tour. As you might imagine, the motion-controlled game tasks you with performing a number of acts of forceful animal husbandry, including calf roping and team roping. We imagine that actual bull riding will be involved in some manner as well, though we doubt the force feedback of the Move controller will adequately simulate the jostling provided by an angry, bucking man-cow. A teaser trailer for the game explains the life of a titular Top Hand -- a lifestyle which requires unswerving courage, a tolerance for chapped hands and, we kid you not, a fondness for the smell of horse sweat. If you're not already totally yucked out, you can check out the trailer after the jump.
Puzzle Quest 2 embarks on a journey to PSP later this year
Aww, poor PSP -- it's like you've been sitting out in the rain, looking through the window at all of the other consoles, laughing and having a good time together with Puzzle Quest 2. Well, come on in, buddy! You've finally been invited to the party. IGN reports that Sony's handheld will indeed receive a port of Puzzle Quest 2, launching "towards the end of 2010." Oddly enough, the IGN piece mentions the game will be available for download via PSN and makes no mention of a UMD release. We've gone ahead and contacted the game's publisher, D3, for clarification. Along with extreme tardiness, the PSP port brings with it a new game mode called Elite. Here, the difficulty of enemies has been ramped up, naturally yielding better rewards for players and more chances to throw your PSP to the ground in frustration.
Tron: Evolution release date and Collector's Edition revealed
Disney seems to have gotten the message that you guys like collector's editions. With toys in them. One day after the reveal of the Epic Mickey Collector's Edition, Disney Interactive has announced the Collector's Edition release of Tron: Evolution for PS3 and Xbox 360. The package contains the game (obviously), along with a toy model Light Cycle by Sideshow Collectibles and a display case with a drawer for the game -- all for $130. We spent too long thinking about this and realized that since "real" light cycles are only supposed to exist in a virtual computer world, these toys are more tangible than the genuine article! Disney has also announced a December 7 release date for the Collector's Edition and, of course, all other versions of Tron: Evolution game, including those for Wii, PSP, DS and PC. %Gallery-100718%
Borderlands Game of the Year Edition announced, all four DLC packs included
Gearbox Software has just revealed the "Game of the Year Edition" of Borderlands via Twitter, announcing the re-release for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on October 12. The package will include all four DLC add-ons, plus a foldout map of the game's territories. The GOTY Edition will be priced at $60 for Xbox 360 and PS3, and $50 for PC. Today's announcement also seems to confirm that the "Borderlands GOTY Official Strategy Guide" is real. The guide popped up last month in a GameStop listing (but has since been removed from the retailer's site).%Gallery-101162%
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn lights up stores on November 29
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn was missing from Nintendo's recently announced fall lineup, creating concerns that Camelot's RPG revival had been quietly escorted out of 2010. Nintendo allayed those fears this morning by announcing a North American release date of November 29. That means it will only have been seven years since the last Golden Sun. That's not so bad. Can you imagine having to wait eight years? DS RPG addicts will have to finish up Dragon Quest IX, and then blaze through October's Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light to make room for this. "Too many RPGs" is a wonderful problem to have.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 on the radar for Oct. 19 release
In case yesterday's announcement of two Naruto Shippuden games wasn't sufficient Naruto news for you, Namco Bandai announced the release date for Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 for Xbox 360 and PS3. Fans will be able to take control of Naruto and, um, all those other characters on October 19. If you'd like to experience a sample of the Ultimate Ninja Storm -- an Ultimate Ninja Drizzle, perhaps, or Scattered Ultimate Ninja Showers -- Namco Bandai also announced that a demo for the CyberConnect2-developed fighting game is available now on both PSN and Xbox Live.
Get uncomfortable with Saw 2 release date and new art
When Konami suggested a Halloween release for Saw 2: Flesh & Blood at E3, it apparently meant Halloween-ish. Uncertainty is part of setting a devious trap, after all. The publisher today announced the October 19 release date of the game, "just in time for the release of Saw VII 3D, the seventh installment of the popular horror franchise from Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures." Along with the date, Konami has sent out some new Saw 2 concept art. "Just the silhouette of the character in the trap had to make the viewer uncomfortable," producer John Williamson explains. "You had to know instantly that something bad was going to happen to this person if you didn't get them out." If you're thinking, "Why on Earth would I want to be uncomfortable," you aren't the target market for this game. %Gallery-100164%
Torchlight 'hopefully' out on XBLA and PSN by holidays, has sold 750,000 units
Runic Games had dreams of putting Torchlight on Xbox Live Arcade, then it put "serious effort" into a console version, and now the studio is hoping to have the game out by this holiday for PSN and XBLA. Runic CEO Max Schaefer told Joystiq at Gamescom today, "We're trying, we're talking [to Sony and Microsoft] and we hope to get that done quickly." Although there's no release window, he told us it'll "hopefully" be available "by the holidays." Schaefer also told us the game has now sold over 750,000 units and is en route to a million. The RPG reached the half-million milestone back in May after launching in October, following a tiny development time of 10 months. If the sales figure seems a bit low, the executive mentioned that piracy has been an issue, but they have no way of tracking how many illegal copies were made. As for Torchlight 2 on consoles, Schaefer told us Runic will "try" to get the multiplayer sequel to consoles sometime after the PC and Mac release. %Gallery-72098%
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow whipping up Oct. 7 EU release date, Oct. 8 in UK
During a Konami press conference at Gamescom, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow producer David Cox took to the mic to announce European and UK release dates for the forthcoming game: October 7 in Europe and October 8 in the UK. Furthermore, Konami UK rep Richie Churchill revealed via his Twitter account that the game will be getting a distinct collector's edition for (at very least) the UK, featuring the game's original soundtrack and a "replica God Mask in awesome packaging." Wait a minute -- why don't we get a God Mask?! Anyway, given the way European and UK releases work, it's fair to guess that Lords of Shadow will land stateside on October 5 (as compared to the Halloween release date Amazon gave it), sans God Mask. That's exciting enough, we guess.
