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Director of next Mortal Kombat movie talks 're-envisioning'
We'd be surprised if anyone saw "Mortal Kombat movie" in the headline and decided to keep reading, regardless, we will continue on, if only for our own amusement. Entertainment news site Moviehole recently had the ... opportunity, we guess, to sit down with the director of the third chapter in the esteemed "Mortal Kombat" film franchise, a grown man who goes by the name of 'mink'. Yes, if there were anyone we could trust to revitalize this already sterling series of movies, a man with a penchant for weasels and poor capitalization skills would be first on our list.mink mentioned that the film (which is still in pre-production) will not actually be a sequel, but instead, a "re-envisioning of the Mortal Kombat franchise from top to bottom." He also promises that the film will be an "A plus plus" title to try and "capture the magic of the first film." We're not convinced -- between Christopher Lambert's oddly effeminate portrayal of Raiden and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's frequent, impassioned delivery of "YOUR SOUL ... IS MINE," we don't think that kind of lightning is capable of striking twice.
Video: three minutes of Raiden Fighters Aces
GameTrailers has posted new footage of Raiden Fighters Aces, which was revealed last month. Unlike last month's footage, which can be missed entirely if you blink too much, this new footage is much more satisfying. Unfortunately, while the video is much longer than the previous one, it doesn't reveal anything new. We can still see that Aces is a compilation of Raiden Fighters, Raiden Fighters II, and Raiden Fighters Jet. We'd still like to know if the game is going to be downloadable on Xbox Live Arcade or if it's a full retail title. As we wait for answers to this and other questions (Live co-op, please?) all we can do is marvel at the shootery goodness of it all. Check it out after the break.
First footage of Raiden Fighters Aces
First of all, we should probably let you know that the "footage" referred to in the headline above is only ten seconds long. That said, we're still damned excited to see visual proof of a Raiden title for Xbox 360. What isn't made entirely clear is whether or not the game is a full retail title or an Xbox Live Arcade game. The description on GameTrailers notes, "Get ready for an action-packed collection of some of the greatest shooters ever created!" which leads us to believe it may be a retail disc. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that this is not Raiden IV, which was confirmed for 360 earlier this year. It's hard to say exactly what's going, but one thing is certain: Raiden on Xbox equals shootery goodness. Check out the video after the break.
Raiden IV port could hit the Dreamcast
The developer of the Raiden series of arcade shooters, Moss, recently posted a poll that suggests the console that's died a dozen deaths may not be out of life just yet. The "Which system should Raiden IV be ported to?" section features the usual suspects -- PS2, Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360, etc. -- but curiously the Dreamcast is also an option. Sega officially killed the console a few months ago, but it seems the Dreamcast just won't go away. The system has been a sanctuary for Japanese shmups even after production halted, so perhaps our grandchildren will enjoy Raiden IX on an antique jury rigged Dreamcast someday.[Via insert credit]
Raiden IV scrolling onto Xbox 360, Raiden III on PS2 in March
After XS Games dropped the distribution rights to the North American localization of Raiden III for PlayStation 2, UFO Interactive Games graciously picked them up -- and, despite low-demand forecasts, kept the project alive. The vertically-scrolling shmup originally debuted on PS2 (in Japan) back in September 2005, and next month Raiden III will finally arrive in North America; for $30. UFO product manager Chong Ahn confirmed as much during the latest Team Fremont podcast, adding that the game's follow up (currently Arcade-only) Raiden IV is being prepped for release on Xbox 360.Ahn remained vague on further details, not willing to commit to a launch date or format; but he seemed to indicate that Raiden IV would be released to retail and not via Xbox Live Arcade (à la Treasure's Ikaruga port). Expect an official announcement after Raiden III gets off the ground.
Raiden IV coming to Xbox 360 (!)
Last year we ran a brief series entitled "That should be on XBLA." In that series we suggested that the arcade classic shooter, Raiden, would be a perfect fit for the service. At the time, we never imagined a full blown sequel would ever arrive on the Xbox 360. Lo and behold: Raiden IV is coming to the Xbox 360. The news comes from a Team Fremont interview with Chong Ahn, product manager for UFO Interactive. UFO Interactive's website, incidentally, doesn't even have an Xbox 360 section. Ahn notes that it has not be decided whether Raiden IV will be a retail product or an Xbox Live Arcade release.First Ikaruga and now Raiden IV? What did we poor fanboys ever do to deserve this?[Via 1UP]
That should be on XBLA: Raiden
It's been a while, but it's time again for another exciting edition of "That should be on XBLA." This week, it's the arcade classic, Raiden (no, not that effeminate guy from MGS). If you've never played Raiden, then all you really need to know is that it's chock-full of shootery goodness. Read on to to discover the joy of Raiden.
New Metal Gear for PSP announced
Other sites may still be covering the old Metal Gear comic and treating it as "news," but we've discovered a real juicy story, via IGN: a new Metal Gear Solid Graphic Novel will be heading towards the PSP, thanks to the success of the original. It will follow the story of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and not only will it feature pretty-boy Raiden, it'll have a lot of Snake's story as well. A release date, and a title hasn't been revealed yet, but you can expect us to keep an eye out for this one. Hopefully, this new version will feature voice acting. Please, Konami?[Via IGN]
MGS2 design secrets translated
The obsessed fans over at MetalGearSolid.org have posted an English translation of the design document for Metal Gear Solid 2. The document was previously only available to Japanese fans who purchased a documentary about the making of the game. Among the revelations in the document: MGS2 was originally going to be called "Metal Gear Solid III," for extra confusion and symbolism. Raiden was designed partially as "a character in which women can more easily empathize." A consumer package containing both MGS and MGS2 was considered. The full document also includes insights into the symbolism of the game's confusing story, and some thoughts on the nature of sequels in general. Definitely worth a read for anyone with an interest in this seminal game.[Via Insert Credit]
Top five tips we turned down this week
Every day, Joystiq receives innumerable tips from people eager to guide our way through the world of video game news and culture. Most of the time, everything goes swimmingly: an interesting link pops up, you let us know, and we write it up. Sometimes, it doesn't go so smoothly.When we reject a tip, it may be because we've already reported on the story, or because the content of the tip isn't right for Joystiq. Other times, the rejected tip is dead wrong. Usually this is the fault of the source, not the tipster. Very often, rejected tips are also ones that, for whatever reason, make us laugh. This post is dedicated to the tipsters behind the tips that we didn't use this week.
Raiden unplayable in Metal Gear Solid 4
You probably read that headline with a smile on your face. Even so, Kojima-san has revealed the infamous Raiden will not be a playable character in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. But he is going to be pretty integral to the overall narrative.He also goes into detail about the story. Nanotechnology, military strength, Senior Citizen Snake... it's all there. Older characters will be making an appearance as well. Naomi Hunter, Campbell and even Meryl Silverburgh will be along for the ride. One of the best quotes is from when Kojima stated why he's even bothering with this new game when MGS3 was supposed to be his (and Snake's) last title: "I decided to make MGS4 because so many mysteries still remained, and I couldn't ignore all the people who had requested a new game." So keep the requests coming and he won't be able to refuse! Check out the Show Maybe? publication to see the original.
