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Sonic scanned and Unleashed
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Tons_of_new_Sonic_Unleashed_info'; The latest edition of the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine comes with an extensive eight-page preview of Sonic Unleashed, complete with gameplay details, fresh screenshots, and an interview with the project's lead designer, Yoshihisa Hashimoto. There's also new information aplenty on Sonic's darker alter-ego (dubbed "Were-Sonic" by the magazine). Apparently, this character only appears at night, can traverse stages using his longer arms (ONM describes this as "Donkey Kong-esque"), and is slightly slower (yet more agile) than regular Sonic. Oh, and he's not evil. Just ... different.Speaking of being different, Hashimoto appears super keen to disassociate the game from more recent Sonic outings, insisting that Unleashed will have "more in common with the older Sonic Adventure games" and "no relation to Sonic the Hedgehog (PS3/360) or Sonic and the Secret Rings." Hit up French site Wiiz for the rest of the preview.%Gallery-19031%
Band Brothers DX: Now with 100+ downloadable jams
After Daigasso! Band Brothers' release in Japan over three years ago and its subsequent expansion pack, it's time that Nintendo of America follow through with its Jam With the Band plans and bring the rhythm game to the US. Perhaps with this new entry to the series, Band Brothers DX, stateside gamers will finally trade licks with the series' curvy mascot, Barbara the Bat, outside of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Japanese magazine Famitsu revealed the sequel in this week's issue, detailing plenty of additions to the original's offerings: 30 classical/J-pop tracks, 50+ playable instruments (including an NES/Famicom?!), a guitar which you can strum via touchscreen, and a new "Karaoke Bar" mode. Interestingly, according to initial translations, DX will only allow for six players in its multiplayer jam sessions, two players less than what the first Band Brothers supported.As for its online features, DX will also have over 100 downloadable songs for players to add to the included tracklist. We're assuming that this is for-real downloadable content and not faux downloadable content, as seen with Professor Layton and the Curious Village, but you never know! Band Brothers DX is scheduled to ship in Japan this June 26th. We'll let you know if we hear anything about a US release!Bring your axe and pick past the post break for the scanned Famitsu pages.
Trauma Center 2 scan suggests August release for Japan
Trauma Center, in case you hadn't already heard, is making a return to Nintendo's handheld to make ham-fisted would-be surgeons feel inadequate all over again, and Famitsu has just delivered an array of details and shots of the new game.According to this, we'll be getting a sprinkling of old and new characters, a slightly more Wii-like user interface, and a number of operations that will be familiar with us all, including the really cringeworthy ones where you have to yank excruciatingly long shards of glass from your patients (well, they made us cringe, anyway).Perhaps the most interesting tidbit to take from this scan, however, is the mention of a Japanese release date -- it's a little hard to make out, but the magazine seems to suggest the game will be released there on August 7th. That's by no means an official date, obviously, but if true it means we could be seeing a western release in 2008.
DS Fanboy endorses panda bears on see-saws
Look, we would pick this game up based on the fact that there are pandas on see-saws alone. If you want to market your game to the DS Fanboy staff, this is how you do it!But, our job is demanding. We have to, like, investigate games and find out stuff about them. It's a tough job sometimes, when you're forced to look past the see-sawing panda bears and see the world for what it truly is. It's a place with far too little see-sawing pandas, that's for sure!So what exactly are we all looking at here? Well, it's the latest issue of Famitsu and its preview for a game called Panda Diaries from Namco. As one might imagine, the title focuses around interacting with virtual panda bears and will allow players to enjoy a variety of activities. We should also note that it is already one of DS Fanboy's top titles to watch and is due for release during the summer of this year.
Square Enix reveals new 'adventure RPG': Sigma Harmonics
With all the remakes and ports that seem to come our way courtesy of Square-Enix, it's nice to see a new IP from the Final Fantasy factory. Announced in this week's issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu, Sigma Harmonics is an "adventure RPG" promising a murder-mystery narrative, an interesting combination. According to initial translations of the article, the story takes its cues from Persona 4's (PS2) suspense-filled plot, and the game will be presented book-style with the DS turned sideways. Surprisingly, Sigma Harmonics is already 60% complete and will hit stores in Japan as soon as this summer! Check the convenient gallery below for scans of the Famitsu pages.%Gallery-19209%[Via NeoGAF]
Ace Combat team making Wii flight sim
Click for larger version. Remove Petit Copter from the equation, and pickings are awfully slim when it comes to Wii flight sims. So what's a budding Biggles to do? Pray for a Wii update to the absolutely flawless* Pilotwings 64? Well, that's one option (and something we do on a daily basis anyway), but Bandai Namco is hoping to provide another in the form of Sky Crawlers, a flight game based on an animated film that's to be released on August 2nd in Japan.The latest edition of Famitsu has the first shots of the title, in which the Wiimote doubles up as your throttle, and the nunchuk is used to steer. Even though the film is based on a fantastical premise -- youngsters fighting a war organized by adults as a form of entertainment -- the game features realistic visuals.In summary, we're keen to see more of this, particularly as it's developed by the same team behind the Ace Combat series. With any luck, we'll be able to banish the craptacular likes of Wing Island from our memories forever.* Seriously, don't argue with me here. Like, seriously. I have maimed for less.
New FFXIII scan finally features new screens [Update]
Square Enix knows how to tease. Finally, a new magazine scan features some brand new images of the upcoming PS3 exclusives, Final Fantasy XIII and Versus. Not much can be gathered from the image other than the obvious: it's pretty. We can see some of the summons, but we want Square Enix to give us some delicious video. Soon, please?[Update: More scans, courtesy of FF-XIII.net.][Via NeoGAF]
Etri-scan Odyssey II
Click image to enlarge Sekaiju no Meikyu II, or Etrian Odyssey II as it's better known in these parts, is due out in Japan next month, and we await its arrival on western shores with a stomach-churning mixture of anticipation and fear. Yes, fear, a feeling that is not assuaged by the regularity with which the first game handed us our asses.These new Famitsu scans contain a smattering of screens we've yet to see, as well as artwork of the new pet job class. Meticulously map your way past the post break for the second scan.
Assassin's Creed DS box art, details at last
It's been a long wait, but at least we're seeing something at last from the DS version Assassin's Creed -- the box art. Even though it looks like it has potential, is it a good sign that this is the first bit of media we've seen on the title? The silence may be due in part to the mixed reviews that met that other Assassin's Creed, but we'll admit, it has us a little concerned. But here's the good: now that we've seen a little of the title, due to the box art having been scanned by a quick-thinking gamer who went in to preorder at GameStop, we'll say that it does look good. It sounds good. The DS version is a prequel that focuses on the origins of assassin Altaïr, and the game takes on a similar, though scaled-down, approach. Concerned that it might be more like the mobile version? Fear not, as Altaïr's Chronicles is not using the sprites and 2D design available on cell phones. If nothing else, it seems apparent that some care went into re-imagining the story for a stylus-based approach.How does it look outside of a few tiny, scanned and grainy screens? We don't know yet. How will it look in motion? We're not sure. How will it play? Beyond stylus-based controls, we don't know that, either, but unless the release date changes, we'll soon find out. The game is currently slated for early February. We are, we must admit, surprised that it's not a) a card game, b) mini-games, c) a rollicking pirate adventure, or d) a music simulator.
Build even more cities on your DS
If you loved the idea of a portable SimCity, then this news should make your day -- a sequel to the handheld simulation is in the works, and already set for a March release (in Japan). The DS sequel to the first entry in the popular franchise looks to be adding timelines -- with appropriate costumes for your advisors throughout each era, as well as buildings. Cue caveman garb! Otherwise, it seems like typical SimCity fare, which is actually good news.And hey, if you haven't picked up the first one, it looks like that GameFly sale is still going.
V-Jump teases Kingdom Hearts
With Jump Festa right around the corner, Japanese magazine V-Jump is teasing readers with spot coverage of games we can expect to see at the event ... and that means Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. While there's only one page (which we've tucked away for you after the break), there's a mix of old and new images that should have fans salivating for more. We can't wait to see the footage out of next week's event! There have been so many scraps that we're about ready for a full meal on this one.
Blue Dragon DS nothing to do with cards after all
Remember those vicious rumors regarding Blue Dragon DS being a card-based RPG? Well, looks like they may have been wide of the mark, as a new scan gleaned from the pages of Japanese publication Shonen Jump suggests otherwise. Instead, the magazine describes the game as a "real-time simulation RPG," a label that brings to mind the recently released Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. Whatever the hell Mistwalker's game is -- and the screens do suggest a kind of real-time strategy/RPG hybrid -- there's certainly no mention of cards. Pleasingly, that March 2008 Japanese release date seems to have held, which surely means we'll have more information on this in the not-too-distant future. Go past the break for the Shonen Jump scan.
Namco Bandai bringing skiing to Wii
Snowboarding games have been pretty easy to find over the last decade or so, but skiing titles? They're a rarer bird. Indeed, when Horace Goes Skiing is still this writer's fondest recollection of the genre, you sense that there's a gap waiting to be filled.Enter Namco Bandai, which has just announced Family Ski for the Wii. Due for release in Japan during Winter 2007/2008 and able to support up to four players, this cartoony take on the sport is being worked on by the folks behind Ridge Racer.And yes, we know what you're thinking -- this would be perfect on the Wii Balance Board, right? Sadly, Namco Bandai would beg to differ; instead, the Wiimote and nunchuk become your ski poles as you hurtle down the white powdery stuff. Some Mii integration would certainly sweeten the pot, though.Hit the break for a Famitsu scan.
Ninja Gaiden's REAL Ultimate Scanned Power!!!!
Why, hello there, Ryu Hayabusa. It's been a while since we've seen you outside of the same old recycled screens. We were starting to worry, but here you are again, looking very, uh ... ninja-ish. And awesome. Did we mention that? Our favorite ninja hero was featured in the latest (Chinese?) Famitsu and we were treated to a beautiful two-page spread that reminded us why we must get our hands on this title as soon as possible. But it's not just the look -- it's everything, particularly the creative, no-frills approach Team Ninja is taking with the handheld installment. While we dream of action and adventure, trip gaily past the break and check out the scans for yourself.
The Dragon Quest IV info keeps flowing
Square Enix is not wasting any time getting information about the forthcoming remake of Dragon Quest IV out -- another three page set of scans has turned up, with even more screens (and a lot of the character art we've seen before). Each time we catch a glimpse of this, we're more and more convinced that it's going to look even better than the Playstation remake -- there are a lot of subtle differences that seem to improve upon the look of that last version.The original set was scanned as one image, but we've broken it up into the individual pages for you (or you can hit the original here) after the jump. As usual, you can click through for higher resolution images.
Every glimpse of ASH makes us want it more
Over at Jeux-France, they have an amazing new set of scans from Nintendo Dream that show off some of the more incredible aspects of Archaic Sealed Heat. Unlike our last foray into the scanned coverage of ASH, these new pages are not quite as text-heavy, and instead offer a bevy of pictures of the controls, both the top and bottom screens, and comparisons between the artwork for the character models and how they appear on the bottom screen, as well as in the pre-rendered CG. The whole thing is very impressive, and with this limited view of the touchscreen controls, we're even a little more excited than we were before. We've included a few of the images after the post break, but you'll have to head over to Jeux-France to see the rest, including lots of close-ups of the scanned pages.
More Archaic Sealed Heat scans turn up
While we burn for new info on Archaic Sealed Heat, we'll happily take these enormous scans, even if they're mostly filled with images we've seen before. You know what else we want to hear about? Companies jockeying for the chance to localize this bad boy. Between the amazing top-screen FMVs and our love for all types of RPGs, we're going to need to see this one head outside Japan within a year of release. We're willing to wait -- but don't make us wait forever.Hit the jump for the scans, all of which are clickable for hi-res versions. And we're not kidding when we say that the bigger versions are big.
New Archaic Sealed Heat scan proves that we didn't just dream up the game
We knew that it would be a while after Mistwalker's late 2005 announcement before we'd see Archaic Sealed Heat's release, but with little-to-no new media on the SRPG since its unveiling and half of 2007 gone by without word on its status, it was hard to convince ourselves that the game still existed.Shonen Jump's latest issue confirms that, yes, ASH is still being worked on for a holiday 2007 release, and that the graphics look just as impressive as ever. Check past the post break for the scanned magazine page to see a sampling of the ASH's artwork, CG cutscenes, and screenshots!
NiGHTS: Magazine Scan of Dreams
A new scan of NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams has appeared, thanks to NeoGAF's tireless neo2046. It mostly contains too-small images of NiGHTS flying around, which-- thankfully-- look great. There's some kind of ... peacock creature, maybe?The page highlights NiGHTS' new human counterpart, Helen Cartwright, a young violinist. We assume that, like the previous game's children, she experiences performance anxiety and seeks solace in her dreams. Whatever the motivation, she frees NiGHTS so we can start playing the real game. And for that we must thank the frilly-jacketed, fictional child. The full page is after the break!
iPhone details uncovered in Sales Training Workbook
Here's some dirt that's sure to heat up the iPhone debates over the next 20 days. According to alleged scans from the "iPhone Sales Training Workbook," we're seeing a vast array of features that we were already fully aware of, but here's the skinny on what you may have not known until now: No one-touch dialing (two touches at a minimum) Vibrate mode is included Voice dialing is not mentioned as a feature, though it's not specifically excluded either Users can have a voice conversation whilst browsing the web "when WiFi access is available" iPhone users will not be able to conduct IM conversations with instant messaging users Emailing videos and pictures are a go, MMS is not supported MEdia Mail won't be used for ringtone and answertone downloads MEdia Net, MobiTV, and Cellular Video are (unsurprisingly) not available for the iPhone iTunes will sync iPhone with the Address Book on Macs or Outlook/Outlook Expess on PCs No GPS or TeleNav support, sorry Google hopefuls Of note, it seems that AT&T and / or Apple has conjured up a few canned, customer responses that point out the obvious shortcomings of Apple's handset, so do click on to see what you're up against.Update: It's worth pointing out that only 15 of at least 33 pages have been published so far.
