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Rumor: Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 Achievements leaked
Inside MGC has posted what appears to be a list of Xbox 360 Achievements for an unannounced -- but not unheard of -- Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved sequel. It seems your neon-lit annihilation of sinister shapes will occur across several different modes this time (thanks, "Unlock All Modes" Achievement), including a "Waves" variant, a "Pacifism" setting and something called "Deadline." A time limit, perhaps? Though Retro Evolved 2 has yet to be officially acknowledged, we're confident in our assertion that 200 Gamerpoints represent nothing but the icing on a delicious, octagonal cake. We can't wait to wreck 'tangles again. [Via X3F]
Geometry Wars 2 achievements leaked, ZOMG!
Well, well, well, looky what we have here. Somehow, the achievements for Geometry Wars 2 have been leaked onto the internets. Funny thing is, the game hasn't even been confirmed to exist. Crazy exciting super! But crazy exciting super in a good way. The achievements (viewable after the jump) detail what sounds to be some sort of collection of various new and old Geometry Wars game modes including Geometry Wars: Waves which was included in PGR4. We say this only because the game's Phobia and Surf achievements mention Waves in their descriptions, but other achievements mention different game modes including "King" and "Deadline". We guess the most obvious proof that Geo Wars 2 will feature a compilation of new modes is the ever straight forward Unlock All Modes achievement. We're pumped! We're excited! Bring on another round of Geometry Wars and another 200 Gamerscore! W00t! [Thanks, Dynamo Matt]
Japan gets another shmup: Otomedius Gorgeous, or, Why we need to have another Steel Battalion
While the news that the 360 as a platform is seeing more support from Japanese developers, we do wish that that support was coming to these shores. In a move that reminds us of the good old days of large and unnecessary controllers with even more unnecessary features (hit eject or lose you game save!) the release of Otomedius Gorgeous! will be accompanied by a, ahem, Hyper Stick Pro. Otomedius Gorgeous! is a port of the partially touch-screen controlled popular Japanese arcade shoot 'em up, and to emulate the touch screen the Hyper Stick actually includes a built in touchpad just for this game. As we said, it seems rather unlikely that this title and its crazy controller will hit western shores, but the above picture reminded us heavily of some of the best overblown controllers of our happy memories. True they are totally unnecessary for most any other game, but these things had a charm all there own, and practicality is not one of them. *Sigh* Oh well, you can still check out the hilariously awesome trailer after the break.
Metal Slug 7 in 2008 for Europe?
According to French gaming site Wiiz, our brothers and sisters across the pond might be getting Metal Slug 7 later this year. Should this go down, we imagine you'll be just as intoxicated by the action on your DS as we will be when the title hits U.S. shores. Considering that Wiiz doesn't source anyone for this "news," however, we're going to keep this one filed under the Rumors section. %Gallery-16835%[Via Go Nintendo]
Long list of DS titles headed for Europe
Europeans, rejoice! Today brings news regarding release dates for DS titles up until the beginning of next year. The list is populated with plenty of high-profile titles, yet is woefully absent of a certain Professor Layton. There's also a concrete confirmation that Trials & Tribulations is headed your way, even though we kind of knew that already.Even more odd is the inclusion of Sonic Unleashed in the list past the break. Is the game coming to the DS? Maybe, but it seems more likely that this is nothing more than a typo.
New shoot-em-up coming to 360: Raiden IV
Top down scrolling shooters have had a short but strange history on the 360. Despite being a port, Ikaruga has managed to become the most popular game of the genre on the system. So when DoDonPachi and Ketsui weren't allowed onto the Live Arcade we thought that MS simply didn't like the bullet hell shooters as much as the rest of us. While the aforementioned classics likely won't see any form of full retail release, we're glad that someone out there (Moss Ltd) sees fit to release another game like this.Raiden IV is currently set for Japanese release in September, with the developer expressing interest in following up with a Western release (oh please, oh please). The game has most all the bullet points one would expect from a great shump: vertical screen mode, recordable replays, and worldwide leaderboards, but sadly no co-op. Partly thanks to the increase in the "standard" graphical fidelity of games, older gameplay styles seem to be slowly dying out. We just hope that our favorite hardcore genres don't end up going the way of the dodo.
Wii Fanboy Review: Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy
In 2004, Kenta Cho (under the name ABA Games) released TUMIKI Fighters, one of his many freeware polygonal shooters. Then, last year, Majesco baffled us by announcing plans to adapt it to a retail Wii game. Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy is an odd candidate for AAA-ness: it's a game in a dormant, extremely hardcore genre, based on obscure freeware and developed by a company whose previous experience has mostly involved ports and licensed games, without any real input from the original creator. It's also published by a company whose success with Cooking Mama inspired them to go "casual."These disadvantages would lead anyone to the natural conclusion that Blast Works wouldn't end up a great game -- and they would be correct. It is, in fact, two great games. Or, to take the idea to its ridiculous extreme, infinite great games. We'll stick to two for this discussion, and we'll talk about those two separately.%Gallery-4821%
VC Tuesday: Hi!
This week's Japanese Virtual Console releases are, unquestionably, awesome. Art of Fighting 2 may not be as awesome as the others, but just being the least awesome game in this week's lineup is still pretty great. Nintendo of Japan is just now getting around to offering Blazing Lazers, which we got in May. Japan is actually getting the U.S. version of the game; the Japanese version, Gunhed, was based on a movie license to which Hudson apparently no longer has the rights.As great (and interesting) as Blazing Lazers is, the Famicom release, however, is the best of the bunch. It's Super Dodge Ball. It may be extraordinarily flickery and simplistic, but the gameplay still holds up. Nekketsu Koukou Dodgeball Bu (Famicom, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points) Blazing Lazers (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Ryuuko no Ken 2 (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
Pick up a $10 gift card by purchasing Blast Works
We're still shocked that Blast Works finally came out after all those delays (and according to a few emails that we've been getting from you guys, some retailers are also feeling disbelief). If you can manage to track down this content-packed shooter, though, we recommend trying your luck at Circuit City. This week, the folks at the good ol' city of circuits will hand you a nice $10 gift card with a purchase of Blast Works. Yet, don't fret if you're having trouble finding this game at brick and mortar locations, since you can also head to the retailer's online store. For a game that's only $40 to begin with, we have to say -- this deal is mighty tempting. Any takers? Gallery: Blast Works [Via CAG]
Get Ketsui boss advice from Cave's boss
Arika's Ketsui DS is more than just a stripped-down "boss rush" version of an arcade shmup -- though it does seem to be a boss rush, judging from the website's description of the difficulty levels (which show different progressions of bosses based on the difficulty). It's being loaded with extra DS content including levels that can be shared via download play, recordable replays (which can also be shared), and an "Evac Report" mode, which seems to contain an unlockable art gallery. The wackiest new feature is the "Oshiete IKD-san!" ("Teach me, IKD-san!") mode, in which Cave's president, Tsuneki Ikeda ("IKD"), offers shmup lessons to the player. Shooting Training: of course![Via Insert Credit]
Metal Slug 7 site updates with new screens
The official site for upcoming SNK title, Metal Slug 7, has updated with some new goodies for fans. For those of you who want to know more about the cast of the game, there's an updated character profile page. Also, you'll find a boatload of screens showing off gameplay, the rankings screens and "Combat School," which looks like training missions.You can find all of the new screens in our gallery below, so head on in and check out the eye candy.%Gallery-16835%[Via Go Nintendo]
Metareview: Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy
We can hardly believe it, but Majesco's Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy finally got released. It's in stores right now. And now that it has the distinction of being real and not just some constantly-delayed pipe dream, reviewers can play it and register their opinions.But, really, how good can a Western-developed remake of a freeware PC shooter, with an editor mode attached, be? The answer is apparently "really, really good."1UP: A -- Ray Barnholt found Blast Works both a worthy shooter and an awesome game construction kit: "The core game is cute and clever -- probably not a tide-changer, but it's definitely unique enough to be worth something within its genre (it's an awesome sequel to Tumiki Fighters, at any rate). And if you've got the desire to design games (and share them with the world via Blast Works' included online tools), the editor will teach you some basic fundamentals."IGN: 81% -- Daemon Hatfield heaped more than 81 percent worth of praise on Blast Works: "With BlastWorks, what you get for your $40 is a unique, lengthy shooter, a powerful editor for creating your own levels, plus access to unlimited user-generated content from the game's official website, BlastWorksDepot.com. This is a great package, and although it's not going to appeal to everyone it's great to have something so unique in the Wii's library."Game Informer: 80% -- Even the lowest-scoring review on the list doesn't have many huge complaints: "It's certainly not perfect; the difficulty balancing is rough around the edges, and the co-op multiplayer is ruined by the fact that the camera doesn't pull back, resulting in total chaos as each player's hunk of junk grows in size. However, I'm pretty addicted to Blast Works, and this addiction might never end due to the amazing level editor and online community functions, which gives players the ability to create anything and everything in the game and share them for free online."
WRUP: Having a blast edition
Hey, did you know that Blast Works released this week? Yeah, it's all up on retail shelves right now, waiting for you to pick it up and buy it. Our copy is out there right now, cold and alone, awaiting our loving embrace. But, what about you?Nabbing Blast Works yourself? Picking up something else? What will you be playing this weekend?%Gallery-4821%
The VC Advantage: Embarrassing Ads of Thunder
By the time the Turbografx-16/CD combo system, the Turbo Duo launched, NEC's American branch had bailed on the Turbo platform and the new Turbo Technologies Inc. was desperate. Their advertising got increasingly ridiculous and antagonistic, as evidenced by the "Johnny Turbo" series of comic book-style ads in which a pudgy superhero saved kids from the horror of having to purchase a CD add-on for their "Feka" systems (another column for another time!)The best of TTI's amateurish, juvenile ads, however, was this promotional video for Lords of Thunder, which was mailed out through a coupon program. It consists alternately of overenthusiastic teens swearing their allegiance to Lords of Thunder and confused strangers wondering why they're being bothered. Ironically, this kind of advertising may have served to turn people away from the Duo platform. Lords of Thunder certainly can't take any of the blame for low sales. It's amazing.The hardcore Lords of Thunder (promo tape) audience must not have been what TTI anticipated, because I purchased a copy of this video from a Hastings Video Store in 2000 for .99. It was one of many copies in a clearance video bin. How did they even get there? The VC Advantage is a weekly look at the secrets inside games -- not just cheat codes, but assorted trivia and oddities. We aim to bring back the feeling of the hint columns from game magazines, except when we do something else.
Great Wise King: a new shooter based on familiar material
Daiseiou, which means "Great Sage King" or "Great Wise King" is a manga based on the Chinese Monkey King story that has been adapted and remade countless times, most recently in the game world as Starfish's The Monkey King: The Legend Begins.It appears that the legend is continuing: Starfish is working on a game based on Daiseiou, which is also a 2D side-scrolling shooter with the player as the Monkey King flying on his cloud (though this one also features Space Harrier-style segments). For two games in the exact same genre about the same subject matter from the same developer, the styles couldn't be more different -- Daiseiou's detailed, painted-looking style is a sharp contrast from the colorful chibiness of The Monkey King. There's nothing but a single (but pretty excellent) piece of artwork on the official website right now, but you can see plenty of screens at Famitsu.
Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ screens, site arise from the grave
Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ, formerly just Zombie BBQ, keeps looking better and better. We have a habit of championing strange titles, and we'll make no exception with this fairy tale shoot-em-up! How did developer Enjoy Up (Chronos Twins) come up with the idea to recreate Little Red Riding Hood as a busty blonde with a machine gun and a penchant for blasting down undead wolves? And what spark of imagination convinced the studio to team her up with Momo "PeachBoy" Taro, a ninja born from a peach and armed with a grenade launcher? Genius, all of it.Publisher Gammick Entertainment has launched an official site for the game, and, in addition to its wicked trailer, the hub has some great profiles for its zombified fairy tale characters, like ablood-thirsty cyborg Pinocchio and a flesh-eating Sleeping Beauty. Check out some of the other undead creatures and twenty new screenshots in our gallery below!%Gallery-19218%
Wii releases this week: Blast Works edition
There might be a huge game releasing this week, but that won't deter us from celebrating the release of a title we've been dying to get our hands on: Blast Works. So, you can imagine what we're planning to pick up from the small pile of new releases this week. Well, maybe it's less of a pile and more of a pair.This week's releases are: Blast Works Backyard Baseball '09 Planning on picking up a new game this week?%Gallery-4821%
Blast Works duo on what didn't make the cut
Blast Works: Build, Trade, & Destroy will finally launch in North America next Tuesday, so now seems like a fitting time for Budcat Creations pair Marcus Brown and Matt Modaff to update their IGN blog and reflect on numerous aspects of the game's lengthy gestation. Fortunately for this post, that's exactly what they did!Amongst other things, Brown and Modaff discuss the team's motivation for including the game's wonderful editor, the content sharing features that we adore so much, and how they'd like to see the game cultivate a modding community to rival those seen in many PC titles. They also reserve special praise for the Wiimote, noting how it "affords players a near mouse-like interface."Most intriguingly of all, there's a list of features that didn't quite make the final cut, mainly due to time constraints. These include the ability to play through the Campaign Mode with four players (there's still a two-player function), a "Marathon Mode" (in which players blast their way through an infinite selection of levels randomly chosen from the campaign and rack up the highest score possible), a "Movement Editor" (for editing, yes, the movement of enemies), and the ability to trade high scores.Despite all of that "missing" stuff, some of which sounds way cool, we'd still probably trade our closest family members in for a copy of Blast Works next week.%Gallery-4821%
Wii Fanboy Review: Protothea
The Wii is the best system in history for scrolling shooters, thanks to the Virtual Console. While companies like Treasure and Cave have developed new subgenres of the shmup, the basics of classic shooting gameplay haven't changed much, and a good shooter is still as enjoyable now as it was when games like Gradius and Blazing Lazers were new. Chances are nobody but the most devoted shmuppers has mastered every available shooter on the system -- or even all of the really good ones. For most gamers, there are at least five excellent shooters available on the VC that are completely unfamiliar.The preponderance of excellent shooters means that there's really no reason for anyone to buy a mediocre one -- especially not when it costs more than every other shmup on the system. There is even less reason to buy Protöthea. If you're thinking about putting ten bucks into this, stop and go buy Blazing Lazers or Lords of Thunder instead.%Gallery-22560%
USK lists 'Galaga Legions' for Xbox 360
If you're like us, the arcade shooter Galaga is probably sitting on your Xbox 360's hard drive gathering virtual dust. Even so, that doesn't mean Namco-Bandai won't jump at the chance to try squeeze a few more Microsoft Points out of the old girl. Now, according to a posting by the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbskontrolle (USK), the German version of the ESRB, it looks like the publisher could be doing just that with a new title called Galaga Legions. We know next to nothing about the game beyond the fact that it's a shooter, but that hasn't stopped speculation that Namco-Bandai, the publisher behind cherished arcade re-imagining Pac-Man: CE, could be giving the same treatment to another classic quarter muncher. The notion makes us giddy -- our hard drives can always use more quality games. It's the fodder for future delisting that we can do without. [Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
