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New Space Invaders boxart Extremely better than the last
As for the rest of this Japanese cover art for Space Invaders Extreme, the gold-on-black text is slick, as are the patterned sprites. Even if this design doesn't strike your fancy, you have to admit that it's remarkably more attractive than the cheap-looking pieces used for the series' previous remake on the DS, Space Invaders Revolution. Compare the different boxarts past the post break, and you'll agree. We've also embedded another trailer for the game -- technically, it isn't new, but it's the first time we've come across it. Considering how marvelous it is, we doubt you'll mind watching it again if you've seen the clip before!
Today's most trance-inducing video: Space Invaders Extreme
Don't let the name fool you: Space Invaders Extreme is more than just a gatorade-guzzling, visual upgrade to Taito's classic formula. Instead, Extreme is looking to entirely reinvent the wheel, by re-examining the pacing and structure of the original title, while infusing the game with a pulsing soundtrack and gameplay quirks clearly inspired by Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Rez.We admit that based on the above video, the game looks very... busy. We're hoping the game doesn't pull a Space Giraffe with the sheer amount of on-screen clutter, but we're most definitely looking forward to blasting retro-styled aliens to the beat of hypnotic techno. The game's due out in Japan in February 2008. No U.S. release has been confirmed, but it's only a matter of time.
Taito's terrific trailers (Exit DS, Arkanoid DS, Legend of Kage 2, and Cooking Mama 2)
Much like with yesterday's fantastic Space Invaders Extreme clip, Taito put out new promotional videos for four of its upcoming games -- Exit DS, Arkanoid DS, Legend of Kage 2, and Cooking Mama 2. The three-and-a-half-minute Exit DS trailer above, in particular, is pretty slick, reminiscent of Lucky Number Slevin's opening credits. Despite the touchscreen control issues many brought up when previewing Exit DS at the past TGS event, the action-puzzler looks pretty fun! The rest of the streaming videos are available for you to check out at Dengeki's news page. Make sure to watch the Legend of Kage 2 clip all the way through, as the gameplay bits have been tucked at the end, after all the character art and gusts of cherry blossom petals.
Space Invaders Extreme hits PSP as well
Should you really get excited over a new Space Invaders game? The answer is: yes. Originally announced exclusively for the DS, the PSP will receive a widescreen version of this hyperactive re-envisioning of Taito's arcade classic. The surreal graphics, speedy gameplay, and massive power-ups gave us goosebumps at TGS, and we think PSP will be able to more than pull off an equally intense experience. In fact, we'd much rather have a wide version of the game, than be forced to look at two screens at once. It's just easier that way.Check out more screens at Dengenki Online.[Via PSPHyper]
Space Invaders streamed
We've been hyping Space Invaders Extreme relentlessly since we saw the first screens. And now that Ruliweb has made a gameplay video available, we're going to have to up our efforts. The screens and description do nothing to convey the brilliance of this game, which not only speeds up the pace of Space Invaders significantly, but adds power-ups and quickly shifting challenges, all set to a thumping soundtrack (which, to some DS Fanboy ears, evokes Genesis's "Invisible Touch") and flashy visuals.Space Invaders Extreme, in imitation of Rez, seems to time the collisions between bullets and enemies to the music, such that every explosion sets off an appropriate sound effect in time to the music. It worked to give Rez a rhythm-game feel without actually making it a rhythm game. Along with, of course, the cyber-psychedelic visuals and the optional Trance Vibrator, the musical integration just helped to make the whole experience more hypnotic. We knew that Space Invaders would probably feature something like that, but seeing it in action really shows how effective the technique is. We have watched this video at least five times already, and we're going to keep watching.
Exit from traditional control schemes, if you'd like
We've been wondering about the relative wackiness of Exit DS's controls since we first got word of a DS adaptation of the PSP game. Would Taito emulate the PSP's pad-and-buttons approach? Would we be sending Mr. ESC out of disaster situations with deft stylus maneuvers! As it turns out, the answer is yes! To both! Alternately! Taito has opted for the smartest control scheme possible: either one. There's a PSP-style control scheme that uses the buttons, or a new DS-style scheme that allows you to trace Mr. ESC's route lines with the stylus. Not only does this allow you to play in the style you prefer, it basically turns Exit DS into two fairly divergent games. Check the link for new screens!
Arkanoid DS plays dirty
We thought Arkanoid DS was awesome from the moment we first saw it. The customizable graphics and sound effects, the varied width of the levels, the quest mode, and, most importantly, the miraculous paddle controller won us over. For that matter, the word Arkanoid won us over. Being way-huge fans of the NES game (and its controller) we were pushovers.But now we find out that Arkanoid DS has a story mode full of adorable mascot characters? With their little Vaus-shaped heads, they look like a cross between the Prince of All Cosmos and Bomberman. That's just not fair. We were already going to buy the thing; now we have to super-buy it or something. Maybe we'll buy the inevitable mascot goods -- the plush dolls, DS styli, and such.
The Legend of Kage 2 still looks amazing
If you think that our hunger for side-scrolling action sequels on the DS is sated this week, then you are underestimating our desire to run from left and right and shoot/slash things. In fact, Contra 4 has just made us want more. And The Legend of Kage 2 looks like the same kind of thing: a gorgeous fully 2D update of a NES-era classic. Even if the original is only a classic to us. If the development team behind Kage 2 learns anything from the last 20 years or so of gaming, we hope it's how to make a better Legend of Kage game.From the screens, it looks like they may achieve that. It already looks like they've turned to Ninja Spirit for inspiration. That can only mean good things for the world.
Get a half-baked version of Panic Restaurant
We love it when extraordinarily random game prototypes show up on eBay. We have yet to actually pull the trigger and start collecting the things, because we have become attached to our electricity and would like to keep enough money around to ensure its continued service.It's hard to imagine a more random appearance than that of this Panic Restaurant prototype. Panic Restaurant is an NES platformer from Taito that stars a chef and takes place in a giant, trap-and-monster-filled restaurant. It falls squarely into the 'wacky midrange NES platformer' category along with stuff like Whomp 'Em. For some reason, the very middle-of-the-road-ness of this game is what makes a prototype of it so irresistible for us. Sure, everyone wants a prototype of a hugely popular game, or an extremely obscure game, but collecting rare editions of perfectly ordinary games sounds like exactly the kind of hobby we could blow our cash on. Plus, food-themed games are hilarious.[Via GameSniped]
Space Invaders Extreme mixes it up
It's been a while since we saw screens of Space Invaders Extreme. We've been pacing back and forth since then, taking one step forward every time we make it from one side of the room to the other. Finally, new screens have appeared of the psychedelic, pulsing upgrade to, like, the oldest shooter ever. Along with the gorgeous new screens, we have learned a few more details about the game. As we knew, shooting invaders of the same color consecutively triggered bonuses; this is encouraged during "Feature" mode, in which you basically fulfill objectives given on the top screen. Completing these objectives earns powerup items. Shooting invaders of certain colors is not the only possible objective, however. Sometimes the featured task involves picking up a certain number of dropped items combined with shooting invaders.Success leads to bonus minigames, in which you shoot as many invaders as possible in a fixed time period, usually with increased firepower. In these "rounds" the invaders fly around in more Galaga-like patterns.
Cooking Mama's celebrity spokes-Mama
With a new TV commercial about to hit the airwaves (in Japan,) we've been able to learn a little more about the "cosplayer" Taito employed in some print advertising. It turns out that she'll be the face of Cooking Mama on TV as well.The actress in question is a Japanese comedienne named Shizuyo Yamasaki, commonly called "Shizu-chan." She's part of a comedy duo called "Nankai Candies" and also played a supporting role in "Hula Girls." We figured she must be a celebrity of some kind and not just the first person who fit in the apron.As for the commercial itself: there are stills at Inside-Games, but no video yet. We pretty much get the idea anyway. Cooking Mama 2 is fun, whether you're a child or Shizuyo Yamasaki.
Taito takes Cooking Mama too far
You know, sometimes we just don't get Japanese marketing. Probably most times.The latest one to leave us baffled is this Cooking Mama flyer, put out by Taito to promote the next game in the series. For some unknown reason, the Japanese publisher felt that Cooking Mama 2 would sell more copies with a scary cosplayer representing the game.We hope that Majesco, the game's North American publisher, won't resort to such unsettling tactics here in the States. There's only a 0.01% chance that they would, but we still might have a nightmare or two about it. We think we even prefer "Cheerleader Mama" over this.Go beyond the jump to see another flyer of Mama in her cosplay glory.
This Wednesday: Cylons and Exit make their entrance on XBLA
This wednesday, in addition to the previously-announced Battlestar Galactica, escape-prone puzzler Exit will come to Xbox Live Arcade. Both games will be available for 800 MS points (US $10). Ire-inducing card game Uno is also receiving an update this week. The title now supports the Big Button Pad used with Scene It! as well as some camera and privacy improvements. New content for Bomberman, dubbed Bomb-up Pack 3, and Pinball FX is also due to arrive. All content will become available this wednesday at 5 a.m. ET.
Arkanoid gameplay details revealed, once hidden behind wall of colorful blocks
Taito's new versions of Arkanoid and Space Invaders fill us with happy feelings about being people who play games on the DS. Every time we're reminded of the existence of the little DS paddle controller, we smile. NCSX is now taking preorders on Arkanoid DS, both in bundled and non-bundled form, as well as separate paddle controllers in four different colors. The game is expected to ship on December 6th.But until then, we can look at screens and learn what we can about the game. For example, levels will come in 7-, 9-, and 11-block-wide variants. "Decoration" options will become available for purchase using points obtained ingame. You'll be able to buy new backgrounds, block shapes, Vaus paddle shapes, and even sound effects.The "Clear Game" mode is the normal Arkanoid mode in which you break all blocks to clear a level. It will contain 28 zones, each made up of five rounds, for a total of 140 rounds. And that's entirely separate from the "Quest Mode" which has different (as yet unknown) conditions for winning each round! So basically what we are saying is that there are a lot of levels in Arkanoid DS. That guarantees infinite playability for people like us who can't even reliably clear round 3 in NES Arkanoid.
New Zealand Story, Bubble Bobble headed to U.S. in early 2008
Ignition Entertainment just announced a deal with Marvelous Interactive through which Ignition will be publishing some of their remade arcade classics. The first DS games to benefit from this arrangement are the remade Taito hits Bubble Bobble: Double Shot and New Zealand Story Revolution, which will come out early next year.We could have sworn that both of these games were already out, but it turns out that a) they've been out in Europe and Japan for quite some time, which confused us a bit, and b) we were conflating the two titles with Bubble Bobble Revolution, which obviously contains elements of both new games' titles and had a rather ignominious release last year.Because they've been out across the pond, there's been time for the European press to register their opinions. And, while we shouldn't expect broken cartridges, it doesn't look like there's too much good to expect here either. Spencer Yip namechecked New Zealand Story yesterday as an uninspired and uninspiring remake in our roundtable.But we admit that we still want to give New Zealand Story Revolution a chance when it comes out. It was such a great NES game! We're remaining optimistic that we'll be able to extract enjoyment from the game.[Via press release]
New Bubble Bobble sequel coming to PSP
The title doesn't really flaunt its Bubble Bobble heritage, but Rainbow Islands Evolution is yet another addition to the Bubble Bobble franchise. Taito is working on a PSP revival of the long-forgotten Rainbow Islands, which originally released in the arcades in 1987. The new puzzler feature Bub and Bob "under the shadow of an evil record company who is polluting the ecosystem with a constant, mass-produced musical dirge." Does that sound like a political statement to you? According to the press release, "the strict vertical ascents of the original have been expanded and extrapolated into three dimensions, with each level's building-block platforms now following perspective and disappearing into the distance." Once we get video and screenshots of the game, we're sure that'll make a lot more sense.
Furu Furu Park's Love Challenge
We haven't heard anything from Majesco's Furu Furu Park in a while, leading us to wonder if it had been cancelled. Apparently it continues to live, since Games Radar has posted a quick preview of the game. The gist is that even if you think minigames are passé, you may find something to love in the pure weirdness of the game.One of the weirdest parts of the game is the "Love Challenge" mode. We have been curious about this since we saw it in Japanese screenshots (as pictured above), and Games Radar was kind enough to detail it in their preview. Basically, it's a two-player mode in which the goal is to perform at a similar level. Your similarity-- and thus, your compatibility, is then judged by the game's love expert, Afro Love. We look forward to the stories of true love being discovered after short Arkanoid games. If Afro Love tells you it's for real after Arkanoid, you know it's for real.
Space Invaders Extreme screens describe our feelings toward them
The screenshot speaks the truth: we've got Space Invaders Extreme fever. When we first heard about the game, we couldn't possibly have rolled our eyes any harder without hitting our desk; then the first screens came out of what appeared to be a somewhat rhythm-based 2D Rez-alike and we perked up; then when effusive TGS impressions of both the game and the DS paddle controller started coming in, our turn was complete. Space Invaders Extreme went from a footnote on Taito's TGS lineup to one of our most anticipated DS games.We are pretty sure this game is going to be extremely awesome and usher in a new age of fixed-screen shooters (well, maybe not that far). We love the idea of scoring extra based on shooting complete color, row, and column combinations; we love the variety of enemy patterns, and the idea of powerups in a Space Invaders game. More than anything, we love the idea of playing a shooter with that paddle controller. It'll be like playing Arkanoid with the "laser" powerup all the time.Hey, we're a fanboy site-- we're allowed to have hyperenthusiastic fanboy reactions every now and then.
TGS07: Kohler validates our enthusiasm for Arkanoid and Space Invaders
Whereas we must be content to sit here and tell you how awesome we think Arkanoid DS and Space Invaders Extreme will be, people like Chris Kohler get to go walk up to the things and play them-- with the Arkanoid paddle controller. He played the demos of both games at TGS and came out with positive impressions of both. He described Space Invaders Extreme as "a light-and-sound-orgy, frenetic, what-is-going-on, super fun shooter that spans both screens of the DS." It's a mix of, say, Rez, Galaga, and Space Invaders, in which waves of invaders swoop in, all in different shapes and sizes, and you shoot them, which creates sound effects that play along to the beat of the music. There are weapon powerups and semi-random bonus stages. It all sounds a lot more involved than the original Space Invaders, or any of its extremely similar sequels, while maintaining the hypnotic rhythm. Could this be a good Space Invaders for 2008? If this is marketed correctly, a well-updated Space Invaders on the DS could generate bajillions in Japan.Kohler's Arkanoid impressions weren't as detailed, focusing instead on the peripheral, about which he was more than effusive. He says that the paddle is "literally just like standing in front of a miniature arcade machine." The dial spins on "ball bearings or something," so you can spin it like the steering wheel on a Super Off-Road machine.Read - Space Invaders ExtremeRead - Arkanoid DS
Play Arkanoid DS right now
The websites for Taito's largely retro-tastic DS lineup have all appeared, just in time for TGS. Unfortunately, the text is not going to be of much use to anyone who can't read Japanese (or, as personal experience can attest to, anyone who can only kind of read Japanese). And even if it were, most of the links in the sites are still greyed out, awaiting updates. However, the site for Arkanoid DS contains treasure in the form of a generous five-round Flash demo. We are impressed, both with Taito's largesse and with the actual game. New additions to Arkanoid include a robotic voice that announces the name of every powerup you pick up, and thumping, hypnotic techno music courtesy of Zuntata. We didn't even know Arkanoid needed techno music, but it turns out it totally does. Speaking of thumping techno music, the Space Invaders Extreme site is basically a browser rave-- which works, for us. Here are all the new Taito DS game sites: Arkanoid DS Cooking Mama 2 Exit DS The Legend of Kage 2 Pet Shop Story DS Space Invaders Extreme A demo for Exit DS will be on the game's site soon, but the link is inactive at the moment. May we suggest playing the Arkanoid demo as a way to pass the time? [Via GoNintendo]
