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Exit escapes the PSP to Xbox Live Arcade
Giving Cloning Clyde some competition, PSP's puzzle/platformer Exit is heading over to Xbox Live Arcade. The game won't change much, you'll still be in control of Mr. ESC and trying to help people escape from the evils of a building, but it'll all be high-def. The title is expected to cost 800 MS points ($10) in Japan this summer, with no word on international versions. So, Lumines and Exit have fled the safety of the PSP for the possibly lucrative fields of Xbox Live Arcade. Maybe Exit will offer more maps and join the microtransactioning master Lumines Live. Wonder if anybody else from the PSP is looking to greener and un-handheld pastures?
Rainbow Islands Revolution for $10
If you weren't "lucky" enough to have a glitched copy of Bubble Bobble Revolution and the free Rainbow Islands that came with the replacement, you can get Rainbow Islands now for a very reasonable price. Gamestop is offering Codemasters' sequel for $9.99 new, no broken Bobbles included. It's backordered on the website (which has happened since we started writing the story) but it may be available in a local store or following a restock online.$10 is just about the right price for a game with a Metascore of 54. The original Rainbow Islands is worth like 500 million imaginary Metascore points, and if playing this one even evokes the arcade game a little, it's worth it. Also, $10 is like 1/6 of a copy of Gundam: Crossfire. When you think of it that way, it's quite the bargain![Via CAG]
Majesco turns Mawasunda!! around toward the US
Majesco announced yesterday that they're localizing Taito's Mawasunda!! as Turn it Around. The game collects 24 minigames that all make use of a turntable on the touch screen. Many of the games are based on classic Taito games like Bubble Bobble and Cameltry.Yeah, we know, it's more minigames. But most minigames aren't derived from Arkanoid or Elevator Action. The Taito pedigree makes this game worth a spin for us. Plus the spinning mechanic recalls Wario Ware: Twisted, which is a generally good sign.
Exit 2 sneaks into Europe
The first Exit was a cult puzzler that gained a small, but rabid fanbase. The sequel, Kangaeru Exit, was released in Japan many months ago. Although we were treated to a demo of the game, the language barrier proved to be too challenging to overcome for most players. Now, 505 Games is quietly publishing the game in Europe. Once again, Joel has provided a thorough insight into the game, noting how it's changed from the original. It appears the changes in the sequel are minimal at best: Cosmetic changes. Two new companions, the "Macho" and the "Dog." Music player. Online interface. Although it appears as though the sequel is simply more of the same, fans of the original will most likely not complain. With tons of downloadable content already available for the game, we can only hope that this English language version will cross the Atlantic and hit the US in the future. For more pictures, see Joel's Flickr stream.
AOU 2007: Chase H.Q. 2 on patrol
Taito's Chase H.Q. 2 has come a long way since its showing at AOU 2006. This year's version features a lifelike Nancy on screen, offering guidance in English to help you catch the bad guys. Players can choose from three car types -- Patrol, Muscle, and Sports -- and then select one of three body colors. Each motor has unique handling, car-shoving, and top-speed attributes. And there's a Patrol Light button mounted on the cabinet's dash, which has no real use other than to give you a Police Academy buzz of daftness. The original Chase H.Q. is probably the second-best driving game of the 1980s. Let's hope this 21st century successor does the force proud.%Gallery-1690%[Image credit: Impress Watch]
ESRB uncovers new retro games
Lately the ESRB has been a better source for game announcements than gaming magazines. This time the game rating reveals have a definite theme; retro gaming. The first up is one we've been aware of for a while, EA Replay 2. I bet there'll be a sports game or two in the collection (call it a hunch). The other listed collection was Taito Legends Power-Up. Taito has some quality games, but will there be enough recognizable hits to warrant its purchase? I suppose we'll have to wait until Bub and Bob's keeper releases it in stores. I can't wait until all that's left to do are 3DO or Ocean game collections. [Via Gamespot]
Minigames strike again: Taito's Furufuru Park
Wii players in Japan will have a shot at another minigame collection this April, when Taito releases their Furufuru Park. It will feature scaled-down dating games, adventure games, 3D fighting, and even a mech game set in the year 20XX. If the idea of yet another disc of minigames doesn't grab you, then the cast of characters, pulled from Taito classics like Bubble Bobble, Arkanoid, Sonic Blast Man, and even the recent DS release Mawasunda!! might. And if the mention of Sonic Blast Man actually piqued your interest, then we are very concerned about the apparent theft of our identities. Check after the post break to see some mini-screens of the minigames in mini-action, and check the homepage to see... the box art and not much else. [Via GAME Watch]
Cooking Mama not quite ready for Europe
Bad news for European gamers: Cooking Mama: Cook Off was originally scheduled for late March, but rumor has it that the game has been pushed back over a month to May 10th. Tragic! For now, you'll have to console yourselves with a mouth-watering video (and maybe the DS version). [Via GoNintendo]
Japanese release day highlights: 01.25.07
Today is an expensive day for the import crowd, and only slightly less expensive for gamers living in Japan. Thanks to Namco, Konami, From, Taito, and Nintendo, we have no choice but to blow a stash of Yen on these excellent new releases: Idol Master (Namco's 'teen girl pop sensation management sim', pictured, is possibly not as dodgy as it seems; Xbox 360) Parodius Portable (Konami's definitive collection of witty shmups, which includes the sublime Sexy Parodius; PSP) Salamander Portable (more Konami love, including Xexex; PSP) Twinbee Portable (thank Konami this includes Pop'N Twinbee; PSP) Enchant Arm (so good that From Software released it twice; PS3) Taito Memories 2, Vol. 1 (obscene love from Taito, ending with Bubble Memories; PS2) Picross DS (it's Picross, but cleverer; DS)
Ask PSP Fanboy: Volume 2
Every Saturday, PSP Fanboy will answer your burning questions. If you have a question for the team, send an e-mail to andrew @ pspfanboy.com with the subject "Ask PSP Fanboy." The opinions stated in this article are those of the author, and do not represent the views of Weblogs Inc or AOL. Q: I noticed you are more free to speak of mods/hacks/homebrews lately. Do you have restrictions on what you can and can't say? If not, are you finally being more open now realizing that Sony has recently been putting the customer last? Andrew says: We do mention homebrew once in a while on the site, because it is newsworthy, and important in the PSP scene. However, we don't focus on it because our target audience doesn't use homebrew. We're one of the few (if not the only) fan sites out there that want to focus on getting the most out of your PSP through Sony-sanctioned firmware. My personal belief is that although Sony may not make the best decisions, that doesn't give us the right to promote software piracy. Yes, many will argue that homebrew isn't about that (I too have one PSP that runs 3.03OE-B). However, piracy is a large and active part of the homebrew scene--and it's something I avoid wholeheartedly. Any PSP "fan" that downloads ISOs and emulators should understand that they're simply hurting our beloved console, and industry as a whole. See more questions after the break.
Ad critic: cooking with Wii
Gaming site Jeux France has uploaded this Japanese ad for the Wii version of Cooking Mama. Since Nintendo's video commercials, which point the camera at the players themselves, would not translate effectively as a stationary print advertisement, publisher Taito has decided to rotate the camera 180 degrees and present the Wii as a cooking utensil. The logic here, of course, would be, "if you buy this game, you will chop peppers. Peppers are food. Everyone likes food; ergo, everyone will want this game" -- or something similar, we're sure. The advertisement is minimalistic -- lots of unused white space -- placing a greater emphasis and surface area on the pathos-appealing mock-up of the Wiimote being used to cook eggs and prepare meals while relegating screenshots to a tiny row on the bottom. We think it's a fair assessment that Cooking Mama is not pushing the graphical limit even for a Nintendo Wii game; in fact, it looks identical to its DS counterpart. The raison d'etre for the game is an experience that is meant to be easy and fun to play for a wide demographic. In that context, do you think the ad is effective? See also: Ad critic archive [Via bits bytes pixels & sprites]
Eye-popping Bust-A-Move Bash! screens
By that, we mean they're bright. And colorful. And all sort of the same. But hey, that's the downfall of all puzzle games -- not a lot of variety when it comes to the screens. When it comes to gameplay, however, all that matters is the sweet, sweet puzzle action -- and the Bust-A-Move franchise promises to deliver that to the Wii next year.There are a few more screens, complete with the beautiful IGN watermark, tucked away after the jump.
Rumor: Double Dragon on XBLA
OXM.co.uk is confident Double Dragon is headed to Xbox Live Arcade. Confident enough not to cite a source. Regardless, given XBLA's track record, this rumor is hardly far-fetched.According to OXM, Double Dragon will weigh it at 12.56MB and feature online co-op. As with other XBLA retro entries, the game's graphics are said to be enhanced. No word was given on street date or price. But if Technos' coin-op classic does see release, Scott Wolf's epic can't be far behind.
Help us put Bubble Bobble on XBLA
It was a month and a half ago when we began our series, "That should be on XBLA," in which we pick a classic game that would be a perfect fit for Xbox Live Arcade. The first game we picked was Taito's perennial action puzzler, Bubble Bobble. The idea behind "That should be on XBLA" is to get developers to notice that their games belong on Xbox Live Arcade.It looks like Taito was listening. Taito's publishing company, Empire Interactive, has a thread running in their forum right now, which reads thusly:"Hi All I hope you can help us out with a bit of retro advice, If you were to pay to download a Taito Classic what would your top 3 be ?? Also, without giving the game away :) would online multiplayer be important to you downloading it ?? Come on guys - post your lists and let us know what you want."While the post doesn't directly mention Xbox Live, we're pretty sure that's what this is all about. We're also pretty sure he's talking about Bubble Bobble with that question about online multiplayer. Note to Taito: hell yes, online multiplayer is important!So, make your voices heard, loyal readers! Registering for Empire Interactive's forums is a snap. Go do it and tell 'em what you want (and don't forget to tell them who sent you). Our list looks like this: Bubble Bobble Arkanoid New Zealand Story It's not like you can play any Xbox Live today anyway. You might as well do something constructive.[Via Xboxic]See Also:That should be on XBLA series
Japan gets HL2 Survivor, we get videos of it
And here we thought Japanese gamers could care less about FPSs. Just because Halo releases don't result in new sales records over there, doesn't mean the FPS has no place in their hearts. Take, for example, this arcadization (?) of gaming's most celebrated first person shooter: Half-Life 2. Taito and Valve teamed up, buddy copy style, to adapt the PC classic to Taito's Type X arcade board (not much of a challenge, since it's a PC already, Windows and everything).What did take some extra work was adapting Half-Life's intimate, story driven affair from the long-form to the arcade form; that's even shorter than the episodic releases! They've created three game types: story mode (single player), mission mode (co-op), and battle mode (multiplayer).Don't expect to stumble upon one in America's limping arcade market though; they're still rocking broken House of the Dead machines from five years ago. Lucky for us, 1UP grabbed some videos of the game from the recent JAMMA show in Tokyo, which we've embedded after the break.
Heaven's Will gets moody
While American gamers can enjoy the likes of Killzone next October, Japanese gamers will be able to experience Heaven's Will. You play Nameless (Nes for short... somehow), and you must escape a dangerous labyrinth, filled with traps and evil robots that, for one reason or another, want to kill you. It shares a similar concept as the movie Cube: let's hope it's not as awful.
That should be on XBLA: Bubble Bobble
One of the absolute best features of the Xbox 360 is undoubtedly the Xbox Live Arcade. We've already seen some great games for the service, some originals (Cloning Clyde) and some retro classics (Street Fighter II). Naturally, we're all over original content. Castle Crashers just may be the most anticipated title at X360F (according to Chris Grant after it was announced, "I mean, Castle Crashers? How f*cking cool is that?" So, yes, XBLA will surely be a font of great original content, but there are still those among us who pine for more companies to sell us our youth. As such, we've decided to pick a game that's ripe for XBLA: Bubble Bobble. For those unfamiliar with the game, Bubble Bobble puts you in the shoes of two boys (named Bub and Bob, natch) who've had their ladies stolen away. As if that weren't enough, the boys are subsequently turned into dragons, and not kick ass fire breathing dragons either. Nope, these dragons blow bubbles. These bubbles, as you might imagine, are the primary gameplay mechanic. They're used to trap and kill enemies, and also as platforms. The game has a very strong puzzle dynamic and gets insanely difficult as you progress through the 100+ levels. And, of course, like all great games, Bubble Bobble features cooperative play -- and the most annoyingly catchy music ever to grace a videogame. In short, it's a simple, fun game that's easy for anyone to pick up and play. Make sure it has local and Live multiplayer, add leaderboards and some sweet achievements, and you've got the perfect candidate for XBLA. Do you, our loyal readers, agree? What other great games would you like to see on XBLA? Give us some ideas in the comments and we'll post a new candidate every week or so. Try and keep them realistic, obviously we won't be seeing any Mario on XBLA. Believe or not, companies do read our blog and they keep track of what people are saying. So, join us and we might even influence a little Live Arcade history.
Square-Enix hints at desire to go into hardware
Yoichi Wada, president of Square-Enix, recently gave some opinions about the game industry over at GameSpot. He said that users will demand more innovation and originality. He makes note of the Nintendo DS and the iPod and their subsequent successes in the industry for being innovative. Wada also said that "entertainment is not a necessity, so the users don't know what they should demand." Whatever! I demand nine-thousand more World War II FPS's! Not really.Wada describes that in three years, things may be changing as the next big thing could come from anywhere (maybe even Squeenix, nudge nudge). He summed up his speech with this statement: "This is one of the reasons Square Enix will collaborate with Taito, a company that produces physical hardware. In our talks with Taito, ideas for an actual physical product have come up. In any case, we will be releasing some 'thing.' It's interesting in that it's not the sort of thing you expect from Square Enix." It definately isn't! What's your take on it? What could Square-Enix-Taito possible create that would be innovative and new as far as hardware goes? Will they pull support from PS3 to make this hardware a success? PS2 was held up pretty well by the Final Fantasy franchise. What would happen to the PS3 should it lose that?
Ridge Racer & Exit sequels bound for PSP, reports Famitsu
Famitsu reports that Namco Bandai is developing a Ridge Racer sequel for PSP. Ridge Racers 2 (Japanese title) will feature 18 courses from previous games -- ranging from Ridge Racer to R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 -- and will come packed with six car classes. Unfortunately, the multiplayer will remain 8-player ad-hoc. Ridge Racers 2 is scheduled for a September release in Japan.A sequel to Exit, Taito's throwback action-puzzler, is also in the works. Kangaeru Exit (Japanese title) will include 110 new levels, plus bonus downloadable stages, and will reportedly downplay action elements, focusing more on puzzle solving. Of course, what made the action fall flat in the original Exit was unresponsive controls -- let's hope the team attends to this issue as well. Like Ridge Racers 2, Kangaeru Exit is on track for a September release in Japan.
Konami rides the budget wave
There's already a couple of Player's Choice titles on the GameCube and Gameboy Advance, and they happen to be some of the best titles on each of their respective platforms. Getting quality at a cheaper price is always a treat, so why haven't we seen Nintendo introduce this on the DS yet? Taito has already gone ahead and issued some of its games at rock-bottom prices for the DS over in Japan and now Konami is following suit with 3 games of its own. Ganbare Goemon (Mystical Ninja), Castlevania, and Survival Kids will all be released with a new price tag of 2940 yen, which comes to about $25 US, by Konami over in Japan on 6/29.
