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Hands-on: Music GunGun!
It's Ouendan meets Time Crisis.Wait, you need more than that? While not technically a new arcade game, this rhythm/light gun shooter was one of our favorite things from this year's Amusement Machine Show. (It was also conveniently located next to Elevator Action Death Parade.) Music GunGun! has you aiming at the screen with a colorful (but rather standard) plastic light gun. Instead of the usual shooter fare, your targets will be the most adorable, um, things ever. (They're not quite animals, fruits, nor vegetables.)The basics of the game will be familiar to anyone who's played Ouendan or Elite Beat Agents on the DS. Circular targets will appear on the screen, and players will have to hit the targets in sync with the beat of the song. As in most other music games, players are judged on how closely they match the beat, and successive hits will increase the combo meter.
Hands-on: Elevator Action Death Parade
There were a few new arcade games made playable at the Amusement Machine Show in Japan this weekend, but only one truly commanded our attention. No, we're not talking about Cho Chabudai Gaeshi, that crazy game where you hit a tea table. Instead, it was Elevator Action Death Parade that stole our hearts.Now, you might be thinking: "Elevator Action Death Parade? I'm already sold on that name alone!" But trust us, this Taito-developed arcade cabinet truly delivers on its namesake: elevator action and death parades. While the game may look like your an ordinary light gun game from afar, Elevator Action makes use of a unique cabinet that features closing elevator doors, up and down floor buttons and yes, even awkward moments of silence as you wait for the elevator to reach its next destination. Awesome!
Space Invaders Extreme 2 landing in Europe October 2
click to invade the gallerySquare Enix has been distressingly quiet about Space Invaders Extreme 2 since May. We know if we were about to sell people the sequel to one of the best DS games of last year, we'd ... mention it, occasionally. Thankfully for our sanity, the company did make an announcement today, cementing a PAL release date of October 2.While we wait for a firmer North American release date than "fall," we'll just enjoy these screenshots the company sent out with the PAL announcement. We're sure we'll be exploring the bingo system and falling into a techno-music-induced Nagoya-attacking trance soon enough.%Gallery-72456%
Lost Magic sequel finds a home on cell phones
Taito's Lost Magic was an early standout on the DS, released in the Dark Ages before the system became ubiquitous. A Wii sequel of sorts was released in Japan this May, called Takt of Magic. Then, this summer, another Lost Magic-related trademark appeared for Lost Magic: Concerto of the Fallen. Taito has just revealed that game as a new Lost Magic for mobile phones. The good news: it's free! The bad news: Japanese mobile games are basically inaccessible unless Taito decides to pull a Square Enix (its parent company!) and port the thing to WiiWare or something.In the absence of touch or motion controls, Concerto of the Fallen uses a new system for drawing runes, called "buttons."
Amazon pops Space Bust-a-Move's price
If you haven't picked up Space Bust-a-Move, Taito's DS bubble-buster with online play, you may want to rush toward this deal like a bubble launched by a dinosaur. For its Deal of the Day, Amazon has marked down Space Bust-a-Move to just $12.98, which seems ridiculously low for a game that just came out July 28.Sure, it'll be just like any other Bust-a-Move game, but this one's on the DS, a distinction shared only by, uh, two other games. Okay, let's try that again: Sure, it'll be just like any other Bust-a-Move game, but this one supports the Arkanoid paddle controller.%Gallery-63070%
Puzzle Bobble Live busts a move onto XBLA in Japan
We knew that an Xbox Live Arcade Bust-a-Move/Puzzle Bobble game was coming -- both from an ESRB rating and the fact that the WiiWare version is already out -- but today, Taito officially revealed Puzzle Bobble Live for XBLA. It looks identical to the Wii's Bust-a-Move Plus, with the exception of online play, and the use of Avatars in Endless Mode. The game will have the same extra DLC; three stage packs containing stages from previous Puzzle Bobble games.Puzzle Bobble Live will be out September 30 in Japan for 800. Taito had no comment about North American or European releases.%Gallery-71701%
Space Invaders, Bust-a-Move headed to Blackberry
We won't feign ignorance to the fact that the iPhone isn't the only mobile device on the market with a growing game library. Taito seems to agree, refusing to leave Blackberry users in the dark for new gaming content. The classic game dev has revealed two of its prized licenses -- Space Invaders and Bust-a-Move -- are now available for the working man/woman's mobile device. Each title is available for $4.99 and features two control schemes: Touch screen control and using the device's keys. So, the next time you spot a frustrated business person in public eyeballing a Blackberry, just assume they're trying to beat a high score and not doing real work.
Famitsu reveals Darius Burst for PSP
According to the latest pages of Famitsu (Via Examiner), Taito will be bringing a new game in the Darius series to PSP. The latest in the classic 2D horizontal-shooter franchise is titled Darius Burst, and marks the first time the series has been tapped for a title since Darius R landed on GameBoy Advance systems in Japan nearly a decade ago.Famitsu notes Darius Burst will feature 11 levels, with non-linear paths throughout the stages -- splitting each initial level into two paths for players to choose. If you love shmups like we love shmups then you should be giddy about Taito's decision and hopeful the title will see a North American release.
Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop your troubles away
Today, Majesco released new screens and the box art for Cooking Mama 3, revealing the subtitle Shop & Chop. Unfortunately for us, that subtitle, meant to reflect the new grocery shopping element in the minigame sequel, sounds kind of like "Slap Chop," and now we've got the "Rap Chop" remix stuck in our heads. We're going to be in a great mood all day, apparently! The "Let's Shop" game, in which players dodge distractions to pick up ingredients at a grocery store, leads to the other new mode, "Combine and Create," which somehow allows players to invent their own recipes based on ingredients used in existing in-game recipes. It's an iterative upgrade, sure, but here's a secret: Cooking Mama continues to be fun even when it's just new recipes. %Gallery-70003%
Rumor: Raystorm remake and Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure coming to XBLA
Taito's had a glut of classic-title remakes hit current-gen consoles as of late -- and if a recent rumor proves to be true, its streak shows no signs of stopping. NeoGAF user Shard recently posted some supposedly leaked images from the developer's next project -- an Xbox Live Arcade version of PS1 top-down shoot-em-up Raystorm (aptly titled Raystorm HD).Mr. Shard also supposedly dug up images of an XBLA version of Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure, a recent WiiWare release. That's great and all, but we're far more intrigued by the possibility of a renovated version of Taito's classic shooter, which features weaponized lightning. We've contacted Taito to see if they'll comment on the rumored screens. Stay tuned![Via GamerBytes]
Bubble Bobble Neo finally on XBLA! ... In Japan!
Were we the kind of bloggers that liberally sprinkled our posts with emoticons, this one would be festooned with sad faces. Taito revealed earlier this month that Bubble Bobble Neo was set to debut on Xbox Live Arcade on August 5 (today). We found it appropriate, considering it would release alongside another retro remake, TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled. Sadly, we are instead subjected to a very rare instance of Japan receiving one title and the rest of the world getting another. That's right, Bubble Bobble Neo is only available in Japan, while Turtles in Time is available everywhere except Japan and Korea.Microsoft was unable to supply us with the worldwide launch date for Neo, but we're confident it will happen eventually (probably after the Summer of Arcade promotion wraps up). After all, Square Enix saw fit to release its WiiWare cousin, Bubble Bobble Plus, outside of Japan, so it's a safe bet that the same fate will befall Bubble Bobble Neo.We'd like to know when that will happen, but the truth is that any time other than "right now" just isn't soon enough.[Thanks, Menno B!]
iPhone It In: Space Invaders Infinity Gene
Space Invaders Infinity Gene sounds like a complete retread of Space Invaders Extreme: a new shooter made by mixing retro-style graphics with techno music and brightly-colored, swirling visuals. But Infinity Gene, ported to iPhone from Japanese mobile platforms, is a very different game, with little relation to either Space Invaders Extreme or the original game outside of a few visual shoutouts. And as such, Extreme's brilliance doesn't make this new reimagining redundant.%Gallery-69389%
Space Invaders Infinity Gene propagates to iPhone today
The latest evolution of Taito's prehistoric Space Invaders franchise, Space Invaders Infinity Gene, has moved from Japanese mobile phones to the iPhone/iPod Touch App Store as of today. At first glance, Infinity Gene seems to be the same kind of flashy techno Invaders found in Space Invaders Extreme, but the new game takes a different route that offers a customizable experience.Starting out as classic Invaders, Infinity Gene changes over time, adding new graphics, abilities, levels, and gameplay to an "evolutionary tree." The game even allows players to move up and down on the scrolling screen. Infinity Gene also generates levels from songs stored on the iPhone or iPod. It's the freshest idea to hit Space Invaders since, well, Extreme, and it's available now for $5. We're just a little excited. See the trailer after the break.[Via Touch Arcade]Space Invaders Infinity Gene (Taito, $4.99):
Bubble Bobble Neo pops onto XBLA in August
click to enlarge Look, if you've never played Bubble Bobble before, you need to. It may be one of the cutesiest games ever created by man, but it's also one of the best co-op action games of all time. Regardless of your level of fondness for the series, you should know that Taito has announced (translation) that Bubble Bobble Neo will be arriving on Xbox Live Arcade on August 5, which appropriately coincides with the release of TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled, another retro remake. As Siliconera notes, August 5 may be the date for Japan only, but almost all XBLA games have simultaneous worldwide releases.The game will be priced at 800 ($10). If Neo is anything like the recently released Bubble Bobble Plus on WiiWare (we're guessing it's nearly identical), then we can tell you it's worth every penny. As for the planned DLC, we'll wait and see.[Via Siliconera]%Gallery-68517%
Raiden IV gets limited edition with bonus soundtrack
As if we didn't have enough trouble overcoming the elation brought on by the impending North American release of Raiden IV, Joystiq has now received news that the game will also be available in a limited edition. The limited edition will come in two flavors, one exclusive to GameStop. The vanilla, non-GameStop edition will include a bonus soundtrack CD, while the GameStop edition will include the soundtrack and a "secret file," which we're told will include "concept art, boss and enemy data, game strategies, etc."Also, the press release notes that the game is releasing in September, rather than the previously announced August release window. We suppose one more month is a small price to pay for a spiffy limited edition.
Bust-a-Move Live! pops onto ESRB
Good news, puzzle poppers, an Xbox 360 listing for a new Bust-a-Move title has been spotted on the ESRB database by Siliconera. The new entry in the bubble-popping puzzle series is entitled Bust-a-Move Live! and ... we don't know much else about it. Given that it's on Xbox (probably Xbox Live Arcade), we would certainly hope it contains Xbox Live play. Siliconera notes that the WiiWare release, Bust-a-Move Plus, has downloadable puzzles, so it's possible we'll see them in the Xbox release as well.Even without downloadable puzzles, Bust-a-Move is one of the better puzzle series out there, and we're glad to see it heading to Xbox 360.
Space Invaders Extreme, Arkanoid DLC invade Xbox Live
If you've got a hankering for some more alien destruction with a musical twist, you'll be happy to know that some new DLC for Space Invaders Extreme has landed on Xbox Live Marketplace. Entitled, simply, Space Invaders Extreme Expansion Pack, the DLC grants players access to the original versions of Space Invaders and Space Invaders II. According to Shacknews -- though not mentioned on the XBLM description -- the DLC will also include new stages and bosses for the main game as well. The price of entry is 240.The expected Arkanoid Live DLC arrives today as well. There are two bits of DLC, Episode Add-on Pack 1 and Episode Add-on Pack 2. The Xbox.com descriptions of the DLC are pretty vague, but we're just going to go out on a limb here and guess that each pack adds one of the two missing episodes -- the ones that are grayed out in the main menu -- to the game. Each piece of Arkanoid DLC runs for 240.Source - Xbox Live Marketplace: Space Invaders ExtremeSource - Xbox Live Marketplace: Arkanoid Live
Taito trademarks suggest more Lost Magic, Virtual Console shmups
A set of recently-filed Japanese trademarks found by Siliconera reveal potential plans for new games by Taito. Most notably, the company trademarked the name Lost Magic: Shouryu no Kyousoukyoku, which Siliconera translated as Concerto for the Fallen. The original DS game was just Lost Magic, and the recent Wii sequel/spinoff was called Takt of Magic, so this is likely to be intended for a new game.In addition, the company re-registered titles Darius Twin and Metal Black, which lead Siliconera to predict Virtual Console releases for the two arcade shooters. The company also registered Samurai Ninja, which is a bit of a mystery. Taito had a game called Samurai Nihon-Ichi, and a game called The Ninja Warriors, but nothing that we could find called Samurai Ninja. How could you be both a samurai and a ninja? The two occupations seem at odds.
Wonderful! 505 Games announces Cooking Mama 3 for DS
We may have known it was coming, but now we have a nice, official press release announcing Cooking Mama 3 for DS. 505 Games said that it will release the latest in Cooking Mama Ltd.'s surprisingly popular culinary minigame series "in time for Christmas." The new game will feature "over 80 recipes, 200 mini-games, four player multiplayer," and "two totally new game modes." "What Dish Can You Make" mode lets you and Mama create a new recipe from two recipes you choose. "Let's Go Shopping" gives you a shopping list to buy, with confusing signs and irritating store employees trying to hinder you! Majesco hasn't officially announced a US release date for Cooking Mama 3, but we expect a fall or holiday release here as well. It's basically Majesco's biggest title of the year!
Taitoverload: Space Invaders Extreme 2, four more announced for North American DS and WiiWare
Square Enix just sent out what may be the biggest news of the year for Taito lovers, confirming North American releases for two anticipated DS games and three more WiiWare games (in addition to Bubble Bobble Plus!, which launched this week).Most exciting of all: Space Invaders Extreme 2 is on the way to the DS this fall. We aren't all going to have to import European copies! Space Bust-a-Move will precede it in stores, releasing on July 28.In WiiWare, we can look forward to all the Taito games we've seen in Japan so far. Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! will be available for download on June 15. Bust-a-Move Plus!, which features 135 new levels and 270 levels from previous Bust-a-Moves as DLC, is expected later this summer, as is Arkanoid Plus!We're looking forward to an all-Taito summer as we await the release of Space Invaders Extreme 2!%Gallery-63069%%Gallery-63070%
