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Raiden IV shooting to North America
Nearly a year after we first heard about Raiden IV heading to Japanese Xbox 360s, 1UP brings word that the game is on its way to North American consoles as well. The impending release was confirmed by UFO Interactive, which released Raiden Fighters Aces to North American audiences earlier this month. As players of the series might expect, Raiden IV includes lots of shooting, explosions and explosions caused by shooting. The game is set to hit this August.
NintendoWare Weekly: Adventure Island: The Beginning, Bubble Bobble Plus!, another clock
Another strange week for DSiWare arrives, as Photo Clock appears on the store, doing little more than charging two dollars for limited functionality additions to the DSi. If you were looking for a good alarm for the DSi, this could be your week! Thankfully, American Popstar: Road to Celebrity is picking up the slack and ... wait, American Popstar? What?! Forget it, DSi! We're sticking with the Wii and snagging the remake of an 8-bit classic in Adventure Island: The Beginning instead. As always, jump past the break for all the messy details.%Gallery-64114%
PSA: Only 2 episodes in 'full' version of Arkanoid Live [update]
We've been getting a lot of tips in the last week informing us that the full version of Arkanoid Live only comes with the first two episodes, despite the fact that there are four shown in the game's menu. While some have cried foul, claiming that the "full" version of the game (800) is really only half of the game, we should point out that both the trial version of the game and its Xbox.com page note that the full version contains only the first two episodes.What is shady is the way in which episodes 3 and 4 are offered. Apparently, the only way to download the new episodes is to complete the first two, at which point the game will ask if you want to purchase episodes 3 and 4 (reportedly 400). According to a comment on this story and the Arkanoid forum on Xbox.com, the DLC is not offered upon completing episodes 1 and 2. It appears the DLC will be available at a later date. The DLC itself is not listed on Xbox Live Marketplace, so it's not surprising that many gamers are confused.It's important to note that the extra episodes are not required to get all of the game's Achievements. Also, even with only two episodes, the full version is no slouch, containing 62 levels and plenty of mutliplayer options. We'd say it's more likely that the unorthodox nature of the DLC is the result of bad marketing decisions (remember Lumines Live?) and not a nefarious plan to bleed gamers dry.All of our requests for comment from Square Enix (parent of developer Taito) have gone unanswered as of press time.[Update: Clarified that the DLC is not yet available, even upon completing episodes 1 and 2.]
Fever time: Taito announces European release for Space Invaders Extreme 2, Puzzle Bobble Galaxy
It's a totally exciting week for Space Invaders Extreme. First, the Xbox Live Arcade port was released in North America. Now, the DS sequel is officially headed to Europe, with Square Enix releasing this fall. We guess the company decided not to use the Space Invaders Extreme 2Remix title under which the game was previously listed. SIE 2 features a new "Beginner's Course" in addition to a weird "Bingo" system for unlocking the game's Fever Mode. New music, new power-ups, and "higher stage volume" are also included.To help tide lucky European gamers over until fall, Taito also announced that it will release Puzzle Bobble Galaxy this summer. It's Puzzle Bobble/Bust-a-Move, with online play and new gameplay modes, including one in which you have a limited number of bubbles, and one in which you have one bubble per stage. The first English screens of both games are available in our galleries!%Gallery-63069%%Gallery-63070%
VC Friday: Travel from Rainbow Islands to Fantasy Zone
If we really stretch, we can see a bit of a theme in this week's PAL downloadable releases. Both Fantasy Zone II and Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure are classic franchises known for being super-cute and brightly colored, and both titles feature locations (Islands, Zone) described by very cheery, but intangible, visions (rainbows, fantasies). We said it was a stretch. Okay, here's another, less tenuous connection: both series are totally great.There's also one of those Master of Illusion/Magic Made Fun tricks this week. Fantasy Zone II (Sega Master System, 1player, 500 Wii Points) Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! (WiiWare, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) A Little Bit of ... Magic Made Fun: Deep Psyche (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) %Gallery-46292%
Gamefly reveals North American box art for Space Bust-a-Move
It's no secret that we're big fans of Taito's DS lineup. The revamps of Taito classics have ranged from good (Arkanoid) to surprisingly great (The Legend of Kage 2) to the very best of the DS (Space Invaders Extreme). When Taito unveiled a new DS version of Puzzle Bobble (known here as Bust-a-Move), we couldn't wait to hear news of a localization. Well, there still hasn't been any announcement, but a box art image has popped up on GameFly for what is now called Space Bust-a-Move, which is official enough for us. The Bub and Bob on the box are even competently drawn, which hasn't always been the case.Even though previews suggest that the game didn't turn out that great, we're still too tempted by the combination of Bust-a-Move, online play, and paddle support to move this off our radar.
Space Invaders Extreme hits XBLA next week (probably)
According to Shacknews, Taito has announced that Space Invaders Extreme will release on Xbox Live Arcade next week. Previously released on the DS and PSP, the game adds musical and graphical flair to the original Space Invaders. The XBLA version also brings the new addition of Xbox Live multiplayer (which you can see in the video above). The game is expected to cost 800.Keep in mind that Microsoft has yet to confirm next week's release. Expect official word on Monday.
Cooking Mama creator trademarks 'Babysitting Mama'
Siliconera noticed a trademark for a game called Babysitting Mama in the US Trademark Database. The last time we saw a trademark for a Mama game, it was for Pet Shop Mama, which was just a possible rebranding of what was released as My Pet Shop. This new trademark, however, was registered by Cooking Mama Ltd., the company that develops the Mama games for Square Enix and Majesco. That strongly suggests that this trademark is intended for a new game. So Mama is babysitting now? The fast-paced, task-oriented minigame format transferred pretty well from cooking to gardening, but will it be fun when you're taking care of some kids? And just how mad is Mama going to get when she has to come in and fix your botched diaper change?
Uniqlo launches new line of gamer tees
Your wardrobe could use a bit more gamer chic. One of Japan's more popular clothing brands is introducing a new line of t-shirts in collaboration with a number of gaming companies. The store is offering tees based on Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega-Man, PaRappa the Rapper, LittleBigPlanet, Resident Evil and more. The shirts retail for 1500 yen (about $15) each.The designs are simple, often featuring very subtle references to these gaming franchises . This way, you can make a nerdy statement without actually having to look like one.[Via Offworld]%Gallery-50590%
Taito's Wii LostMagic followup arrives in Japan May 21
We last heard about Takt of Magic (and first heard about Takt of Magic) when Nintendo slipped the game into its Japanese media conference lineup video. The latest Shonen Jump, as reproduced by Siliconera, finally brings another mention of the Taito-developed action RPG, revealing a Japanese release date of May 21, along with a few screens and a bit of character art. The exact relationship between this game and the DS's LostMagic is unclear -- it could be a sequel or a "spiritual sequel." The new game, which stars new characters Charlotte and Orville, uses a gimmick similar to LostMagic's touchscreen spell input: spells are done by drawing runes onscreen with the Wiimote pointer. We'll have to wait until Nintendo says anything at all about this game to find out more.%Gallery-33436%
GDC09: Space Invaders Extreme (XBLA) hands-on
I keep telling people I played Space Invaders Extreme at GDC, and they all say the same thing: "Dude, that's been out for a while." But, A-HA! It hasn't. The kicker is that the DS and PSP versions have been out for so long that the DS version already has a sequel out (in Japan), but the XBLA version is brand new and comes out at the end of April. "Yeah," you're saying, "but it's a downloadable Space Invaders title. What do I care?" Well, if you like having fun, then you'll care aplenty. The game scored 84 and 85 on the PSP and DS respectively on Metacritic, and the XBLA version just improves on those versions. We spent some hands-on time with the game at GDC, and you can see what we thought after the break. Peep the new video above, the gallery below, and blast your way on in. %Gallery-48663%
Cooking Mama developer trademarks 'Crafting Mama'
The surprisingly popular Cooking Mama series branches out this month with Gardening Mama, and it seems developer Cooking Mama Ltd. has more planned. The company just trademarked Crafting Mama for use with almost anything game-related.This trademark doesn't guarantee a new game, but certainly suggests that one is in the works. Cooking Mama Ltd. will seemingly not be satisfied until every domestic activity is playable as a stylus (or remote, or finger) controlled minigame under the watchful eye of a friendly virtual Japanese lady. We're on board -- right up until Giving the Cat a Bath Mama.[Via Kotaku]
Xbox Live Arcade February chart toppers
Based on info gleaned from Major Nelson's weekly Top Ten lists (sans data from the week ending February 2), GamerBytes has compiled a list of the top selling Xbox Live Arcade titles in February. Topping the charts is the EA Sports Freestyle-branded arcade game, 3-on-3 NHL Arcade with strong showings from the pricey R-Type Dimensions and Braid (following an end of the month Deal of the Week sale). Most surprisingly was the interest in Minesweeper Flags, which hovered within the top ten for two weeks in a row -- even though every Windows PC ships with a version of the game! Not faring as well last month were Death Tank (the Sega Saturn Duke Nukem 3D mini-game remake of Death Tank Zwei, priced at 1200) and Exit 2, which both failed to capture much attention upon release. The Maw was a notable entry, firmly holding onto a spot all month following a January release (which GamerBytes notes is a rare feat for XBLA releases). Of course, the most important thing to take away from this is that none of the aforementioned titles were Peggle, which is everyone's new virtual cocaine. We bow to our Unicorn masters.
ESRB rates Bubble Bobble Plus!
We'll get to discussing the details of this news in just a second, but there's something that we must get out of the way first:Yaaaaaaaaay!The ESRB has posted a rating for Bubble Bobble Plus!, the WiiWare version of Taito's wonderful arcade platformer. We don't know when it will come out here -- Nintendo is seemingly very careful to make sure nobody knows when downloadable games are coming out -- but at least we know that Square Enix is planning it. And we are so happy.In other ESRB WiiWare news, it appears that Silver Star Chess is coming to North America, published by Agetec. "Players can browse through a menu screen that displays still images of fictional opponents," the description reads. "One of the still images depicts a female opponent wearing a dress that exposes deep cleavage." So there's that.%Gallery-43668%
VC/WiiWare Tuesday: Rainbow Islands!
Wow! Just a few weeks after the release of Bubble Bobble Wii, Taito just sneaked out a WiiWare version of its sequel, Rainbow Islands! As with Bubble Bobble, we knew that it was coming at some point, but we had yet to see any screens or gameplay information. Now it's out, and it appears to feature timed ascents up huge, vertical stages. Also out this week: a WiiWare version of The Game of Life. Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure (1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Madsecta (Onslaught) (1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points) Jinsei Game (1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points) In other Taito news, today marks the release of the second version of Space Invaders: The Original Game on the Japanese Virtual Console. This time, the PC Engine version of the ancient shooter is being released -- at exactly the same cost as the Super Famicom/SNES version, making the decision between the two basically a matter of platform preference. Unless silly anime-girl backgrounds make a big difference, in which case it's PC Engine all the way. Dragon Slayer: Legend of Heroes II (Mega Drive, 1 player, 700 Wii Points) Space Invaders: The Original Game (PC Engine, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) %Gallery-46292%[Screens via Inside-Games]
Everybody dance now: Space Invaders Extreme 2 trailer
Did Space Invaders Extreme need a sequel? As it turns out, yes, it did -- this one exactly. If you were at all into the first game, watch the latest trailer for Space Invaders Extreme 2 (after the break) and tell us that this is not something you want to play. It would be hard to call something better than the first game, but the sequel looks quite a bit more extreme. Maybe we're being influenced by the dance music, but we are pumped about Space Invaders 2 now. Not that we weren't before! The footage basically rules out an eventual announcement of a PSP version -- in the previous game, it wasn't that hard to adapt the levels to a single screen, but there's a lot more stuff happening on both screens simultaneously now, like bonus round bosses on the top screen and normal play on the bottom. It's sad for PSP SIE fans, but an interesting new gameplay development for DS owners.[Via NeoGAF]
Taito reveals Space Invaders, Cooking Mama games for iPhone, iPod, Android
Taito has announced that iPhone and iPod Touch users can access versions of Space Invaders and Cooking Mama in the app store now. The Space Invaders game available in the app store is of the classic variety, but features "full use of the motion sensor and other iPhone 3G and iPod Touch input methods." As for Cooking Mama, the version available for the iPhone and iPod Touch includes "both favorite recipes from past console installments as well as a variety of dishes completely new to the series" and has been enhanced to "make the most of the iPhone 3G / iPod touch's multi-touch screen accelerometer." You can find Cooking Mama and Space Invaders in the app store now for $6.99 and $4.99, respectively.In addition to new games for Apple platforms, Taito has also announced plans to support Android. T-Mobile users will be able to pick up Arkanoid and Space Invaders now for $5.99 each.%Gallery-46049%%Gallery-46050%
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Exit 2
This week, XBLA in Brief takes a look at Exit 2. In short, it's a lot like the original Exit. In short, Exit 2 isn't especially EXciting, if you get our drift. It's not bad, per se. In fact, some people will probably love it, but we imagine a lot of gamers will be put off by its slow pacing. Check out our thoughts on the trial version in the video above. Download the trial version of Exit 2 [iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes. [Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon). [RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [M4V] Download the M4V directly.
First hypnotic footage of Space Invaders Extreme 2
We've been anxious to see footage of Space Invaders Extreme 2 since we first found out about the game. Admittedly, it hasn't been very long, but we've still been in total agony. As expected, SIE 2 doesn't stray far from the original formula: the player shoots at Invaders of various colors, shapes, and sizes, with the sounds of the shots syncing to both the thumping and psychedelic backgrounds. You can see the new "bingo" system in the beginning of the video, in which a bonus round is unlocked by shooting Invaders of the same color, corresponding to a line of colored blocks in a square.And now for some wishful thinking: who thinks the announcer is just part of the video and not in the actual game?
This Wednesday: Exit 2 enters XBLA
This Wednesday's Xbox Live Arcade release is Taito's action platformer Exit 2, which (according to Xbox.com) was initially expected to release last week. Exit 2 will be available for purchase from the Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 ($10) and comes packed with 240 stages, ten challenges and an extremely '80s-inspired neon pink logo. %Gallery-45779%
