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TGS07: Athletic World features leaning
The more we see of Bandai Namco's Family Trainer: Athletic World, the more we admit that, while the graphics are nowhere near what they should be, the game kind of looks like fun. It sounded like the people playing the demo were having a great time, at least! This gameplay video from TGS shows that Bandai has chosen to brazenly ignore Wii Fit and make its own leaning-based game, although it obviously uses a simpler method of reading your body motion.This mine-car game has (one or) two players lifting a foot off of the mat in order to shift their weight and cause the mine car to turn at the appropriate moment. Jumping is handled by, well, jumping. It kind of looks like the pointer's involved in some way, as well, but we can't figure out how.
TGS07: Impressions of Kingdom Hearts: Coded and 358/2 Days
Three new Kingdom Hearts titles were shown in Square Enix's private theater at this year's Tokyo Game Show. In addition to incredibly silly titles, the games all shared one thing in common: they will set new technical benchmarks on the platforms that they arrive on.First up is Kingdom Hearts Coded, a unique reinterpretation of the original Kingdom Hearts game. The trailer begins with an ominous message that leads Jiminy Cricket in a frantic race to Mickey Mouse, to send Sora through a digitally recreated version of the original Kingdom Hearts. In Coded, players will be able to enter a "Debug Mode" which allows players to alter the world around them. In one sequence, we saw Sora gain the ability to run through objects, such as blocks. What he ran through would then explode, reinforcing the notion that Sora can have dominion of his world: it's like playing a Kingdom Hearts fanfic written by a hardcore aficionado of The Matrix. Of course, as cool as this may sound, chances are you'll never play it. It's frustratingly yet another one of the countless cell phone games that Square Enix has in development.The other games showcased will certainly be more relevant to the Joystiq reader. "The time of the other side ... " the trailer begins. This will be Roxas' adventure, following the trials of Organization XIII. The battle system resembles the one featured in the past two console games, but there's a few new twists. Members of Organization XIII are aerially gifted, being able to float away at a whim. They also work together: we saw a four player co-operative mode on display which looks quite fun. Amazingly, the game manages to maintain visuals that are strikingly similar to the PS2 originals, albeit a bit more pixelated. Oh, and did we mention that this is on the Nintendo DS? Oh, and did we mention the title: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Certainly not the catchiest of titles. But, that wasn't the end of Kingdom Hearts games revealed today.
TGS07: PSP online store open now for Japanese only
The announcement of a PSP store - accessible via the PC - was open for business today, but only for Japanese customers. PSP-Vault.com have a great article up about with a walkthrough of the store. From the looks of it there's a lot of stuff on there already and we're looking forward to getting our grubby mitts on the content soon. Unfortunately you can only access the store if your browser and/or operating system is running with Japanese language settings. Also, the download plugin doesn't work with Macs. So until the store is available for Europe and America (and they sort out that ridiculous Mac problem), we'll have to keep downloading our content manually. It's a shame, really. Our new Crisis Core PSP Slim is hungry for downloadable content.
TGS07: Bangai-O Spirits dazzles IGN
IGN's Craig Harris had never played a Bangai-O game when he stepped up to the TGS demo of Bangai-O Spirits. The game he described, which was new and mysterious to him, sounds comfortingly similar to classic Bangai-O to us: he describes enemies turning to fruit when destroyed, 100-plus bullets on screen at once, and even the slowdown that was found in the other versions during super attacks-- and that we honestly can't distinguish as being a feature or a technical problem.We sympathize with Harris. By virtue of being there, we played a lot of stuff at PAX that we didn't really know anything about. Not everyone can be intimately familiar with every game, you know? Even if he doesn't quite have the historical background right, he did a good job of describing a Bangai-O game in a way that's meaningful to Bangai-O fans. He says that "a brief hands-on is clearly not enough to get a solid grasp of the title's concept", but he pretty much nails it. There's a lot of stuff on the screen, and you shoot it, and the shooting makes your future shots bigger. Also there's fruit.Not everyone is as big of a Treasure fan as this guy.
TGS07: Final Fantasy Versus XIII trailer impressions
Know of the old adage: save the best for last? Square Enix did just that with its incredible Final Fantasy Versus XIII presentation. In spite of being comprised of completely non-interactive and most likely pre-rendered footage, the Versus trailer absolutely stunned the audience due to its incredible sense of style. The trailer begins, telling viewers that "this is a fantasy based in reality." What could that mean?The footage begins with a car driving by, segueing to a familiar scene of the mysterious male protagonist deflecting bullets from an opposing military force. Quickly, the trailer flashes to a girl in a school outfit that seems to be awaiting someone. Latin text is interspersed throughout, fitting to the beat of both the visuals and music. Already, there's a strong sense of style and intrigue.A meticulously designed cathedral is the next scene in the trailer, and we see a mysterious hooded individual eerily similar to a character in Advent Children. All the while, snippets of the lead killing the opposing soldiers in a surprisingly gory way. We were shocked to see blood spurt out of the villains -- could this be the first M-rated Final Fantasy game?
TGS07: Apollo Justice trailer
Imported direct from the Tokyo Game Show, this new trailer for Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney depicts a man on a mission. He's a rookie attorney with only one weapon: a passionate heart burning red. Oh, and his many years attending law school. Also, his mysterious magician sidekick.OK, so he has a few different weapons.
TGS07: Sony nabs Evolution and BigBig Studios
At Kaz Hirai's keynote speech, there were only a few, erm, key announcements made. One of these was the DualShock3. Another was the expanded remote play presentation and a third was the delay of Home. Another tidbit worth mentioning is Sony's acquisition of Evolution and BigBig Studios, makers of MotorStorm and Pursuit Force, respectively. These are part of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios now and will be overseen by Phil Harrison. Philly H released this statement regarding the acquisition: "Our strategy is to create the best games by working with the best talent and Evolution and Bigbig are world-class additions to our team ... The incredible people in these studios further extend the depth and skill of the industry's largest platform-exclusive development resource." We're glad to hear it and expect to hear new games coming from Evolution Studios soon. BigBig is releasing their second Pursuit Force game on the PSP at the beginning of October.
TGS07: Umbrella Chronicles trailer shows Wesker as a zombie?!
At two minutes and nine seconds in, the video shows Wesker as a zombie. Why do we think he's a zombie? Well, his mouth is covered in blood. Wesker's red eyes is something we knew from the conclusion of Resident Evil: Code Veronica, but he wasn't into eating flesh or anything (unless we missed something, which is possible considering how long it's been).As for the rest of the trailer, it's pure gold for Resident Evil fans (we can't wait to bust caps in Nemesis). So, hit it up.
TGS07: Squall joins Final Fantasy Dissidia line-up
Angsty teen star of Final Fantasy VIII, Squall Leonhart, can be spotted in the no-cameras-allowed screening of the Final Fantasy Dissidia trailer. The CG trailer for this PSP brawler showed Squall going head to head against Sephiroth.Fans of Squall will be glad to see his oh-so-dreamy good looks again. However, many other Final Fantasy regulars will now want to consider picking up Dissidia simply for the opportunity to beat up the "pouty jerk."
TGS07: Front Mission 2089 announced for DS
Square Enix quietly revealed its next Front Mission project at the ongoing Tokyo Game Show, and it's for the DS! Aside from its name, Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness, not much else has been announced -- we can safely assume, however, that it'll be an SRPG packed with highly customizable wanzers (mechs) and political drama.Previous Front Mission 2089 titles have been released for mobile platforms, but we're not sure yet if Border of Madness will be a port of one of those cell phone games or a completely new entry to the spin-off series. Of course, we hope for the latter. Regardless of its origin, we likely won't see it localized for the US unless we support Front Mission DS's release in the states next month!
TGS07: Final Fantasy XIII trailer impressions
After adamantly insisting that you do not videotape or record the screening in any way or else, the Square Enix private theater showcased numerous titles from the ever-expanding Final Fantasy universe. The first trailer on display was the lead game in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series, Final Fantasy XIII. In English, a narrator explains a corruption that seems to plaguing the land. "Those tainted by the outside were exiled," he explains.Earlier trailers highlighted Lightning, but the trailer at TGS showed off a number of new characters, environments and creatures. A gunman that seems to have specific mastery over water shoots a crystal, creating a massive water summon. Paths of ice form in the sky, as he rides along on a motorcycle. Certainly, a spectacle to behold. Then a massive African-inspired scene provides a stark contrast to the futuristic environments we've seen of the game so far. Fantastic Mammoth-like beasts walk across a river in a scene that could've been ripped out of a Afrika gone slightly astray. Debuting in this new trailer was a brand new female character that stands, staring at a frozen planet orbiting in the sky. The trailer ends with a proud proclamation "PS3 Only," to silence any doubters.Once again, we were stunned by the visuals of the trailer, which went beyond the quality of most Hollywood productions. The new dry landscape showcased provides reassurance that the game will not remain stagnant in its visual look. However, in spite of the incredible excitement generated by the trailer, we were surprised that a different game in the Square Enix theater stole the show.
Ubisoft publishing No More Heroes in the U.S.
Whether or not you enjoyed Killer 7, you can probably agree that it's a good thing that oddball titles like that are not only available, but localized for English-speaking markets. If so, you have another reason to celebrate today as Ubisoft has announced that they'll be publishing Suda 51's follow up No More Heroes in America in February.For the uninitiated, No More Heroes is a super-violent action/adventure featuring the awesomely-named Travis Touchdown (so much cooler than Randy R.B.I.) tracking down assassins and killing them with his beam katana. If you crave more information, check out the above Joystiq Award Winner for Best Trailer Evar.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney trailer throws book at you
Can there really be two ace attorneys in the world? That's the question we're forced to ponder by a new trailer for Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney from Tokyo Game Show. Here you've got this young upstart kid -- with a hairdo so terrible that Cloud Strife snickers behind his back -- claiming to be the new ace attorney ("double A" on the streets), but there's no mention of Phoenix Wright, the ace attorney we all know and love!Maybe double As are actually like Highlanders, and the whole game will be about Phoenix and Apollo trying to track each other down and cut the other one's head off. We'd definitely play that. ... Oh, who are we kidding? We're going to be playing it anyway. Curse our love of justice!(P.S. "Well, this case certainly has taken a turn ... for the interesting!" is the new best thing you can say in any situation.)
TGS vids storm XBLM: SCIV, VF5, Ace Combat 6, more
With the Tokyo Game Show officially kicking off today, a new batch of "Bringing It Home" content has landed on Xbox Live Marketplace. In addition to loads of new themes and gamer pictures, there are five new trailers for upcoming games. All told, there are new trailers for Virtua Fighter 5, Soul Calibur IV, Ace Combat 6, Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom, and Dark Sector. We're probably most intrigued by the Soul Calibur IV trailer, as it reveals a few more tidbits about the supposed final chapter in the series. Kingdom Under Fire: COD will likely disappoint fans of the series, as it isn't a true sequel, but rather a button mashing spree akin to Dynasty Warriors. Check out more trailers after the break. Now, if you'll excuses us, we have to continue crossing our fingers that we'll see a Ninja Gaiden 2 demo before the weekend is out.
Miburi & Teburi is like staring into the maw of madness itself
All this morning, as we've been passing along some of the trailers that have already come down from the Tokyo Game Show, we've been playing one of our favorite games: "When Will It Come To America?"® The above trailer for Sega's Miburi & Teburi though, is kind of a slow pitch. In fact, we already know for sure when this Wii game will come stateside. It is as if by staring directly into the madness, we were imbued with a gift to see the future itself.Miburi & Teburi will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, come out in America. Ever. But, since you watched the entire Miburi & Teburi trailer, legend dictates that you're going to die in seven days. So it probably won't be that big of a problem.
There, in the distance, is a Yakuza 3 trailer
How long will it be until you get to play Yakuza 3? Well, let's see, when did Yakuza 2 come out here? ... Oh, that's right. It hasn't. So, you're at least one game away from getting your hands on Yakuza 3. Until this new trailer from TGS, that didn't seem like that big of a deal. Like rocket sneakers, we knew it was on the way, but it was so far off that we weren't troubled. Now, to continue the analogy, our rich neighbor just imported a pair. Maybe it's just us, be we love games with samurais and old men stopping swords with two fingers. So to say that we're intrigued by this trailer would be putting in mildly. Also, why is Yakuza in feudal Japan? The last time we checked it was about urban gangsters. If Yakuza 2 features some sort of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III time travel hi-jinx we just got even angrier that we haven't played it.
Seaman 2 trailer is weird, uplifting, heartbreaking
It's kind of sad how much we love Seaman. Maybe it was the Leonard Nimoy narration, or the way the Jellyvision writers made the titular manfish so snide, maybe it was talking to our video game and finally having it talk back to us. Whatever the cause, we love Seaman. You can imagine then, why this trailer for Seaman 2 is so very, very heartbreaking. Let's be honest, this thing's never going to come out here. It's just too odd. It's like they managed to add another layer of weird to something that was already impossibly unusual, perhaps using the same tech as the wizards at Northern use to add more layers to their quilted toilet paper. Seriously, it's a game where you appear to play god on an island populated by cavemen, but there's a fish with wings and legs. Oh, and also, a baby caveman is using a cell phone. ... So, no. It's never coming to America. But it's nice to dream.
TGS07: LocoRoco Cocoreccho trailer flutters to the internets
While Andrew has already given us his hands-on impressions of LocoRoco Cocoreccho (try saying that fast three times!), everyone knows a pictures is worth a thousand words, and by my calculations, a video is worth four hundred billion eleventy thousand. Unfortunately, Andrew was rather disappointed with the interactive screensaver, blaming inconsistent and overly complicated controls, which makes the game lose much of what we loved about the first - simplicity. The game hits the PlayStation Store this week, so how about you try it out and let us know what you think.
TGS07: Silent Hill: Origins video is beauty incarnate
A couple months ago, Andrew said Silent Hill: Origins is one of the best-looking PSP titles he's seen so far, and this new trailer just released during Tokyo Game Show only confirms that. We still can't believe Konami has been able to create such an amazing looking game on the PSP. The video shows Travis driving his rig when he's attacked with some pretty disturbing mental images causing him nearly to careen off the road. We're not exactly sure why the rest of the video is shown playing on a PSP, which makes anyone with less than 20/20 vision struggle to see it. Perhaps Konami really wanted you to know this amazing game is running on the PSP? Either way, Silent Hill: Origins is shaping up to be a no-brainer for any PSP owner, and the song was a great choice, too!
TGS07: new Devil May Cry 4 gameplay footage [update]
Update: In last night's frenzied blast of news posts and inundation of press releases, we grabbed the wrong Devil May Cry 4 trailer and, on top of that, made some extremely noob-ish observations. Here is the correct one, embedded above, showing new gameplay footage.
