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Raiden 4: Overkill brings its killing over to North America next month
Raiden 4: Overkill is coming to North America on April 29, courtesy once again of UFO Interactive. The Californian publisher brought over the Xbox 360 version in 2009, and this time it's releasing the enhanced PS3 port just two weeks after Japan gets it. There's no word just yet on what price you'll have to pay for the arcade shoot-em-up. The PSN port is based on the Xbox 360 version, and the Overkill tag refers to a new mode that hopefully won't live up to its name. It's not confirmed if the Xbox 360 DLC - including the fairy ship who's lost her clothes - is bundled in as standard in the new PS3 version. [Image: UFO Interactive]
Zombie Slayer Diox rocking out on 3DS eShop
Imagine Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, but with a guitar-wielding rocker slicing zombies apart instead of cutely rendered Final Fantasy characters meandering through peaceful meadows. This isn't just a psychotic thought exercise -- it's the premise of Zombie Slayer Diox, the second 3DS eShop game from UFO Interactive and the second UFO game to feature both guitars and zombies.Players control Diox, a guitarist from the year 20xx looking for an amp with infinite zombie killing power, and destroy lines of zombies by swiping in prescribed directions. You'll find your zombie killing instrument on the eShop in "early 2012."
Rock of the Dead review: Frampton comes undead
I'm not unsympathetic to the plight of the small developer. You've got to battle time, personnel and cash crunches all while competing on the same console as studios that seem to have nigh-bottomless pockets. Even if you've got something original to say, how do you make your voice heard over the MegaCorp loudspeakers? So from the opening bars of Epicenter Studios' new zombie rhythm game Rock of the Dead, I was willing to look past the sub-par presentation. The bargain price tag certainly doesn't hurt, but the key thing is this: Behind that haggard face hides a single great idea. %Gallery-100419%
Rock of the Dead for Wii undead, but 'on the back burner'
UFO Interactive has responded to our inquiry about the missing Wii version of Rock of the Dead, informing us that it's not been canceled. According to a UFO rep, the Wii game is "on the back burner for the time being." The publisher wouldn't disclose specific reasons for the delay of the Wii release, but told Joystiq that UFO and developer Epicenter Studios are focusing on the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions for now, and they plan to get back to the Wii game "once we have accomplished our goals with these two platforms." Once you've accomplished the goal of releasing a game about killing zombies by playing guitars and drums, anything seems possible.%Gallery-100419%
Save the holidays with Balloon Pop Festival on WiiWare
If you (like most people) missed Balloon Pop the first time UFO Interactive published it on Wii, you will soon have an opportunity to have it delivered directly to your console. UFO has announced Balloon Pop Festival, a version of the match-three puzzler, for WiiWare. It's still an obscure, low-budget puzzler, but now it'll be cheaper! The "festival" aspect of the game refers to special animations for various holidays throughout the year, "from Valentine's Day to Talk Like a Pirate Day." That's right, this WiiWare game just made Talk Like a Pirate Day official. Balloon Pop Festival will celebrate a very special occasion on July 12 -- that's the day it's released in North America, for 800 Wii Points ($8). The press release can be found after the break.
Preview: Rock of the Dead
Rock of the Dead is unapologetically The Typing of the Dead meets Rock Band. As Bryan Jury, CCO of developer Epicenter Studios and producer on the game, put it, "People already own the plastic. We're just giving them a different type of game to play with it." And an on-rails shooter where one uses the guitar or drum peripheral already in close proximity to their entertainment center is certainly different. Gameplay is what you'd expect from some cracked out House of the Dead mod: creatures of death come toward the screen constantly as the camera moves on rails and it's your job to fret (or drum) the undead to un-undeath. Epicenter believes that the title is compatible with most major guitar and drum peripherals. It's also in the process of testing beyond the Guitar Hero and Rock Band peripherals that many already own.
Rock of the Dead shambling onto PS3 and Xbox 360, according to retail listings
Both GameFly and Amazon have added PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Epicenter's Rock of the Dead to their databases. For the uninitiated, Rock of the Dead is essentially a clone of Typing of the Dead, with guitars instead of keyboards. You'll have to strum your way through a zombie horde, in an adventure that promises the same "cheesy/campy" humor found in Sega's original arcade game. Considering the HD consoles are no strangers to guitar controllers, it makes sense that publisher UFO Interactive would want to target every viable platform. With Dr. Horrible's Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day taking starring roles, Rock of the Dead's sheer nerd power definitely has our interest piqued. [Via superannuation]
UFO Interactive now publishing Monster Rancher DS
Tecmo was all set to release Monster Rancher DS alongside Again. The game was finished, and both games had March release dates. Now, Monster Rancher -- a longtime Tecmo series -- is being published by UFO Interactive, and moving to a summer release. The box shows both the UFO and Koei Tecmo logos. This is the result of the same "strategic partnership" with Tecmo Koei through which UFO is publishing Monster Racers, a game that Koei had on display at E3 2009. We thought that had already been released -- but UFO has it scheduled for this summer as well. [Via Siliconera]
Chuck E. Cheese's Party Games announced for DS and Wii
You know, some people just don't get it. When you're 36 and you like to hang at the Chuck E. Cheese's, people get the wrong idea. They think because you've got a big, bushy beard, trench coat and some fresh Ray-Bans on, you're hanging around with offensive, illegal activities in mind. Since when is it a crime to love the ball pit? Skee-Ball should be something we all can enjoy at any age, right? Thanks to UFO Interactive, you don't have to worry about dirty looks from parents and possible incarceration any longer, as the publisher is lining up a pair of titles for the DS and Wii. Chuck E. Cheese's Party Games will feature 18 different mini-games -- starring Chuck and his friends, natch -- and various unlockable videos and prizes. Sadly, UFO Interactive doesn't have any media on either game at this time, but in the meanwhile why not just sit back, close your eyes and imagine playing in a ball pit that isn't a cesspool of germ-carrying kids wrist-deep in their nostrils? Ahh, that's the good stuff!
Way of the Samurai 3 cuttin' fools in NA this October
The graphics may be a bit undercooked and the series' last entry may have been released in the States over five years ago, but we certainly were happy to hear that Way of the Samurai 3 will be arriving on October 13th in the US. Agetec and UFO Interactive -- in charge of publishing the PS3 and 360 iterations, respectively -- officially announced the game's impending October arrival yesterday, as well as news of an iPhone iteration of the game currently available for free.Sure, the iPhone version of WotS3 isn't much more than a side-scrolling brawler, but hey, it's free! Hopefully that can sate your samurai murdering urges for another month. Way of the Samurai 3 ($0.00): [Via Destructoid]
Way of the Samurai 3 coming to North America via two publishers
At long last, there's an answer to the following timeless riddle -- how many publishers does it take to port a Japanese-centric franchise to North America on two different systems? Okay, fine, that's not so much a timeless riddle as it is a question we just made up, but it's been answered regardless: In the case of Way of the Samurai 3, the answer is two. Agetec and UFO Interactive will be bringing Spike's samurai sim stateside, each publishing the title on one platform a piece (PS3 and Xbox 360, respectively).We knew UFO would be bringing the game to North American 360s -- but couldn't foresee Agetec's involvement in the game's importing. Now we just need Atlus to bring the game to the Wii, and this bizarre localization triumvirate will be complete.
ESRB reveals localization plan for Let's Hitchhike
Let's Hitchhike from NIS (actually, Let's Zenryoku Hitchhike!!!!!!!!!, but we'll stick to Let's Hitchhike) is one of the weirdest games on WiiWare -- a board game with a hitchhiking mechanic and an angry restaurant owner as the primary antagonist. It might not be Muscle March weird, but it's quirky enough to get our attention.According to a new ESRB listing, NIS is planning to localize Let's Hitchhike as Full Blast Hitchhike. The content description offers two examples of the English version's "tongue in cheek humor": "What are the two sexiest farm animals? Brownchickenbrowncow!" and "Japanese girls are great! W-well...not as great as YOU, my pet." If you enjoyed those, be sure to give Full Blast Hitchhike a ride whenever it actually, you know, is announced and released for real.Also found via ESRB: the Wii version of Geon, now published by UFO Interactive and called Geon Cube -- not to be confused with Technos's Geom Cube.[Via GoNintendo]
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.
Raiden IV media blowout
Click for high-res image Fans of shmups will be happy to know Raiden IV will be hitting Xbox 360s very soon. It's coming in August, to be exact, and bringing with it some nice pseudo-3D visuals, online support and exclusive content not found in the arcade version.To celebrate, we have the official box art, some screen shots and a plethora of artwork to check out below. Make sure you watch the debut trailer after the break, too!%Gallery-64402%
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.
Wii Fanboy Review: Ultimate Shooting Collection
A compilation of shooters on the Wii may seem a bit unnecessary or even redundant. The Wii already has what could be dubbed the "Ultimate Shooting Collection" -- though not on a single disc. The Virtual Console is loaded with a surfeit of shooters, including many of the best games in the genre's history. The Ultimate Shooting Collection, in comparison, is composed of just three games, some or all of which you may never even heard of. But just like there usually is an argument for a new game over an old one you've played, there is content of interest here that doesn't exist in the downloadable space. The games in Ultimate Shooting Collection are a great showcase for the evolution of the shooter genre, which may seem stagnant or even dead, in the modern age. Even with the piles upon piles of existing shooters, there aren't any like these on the Virtual Console.%Gallery-37210%
Ultimate Shooting Collection targets December release
Yes, the localized version of Milestone's Ultimate Shooting Collection may have horribly generic boxart (seriously, compare this to the Japanese box and weep), but we still want the game badly.Unfortunately, we're going to have to wait. Previously, the game was scheduled to come out on November 11th, but as it isn't in our homes right now, we had to assume it had slipped. When contacted, publisher UFO Interactive confirmed our worst fears: the new release date is December 15th, right in the middle of the Christmas rush. Pew pew your way past the break for a trailer.%Gallery-37210%
Good news and bad news about Ultimate Shooting Collection
The latest screens of Milestone's Ultimate Shooting Collection provide us with at least two interesting pieces of information: first, that UFO Interactive is using the "Radio Allergy" localization from O3's failed Gamecube release of Radilgy. The situation with Radio Allergy makes us think that Milestone themselves, rather than O3, did the English translation and logo, otherwise UFO would have had to deal with O3 to publish their material.Second, the screens tell us that hey, UFO is still promoting Ultimate Shooting Collection! It may actually come out! Though, it's been, uh, delayed again, to November 11. GameStop is showing some new boxart as well, that's less ... identical to the Japanese look.
Dungeon Maker II: The Hidden War reveals US release
The first Dungeon Maker game didn't make too big a splash here in the States, but that's not stopping UFO Interactive from releasing its sequel here in the States. As always, this sequel is bigger, better and more badass with over 700 items, 90 quests, and 150 different monsters.The Dungeon Maker series is rather unique as it has players create their own dungeons ... and then fight in them. This time around, you can even swap dungeons with a friend. However, we're more curious about the story: will it be as ridiculous as the first iteration's?[Thanks, R.H.!]
A Milestone for Wii shooter fans
Good news for people who want even more space shooters on the Wii: the Milestone Shooting Collection, a three-game bundle including Chaos Field, Radilgy and Karous, has been picked up for U.S. release on September 23 by UFO Interactive. Chaos Field was released here on the GameCube in 2005, but the other two games are completely new to us -- partly because the GameCube release of Radilgy was cancelled.When Milestone announced this item for Japanese release last May, it was going to be a retail release of Karous only. Then Milestone decided to throw a couple of bonus games on there, and then it became the "Shooting Collection." The bundle is probably the only way it could ever get picked up by an American publisher. And $30 isn't bad at all for three games, even in the age of downloadable games!
