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Westone co-founder working on Monster World successor
Westone Bit Entertainment co-founder Ryuichi Nishizawa has partnered with indie developer Game Atelier to produce a spiritual successor to Sega's Monster World series, publisher FDG Games confirmed this week. Monster Boy and the Wizard of Booze will feature side-scrolling action-adventure gameplay in the vein of the Monster World series, and boasts a playable character who can change form in order to traverse the game's varied 2D environments. Developer Game Atelier initially pitched the project as The Flying Hamster 2 before securing a publishing deal and canceling its Kickstarter campaign prior to completion. "Monster Boy will be an all-new adventure and as we closely work together with Ryuichi Nishizawa (creator of the original Monster World) it can be considered as an official part of the series," Game Atelier notes in a Kickstarter update published today. "Since the trademark is owned by SEGA we had to pick a different name." Developer Westone filed for bankruptcy last year, leaving behind a catalog of dozens of games produced over its 30-year history. Monster Boy will debut later this year for the PlayStation 4 and PC platforms. [Image: Game Atelier]
Wonder Boy creator Westone filing for bankruptcy
Veteran Japanese developer Westone Bit Entertainment is facing bankruptcy after nearly 30 years of operation, Game Watch Impress reports (via Sega Nerds). After debuting in 1986 with its landmark arcade side-scroller Wonder Boy (later adapted for the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System as Hudson's Adventure Island), Westone went on to create the Monster World series, which saw several sequels across the Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, and TurboGrafx-16. The series was later compiled in the Japan-exclusive Monster World Complete Collection for the PlayStation 2, and eventually made its way to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 with the 2012 launch of Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World. Westone has entered liquidation process and its website has since shuttered. Sega has issued no word regarding whether the closure will affect the continued sale of Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World. [Image: Sega / Westone]
Westone debuts Adventure Series Alpha earphones: water-resistant, audiophile grade, $200
Some would say that a good set of earphones are a dime a dozen nowadays, but that's not stopping outfits like Westone from trying to give you more (and, perhaps, even better) options to choose from. Enter the Adventure Series Alpha. These newly introduced in-ear headphones are, as the company puts it, tailored to bring "exceptional audio performance, fit, and design for the active user." How so, you ask? Well, the ADV earphones boast an array of notable features, such as IPX-3 attributes for water resistance and in-line controls for iOS devices. Most importantly, however, is the 6.5mm micro driver found inside the Adventure Series Alpha, which Westone's suited with an audio tech dubbed Precision Fine Tuning that "delivers sonic accuracy with extended bass." If all that sounds good, then you best be ready to pony up $200, as that's the price to pay before you can call 'em your own.
Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: headphones
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. We imagine many a PMP or smartphone will be changing hands this holiday season -- iPhone 4S or Galaxy Nexus, anyone? And what better way to accessorize your brand new mobile gadget than with a set of headphones? Fret not audio lovers -- we've rounded up nine of our top picks that we think you'll really enjoy while on the move. We're talking headphones that'll let you control your playlists and chat with friends, all without exposing those precious new gizmos to the harsh winter elements. It's all just past the break, so what are you still doing here? Click on through to the other side!
Westone's 4 R-Series quad-driver IEMs pack Acoustic Symmetry, cost $500
Remember those impressive Westone 4 in-ear monitors that came out late last year, priced at a whopping $450? Well, the company's ready to best itself again -- and have audiophiles open their wallets a bit wider -- with its new 4 R-Series. This latest set is relatively similar to the 4, still packing Westone's EPIC cable (now detachable) and four balanced armature drivers, but will set you back an extra fifty bucks in the name of Acoustic Symmetry. Westone claims the 'phones achieve an "extremely tight tolerance of +/- 2dB between earpieces," meaning your sound should be extra consistent from both buds. The 4 R-Series buds are expected to arrive before the year's out, so in the meantime we'll just direct you to the PR past the break.
Westone lab tour: how in-ear monitors are made, from impressions to impressing (video)
You probably don't think "top-tier audio" when you ponder the wonders of Colorado Springs, but sure enough, one of music's best kept secrets is headquartered there, camped out slyly in quite the nondescript building. A few months back, we were granted unprecedented access to Westone's lair (just a year and change after visiting Klipsch's HQ), and they even let a film crew in for good measure. The goal? To show you, the budding audiophile, exactly how a set of custom in-ear monitors are crafted, and what kind of work goes into creating one of the planet's most diminutive speaker arrangements. We've whipped up the entire experience there in the video above, but if you're looking for a more textual perspective, head on past the break. %Gallery-126952%
Sega's Monster World 4 coming to XBLA, PSN, and not Virtual Console
Yes, there have been a million Wonder Boy games re-released on Virtual Console and other platforms, so another one doesn't seem like it would be a big deal. But Monster World IV, originally for Mega Drive/Genesis (and despite the name, the last game in the populous Wonder Boy series), never came out in North America. Monster World IV, starring a green-haired girl and her long-eared spheroid partner, is also considered the best game in the series. According to the ESRB, Sega is finally preparing an American release of the game, on PSN and XBLA. Strangely, no Wii version is mentioned, despite the fact that Virtual Console is, like, the place for old games, and despite the fact that so many Wonder Boy games have been released on that platform -- including this one, in Japan.
Westone 4 earphones review
Westone isn't exactly a household name, even in the earphone universe. But what the company lacks in recognition, it more than makes up for in quality. If you'll recall, we had a listen to its ES5 custom in-ear monitors earlier in the year, and while they cost a staggering $950, they also managed to melt our brain and thoroughly spoil us in the process. Thankfully, there's a budget alternative: the Westone 4. Granted, even 50 percent off still lands you right around $449, but many audiophiles would argue that said price is a small one to pay when looking at a quad-driver setup, a three-way crossover network and an insanely robust set of earbud tips. There's no question that these guys are aimed at the professionals in the crowd, and if you're interested in seriously stepping up your mobile listening game, you owe it to yourself to peek our full review. It's after the break, per usual. %Gallery-119832%
Westone ES5 custom in-ear monitors review
If you're into high-end audio gear and especially custom solutions, you've probably heard of a company called Westone. In operation since 1959, the firm has decades of experience crafting in-ear headphones and audio gear, and it doesn't look like they're stopping any time soon. We had a chance to get our ears molded back at CES so we could check out the company's top-of-the-line model, the ES5, and now we've had some proper time to put them through the paces and see whether they live up to the hype -- head past the break for the nitty gritty. %Gallery-115875%
Westone 4 earphones boast four drivers, on sale soon for $449
We've always had pleasant aural experiences with Westone earphones, and it's not hard to hazard a guess that the outfit's latest will also impress. The W4 is being hailed as the planet's first four-driver universal fit earphone, boasting a foursome of balanced armature drivers, a three-way crossover and a self-proclaimed EPIC cable, which is supposedly able to "guard against microphones." Further details are expected to be spilled at CES in just a couple of weeks, and they'll be loosed on the public in early Q1 2011 for $449. Yeah, not exactly cheap, but nothing fit for an audiophile ever is.
VC Friday: Tee up and club some Monsters
Yours truly has hazy memories of spending an entire summer holiday glued to Mario Golf, unlocking Metal Mario, and jumping on the bed after fluking a hole-in-one (shamefully, I was nineteen at the time). And now, it's the fifteenth N64 game to appear on the PAL Virtual Console. Hell yeah! It might suffer heavily from the N64 fuzz, but for our money it's still the best in its respective series. It's accompanied this week by Wonder Boy in Monster Land. Mario Golf -- Nintendo 64 -- 1,000 Wii Points Wonder Boy in Monster Land -- Master System -- 500 Wii Points Videos of each follow the blue text.%Gallery-42959%
Finally! A Wonder Boy game on the Virtual Console!
We're so glad Sega Master System support came to the Virtual Console, because now Australian Wii owners are going to have a chance to play ... another Wonder Boy game! Even better -- it's another duplicate game, too! According to a new listing on the OFLC ratings page, the first Sega Master System game to appear on the Virtual Console in Australia will be the original Wonder Boy.If you like Hudson's Adventure Island, chances are quite good you'll like Wonder Boy -- because Adventure Island is the exact same game with a different character. It's great that Master System games are coming out in regions other than Japan, but do we really need another conduit for duplicate Wonder Boy games? Really, we like the idea of releasing all kinds of variants and permutations, but let's get more original games out first.[Via Aussie-Nintendo]
Wonder Boy on the VC makes us wonder what's going on
If you're a fan of the Wonder Boy series like ourselves, but want to make sure you buy the right game on the Virtual Console (and not two copies of the same game, which is possible), Chris Kohler over at Game|Life fortunately sheds some light on the situation. Hudson seems to enjoy messing with us, so if you're interested in purchasing one of these games, then it's worth checking out Kohler's little guide. Also, we're still waiting for the day that the VC supports the Sega Master System. Hear that, Nintendo? And make it snappy.
