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E308: This trailer tells the Little King's Story
We were sorely disappointed when we couldn't get our hands on Little King's Story, but Marvelous and XSEED managed to make up for it a little bit with this enchanting trailer. We just can't help but be lured in by the game's style -- check out the knight using a cow as a mount, for example. It's too bad that we couldn't find out if the gameplay matched the rest of this title's charm, but them's the breaks. Either way, we're looking forward to trying out Little King's Story in the future.
E308: DS Fanboy enters the Retro Game Challenge
Holy crap is this the most awesome DS game! Seriously, when JC was talking up the title, I trusted the man's judgment, but he couldn't possibly prepare me for how utterly great the DS game is. And when I met up with the folks at Marvelous here at E3 to try out their titles, I had no idea that they were going to have to physically pull me away from Retro Game Challenge.Lucky for me, I have a good grip. So I get plenty of play time with what is sure to be one of my favorite DS games this year.%Gallery-27519%
E308: Marvelous pulls Little King Story from the show floor
When I arrived at my XSEED/Marvelous appointment here at E3, I had one question on my mind: how awesome is your Little King's Story game? Being the incredibly professional blogger that I am, I came up with that hard-hitting question following two days of grueling punishment at the show with a combined 8-9 hours sleep. But, when I got there, I had not a single chance to unleash my intelligent query as the game was nowhere to be found. In asking PR rep Jimmy Soga, he informed me that it was the decision of Marvelous to yank the game from the show. Why? Well, they felt it wasn't a strong enough build to show the public. I asked if it was perhaps a problem of the game crashing or it being that the section quarantined for the press at E3 was rather glitchy, but he had no other information for me other than I would not be able to play it. Stay tuned for impressions from the games that are at the show.
E308: Populous DS revamps an enjoyable classic
XSeed is determined to get in our good graces by bringing niche joys to American DS owners, including titles like Korg DS-10, Retro Game Challenge, Avalon Code, and now Populous DS. Let's take a look now at Populous DS, a game that's sure to sate your lingering god complex.
Three DS news items you might have missed
With several major press conferences yesterday and a deluge of media assets, it's easy to miss all the smaller news items that popped up. We've rounded up three of them for you so that they won't be completely forgotten!1. Retro Game Challenge logo! Yep, there it is, right above our post. It doesn't look too different from the Retro Game Master DVD logo, but we'll find any excuse to talk about this wonderful, nostalgic title. In fact, keep an eye out for our hands-on impressions from the E3! For now, you can check out five new screenshots in our gallery below or have a look at the Retro Game Challenge sell sheet past the post break.2. Zoo Games is working on a Puzzle Quest clone? Any time we see the words "puzzle" juxtaposed with images of fantasy-type warriors, as was the case with Puzzle Kingdoms, our minds immediately go to last year's surprise hit, Puzzle Quest. Though developer Infinite Interactive already has two official Puzzle Quest clones in the works, the hybridization of RPGs and puzzle games are addictive enough that we don't mind seeing knock-offs. We hope to see more than just three pieces of character art for Puzzle Kingdoms soon! 3. Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades coming out less than six months after Guitar Hero: On Tour? Alright, so you might have heard that Vicarious Visions is preparing a Guitar Hero DS sequel for the holiday season, but if you stop for a minute and think about it, you'll realize that the original game came out only three weeks ago! That's a shorter gap than the time in between Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith's releases (8 months) for consoles!%Gallery-27519%%Gallery-27789%
E308: Rune Factory Frontier even dazzles us in motion
After seeing this new Rune Factory Frontier video (not to mention the new screens in our gallery below), we can't help but crow on again about how wonderful this game looks. We haven't learned many new facts about the game at E3 -- at least, not yet. We did find out, though, that the little fairy-like creatures hanging around in certain screens are actually spirits. As more spirits gather, you might run into larger and rarer creatures. While we know Frontier won't be a sandbox style game, the video makes it look like there will be a lot of exploring to do. This could become a pain in a Rune Factory game (having to plant certain crops in a certain dungeon because of its season, and then constantly having to run around and take care of those crops), we love the idea of having a big area to feel out. We really can't wait for this one -- 2009 won't come fast enough.Check out the screens in the gallery if you'd like, but make sure to click on the "High Res" button to get a feel for their full beauty.%Gallery-27732%
Promotional Consideration: Arino's Advertising Challenge
With XSEED recently revealing its intentions to localize Game Center CX: Arino's Challenge (U.S. name: Retro Game Challenge) for the North American market, we thought now would be an opportune time to feature an English-translated commercial for the Japanese game. Really, we'll make any excuse to post about this interesting title.A quick rundown of the Game Center CX show and DS game, for those of you who didn't read about the release the first dozen times we posted about it: Game Center CX is a Japanese television series in which comedian Shinya Arino plays popular "retro" games In the Indies Zero-developed DS title, players are sent back in time to the 80s by Arino Players have to complete challenges in eight Famicom-styled games, like Star Prince (Star Soldier clone) and Guadia Quest (Dragon Quest clone) There are a lot of great "meta" touches to the game, too -- a child version of Arino befriends and cheers you on against his older self, you'll have access to instruction manuals and Game Fan Magazine issues with tips and cheat codes, and Arino will even ask you if you're going to the bathroom sometimes when you pause the game.Anyway, jump past the post break for the commercial; we've also included photos from train advertisements and a segment from the show as bonuses!%Gallery-27519%
E308: Marvelous and XSEED's lineup is full of charm
We've been nothing but impressed by how drop-dead gorgeous Rune Factory Frontier looks, so we're more than happy to know that good old Marvelous will be showing the game at next week's E3 conference. Hopefully we'll find out whether the game is as pretty in motion as it is in screens, and more importantly, if the gameplay matches up to its lovely graphics. The other game that we're eager to learn more about is Little King's Story, which corners the "looks fun and adorable" market. This life sim meets real-time strategy meets adventure game had our hearts ever since we saw this charming trailer. We'll finally be able to get our hands on it when the title releases here this winter, but until then, a taste at E3 will do us some good. %Gallery-24969% [Via press release]
Friday Video: Friday Video CX
XSeed is gracing us with the amazing DS game based on Game Center CX, so we thought today would be the perfect time to share a clip from the original show. We don't know if XSeed or anyone else has licensed Game Center CX for DVD or TV release yet, but in the meantime we can enjoy untranslated excerpts! We're of the opinion that you don't need to understand Japanese to enjoy the clip seen here from episode 33, in which the "Kacho," Shinya Arino, is presented with a Game Gear game (Ganbare Gorby, or, roughly, "Go Gorby" or "Do Your Best Gorby") starring a cute chibi version of Mikhail Gorbachev.
E308: XSeed localizing Game Center CX DS game, Populous DS
XSeed's list of E3 announcements just came in, featuring super awesome surprises! First, they've somehow gotten the U.S. publishing rights to Namco Bandai's Game Center CX: Arino no Chousenjou, the DS fake-retro-game collection based on the TV show! This winter, the company will release it in North America as Retro Game Challenge, which actually fits in nicely with the Retro Game Master title used for the American debut of the show. They've also announced a localized release of Populous DS for this fall.The announcement provides official confirmation of U.S. releases for both Korg DS-10 and Avalon Code, as well. Still no Steal Princess, but we can't muster up any outrage about that right now.[Via press release]
XSEED brings Korg DS-10 to North America in the tenth month
Forget paying an arm, leg, and Fabergé egg to get your grubby little hands on Korg DS-10 this year. Thanks to XSEED, the software is expected to hit North America in October. Also, if you're interested in making this super-funktastic software produce crazy synthetic beats on your handheld, you should check out James Mielke's blog; the 1UP editor wrote up a total lovefest for Korg DS-10, praising its features (many of which he explains) and what this means for the DS. For instance, did you know that you can link four DS handhelds together while using this program (if you have four carts, that is)? 1UP also reports that the game will most likely not be an Amazon exclusive, like its Japanese counterpart was. Since we're not too fond of retail exclusives, we see that as only a good thing.Another neat detail? Korg DS-10 will be available to play at E3. We love you, E3 -- oh, and you too, XSEED. While we're probably too inept to make anything noteworthy ourselves, we can't wait to see what the DS and musical communities have in store for us once this beauty is unleashed.%Gallery-27318%[Via GoNintendo]
Marvelous/XSeed deal means more Wii, DS games
According to Marvelous director Yasuhiro Wada, the deal with XSeed to publish the company's titles in the U.S. is the result of success in Europe. Unlike most companies, Marvelous focused on Europe first (through Rising Star Games) before expanding into the U.S.The agreement with XSeed is more than a simple deal to publish Marvelous games. In fact, Marvelous plans to do their own publishing, with XSeed distributing. They intend to localize other companies' games, as well, and the current plan is to focus primarily on the development and publishing of Wii and DS games. We suspect that their announced European releases -- Lux-Pain and Flower, Sun, and Rain -- are high on the list of potential American releases under the new announcement, along with Avalon Code.
Square Enix CEO gifts sweet DS Lite to XSEED CEO
You're looking at the gift. See, XSEED's CEO is Jun Iwasaki, who used to run Square Enix before he left to found his current company. The head honcho over at Square Enix now, Tetsuya Nomura, decided to hook him up with the custom It's a Wonderful World (The World Ends With You) handheld in what we can only hope is an example to others in the future. We have to break down these barriers!We want to see a Coca Cola truck driver letting a Pepsi truck driver merge during heavy traffic. We want to see DS and PSP enthusiasts swapping consoles, sharing great experiences with each other. It's ... it's just such a feel good moment.%Gallery-11943%
Create your own creature to appease Little King
Remember all those coloring contests when you were a kid? As you grew older, it became fun to scoff at the children's feeble attempts to color within the lines, and chortle at their crayon selection when a pencil was clearly the superior implement. Well, since we're all so great at drawing and coloring, it's probably a good idea to enter the Little King's Story "UMA" Contest. A UMA is an Unidentified Mysterious Animal. Create one, and your entry is complete! Little King's Story features a whole range of wacky inhabitants, and one UMA entry will be chosen to become an in-game creature! The top 100 entries will also be featured at a museum within the kingdom. Release some creative tension, because there is no limitation on what you can make -- be it an animal, person, entity, or even a higher plane of existence. Just keep it in this dimension, okay? Hit up the contest details, along with some sample creations, right here. Happy drawing, and good luck! %Gallery-24969% [Via press release]
Marvelous, XSEED to tell Little King's Story in U.S.
Nintendo Power already reported that Little King's Story (Project O) had picked up a North American publisher last month, but Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games are just now getting around to releasing an official statement on the bright and colorful strategy title. The two companies have partnered to bring Little King's Story -- not to be confused with Square Enix's somewhat similar strategy title, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King -- to the States this winter. Hopefully, the charming looking game won't be lost amid all the other holiday releases. Quick primer on the game: You play as Corobo, a shy boy who stumbles upon a crown in a nearby forest. Corobo discovers that with the crown, he can charm anyone in his village and give them orders. Howzer, a bull-knight, soon stops by and tells the kid that he's now the king of the village and that it's his responsibility to lead the hamlet into building a grand kingdom. Bring your scepter into the gallery below for some kingdom-building screenshots! %Gallery-24969%
Marvelous, XSEED to tell Little King's Story this winter
Both XSEED and Marvelous Interactive have confirmed plans to bring the Wii-exclusive sim-style RPG Little King's Story to North America. Previously known simply as "Project O," the game marks the second "key" title to emerge from the companies' recent co-publishing alliance. Not to be confused with that other game about kings and town building, Little King's Story is said to combine simulation, strategy, and adventure game elements as players build their kingdom, manage townsfolk, and conquer rival nations. The art style alone has our interest piqued, and with devs and designers from such games and series as Harvest Moon, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Super Mario RPG attached to the project, we doubt that we'll be able to resist waving the Wii remote in the air like a scepter when Little King's Story drops this winter. %Gallery-24964%
King Story taking a 'Little' trip around the world
We have yet to see a copy of the latest Nintendo Power for ourselves, so we're technically calling this a rumor, but according to the NeoGAF writeup, XSEED has announced plans to publish Ousama Monogatari/King Story in the U.S. under the title Little King's Story. As if it weren't confusing enough to have two games about little kings building towns, now the title has become more similar to My Life As a King's Japanese title, The Little King and the Promised Land. XSEED recently announced their plans to publish a number of Marvelous games, so it's no surprise that one of their highest-profile Wii games is on the list. According to Revogamers.net, Rising Star Games is planning to publish the title in Europe as well. Again, this makes sense, as Rising Star is a subsidiary of Marvelous.
Blue Dragon, Away: Shuffle Dungeon confirmed for U.S.
As if our recent poll regarding Blue Dragon Plus and Away: Shuffle Dungeon hadn't already put you on the spot enough, now you'll have to choose one for really reals. AQ Interactive's latest financial report confirms that both will hit North America in this fiscal year, and also mentioned a localized version of the Korg DS-10 (which we already knew about).Incidentally, there's a further four third-party portable games being brought over by Xseed, and Siliconera reckons that those could include Flower, Sun and Rain, Lux Pain, and Dungeon Maker DS. As European versions of the first two have both been rumored, we'd tend to agree!
XSEED inks Marvelous deal, Valhalla Knights II confirmed
Sometimes one set of hands just isn't enough to bring games stateside. At least, that's the thinking over at niche game publisher XSEED, which just signed a co-publishing deal with Harvest Moon virtuoso Marvelous Entertainment. The pair note that the agreement will help let Marvelous set up shop here in the US, while XSEED will help localize "key" titles from the Japanese studio.While the news makes us think that we'll soon be up to our eyeballs in farming sims, XSEED has only thus far confirmed that it will help localize Valhalla Knights II, though the companies note that additional game announcements will follow shortly. The sequel to last year's PSP action RPG Valhalla Knights is expected to ship this fall, with XSEED marketing guru Ken Berry stating belief that the game "will help to set the quality standard high for all future games coming out of this deal." That's certainly a lofty expectation for a sequel to a game that was largely panned by critics last year.
XSEED and Marvelous join in co-publishing agreement
PSP fans will be familiar with both Marvelous Entertainment and XSEED Games. Both have been key supporters of the PSP through a number of niche games for the handheld. The two companies have announced a new partnership, in which XSEED will support Marvelous Entertainment in bringing their titles over to North America. Valhalla Knights 2 for the PSP will be the first title to be released under this partnership, which is scheduled to launch in Fall 2008. Valhalla Knights 2 is a follow-up to the previous PSP-exclusive action RPG. The sequel adds new races, job classes, weapons, magic spells, foes, armor, and more. Players will be able to partake in real-time 6 on 6 battles. The game supports 2 player ad-hoc network play, which enables co-op and versus modes. Expect more details on Valhalla Knights 2 and other titles from this partnership in the future.
