XSEED GAMES RELEASES SPECTACULAR CHARACTER BATTLE TRAILER FOR THE LEGEND OF HEROES: TRAILS OF COLD STEEL

The Elite Members of Thors Military Academy’s Class VII Show Off Their Best Skill Attacks in New Video for Upcoming PS3™ and “PSVita” Launch on December 22 

XSEED Games, the independent-minded console publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., today released a new trailer for Nihon Falcom’s acclaimed Trails series of roleplaying games, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel, which will release December 22 for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system. Alongside the standard edition, a limited “Lionheart Edition” will also be available in stores. In the video, the students of Thors Military Academy’s Class VII display the fruits of their unique education, showcasing special moves unique to each character that prove what makes them worthy of their elite titles.

In addition to highlighting some of their best “Craft” and “S-Craft” attacks, this video also showcases the combining of attacks via the turn-based Combat Link System, as well as a variety of magic-like “Arts.” Rean, Laura, and Jusis lacerate their way to victory with deadly sword slashes, Alisa and Machias provide support from afar with long-ranged attacks, Gaius zeroes in on enemies like a hawk with spear outstretched, the versatile Fie assaults foes both near and far with her twin gunswords, Elliot’s fondness for music is realized with his “Seventh Rhapsody” attack, and Emma — not to be outdone by Elliot — utilizes her Orbal Staff to summon the grand Lord Albireon.

Known in Japan as Eiyuu Densetsu: Sen no Kiseki, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel builds on Nihon Falcom’s acclaimed Trails franchise by improving on the series’ formula while delivering an expertly told narrative that both series fans and newcomers alike will enjoy. Taking place on the same continent as fan-favorite Trails in the Sky, Trails of Cold Steel is the first game in the series to explore Erebonian soil, giving players a chance to delve deep into the inner political conflicts of this oft-mentioned and powerful empire.

In The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel, players take on the role of specially-selected elite military students at a time of great turmoil, who enjoy school life as they bond with fellow students to earn new abilities in battle, and then utilize those abilities via speedy, tactical turn-based combat, which is complemented by the newly-developed “ARCUS” system. Best of all, the epic storyline can be unraveled with Cross-Save functionality between the game’s “PSVita” system and PS3™ system editions, allowing players to play at home or on the go.

Published by XSEED Games in North America, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel will be available December 22 for PS3™ and “PSVita” systems in North America*. The limited Lionheart Edition has a suggested retail price of $49.99, and the standard edition of the game will be available in stores for $39.99 as well as digitally via the PlayStation®Store. The title has been rated “T for Teen” by the ESRB. Additional information can be found at: www.trailsofcoldsteel.com.

For more information on XSEED Games products, please visit www.xseedgames.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook at www.facebook.com/XSEEDGames and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/XSEEDGames.

*NIS America is publishing the PAL region version of the game.

NEW SUPER MARIO MAKER WEB PORTAL AND SOFTWARE UPDATE COMING DECEMBER 22

Super Mario Maker Bookmark web portal lets players easily find courses to play later, while a software update adds new in-game items

18^th December, 2015 – Choosing the perfect course from the millions available to play in Super Mario Maker for Wii U is about to get a whole lot easier, with the launch of the new Super Mario Maker Bookmark web portal on December 22 alongside a software update that further expands the game’s course creation possibilities.

After making it onto numerous “Best of 2015” lists, as well as recently winning Best Family Game at The Game Awards 2015 show, Super Mario Maker is going from strength to strength and is sure to be a family favourite this Christmas, as the joy of making Super Mario courses is shared between generations. With millions of courses already available to play, Super Mario Maker truly offers something for everyone – and is about to offer even more.

Players will be able to access Super Mario Maker Bookmark from their computer, tablet or smart phone to see recommended courses, as well as find their ideal challenge by filtering all available courses by difficulty, game theme, course style and more. Players can also search using a selection of tags, making it easier to find courses that fall into a specific category such as automatic, puzzle, music and more. Any eye-catching levels can then be added as Bookmarks for instant access in-game*. These comprehensive options are also accessible on Wii U via the Course World in Super Mario Maker, allowing players to find a course and hit the Play Now button to jump straight into the action*. A link to Super Mario Maker Bookmark will be added to the Super Mario Maker gamesite  after the web portal launches on December 22.

Also on December 22, a software update will be released that adds even more features to the game, including several items never before seen in the Super Mario series. These new features include:

• Fire Koopa Clown Car: Perfect for creating shoot ‘em up-style courses, this volcanic vessel is capable of shooting fireballs as well as a powerful charged shot that can even destroy Blocks.
• P Warp Doors: Unlike regular Warp Doors, these are only visible while a P Switch is active – ideal for creating truly devious Ghost House courses.
• Bumper: This bouncy donut-shaped object sends Mario bounding away when touched.
• Other additions: Super Mario Maker Bookmark will be accessible from Course World, while the course information page will now show the fastest clear time, as well as the first player to clear that particular course.

You can see the new items in action in a new video, or take a look at Super Mario Maker Bookmark in a separate trailer.

On top of these new ways to find and create courses, fans can also look forward to more Event Courses that, once cleared, each unlock a new Costume Mario to use. Currently available costumes include Frog Mario and the Mario Trio from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros., while a new Nintendo Badge Arcade Event Course will be available from today.

As enthusiastic creators around the world continue to craft and share their own unique visions of Super Mario courses, they’re also racking up some staggering figures. More than 260 million Blocks have been placed** – enough to build the Great Pyramid of Giza about 11 times – and if each of the 313 million-plus Coins** were the size of a $1 coin, they could make 107 Mount Everest-sized stacks. More fun facts can be found in a special infographic also shared today (attached).

With the Super Mario Maker Bookmark website and new in-game items launching on December 22, plus more Event Courses on the way, Super Mario Maker is the ideal way to bring every generation of the family together for gaming fun this season.

* Software update required.

** As of November 27, 2015. Indicates the total number, including winged variants, that have been placed in uploaded courses.
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