So what will Square Enix be showing at its booth during TGS? We already know Final Fantasy Versus XIII won’t be around, Assassin’s Creed Revelations is confirmed, but what else? In this weeks Dengeki Playstation, Director Tetsuya Nomura revealed the company plans on having playable versions of Final Fantasy XIII-2, Final Fantasy Type-0, Kingdom Hearts 3D and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.
XIII-2 was already playable at E3, and Type-0 will get a downloadable demo soon. But TGS will probably be the first chance to get hands-on time with other flagship games, Kingdom Hearts 3D and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.
Nomura had strong praise for KH3D, mentioning that the quality is on par with console games. KH3D will also have controllable cutscenes, which sounds interesting in theory, but we all know that’s been done plenty of times in other games.
Kingdom Hearts 3D is expected early next year, but Nomura also said to expect Theatrhythm, a project on which he’s serving as creative producer. He referred to the title as the first Final Fantasy 25th anniversary release, suggesting that more could be on the way.
It’s an RPG onslaught from Square Enix at an interesting time for the company, their recent track record isn’t indicative of the brands reputation, so hopefully they’re coming out all guns blazing and looking to kill the JRPG’s decline.
In Resistance: Fall of Man, players travel across Great Britain. The setting shifts to the United States for the next two installments. That’s the campaign settings in a nutshell. In multiplayer, however, Resistance 3 is heading to the Alice.
Insomniac has included Australia’s most central city in its multiplayer as a playable map. It does contains several buildings, which means high vantage points, but the main focus will be on the street and a dusty car yard, which means expect to get close… real close.
Below is why Insomniac has decided to include the red centre as a map for multiplayer, even including a bit of back story on how the Alice came to be this way:
Australia has always had an interesting place in the lore of Resistance, being the site of a gigantic refugee camp called Avalon One, and for years remaining a safe Haven even as Europe fell.
Unfortunately, the enormous amount of refugees strained food supplies, and Civil War erupted in 1952. Eventually, as with everywhere else on the planet, the Chimera arrived. Now the remnants of civilisation on the continent fight back in one of the most inhospitable climates to the Chimeran menace.
The Alice Springs map is an Insomniac favourite for its small town feel, with many small interiors perfect for close-quarters combat.
Check out this weeks digital content available for download via the Nintendo eShop, Nintendo DSi Shop, Nintendo WiiWare and Wii Shop Channel!
Avenging Spirit: For Nintendo 3DS via Nintendo eShop
Originally released on Game Boy, In Avenging Spirit your girlfriend is kidnapped and you are murdered by mobsters, only to return as a spirit hungry for vengeance. Things turn from bad to worse, as the mob goes on the hunt for your ghost energy, and you must wave your way past enemies and possess over 20 creatures through six challenging levels in your quest for vengeance.
GO Series-Fishing Resort: For Nintendo 3DS via Nintendo eShop and Nintendo DSi via Nintendo DSI Shop
Feel every bite, tug and pull in this fishing title with new rods, lines, floats and bait to buy and collect, with tradeable member cards and rankings with friends via wi-fi. Take part in challenges and go fish!
Hearts Spades Euchre: For Nintendo 3DS via Nintendo eShop and Nintendo DSi via Nintendo DSi Shop
Find the most popular card games all in one collection-Heart Spades Euchre! Modify the rules to suit the games you play, set the AI opponents difficulty level and challenge your friends in a local multiplayer game with up to four players. Then claim your victory and rub it in your friend’s faces with integrated speech and text chat functions!
Oscar’s World Tour: For Nintendo 3DS via Nintendo eShop and Nintendo DSi via Nintendo DSi Shop
Oscar returns in this action-packed adventure, as he swims, flies, and runs through seven exciting new worlds collecting shattered baby Oscars. Armed only with a Yo-Yo, swing from platform to platform and attack your foes in this crazy platformer.
Ever wished your Xbox avatar could defend the universe? No? Well even if you didn’t, you can now! The universe now lies in the palm of your hands with 21 new avatar items based off the popular mecha series Voltron.
Items now available include:
Mattel Blazing Sword Voltron Toy – 320 Microsoft point
Voltron Blazing Sword – 240 Microsoft point
Voltron Classic Pose #1 Tee – 80 Microsoft point
Voltron Classic Pose #1 Tee – 80 Microsoft point
Voltron Costume – 320 Microsoft point
Voltron Costume – 320 Microsoft point
Voltron Image #1 Tee (Men’s) – 80 Microsoft point
Voltron Image #1 Tee (Women’s) – 80 Microsoft point
Voltron Mask – 160 Microsoft point
Voltron Pilot Suit – Black (Men’s) – 240 Microsoft point
Voltron Pilot Suit – Blue (Men’s) – 240 Microsoft point
Voltron Pilot Suit – Green (Men’s) – 240 Microsoft point
Voltron Pilot Suit – Orange (Men’s) – 240 Microsoft point
Voltron Pilot Suit – Pink (Men’s) – 240 Microsoft point
Voltron Pilot Suit – Red (Men’s) – 240 Microsoft point
Voltron Pilot Suit – Black (Women’s) – 240 Microsoft point
Voltron Pilot Suit – Blue (Women’s) – 240 Microsoft point
Voltron Pilot Suit – Green (Women’s) – 240 Microsoft point
Voltron Pilot Suit – Orange (Women’s) – 240 Microsoft point
Voltron Pilot Suit – Pink (Women’s) – 240 Microsoft point
Voltron Pilot Suit – Red -(Women’s) – 240 Microsoft point
All are available now on the Xbox Live Marketplace. You can check out the Voltron items release trailer below and leave a comment letting us know your thoughts.
This week we have a special guest from Twisted Pixel, Marketing Director and 2D Artist, Jay Stuckwisch and we have a big discussion about all things Pixel. We talk about what video game characters we would like to punch in the face, some game news and what we’ve been playing.
Cast: Alexis Ayala, Philip Federico, Matt Vella, Kelly Teng, Michael Marr and special guest from Twisted Pixel Jay Stuckwisch
In anticipation for the upcoming remake of Warlords (1980) coming to Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, we spoke to games producer Brian Kirkness of Griptonite Games about the challenges and goals of reworking a video game classic.
The original Warlords saw its debut release in 1980. How did the idea come about to remake it now for XBLA and PSN? Why now?
The timing is perfect for smaller budget remakes in the game marketplace right now with the popularity of services like XBLA, PSN, & Steam. We also had a great idea for this current version that adds to the franchise but doesn’t take away from the original core game.
Was it an important factor to try and stay true to the original title, or was creating a completely new experience the goal from the start?
We really set out to try and combine the two. Warlords has a very devoted fan base and they want a game that plays as much like the original as possible. However, we also understand that this is a chance to introduce a classic to some new gamers who have different expectations than those of us who grew up in the arcade era.
When sort of challenges did Griptonite come across when developing Warlords?
Probably the biggest challenge we faced was trying to make the controls feel like Warlords without a paddle controller. Obviously we can’t just emulate a paddle, so we had to make some concessions, but overall we feel the game handles very well.
Warlords has been remade a few times since its original arcade release and this isn’t the first time we’ve seen it on the Xbox 360, so what separates this one from the all the others?
Aside from the new art style we’ve added some new features this time around. There are power-ups, Snoots (troops you can control) and a few different gameplay modes.
Can you tell us about the presentation and art design, and why you chose this direction for this edition of Warlords?
The art style came about from our desire to capture a little more of the history of Warlords, but put a slightly humorous spin on it. Warlords is a fast-paced, competitive game and we wanted people to be able to laugh a little as they are trash talking their friends.
Not long ago you guys released a character trailer introducing the Warlords. Are they assigned to the players or are they selectable, and do they have individual skills or abilities?
The player can choose any Warlord they like or place as their XBLA avatar. Unfortunately the Warlords do not possess unique powers.
Old school Paddle controller VS modern day PS3 and/or 360 controller. Who wins and takes the cake for when it comes to game play? Be honest!
At Griptonite we are pretty big Warlords fans and proud of our game, but nothing quite beats the feeling of spinning an old school paddle controller around. It’s just a different skill that can’t be replicated on the modern controllers.
I’m sure many gamers can’t wait to get their hands on this title, when do you think we can expect a release date?
Look for it soon!
Griptonite Games is also developing Shinobi for the 3DS, you guys must love bringing back classics to this new generation! What do you think makes these modern adaptations so appealing to gamers and developers?
I would like to think it’s for the same reason Hollywood does all the remakes, aside from the money: love for the original. We all have fond memories of old games, cartoons, movies, etc. Often times playing those games is what inspired us to get into the industry to begin with. Getting the chance to be a part of the history of some of your favorite memories and hopefully create that same level of enthusiasm in the next generation of gamers is one of the big reasons a lot of us became game developers.
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Us here at Capsule Computers would like to thank Brian Kirkness for his time and thoughtful answers, and wish him and the team at Griptonite good luck on the release of Warlords. Keep an eye out for Warlords which will be available on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation network out this season!
Earlier this year, the gaming world witnessed the release of Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Then Capcom decided to announce Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom for the same consoles, set for a November release (really, Capcom?). This was around the time when Capcom pulled the plug on Megaman Legends 3, which was going to be released on the Nintendo 3DS.
However, Amazon France might have stumbled upon something when they posted this page. The page will lead you to an entry for Marvel vs Capcom 3 for the Playstation Vita. There is no release date or price on the page. I do suspect that it could be the Ultimate version, if such a project is currently in development.
Street Fighter x Tekken is heading for the handheld and Capcom did announce that there are a few Vita titles in the works. Maybe this is one of them.
What does the Capsule Community think of this? Do you want your favourite Marvel and Capcom characters in your pocket? Comment below.
[UPDATE]: The page has now been removed, but Amazon France were in the right direction as Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 will be heading to the Vita.
The initial release of the downloadable content packages for Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 was at first met with some degree of confusion. On the 20th of July, American, European and Oceania players of DWG3 were finally able to get their hands on the first batch of DLC that has already been in circulation in Japan for 6 months now. Only thing was, it was suffering from the same syndrome that DWG 2 did, in that the package provided no extra characters, and just 3 new missions, which, by and large seemed like VERY little difference. However, the next week came, and lo-and-behold, on the 27th of July, players were offered the very first downloadable character, mobile suit, and individual story mission for Mr Bushido and the Susawano from Gundam 00 as DLC. Mind you, the 480 MSP price tag still seems a bit steep for the amount being offered.
The next week rolled around, and I had decided to check out the DLC marketplace again, to see if perhaps Tieria Erde, or Lockon Stratos had yet been added. Unfortunately not. Again, it was just another batch of 3 DLC missions. I still downloaded them, but was underwhelmed. Now, today, on the 9th of August, yet another DLC batch was released, this time with another extra character and mobile suit, Marida Cruz and the Kshatriya from the Unicorn series.
I kind of started detecting a pattern. A new character would be released every two weeks. At first I had feared that my other 3 favourite Gundam Meisters from 00 would not be making an appearance. After actually finishing the base story mode in the game, I was relieved to see that the DLC characters were included in the game credits, therefore lending credence to the notion that Lockon Stratos, Tieria Erde and Allelujah Haptism will eventually find their ways onto the DLC marketplace. If the current pattern is to be believed, then that would place the subsequent CHARACTER DLC release dates at later points at 2 or 3 weeks intervals during August and September.
So for the sake of those a little confused by the release schedule, allow me to summarise the offical schedule outlined by KOEI so far:
July 19: Three DLC Missions released (“Fortress Infiltration: Blaze of Glory”; “Fortress Infiltration: Solo Assault”; & “Proving Your Worth as an Ace Pilot”). 240 MSP. OUT NOW.
July 26: Mr Bushido and Susawano pack. 480 MSP. OUT NOW.
August 2: Three DLC Missions released (“The Time of War”; “Acguy vs. Acguy”; & “The Legend of the Fastest, Strongest Mobile Suit”). 240 MSP. OUT NOW.
August 9: Marida Cruz and Kshatriya pack. 480 MSP. OUT NOW.
August 16: Three DLC Missions released (“United?! The Knights of Argus!”; “Total annihilation! Become the king of destruction!”; & “A fate intertwined? Open up a path of escape!”). 240 MSP.
August 23: Three DLC Missions released (“True Dynasty Warrior Gundam… May Your Life Be Eternal”; “Final Trial Against the Giants”; & “Humankind and Gundams”) 240 MSP.
August 30: Lockon Stratos and Cheridum Gundam pack. 480 MSP.
No offical word as yet regarding our MIA Allelujah or Tieria, but they will likely make appearances on the marketplace in September if the current release pattern is anything to judge by. It will also be interesting to see if any OTHER DLC will be made available at some time in the future. (I mean after all, Quatre and Wufei are still missing from the Gundam Wing lineup. 🙂 )
The Fall 2011 Anime Season is one of the most highly anticipated anime seasons in a long time. With many new series starting and several continuing, it is indeed going to be an interesting season this Fall. So far several series have been confirmed. Check out the list below for details on what you can expect this Fall.
Airing on TBS:
Boku we Tomodachi ga Sukunai (studio – AIC Build)
Mobile Suit GUNDAM AGE (studio – Sunrise)
Persona 4 (studio – AIC ASTA)
Airing on Fuji TV:
UN-GO (studio – BONES)
Guilty Crown (studio – Production I.G.)
Airing on NTV:
Lupin the 3rd New Series (studio – Toms Entertainment)
Chihayaful (studio – Madhouse)
Hunter x Hunter (studio – Madhouse)
Airing on TV Tokyo:
Shinryaku!? Ika Musume (studio – Diomedia)
Cross Fight B-Daman (studio – TBA)
Airing on NHK-E:
Bakuman 2nd Season (studio – J.C. Staff)
Phi Brain (studio – Sunrise)
Airing on UHF:
Fujirogu 2nd Season (studio – Uzupiyo Guraphics)
Fate/Zero (studio – Ufotable)
Maken-Ki! (studio – AIC)
Future Diary (studio – Asread)
Tamayura ~hitotose~ (studio – TYO)
Working’!! (studio – A-1 Pictures)
Airing station TBA:
Majide Watashi ni Koisinasai!! (studio – LARC)
Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere (studio – Sunrise)
Kimi to Boku (studio – J.C. Staff)
Shana Final (studio – J.C. Staff)
C3 –C Cube- (studio – Silver Link)
Last Exile – Fam, The Silver Wing (studio – Gonzo)
Moretsu Space Pirate (studio – Satellite)
Mashiroiro Symphony (studio – Mangrove)
BEN-TO (studio – David Production)
Sekaiichi Hatsukoi (studio – DEEN)
Or if you would rather a pretty image to tell you the same information as above, 0taku.com has made a nifty visual guide to the upcoming season which can be found here. Leave us a comment below letting us know which series you are most anticipating from this upcoming Fall season.
The upcoming Hetalia: Axis Powers movie, Hetalia Paint it White! which is to be dubbed and distributed by Funimation Entertainment, has it’s first teaser trailer uploaded to the net.
The trailer is 5 minutes long and features footage of the english dub from Funimation Entertainment. Hetalia is an anime series which features personifications of countries in anime character form. Hetalia Paint it White! features the cast banding together (excluding Canada) in an attempt to combat some sort of white alien invasion… or something?
You can check out the huge trailer and leave a comment with your thoughts on Hetalia Paint it White! in the comment section below
