Archive for July, 2007
Stranglehold’s PS3 version delayed 3 weeks until September 17 (the one with the Hard Boiled HD movie in America)
While the Xbox 360 and PC versions of John Woo Presents Stranglehold will still be released on August 27th, 2007. The PS3 versions of the game, which the Collector’s Edition includes a remastered HD version of the game’s prequel film and John Woo classic Hard Boiled, is now delayed three weeks until September 17th in America. No word yet on if this affects the September 7th European release date this year, but probably not since only America is getting the added film.
A Midway representative told GS the limited-edition packages selling for $10 more than the suggested $59.99 of the regular versions are different for the two consoles. For the extra money the PS3 Collector’s Edition includes a copy of Hard Boiled included on the Blu-ray disc, while the Xbox 360 Collector’s Edition includes a behind-the-scenes documentary on the game, as well as looks at the concept art and sound design of the game.
So if you only want the regular version, take a behind the scenes look at what went into making the videogame sequel to one of the greatest action movies of all time. Here’s the “Making of Stranglehold.”
1 comment »Project Sylpheed: Arc of Deception review video (Xbox 360)
Project Sylpheed: Arc of Deception takes you centuries into the future where you customize and pilot amazing starships, battle swarms of enemy fighters, and enjoy stellar visuals. Become immersed in the full, multilayered storyline. Take on hordes of enemy starfighters in extreme 3-D space combat. Enjoy animation with vivid visuals, cool space settings, and over 50 minutes of CG video.
Reminiscent of summer days spent hunched-over a coin-op machine in a dark arcade, Project Sylpheed is a 3-D makeover of the classic, mid-‘80s scrolling shooter franchise. As Katana Faraway, players must pilot a Delta Saber space fighter equipped with a highly customizable arsenal of weapons. In order to succeed, Katana must execute squadron commands and monitor their speed, shield, radar and weapons as they maneuver out of challenging situations and defend Earth against the evil ADAN forces.
A weak story, iffy controls, and mundane gameplay keep this space shooter from lifting off. Find out more in this Project Sylpheed video review.
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Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja 2 sequel announced for DS by Success
Success has announced a sequel to their original dungeon-RPG Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja for Nintendo DS. Tentatively titled “Gouma Reifu Den Izuna Ni” (Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed 2), it’s set for release on DS in Japan in fall 2007.
The announcement mentions that a new character will be joining the cast, translates Insertcredit. No word yet on if Atlus will be picking up the sequel for release in America as well.
Incase you’re not familiar with the first game, Izuna is a kunoichi, a female ninja. She’s arrogant, and doesn’t often listen to others. Often tries to get her way by using her feminine wiles on the local townsmen. Izuna and her ninja clan are looking for a place to settle down after their old master decided that ninjas were obsolete, and booted them from his castle. Upon arriving at a village that’s suitably out of the way for their former “Grandboss”, Gen-An, they decide to stay at an inn when Grandboss wanders off…
While trying to find Grandboss, Izuna manages to offend the gods of the village, and everyone in the area starts behaving strangely. Now Izuna has to descend into the various shrines for the gods in order to set things right. No news on the sequel’s story yet, maybe she’ll be employed this time?
Offset, fantasy third and first-person action game, revealed in debut trailer
Project Offset is a fantasy third and first-person action game in development by “Offset Software”, founded by Sam McGrath, Travis Stringer and Trevor Stringer, all winners of the 2004 Independant Games Festival for their title Savage: The Battle for Newerth.
Offset uses their brand-new “Offset Engine” which was built from the ground up for use in this game, which is set to hit shelves on the PC initially with no release date yet set.
The world of Offset consists of sprawling environments that convey the massive scope of their all new fantasy setting and leads heroes along roads, rivers and natural trails as they uncover dark mysteries within dank caverns, fortified castles and labyrinthine dungeons. Colossal cities, ancient structures and other war-ravaged settings are the stage of large-scale battles in both the single-player and multiplayer campaigns.
Treasures will aid collectors in the form of a myriad of weapons, armour and magical artifacts. Heroes must take care when tampering with the forces of the arcane as magic is still an art full of mystery and unpredictability . . .
With impresses graphics and a solid engine, the Project Offset debut trailer promises “5 Distinct Classes”, “Parellel Storytelling”, a “Hybrid Combat System”, “Rideable Creatures”, and “Squad Based Multiplayer”.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Metal Gear Online in-depth interviews
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots for the Playstation 3 is easily one of that systems most anticipated titles, and one of it’s biggest exclusives.
While Konami remained tight-lipped about the series for a long-while, they have finally been opening up recently, both with the new extended trailer from E3 2007 and the announcement of Metal Gear Solid Online, which will be using the MGS4 engine.
In two recent interviews, Konami and Hideo Kojima went more in depth on both games.
In this Metal Gear Solid 4 interview, they discuss the Sixaxis controls, OctoCamo, Solid Eye, and the various warring soldiers you’ll come across during the game.
Watch this interview in HD.
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Bleach: The Blade of Fate for Nintendo DS puts anime fighting in your pocket
Bleach: Blade of Fate is an upcoming 2D fighter for the DS (also coming to the Wii) developed by Treasure and published by Sega, with a release date of October 9th in the U.S
The game is based off the extremely popular Shounen Jump Bleach manga and anime series. It features 28 selectable characters (With a unique story for each character. All adapted from the Soul Society arc from episodes 20-63) and a two line 2D fighting system, with the ability to move between the upper and lower-plane during battles.
The list of playable characters includes: Article continues »
Mankind faces extinction in this all new Resident Evil: Extinction trailer
The other day I posted the old Resident Evil: Extinction teaser trailer from February, and while that definitely gave us a taste of the new movie, finally a new trailer has hit that gives a very in-depth look at the upcoming Resident Evil flick.
I really like this new trailer, looks like this movie will be better than the second movie, and hopefully better than the first as well. I didn’t care for the first movie actually, but this new one looks like it has a good mix of action and horror, which is what the director has always shot for. And the special effects look really cool. I’m loving the whole part with the crows. It surprises me when I think about it that they haven’t used the zombie crows yet in the movies.
Resident Evil: Extinction has a release date in theaters of September 21st 2007.
Iowa library uses Guitar Hero to attract teens
You know that a video game has gone truly mainstream when libraries, of all places, start using them in their facilities. And that’s exactly what has happened at the Humboldt Public Library in Humboldt, Iowa (USA).
As part of a Teen Advisory Board program, the library sets up a Guitar Hero game for visitors to play after school on certain days. And according to a librarian the after-school ritual has been a fixture of the library for months. Naturally, it serves as a hook to get people, particularly teenagers, into the library, where their fellow peers on the advisory board can then chat them up and, of course, recommend some good books for them to check out while the player’s of Guitar Hero wait their turn.
The theory behind the advisory board is that a recommendation from a peer is likely to carry more weight for a student than one from a librarian. Among the books suggested by board members are Patricia McCormick’s Cut, Dia Calhoun’s Avielle of Rhia, D.J. MacHale’s Pendragon Book Seven: The Quillan Games, Catherine Jinks’ Pagan’s Crusade, and R.A. Nelson’s Teach Me.
This is not the first bit of government-encouraged gaming to surface either. Last year, West Virginia unveiled its plan to incorporate Konami’s rhythm game Dance Dance Revolution into all public schools’ physical education or health-related curricula within two years.
What I want to know is . . . wouldn’t some rockin’ Guitar Hero be a bit of a bother to the rest of the partons at the library? Library’s are supposed to be quiet after all . . . Not that I’m against it or anything. The more video games in libraries the better!
New video game releases week 31, 2007
Here’s a list of this weeks US game releases. Popular are Mario Strikers Charged for Wii and Picross DS. On the downloadable games front we’ve got today’s awesome Wii Virtual Console download releases, and Marathon Durandal and Spyglass Board Games are coming to Xbox Live Arcade (updates Wednesday). No word on any PlayStation Store games yet (updates Thursday).
Monday:
Bratz Ponyz
Chameleon: To Dye For!
Drop Off - $6 (Wii Virtual Console)
Dynamite Headdy - $8 (Wii Virtual Console)
Mario Strikers Charged
Picross DS
Star Soldier - $5 (Wii Virtual Console)
Tuesday:
Brave Story: New Traveler
Combat Mission: Shock Force
Glory Days 2: Brotherhood of Men
Harvest Moon: Boy & Girl
Let’s Ride: Friends Forever
Spelling Challenges and More!
Ride! Carnival Tycoon
Virtual Villagers 2: The Lost Children
World Championship Cards
Wednesday:
Marathon Durandal - $10 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Spyglass Board Games - $5 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Dragon Quest IV, V, VI announced for Nintendo DS by Square Enix in Japan
Dragon Quest IV, V and VI will join Dragon Quest: Monster Joker and Dragon Quest IX on the Nintendo DS! Enix’s classic RPGs are being remade for the DS.
Incase that isn’t big enough news for you, it seems like they aren’t just straight ports from Square Enix, but complete remakes. If you look at the screenshot from Dragon Quest IV to you right, you’ll notice it’s in the style of the PlayStation remakes. Nothing has been confirmed about these games being released outside of Japan, but according to Neurope if they do, it’ll be the first time these gems are translated into English.
Click to enlarge these two full-page DQ scans from Japan:
