Category Archives: Gaming News

SEGA Heritage Collection Announced, Contains Jet Set Radio, NiGHTS Into Dreams, and Sonic Adventure 2

Looks like Jet Set Radio ain’t dead after all! SEGA has announced a new collection of games under the SEGA Heritage moniker. Think SEGA Vintage, but for more recent games. The first wave of this collection will include Jet Set Radio HD and will be available to on September 18th and 19th on PS3 and Xbox 360 respectively. PS Plus subscribers will get JSR one week early. Sega Saturn classic NiGHTS Into Dreams then makes loops and link in October. No specific date for that yet, but at least we know it’ll be within that month. Same goes for Sonic Adventure 2, the game some considered to be the last great 3D Sonic game before its decline (and somewhat revival with Sonic Generations). All three games will cost you $9.99 each. No word if they’re will be some sort of bundle price once SA2 is released, but there ya go.

SEGA Heritage Collection Trailer [Youtube]

A Pair Of Trademarks Renewed: The Last Guardian and Skies Of Arcadia

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Two trademarks, from two companies, for two hard to grasp games got renewed. First was The Last Guardian from Sony. The ever-tardy game from Team ICO had its trademark expire, making everyone fearful that the game was going to be cancelled. The fear was made worse when reports arose that Kenji Kaido, a Producer at Team ICO, had left Sony and the team. It the midst of all the fear and speculation, Sony reports that they had actually renewed their trademark the same day it expired. So there’s still hope yet for the game’s release.

The other trademark that got renewed was Skies of Arcadia. NeoGAF user Jcgamer60 unearthed a trademark renewal form from Trademarkia. The trademark was renewed on July 11, 2012. One would think that this would mark a Summer release. But today’s Labor Day, and nothing’s come out of it. Fall release perhaps? This high-flying sky-pirate RPG was first released on the Dreamcast to rave reviews and gamer praise. When the Dreamcast fell, it was was ported to the Gamecube as Skies of Arcadia Legends. Both times the game had a limited release (former because of the console’s abrupt end, latter because… well who knows). So many never really had a chance to play this game the two times it was released. I almost had a chance myself back then. The closest anyone had to play the game was in Valkyria Chronicles where Vyse and Aika were available to recruit into Squad 7. This might become the best chance for many (including me) for finally play this game and see what all the hubbub was about.

Panic Not, SCEA Filed Another “The Last Guardian” Trademark [TheSixthAxis]

Skies of Arcadia Trademark Renewed. Sega’s next HD release? [NeoGAF, via RPGSite]

Project X Zone Might Get Localized If It Does Well In Japan

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Project X Zone, the big crossover SRPG/Fighter between Capcom, Namco, and Sega, is close to release in Japan. Some of us at TWF want to see the game released here. However Namco never showed signs of bringing the game over to the West. That is, until now. According to 100,000 Strong To Localize Project X Zone, someone in the community was able to talk to someone from Namco Bandai (the developers of the game) during the GameStop Expo in Texas this week, and the rep said that they’re waiting to see if the game sells well first. On their Facebook page, they say that they’re “waiting to see how PXZ sells in japan first before they start getting the license again from Sega and Capcom.” It goes on to state that if it does come over, it’ll be in late 2013/early 2014. 100,000 Strong does stress that an earlier rumor of some characters being nixed if it was localized is completely wrong.

Remember though that this is still all speculation. Even if the game sells well in Japan, there’s still the possibility of the game not making it over. But hey, at least they’re saying something and are aware now instead of staying silent like they’ve doing since the game’s reveal.

[via 100,000 Strong To Localize PXZ]

Atlus Re-Does Shin Megami Tensei IV Website, Adds Kickass Music

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Fresh off the leak of the the Shin Megami Tensei IV trailer, Atlus updated the website for the game. Instead of a shot of the city and somber music, we now have black and white background with an outlined silhouette of what could be the main character. As Siliconera points out, the bottom of the image says, in Japanese, that Devil Summoner Soul Hackers will contain the first trailer for SMT IV, with then concludes with “And then…” What could this point out to? More info on the game when the 3DS port/remake Soul Hackers is released? Maybe a direct link to Soul Hackers and SMT IV?

Who knows. but for now, let’s enjoy that awesome music on the website now. I wanna say it’s Shouji Meguro (since he took over all composing duties for the MegaTen franchise since Nocturne), but this doesn’t sound like the band/soundset he usually works with. One thing’s for sure, if this game’s gonna have music like this, it’s gonna be a hardhitting and atmospheric soundtrack.

Shin Megami Tensei IV Website Says: “And Then…” [Siliconera]

Shin Megami Tensei IV Website

Sir Daniel and Nariko Formally Introduced Into Playstation All-Stars

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Okay, now we can do this a little more properly. Sir Daniel Fortesque from MediEvil and Nariko from Heavenly Sword have been formally revealed as the next new characters in Playstation All-Stars. To see how they play, you can go to the previous reveal article to get an idea (the video is live again). That’s Sir Daniel up there. Nariko is after the jump.

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Project Giana Kickstarter Successful, Aiming For Steam Release

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Art by Pikomi.

Last week I informed you that a new Giana Sisters game was being made by Black Forest Games and they needed a successful Kickstarter to release on time. Well, with 6 hours left to got, I’m pleased to announce that the Kickstarter is successful! As of this report, they’ve accumulated $175, 330. That’s over $25,000 beyond their initial goal of $150,000. Now that that hurdle is cleared, there’s extra incentives in place should they reach any milestones. If they get $200,000, they’ll add additional levels and a hardcore more. $250,000 adds more new enemies and a Ninja/Pirate Owl Boss. And finally $300,000 preps it for release on the Ouya. Regardless of how much they get, they game’s coming out on time. And it’s nice to see a bunch of Giana Sisters fans out there.

In the mean time, Black Forest Games has put Project Giana up on Valve’s new Steam Greenlight polling system. Really quickly, Steam Greenlight is a system where you vote for games you want to see released on Steam. Black Forest states on their Faceboook page that getting the game released on Steam will bring in the option for backers to get Steam Keys. So get on there and rate this baby up! Oh, and vote on a final name for the game too! They just put that up as well.

Sir Daniel And Nariko Revealed In Playstation All-Stars [UPDATE: Video Restored]

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In a gameplay video by Gamespot, they show off two new characters for Sony’s upcoming mascot fighter Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale. First is Nariko from Ninja Theory’s Heavenly Sword. Nariko’s moveset looks similar to Kratos, which makes sense considering the weapons are what originally inspired her game’s creation. Her level 1 Super is pretty effective when everyone’s crowded around. With her is Sir Daniel Fortesque from the PS1 classic MediEvil. He looks to be the heavy hitter in the bunch and prefers close combat. His charge can really close the gap between him and his opponents.

~~I’ll let the guys in the video explain how they play.~~ ~~Nevermind that. They made the video private. So instead, I’ll show some screenshots from the video in question.~~ It’s live again now that Sony has introduced them. But I’ll keep the pictures up. Hit the jump to see them.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale: Nariko, Sir Daniel [Youtube, via Gamespot]

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Could Type-0 DLC Song In Theatrhythm Spell A Future For Its Western Localization?

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Square Enix laid out its schedule of DLC for their 3DS rhythm game Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy. Among the list is a song from Final Fantasy Type-0, “What Becomes of Us.” This is an interesting addition to the game since Type-0 has yet to be localized for Western release. Many have been clamoring for this game to cross the Pacific since its release in Japan last year. The game was released for the PSP and was to be the start of a new series for just handhelds. Of the three Fabula Nova Crystalis games, this one, once light-hearted under the Agito XIII name, became the darkest of the three with its new Type-0 moniker. The market for the PSP is vastly different between Japan and the West, with the West’s market being a virtual ghost town. This might’ve been the deciding factor for Square Enix and their lack of interest in bringing the game over here.

But then there’s this. Now this can be interpreted as ramping up interest. But it could very much be them trying to keep a consistent release schedule between all territories. And with potential money involved, leaving this out because a game isn’t here yet is lost cash. And — to tangent a bit here — in both Dissidia and Duodecim, Type-0 icons (then still called Agito XIII) were unlockable. But I digress, here’s hoping something happens with Final Fantasy Type-0. Anything positive for this game is a positive for a future release on PSN (or elsewhere).

Theatrhythm DLC Schedule Has A Final Fantasy: Type-0 Song For U.S. [Siliconera]

Somehow, In Some Way, This Person Has A Wii U

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A member of the Fragdolls somehow managed to snag herself a Wii U according to her tweet. Not sure how exactly she got it nor which convention she attended to get it. From the tweets, it looks like PAX but then says something about a Gamestop Convention (didn’t even know they did those). She also seemed to be involved with Ubisoft (either as a rep or just hanging around the area, I’m leaning on the former). In some more good WiiU related news, one of her earlier tweets says that ZombiU did well at the crowd. Ubisoft might have an early hit on their hands with the Wii U. Let’s just hope it’s not another Red Steel moment.

[via KAT Twitter]

Phoenix Wright Trilogy Coming to iOS Devices

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While one fanbase gets disappointed and an iOS release, another is getting a kick in shin. Capcom has announced Phoenix Wright Trilogy HD, an iOS port of the first three Phoenix Wright games all packaged into one. For this release, the graphics are getting cleaned up the controls will be optimized for the iOS. Makes sense since the this is essentially and adventure game/visual novel, and the DS releases of course made heavy use of the touch screen. Hey, makes more sense than another game we found out about.

Of course, this isn’t the news that Phoenix Wright fans want to hear since they’re still waiting for Ace Attorney Investigations 2 to be localized. But like I said in the other iOS reveal, maybe this might gauge interest for that game to get localized. Phoenix Wright Trilogy HD is set to release on iOS devices and can be bought separately or all together. Release date and price is TBA.

No Objections Here: Capcom Announces ‘Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy HD’ For iOS [MTV Multiplayer]

Game Freak Making A New Game, And It’s Not Pokemon (Video Included!)

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Remember back then when Game Freak made Pulseman? This was before they were heavy into making Pokemon. Sure they had Drill Dozer, but that was in 2005, which was 7 years ago. But now they’re experimenting again, this time with Rhythm Hunter HarmoKnight. Revealed in this morning’s Nintendo Direct, It’s a hybrid Action Platformer/Rhythm Game. Think a mix between Theatrhythm meets Rhythm Heaven. A better comparison would be that Platform Hero stage from the upcoming Rayman Legends. I always like it when a company tries something a little different from what they usually do (especially the guys at Game Freak).

Rhythm Hunter HarmoKnight is set to release on the 3DS eShop sometime this year (I think). A U.S. release doesn’t look out of the picture since much of the commands are in English, so it may not cost much to bring over.

You can see a video of HarmoKnight it after the break.

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New Nintendo Direct In Japan Set For Tomorrow

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Looks like Nintendo’s gonna do another Nintendo Direct. According to the message on the streaming page, they’ll only be focusing on Wii and 3DS software. They make it very clear that there will be no Wii U news on this. I have a feeling this is primarily going to be a 3DS showing as the Wii is on its last legs. If they’re going to show anything on the Wii, it’ll probably be extra stuff for games currently released, maybe some Fatal Frame II and Kirby 20th Anniversary news, etc. Remember, this is the Japanese Nintendo Direct, so any news coming out of this may not necessarily apply to the U.S. But who knows, maybe Iwata might break the flow, become aware of the U.S. audience watching it, and suddenly announce at the last minute that Pandora’s Tower‘s coming to the U.S.!

Since the broadcast starts at 8PM JST, using a timezone converter, that means it’ll start at… 7AM EST? Huh… I think I might have to wake my ass up early for this then. Use this. If I’m wrong, please correct me.

[Japanese Nintendo Direct Site]

Shin Megami Tensei IV Gets A Trailer

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Now you might be thinking, “huh? Isn’t Strange Journey the fourth mainline SMT game?” Well it’s actually not. Our colleague Hachi76 told us this during a podcast tapings some weeks ago. You can pretty much pin this on Atlus just slapping the SMT name on a lot of things and confusing us on which is a side-story and which is mainline.

So then. What do we see in this trailer. Well, it starts off looking like something out of Avatar: The Last Airbender. A large fortress is shown with what looks like shots of the inside flashing onscreen. It then shows three people looking over the fortress (probably from inside the walls) and then cuts to a someone with a mysterious looking arm-brace that looks way too advanced for the time period this is set in. The screen flashes white and fades back in to these same individuals now in a modern setting (most likely Japan) with words being spoken by different people. Quick shots of some shadows and a ruined city are shown. Finally, we see an in-game shot of what could be the protagonist standing still as the environment around him changes from parts of a ruined street to a large desert. Lots of mysteries abound in this trailer.

Shin Megami Tensei IV is planned for a 2013. Accoding to the website, it looks like it’s headed for the 3DS.

Shin Megami Tensei IV Trailer [via Youtube]

It’s A Depressing World On iOS Devices

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Well, the countdown clock counted down to pretty much an iOS version of TWEWY titled The World Ends With You -Solo Remix-. Those hoping that this was a sequel to the cult hit were in for a monsoon of disappointment. Again having never playing the original, I’m not as bummed out as some in the audience are. But I can relate to them (especially since we have our own iOS nightmare to deal with) as something with a similar magnitude such as this can be a huge bummer. In this iOS version, gone is the dual-screened mayhem of the battle system. Now any second characters you bring into battle will be controlled by the AI. Also now some moves will be handled through a micro-game.

On the plus side, some of the sprites have been cleaned up and the music has been remixed for this release, though I’d imagine some would want this to be on a 3DS instead of an iDevice. But who knows, maybe this could bring awareness to the series and maybe spawn an actual sequel. But I’m with everyone when I say that Square probably shouldn’t be using countdown clocks to hype iOS releases. And dear lord up to $20 for an iGame? I don’t think Square realizes that iDevices are a different beast when it comes to pricing.

The Wold Ends With You -Solo Remix- Website

New Giana Sisters Game In The Works w/ Kickstarter (7 Days Left)

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And no one told me about this when it was revealed. *sigh* Regardless. I saw some of the art and thought “hoo boy, Pikomi’s rolling in his future grave.” Then I saw the actual gameplay. Holy shit this game looks awesome! Before I explain here, let me educate you with some Giana Sisters history.

The Great Giana Sisters was an old game made by Time Warp. It was essentially a Mario clone for the ZX Spectrum, C64, Amiga, Amstrad, and other home computer platforms. And boy did it borrow a lot of Mario-like elements. It looked so much like Mario, Nintendo stepped in and ordered a cease and desist on the game’s production. This was back in 1987. Fast forward to a few years ago, and DTP Entertainment and Spellbound Interactive make a new Giana Sisters game for the DS. This time there’d only be one sister, and collecting a power up (aka mushroom) turned her into Punk Giana. The stages in this game were short, but very numerous. The artwork of the game was phenomenal, putting New Super Mario Bros. to shame.

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