Tag Archives: namco

Tales of Xillia localization announced for North America and Europe

Tales fans rejoice! Today Namco Bandai announced that Tales of Xillia will be released both in the US and in Europe. No release dates have been given as of yet, but the European version will be arriving sometime in 2013.

Namco Bandai really hasn’t been pulling any punches the last couple of weeks. First we learn that the company will be co-developing the next Super Smash Bros., then they set up a teaser site that revealed a new JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure fighting game, and now this. We also can’t forget about Project X Zone either. I’m just happy that we’re getting another mothership Tales title in the west. It seems like sales from Tales f Graces F and Tales of the Abyss 3D were enough to remind Namco Bandai that there’s still a fanbase in regions other than Japan. We’ll keep you posted on any new information that surfaces. In the meantime, you can whet your appetite a bit by enjoying one of the game’s openings after the jump.

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Namco Countdown Reveals Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle

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Remember that countdown Namco teased earlier this week? Well after counting 0 Days, the curtains have finally lifted on a new Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure game, entitled Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle. I’m not very familiar with the series, but I do know of the mechanics of the fighting games. To those looking at Persona 4 Arena, that game’s Persona mechanics are very much inspired by the Jojo games. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure started as a manga, but gained exposure in the west from its fighting games on the Playstation and Dreamcast, which Capcom published. After that, not many Jojo games were made, not did they come to the West. Bandai managed to release a new game in 2006, but that too never made it stateside. And now Namco Bandai’s making a new game in the series.

From the looks of it, it’ll be taking some cues from the previous game, Phantom Blood, but sticking much closer to traditional fighting mechanics. If you’re looking at the trailer on the website and thinking, “Man, that looks like Street Fighter IV,” Well, that’s because CyberConnect2 is handling development. The characters have those visible brushstroke lines on them, similar to the characters in SFIV and STxT. I’m skeptical on this game’s Western release. But hey, the series’ got a cult following, and the gamplay looks pretty wacky and just up my alley for me.

So far the game is slated to release exclusively on the PS3. No release date is set.

[Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle Website]

The Man Behind Tekken Takes Disgruntled Fans To School

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He mad yo! After hearing enough whining from Tekken fans about changes to the voices of the characters, Katsuhiro Harada took to Twitter to address these fans. It’s a long one, but the basic jist of his schooling is that he’s heard people bitch about how Namco’s changed the voice actors to much of the Tekken fighters as the installments go by. This is in part to the changes made to recording technology, equipment, and format being different from how it was 15 years ago. He uses Brian Fury and his maniacal laugh as an example of a voice they’ve reused over and over (at the request of fans who like his laugh). While his voice actor is a different one from back then, the voice file for the laughing is still the same one from Tekken 3 (Brian’s debut game). He points out that the laughing voice sounds different from his normal voice, which in turn make his voice inconsistent. But he keeps it because fans would be upset if they changed it.

He also mentions that voice actors sometimes cannot replicate the same voice over the years for many reasons, including voices changing, vocal health, retirement, or contracts/rights. He pleads with them, but sometimes they have to make due with the new blood. I say good on him that he’s stepping in to shut fans up. Some would wonder why I’m giving him the pass while others get the boot. Well, compared to them, Harada (and other veterans of the industry) have been in the business for a while and know their shit. As I always say: Be a pro before you can be a dick. You can read the tweet in its entirety on Kotaku.

Tekken Head Unleashes Twitter Tirade [Kotaku]

Project X Zone To Have Over 200 Characters

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Wowza that’s a lot of characters! However this is only considering allies and enemies and not actually the main characters you’ll be controlling in the game. According to the Project X Zone blog (translated by Andriasang), “This figure includes allies and enemies. It does not include characters who appear exclusively in event scenes.” The blog also states that these aren’t no generic, wire-frame multi-mook melee fodder, but instead characters from many franchises of each of the three companies. Who could those characters be? We already know that Q-Bee is in as an enemy, but will she change sides?

Since Namco’s handling Smash Bros. development (along with Sakurai’s Project Sora), maybe they might want to share the crossover love and, you know, localize it for the West! Remember, there’s a fan campaign to get this game out in the West. So hop to it!

もっとも未知なる交差領域で [PXZ Blog, translated by AndriaSang, via Joystiq]

New Fan Campaign Started To Localize Project X Zone

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I’ve covered quite a bit regarding Project X Zone. With every article I’ve written about the game, in the back of my mind there’s always that looming fear that the game won’t be released here. It’s even more nerve wracking given the fact that its prequel, Namco X Capcom for the PS2, never got released outside of Japan. So the chances of the game coming out in the U.S. and Europe are slim. You might think, “Oh no biggie, I’ll just import it.” Unfortunately Nintendo region-locked the 3DS, so the only way you can play the game is to import the game AND and Japanese 3DS (which ain’t cheap). Hackers have yet to really crack open the 3DS (only going as far as enabling flash carts that play original DS games). So the only hope there is to play the game is to localize it.

So in light of all this, a fan campaign has started to convince the powers that be at Namco, Capcom, and SEGA to release the game worldwide. The campaign is called Project X Zone Localization Community, or 100,000 Strong to Localize Project X Zone (a nod to the MML3 campaign). Their goal is to get 100,000 Likes to show collab trio that there is demand for the game outside of Japan and that it should be released. So far since starting the campaign on April 15 and as of this writing, they’ve reached 744 Likes. Might be small, but the public told that to the Mega Man Legends 3 campaign, and look what happened. Same goes for Operation Rainfall and hey, I’m playing Xenoblade right now! I’ve gone ahead and liked it, and if you want to see Project X Zone released, you should join in too. Spread the word!

PXZ Localization Community Facebook Page

[via AlphaOmegaSin]

SFxT: With Glitches Like These, There’s Bound To Be A Super Version

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Oh Capcom. Just when I thought you turned over a new leaf, this happens. There’s been some growing ire in the Capcom community over the company’s handling of Street Fighter X Tekken. Along with On-Disc DLC and advertised features not being included, Capcom rolled out a few patches to fix some bugs and tweak a few mechanics. Usually when patches go out, a few more are discovered or create new problems. But this, this is one major problem. When players update SFxT to Version 1.04 and play as Rolento, using his knife to block a projectile results in the game completely freezing up. There’s no way to get out of this either, so you have to power off the console. Not sure if you can quit the game from each console’s respective home buttons.

I remember during the On-Disc DLC debacle where Cristian Svenson stated that they put the DLC on the disc to ensure compatibility and to prevent having to make a Super Version of the game. Well, I think he, and the rest of the company, forgot that character compatibility isn’t the only reason a Super Version is made. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had no choice but to make a Super Street Fighter X Tekken, or some Game of the Year Complete edition. As a matter of fact, I can bet you that they will make it and announce it close to E3.

Monolithsoft developing Project X Zone, Die Hard Arcade Represented (Along With Others)

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Shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise considering that Monolithsoft, the developers of Xenoblade, were also the developers of Namco X Capcom. Famitsu also divulged some info on some of the battle systems in place for Project X Zone. Like its predecessor, battles are a mix of Strategy RPG and action. You move units around on a grid and engage enemies. Here, the battles then switch to a 2D perspective where you use the control pad and “A” Button to execute moves. You’re encouraged to use different abilities and use them all in one shot. You build up a meter at the bottom to unleash special moves. It’s shared amongst all party members, so use it wisely.

Along with this news, more characters have been revealed for Project X Zone. First on the Capcom side, Morrigan has been added to the Darkstalkers team. Chun-Li joins Ryu and Ken for the Street Fighter team. On The SEGA side, Erika and Gemini join the Sakura Wars team. This makes it the biggest team so far. And holy crap, is that John McClane from Die Hard Arcade!? Well kinda. In Japan (where it was made and first came out), it was called Dynamite Deka, and the guy was named Bruno. You can read up on that here. Finally on the Namco Bandai side, the Valkyrie from The Adventures of the Valkyrie joins alone. And finally Haken and Kaguya from Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endeless Frontier join the fray.

Project X Zone is slated for release on the 3DS some time this year. Character art after the break.

Monolith Software Confirmed as Project X Zone’s Developer [Andriasang, via Gamezone]

Project X Zone Official Website

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Resonance of Fate, Dead Rising, And God Eater Characters Join Project X Zone

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I gotta keep up with these website updates! About two weeks ago Namco, SEGA, and Capcom revealed more characters for their collaboration Project X Zone. On the Capcom side, we have Frank West representing Dead Rising. Hsien-Ko joins the already revealed Donovan from Darkstalkers. On the SEGA side, Zephyr and Leanne from Resonance of Fate join the fray. Quietly added was Riela Marceris from Valkyria Chronicles III. And finally on the Namco Bandai side we have Alisa and Soma from God Eater. You can see their character art after the break.

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Project X Zone Site Updated, Has Music, Hints At Resonance of Fate and Viewtiful Joe

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Last week Capcom, Namco, and Sega revealed Project X Zone, the sequel to Namco X Capcom that now adds Sega into the mix. I briefly mentioned in the reveal article that the site was still barren, only showing just the logo. Well, the site got a rather significant update. The first thing you’ll notice is the music. I will say it sounds pretty cool. Doesn’t sound tied to any one company; could be the theme song for the game, like for the intro. Then you’ll see a panorama behind the logo. Almost immediately you’ll notice Les Chattes Noires, which was a location in Sega’s Resonance of Fate. Looking in the background, that large tower looks suspiciously like the Tower of Basel from Resonance of Fate as well. If you look below it Les Chattes Noire, you’ll see a place called MovieLand, which was the world Joe would go to become Viewtiful Joe in Capcom’s… err, Viewtiful Jow. There are a few more things that might suggest something, particularly that ornate area to the far left, or the three movie posters above MovieLand

Looking at how these locales are arranged, maybe this is how the player will interact with the different game worlds, like Kingdom Hearts and the Disney Worlds, or like Smash Bros Brawl and those world orbs Tabuu seizes. Or maybe their worlds have clashed and are being melded into one. And so, the plot thickens…

Project X Zone Offiicial Website

Project X Zone Characters and Screenshots.

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Not too long after the reveal, Famitsu released character art and screenshots for Capcom/Namco/Sega collaboration Project X Zone. The game is a strategy RPG much like its predecessor, Namco X Capcom. That character roster might seem paltry now, but of Namco X Capcom is anything to go by, this is is going to grow by a huge margin. So far not exact date is set, but the trio’s aiming for a late 2012 release. Characters and art after the jump.

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Ono: There will be no Super Street Fighter X Tekken Turbo

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In an interview with Gematsu (via Gamepro), Street Fighter X Tekken producer Yoshinori Ono was asked if there would be any extra versions of this game. Ono responded by stating that if there’s to be any extra versions of the game, it would be handled similarly to Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition instead of Super Street Fighter IV and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. In other words, it’ll be done as a downloadable update for those who already have the game (and probably retail for those who don’t have it yet).

To put simply, you will risk being a sucker… again.

Interview: Yoshinori Ono on Street Fighter X Tekken, fighting games [Gematsu, via Gamepro

[NYCC] Hands On With Street Fighter X Tekken

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The crew plays two matches in Street Fighter X Tekken. It seems to fight exactly as you’d expect from the SF4 engine, with extra features inspired by Tekken Tag Tournament (and a little bit of Darkstalkers too!). Do mind the blurriness and the sudden jump cuts. Video conversions kinda dropped the vid feed (like in the Rauman Origins vid) and I had to cut them out. Apologies.

Ace Combat Assault Horizon Preview

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I finally got a chance to play the demo of Ace Combat Assault Horizon on Wednesday. Long story short, regardless of my reservations of how I feel about where the series is going (it’s really just the story that concerns me), I came away satisfied with what I played that day. The demo offered two missions to play: one fighter jet, one helicopter. One played a bit differently from the previous entries, and the other is an all-new experience for the Ace Combat series. After the break, I’ll start with the tried-and-true fighter jet gameplay.

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Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Soundtrack Preview

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It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the Ace Combat series. While I’ve never detailed the 5th and 6th entry in any way (and I really should, especially for 5), Each entry has had consistently good soundtracks. For Namco’s latest addition to the Ace Combat series, Assault Horizon, I’ll admit I was very concerned since every entry in the series (except for maybe the first one) took place in the fictional world of Strangereal. This one takes place in our world and has your typical Russians and Middle Easterners as villains (where have I seen these roles before?). My concern over the story can be its own article, so let’s just talk music. So far, it seems like the music team is not letting the game’s real-world setting hamper its imagination, as each track still sounds like what you’d expect from Ace Combat. Track 2, 3, and 4 sound like oil refinery missions (ain’t no Ace Combat game complete without those). Track 5 – Spooky though brings back that epic Ace Combat feel that we know and love. Track 11 – Dogfight definitely sounds like a modern take on the Shattered Skies mission and song from Ace Combat 04. I’ll let you jusdge if the soundtrack’s sound good or not. For me, I’m liking what I’m hearing here. You can find the previews here and here.

News: Ace Combat Assault Horizon Soundtrack Sneak Peek [GamersHell]

Soul Calibur V Gets A New Trailer, and Some Character Reveals As Well

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Elvis hair Maxi, bipolar Tira, chastity armor Hilda, and badass Mitsurugi make their debut in this latest trailer for Soul Calibur V. Voldo is also confirmed, but he (thankfully) is not present in the trailer. Right as the beginning, we can see that the development team’s “Project Soul” logo has a new look, so I guess they’re serious this time. After some brief cuts of some charters in their idle stances, we see the action. It looks largely the same as others in the series. But we do get glimpses of some of the characters Super Combo – like attacks, like Sigfried’s and Ivy’s. Soul Calibur V is scheduled for release next year.