Posts tagged Tecmo at DS Fanboy

Posts with tag Tecmo

Itagaki leaves Tecmo, sues them on the way out [update]

Posted Jun 3rd 2008 1:15PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News

Well now, somebody pass us the box of Kleenex tissues. Apparently, we'll never get another Ninja Gaiden on the DS, or any more Ninja Gaiden games period, as whiskey-swillin' and leather-wearing head of Team Ninja, Tomonobu Itagaki, has called it quits with Tecmo. The president of Tecmo, Yoshimi Yasuda, hasn't paid money that Itagaki is owed, he says.

And that's why Itagaki is suing for 148 million yen (US$1.5m) on his way out. Not only that, but Itagaki also says Yasuda "made demeaning remarks" about him to other employees, affecting his status at work, giving him "significant emotional distress" and "worsening [of his] personal relationships and work environment."

In his statement, Itagaki said there won't be any more Ninja Gaiden or Dead or Alive games from him, as the rights are retained by Tecmo. This will surely come as a huge disappointment to fans.

Update: Fixed a wording discrepancy.

[Via Joystiq]

Joystiq hikes the handheld pigskin in Tecmo Bowl Kickoff

Posted May 30th 2008 4:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: News, Video

Joystiq managed to get their dirty hands on Tecmo Bowl Kickoff, and really enjoyed the redux of the old classic. According to our ~~evil~~ incredibly smart and good-looking overlords, the game both looked and played well on the DS -- what more can you ask for?

When it comes to the controls, players have the option between using the D-pad/buttons or the stylus. Joystiq thought that the D-pad option was the better scheme, and was intuitive enough to make the game accessible to all gamers, not just those who've spent hours upon hours training with Madden. They also really enjoyed the addition of super moves, even though this new feature isn't an extravagant change to the gameplay. The point is, though, that Tecmo football didn't need a big overhaul.

Their one major concern, though, was the WFC play. Not the fact that it exists, clearly. Yet, Tecmo Bowl Kickoff's customization scheme might be a little too deep for its own good, thereby ruining online play. You see, Tecmo cleverly worked around EA's NFL monopoly by adding tons of customization options (as seen in the video above). Player names and stats can be changed, among other things. In terms of multiplayer battles, however, we can foresee many gamers abusing such statistics in order to create an advantage over their opponents.

Hopefully that won't be too much of an issue. In any case, pop on past the break to see some gameplay videos, or go here to read the unabridged impressions from Joystiq.

Gallery: Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff

Continue reading Joystiq hikes the handheld pigskin in Tecmo Bowl Kickoff

Kick off the morning with Tecmo Bowl screens

Posted May 28th 2008 10:15AM by Alisha Karabinus
Filed under: Screens

We've known plenty about Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff since it was announced, but we had to take some guy's word about how the game would look. No more! At last, you can feast your eyes on the 2D gridiron action, and it looks like it was worth the wait. We like the simplistic action on the bottom screen, and the rest? Frankly, these look a lot better than most DS screens, which are great in motion, but sometimes less than good in stills. For the rest, muscle your way into the gallery and see for yourself.

Gallery: Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff

Monster Farm DS 2 buyers can become Monster Librarians as well

Posted May 27th 2008 10:15AM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: Screens, Imports

Though the game was just announced, Tecmo has already revealed a preorder bonus for early purchasers of Monster Farm DS 2, the latest in their Monster Farm/Rancher series of monster-collecting RPGs. The Monster Farm Official Memorial Book covers the 10-year history of the series, starting with its origins on the PlayStation. For fans of that era of Monster Ranching: Tecmo has said that Monster Farm DS 2's system will be similar to Monster Farm 1 and 2.

The Dengeki article that reveals the Memorial Book also features a series of old and new screens, one of which shows something interesting: the "character input" monster creation mode using our familiar Roman alphabet. Which means that you don't need to know kanji to create monsters.

Monster Farm DS 2 information generated from magazine pages

Posted May 24th 2008 12:00PM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News, Screens, Imports

Much like the CD system in the original Monster Rancher created a monster from any CD, and the DS game did the same with sounds, drawings, and GBA cartridges, we have created a post from a scan of a magazine with our remarkable algorithm (the secret: looking at the pages, and then writing about them). Coincidentally, the post is about Monster Farm DS 2: Yomigaeru! Master Breeder Densetsu (Revival! Master Breeder Legend).

The character-based monster creation system found in this new game appears not to rely simply on random characters, but on phrases of up to six characters. This system will aid in the creation of one of over 270 monsters. There also appear to be new breeder/trainer types of characters, but they're human and thus boring.

Monster Rancher DS returns for another season

Posted May 23rd 2008 6:00PM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News, Imports

We never heard much about Monster Farm DS (or Monster Rancher DS, as it would have been known in the west, had it ever come out over here). We knew about the wacky new yelling-based, touchscreen-based, and GBA-cartridge-based monster creation systems that were added ... and that's about it. For whatever reason, the import never got much attention, and it was never released outside of Japan. For a popular series like that on the most popular console, that's kind of a bad sign.

Still, Tecmo must have done okay in Japan, because they've announced another one for this August. Monster Farm DS 2 keeps the same input systems as before, but adds a character input system of some kind, that will allow players to write Japanese or Chinese characters in order to generate monsters.

That's neat and all, but having gameplay be so dependent on kanji just makes it even harder to localize.

New DS demos are the old DS demos

Posted May 19th 2008 2:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Downloads, News

When we turned on our Wii earlier to check and see if the recent habit of providing us with new DS demos every week would continue, we stumbled upon something very odd. You see, this week's new DS demos are, in fact, the first set of DS demos that released alongside the Nintendo Channel. Just now, they don't have an expiration date attached to them.

For those of you with a bad memory (or no desire to click links), the list of demos available has been placed past the break.

Continue reading New DS demos are the old DS demos

Get your own Dragon Sword on the cheap

Posted May 15th 2008 2:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Sales

Those who've been sitting on the fence, not content with a favorable review to force them to partake in Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword in all its sword-slicing glory, now might be the time to come down from there and see what Ryu Hayabusa's latest adventure is all about. Popular retail website Newegg.com is offering the Tecmo title for $22.99 (+ $2.99 for 3 business day shipping).

The regular price for the game, as many of you might know, is $34.99, so this is a pretty good deal. Add on top of it the fact that the game is great and we can see little reason why you shouldn't have stopped reading this and instead be in the checkout section at Newegg right now, entering in your credit card information. For those of you without credit cards, just tie some money to a pigeon and send it their way. Regardless of how you pay, you really should own this game.

Gallery: Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword

[Via CAG]

DS Daily: That tricky extra dimension

Posted May 8th 2008 9:00AM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: DS Daily

Tecmo's announcement that Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff would be a "classic 2D game" cheered us no end. Too often for our liking, developers seem desperate to recreate the kind of 3D games we'd find on beefier home consoles, and the results are rarely pretty. This blogger recently got around to trying out Brothers in Arms (on the advice that the game was a technical marvel), and found it to be a mess of treacly frame rates and choppy visuals. If World War II had moved at this pace, we'd still be fighting.

Occasionally, however, 3D on the DS does work, and quite splendidly in some instances. It may sound odd, but I still consider Nintendogs to be one of the best uses of 3D on the platform, simply because it wouldn't have been a tenth as engaging in 2D. How about you, dear reader? What do you consider to be the finest 3D offerings on our humble handheld?

Details on Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff break through the line

Posted May 5th 2008 12:45PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News

For all of you fans of the gridiron, the news that the Tecmo Bowl franchise was getting a reboot and coming to the DS likely brought back fond memories of long passes for touchdowns and leaping over the pile at the goal line. Personally, we're dying to see a screen shot already, but that's beside the point. Prepare yourself to want this game more, though, because Tecmo let loose some details on the upcoming game.

Known features include:

Customizable teams: players can select color, emblem, player names, city and abilities
Super abilities: some players will have special abilities that allow them to pull off big plays
Wi-Fi and local multiplayer: oh yeah, you can play a friend in the same room or somebody across the country
Stylus control: no other details on this one, yet
Over 32 different teams
Cut scenes: huh?
Customizable playbook: no idea on how much you can customize it, but it's a nice feature

So there you have it. Personally, these fresh details get us pumped to be out on the field, cracking heads. How about you?

Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff keeping it old school

Posted May 2nd 2008 6:00PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: News

Some of the details released yesterday about Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff didn't sound terribly old school to us (see: stylus control and internet play), but Tecmo wants us to know that the game's roots won't be forgotten in its DS rebirth.

Rather than take the "janky 3D" direction chosen by other football games on the DS -- hello, Madden -- a Tecmo spokesperson assured MTV's Multiplayer blog that Kickoff would be a "classic 2D game." Score! We're already envisioning this as Tecmo Bowl with Super Dodgeball Brawlers-style visuals, and that makes us go all tingly inside.

Also keeping with tradition (though arguably in a less appealing way), the title won't come with licensed NFL teams, thanks to the fact that EA recently secured the rights to those until the end of 2012. This means the game will instead come with 32 teams with names that "fit with the original spirit of Tecmo Bowl," which can then be customized within the game.

Tecmo Bowl making a comeback on DS this fall

Posted May 1st 2008 3:00PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: News, Nintendo Wi-Fi

We've known for almost a year that Tecmo would be reviving the much-loved Tecmo Bowl franchise, though the company has remained tight-lipped on the intended platform. Until ... now. IGN just revealed that Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff would be hitting our DS screens this fall, complete with stylus control, fully customizable teams, players, and emblems, and both local wireless and internet play over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Apart from the logo above, there's no media for this one yet, but we're already chomping at the bit for some pigskin action. We recommend you warm up by grabbing the original from the Virtual Console. Hut hut!

About the best shoes without laces ever

Posted Apr 30th 2008 10:30PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Fan stuff

Click image to enlarge

As you can see, these fine kicks feature none other than Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa. They were made by a Joystiq reader's much, much better half (sorry, if she can make stuff like this, she totally beats you) and absolutely embarrass any other shoes in the pair's immediate vicinity.

We're not kidding here. We're fully prepared to go ahead and award the creator with a medal, trophy or whatever they want. Just give us as much advance notice as possible. We want to make sure it's something especially shiny.

[Via Joystiq]

Pirate Gaiden: Dragon Sword

Posted Apr 26th 2008 7:00PM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News, Imports

It can be dangerous to buy DS or Game Boy Advance games online, because you might end up with something like the above. And while it might be worth a few dollars' worth of lulz, generally when you pay for a game, you want the actual game. And, ideally, the actual box.

NeoGAFfer Darunia bought a copy of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword online from a Dutch retailer, and got ... not quite Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. What he received is clearly a pirate copy, which, in addition to having unintentionally hilarious boxart (it's a quote from a 1p Start post pasted over the back of the Super Mario 64 DS box) and a buggy cartridge that can't save. Oh, and a decent NeoGAF thread.

Tecmo's adorable koala DS case giveaway

Posted Apr 8th 2008 7:00PM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: Imports

In order to entice parents to ~~buy Tecmo software~~ read and play along with their children, the company is giving away 5,000 DS Lite cases to lucky owners of Oyako Asoberu DS Ehon Ukkari Penelope (Parents and Children Can Play DS Picture Book Ukkari Penelope).

The cases come in the shape of the title character, Pénélope, a koala kindergartner and star of a bunch of cute NHK animated shorts. Well, more like the likeness of Pénélope -- by design it pretty much has to be the shape of the DS. It's a really cute DS-shaped thing, though!

[Via PlusD]

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