[Via press release]
Posts with tag namco-bandai
Namco bundles DVD with National Geographic Panda
[Via press release]
Retro Game Challenge keeps the spirit of the original
The good news is that not much has changed, other than the words being in English. The young Shinya Arino character is still Arino, and the Famicom on the floor still looks like a Famicom. We can see from a very quick flash of the menu that the magazines are still there; we were a bit worried that they would be left out.
[Via Ray Barnholt's 1UP blog]
DS Daily: Ignoring a license
It doesn't happen often that the gameplay of a licensed game entices us to play when we aren't interested in the license. Usually, if anyone cares about a licensed game, it's because they love the source material. But we find ourselves drawn to Dragon Ball: Origins for reasons totally unrelated to Goku and the gang. It sounds like Phantom Hourglass with more action.How about the rest of you? Anyone playing a licensed game totally because it's a good game?
A Tale of Two Tales
Tales of Hearts will sell as an "Animation Edition," with anime-style cutscenes, and a "CG Movie Edition," whose cinematics use the off-putting 3D models seen in the scan above. Realistic people with anime hair and clothes just look weird! And this December, some poor otaku is going to feel compelled to purchase both the regular and ugly editions of the game.
[Scan via Wii Everyday]
Nintendo and others file suit against flash cart sellers
While details are scarce, we can imagine a lot of popular carts (like the R4), if not all carts, will be affected. Should Nintendo and friends win the suit, selling and importing such carts will be illegal, meaning that people would have to resort to the black market to get their hands on one.
We understand why Nintendo and other companies would want to fight the good fight against piracy, but we can't help but fret over the impact on our precious homebrew hobby. At any rate, we'll give you more information as this case unfolds.
[Via Joystiq; Thanks, Kimiko!]
Start beating the drum for Taiko localization
According to a Cubed3 interview with Bandai Namco's Ken Nakadate, the company may just be willing to give the series another chance in the U.S. on a system that doesn't require any specialized hardware: the DS. In response to C3's inquiry about localization, Nakadate gave an answer that is one step above the normal "we haven't announced anything" response:
"We want the customers in Europe and US to enjoy the Japanese Taiko drum. The schedule for US or European releases is undecided but we would release them if we receive a lot of requests from US and European customers!"
Enjoy the Japanese Taiko drum! Enjoy it with all of your heart!
Dragon Ball DS trailer doesn't disappoint its audience
We were pretty impressed with the trailer for Dragon Ball DS at first. Not just because the game's 3D graphics are so impressive, but because we thought we were witnessing the first Dragon Ball DS media not to feature Bulma lifting her skirt.
We thought this for one minute and twenty-three seconds. We get it, Banamco! It's a famous scene from Dragon Ball, and it makes a clever use of the DS screens, and also it's good for pervs. Move on!
Speaking of moving, the game continues to look really awesome -- fast-paced and action-packed in a way that the real Zelda games never were
[Via NeoGAF]
Namco trademarks newest Tales name in North America
Fans of the Tales series, it would appear the possibility of the latest DS title, Tales of Hearts, to come to North America has become a bit more plausible. Thanks to Spencer over at Siliconera, we have word that Namco has trademarked the term for North America? Coincidence? We think not!
So, it would seem that eventually the game should be making its way to our shores. Until then, we'll just sit back, relax and wait for an official announcement.
Comically ill-divided Dragon Ball screens
Sometimes, DS screenshots just don't look quite right. They're often a little rough around the edges -- even with games that look fantastic in motion -- but worse, the split between the screens sometimes ends up in odd places if a developer is trying to use both screens to tell a story. That happens a lot in these Dragon Ball DS screens, sometimes to comic effect ... so often, in fact, that it seems like it was done on purpose, particularly when it results in images like the one to the right.Check out the full set in the gallery below. They're just begging to be adapted into a game of a different sort.
E308: Namco Bandai's Panda game dated for U.S.
The first English-language screens of Namco Bandai's National Geographic Panda have emerged from E3, as well as a North American release window of this fall. We also received a smattering of gameplay details, listed beneath the almost unforgivable title of "It's PANDA-MONIUM!"According to these, the aim of the game is simply to rear your own Baby Panda or Giant Panda (you can tickle and play with them via the touchscreen, as you would a Nintendog), keeping them fed, clean, and happy during their time in Panda Park (which, incidentally, changes depending on whether you play at day or night).
To do this, you'll get a daily allowance which can be used for panda food or toys (such as ... gherkin-shaped see-saws?), and as you play more, further Baby Pandas will gradually begin to "move" into Panda Park, which is probably just Namco Bandai's way of avoiding the whole panda sex thing. Probably for the best.
[Via press release]
National Geographic Pandas are no slackers
We simply can't fault Namco Bandai's inspired decision to develop a game based on panda bears. When it comes to pandas, there is no universal divide in opinion (as there is with dogs and cats) -- everybody is a panda person. That kind of popularity can only be gained from being extremely cute and extremely rare.
Launching in Japan on July 31st, purchased copies of Panda-San Nikki (National Geographic Panda) will probably be anything but rare. That's because this game is freakin' adorable, as the latest screenshots in our gallery demonstrate. There are more pandas on see-saws, pandas trying to roll on a ball, pandas using a slide, pandas in hats -- in fact, Game Watch reckons there are over 800 animations (pandamations?) on display here. We always thought these wonderful creatures just sort of sat around, but they seem to be rather active!
Friday Video: Friday Video CX
We're of the opinion that you don't need to understand Japanese to enjoy the clip seen here from episode 33, in which the "Kacho," Shinya Arino, is presented with a Game Gear game (Ganbare Gorby, or, roughly, "Go Gorby" or "Do Your Best Gorby") starring a cute chibi version of Mikhail Gorbachev.
Tales of Hearts: the full monty
The environments themselves look stunning (especially the CG), but the characters are still colorful little sprites. One can argue the power of sprites in almost any game, and they certainly command some charm in Tale of Hearts. Is the contrast between 3D levels and 2D characters too off-putting? Not really -- but let us know if your eyes start bleeding.
[Via Nintendo Everything]
'Tales of a series' event births new footage
This is self-inflicted pain. If you allow yourself to get excited over each superb entry in the Tales series, you'll wind up cold and alone. There's nothing more depressing than a neglected RPG.
[Via NeoGAF]
Larger than tiny Tales of Hearts screens
Scavenging for screens of rare and awesome DS games in the making is a tedious yet rewarding task. Oftentimes one will be granted a tiny sample of media from an upcoming RPG, while sometimes being rewarded with decent scans from the best game ever. What's the second-best game ever? Tales of Hearts, that's what -- and we have a couple of new screens that fit right around the middle size-wise.Along with the rather colorful display right here, you can check out another dialogue shot after the jump. The Japanese has us scratching our heads stupidly, but the game itself looks good. Tales of Hearts is scheduled for a Q4 2008 release date in Japan, and we want it. In the meantime, check out the empty, pretty official site.
