How many times do we have to remindyou, kids -- tinkering with advanced robot technology will only lead to humanity's doom. Have you learned nothing from watching The Matrix? 2001: A Space Odyssey? The Terminator? When robots play, they play for keeps! With your life!
Ignoring our pleas of reason, a group of six engineering students in France have been working since last February to enslave a Pekee robot, programming the cute-but-deadly machine to follow orders sent from a Nintendo DS. As demonstrated in the video above, the team developed six different steering methods to pilot the Pekee with:
Posted Dec 14th 2007 12:00PM by Eric Caoili
Filed under: News
Russian studio Vogster Entertainment hasn't yet formally announced Kaboom Kaboom, its comedy-filled RTS title set in "a world of wise-cracking robots," but what we've picked up about the game so far sounds spectacular!
Pick-up-and-play touchscreen controls
25+ weapons
20+ level story mode
2-4 player versus and co-op modes (online play not announced)
Upgradeable robots with "distinct personalities and attitudes"
Hero characters with enhanced weaponry and skills
While we're not sure how far along Vogster is with Kaboom Kaboom's development -- no publisher has been revealed, and the artwork above is the only piece of media hitherto released -- we still have a while before the game's expected release next spring. For those wondering whether the Russian team's story and humor will translate well with American tastes, you'll be happy to hear that Vogster has been working with writers from the Spongebob Squarepants series to put together Kaboom Kaboom's script.
With this week's releases consisting of different games starring a robotic boy, if you're looking for a new game then you best be a fan of Capcom's Mega Man franchise. If you aren't (we'll pretend we didn't hear that), what games will you plan on rocking this weekend? We know if you live in Japan, you'll have plenty to play. Then again, if you live in Japan, you're probably a spoiled jerk.
Sorry, our jealousy gets the best of us sometimes.
Everyone needs a robot in their life to help them along. From the adorable and tidy Roomba to the Michael McKean-befriending Johnny Five, our shiny friends make our miserable lives worth living. And when those lives are no longer worth living? They'll helpfully kill us all.
Please think of the robots and all they do for us when you play Slide Adventure Mag Kid. The poor robot is broken and needs to be fixed one part at a time. Is it too much to ask for you to fix him by becoming a little insect that changes form when it adds segments of different kinds onto its body, and then sliding around some levels? We didn't think so.
We've got a flood of Front Mission DS media for you today. In addition to the new screenshots viewable in the gallery below, there's also a minute-and-a-half-long trailer for the Square EnixSRPG past the post break. If you need more than just combat clips and menu hopping to get you going, scroll down a bit further for the original Japanese trailer.
Front Mission DS finally bring the series' first entry to the states, adding touchscreen controls, multiplayer battles (local only), and several new Wanzers to the mech-based title. While this release already includes the alternative UCS storyline from the PlayStation remake, five new missions specific to the DS version have also been added.
RPGamer had a chance to sit down with producer Koichiro Sakamoto to discuss the handheld port and his thoughts on bringing more Front Mission games to the DS. According to the interview, were it not for the campaigning of a particular team member, North America might not have received the game: "There was one [who] was very passionate about the game, and wanted to give players in the United States the chance to experience. He felt that Front Mission 3 and 4 proved that there is a userbase, and since the DS is currently very popular, the thinking went, 'Why not give it a try?'"
We've got a bunch of screens for theWild West, Majesco's new DS shooter. Looks like there'll be shoot outs, mine cart rides and cow herdin' a plenty in the budget title. Navigation, aiming and shooting will all be handled through the stylus, of course. They've really tried to keep things historically accurate, with 30 foot robots and killer bats populating the game, but hey, you'll be able to defend yourself with your trusty machine gun. Oh, and you're a lion.
Kanji Ken's packaging doesn't look like anything you would expect from other "training games," but you could say the same about its teaching methods. The educational title eschews traditional academic themes, opting instead for a style that drills students on Chinese characters through kung-fu battles that play out on the handheld's topscreen.
The game's cover art shows its martial arts hero at the crest of his flying kick, clutching a Nintendo DS Lite. A collage of characters surround his dynamite pose, each one more enthralling than the last! There's a drunken kung-fu fighter, an inviting blonde with no visible end to her dress' plunging neckline, and a sinister robot looming in the background. The Great Wall of China is thrown in to sweeten the deal.
Head past the post break for a better look at Kanji Ken's casing and a new screenshot of the menacing automaton.
We are sure that Natrium42 had the best of intentions when he put together RoboDS, an open robot platform that uses a Nintendo DS as an electric brain to receive commands via its Wi-Fi Connection, but we fear his creation might be what eventually spells mankind's doom. The homebrew superstar has not only brought this mechanical monstrosity to life, but he has ensured the robot army's dominance over earth and the enslavement of the human race by allowing curious tinkerers everywhere to pre-order their own RoboDS war machines.
Natrium42 has a prototype RoboDS in his basement that you can watch and control from your internet browser. With the three-camera setup, you can either view snapshots of the wheeled handheld's movements or watch streaming video from its two affixed webcams when it's your turn to navigate the futuristic beast. There is even an attached laser that would be perfect for PowerPoint presentations or tearing down our cities.
At this early stage, the prototype RoboDS is prone to malfunctions which can leave the platform moving in circles or completely unresponsive. While we would like to attribute these glitches to coding errors, our distrust of technology has convinced us that RoboDS is actually reprogramming its AI ... for murder!
The last commercial we saw for this game almost made us pee our pants in sheer excitement as the inclusion of one of our most treasured cartoons as a child, Voltron, was made real. We knew that Voltron would be making an appearance in the game, however we needed to actually see them in-game before our excitement could reach maximum levels.
And now, we get a new commercial over at the official Japanese website and guess what? We're even that much more excited. We're going to have to see our doctor soon if this keeps up.
With the latest installment Super Robot Taisen W in the long-running strategy series, the 5 lions that comprise Voltron will be making an appearance in the latest game to feature the Taisen name. Other Japanese cartoon series that will be featured in the game are Nadesico, Majinkaizer and Gundam.
The game is currently slated for a March 1st release in Japan, with no announcements of release to other regions at the time of this report.
We heard a rumor that robots are somewhat popular in Japan, and the only thing better than robots are custom-built battlebots. Sadly, the Custom Robo series hasn't taken off as well outside Japan, but it looks like they're trying to expand the appeal of the title with WiFi support. Robot battles any time, any place? Sign us up!
Yet, for those with speedier internets, these images from what we assume is a shop display somewhere in the vast land of Japan, which depict some promotional materials as well as images from the game itself, will be a nice treat. Some of the pictures are a bit blurry, but for the most part should only compound upon your already incredible desire for this title to form some sort of Voltron-esque super desire able to vanquish ne'er-do-wells and win dance competitions.
Final Fantasy III is currently slated for a November release.
Everyone needs a robot in their life to help them along. From the adorable and tidy Roomba to the Michael McKean-befriending Johnny Five, our shiny friends make our miserable lives worth living. And when those lives are no longer worth living? They'll helpfully kill us all.
We've got a flood of 
We are sure that Natrium42 had the best of intentions when he put together RoboDS, an open robot platform that uses a Nintendo DS as an electric brain to receive commands via its Wi-Fi Connection, but we fear his creation might be what eventually spells mankind's doom. The 
The last commercial we 
With the latest installment Super Robot Taisen W in the long-running strategy series, the 5 lions that comprise Voltron will be making an appearance in the latest game to feature the Taisen name. Other Japanese cartoon series that will be featured in the game are Nadesico, Majinkaizer and Gundam.
When we say huge, we mean gigantic.
