|
|
|
|
Zoids Return on the 360 Today Atlus announced that Zoids Assault will arrive on the Xbox 360 on August 26th. Being a fan of all things Zoids, I've watched the animes, played the GBA and GameCube games released here, and even assembled (and customized) some of the cool models. And, of course, I had already seen the trailers off a Japanese Live account, so I was already excited for the game (called Zoids Alternative in Japan), but figured that the game would never come over to the US because Zoids just aren't hot in the US anymore. So why did Atlus decide to release Zoids Assault in a market that's been without them for years? Who cares! That fact is that they are releasing it and pretty much anything that Atlus touches tends to turn into gold. Zoids Assault is a strategy RPG where you command an army of Zoids and can customize the weapons and look of the mechanical animals. What's great about this game is that the Zoids look more like real war machines than the usual brightly and/or primary colored Zoids in the animes. Atlus has already put up a Zoids Assault site off the main Atlus site with loads of screenshots, info, and extras regarding the game. The 360 also has another Zoids game in Japan. So, maybe if Zoids Assault does well enough then Atlus will bring over the other game? Maybe? Thanks, Atlus.
Hit this link for the press release. - Shawn - 05/13/08 Weekly News Roundup: 05/11/2008 Games
Movies
- Shawn - 05/11/08 An Assault of First G.I. Joe Movie Character Photos The trickle of initial character photos of was too slow for some fans. A few weeks ago a batch of photos were leaked online, but were quickly pulled down. Possibly to make up for the leak, eight character photos were released as exclusives to eight blogs today. The newly revealed G.I. Joe characters are Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee), Baroness (Sienna Miller), Destro (Christopher Eccleston), Duke (Channing Tatum), Hawk (Dennis Quaid), Heavy Duty (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Breaker (Said Taghmaoui), and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans). I don't know if it is policy to put the logo of your blog in the middle of the picture, but it's freaking annoying. What if I wanted to use that awesome Storm Shadow photo as a wallpaper? I can't because I'd have to stare at the damn Latino Review logo all the time. We know it's your exclusive, just don't be such jerks about it. IGN, MTV Movies, and Coming Soon's logo are much more tastefully placed. Hell, CHUD didn't even put their logo on the Ripcord image. Thanks for being considerate to the fans. Most of these characters look fine, with four of them wearing the now-requisite black body armor. However, having grown-up with and being a big fan of G.I. Joe, I take some issues with a couple of the characters.
Continue reading An Assault of First G.I. Joe Movie Character Photos... - Shawn - 05/07/08 Introducing Maya from the Street Fighter Movie The Street Fighter Movie blog updated again with the first photo of one of the new unknown characters: Detective Maya Sunee played by Moon Bloodgood. Who the hell is this lady and why is she taking away screen time from Chun Li? Well, Maya is (straight from the Street Fighter blog) "a no-nonsense, fast-talking, half-Thai cop who rocks a Ducati and a set of gold cuffs." I think he forgot to add "tough-as-nails," so I'll say it for him. I also wouldn't put it past her to be hard-boiled and not to follow "the rules." And half-Thai? What's the other half? If the movie version of Chun Li is indeed supposed to be younger, I could only surmise that Maya is possibly Chun Li's inspiration for becoming a cop/detective in the first place. Anyways, maybe the blog will show us some in-game characters that the fans may care about next time. Not that I don't care about Maya Sunee, it just seems weird to have a non-game character as the second character reveal.
The blog also gives us a look at the storyboards for an exciting sequence of the Chun Li Vs. Vega fight. If the Street Fighter: The Animated Movie has shown us anything, it's that Chun Li Vs. Vega fights don't end well... for Chun Li or Vega. Although, from the look of the storyboarded knee-to-the-face, I think she'll be okay. - Shawn - 05/06/08 Direct link: Introducing Maya from the Street Fighter Movie Weekly News Roundup: 05/04/2008 Games
Movies
- Shawn - 05/04/08 R-Type Command's Black R-9A Pre-order Bonus Yujin's Shooting Game Historica mini-model gashapon ships are the greatest shooter-related merchandise since ever. They're small enough to display anywhere, yet are super-detailed and bring a new life to two-dimensional galaxy saving. The ships come in the regular colors and the "2nd player" variants from the SP collection. There was also a black with red trim colored R-Type R-9A variant that I believe was a pre-order bonus in Japan for R-Type Tactics. The toy has been seen here and there on eBay for awhile, but now R-Type fans will be able to get one as a sweet bonus for pre-ordering R-Type Command. Those that already bought the mini-model off of eBay can either be furious that they spent so much on the auction site or get a second one. GameStop, GameCrazy, and Amazon are all offering the ship for the game's May 6th release.
- Shawn - 04/30/08 Direct link: R-Type Command's Black R-9A Pre-order Bonus 24 Seconds of SSFIITHDR on Your 360 I don't usually download trailers on my systems because of the whole hassle of wasting precious seconds deleting the videos later, but there are times when I'll make an exception. I passed on downloading the Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 trailer that got released on Monday, but then I read at the Capcom blog that the video has some footage of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix at the end; a whole 24 seconds of SSFIITHDR. If you want to see how the Udon spruced-up fighting gem is going to look on your HD display, download the video to your 360 and see for yourself. And remember, when you buy Commando 3 you'll get to partake in the SSFIITHDR online beta, which only includes Ryu and Ken and is, unfortunately, only available on the 360. I was going to buy Commando 3 anyways, so the SSFIITHDR beta is just an awesome bonus. The beta could be released "real soon" according to Capcom's Seth Killian, so get ready for some limited 1080p Super Turbo action (and for Commando 3).
- Shawn - 04/29/08 Direct link: 24 Seconds of SSFIITHDR on Your 360 Weekly News Roundup: 04/27/2008 Games
- Shawn - 04/27/08 The Legendary Collection of 12-inch Master Chief In his interview with Bungie, Todd McFarlane said he would like to do some Halo 3 figures in the Spawn figure style; less articulation, but more dynamic poses. Well, it looks like it wasn't a wish, but a hint that McFarlane Toys was indeed already making Halo figures like that. Today Spawn.com released a few photos of the prototypes of the Halo 3 Legendary Collection. The three figure series includes Master Chief, Arbiter, and a Brute Chieftain in action-orientated poses. Master Chief comes with three little Flood creatures, which haven't been made by McFarlane Toys yet, making this umpteenth Chief variant an almost must-buy. The Brute Chieftain is cool, but I already have the action figure in almost the exact same pose. The Arbiter has that "I love killin'" grin on his face and looks like he's about to stab something. The figures are "large scale" which doesn't exactly say how big they are. I'm guessing they'll be around the same size as the 6-8-inch Spawn figures, meaning you'll be able to create some Spawn Versus Halo scenes if you're so inclined. The large-scale non-articulated figures, also known as statues, will be on sale in November, but only at specialty stores. Spawn.com also posted photos of a 12-inch Master Chief and 12-inch blue Spartan. These will pretty much be exactly like the 5-inch figures with 18 points of articulation and 26 moveable pieces. Both big Chiefs will be available in September, with the blue Spartan being exclusive to Wal-Mart. Good luck trying to find that one because I have yet to see their regular blue Spartan figures.
Check out the other figures... - Shawn - 04/25/08 Otomedius is Gorgeous on Xbox 360 Konami's Gradius with girls shooter, Otomedius, will be heading to the Xbox 360. There are no details except that the title has been renamed Otomedius Gorgeous (via Kotaku). I am surprised this was announced for the 360 and not the DS because the arcade version features a touch-screen, something the 360 is sorely lacking and the DS boasts with cocky pride. Because of this I'm sure whatever function the touch-screen served will be handled some other way, and is probably related to the slight name change. I am also surprised that Otomedius is going to the 360 because of Microsoft's recent reason for rejecting DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou Black Label X and Ketsui X (because they don't want more perfect arcade ports). Well, I suppose Otomedius Gorgeous is not arcade perfect since the 360 doesn't have a touch screen, so it's okay for Microsoft to port it over then. There is no mention of whether this will be a disc title or a download over Xbox Live Arcade or when it will ultimately see release. Let's hope it doesn't take long so we can all get some girly Gradius action. Come to think of it, with all that cleavage and hardcore shooter action, maybe it's better that Otomedius Gorgeous doesn't have a touch screen.
- Shawn - 04/24/08 Direct link: Otomedius is Gorgeous on Xbox 360 First Photo of Gen from Street Fighter Movie The G.I. Joe movie isn't the only geeky movie we're looking forward to. There's also Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li. The first photo of the movie was released at the Street Fighter blog and it's a little bit of a surprise; Robin Shou as Gen, the wise old ex-assassin who killed a man in front of Chun Li. This means that the movie will have a Street Fighter Alpha vibe. While he doesn't look a lot like the Gen from the game, the blog states he is "damn near unrecognizable" in full makeup. So that would mean he is not in full makeup in this photo then, right? This photo doesn't get me as excited for the movie as seeing the Snake Eyes photo for the first time, but it definitely works for me and it's good to see Robin Shou in another movie. We can't tell until we actually see him in action, but I think he'll make a great Gen. Robin Shou is best known for playing Liu Kang in the Mortal Kombat movies. It's a little weird that he is now in three fighting game movies. What was the third? He has a small part in the DOA: Dead or Alive movie. What fighting movie will he be in next? There's still Tekken. Head to the Street Fighter blog for some insight into the movie.
- Shawn - 04/22/08 Direct link: First Photo of Gen from Street Fighter Movie Triggerheart Exelica Review With the Metal Gear Online beta delayed until the 25th, I was unable to strategize and experiment during my precious hours in tactical online espionage action. The delay did give me a chance to do some real work, though, so I posted a review of Triggerheart Exelica.
Read the Triggerheart Exelica review - Shawn - 04/21/08 Weekly News Roundup: 04/20/2008 Games
Movies
- Shawn - 04/20/08 HellSpartan and Active Camo CQB SDCC '08 Exclusives Killed by the Covenant, A ruthless Spartan arrived in hell and made a deal with Malebolgia. He came back as the HellSpartan; The only Spartan with the awesome powers of a Hell Spawn. McFarlane Toys announced two Halo 3 exclusives for the 2008 the San Diego Comic-Con and, not surprisingly, they're both re-painted Spartans. Although, they are both very cool Spartans; the HellSpartan and the Active Camouflage CQB Spartan. The HellSpartan wears EVA armor painted just like Spawn's costume. I think a different-helmeted Spartan armor would look a little cooler, but the figure still rocks. The active camo is a simple clear version of the CQB armor. The figures will be packaged separately, but will only be available together as a set in San Diego. Spawn.com does not have any pricing or how you'll be able to actually purchase the figures at the con, but there's no doubt these will be highly sought after. I hope McFarlane Toys makes a tons of these to appease the demand. The San Diego Comic-Con is July 24-27, so plan ahead.
McFarlane will also have a big announcement for the Spawn comics at the New York Comic-Con tomorrow. I don't know what it is, but they say it's BIG. - Shawn - 04/18/08 Direct link: HellSpartan and Active Camo CQB SDCC '08 Exclusives Power-up Forever in PowerUp Forever Some shooters have very few power-ups to help you through their tough enemy-choked stages. Other shooters have a multitude of power-ups or intricate weapon systems essentially letting you choose how the forces of space evil are eliminated. Namco Bandai seems to be letting you power-up to infinity with their newly announced PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade title called PowerUp Forever. According to the press release you fight in an "endless spatial battlefield" where destroying "elite" enemies will let your ship absorb their power, making your ship larger and more powerful. Your ship will increase in size, but your enemies will not, making them rather insignificant to your enlarging super ship. However, larger enemies that were too big to see before will be your new targets. It's a very interesting and unique idea for a shooter. There has to be a limit at some point in the game, though. Unless the types of enemies loop. If that's the case then the game would turn into an exercise in how large of a score you can achieve and how long you can play it for. PowerUp Forever will be released in the Summer.
- Shawn - 04/17/08 Direct link: Power-up Forever in PowerUp Forever First Photo of Scarlett from G.I. Joe Movie There wasn't a better choice for the second G.I. Joe movie reveal than Snake Eyes' sweetheart, Scarlett, played by Rachel Nichols. The first photo of the hot red-headed crossbow expert was posted as an exclusive at JoBlo.com today. JoBlo was also nice enough to place their large stamp in the middle of the photo. It looks like the G.I. Joe movie is going the X-Men movie route where the characters will be in wearing respectable black when they go out to battle. The characters would probably have to wear regular clothes at some point in the movie, which could lead to Scarlett sporting something closer to her orange one-piece with gray latex. She needs to shop in something other than form-fitting body armor.
- Shawn - 04/15/08 Direct link: First Photo of Scarlett from G.I. Movie Weekly News Roundup: 04/13/2008 Games
Movies
Comic-con / Toys
- Shawn - 04/13/08 Halo 3 Series 3 Photo Extravaganza, Wallet Destroying Exclusives, and Xbox LIVE Goodies
McFarlane Toys and Spawn.com may have been a little late in announcing their own figures for Halo 3 series 3, but they have made up for is with a mass amount of awesome photos of the latest line. These are the large and focused images we are accustomed to and it's good to see the figures in their full detail. Not only that, but they also outlined a handy list of all the retailer exclusives for series 3, and, unfortunately for the Halo completist, there are more exclusives than ever. What's worse, is that TWO OF THE EXCLUSIVES ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN THE US! What are they thinking? The only way for the completists to get a full set will be to order from an importer or eBay, both of which will have higher selling points and shipping fees. I should probably just stop caring about getting a full set because I still haven't seen the Wal-Mart exclusive Spartans from series 1, and Wal-Marts are all over the place. Along with the ridiculous amount of exclusives, we see the reveal of the Spartan Scout that Todd McFarlane was hinting at in the Bungie interview. We also see the first pics of the Elite soldier. With all the damned exclusives in this round of figures I'm surprised there are no Elite exclusives. Elites come in a cornucopia of colored armor, too. I'm sure we'll start seeing them in series 4. Alright, here is Spawn.com's handy bullet-pointed list:
Good luck on trying to finish the fight for your complete collections. McFarlane Toys will also have Xbox LIVE gamer pics and a theme for McFarlane Toys and Halo fans. These will be available on Monday, 4/14 for free. - Shawn - 04/11/08 Shooting Game Historica Vol. 2 Shooters are once again getting the real-world 3D respect they deserve. Today NCSX posted pre-orders for the second series of Shooting Game Historica mini-model toys (via a friendly email from NCSX and Kotaku). The stand out ship has to be the Opa Opa from Fantasy Zone, which includes a 16-ton weight. The other ships are the R-90 Ragnarok from R-Type III (with Force power and bits), the Geo Sword from Star Blade, the R-Gray 1 from RayStorm, and the Gaia from Star Luster. After the first series, I'm pretty excited for these. However, I'm going to wait to see if Yujin announces a SP (second product) set of the ships, like they did with series 1. The SP set included 4 repaints, which was good for completists and those that wanted to build a galaxy-saving fleet. I'm sure they will since they could easily have alternate colors for the R-Gray, Ragnarok, and Opa Opa. Yujin's inclusion of the Opa Opa shows that they won't release only "serious" shooter ships, so the hope for other cute-'em-up ships, especially Parodius characters, is a possibility for future sets. The lone picture of the unpainted prototypes has a mysterious warning with a silhouette of another ship. The quality of the pic isn't that good, so I can't read what it says. What is the silhouette? I'm not sure. I'm guessing it could be a secret sixth ship that will either be packed one per case or each of the five ships will have a piece of it, so you buy each ship to assemble the sixth one. Or it's just an oddly-placed chocking hazard warning. The second set of Shooting Game Historica is expected to ship in late July.
- Shawn - 04/07/08 Direct link: Shooting Game Historica Vol. 2
Legal Stuff: All articles, reviews, and photos taken by our staff, are copyright and may not be used without permission. Any communication we receive becomes our property and may be used by us for whatever purposes we see fit. |
|
