At Konami’s E3 keynote today the company unveiled a teaser trailer for Silent Hill V. Not only will the Playstation 3/ XBox 360 cross-platforming scarefest feature Roman numerals, it will also have an original soundtrack by series producer Akira Yamaoka. The story centers on Alex Shephard, a US soldier trained in field combat who will put his expertise to the test in the zombie-laden environs of Silent Hill. Clearly a departure from the series formula–which usually pits an average Joe or Jane against seemingly insurmountable odds–Alex will come to town with a few tricks up his sleeve.
Mark Healey, Alex Evans, David Smith, and Kareem Ettouney are the key developers of Media Molecule. Shigeru Miyamotos of the UK, the group has been selected by Sony to develop a title that will put the online features of Playstation 3’s Home function to the test. Their title LittleBigPlanet is setting out to prove that the next generation of videogames isn’t necessarily about greater empowerment on the side of the developers. Rather, the title is all about putting tools in the hands of the player, allowing one to download anything from the internet and embed that content directly in the game world.
Nintendo announced that the spiritual successor to Mario 64 will be released in North America for the Wii on November 12. Super Mario Galaxy has players jetting around the solar system as the famed plumber. Small celestial spheres with their own array of dangers and delights will be the playing field for this go-around.
Upon receiving my copy in the mail of Entropia: A Collection of Unusally Rare Stamps, I was not sure what to expect. Was it an art book, a novel, a stamp collection? My curiosity had been piqued by Christian Lorenz Scheurer, the concept artist and illustrator for such videogames as Final Fantasy IX, Spore, and Lost Odyssey, who described the mysterious item in an interview with Innertraveler as a cross between Nick Bantock’s Griffin and Sabine and the dreamlike worlds of Hayao Miyazaki. As it turns out, having read the book twice (and eagerly anticipating read-through number three) I still have difficulty cramming the conceptual universe of Entropia into a suitable class or category. An indigenous species native to the tropical rain forest of Scheurer’s abundant imagination, the book is a literary and visual cross-pollination that is altogether unique.
SNK Playmore’s runaway hit Doki Doki Majo Shinpan, the Nintendo DS title that invites players to prod underaged girls using the stylus, has set new pre-order sales records in Japan. Not to be out-perverted, Konami has announced a sidescrolling shooter in the style of Gradius and Sexy Parodius is currently in the works for arcades.
Called Otomedius, the shoot-em-up features a vacant and buxom young lass straddling the Vic Viper spaceship who must do battle against such nefarious and adorable (not to mention gigantic) girls as intergalactic madame L.B. Gofer and Egyptian Queen TiTi XIV. The company says gameplay will include touching the screen… No comment.
After months of tight-lipped secrecy on the development of Mistwalker’s DS role-playing game Archaic Sealed Heat, some new information has come to light. The story centers upon a mystical flame that turns humans who venture too close to its sacred heat into ashes. Queen Aisha resolves to discover the secrets of the ancient flame, despite the perils involved in such an undertaking.
Aisha is the heroine of the story. She will be joined by five other protagonists, three of whom can join the party at a time. Battles take place on both screens, with heroes depicted on top and enemies on the touch screen. Apparently there will be an unprecedented amount of CG cut-scenes included in the game.
Character design on Archaic Sealed Heat is by Final Fantasy XII artist Hideo Minaba, while Hitoshi Sakimoto will be acting as composer. Seems like the only person missing from the Quest revival at Mistwalker is game designer Yasumi Matsuno.
Square Enix Japan is gearing up for this month’s release of the Nintendo DS rhythm action RPG Subarashiki Kono Sekai, alternately titled It’s a Wonderful World. A stand-out title in terms of its presentation, the game has on its lineup of features eye-catching Nomura designs, a unique battle system, and Takeharu Ishimoto hip-hop tunes. An urban lifestyle fashion statement and animated riff on Japan’s Shibuya youth culture, the DS title will be available overseas in three weeks.
This past Mother’s Day, Earthbound fansite Starmen.net set upon Nintendo of America with a deluge of mailed-in fan art, phone calls, and emails agitating for the localization of Nintendo DS role-playing game Mother 3. Now the gaming revolutionaries behind the Seige Project are collaborating with Mother3.org in hacking a fan translation. They even have a movie up on Youtube. The project has been going on for ages, but with this many dedicated enthusiasts working together, you have to hand it to them. They’re making NOA look bad.
Nintendo has announced that it is no longer satisfied just with training your brain… the videogame company now wants a shot at your face.
The first game for the Nintendo DS incorporating the attachable camera will be Otona No DS Kao, or “Lady’s DS Face.” Taking the Brain Age concept to the limits of acceptable behavior, the title will teach your face exercises for developing maximal tone and shapeliness.
PC users, get jealous. As if the trendiness of the iphone weren’t gadget enough to make me a smug Apple fan, this week I discovered that Mac ads have a Japanese counterpart. Seriously, best. ads. ev3r.
