GameSpasm

Controversy is not new to games, but few tend to attract it as eagerly as the upcoming Splatterhouse remake. Following our E3 preview of the game, we were unsure if Namco Bandai's effort would be little more than fodder for your local news looking to stir up viewers. I chatted with producer Dan Tovar at Comic-Con last week to find out if there's more to Splatterhouse than blood, guts and a sensational headline.

"I was a huge fan of Splatterhouse since as far back as I could remember," Tovar told me. "Played the crap out of all three of the original games back in the '80s and '90s, and so when I came to Namco years ago, they were looking for concepts to get going in the next couple of years. I asked them, 'Are we going to be able to do old properties?' and they said yes. Splatterhouse was on the top of my list, so we just went to work trying to get a concept together, and it just snowballed from there."

Continue reading Splatterhouse producer talks blood, guts and paying homage

Splatterhouse producer talks blood, guts and paying homage originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments Tags: Comic-Con-2010, dan-tovar, microsoft, Namco Bandai, Playstation, PS3, splatterhouse, Xbox

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I played the video game version of Clash of the Titans for around seven hours and, according to the game, have finished 31 percent of it.

This would usually be unsatisfactory for a review, but in much the same way you'd only need to poll a small percentage of the population before you could confidently say that no one likes seeing immediate family members hit in the face with a ball-peen hammer, I feel like I've pretty much got the lay of the land here.

This is a very bad game.

Continue reading Review: Clash of the Titans

Review: Clash of the Titans originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments Tags: clash of the titans, game republic, microsoft, Namco Bandai, Playstation, PS3, WBIE, Xbox

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Tales of Graces and a new, currently unnamed Tales of title are on the way to PlayStation 3, according to info leaked from Japanese mag Jump (translated by Andriasang). Tales of Graces F will be the second entry in Namco Bandai's popular RPG series to ditch platform exclusivity before undergoing enhancement for PS3. The formerly Wii-exclusive title will get a facelift and some added features before it debuts in Japan this winter (possibly to the sound of snapping game discs).

Namco has also revealed plans to release Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3 on PSP sometime in 2011. We'll let you know as soon as the publisher shares its plans for North America and Europe.

Tales of Graces coming to PS3, new Tales game revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments Tags: namco, Namco Bandai, Playstation, PS3, PSP, rpg, Sony, Tales of graces, tales-of, Tales-of-the-World, Tales-of-the-World-Radiant-Mythology-3

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Enslaved: Odyssey to the West was one of my favorite titles at E3 this year. It's got a terrific story foundation upon which Ninja Theory has built rock-solid combat, jazzed up by great art direction. This past week at Comic-Con, I spoke with Namco Bandai brand manager Laili Bosma, who filled in the background behind the game and fleshed out more of the gameplay mechanics that shape this promising action adventure.

The game's key aspect is the relationship between its two main characters. While their names and basic personalities have been taken from the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West, Bosma stresses that Enslaved is "very, very loosely based" on the famous tale. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic future where Trip, a fragile 19-year-old redhead, embarks on a perilous journey to return home. In order to survive, she recruits the player-controlled Monkey, a brutish slave, bound to Trip by a deadly, magical headband.

Continue reading The plot thickens: More on Enslaved's inspired journey to the West

The plot thickens: More on Enslaved's inspired journey to the West originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Capcom's crossover fighting game announcements didn't stop at "Marvel vs. Capcom 3" character reveals at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. The company hosted a panel that went beyond their own offices and unveiled "Street Fight X Tekken," which Capcom will produce and "Tekken X Capcom," which will come from Namco Bandai.

"The Street Fighter and Tekken development teams have a great relationship," Tekken creator Katsuhiro Harada said, according to a CVG report. "However, I see this new project not as a collaboration, but as the competition of the century between two legendary fighting game franchises."

The two game-makers will be taking a different approach to their crossover projects by producing competing games. Both sides seem to be ready to step into the ring though.

"This is history we're making," 'Street Fighter X Tekken' producer Yoshinori Ono said. "Two fighting games that have rivalled each other are finally standing on the same stage. This isn't just a showdown between Tekken and Street Fighter, but a decisive battle for Capcom and Namco Bandai Games. So I'm going to give it my all."

Discussions have been going on for about a year, according to comments Ono made to Famitsu.com, as translated in an Andriasang post. The release date time-frame seems a bit more ambiguous, however, with launches planned for sometime within the next two years.

Who do you think will come out on top, Capcom or Namco Bandai? Do you plan on playing as Street Fighter or Tekken combatants? Share your reactions in the comment section below.

Tags: Capcom, Namco Bandai, NEWS, PS3, Street Fighter, street-fighter-x-tekken, Tekken, tekken x street fighter, Xbox 360

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Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono expects Street Fighter X Tekken to be released in two years, with the Capcom-developed fighter debuting first in the proposed two-game deal. Speaking to Famitsu (via Andriasang), Ono added that Tekken X Street Fighter, under development at Namco Bandai with long-time franchise producer Katsuhiro Harada, is being developed completely separately -- and the two teams aren't actively sharing information. Are they locked in battle, trying to see who'll make the better game? Place your bets now, ladies and gentlemen.

Ono claims the next major announcement for the crossover won't occur until Capcom's Captivate conference, which will likely be held next April. In the meantime, check out the SFXT reveal at Comic-Con after the break -- along with some serious hootin' and hollerin'.

Continue reading Street Fighter X Tekken two years out according to producer

Street Fighter X Tekken two years out according to producer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments Tags: Capcom, fighting, microsoft, namco, Namco Bandai, Playstation, PS3, street-fighter-x-tekken, Xbox, yoshinoro-ono

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According to Event Hubs, Capcom producer Yoshinori Ono recently dropped a fairly sizable bomb on attendees of the company's "Street Fighter Mania!: SSFIV and Beyond" panel at Comic-Con: Street Fighter X Tekken. The oft-rumored project will be developed by Capcom using the Street Fighter IV engine (only with two-fighter tag team battles), and will feature a number of fighters from Namco's similarly successful fighting franchise, including Kazuya and Nina Williams.

But that's not all! Ono also revealed that Namco Bandai would be developing Tekken X Street Fighter, which will be developed in-house at Tekken, and spearheaded by long-time franchise producer Katsuhiro Harada. Both titles will be released for 360 and PS3, though according to a cheeky slide at the end of the presentation, the current release window is "not for a while!"

Street Fighter X Tekken (and vice versa) revealed at Comic-Con originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments Tags: Capcom, Comic-Con-2010, microsoft, Namco Bandai, Playstation, PS3, Street Fighter, street-fighter-x-tekken, Tekken, Xbox

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If, like us, you've been waiting patiently for your formal introduction to your giant, super-powered, super-huggable BFF Majin, now you can schedule your playdate for November 30. That's the date that Namco Bandai revealed for the North American release of Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, Game Republic's new adventure about hanging out with the most wonderful stone giant guy ever (and also fighting or something).

Join us in scouring the gallery below for any evidence of a Boy and His Blob-style hug button, won't you? We mostly see a lot of fighting in here.

Meet Majin, visit the Forsaken Kingdom on November 30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments Tags: game republic, majin-and-the-forsaken-kingdom, microsoft, Namco Bandai, Playstation, PS3, q4-2010, release-date, Xbox

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Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 aims to deliver what any sequel should strive to offer: expanding on the original game's strengths while diminishing its weaknesses. While the first Ultimate Ninja Storm was far from a perfect game, it delivered an incredibly polished (and most importantly, faithful) recreation of the first seasons in the Naruto series. With a number of significant enhancements being made for UNS2, there's good reason for hardcore fans to get excited.

Undoubtedly, the most noteworthy aspect of the first Naruto game on PS3 had to be its graphics. Many of the anime's biggest moments were recreated using the in-game engine, arguably besting the visuals found in the original series. While we haven't seen the Xbox 360 port in action, the PS3 sequel still retains the vibrant, authentic look of a hand-drawn cartoon. It's hard to say if the graphics have gotten better, but there are definitely moments in UNS2 that are simply jaw dropping.

The combat system has, for the most part, remained unchanged in UNS2. Hardcore fighting enthusiasts will still find it too simplistic. (It does, after all, have only one primary attack button.) However, Naruto fans will appreciate how true to the series fights feel. For the single-player story, it appears boss fights have gotten much more dynamic than before. My fight against Kakashi was lengthy, and moved from one arena to another. The enemy AI has a much-expanded set of moves that took advantage of the environment. For example, Kakashi would electrocute the water, forcing you to quickly find solid land to stand on. Now, fights involve more than just brute force -- there's platforming to think about as well.

Continue reading Preview: Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

Preview: Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments Tags: cyberconnect2, fighting, microsoft, Namco Bandai, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, naruto-ultimate-ninja-storm-2, Playstation, PS3, Xbox

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Who knew the PlayStation Move controllers had such powerful rumble motors? Time Crisis returns to PS3, this time with support for Sony's new motion controller. (Although, you can still use a Guncon!) More so than previous Time Crisis games, Razing Storm is about causing as much destruction as possible. Instead of wielding a handgun, your characters are armed with machine guns -- giving the Move's rumble motors a thorough workout.

The gameplay will be largely familiar to anyone that's played an on-rails shooter before. You duck to dodge and reload and, in typical Time Crisis fashion, a countdown appears around enemies that are getting ready to shoot. However, the flow of the gameplay has drastically changed, as the player is far more powerful than any previous Time Crisis protagonist. Equipped with a machine gun, you'll be able to tear through the environment, bursting through cover. It makes it quite easy to mow down the dozens of enemies that are rushing at you on the screen.

"Are those zombies?," I asked a Namco Bandai representative. "No, those are terrorists," they responded.

Continue reading Preview: Time Crisis Razing Storm

Preview: Time Crisis Razing Storm originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments Tags: guncon-3, Namco Bandai, Playstation, playstation-move, PS3, time-crisis-razing-storm

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