The Wii is set to get a game released by Bandai, titled Happy Dance Collection, which will be strikingly similar to the suspiciously platform limited Idol Master; the game will be a veritable fount of originality, featuring dancing segments (involving moving and timing the Wiimote), as well as young ladies the player can dress up and propel to the dubious heights of stardom. It will also have two player play, Mii compatibility and plenty of famous (?) J-pop tunes.
Finally, capable seiyuu/singer 水樹奈々 / Mizuki Nana (Hinata) is in charge of voicing.
Via Ore-teki.
A system of digital comic distribution has been announced for WiiWare, and renowned mangaka 松本零士 / Leiji Matsumoto (or Reiji Matsumoto, famed author of such classics as Space Battleship Yamato and Galaxy Express 999) will provide an original title to get the ball rolling.
Read the rest of this entry »
The Wii is set to get a Soul Eater game title, ソウルイーター モノトーン プリンセス / Soul Eater Monotone Princess, set for release September 25th. The title is set to be a hybrid action/adventure game, centred on an original story, and the gameplay and adventure segments will be supplemented by anime cinematics produced by Bones. Of course, the game will have the same voice cast as the anime.
The spiel being given is that this is more on the side of mixed media than mere spin off, so it may be something to look out for. More details on the official site, though few screens at present. Via AnimeAnime.
The special edition articulate Haruhi to be exclusively released with the limited edition Haruhi Wii dance game (DX Pack) will be accompanied by the release of four different Haruhi busts, each compatible with interchangeable parts, with each bust being inconveniently bundled with a different magazine (The Sneaker, Comptiq, Shonen Ace & New Type). So fans wanting ponytail Haruhi will need the December edition of Comptiq, etc. (details above).
This strikes me as an elegant piece of marketing, not that they need it considering the hype. Tip off via Moon Phase.
The latest game in the popular stealth action franchise Tenchu is set to move to the Wii, abandoning the Playstation in something of a surprising move, and the game will herald a trilogy of new titles, it has been announced.
Read the rest of this entry »
The release date of the recently announced and much anticpated Haruhi Wii dance game (in fact, the title is 涼宮ハルヒの激動, Suzumiya Haruhi no Gekidou – “The Excitement of Suzumiya Haruhi”) has been announced as the 27th of November, according to Famitsu. Some new screens are also visible in the scan below.
Read the rest of this entry »
Famitsu has published plenty of screens for the upcoming Haruhi Wii dance game, but the article is almost completely devoid of new information regarding the game, save a few details on how the dance system works (it’s a standard timing based system); the screens basically give all the information you need, however. It does now seem certain that only Haruhi, Nagato and Mikuru will feature in any prominence.
The excellent 2D fighting series Samurai Spirits/Samurai Shodown looks set to get a new release on the Wii and PS2, as サムライスピリッツ天下一剣客伝 / Samurai Spirits Tenkaichi Kenkaku Den, although they seem to have unfortunately stopped short of making it into a sequel. It appears the previous games will also be included.
The only upgrades promised seem to be rerecorded voices and a colour editor, along online bouts for the PS2 and a minigame for the Wii – seems they got things the wrong way round there. Release is set for July 24th. I can’t help but think they would do well to put some more effort into this franchise. Story and screens here.
The superiority of Chinese engineering and their unique appreciation of intellectual property evidently know no bounds; first came the Wii, then the Chintendo Vii, and now a new successor emerges in the form of Eittek’s originally named MiWi.
This fine product continues in the same vein as the Vii, bringing you advanced cartridge based 16bit gaming reminiscent of the Wii at a vastly reduced price point. The erstwhile wireless controllers and sports games clearly aim to compete with Nintendo’s offering. As seems to be usual with these products, in game shots seem to be sadly lacking…
More pictures are mirrored below. Brought to my attention by GameSpark, with English info here and Chinese info here.
Read the rest of this entry »
Forbes identifies Japan’s richest man as former Nintendo boss Hiroshi Yamauchi, in their list of the top 40 richest Japanese – naturally his appearance is due largely to the colossal success of the Nintendo Wii. I kept an eye open for anime/manga concerns in the list, but I didn’t see any (unless you count Eva themed pachinko machines); I presume these concerns are all subsumed into big media and publishing groups, and so their founders and bosses are just humdrum media moguls. There are, however, plenty of game related concerns in there.
The list makes interesting reading; leaving aside the numerous internet entrepreneurs, there are some familiar companies contributing their founders and managers: at number 25, we find Enix founder and Final Fantasy kingpin Yasuhiro Fukushima, with just over a billion dollars to his name, at 34 we find Konami founder Kagemasa Kozuki, with $790 million, close on his heels at 36 with $760 million is Sega Sammy boss Hajime Satomi, and Koei founders and Nobunaga’s Ambition creators Keiko and Yoichi Erikawa just squeeze onto the list at 39 with $720 million. Well done to them all.
It is confirmed – the latest Haruhi game for the Wii will be a dancing game, involving timing Haruhi and company’s dancing with the Wiimote. Some details from the scans here and here: there will be a story mode advanced by skilful dancing, a free mode in which you can freely choose costumes, music and stage, and the dancing will be accomplished with three characters, so Kyon is unlikely to feature with Haruhi, Nagato and Mikuru on hand. Apparently, there will also be a version packaged with a figure.
I’m not sure what to make of this – the Haruhi dancing is charming, and undeniably popular if we are to find a rational explanation for the sales of figma Kyon, but whether this can sustain an entire game is another question. However, compared to the usual spin-off adventure games, this may be a fresh approach. Source here.
