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Sky Crawlers landing in Europe this February

by JC Fletcher { Nov 19th 2009 at 2:50PM }

Namco Bandai declined to publish The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces in North America, licensing the game out to XSEED instead. However, the company is handling the game itself for the European release, due in February. The game is a flight action game developed by Ace Combat dev Project Aces, and based on both the novel and the Mamoru Ishii-directed anime film of the same name.

In addition to the game, the movie is planned for a DVD and Blu-Ray release in PAL territories at an unspecified future date ("coming soon"). That seems like a good idea -- licensed games probably work better when people know what the source material is.

Gallery: Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces

Hands-on: The Sky Crawlers

by Andrew Yoon { Jul 21st 2009 at 2:15PM }

Finally! XSEED is bringing the long-awaited Sky Crawlers to American shores. We've been eying this game for quite some time, and having gotten some hands-on time, we'd have to say it was (almost) worth the wait. Sky Crawlers expands upon the thought-provoking Mamoru Oshii film, exploring a world that perpetuates war for the entertainment (and comfort) of its docile citizens. With Namco's esteemed Ace Combat team at the helm, quality seems assured.

The controls are both the game's strongest and weakest aspect. Project Aces takes advantage of the Wii Remote to simulate the feel of having cockpit controls. The Wii Remote and Nunchuk are meant to represent the throttle and the thrust -- to some success. The idea is certainly innovative, but for those unaccustomed to plane simulators, the learning curve can be quite high. There are, however, some concessions made to make the experience a bit more accommodating for newcomers.

Gallery: The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces

Continued →

XSEED bringing The Sky Crawlers to North American Wiis

by Griffin McElroy { Jul 5th 2009 at 8:30PM }

If you have a comprehensive knowledge of Japanese literature or flight combat games that never saw an American release, you probably already know about The Sky Crawlers. We fell in love with Namco-Bandai's book-to-game adaptation when we were teased with tons of gameplay footage last year -- sadly, the game was never visited by the localization fairy, and never made it to the States. Since then, we've been sad all over.

Fortunately, a recent XSEED press release has turned our melancholy into melan-jolly (ugh) -- the capitalized company has purchased the North American publishing rights for The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, due out this holiday season on the Wii. The game, which was developed by Ace Combat veterans Project Aces, will have players using the Wiimote and Nunchuck to simulate actual flight controls. It's a bit overdue, but we're thrilled about the Americanization of this aeronautical gem nonetheless.

Gallery: Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces

The Sky Crawlers come creeping back

by Alisha Karabinus { Sep 1st 2008 at 4:55PM }

It's been some time since we've seen anything from The Sky Crawlers, but guess what? It's still drop-dead gorgeous, though that's not particularly surprising, considering the source. There may be hope for the film -- and thus the game -- for Western audiences, too, as the film of the same name is being screened at the Venice Film Festival this week, and is sharing the spotlight (and a lot of fanfare) with Hayao Miyazaki's latest. So cross those fingers, and in the meantime, check out the lush new screens. You'll be glad you did.