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This Wednesday: 0D Beat Drop on XBLA (and maybe NBA Unrivaled) [update: also Encleverment Experiment]

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 9th 2009 at 3:01PM }

Update: Major Nelson has just confirmed that 0D Beat Drop will be joined by both NBA Unrivaled and Encleverment Experiement.

Word has come down from on high, and this week's Xbox Live Arcade release is none other than 0D Beat Drop. What's that, you've never heard of 0D Beat Drop? Truth be told, neither have we. Thankfully, the game's Xbox.com page provides us all with the crucial details. If the above screenshot didn't tip you off, OD Beat Drop is a puzzle game; however, it has a musical twist, challenging players to drop pieces to the beat. OD Beat Drop can even analyze your own songs for use in the game (Protip: It's time to break out your Tetris soundtrack). The game will be available this Wednesday for 800

($10).

Also, if Tecmo is to be believed, NBA Unrivaled will release on XBLA this week as well. It's worth noting that the game was not included in Major Nelson's XBLA announcement and that publishers are frequently mistaken about XBLA launch dates so it's anyone's guess what Wednesday holds.

Tecmo dunking NBA Unrivaled onto XBLA Nov. 11, PSN later

by Justin McElroy { Nov 9th 2009 at 2:40PM }

Tecmo's trying to fill the arcade-basketball-shaped hole in your heart left by NBA Street with NBA Unrivaled, a retro hoops release from developer A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games. Though the cleverly-named company is relatively new on the scene, it has experience to draw on after helping Sony build NBA '08: The Life.

We're happy to see some fun-loving 5-on-5 take the court, but we're a little nervous about how quickly the game's sneaked up on us: It's arriving this Wednesday on XBLA, and later on PSN, barely enough time to get our sneakers laced up.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2's changes in excruciating technical detail

by JC Fletcher { Oct 26th 2009 at 11:00AM }

There are a few extremely obvious differences between Ninja Gaiden 2 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. They work in different consoles, and one's got the word "Sigma" in the title. Oh, and there's the boob thing. Beyond that, however, we must turn to the experts.

Digital Foundry reports that the resolution has changed between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games. Sigma runs at 1280x718, effectively 720p, while the Xbox version ran at 1120x585. The resolution boost comes with some cuts: DF says the PS3 version loses some polygons, or rather some whole collections of polygons: Sigma 2 maintains a limit of six enemies or fewer in most situations, while Ninja Gaiden 2 "revels in throwing seven or eight opponents at you at any given point." Things that didn't get cut: The lighting effects, which are noticeably more advanced in the PlayStation 3 game.

DF also has a video demonstrating a stress test of sorts (forcing as many enemies onto the screen as possible). For some reason, we don't mind the idea of having slightly fewer ninja enemies stabbing us in the back at any time. These games are at their best when Ryu is juggling a few enemies, not when he's buried in them.

NintendoWare Weekly: LostWinds, Shootanto, Rygar ... Domo

by JC Fletcher { Oct 19th 2009 at 9:51AM }

It's an unexpectedly packed week for Nintendo downloaders! On WiiWare, there's a game that should be wonderful and another that should be, uh, interesting. There's an arcade classic on Virtual Console, and DSiWare features the arrival of one of the weirdest game series to be announced at E3: a set of five games based on NHK mascot and generally adorable monster Domo-kun.

Gallery: Domo games (DSiWare)

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Hands-on: Nostalgia (DS)

by JC Fletcher { Oct 16th 2009 at 7:00PM }

There's only one word I can use to describe the tone of Tecmo and Red Entertainment's Nostalgia, but that one word describes it perfectly: jaunty. I don't think I've ever played a jauntier game in my life, one that's so upbeat about the abstract notion of adventure. This enthusiasm for getting out and seeing the (fake) world is aided by a simplistic, familiar RPG gameplay system that keeps the mechanics of the game out of the way of your adventurin'. If Dragon Quest were set in a fake version of early 20th century Earth, it would be Nostalgia.

Gallery: Nostalgia (10/16/09)

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Koei Tecmo teases new game with dead flowers

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 10th 2009 at 2:30PM }

Man, Koei Tecmo, you really know how to confuse the hell out of us. You've proven your capacity to perplex with your billion-dudes-on-screen action franchises -- now, you're diversifying your riddlecraft with a teaser site for a heretofore unannounced game. Based on context clues, we're guessing it's the long overdue revival of everyone's favorite classic franchise: Pretty Flower, Dead Flower, Falling Girl.

We're kidding, of course. Judging by the Big Dipper which slyly appears at the end of the teaser's video loop, and the fact that the entire Musou (or Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors) team will be in attendance when the game is revealed on October 14, we're guessing it's actually Fist of the North Star Musou. Shame, really -- we were so excited about a current-gen reimagination of PFDFFG.

[Via IGN]

Hands-on: Quantum Theory (PS3)

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Oct 5th 2009 at 12:45PM }

Aping a popular franchise's mechanics and style may be seen as a safe business proposition, but in terms of critical evaluation, the copy-cat game is likely to face stricter judgment. After all, if you're going to copy the good stuff, you've got to get it right.

Tecmo's PlayStation 3 exclusive, Quantum Theory (just Quantum outside of Japan), certainly succeeds in evoking memories of Gears of War -- at least, if you remember Epic's shooter being a technically unsound and completely unappealing disaster. If the Tokyo Game Show build is any indication, Quantum needs to undergo crucial work before its early 2010 release.

Gallery: Quantum (PS3)

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Japanese Nintendo Downloads: Galaxian heads to the Tecmo Bowl

by David Hinkle { Sep 29th 2009 at 3:45PM }

Following last week's drought due to the public holiday, Nintendo has turned the download faucet back on in Japan. It's another week free of WiiWare, but there's certainly enough Virtual Console material to make up for it. Outside of a trio of VC Arcade titles, we've got a Super Famicom tactical RPG classic:

Bahamut Lagoon (Super Famicom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
Galaxian (VC Arcade, 1 - 2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Tecmo Bowl (VC Arcade, 1 - 2 players, 800 Wii Points) [VC in Brief]
Märchen Maze (VC Arcade, 1 - 2 players, 800 Wii Points)

Get some Undead Knights on your PSP for free

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 28th 2009 at 9:45PM }

Tecmo's Undead Knights is coming to PSP very soon. To get a very taste of the zombie-infested action game, check out the Japanese downloadable demo. Wait! Don't rush to the PlayStation Store! It's time to grab a USB cable and do this the old fashioned way. Download the EBOOT and make sure you install it to your PSP's Memory Stick under the folder GAME/NPJH90068.

Let us know what you think in the comments section!

[Via PSPHyper]

Ninja Gaiden characters to appear in Dynasty Warriors, vice versa

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 23rd 2009 at 4:57PM }

Merged game companies rarely fuse their franchises together, but when the two partnered entities' action-genre focus overlaps as much as Koei and Tecmo's do, inter-brand cameos come naturally. That's why we weren't shocked to hear that Ninja Gaiden's Ryu Hayabusa and Warriors Orochi's Nu Wa would make appearances in the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, respectively, of Dynasty Warriors Multi Raid. In addition, Multi Raiid's Sun Shang Xiang and Zhao Yun will appear as costumes in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2.

At this rate, we expect the many, many ninjas from Koei and Tecmo's respective properties will soon be thrown into a "ninja pool," which players of any their titles will be able to choose from. For the record, we're strong advocates for this ninja unionization. Fairer wages for our shiruken-slinging brethren!

Only 8% of Koei's sales come from outside of Japan

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 19th 2009 at 11:30AM }

How does a company like Koei, which seemingly releases a new Dynasty Warriors game every few months, stay afloat? Well, it's not with the help of American audiences, that's for sure. Sony Japan Studios' senior VP, Yasuhide Kobayashi, shared some information with DICE Asia attendees. He revealed that many Japanese companies are struggling to have their games appeal beyond the Japanese market. The worst offender? Koei, with 91.8% of its sales coming from the Japanese market.

Tecmo follows at 89.6 percent, while Square Enix receives a startling 86.6 percent of its sales from the motherland. With Kobayashi saying "the Japanese market is really shrinking," these companies must "develop [a] global title." in order to survive. Expect to hear even more about the dwindling importance of the Japanese market, and publishers' efforts to make more "global" titles, at Tokyo Game Show next week.

Video: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 interview (plus: screenshot comparisons)

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 18th 2009 at 1:00PM }

Given an extra year of development, it's no wonder why the Sigma version of Ninja Gaiden 2 is so far improved over the original. The upcoming PS3 exclusive adds a ton of new features, ranging from awesome to downright ridiculous. GamesWire took screenshots of the original Xbox 360 Ninja Gaiden 2 and compared them with the new Sigma edition, noting, "The lighting and textures are just so much better this time around and there's much more detail to be seen now too."

Additionally, the PlayStation.blog took some time (10 minutes, actually) to show off the various features of Sigma. You'll get to see the Ultimate Ninpo in action, as well as an extended look at the new co-op mode -- and yes, you'll even see the franchise's notorious Game Over screen. Check that out after the break.

[Thanks, Jeremy B.!]

Source - Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 - PlayStation 3 vs Xbox 360 Comparison
Source - Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Interview and Walkthrough with Team Ninja's Yosuke Hayashi

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Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 demo hitting US PSN on Sept. 24

by David Hinkle { Sep 16th 2009 at 11:35AM }

We've just received word from Tecmo that Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2's demo will be gracing the US PSN one week after Japan gets it on September 24. Unfortunately, Tecmo wouldn't offer anything on what the demo would entail; the company did not confirm any co-op for the demo, let alone which part of the game it would take place in. But hey, it's a free demo and we certainly aren't complaining -- mostly because we don't want to be on that Ryu cat's bad side.

You'll shake your head at this Ninja Gaiden ad

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 16th 2009 at 5:45AM }

Tecmo's creative team has certainly been churning out memorable ads for the upcoming PS3 release of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. The videos have shifted focus from sex to violence to ... more sex. The latest ad promotes the unique SIXAXIS motion controls exclusive to the PS3 version. Like the stars of this commercial, we're certain you'll be shaking your head -- we'll leave it up to you whether it's in approval or disapproval.

[Thanks, Sean!]

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Tecmo: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 demo in Japan September 17, news on other regions coming 'very soon'

by David Hinkle { Sep 11th 2009 at 5:40PM }

Japanese news site Andriasang reported today that those anxious to wet their sword (or gigantic scythe) with demon blood in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 would get a chance through a demo on September 17. We wanted to find out when other regions would get the demo, as well as what would actually be in the demo (we're crossing our fingers for some ~~booby bouncing~~ co-op gameplay), so we hit up Tecmo.

A Tecmo representative said that, while the company plans to release a demo "very soon in the US, Europe and Japan," there's no guarantee the demo will hit regions outside Japan on September 17. Tecmo did say that we "should have news very, very soon." So, mark very, very soon on your calendars, kids. As for content, Tecmo remained tight-lipped.

While you wait on that demo, you can pass the time ogling the new screens in our gallery below: