Tag Archives: Namco Bandai

Review: Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Impact

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Platform: PSP

Developer: CyberConnect2

Publisher: Namco Bandai

# of Players: 1 (Ad-Hoc 1-2)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: B

 

Ever-busy developer CyberConnect2 went for a different, but “classic” beat ’em up approach for their latest Naruto Shippuden game and the results are mostly quite fun. Ultimate Ninja Impact takes many of the familiar characters and important parts of the story arc, puts a Dynasty Warriors-like spin to the gameplay, shakes well and despite some AI issues and PlayStation One-era background redraw, there’s a lot of game here that’s easy to pick up and play. A lengthy quest mode, unlockables galore, collectible cards that enhance skills and more are packed onto the UMD, making this an excellent value provided you’re willing to overlook some flaws.

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Ridge Racer Unbounded Hands-On

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Bugbear Entertainment has been hard at work on a much different Ridge Racer, but it’s clear than this new game isn’t being made to completely take the place of the more familiar franchise that’s been a key title for nearly every console it’s appeared on. Rather, Unbounded is a high-impact spin-off that takes the drift-crazy gameplay and fictional vehicles the series in famous for, adds in destructible elements and the ability to create your own courses and hits the ground running. I took a demo build for a spin at a Namco Bandai event about two weeks back and liked what I played quite a lot. There’s definitely a nod to Criterion Studios’ last few Burnout games (as well as Burnout-inspired titles such as Split Second) as well as Bugbear’s own FlatOut series. As Burnout has morphed into a top-down family fun arcade game with disco tunes blasting during crashes and FlatOut has been retired (for the time being), it looks as RRU will be the go-to game for crash fans when it’s released next year. Continue reading →

Dark Souls “All Saints’ Day” Trailer + Serious Statues To Do Battle For

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With its October 4 US release date right around the corner, here’s a last at the latest Dark Souls trailer plus some awesome one of a kind statues created by one of the game’s biggest fans, sculptor Peter Nordstrom. These five absolutely beautiful artworks are actually being given away over on the Dark Souls community page, so there will be a few lucky gamers who are going to walk away with some incredible showpieces you won’t find anywhere else. If you want to give it a shot, it;’s actually not too late. Just head on over to the PREPARE TO DIE Forums and have at their interesting puzzle contest. Good Luck! Continue reading →

TGS 2011: Inversion Teaser Trailer

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Saber Interactive’s innovative gravity flipping cover-based shooter is one of those games you HAVE to play to fully grasp. This action-packed teaser is a fun clip, but I can see some people mistaking it for yet another Gears of War clone (when it’s FAR from it). As I’ve said previously, this one will surprise a lot of people once they get their hands on it. Hopefully Saber can make the full experience as rewarding and surprising as what I’ve seen and played so far. A Vita version down the road would be really sweet as well.. but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.

TGS 2011: Namco Bandai Trailer Blowout: TOO Many Good Games + Some Surprises

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Yikes. I don't have time to write up separate posts for all of these, so I'll let the assortment of trailers above and below (and below the the jump) show you some of what's cooking at TGS from Namco Bandai. Between the nice support for PS Vita and 3DS plus the other key console titles coming, it's clear that the publisher is really intent on bringing it where it counts. There's definitely something for just about every taste in this lineup. I'll try and get some screens up this weekend or next week, as I'm swamped with a few reviews and such to get done. I will say that Katamari looks like it will be an absolute dream on Vita, especially with the double touchscreen deal…

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TGS 2011: Dark Souls Full Prologue Trailer (UK)

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And here you go: the complete prologue to From Soft’s upcoming action/RPG guaranteed to make grown men and women weep, throw controllers and hide under the couch simultaneously. I can’t wait for October 7, that’s for sure.

TGS 2011: Street Fighter X Tekken Trailer Twofer

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Hmmm… If Capcom and Namco somehow ever fail at this whole games thing, they definitely have a future in making some pretty funny comedies starring their Street Fighter and Tekken game characters. Of course, I’m kidding, but that TGS trailer above is pretty darn hilarious. Below is the new Pandora Mode, which looks like a ton of fun. I’m more of a sit down with someone on the same couch kind of player when it comes to these fighters, but then again, I’m no competitive player at all. I just love checking out all the animation and art that goes into the games, win or lose.

Street Fighter X Tekken TGS Teaser Videos

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Two more character reveals from the upcoming PS3 and Xbox 360 fighter set to launch sometime next year. In case you still haven’t figured out who they are, look for the answers at TGS next week. Of course, if you’re a REAL fan, you already know who’s who, correct?

Studio Profile: From Software (Or: It’s About Time These Guys Got More Love!)

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Here’s a brief look at one of my very favorite game developers since 1994 when I first saw Japanese screenshots of King’s Field and later, Armored Core. The company has done a wide assortment of games since then, but it wasn’t really until Demon’s Souls and now, Dark Souls that they’re a household name among more gamers. Of course, the terrifyingly difficult Dark Souls will probably garner them more than a few curses from those that hop in unprepared or expecting the game to have a super-easy mode… but I think From wants those players to learn something about they way games used to be made.

Tales Of The Abyss Trailers Are Another Fine Reason To Snap Up A 3DS

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Yes, even if you’ve played the game previously, Namco Bandai’s upcoming remake looks good enough to make me want to go through it all over again. Given that the original can be pricey once you track it down, it’s nice to see the 3DS getting more quality titles fans want to see appear on the handheld whether they use the 3D effect to its fullest or not.