Source: videogamesblogger.com

Set two years after the events of Tales of Symphonia for the Nintendo GameCube, Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World on the Wii follows the journey of two new young heroes, Emil Castagnier and Marta Lualdi, as they seek to uncover the mystery of why their world has fallen into ruin. In their quest, their paths will cross with the original cast of Tales of Symphonia including Lloyd and Colette, as well as a summon spirit known as Ratatosk who claims to be the lord of all monsters.

Dawn of the New World introduces a new monster recruitment feature in which players can capture more than 200 unique enemies and train them to actively participate in battle. Players can then feed these monsters to make them more effective, and even evolve them into several new fearsome forms. The game also features an updated real-time battle system that lets players move freely in all directions around the battlefield, execute powerful unison attacks and take advantage of a new elemental alignment system for even more strategic depth.

With its predecessor so successful, can Dawn of the New World live up to expectations? Find out in this Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World video review.


Game features include:
* Classic Tales – Return to the world of Tales of Symphonia and discover the aftermath of the merging of the two worlds
* Over 200 unique monsters – Capture, collect, and feed monsters as they grow, gain experience and even evolve into completely new, more powerful beasts
* Enhanced for the Wii – Environments, characters and effects look better than ever
* Evolved Battle System – The Tales RPG trademark real-time battle system returns with an all-new free run system, dynamic unison attacks and a strategic elemental system
* It’s your Party – Customize the party with unlimited combinations of monsters and characters throughout the adventure
* A decade of Tales – Celebrating the Tales 10 year anniversary in North America

To quote the GT video review: “The game’s tracks are split 50-50 between remixes or enhanced versions of songs found in the original and brand new compositions. There’s far more voice work, and it’s very well done, but there’s no option for the original Japanese.

You can load save data from Tales of Symphonia to unlock special items, but it’s just a shame that the same attention to detail wasn’t paid to the rest of the game. Though the battle system is improved, an erratic difficulty, budget production values, and a poorly-paced story keep Dawn of the New World from royalty status. In some ways, it’s a worthy successor to the original, but it’s ultimately just another passable action RPG.”

Story — 7.6
Design — 8.1
Gameplay — 8.1
Presentation — 7.8
Overall — 7.9

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Evolving the head-to-head fighting action of the Ultimate Ninja series, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm allows players to battle in full 3D across massive environments. Players will unleash powerful jutsu attacks, perform acrobatic evasive maneuvers and even run up walls and over water as they pursue their opponent for ninja supremacy. Players will be able to customize their character’s fighting style and recruit up to two support characters to put their own stamp on the action.

Allowing players to further immerse themselves in the world of Naruto, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm introduces all-new free-roaming exploration across the Hidden Leaf Village and the Forest of Death. Players can search every inch of these iconic environments to take on more than 100 unique missions, collect valuable scrolls and interact with additional characters from the Naruto animated series. Injecting additional variety to the game’s head-to head combat, these missions include races, special deliveries and large-scale battles against massive opponents.

The graphics are great but is this ninja nimble? Find out in this Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm video review.


Game features include:
* Each character in the game is capable of unleashing powerful Awakening abilities under certain gameplay conditions, offering new traits and talents to the game’s impressive ninja roster of 25 popular characters from the animated series.
* Taking advantage of an original next-generation graphics engine, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Stormutilizes fluid animation, incredible visual detail and an advanced facial expression system to create high-definition graphics on the PlayStation 3 system that surpass traditional hand-drawn animation. Replicating the same environments, characters and effects as the hit animated series, this new technology allows gamers to become a part of the world of Naruto like never before.
* Features both head-to-head fighting play and single player, free-roaming worlds of exploration.

To quote the GT video review: “No game has come closer to destroying the line between pencil and pixel than Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm. But after the honeymoon’s over, the romance doesn’t last. The series is struggling for some new ideas, and this game isn’t going to be the one to provide them. Still, if you’re jonesing for some jutsu, you better believe that Storm isn’t a bad game. It’s just not a great one, either.”

Story — 7.5
Design — 7.4
Gameplay — 7.0
Presentation — 9.2
Overall — 7.5

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Noby Noby Boy (formerly known as Nobi Nobi Boy) is in development at Namco Bandai for the PlayStation 3 (as a PlayStation Network downloadable title) by Katamari creator Keita Takahashi.

Nobody really knows what it is. Supposedly the Noby Noby Boy characters consist out of two balls with a stretching and movable body in between.

The first gameplay trailer was recently shown at the Tokyo Game Show 2008, so maybe you can tell me what the heck is going on!?

Click on the bottom-right corner arrow to view it fullscreen.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Namco Bandai announced at the Tokyo Game Show 2008 that Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion will also be released on Xbox 360, aside from the previously known PlayStation 3 release. It seems big-name unpaid exclusives are hard to find for console makers nowadays. While the next-gen game was originally expected in late 2008, the below new trailer shows the fighting game will be released in fall 2009.

The king of the Iron Fist tournament returns for the 6th time. Who will dethrone Jin Kazama as head of the Mishima Zaibatsu? Watch the Tekken 6 characters fight in this new TGS 08 trailer.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

The latest issue of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu has a reveal by developer Bandai Namco that they are remaking the original 1997 PlayStation game Klonoa: Door to Phantomile for the Nintendo Wii. The game is set for release in Japan on December 4th, 2008, at a price of 4800 Yen (that’s $45 / €32). No release outside of Japan has been mentioned.

Since this is a remake of the first game in the Klonoa series, it will feature new cell shaded graphics and have Wii Remote controls in NES style. For more small screenshots of the platformer game, click the image above.

Translation thanks to Tenbatsu

Source: videogamesblogger.com

It’s time for one final mighty Kamehameha for the PlayStation 2 as Atari announced the upcoming launch of Namco Bandai Games’ Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World in North America in November 2008 and in Europe in December 2008. The Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World versus fighting game is being developed by Dimps and combines all the best elements of previous five Dragon Ball Z Budokai games, while also boasting new features such as “Dragon Missions”, new battle types and drama scenes for fans to delve deeper than ever before into the Dragon Ball Z universe.

The new “Dragon Missions” in Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World include many famous scenes from the Dragon Ball Z series never before seen in a video game. A range of missions from a time-attack with power-ups collecting without falling off Snake Way on the “Snake Road Mission” and a race-attack with Goku having to catch Bubbles in the “Dragon Mission” alongside other action, platformer and racing-style missions; puts players’ strategy and quick-thinking skills to the test beyond simply showing off their deadly fighting skills.

But no Dragon Ball Z game would be complete without its fair share of spectacular battles. Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World uses a simplified battle system taken from the recently released next-gen Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit for thrilling hand-to-hand fighting, aura dashing, dodging and weaving on the ground, or flying leaps and aerial combat in the skies. Defeat your opponent by blasting damaging Ki attacks from the sky or by diving into him and launching an explosive smash attack. On top of this you can customize the move set of your characters.

The game features over 40 unique characters, not counting the different forms that each character can transform into which multiplies the playing potential. So far confirmed characters include: Cell, Goku, Janemba, Pikkon, Super 17, Tien, and Vegeta. On top of characters, fighting techniques and battle stages, Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World also includes selected drama scenes from the previous games all presented using beautifully refined effects and shading techniques. I almost forgot to mention that the original Japanese voice actors, as well as the second-gen English voice actors are back.

Representing the last “Z” title for the PlayStation 2, Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World combines the many of the best elements from the previous Budokai and Shin-Budokai series, as well as the recently released next-gen Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, to deliver the definitive DBZ experience.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Namco Bandai has announced that Soul Calibur 4 has sold over 2 million copies worldwide after only having been released for days since July 29th in North America and since July 31st in Japan and Europe.

According to the company this was the best launch of the weapons fighting series so far thanks to its many fans and new additions such as: beautiful HD graphics (no doubt the curvy women helped) and online play so fans worldwide can pit their favorite Soul Calibur 4 characters (or the three new guests from the Star Wars universe) against each other on either Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.

Via Nikkei, translated by Neogaf & Babelfish

Source: videogamesblogger.com

The Straw Hat Pirates return in the first of a two-part follow-up. One Piece: Unlimited Cruise is a new upcoming Wii action-adventure game, the sequel to One Piece: Unlimited Adventure, based on the popular manga and anime One Piece. The game has been scheduled to be released in two episodes, one which will be released in the September 11th, 2008 and the second episode, which will follow up in the winter of 2008. No American release dates have been announced.

Developer Namco Bandai’s Japanese website has shown that Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, Nami, Zoro, Sanji, Robin, Franky and Brook all have new outfits related to animals. It’s unknown how these new costume relate to the story. Zoro’s design reveals that this game includes his new katana Shuusui, and Brook now has the ability to run on water. The Marines and The Enforcers will make an appearance as well.

Watch the One Piece: Unlimited Cruise trailer.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Blood is beautiful in this hip hop infused action adventure game for Xbox 360 and PS3, as Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Afro and Ninja Ninja in the Afro Samurai game. A striking art style gives Afro Samurai a truly unique look and feel across beautifully animated open environments as he wages war against his adversaries to become number one. Using an innovative gameplay system, enemy AI is affected by the beat of the musical score produced by RZA of Wu-Tang Clan fame. These dynamic battles ensure stylized encounters throughout the game that affect the overall tone of gameplay. Slice and dismember opponents as Afro acrobatically leaps from one location to the next, interacting with anything and everything in the environment to help him on his journey.

Namco Bandai explains it better with more details on headbands, dismemberment, and the art style.

The game won’t be released until Q1 2009.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Step into the world of Tales of Vesperia with the demo that’s out on Xbox Live Marketplace right now. The Xbox 360-exclusive is an epic console role-playing game from renowned Japanese developer Namco Tales Studio. It will be in stores on August 19th, 2008.

You’ll be playing the first Tales RPG release in HD, as the next evolution of the revered role-playing series comes to Xbox 360, with detail and graphics never before seen in the series. Now, real-time battles are more exciting than ever with Overlimits, the ability to unleash fatal strikes, combinations, and special Burst Artes.