via Computer and Video Games


Look at these large open landscapes and vivid colours - NiGHTS is turning out to be a very pretty Wii game.

First impressions are that NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams will stick faithfully to the 2D-based gameplay format of the Saturn original, albeit with much better visuals.

If you haven't seen the game in action, take a look at a gameplay video and in-game footage here.

NiGHTS will be out in Japan on December 13, while us westerners will have to wait until an unconfirmed date next year.


Screenshots here. It's a shame folks outside Japan still have to wait for a release date to be annouced. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Bizarre Creations has detailed the 57-song soundtrack for Project Gotham Racing 4, due out exclusively on 360 from 12th October.

PGR4 is also fronted by an exclusive song written and performed by The Prodigy called Shadow, which plays on the various menus and over the credits.

Cleverly, the sound team isolated little loops of the electronic track and made it so that entering a new menu initiates a slightly different phase of the song, giving you the sense of progressing through a tune rather than just listing to a jingle on repeat. It's like Rez for menus, innit.

What's more, if you stick around on the main menu for long enough without doing anything, the game just starts jamming, spitting out variations on Shadow with gay abandon.

Elsewhere on the soundtrack, there's a familiar mixture of various genres and styles, and the game will allow you to switch playlists off and on by genre, or individual song within a genre playlist, so if you don't like hip hop but do enjoy a particular song, you can make sure that stays in the mix.

It's all part of a push to avoid having people race in and opt for custom soundtracks - although this being 360, that is of course an option.

For more on the audio side of Gotham, as well as all the other sides, watch the site in the coming days. The full track-list follows. Apologies for typos if there are any - the bloody train is swinging from side to side whose bright idea was that.


View the full soundtrack list here ...

via Eurogamer


Nintendo has told us a three week “Hanabi Festival”, has just begun on Virtual Console. Which means, excitingly, lots of Japanese and American titles will be playable in Europe for the very first time.

The first of these will be Super Mario Bros. sequel The Lost Levels, originally only available in Japan. It builds on the original with new levels, more difficult enemies, challenging obstacles and new secret worlds to explore. This special treat costs 600 points (GBP 4.20 / EUR 6) and is only available until the end of the celebratory period on 30th September.

Joining this is Mario's Super Picross, another Japan-only title where you have to solve silly old picture crosswords. It's a bit like Picross DS, as you might think – what with being based around the same puzzle – and has a save function and changeable music. This one carries a slightly inflated price of 900 points (~ GBP 6 / EUR 9).

Over the following two weeks we're promised Virtual Console offerings in the shape of classic US NES platformer Ninja Gaiden, and iconic shooter Gradius III. These will compliment hidden Japanese treasures Ninja JaJaMaru-Ken (NES), plus Sin and Punishment originally for the N64.

Not invited to the party but available anyway is the TurboGrafx-16 action-adventure Neutopia II. Once again you'll have to save the day from evil person, much like you did in the original – which also happens to be available on the Virtual Console. Both will cost you 600 points (GBP 4.20 / EUR 6)

That's all very nice, then, but we still want Secret of Mana! ...

via Games Industry


Nintendo's North American vice president of marketing George Harrison has confirmed he will be leaving the company at the end of the year.

Following Nintendo's decision to move the US sales and marketing departments from Washington to New York and San Francisco, rumours circulated that senior execs would not be making the transition.

At the time, Nintendo dismissed the chatter as speculation, but Harrison has now clarified that he won't be following his team to the West Coast.

...

via Eurogamer


SouthPeak has moaned and groaned that Monster Madness: EX will be available on PS3 next year.

It's a polished-up version of the 360 and PC game from earlier in the year, featuring new mini-games, better graphics, a more intuitive camera and general gameplay tweaks.

Monster Madness is a four-player co-operative shooter reminiscent of games like Zombies Ate My Neighbours. You play as one of a quartet of teenagers whose sleepy suburb has been invaded by the shambling undead, and use all sorts of weapons at hand to take off limbs and generally destroy the baddies.

Hopefully this new version can address previous problems and put this on the right track to realising its potential ...

via Games Industry


Blitz Games will be using Kynogon's AI middleware for its next PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 project.

The UK developer continues to use its internally developed BlitzWare engine, but needed to ramp up production using Kynogon's solution on the as-yet unannounced title.


Kynogon's AI technology is currently employed by a number of high-profile development studios including RealTime Worlds, Spark Unlimited, Lionhead and Turbine.

"Blitz has an unrivalled reputation within the industry for the quality of its technology, and we are honoured to be providing middleware to the company," added Pierre Pontevia, CEO of Kynogon. ...

via Eurogamer


Developer Irem has puffed out its chest and confirmed that Steambot Chronicles is in development for PS3.

It's fantastically called Bumpy Trot 2 over in Japan. We'll be treated to the first trailer for it at the Tokyo Game Show later this month according to the official website.

Steambot Chronicles was released on PS2 here at the end of last year, and is described as a non-linear action-adventure game. Or more accurately as a cross between GTA and Harvest moon, according to Eurogamer reviewer Simon Parkin.

There's a weird mix of mini-games, Zelda-like action, mechanoids, harmonicas, good and evil choices and even though none of it particularly stands out, the sum of the parts made it a solid recommendation.

We'll at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show next week, so hopefully we can bring you more information then. ...

In Japan, the state of play on hardware sales is shown below as follows:


DS Lite: 77,488
Wii: 29,088
PSP: 15,564
PS2: 13,360
PS3: 13,248
Xbox 360: 1,286
Game Boy Micro: 428
Game Boy Advance SP: 122
Gamecube: 82
Game Boy Advance: 0
DS Original: 0


All consoles except 2 have experienced another drop in sales, especially the DS Lite (down by 16,851) and the Wii (10,283) which have seen a very sharp drop from last weeks' reading. The only ones that have risen would happen to be the Game Boy Micro (up by 165) and Gamecube (up by 9). ...

via IGN


There was a time that console owners looked forward to home ports of Ridge Racer arcade games. Now, the reverse is true. Bandai Namco is taking a home-based Ridge Racer game and turning it into an arcade attraction.

Ridge Racer 7 is being reborn as Ridge Racer 7 3D Version. The arcade attraction makes use of a special television that uses filters to make the images come out at players. You have to wear special glasses to see the effect, although different from classic 3D glasses, these look like standard single-colored shades. For bystanders, the game screen looks blurry, like two slightly displaced images overlain.

Technologically, the game makes use of a technique called Xpol. Developed in conjunction with NHK Technical Service, this technology promises 3D visuals without player fatigue. The technology works at 1080p and 60 frames per second.

Japanese site Impress Watch was on hand at a location test of the game at the Namco Wonder Park amusement center in Kanagawa Prefecture, just to the south of Tokyo. According to the site, the visuals produced by the game really do offer a 3D feel. HUD readouts, including your speedometer and positional information, appear to be right in front of the player, with the course appearing beyond.

Surprisingly, the PS3 version of the game was converted to the new 3D format in just one week. To make the 3D effect, the game moves the standard viewpoint a bit to the left or to the right, alternating with each frame. The only trade off, apparently, is that the game's framerate appears lower.

It's unclear if Bandai Namco will be giving this attraction a full arcade release. But there will be other chances to get a glimpse, at least if you're in Japan. Following the location test, the company plans on showing the game off at the CEATEC Japan event in early October, then at the Asiagraph shortly after that. ...