Newly released today:



features
Massively upgraded battle system — Advancements to the battle system include a MAG balancing system, dodge and hide abilities, and the ability to command two demons in combat. Use the retooled Weapon Alchemy system to create new swords with unique special attacks. 80 hours of classic dungeon crawling.
Deeper demon integration — Demon negotiation returns with more than twice the number of demons to attempt to recruit to your side. Create more powerful demons through fusion and skill transfer. Control two demons in battle and choose from more tactical options.
Phenomenal creative team — The rich environment of this Taisho-era Japan comes to life with the character designs of Kazuma Kaneko and the musical score of Shoji Meguro.

description
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha versus King Abaddon is the newest game in a popular SMT subseries that delivers significant gameplay advancements over the original while maintaining its stylish design and unique setting. New features, like demon negotiation, combine with fully enhanced and retooled components of the previous game, like the battle system, weapon alchemy and more. Possibly the PS2’s RPG swansong, and sure to be one of the more popular games in the famed SMT series, Devil Summoner 2 is poised to make a big splash among genre fans upon its release.

Pre-order Bonus:
Every copy of Devil Summoner 2 will include a rare, limited edition “Raiho” plushie. This exclusive collectible will only be available at the launch of Devil Summoner 2; no additional units will be made. High user demand for this item is sure to drive up interest in the game, as it will be the only way to get this ultimate piece of fandom!

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-38gj.html ...

Sony has a major upgrade prepared for the PlayStation 3 version of Echochrome. A patch adds the cloud, a public area where user created stages can be uploaded and shared with the world. Previously, user created content was sent to Sony and selected stages were periodically distributed as packs.

Echochrome utilizes the PlayStation Eye to film a person while they are rotating a maze. Replays with the picture-in-picture window can be saved to your hard drive or uploaded directly to YouTube. I guess this is being advertised as some kind of “party” feature.

Solo players can see where they stand in weekly corridor challenges, time attacks with leaderboards, and test their memory with the invisible quiz, a mode that has players guess a stage while the cast walks on an invisible level.

The patch comes out on May 21 in Japan. A North American release date has not been announced at this time, but I doubt that Sony is making this just for Japan.

http://www.siliconera.com/2009/05/18...sharing-patch/ ...

GungHo released a few screenshots of Lunar: Harmony of the Silver Star, a PSP version of Lunar: Silver Star Complete. Compared to the PsOne version (right) the sprites are much larger and there is a Tales style display with character portraits next to status information.

Game Arts, the original developer is handling the conversion, and will have Lunar: Harmony of the Silver Star ready for Japan in the fall. While officially unannounced Xseed might be picking this up for North America.

http://www.siliconera.com/2009/05/18...e-silver-star/ ...

You know, one of these days, someone at one of these big companies is going to get this right. If you send a cease and desist about "leaked" photos of a supposed device, you're basically saying, "Hey guys, those pictures are real." Now, we can't tell you with 100 percent assurance that that's the case when it comes to those factory pics of rubber-gloved hands all over an apparently-new PS3 hardware design, but it doesn't help anyone's case when a Chinese company sends your Japanese wing a takedown notice. Keep in mind, since this thing isn't from Sony, we can't really be sure that it's the real deal, but we'll be honest -- things are starting to look mighty suspicious. Text of one of the charming messages after the break. We'll pause for comment now.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/18/s...ease-and-desi/ ...

Japanese site AppBank managed to grab some video of what is allegedly Wolfenstein RPG, which apparently leaked early on the App store. From the video, which we've placed after the break, it looks like the iPhone version is graphically improved from its original mobile incarnation.

We've reached out to EA Mobile for an estimated launch date. If Wolfenstein RPG did actually launch on the AppStore in error, it would appear the game is "finished." We'll update if we hear anything back.

Update: A representative for EA Mobile let us know that the company hasn't announced an official release date for Wolfenstein RPG on iPhone.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/ru...e-then-pulled/ ...

In its first month of release, GTA: Chinatown Wars managed to only sell 89,000 copies in the US, according to the NPD. Now that the figures for April have come in, Gamasutra reports the game has managed to sell another 74,000 copies. Mind you, we're no mathematicians (well, not all of us), but by our calculations, that means GTA: Chinatown Wars has managed to sell a total of 163,000 copies in the US so far, which is a lot lower than what most analysts predicted the game would sell in its first month.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/gt...-74k-in-april/ ...

We've struck a major milestone in this week's Nintendo Download, as The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask becomes the 300th game to grace the Wii Virtual Console.

If I have to explain what The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is to you people, then you might be at the wrong website. The second outing for Link on the Nintendo 64, Majora's Mask is one of the darkest and most original games in the Zelda series, and it can now be yours to play on your Wii for 1,000 Wii points. An extremely nice way to celebrate the big 300.

The rest of the Nintendo Download isn't too shabby either. The DSi gets a new Art Style game in Pictobits (500 DSi Points), and WiiWare gets the second helping of Final Fantasy-themed defense gaming with Crystal Defenders R2 from Square Enix (800 points), along with Agetec's Silver Star Chess (500 points).

As always, check out the official description of the titles from Nintendo below.

So, anyone picking up Majora's Mask? Anyone who owns a copy of the original game and a functioning Nintendo 64 planning on buying it anyway?

Virtual Console
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Nintendo 64, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points™): Link™ must save the world! This time, he finds himself trapped in Termina, an alternate version of Hyrule that is doomed to destruction in just three short days. Link must race to recover the Ocarina of Time (which allows him to manipulate time in multiple ways), defeat challenging bosses in dungeons spread across Termina and discover the key to the mystery of Majora's Mask. Along the way, he'll obtain new weapons and items and help other characters (some strangely familiar) in their everyday lives. In addition, Link must use a wide assortment of masks scattered throughout Termina, each with its own specific use or power. Never before have three days offered so much in the way of action, mind-boggling puzzles and depth. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is an adventure unlike any other!

Nintendo DSiWare
Art Style™: PiCTOBiTS™ (Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Nintendo DSi Points™): Your goal in Art Style: PiCTOBiTS is simple: clear large blocks that fall from above ("megabits") by combining them with "bits" (square blocks) of the same color. Add in the ability to pick up bits and place them anywhere on the touch screen, and you'll quickly find that strategy is critical to your success. By clearing the bits, you gradually reveal each stage's hidden game character - look for favorites from classic NES™ titles - and earn coins that can be spent to unlock DARK stages or to listen to the game's soundtrack in MUSIC mode. This grand mix of familiar elements and new game play leads to the uniquely enjoyable experience that is PiCTOBiTS.

WiiWare
CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R2 (SQUARE ENIX, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): In CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R2, you must deploy various units, such as Fencers and Black Mages, to stop waves of encroaching monsters from escaping the area with your party's crystals. There are many types of units to choose from: Some specialize in powerful short-range attacks, some wield far-reaching magicks and still others are equipped with bows, enabling them to bring down aerial foes. Deploy units in strategic locations to take full advantage of their traits. Each time an enemy breaches your defenses and reaches a map's exit, your party will lose crystals. When all your crystals are gone, the game is over. CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R2 offers several new, challenging maps containing multiple entrances and exits. It also introduces three varieties of Power Crystals, allowing you to enhance the abilities of your units, while new jobs, including Flintlock and Tinker, set the stage for even more complex strategies. Can you defend all the maps without losing a single crystal?

Silver Star Chess (Agetec, Inc., 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Suggestive Themes, 500 Wii Points): Silver Star Chess has two modes: 1-Player and 2-Player. 1-Player mode allows you to play a chess match against the computer opponent. 2-Player mode allows you to play against another person. In 1-Player mode, you can select one of five different computer opponents, as well as turn the background music off, adjust sound effects and access in-game help features. Also, during the match, you can redo your last move, save the game at any point or resign from the game. After the match has ended, you can review each move made during the match. While reviewing the match in this way, you can resume that match at any point.

http://kotaku.com/5259257/the-ninten...y-majoras-mask ...

We've struck a major milestone in this week's Nintendo Download, as The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask becomes the 300th game to grace the Wii Virtual Console.

If I have to explain what The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is to you people, then you might be at the wrong website. The second outing for Link on the Nintendo 64, Majora's Mask is one of the darkest and most original games in the Zelda series, and it can now be yours to play on your Wii for 1,000 Wii points. An extremely nice way to celebrate the big 300.

The rest of the Nintendo Download isn't too shabby either. The DSi gets a new Art Style game in Pictobits (500 DSi Points), and WiiWare gets the second helping of Final Fantasy-themed defense gaming with Crystal Defenders R2 from Square Enix (800 points), along with Agetec's Silver Star Chess (500 points).

As always, check out the official description of the titles from Nintendo below.

So, anyone picking up Majora's Mask? Anyone who owns a copy of the original game and a functioning Nintendo 64 planning on buying it anyway?

Virtual Console
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Nintendo 64, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points™): Link™ must save the world! This time, he finds himself trapped in Termina, an alternate version of Hyrule that is doomed to destruction in just three short days. Link must race to recover the Ocarina of Time (which allows him to manipulate time in multiple ways), defeat challenging bosses in dungeons spread across Termina and discover the key to the mystery of Majora's Mask. Along the way, he'll obtain new weapons and items and help other characters (some strangely familiar) in their everyday lives. In addition, Link must use a wide assortment of masks scattered throughout Termina, each with its own specific use or power. Never before have three days offered so much in the way of action, mind-boggling puzzles and depth. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is an adventure unlike any other!

Nintendo DSiWare
Art Style™: PiCTOBiTS™ (Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Nintendo DSi Points™): Your goal in Art Style: PiCTOBiTS is simple: clear large blocks that fall from above ("megabits") by combining them with "bits" (square blocks) of the same color. Add in the ability to pick up bits and place them anywhere on the touch screen, and you'll quickly find that strategy is critical to your success. By clearing the bits, you gradually reveal each stage's hidden game character - look for favorites from classic NES™ titles - and earn coins that can be spent to unlock DARK stages or to listen to the game's soundtrack in MUSIC mode. This grand mix of familiar elements and new game play leads to the uniquely enjoyable experience that is PiCTOBiTS.

WiiWare
CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R2 (SQUARE ENIX, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): In CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R2, you must deploy various units, such as Fencers and Black Mages, to stop waves of encroaching monsters from escaping the area with your party's crystals. There are many types of units to choose from: Some specialize in powerful short-range attacks, some wield far-reaching magicks and still others are equipped with bows, enabling them to bring down aerial foes. Deploy units in strategic locations to take full advantage of their traits. Each time an enemy breaches your defenses and reaches a map's exit, your party will lose crystals. When all your crystals are gone, the game is over. CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R2 offers several new, challenging maps containing multiple entrances and exits. It also introduces three varieties of Power Crystals, allowing you to enhance the abilities of your units, while new jobs, including Flintlock and Tinker, set the stage for even more complex strategies. Can you defend all the maps without losing a single crystal?

Silver Star Chess (Agetec, Inc., 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Suggestive Themes, 500 Wii Points): Silver Star Chess has two modes: 1-Player and 2-Player. 1-Player mode allows you to play a chess match against the computer opponent. 2-Player mode allows you to play against another person. In 1-Player mode, you can select one of five different computer opponents, as well as turn the background music off, adjust sound effects and access in-game help features. Also, during the match, you can redo your last move, save the game at any point or resign from the game. After the match has ended, you can review each move made during the match. While reviewing the match in this way, you can resume that match at any point.

http://kotaku.com/5259257/the-ninten...y-majoras-mask ...

It's obscure game week on Xbox Live Arcade, with Wednesday seeing the release of Gastronaut Studio's Gel: Set & Match and Vector 2 Games' Blazing Birds.

Gel: Set & Match is a puzzle game which features multicolored blocks that melt as you match them together, with an Action mode that adds a little side-scrolling to the mix. The game has both online co-op in Puzzle and Action modes, along with a Battle mode that allows for competitive online play.

Meanwhile, Blazing Birds is a badminton game played between two robots. Robot...badminton. It really doesn't look that bad, judging by the trailer I snagged from Vector 2's website below.

Both games run 800 Microsoft points, and both seem to have their own special sort of charm. After the recent Days of Arcade promotion, it's nice to see a couple games pop up on Xbox Live Arcade that haven't been hyped to death. Either strike your fancy?

http://kotaku.com/5259518/xbox-live-...-blazing-birds ...