Kotaku: bandai namco games

Gundam Musou Coming to PS2

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:00:27 MST

Gundam meets Dynasty Warriors mash-up Gundam Musou did pretty good on the PS3 and so-so on the Xbox 360 as Gundam Musou International (or "Dynasty Warriors: Gundam in America). So why release it on the PS2! That's right, Bandai Namco Games is bringing the title to the PlayStation 2 late this February. Dubbed Gundam Musou Special, it'll have a new scenario and mobile suits. No word on a Western release, but something tells me they'll dub it Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Special. Call it a hunch.
GM on PS2 [Famitsu]

Hey Someone, Localize Game Center CX

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 06:40:18 MST

Back when I visited Bandai Namco headquarters to watch the filming of Japanese reality show Game Center CX, I got to check out the then unreleased Game Center CX game. From what I played, I really, really enjoyed. The title does a nice job of mixing mini-games and old style video games in a fun, novel way. Over at Wired.com, Chris Kohler has done an extensive hands-on with the title, writing:

It doesn't matter whether you've seen the Japanese reality show on which Game Center CX: Arino's Challenge is based. This new Nintendo DS game will deliver a dose of humorous and all-too-true retro game nostalgia to anyone who remembers the 80's.
Hey, remember the 80's? Remember poring over game magazines for cheat codes to help you get past the impossible sections of the short, difficult NES games of the era? Remember sitting around with your friends on lazy summer days trying to be the first one to get past that tricky part? So do the people who designed Game Center CX, an homage to 1985's game culture.

The game isn't exactly import friendly (thanks to the Japanese text). But really, someone Kohler is right: Someone should totally localize this game. And while they're at it, subtitle the Game Center CX DVDs so non-Japanese speakers can enjoy it!
Game Center CX Impressions [Game|Life]

Haruhi Gets PSP Bundling Right

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 02:00:23 MST

Whether you're into Haruhi Suzumiya or not, this is a fine PSP bundle. Bandai Namco has gone all out, and the pack includes things like a cell phone strap, a stand, a UMD case, headphones, a pouch, a poster set, an artbook, blah, blah. It goes way beyond just hardware with a logo painted on — something that too many companies do. I like this. Even the box. The box is nice.
Haruhi Premium Box [Akiba Blog]

Bye Bye Banpresto

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:40:32 MST

Bandai Namco subsidiary Banpresto will be gobbled up. Starting April 1, 2008, Banpresto will be completely merged into the merged BNG megalopolis. Banpresto is best known for publishing Super Robot Wars , the Lupin The Third games and the upcoming Haruhi Suzumiya PS2 title (well, that's how I know them). Starting next spring, it will focus on making prize games for machines, something the company currently does. Banpresto's subsidiaries Pleasure Cast and Hanayashiki will become subsidiaries of Namco. There is an explanation for all this: Bandai Namco is merging subsidiary crazy!
Seeya Banpresto [IGN]

Kotakuland's Favorite Paper Airplane

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 06:00:05 MDT

And the prizes just keep coming! That's our Ace Combat 6 winning entry. Round of applause for contestant seong! So, seong, to claim your prize, send us an email at kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom. Wait, did I write prize? Oh, no. To collect your prizes. Congrats!

Hey Readers, Pick the Best Planes!

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:00:07 MDT

Voting time! Here are our finalists for our Ace Combat 6 contest. Much love and respect to everyone who entered. Picking ten finalists was really, really hard. Here's what we are giving away: A bundle of goodies that includes Ace Combat 6, glossy, photo-quality screenshots autographed by the game's producer and director, Ace Combat 6 Xbox 360 faceplates and the AC6 Flightstick set. It's up to you, Kotakuland, to pick the winner. Vote for ONE plane that you like best. Voting will close this Saturday at midnight EST. The winner for this contest (and our Dementium one) will be announced next Monday! Happy voting!!

Finalist #1

Smokeblue writes:

I started with the coolest paper airplane design I could find. Not content with just normal levels of awesomeness, however, I asked myself how I could make the coolest foldable flyer ever even cooler. The answer? Make it out of a giant piece of black cardstock, of course! All told, I went a little nuts with this thing. I figure around 20-25 hrs got sucked into the various facets of its creation. Folding alone was about six hours (I had to pre-score every crease), and then the artwork took up most of the rest of the time (all hand-drawn). The result: the Kotaku Air Force Stealth Bomber. And what does it drop? Ban Hammers! Right on to the stupid heads of stupid trolls. I think it turned out pretty good. The various graphics are as follow: star-man roundels, air tri-force logo, Kotaku logo, ban hammer troll kills, and the tail number "KT AF 07-360". But as cool as it turned out, I wouldn't be a true ace-pilot without my own bad video montage set to an 80's guitar lick (Mute City): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc-FkgY6EVk. Rock, rock on!

Finalist #2

jkoolb10 writes:

in retrospect, toothpaste wasnt the best skywriting "fuel" but on the plus side my room now smells minty fresh and is tartar free now.

Finalist #3

James writes:

Down here in Key West, Florida, we have an annual celebration known as Fantasy Fest. It's a week-long festival of
alcohol, costumes, and revelry. One of the big events every year is the Pet Masquerade, where locals and visitors create costumes for their pets. We always enter our dog Brutus every year, but this year we were grappling for ideas until one day when I logged on to Kotaku. With an artful blend of Ace Combat 6 inspiration and support for our local Naval Air Station, we managed to create a masterful airplane for our doggie pilot. It may not be what you had in mind for the contest — hell, it's not what I had in mind initially, either — but I hope you like it all the same. The judges of the contest certainly did — we won first prize for "most exotic."

Finalist #4

GeeQzilla writes:

The Head, The Plane, The infamous ceiling fan...Super Toilet Paper Brawl! I had to crouch down and turn off the ceiling fan for this shot, my apartments too small.

I'm thinking about using the head as my halloween costume

Finalist #5

Johnny writes:

In the true American spirit we responded to this challenge with one idea in mind: "Bigger is always Better!"
Therefore with two 2x6 ft. taped together we folded this graceless peice of aeronautics to become the King of the Kotaku Skies.
After careful consideration and blood, sweat, and tape went into this plane we proudly proclaimed that a plane that didn't fly was as good as a controller without rumble! A plane is not a plane unless it flies! Below is the link to our maiden flight rivaling that of the Wright Bros. themselves. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpMScZ65RVg

Finalist #6

Graft writes:

This plane never would have been built if it weren't for me getting sick at work earlier today. I left early... with sinister intentions... to build the radical Kotaku Bombu (and the Kotaku Squadron)! The original intent was to have a shot of the squadron pouring out of the bottom bay doors of the Bombu (not pictured because they're boring), but I realized that I don't the skill to actually photograph it. It's all cardstock, glue, and a bit of tape. And it flies—enough for me to almost lose it over my neighbor's fence! K-squad engage!

Finalist #7

seong writes:

back in the day, in my teenage years, i was obsessed with jet fighters and origami. believe it or not, this is my own creation from the late 80's. it uses a whole sheet of paper. nothing is wasted. i printed the kotaku logo on the paper so it would show up on the fuselage.

Finalist #8

Josh writes:

So here is my humble submission to you guys for a paper airplane. Took me some time, meanwhile my little lady mocks me and plays a borrowed copy of Fatal Frame 2.
I decided since the SR-71 was a sort of bomber, that we needed to have a few crossed out Thompsons for each of our victories. I figured we also needed a name for the plane, and an appropriate pin up girl to accompany it. I think "Jaded Gamer" worked out nicely.

It is comprised entirely of black poster paper, with the help of some paper poster tubes, held mostly by hot glue and packaging tape. The craft may or may not be air worthy, but I have not had time to properly test it. ; )

Finalist #9

Louis writes:

thats a lot of planes...
but there's something oddly familiar in there
hey they spell KOTAKU
as you said as an added plus all of these planes are capable of flight

Finalist #10

Wes writes:

Attached are Images of the F-22 Raptor, F/A-18 hornet, and the F-16C Fighting Falcon, Kotaku Squadron. All of them fly and would be even better if I had the time to build them from heavier materials. The F-16 was the hardest of the 3 to make due to it's slim design and many pieces.

The TP Plane

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 07:30:08 MDT

Remember this guy? Sure ya do! He's back. Same toilet paper, different contest. This time GeeQzilla is back with his entry for the Ace Combat 6 contest. He writes:

I was attempting folding up a 4' X 6' piece of artboard when I accidentally ripped it in half and cried out $#!+!!!! That's when I got this idea :)

Here's what is happening: We're doing a paper airplane contest for Ace Combat 6. We've got a bundle of goodies that includes Ace Combat 6, glossy, photo-quality screenshots autographed by the game's producer and director, Ace Combat 6 Xbox 360 faceplates and the AC6 Flightstick set. To win this bundle you've gotta fold, cut, glue bits of paper together in hopes of creating a truly gnarly paper jet plane. They don't have to actually fly, but hey, if they do, that's a major plus. Be sure to snap a pic of your creation with something that says "Kotaku" and send it to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom. Add "Ace Combat 6 Contest" to your subject line. Deadline is October 25th at midnight PST. Today!

Fold Paper, Win Cool Ace Combat 6 Stuff

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 03:00:32 MDT

Now aren't those just darling? Reader Kyle made this Pika-Plane from heavy construction and even wrote an exciting dialogue to go with it.

"Kotaku One to Pika-Plane. Pika-Plane, please respond."
"Copy, Kotaku One. This is Pika-Plane. Over."

"Pika-Plane, please adjust your flightpath six degrees to the south. When it comes to Pokemon-themed aircraft, Kotaku Tower is a No-Fly Zone. Over."

See? EXCITING. What's going on? We're doing a paper airplane contest for Ace Combat 6. We've got a bundle of goodies that includes:
• Ace Combat 6
• Glossy, photo-quality screenshots autographed by the game's producer and director
• Ace Combat 6 Xbox 360 faceplates
&null; The AC6 Flightstick set
So what's the contest? Paper airplanes! That's right, to win this bundle you've gotta fold, cut, glue bits of paper together in hopes of creating a truly gnarly paper jet plane. They don't have to actually fly, but hey, if they do, that's a major plus. Be sure to snap a pic of your creation with something that says "Kotaku" and send it to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom. Add "Ace Combat 6 Contest" to your subject line. Deadline is October 25th.

Beautiful Katamari Rolling onto PS3 and Wii

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:00:57 MDT

First this, now this: The Bandai Namco Games US page lists Beautiful Katamari as a PS3 title and a Wii title. Previously, the game was supposedly a multi-platform title, but then the PS3 version was apparently abandoned due to porting issues and sluggish PS3 sales. Since this past spring, there has been rumblings of a Wii version, and the game's designer confirmed it was under consideration. Still, Beautiful Katamari was then announced as an Xbox 360 exclusive, and the released box art even carries the "Only on Xbox 360." According to Bandai Namco's site, the PS3 game's release date is TBA as is the Wii one (Xbox 360 should be out in October). Does that mean "Only on Xbox 360" is totally meaningless? If this is true, guess so!
Katamari Listed as PS3 Game [BNG, Thanks Kotakuland! Send tips next time, you bastards :)]

Bandai Namco "Not Aware" of PS3 Eternal Sonata

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 01:00:36 MDT

Tri-Crescendo, the Japanese developer behind Eternal Sonata, wanted to make the game an Xbox 360 title from the get-go. While the studio had previously worked on GameCube title Baten Kaitos, the Wii was not the platform of choice. According to game site Siliconera, the controller and the graphics made bringing Eternal Sonata to the Xbox 360 a no-brainer. What about a PS3 version? Publisher Bandai Namco told Siliconera that it was "not aware" of a PS3 version at the moment. How could it not be aware of that? It's friggin' Bandai Namco! The Japanese box for Eternal Sonata (AKA Trusty Bell) doesn't have an "ONLY ON XBOX 360" stamp on it. Thus, the game should be treated as such.
Eternal Localizer Talks [Siliconera]

Beautiful Katamari Demo Hits XBL

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 06:20:34 MDT

Thought the BioShock demo was enough? Wrong. The Beautiful Katamari demo rolled onto Xbox Live this morning, catchy music and cute graphics in tow. The Xbox 360 exclusive won't be out until this fall. So, go on. Download it. DO IT.

[Meanwhile, I spent over three hours to get 35 percent of the BioShock demo, before shutting it off and going to bed last night. So, reader people, please clear a space so I can snag BioShock. Kthxbye.]

Ace Combat 6 Hands-on Impressions

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:30:37 MDT

Ace Combat 6 is pretty. Very, very pretty. While the previous incarnations were on the PlayStation platform, this upcoming release is an Xbox 360 exclusive. I've actually never played that much of the previous titles and enjoyed how easy this Ace Combat was to pick up and play. The controls are straight forward and simple, the engaging battlefields are immense and the photo-realistic graphics are, like I said, very pretty. The only downside? Motion sickness. Twenty minutes into my hands on, I started to feel like I was gonna lose my lunch. Ace Combat diehards with stomachs of steel should be fine, though. They always are.

iDOLM@STER Pics Appear Mysteriously On US XBL

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 07:00:28 MDT

In what could be an Xbox Live non sequitur, a pic pack for THE iDOLM@STER has popped up on the US Marketplace. It's one pack containing lucky 13 gamer pictures for 200 Microsoft Points. The description of the game is written in Japanese, and it's listed as unrated or rating pending. Riddle me this: why would gamer pics for a Japan only game appear on the US Marketplace if there wasn't intent on release it, well, in the US? Brian Ashcraft

Thanks, Adam!

THE IDOLM@STER LIVE!

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 05:00:42 MDT

An otaku horde descended on concert hall ZEPP TOKYO to hear live versions of the THE IDOLM@STER tunes. There was a stage show with game clips and fancy costumes, while nerd tunes like "Go My Way" got the requisite airing. Two words come to mind when taking a look at the above pic: Sausage party. Brian Ashcraft

Idol Concert [Famitsu]

Bandai Namco TGS Line-Up

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 11:22:33 MDT

Bandai Namco Games have unveiled its Tokyo Game Show line-up. Next-gen titles include:

Ridge Racer 7 (PS3)
Idolm@ster (Xbox 360)
Trusty Bell ~Chopin's Dream (Xbox 360)
Mobile Suit Gundam: Target In Sight (PS3)
Gundam Operation Troy (Xbox 360)

There will also be loads of PS2 and PSP Gundam games as well. Go figure. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Bandai Namco]