コスチュームパック [IT Media]

Something else to keep in mind: Earlier we reported that Tecmo slapped Itagaki with a gag-order, meaning that one had been filed — as of course there are no Japanese laws to prevent Tecmo from filing for that! However, a judge has yet to sign off on this gag-order for it to actually be in effect. Since this hasn't yet happened, the gag-order is, well, not in effect. What's more, that gag-order motion may very well be tossed out of court.

Itagaki vs Tecmo [IT Media]

Ozawa and Tsunoda both filed their suit this past Monday. According to the suit, the workers were illegally placed on a "flexible hours" work scheme where overtime was not paid. Because of this dubious employment structure, overtime for the employees exceeded over 100 hours per month in unpaid overtime. Along with the lawsuit, they provided hard evidence to prove that Tecmo's actions were unethical and illegal.

The following day, Ozawa clarified their lawsuit with Japanese website IT Media, explaining what it means for the entire company: "There are only two employees bringing this suit, but our accusations encompass all 300 employees, and if Tecmo doesn't immediately address the issue and correct the problem, we are ready to start a second and a third class action suit." Hiroaki Ozawa is an official representative of the labor union, having been elected with a majority vote from amongst the 300 employees. That's why, when he says that he is prepared for a 2nd or 3rd wave of class-action suits, you can take him seriously — he has been voted in by a majority of Tecmo employees.

If the claims made in this suit are indeed fact, how much has Tecmo exploited its 300 employees for over these two years. After Team Ninja member Ozawa was fairly elected as the head of the Tecmo Labor Union this past February, made it his first priority to right these wrongs, thus the reason why the employees' lawsuit was filed. (The previous Tecmo Union Head was never elected and in management — despite the majority of Tecmo's employees being in R&D.)

The evidence the plaintiffs submitted in their suit seems to indicate that Yoshimi Yasuda, president of Tecmo Co. Ltd., falsified contracts relating to overtime work, illegally withholding payment of wages to 300 employees over the course of the past 2 years. Before Ozawa was elected democratically by Tecmo employees, a figurehead Tecmo Union leader was in place, pushing through measures that employees did not agree to and did not have a voice in. Measures like the overtime and flex time "agreements". Despite Yasuda’s direct involvement with this deception, he attempted to shift responsibility by claiming that this was the fault of the founder and former chairman of Tecmo, now deceased, stating he was told not to hold an election and just pick someone to head the Tecmo Labor Union. The leaders of the labor union who discovered this impropriety have filed suit. They are seeking damages of approximately 4,160,000 yen each.But what is the crux of their argument? How much water does it hold? The answer: A lot, it seems. And this case might be more open-and-closed that Tecmo is ready to admit.

Let's have a look at the actual evidence submitted by plaintiffs Ozawa and Tsunoda:

Above, is a document from last year where the figurehead Tecmo Union leader signed an overtime work "agreement" claiming to represent all employees. It even says "chosen by popular vote" at the bottom in Japanese, which is circled. (There was no vote, apparently.) This figurehead exec's name hasn't been make public, and it is grayed out in the document. It does say his position though in Japanese: 経営管理部　経理課　係長, which basically means a low-level management exec. Not exactly the kind of guy 250+ R&D employees would choose to represent them. Link here.

Here is another document is similar, but for the so-called "flex-time" agreement. The aim in Japanese employment law for the "flex-time" rule it to allow employees to work non-standard hours freely. However, Tecmo stands accused of using it as an excuse not to pay overtime to workers. It was signed by the same figurehead, therefore the suit claims it is invalid. Link here.

This document is from this spring, after Ozawa had finally be elected by a democratic Tecmo staff vote, replacing the figurehead. This is a statement from Tecmo's president, Yoshimi Yasuda, in response to several queries made by Ozawa and the Tecmo Labor Union and is in response to the labor unions request for information on why a low-level management guy was made labor union head without an election. Yasuda claims that the owner of the company, now deceased, told him before his death that he should "just pick someone in management and make him the labor representative."

This document is important in two ways:

1. It backs up the claim that there was no election.
2. It shows that Yasuda is trying to dodge responsibility by blaming the beloved founder of Tecmo, now deceased.

Note: Tecmo released an English language press release yesterday which reads: "There are several inaccurate reports stating that all 300 company employees are named in the lawsuit and the company would like to clarify that only two employees are involved in the suit." Tecmo is correct, only two employees are actually named as plaintiffs in the suit, but how many do they represent. As Kotaku originally posted, "The plaintiffs represent all 300 Tecmo employees and contest that because of this dubious employment structure, overtime for the employees exceeded over 100 hours per month in unpaid overtime."

The documents submitted as evidence can also be found here. There are also, of course, part of public record.

Game developer Tecmo has a request for journalists.

Sections of the Western media are running a rumor that large numbers of our staff plan on leaving the company over salary issues, and it is regrettable that this inaccurate news is being propagated, fueling uneasiness among our developers.

We Tecmo are currently focused on bringing high quality products to our customers. Doing our best to concentrate under the circumstances, we hope to bring more enjoyable products to the marketplace.

We have exciting announcements regarding game launches planned for the future. Understanding of the work we are doing and consideration of fairness is asked regarding the treatment of unconfirmed information, as well as how it affects the actual staff. We thank everyone for their understanding.

Recent Press Releases [Tecmo]

According to Tecmo, only two employees have filed a lawsuit against the company, as previously reported. Tecmo claims that it notified "all affected employees that they would be appropriately compensated and is currently in the process of resolving the matter." It also goes on record as saying that reports that it had withheld information from shareholders regarding the lawsuit filed by Itagaki were, in short, hogwash.

Apparently, recent reporting on Tecmo's legal kerfuffle has caused "unrest" amongst company staffers, so the publisher and developer has asked us to "handle news reports concerning the above matters with care." Rest assured, Tecmo, that it is our policy to handle all news reports as if they were a brittle nest filled with the precious and fragile eggs of a hummingbird. Tecmo's full statement follows.

June 18, 2008

On and around June 15, 2008, various websites in the US reported a rumor about “dozens” of development staff members resigning and filing a lawsuit against Tecmo, LTD., following Tomonobu Itagaki’s departure from the company. The rumors are false and no such action is taking place at the company.

On June 16, 2008, two employees filed a lawsuit against Tecmo, LTD. with accusations of withholding overtime pay. Although a lawsuit was filed by the two employees, on April 1, 2008, Tecmo, LTD. did notify all affected employees that they would be appropriately compensated and is currently in the process of resolving the matter. There are several inaccurate reports stating that all 300 company employees are named in the lawsuit and the company would like to clarify that only two employees are involved in the suit.

In addition, there were reports that Tecmo, LTD., a publicly traded company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, withheld information from its shareholders regarding the lawsuit filed in May 2008 by Tomonobu Itagaki. The company has observed the provisions defined by the Exchange and has released information accordingly and in a timely manner.

It is unfortunate that false and inaccurate reporting of our organization and employees’ actions have caused some unrest among our development staff members. Tecmo, LTD. would like to assure its partners and loyal fans that its teams continue to focus and work on several projects to be released and announced in the future. The company is committed to providing high quality, entertaining products for our fans around the world.

Your continued support of Tecmo, LTD. is appreciated and it is kindly asked that you handle news reports concerning the above matters with care.

Tecmo, LTD.

• Disclosing or leaking information regarding Tecmo's game software, sales, development or any other company secrets

• Using newspapers, magazines and the internet to criticize company software and company employees

• Obstructing the company's business through slanderous remarks to third parties

• Do not accept interviews regarding Tecmo or talk to the press about the company

This gag-order certainly seems in response to the statement Itagaki released to Kotaku and other outlets.

テクモ、板垣氏に対して仮処分を申請 [IT Media] [Pic]

テクモ社員、残業代求め提訴 [jiji via my game news flash]
テクモ労働組合の執行役員2名が未払賃金を求めて提訴 [Game Watch Impress]

Earlier this month Tomonobu Itagaki, who leads/led Team Ninja, announced his intention to quit Tecmo, effective July 1. In his announcement he was PO'd about a company decision not to pay bonuses on a completed game, so, chances are his comrades feel the same. Tecmo, for its part, says the bonus to Itagaki that is in dispute was approved by a previous management team, not the current one.

1Up also writes:

Another problem for Tecmo is that in Japan, any lawsuit filed against a publicly-traded company must be immediately reported to its shareholders on the same business day. The fact that Itagaki had actually filed a complaint against Tecmo in Tokyo District Court on May 14, but Tecmo management withheld this information from shareholders, possibly as late as when the notorious developer released his high-profile public statement on June 2, creates even bigger problems for the game publisher.

Of course Tecmo still owns Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, and can hire developers to make all the games it wishes off of those franchises. But if this is true, it's absolutely a fair to wonder what they'll be like without, and how faithful they'd be to the gaming experience so many have come to expect to this point.

Rumor: Three Dozen Team Ninja Members Leaving With Itagaki [1Up]

But is Ninja Gaiden II really the franchise's swan song or is Itagaki's decision to ditch Team Ninja and sue Tecmo over unpaid bonuses the real reason he won't be making any more of the titles?

Loved
Limb-Lopping Animation: The sheer level of gore is stunning when you first sit down to play the game, and later, later it's still stunning. Don't get me wrong, I love it, it is a celebration of violence that is both fitting for the title and useful in gameplay. Useful? When faced with an armless, or legless ninja they can be, like an injured animal, even more dangerous, so the glistening red stumps help you spot who can be taken out with a quick, merciless series of beautifully detailed cuts. This over-the-top gore balanced with the graceful cuts of the weapon and movements of Ryu blend to create a beautiful ballet of death that alone is worth the price of admission.

Stunning Backdrops: Brown maybe the color of first-person shooters, but you can find just about every hue of the rainbow in Ninja Gaiden II. The eclectic mix of settings and backdrops are so lovingly detailed, so scenic that I found myself stopping to look around and marvel at the spectacle of, say, a world washed red in a rainfall of blood or Team Ninja's take on a future Tokyo, complete with flying cars. This mix of beautiful backdrops also helped keep the game moving forward, avoiding the trap of sameness that often can tear a game's level design down.

Fast-Paced, Tactical Combat: There is a moment, I imagine, for everyone, when they foolishly approach Ninja Gaiden II as a button-masher, but the game's subtle level of tactics, timing and defense eventually come through and they learn the pace of Ryu's frenetic battles... or they die a bunch and give up on the title. For me Ninja Gaiden II is at its heart a game about timing. The game can approach the insanity and necessary perfection of a hardcore shoot-em-up, but instead of facing waves of bullets, players must deal with masses of enemies filling the screen. One misstep can lead to a chain of attacks that leaves Ryu depleted or dead. Never is this analogy more fitting than with the boss battles. Each of these fiends have very specific attacks and can really only be dealt with in one or two ways. Defeating them is more about figuring out how to do so than taking them head-on.

Save System: The game's new save system, which makes the save points much more plentiful and automatically saves before boss battles, is a welcome addition to a game notorious for its difficulty.

Hated
I'm Ready for My Close Up: The camera controls remain problematic at the best of times. At the worst of times it can make the game frustratingly hard to deal with. It seems that Team Ninja, when tweaking the camera, was more worried about capturing the action from a cinematic view than they were dealing with the need to make Ryu easier to control. This isn't in anyway a deal breaker, just frustrating at times, especially when you're forced into first-person perspective and the game sort of freaks out.

Blinded By the Fight: What? You're complaining about the camera angles twice? Yes, strange voice in my head, I am. Actually this is more about a confluence of problems that occurs a handful of times in the game. There are four or five major battles in the game that become so crammed with people, so lit up with bloom, effects and colors, so confused by the camera angles that you have no idea what's going on. At times you can't even see where Ryu is.

Double Down Bosses: Each boss, and there are quite a few of these in the 14 levels of Ninja Gaiden II, are painfully hard to defeat, but I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is that with the exception of a single boss, you end up having to face off with every one of the bosses two different times. It feels more like a device to lengthen the game than something meant to add to the experience.

Slooooow Motion: I like what the game is trying to do, overwhelm you with mayhem on a level rarely seen in an action title, but there's a reason it's rarely seen: It's too intense for a console to handle. It doesn't happen often, but occasionally, on the slicker levels, when the screen fills with bad guys the motion slows down to a crawl, a slow motion crawl. It manages to stay smooth, which helps, but it's annoying to see such chug in a triple A title.

Weak Community Features: It's a minor complaint, but why add something like the ability to record and playback chunks of gameplay without putting some effort into it? You can't edit, you can't control the playback at all and you can only share your full save-point-to-save-point recordings if you are ranked on the leaderboards. Seems like a waste to me.

Ninja Gaiden II is a spectacular game but it's marred with some of the same tragic flaws that have followed the series since its introduction into the world of 3D, most notably the camera angles. Despite that and some of the most painfully hard boss battles I've encountered, I thoroughly enjoyed playing through almost every bit of the game. In fact, I've already started through a second time on a harder difficulty level.

Ninja Gaiden II is a game you should expect to frustrate and to reward, and it does both quite well, you just have to deal with a bit of design pettiness along the way.

Ninja Gaiden II was developed by Team Ninja and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Retails for$60. Available on Xbox 360. Played to completion on easiest "Path Of The Acolyte" setting. Played first two chapters on "Path of the Warrior" setting. Saved one film.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Stock Prices Drop [Excite News] [Pic]

X-Play History [Go Nintendo]

Tecmo just sent along another statement, this one in English, which includes the fact that Itagaki's last day is July 1 and that the Team NINJA team is still "intact" and working on several new projects.

The full statement is on the jump.

On June 3, 2008, Tomonobu Itagaki, Executive Producer of Tecmo, LTD.(Tokyo, Japan) owned development studio Team NINJA, submitted his resignation. Due to the fact that he had recently filed a legal complaint against Tecmo, LTD., there was no choice but to accept his resignation. His resignation is effective July 1, 2008.

The legal complaint is in regards to a claim to an incentive bonus linked to a past project. The parties could not reach an amicable resolution to this matter and Itagaki chose to seek a legal remedy. Tecmo, LTD. will let the court decide the outcome of this case and will seek a true, fair, and quick resolution.

Most importantly, Tecmo, LTD. would like to assure its loyal fans that Team NINJA, known for its top selling and critically acclaimed Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive franchises, is intact and, as a matter of fact, have several new projects already underway. Team NINJA is, more than ever, committed to producing compelling and cutting edge games in order to maintain its reputation as a high quality developer and to continue to receive the support of its loyal fans.

Itagaki Leaving Tecmo, Suing Tecmo [Kotaku]

Our company getting sued by this employee is huge problem... the reasons for making this lawsuit public are self-centered. What's more, this employee is filing this suit for himself and making it seem like he alone is responsible for the development of the game titles the rest of the Team Ninja staff had poured its heart into.

Team NINJA is currently working on a line-up of new titles. All of Team NINJA is starting to work together on interesting new game titles.

This could get very messy folks.

Tecmo's Response [Tecmo.co.jp] [Pic]

Temco later declined to comment saying that they were aware of his statement but unwilling to say more. Now Microsoft is chiming in, responding to our request for comment, thanking Itagaki for his years of Xbox support.

Tomonobu Itagaki has decided to leave TECMO and Team NINJA to pursue other opportunities. We thank Tomonobu Itagaki for the many years he has supported Xbox as he has contributed immensely to the success of the videogame industry as a whole.

I'm sure that if Itagaki carries out his threats and leaves Team Ninja he won't be leaving game development. In fact he told us as much last month when he decided to drop another bomb, saying that Ninja Gaiden II was his swan song and that he was thinking of creating a shooter set in the Pacific Theater during World War II, perhaps one from the Japanese perspective. The question now is will he form his own studio or latch on to another collection of disenfranchised, but artistic developers. Yeah, probably not, I think it's more likely he's going to Microsoft, but I can dream.

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He blamed his departure on President Yoshimi Yasuda, saying that Yasuda told him that "if you are dissatisfied with the decision not to pay the bonuses, either quit the company or sue it." So Itagaki is doing both.

We contacted Tecmo last night and this morning for comment on the surprise departure and just received their mostly no-comment response:

"We’re aware of the statement sent out to the press by Itagaki but do not have anything more to add at this time."

Requests for comment to Microsoft Japan and Microsoft have gone unanswered, but we'll be sure to keep you up to date as this story shakes out.

To read Itagaki's full statement to Kotaku hit up the link.

Itagaki Leaving Tecmo, Suing Tecmo [Kotaku]

Hopefully the demo will be available to the rest of us by the end of the week as promised, though with the game being shipped to stores today I doubt it really matters all that much anyway.

Demo: Ninja Gaiden II [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]

Tomonobu Itagaki's translator Andrew Szymanski contacted Kotaku, telling us, "At approximately 2:30 PM Japan Standard Time today, June 3rd 2008, an official statement from Tomonobu Itagaki was sent by fax to major Japanese news outlets. In the interest of fair and expedient reporting of this story throughout the English-speaking world, I have been asked by Itagaki to convey this statement to you. Herein find attached Itagaki's official statement, in English, for the benefit of your readers."

What does this mean for Itagaki's future? Szymanski does not know, adding, "You will likely have questions regarding the content of the statement, or about Itagaki's future plans. I am afraid that I will be unable to answer such questions for the time being; however, rest assured that more information will be forthcoming as soon as it is deemed appropriate to do so." Quitting Tecmo (and suing it) means the chances of Itagaki making Dead or Alive 5 are more dead than alive. Guess he wasn't kidding when he said Ninja Gaiden II would be his Ninja Gaiden swan song. Hit the jump for Itagaki's full statement.

Statement

I, Tomonobu Itagaki, hereby announce that on the 14th of May 2008 I filed a complaint in the Tokyo District Court against Tecmo Co., Ltd. for unpaid completion bonuses, and against the President of Tecmo, Yoshimi Yasuda, for such unlawful acts as unreasonable and disingenuous statements made towards me, claiming damages in total of 148 million yen. I also announce that this complaint was delivered to the defendants on May 22nd of the same year.

In addition, I hereby announce that I have today submitted a letter of resignation to Tecmo Co., Ltd. stating that I will resign as of the 1st of July, 2008.

Before the start of development on DEAD OR ALIVE 4, Tecmo Co., Ltd. had agreed to pay a completion bonus to me for this Xbox 360 title, which I produced. However, when the time came for the actual payment, Tecmo Co., Ltd. went against its previous agreement and refused payment. President Yoshimi Yasuda chose not only to violate this agreement, but also turned defiant, telling me “if you are dissatisfied with the decision not to pay the bonuses, either quit the company or sue it.” In addition, he made demeaning remarks about me to my subordinates and colleagues, causing me significant emotional distress and worsening my personal relationships and work environment. Thus, I have no choice but to resign from Tecmo Co., Ltd.

The conduct of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its president Yoshimi Yasuda towards me has been unbefitting of a publicly-listed company.

I have filed this lawsuit with a strong intent to question the social responsibility of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its President Yoshimi Yasuda, as well as condemning them for their unjust acts. Today, in addition to announcing the reasons for this lawsuit, I make clear my reasons for resigning.

To All Game Fans

I truly feel sorry to all the fans of the games I have made. NINJA GAIDEN 2, which will launch on the 3rd of June will be the last NINJA GAIDEN I will create. I will also never be able to make DEAD OR ALIVE 5. I regret the circumstances that have forced me to leave Tecmo, where I had worked for so many years, and I regret the disappointment this will cause my fans.

However, I can no longer continue to work with President Yoshimi Yasuda, a man who chooses not to honor promises even when he is able to do so.

I truly hope that nothing like this happens again in the future.

Tecmo Co., Ltd. Creative Officer

Leader, Team NINJA

Tomonobu Itagaki

[Pic]

Yeah, there's nothing that can be done about that. Things like economic policies, the fact that the size of the size of the population of children in Japan is dwindling, people are moving away from console gaming — there are a lot of factors involved, it's not just Xbox 360 doesn't do well in Japan because it's Xbox; there's a whole load of societal factors involved there. It's not as though the hardcore would make a big difference. This all goes back to decisions that politicians made like sixty years ago.

Of course, by moving away from console gaming, Itagaki means moving away from HIS console gaming. Nonetheless! Itagaki will be announcing Dead or Alive 5 later this summer. It's unconfirmed whether this DoA will also be an Xbox 360 exclusive.

Itagaki Interview [Kikizo] [Pic]

And for all of you heading to your Xbox 360 to log in to your Japanese account, make sure you upgraded that baby to Gold first...Silver users will have to wait a few days before they can start the download...as I just discovered minutes ago. Stupid Silver account, making me look bad.

We'll let you know as soon as this becomes available to the western world.

Demo: NINJA GAIDEN 2 (Japan Only) [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]

Tecmo also said that they didn't just pass on Bo Jackson, apparently he nixed the licensing agreement because he was too busy dealing with his other private investments.

I love the idea of Tecmo Bowl on DS, not so sure about it coming to the Wii. Bowl seems like a game best suited to tiny graphics this generation around.

Latest Famitsu [Wii@Everyday]

I think Kamiya-san makes good games. However, I think they, the systems, gameplay elements in his game tend to be rather shallow and he makes up with that through stylish presentation. I think if you were to compare them directly, the combat and other gameplay elements in Ninja Gaiden II are much deeper than projects that he works on.

...In my games its all based on a back and forth with the enemies, its very interactive. You feel like you're pushed to the brink but you manage to survive, the enemies are as out to get you as you are to get them. Whereas other types of action games, one of which being Devil May Cry, enemies exist there as objects on which you unleash your attacks.

Gotta give Itagaki this much: at least he's not boring!
Talking with Tomonobu [OXM Thanks, Hatchetforce!]

What did you think of the PS3 game Ninja Gaiden: Sigma? I'm told you won't even sign copies of the game...?

Itagaki: It was no good.

Why's that? I thought it was pretty good.

Itagaki: All you need to do is play Ninja Gaiden II and then try and play Sigma afterwards and you'll see why. Despite the fact that it's on a 'next-generation' console there's no evolution whatsoever. That was made not by me, but one of my sub-ordinates who basically tried to copy the success of Ninja Gaiden.

Ouch. We thought it was pretty good! Elsewhere in the interview, Itagaki confirms that Ninja Gaiden II will never appear on the PS3, and if it ever did that would be "a loss of face for everyone involved."

Tomonobu Itagaki Interview [CVG] [Pic]

I think it [Grand Theft Auto IV] is made extremely well and is a fun game... People always use that as an example of violence in games. But I don't think there's anyone who takes their job as seriously as the guys who make that game. You only have to look at all the detail in there.

That's a pretty high compliment right there, Rockstar!

Itagaki Talks GTAIV [CVG]

I love the action game genre, in particular I am very focused on movement and the animation. One of the precepts I always have for my games is making sure that the animation of all the characters is as fluid and as cool looking as they can be... I think that I'm going to continue to explore the action genre and do something that allows me to go in directions that I haven't been able to go with the Ninja Gaiden series, with an entirely new franchise.

Itagaki told Crecente that he was thinking about either a World War II game with an American developer or on a space game. Whatever Itagaki settles on, you can be damn sure of one thing: It will have great boob physics.
What's Next [Videogamer]

Yesterday I posted more of a plea than a story, asking Tecmo not to F-up their return to the beloved football franchise Tecmo Bowl and it seems that most of you were with me. Heck, I even received a private email with assurances that things would remain F-up free. And for the most part, it seems that that is the case.

But Stephen Totilo IMed me this morning to point out what he's found out about the upcoming game, most of which sounds great, some of which... OK one of which, is not so much.

First of all, I’m told that this game isn’t a new 3D re-invention. It’s a classic 2D game.

I’ve also learned that the game won’t include any NFL teams or players, due to EA having the licenses locked up. It won’t include retired players either, and that includes “Tecmo Super Bowl” icon Bo Jackson.

No Bo? Say it ain't so!

Hit up the link to read Tecmo's take on what you should think of Tecmo Bowl Kickoff.

Tecmo: No Bo Jackson, No NFL For New ‘Tecmo Bowl’ — But Still Faithfully Old-School [MTV Multiplayer]

To: Tecmo
From: Crecente
Re: TECMO BOWL: KICKOFF FOR THE NINTENDO DS COMING THIS FALL

Dear Tecmo,

Don't you dare fuck up Tecmo Bowl. No story, no graphic overhaul, don't touch the soundtrack, no DC comic characters... and god help you if you include Mii.

Signed,
Brian
(Delivery confirmation requested)

TECMO BOWL® IS BACK!
The Legend Returns With TECMO BOWL®: KICKOFF For the Nintendo DS™

TORRANCE, Calif. May 1, 2008 — Leading video game developer and publisher Tecmo® today announced TECMO BOWL®: KICKOFF, exclusively for the Nintendo DS™. Based on the most popular Tecmo Super Bowl™, KICKOFF will deliver to long time fans and newcomers easy to employ controls, fun, huge plays and exciting cut-scenes. The classic, over-the-top, all-American football game enables players of all levels to engage in a fun filled, fast paced, arcade style of football.

“We are extremely excited to bring back everyone’s favorite football game to the Nintendo DS,” said Ryan Gilbo, executive producer, Tecmo, Inc. “KICKOFF is packed with everything that fans wanted to see in this revival. No other football game will ever compare to TECMO BOWL as this is the game that started it all.”

TECMO BOWL: KICKOFF brings a host of new features that will further enhance the gameplay experience, including:

• Customizable Teams: Choose team colors, emblems, player names, team cities and abilities.
• Super Abilities: Tactically use over-the-top plays to take over a game.
• Wi-Fi and Wireless Multiplayer: Play against friends across the country or across the room.
• Stylus Control: Feel the action by using the stylus to control your player.
• Variety of Teams: Choose from 32 different teams.
• Cut-Scenes: All-new cut-scenes showing off the dramatic presentation of various plays.
• Customizable Playbook: Prepare for gridiron greatness by customizing your playbook.
• Music and Sound Effects: Turn up the heat on your opponent as you play the game to rock ‘n’ roll remixes of the most memorable tunes in football gaming history!
TECMO BOWL: KICKOFF is scheduled to launch Fall 2008. The game has not yet been rated by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

I did spend enough time to make my way through the first chapter, so I at least got a taste for controls and gameplay. First things first though, the build I was sent an early build, the cut scenes were only about 70 percent complete, and the game has yet to be fully optimized, so I'm going to ignore some of the technical glitches that popped up with my time during the game. The game also didn't include the ability to level up weapons.

In Ninja Gaiden II, an Xbox 360 exclusive, Ryu Hayabusa is out to once more save his clan and the human race. The game is built on a new game engine crated by Team NINJA and Tomonobu Itagaki and features a new auto-health system and the ability to save clips of your favorite battles to share them on Xbox Live.

The game's opening chapter takes place Tokyo's Sky City and has Ryu working his way around and through high-rises as he takes on a slew of ninja.

The combat system used in the game is surprisingly complex. It seems, at first blush, to be all about button mashing, but it didn't take me long to realize that button mashing just leads to having your katana handed to you. Instead you have to keep a careful eye on the timing of your attacks, something easier said than done in the game since most attacks come in waves. If you're not careful you'll be quickly dragged down and stabbed, beaten, or kicked repeatedly.

To make matters worse, some pretty brutal attacks, like say completely slicing off an enemies arm or leg, don't make the opponent less dangerous. My first time with the game ended abruptly, when a legless ninja, who I assumed was dead, grabbed my legs, dragged his bleeding body on top of mine and stabbed me in the chest until I was dead.

Worse still are the guys with missing arms, who will stand in the background zinging shuriken at you as you try to deal with the flood of more able bodied ninja trying to overwhelm you.

I discovered pretty quickly that you can dispatch these dismembered ninja quickly and colorfully with a single button tap if you time it right. And the graphics for these quick kills are amazing, typically ending in lots of overkill that involves both a gutting and a beheading. Oh, did I mention the blood? The blood does not disappoint, whether it's arterial blood spurting from a recently severed arm or the splash of blood that spatters a window during a beheading.

Once you get past all of that blood and the fact that cutting off an arm or a leg doesn't necessarily mean you've dispatched a ninja, the game has a fairly smooth adjustment period. You have to move around a lot, back up a lot, time things well, to make it through the flood of bad guys. Overtime i came to realize that the game has its own timing, its own pace that isn't as frenetic as the onslaught might initially have you believe. In fact it's quite a bit slower. There's just no room for mistakes.

Now I was playing it through on what I suspect will be the medium setting, the hardest one you can choose on your first time with the game. I ended up having to redo different areas many times before I could survive, but my survival typically came because I played better, not because I mashed buttons faster.

The first chapter ending up taking me about 45 minutes to play through, in, in-game time, according to the chapter-end summary. It included a nice variety of settings and a couple of interesting enemy types, wrapping up with a boss battle that was just brutal. I don't want to spoil anything, but it was one of those battles that is completely unforgiving. One mistake and you're toast, OK maybe you can make three, but very little margin for error.

Even with the boss battle, though, I felt I finally succeeded because I was playing better, not because I got lucky. I like that in a game.

Ninja Gaiden II's first chapter was fun, it wasn't the sort of game that had me up all hours thirsting to play more, but I can tell that it's the sort of game that will slowly sink its hooks into, gradually upping the play until you can't put it down.

Take for instance the fact that Dragon Sword is the first Gaiden game that Hayashi's mom has endorsed, or that the game was designed to be played at the speed of penmanship:

- The game is designed to move at the pace of penmanship. Hayashi started working on "Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword" after wrapping work on the PS3 game "Ninja Gaiden: Sigma." Taking the DS game's reigns from his boss, Tecmo Team Ninja leader Tomonobu Itagaki, he re-designed the controls and made a breakthrough. "Itagaki had programmed the jump to double-tap," Hayashi told me. "When I played it, I just didn't get any sort of attachment to it. When the double-tap happened it didn't feel like the character was going to jump. So I proposed the idea that, when [series protagonist Ryu] jumps it [requires stroking the stylus] from down to up. When I chose that, there was no doubt that this is the way we should use this... This opened up our concept to how we were going to use the stylus."

I asked if the stroke-based controlled were influenced by favorite strokes of letters in the Japanese alphabets. He said, "Rather than [any one] Japanese character, it has more to do with the pace when one is writing, either in English or Japanese ... Someone can write really fast or really slow, but there's a tempo we thought worked really well."

Plenty of other gems in Totilo's write-up over on Multiplayer.

'Ninja Gaiden' Producer: Video Games Depict Only 10 Percent Of Ninja Lifestyle [MTV Multiplayer]

"We were just talking about it. We didn't fly in until last night and I didn't know about it until I got off the plane," Hayashi said through a translator Wednesday afternoon. "They told me there is stuff going on in the media in Japan, there is a game that was involved and it just so happens it was Ninja Gaiden DS."

Masahiro Kanagawa, 24, told police that on March 19 he decided he wanted to attack his sister and a local elementary school, but changed his mind and instead randomly picked a home and went inside and killed a 72-year-old man. Four days later, police say Kanagawa went to a shopping center and stabbed eight people, one of which later died.

The day after the stabbings, at least one television station pointed out that Kanagawa had a copy of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword in his bag when he was arrested. The game went on sale in Japan on March 20 and police told at least one outlet they are looking into a possible connection.

"There is always going to be a motive for everything that happens," Hayashi said. "There is always a reason and a motive for a way a person acted and in this case, we are almost a party that has to react to a situation that obviously we didn't expect would be triggered by our game."

"Whoever has seen (the connection) in the news and the media we hope that they know what the true reason is, what the truth is behind why this person did this and that it's not connected or directly related to our game."

Kanagawa, who was a gamer, had been involved in at least one national Dead or Alive tournament in Japan and made it the finals, but Hayashi said that he had never been in contact with Tecmo or Team Ninja.

Hayashi, who says that he thinks the game is appropriate for teenagers to play, added that police have not contacted Tecmo or Team Ninja and that he believes the seemingly tangential connection between the stabbing and his game was one created by the media alone.

"The media should not be the ones answering the questions or defining the reasons why this incident happened," he said. "I want to believe that whoever is watching the news has their own judgment of what went on."

"What I said just now is more of a message to the media. Obviously there are victims here, the people who died and their families, so hopefully they don't see that as me trying to defend our company or product. That's just my message from me to the media. The media can report on these tragedies but they shouldn't just assume or lead into a question that doesn't have a definitive answer."

Found in the suspect's bag was this katakana hack and slash game software—

SEE?! He does have eyeballs. Told ya so!
Fable 2 Diary [GameTrailers via Fanboy Killswitch Thanks, DJ T!]

The monthly rumor column from Quarterman says that a "classic version" of Tecmo Bowl is coming to the DS, with a "modern remake" Wii-bound. Considering that 1UP's account says that we can expect info in an upcoming issue "very soon" I suspect they know what they're talking about.

Quartermann: Downloadable Ratchet & Clank Sequel Coming [1UP]

I think people should gamble more. Or [they should] play something like backgammon, a game that's not a video game but more of an analog traditional game... It really teaches you the core of game design... I think playing those types of games gives you the foundation... when you're gambling, you can't afford to have a chip on your shoulder. You have to make the right decision based on what the cards are in front of you. So you're constantly changing up your attitude and your position.