Aalex

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced its third Castlevania title for Nintendo DS. Entitled Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, the game continues the battle against Dracula’s evil forces and will be released in Q4, 2008.

Following the huge success of Producer Koji Igarashi’s Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin Castlevania titles for DS, the new game casts the player as a member of the titular Ecclesia. The Ecclesia is a hand-picked organisation sworn to defeat Dracula and his undead cohorts. Thus, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia pits the player against the Vampire Lord and his hordes in a sprawling game world that spans 20 beautifully-realised maps.

Retaining the famed side view that is synonymous with the series, the action moves both indoors and outdoors as the player scours forests and oceans for the Vampire leader. New to the series, however, is an all-new ‘Glyph Attack System’, giving the player access to over 100 offensive moves. These new moves are exclusive to the Ecclesia Order, and allow the player to combine weapons and attacking styles instantly during the heat of battle.

As the player explores Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, a series of secondary side quests are offers, and these reward the user with ever more useful items and ways to power-up their character, and also affect the way the game progresses.

Igarashi has also utilised the Wi-Fi elements of the Nintendo DS, and items can be traded or swapped with other players or players can go head-to-head in an all-new Versus Mode. “I have always found Vampires and their legends profoundly interesting, and they provide a wealth of interesting plot lines for the Castlevania series,” commented series creator Koji Igarashi. “Dracula’s enduring legacy and reign of terror will have gained him many enemies, and I hope that gamers enjoy the introduction of the Ecclesia Order and the new abilities they add to the series.”

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced two new games in its acclaimed Lost in Blue series, with a third title heading to Nintendo DS, while it will also make its debut on Nintendo Wii. Both games will be released in autumn 2008.

Lost in Blue 3 for DS follows the survivors of a passenger liner that is lost at sea. Two strangers - an amnesiac man and a young woman - are washed ashore on a seemingly deserted island. As it becomes apparent nobody is coming to their rescue, the pair must explore their new island home, wherein it becomes apparent that all is not what it seems. And as they try to unravel the mystery of the island, the young man starts experiencing shocking recollections.

The DS game offers control over one of four characters, each with their own secrets. Sam and Claire, the young couple washed ashore, are joined by martial artist James and would-be scientist Kumiko. Together, they must share their skills as they learn to hunt and search for food, endure natural disasters and attempt to escape the island by any means available. Thus, during the course of Lost in Blue 3, players will experience over 30 survival-themed mini-games as the storyline is further expanded via flashbacks and interaction between the stranded quartet.

Lost in Blue (working title) for Wii offers an all-new adventure and a new way to survive being stranded on a desert island. Retaining the self sufficiency theme that runs throughout the series, the Wii game centres on a rich boy Aidan and a waitress called Lucy who are forced to abandon their luxury liner when a fire breaks out. Thrown into the mix are petty thieves Gord and Fiona, who also wash up on the beach, and an uneasy alliance is formed as these different characters are forced to unite to survive; only to discover that they’re not the first ones on their new found island…

Atari today announced details of the forthcoming video game Asterix at the Olympic Games for Xbox 360™. Scheduled for release this summer, Asterix at the Olympic Games revolutionises the world of Asterix by bringing it to a next-generation console for the very first time with impressively detailed and vibrant High Definition graphics and multiplayer action. The game of the highly successful feature film of the same name, Asterix at the Olympic Games blends live action elements from the film with high quality computer generated and video game animation to deliver fans an extraordinary and unique Asterix experience in HD. The game is currently available on PlayStation®2, Nintendo DS™, Wii and PC, with the Xbox 360 version scheduled for release this summer 2008.

Developed by Etranges Libellules in close collaboration with Asterix licensor Les Editions Albert René and film production company La Petite Reine, the game follows Asterix, Obelix and their devoted druid Getafix as they travel to Olympia to help their love-sick friend Lovestorix win the heart of the Grecian Princess Irina and stop mighty Brutus from destroying the world. Success at the games is the only guarantee of putting an end to Brutus’ evil ways. This original story takes a parallel course to the film and comic book series, and the new multiplayer feature allows friends to enjoy our Gallic heroes’ hilarious, action-packed road to victory together.

In Asterix at the Olympic Games, players can choose from two playable characters, Asterix and Obelix, and switch between them throughout a series of escapades, including physical challenges and brainy problem-solving. The “adventure mode” plays out the love story involving Brutus, Lovestorix and the Grecian Princess Irina, whilst the “antique mode” offers players the chance to compete in over ten disciplines as 12 playable characters, notably a host of our friends from Gaul and athletes from countries of olden times. The more sardonic player could even choose to play as Brutus. There is of course a hearty dose of Roman bashing too. Tutorial videos and excerpts from the feature film appear throughout the game to bring the world of Asterix to life.

Over 14.6 million people across Europe have seen the feature film Asterix at the Olympic Games at the cinema, a success which has been shared with the versions of the game already launched. The advanced and enhanced Xbox 360 version of Asterix at the Olympic Games will be released in the same period as the feature film’s DVD launch to make sure fans can enjoy the full Asterix experience.

The DVD of the live action feature film is scheduled for release across Europe this summer. Asterix at the Olympic Games for PlayStation®2, Nintendo DS™, Wii and PC is available in stores now with the Xbox 360 game scheduled for release across Europe this coming summer.

Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced two innovative initiatives for the forthcoming launch of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots for PLAYSTATION®3 on June 12^th.

In advance of the game’s release, Konami has unveiled a pre-order campaign, which will be allied with key retail partners in The Netherlands. Any consumer who pre-orders a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4 will receive an exclusive DVD entitled Metal Gear Saga Vol. 2. This seven-part documentary details the origins of previous Metal Gear games and the evolution of Hideo Kojima’s epic series. This gripping documentary offers a valuable insight into the series and the history of Metal Gear’s iconic hero, Snake.       

Scheduled for release on June 12, Konami will also produce a Limited Edition collector’s package, which will be limited to 25,000 units in Europe. Destined to be a highly sought-after compilation, the package includes a soundtrack CD, a 6” Old Snake action figurine, and an exclusive ‘Making Of’ Blu-ray disc. The Blu-ray disc contains two high-definition documentaries which offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the development of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, with interviews with series creator Hideo Kojima and key Kojima Productions personnel. The Limited Edition will carry a 99,95 Euro RRP. 

“Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is rightly seen as the stand-out title for 2008, and we were determined to come up with something special for its launch,” commented Martin Schneider, European Marketing Director for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “With interest so high, it is only right that we reward fans of the series for pre-ordering the game, and the Metal Gear Saga DVD is a stunning look at how the series has evolved into the phenomenon it has become. Likewise, the Limited Edition is a celebration of all things Metal Gear, and will be prized by those who buy it.”

Atari today announced the forthcoming European release of NAMCO BANDAI Games’ Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm exclusively for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Based on the popular Naruto animated television series currently on air across Europe, the game delivers ninja action on an unprecedented scale as players go head to head in full 3D combat, investigate every inch of the Hidden Leaf Village in open-world exploration and revel in high definition graphics that surpass traditional hand-drawn animation. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm is scheduled for European release in November 2008.

Evolving the head-to-head fighting action of the Ultimate Ninja series, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm lets players battle in full 3D across massive environments. Players will unleash powerful jutsu attacks, perform acrobatic evasive manoeuvres and even run up walls and over water as they pursue their opponent for ninja supremacy. Players can customize their character’s fighting style and recruit up to two support characters to put their own stamp on the action. Each character in the game is capable of transforming into powerful Awakening forms under certain gameplay conditions, offering new traits and abilities to the game’s impressive ninja roster of 25 popular characters from the animated series. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm supports head-to-head multiplayer fighting for up to two players. 

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 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.

Taking advantage of an original next-generation graphics engine, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm boasts fluid animation, incredible visual detail and an advanced facial expression system to create high-definition graphics on the PLAYSTATION 3 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.