TGS: Street Fighter X Tekken trailer goes all out

post from Destructoid on 17 September 2011 10:05:41 PM. © Destructoid

TGS: Street Fighter X Tekken trailer goes all out screenshot

On top of all the new artwork is a brand new trailer for Street Fighter X Tekken. It shows off the new fighters as they kick ass and get all angry. We also get to see how the multiplayer works. I didn't realize this beforehand, but you can actually do four player battles in a match.

That sounds nuts! I wonder how that will affect fighting tournaments. Do you like the idea of four player matches?

BONUS! Spotted this hilarious little Easter Egg on one of the stages of Street Fighter X Tekken.

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TGS: Record attendance on first day of show:
86,200

post from Destructoid on 17 September 2011 10:05:41 PM. © Destructoid

TGS: Record attendance on first day of show: 86,200 screenshot

Man, I knew it was hot and crowded this year, but it turns out that the first show day was the hottest and most crowded ever in the show's history!

CESA says that 86,200 sweaty attendees packed into the Makuhari Messe convention center for the first public day of Tokyo Game Show, September 17. This beats out the last record day back in 2006, where more than 84,000 showed up. I bet the air conditioner was working better that day.

Shirts were transparent with sweat. Within one hour attendees looked defeated.

If you haven't seen the lines in our video of the PlayStation booth, check it out to understand. They were impossible. It only took a couple of hours for lines to be closed off for the day.

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TGS: Sine Mora is the game I've been waiting for
too long

post from Destructoid on 17 September 2011 09:06:11 PM. © Destructoid

TGS: Sine Mora is the game I've been waiting for too long screenshot

Looking at images and reading about Sine Mora has excited me little, as a shmup fan. Western developers don’t understand and respect the classics of the genre enough to make a good one, so I thought Digital Reality were no different. Well, I was wrong.

Sine Mora isn’t just good, it’s unbelievably great. It has me, as Maurice put it, foaming at the mouth for its release. Although Maurice’s preview thoroughly covered most aspects of the game, I finally got extensive hands-on time with the Insane difficulty mode – where any shmup shows its true colors. Now, I'm a believer.

When I asked creative director Theodore Reiker if he had any direct influences, he mentioned the Raizing Arcade classic Battle Garegga. From this point on, I knew I was in good hands. With three different time devices and various weapons to equip, the game gives you 60 different possible loadouts. The BG influence goes beyond loadout options however, as even the powerups and other visual aspects recall that gem along with other memorable entries in the genre.

My biggest concern with Sine Mora was that the developer would make the same mistake many amateur shmup developers make. That mistake being not having enough contrast between bullets, enemies and the backdrops. The detailed, colorful backgrounds of Sine Mora are ripe for conflicts of this type, yet miraculously this was never a problem I experienced in the demo. The bullets have so many visual effects on them that they stand out while functioning as eye candy.

Digital Reality are doing what I always dreamed a developer would do: They are improving the surrounding aspects of the shmup (story, visuals, music), while implementing game design from the masters. Digital Reality said they bought a Japanese Xbox 360 along with all the best Japan-only shmups, so they can know who their real competition is -- rather than being dumb and thinking the genre died when the West stopped paying attention (approx. 1998). They obviously know their stuff, but they are also reaching out to the Shmups Forum and nobody knows the genre better than those guys.

I hate seeing Western developers struggle with the genre, thinking dumbing it down is the way to achieving mainstream success. Instead, Grasshopper Manufacture and Digital Reality are focusing on quality, unique visuals and a great story. There are few games that make me this giddy. I want to bow before Grasshopper and thank them for investing in such a risky venture. It's the first one they made that I may actually love as a game, rather than as a curiousity.

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TGS: Shinobido 2 gives ninjas a home on the PS
Vita

post from Destructoid on 17 September 2011 09:06:11 PM. © Destructoid

TGS: Shinobido 2 gives ninjas a home on the PS Vita screenshot

You can be forgiven for glancing at Shinobido and presuming it to be a Tenchu knock-off. After you stop raging and consider it looks kind of neat, you may do a quick Google search and discover it's made by the same developer, Acquire. The game is being promoted as a hybrid of our favorite ninja stealth series and Acquire’s other flagship series, Way of the Samurai.

Among the other PS Vita titles, Shinobido 2: Tales of the Ninja stands out due to its clever use of the system's touch functionality and its Muromachi-era Japan setting.

Although the series has been around for over five years, Shinobido 2 marks the first time for the series to reach North America. The game is best described as Tenchu stealth mixed with the multiple path decisions and storytelling of Way of the Samurai. Unlike the latter, you will not be exploring city hubs and talking to citizens. The game is solely mission-based, with the focus on sneaking into strongholds and assassinating your target.

A developer on the team said that Shinobido 2 is a deliberately more realistic take on stealth ninja action. Instead of playing as a super ninja, you are limited in your health and must rely on killing your enemies before they see you. In order to do this, you must sneak across roof tops, hug walls and distract enemies.

Although the game has a historical setting and serious narrative, it also has some lighthearted touches you expect from a Japanese developed game. For instance, you can use the back panel of the PS Vita to go into first person mode and throw sushi. The guards will spot it and marvel at its presence, giving you an opportunity to stab them through the heart (ninja-style).

The game isn’t the best looking on the system (it looks more PS2 than PS3), but the art direction is strong and reminiscent of early PlayStation Tenchu titles. The little touches are what really makes the presentation great, however. The game is filled with situational death animations. For instance, you will drown an enemy if you assassinate him near a stream. You can also throw an enemy off a bridge or stab an enemy through a sheet panel if you stop his shadow near the room divider.

The realism seems to be limited to your health, because I find it hard to believe any ninja ever had the arsenal of weapons and equipment at Zen’s (the main character) disposal. You can shoot a grappling hook to get leap onto rooftops, glide around like a flying squirrel, charge quickly through mid-air, and take down guards with a Splinter Cell: Conviction-esque special ability.

This Zanboku special attack comes in handy during hairy situations, but must be conserved since it takes a while to recharge. It takes even longer on harder difficulties. Another new feature to the series are the enemy presence icons located on the right-hand side of the screen. These grey oval icons represents an enemy within the area. It turns red when you are spotted, but you can also touch the icon for more information on an enemy.

The game is mission-based, with each one rewarding you fame within one of the game’s three factions. The stages themselves are reused with varying goals, so you can play the game in an effort to rebalance your standing. The game also has multiplayer but no details have been announced yet.

Shinobido 2 isn’t the type of game you buy a PS Vita for -- it’s more like the game you buy alongside the “system seller” (still not sure that the Vita has one of those). It’s a neat game that makes good use of the hardware, even if the graphics aren’t cutting edge. As a fan of the Tenchu series, I’m going to be keeping an eye out for this one.

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TGS: And suddenly, strippers!

post from Destructoid on 17 September 2011 09:06:11 PM. © Destructoid

TGS: And suddenly, strippers! screenshot

It was the last hour of press day at Tokyo Game Show. I just got finished playing Sonic Generations 3DS and was on my way out of the convention center when I came across this. No explanation, no warning -- just strippers.

So what were they promoting at that booth? I have no idea. There were no games at the booth so I always just kept walking right past it. In any case, I have the best luck ever!

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Canceled Avengers game doesn't look too bad

post from Gaming Nexus on 17 September 2011 09:05:00 PM. © Gaming Nexus

by: John Yan
NEWS - The Austrailian THQ office was working on a game before they were forced to close up shop. Well, seems like the footage of the game has leaked and said game is a movie tie-in the The Avengers. The game looks like first person co-op action featuring Earth's mightiest heroes doing battle with the damn Skrulls.

We haven't really gotten confirmation of the main villains in the movie that force the team to be brought together, but if the game's any indication, the Skrulls are the driving force behind the formation of the Avengers. There were rumors, and could still, be the army of Thanos instead, but from the looks of the game and some of the leaked footage, we got the Skrulls attacking the Earth with the help of Loki.

Now, even at the early alpha stage, there are some things I enjoyed from the video. The game seems very melee focus, being that most the main Avengers are that. They show Iron Man using his repulsors with some chain reaction action going on. There didn't seem to be anything on Hawkeye or Black Widow and very little on Thor. It's too bad this game probably won't see the light of day though, unless another THQ studio decides to pick it up.

Check it out before the video gets taken down.

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TGS: The Great Vita Boat Trip

post from Destructoid on 17 September 2011 08:05:44 PM. © Destructoid

TGS: The Great Vita Boat Trip screenshot

After the first long TGS work day were thrown on a bus, driven to the bay, put on a boat, and taken out to sea. Our mission? To play the PlayStation Vita. Too bad we didn't do that. It just didn't work out. Still, we had a great time. We figured that we'd have nothing to show for this time if we didn't share this video and these pictures, so here we are.

So what did we do? We drank. I drank, Hamza drank and Allistair drank. We ate tempura, sashimi and other goodies, clinked glasses with other journos, and yelled at seagulls. I saw only a couple of Vita games on this boat, including the delicious Uncharted: Golden Abyss, but most of what was there was hands-off. I guess they didn't want us drunk-fumbling those Vita units into the sea.

The boat thing? Rad, except for those seagulls. And maybe that bus trip. I didn't get to see all of the 26 Vita games on the floor, though. Actually, most of our hands-on time with the Vita came from good ol' line waiting. We did see some Vita stuff, so stay tuned to our TGS coverage.

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Urban Legends: The Maze

post from Hidden Object Games and Free Downloadable Games at Fenomen-Games.com on 17 September 2011 08:00:00 PM. © Hidden Object Games and Free Downloadable Games at Fenomen-Games.com

During the finale of The Maze, an incredibly popular reality show, the transmission is mysteriously stopped. Now you've been hired by the families of the missing contestants and it's up to you to find them! Discover what really happened during the taping as you explore the incredible set and use your Hidden Object talents to proceed in Urban Legends: The Maze.

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The wonderful cosplayers of Tokyo Game Show

The wonderful cosplayers of Tokyo Game Show screenshot

You knew it was coming! Every year, Tokyo Game Show sees a ton of cosplayers attend. As I was in the hallway where all the cosplayers were taking pictures for the very first time, I realized a couple of things. First, there are a TON of people that want to take pictures of all the folks dressed up. It's almost on the creepy side. The other thing I realized is that these cosplayers are CHAMPS. Not only is it humid as hell in Japan, but having thousands of people crammed into one space makes the situation even hotter.

Seriously, I really have a new respect for the people who dress up and show off to the camera. Take a look at our gallery and let us know your favorites. My personal favorites are the Alice cosplay, the full on Chocobo outfit, the Ninja Gaiden outfit and the above Snake costume.

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TGS: Ridge Racer: Launch game for life

TGS: Ridge Racer: Launch game for life screenshot

When the Vita was first announced earlier this year I was able to play around with a tease experience for the next Ridge Racer title. I was hoping to see more of the game at Tokyo Game Show this year, and I was able to, but they're still not finished with it. They had better hurry, as you know a PlayStation product cannot launch without some kind of Ridge Racer title.

The TGS demo for Ridge Racer for Vita wasn't much to talk about, but at least it was playable. I'll tell you one thing: It looks goooood. Just as we've been telling you with the other Vita games, this title really pops off the screen, and it looks closer to a PS3 title than a PSP one. It's classic Ridge Racer, with lovely vistas and flashy cars. As always, leaning into tight turns at high speed feels great. And with analog sticks that are raised, all the steering feels great.

The whole experience had that not-yet-finished feel, but it's going somewhere good as far as I can tell. I already like it more than Ridge Racer 3D, though that's not saying much.

This game doesn't even have an official title yet, but I'm sure we'll hear something closer to its December 17 launch date.