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    Japanese Monster Hunter G bundle includes special-edition blue Classic Controller, Monster Hunter 3 demo [update]

    January 15, 2009 - 10:57am


    [Update: for those of you lusting after the game or (more likely) the controller, Capcom's Christian Svensson has announced that there will be no US release for either. "Sorry. :(" Thanks to Samfish for pointing this out!]For such a lazily-developed game, Capcom is putting significant resources into the Wii port of Monster Hunter G. In order to get around the Classic Controller requirement (and promote sales, of course), they've announced a Monster Hunter G Starter Pack bundle featuring this awesome blue, dragon-adorned (but not Blue Dragon-adorned) Classic Controller. This is, as far as we know, just the second special-edition (Nintendo brand) Wii controller -- the first was also a Classic Controller, specifically the Club Nintendo Super Famicom Classic Controller. This is also the first official Wii controller to be released in a color other than white. In other words: a big deal. And it's so cool-looking!The Starter Pack will retail for 5,240 yen ($59) when it is released in Japan on April 23. Both this release and the game-only release of Monster Hunter G (3,990 yen, or $45) will include a demo of Monster Hunter 3. And just like that, Monster Hunter G has become a guaranteed bestseller.

    Another Code R trailer a treat for the senses

    January 14, 2009 - 8:30pm

    Our lack of Japanese skills meant we lost the thread pretty quickly in this Another Code R story trailer, but heck, sometimes it's enough to just look and listen.This was found on the official site, which currently also has the videos we posted recently, and some character profiles, all in (sadly impenetrable) Japanese. If it wasn't for the small issue of gender, we'd almost be tempted into indulging in some Another Code R cosplay. Yeah, we actually just typed that -- live with it.

    Atsushi Inaba would love to make more MadWorld

    January 14, 2009 - 7:23pm


    Of course, we don't know if that's a good thing yet, without having actually played the first game, but we suspect that Platinum Games' MadWorld will be sequel-worthy. Inaba gave Play.tm the usual line about sequel prospects: "We'd obviously love for there to be a sequel and will definitely consider making one depending on the feedback we receive from players of the game". Of course, by "feedback" he means money. Interestingly, a MadWorld sequel would make a self-fulfilling prophecy of Inaba's prediction that his game may start of a trend of mature Wii games.Elsewhere in the interview, Inaba mentions that each stage of MadWorld should feature 2-3 Blood Bath Challenges (like the infamous "Man Darts") which are unlocked at certain score milestones.

    M-rated Tomb Raider a possibility?

    January 14, 2009 - 6:28pm

    Eidos recently laid off 30 employees at Crystal Dynamics, including Tomb Raider: Underworld creative director Eric Lindstrom. Understandably bitter about Eidos' cost-cutting, Lindstrom is now answering fan questions on a popular Tomb Raider fan forum, giving an intriguing and frank insight into the development process (including details Eidos probably didn't want publicized).One of the more interesting factoids to emerge from Lindstrom's open Q & A session is that Crystal Dynamics was held back by Eidos from making Underworld an M-rated title. "I wanted to do things that a Teen rating prevented," explained Lindstrom, "but I also wanted it to get the players the first unrated games, did. In the end it didn't matter because publishing wanted it to be Teen."So far, the Tomb Raider franchise has contained only Teen-rated games, but was a Mature title still a possibility? Says Lindstrom: "The managers who said it had to be Teen left some time ago, so maybe that could change sometime." We assume such a game would either include more violence, or, as some sites have been quick to suggest, a more risqué depiction of Lara.Though something evidently has to change after Underworld's disappointing sales, does anybody else find such a prospect depressing? We'd prefer it if Eidos concentrated on shipping games that, y'know, functioned correctly. Also, while we're discussing Underworld, we figured this would be an appropriate place to mention the Zero Punctuation review, which just popped up in our RSS feeds -- catch the video after the jump!

    Man shot for his Wii in home invasion

    January 14, 2009 - 5:33pm

    During a recent home invasion at an apartment complex in Palm Beach County, Florida, a man was brutally beat and shot in the bicep by multiple assailants. They sought a variety of his valuables, demanding jewelry, money, and other items from the victim before attacking. In the end, the robbers made off with about $70 and his Nintendo Wii. The two individuals could not be identified by the victim, who was last listed as stable in St. Mary's Hospital. The two robbers made their way into the apartment through an unlocked door. It goes to show that if you live in an apartment, always lock your door. Also, don't let anyone see you throwing away a Wii box.[Via Go Nintendo]

    Guitar Hero: Metallica dated in Europe (and possibly North America)

    January 14, 2009 - 4:37pm

    Once again, GameStop has fuelled release rumors by posting a North American launch date for Guitar Hero: Metallica: March 29 is the date you'll want to circle (lightly, in pencil) on your Lars 2009 calendars.Though that's obviously not a confirmed date, it is a plausible one. "March 29" is a little too random to be a placeholder date, and is also a Sunday, a popular release day for big-name titles. Even if the franchise has reached the peak of its popularity, we still feel pretty confident about calling Guitar Hero: Metallica "big-name."Meanwhile, Activision had no qualms about revealing release details for Europe, informing Eurogamer that the game would reach the region in May. Source: Possible North American date [Via Destructoid]Source: Confirmed European date

    2K exec criticizes casual titles on Wii

    January 14, 2009 - 3:41pm

    2K Games Global President Christoph Hartmann doesn't see 2009 as a great year for casual publishers. He sees the console flooded in a flurry of casual games, what he dubs "crappy titles." He thinks that for every ten casual titles produced, publishers expect two to be hits, financing the other eight. The problem is that all of those titles flood the market, making it tougher for casual games to prosper and only servies to confuse consumers. He points to his own 2K-published Carnival Games as an example. "Had we released it last week, it would have been much tougher," he says. "There's far too much stuff in the Wii market [now] and it's hard to shine."Regardless of a game's focus, we've always been big advocates of fun. If a game is only a collection of minigames, it's fine so long as they're fun to play. We think even pushing for that ten can mean that more than two are engaging and not "crappy," as he puts it. What do you all think? Too many casual games out there?[Via Joystiq]

    Monster Hunter G's online mode: play an old game together

    January 14, 2009 - 2:45pm


    Okay, so the remake of Monster Hunter G isn't entirely a quick cash grab by Capcom as they work on Monster Hunter 3. Well, actually, it is, but it's a quick cash grab with online play, which seems a lot better. Monster Hunter G's online mode revolves around various quests given to players from their guild hall. They're about what we'd expect: kill this monster, get this item, etc. Groups of up to four can participate in the same quests, using equipment (traps, bombs) found within the quest to complete their objectives.The game's quest-mode environments (or the real game) look much, much better than the in-town stuff we've seen, but MHG still looks exactly like the old Monster Hunter it is!

    Sakaguchi would 'love to make a Wii game'

    January 14, 2009 - 1:49pm

    During an interview with IGN about Blue Dragon Plus, Sakaguchi spoke about a variety of subjects, including bringing his RPG to the Wii, as well as his thoughts on the system overall. "I think the Wii is a wonderful system," he said. "It's very unique, starting with its iconic controllers." When asked about making a game for Wii, he said that Mistwalker has "no plans at the moment," but he "would love to make a Wii game in the future." We hear you. "Dude, go for it," you say. "Please make it?" you ask. "Love that mustache!" you exclaim. He's a talented guy. We totally get it.But, what's stopping Mistwalker from undertaking a Wii project? His company has already worked with Nintendo in bringing multiple titles to the DS, so why not make the leap to Wii? Personally, we'd appreciate the injection of JRPG goodness that he'd bring to the Wii. Let's hope he gets around to it sooner rather than later.

    Bit.Trip: Beat is 2600 kinds of awesome

    January 14, 2009 - 12:53pm

    We knew on an academic level that Gaijin Games' Bit.Trip: Beat was a retro-style game that combined Pong and rhythm, which sounds pretty great. But it wasn't until the minimalist site for the Aksys-published WiiWare title opened and we saw this trailer that we fully understood the glory of Bit.Trip. Gaijin Games and Aksys have fully been forgiven for the silly viral marketing business.It's the first game that comes to mind to attempt Atari 2600 nostalgia in a non-jokey way! And, in an incredibly risky and cool move, it actually uses authentic bleeps as the melodic elements at play in the game, albeit backed by full instrumentation. We are suddenly looking forward to this WiiWare release more than almost anything else.