Namco Bandai Games Europe announce 'Dragonball: Revenge of King Piccolo' for Nintendo Wii

Namco Bandai Games Europe S.A.S. today announced the forthcoming launch of Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo exclusively for Wii. Scheduled for European launch this autumn 2009, Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo promises to thrill fans with the first ever appearance of the original Dragon Ball story on Wii in glorious 3D.

Heading back to the early days of the Dragon Ball story, players will control Kid Goku as he sets out on fantastic adventures with his friends. The title faithfully reproduces the uniqueness and special humour of the early Dragon Ball series, while adding an original blend of action and adventure to the mix. With the original Japanese music and voiceover included for maximum authenticity, Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo offers fans a dazzling new experience with the characters and universe they know and love.

The visuals in Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo take the series to a new level by faithfully reproducing on-screen the original drawings of legendary Dragon Ball artist Akira Toriyama down to the finest pen strokes. Thanks to the high-quality, state-of-the-art graphics, fans will be able to immerse themselves in the Dragon Ball universe like never before.

Game modes include Story mode which follows Kid Goku from the Red Ribbon Saga to the King Piccolo Saga with the ability to replay previously completed stages, and the unlockable VS mode where players can take different unlocked characters into battle.

With in-game collectables, a host of unlockables, and more fun, fights and adventure than ever before all delivered in dazzling 3D, Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo is the definitive Dragon Ball videogame experience coming to Wii this autumn 2009.

"Dragonball Z: Attack of the Saiyans" to bring its brand new DBZ role-playing experience to Nintendo DS

Namco Bandai Games Europe S.A.S. today announced the forthcoming launch of brand new role-playing title Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans coming exclusively to Nintendo DS this autumn 2009 in Europe and the PAL regions.

The game follows the Saiyan Saga of the original DBZ story starting from the World Tournament and Goku’s triumphant defeat of Piccolo. Players will take the role of Goku and travel the DBZ universe from jungle to Snow Mountain on their quest to victory.

Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans features a host of original features which will be sure to thrill fans, such as brand new gameplay, unique game modes, fun side quests and content never before seen in either the anime or manga series.

More details about this exciting addition to the DBZ range of video games will be announced soon. Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans is scheduled for launch across Europe and the PAL regions in Autumn 2009.

Acclaimed 'Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima' coming to PC users with 'Games for Laptop' and PC Release

Namco Bandai Games Europe S.A.S today announced the forthcoming launch of Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima, the latest game from the popular brain training series supervised by prominent Japanese neuroscientist Dr. Kawashima. Filled with all-time favourites intended to stimulate different parts of the brain and keep minds active, Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima will be available on PC DVD-rom and ‘Games For Laptop’ mini-DVD at retailers in Europe and PAL regions from 29 May 2009, and will also be available for digital download at the Atari store by visiting www.atari-store.eu.

The development of Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima was supervised by Dr. Kawashima, the renowned Japanese neuroscientist whose revolutionary brain training technique was made popular through the acclaimed Brain Training series on Nintendo DS and mobile phones. Dr. Kawashima’s belief is that our brains, just like our bodies, need regular exercise to stay active and healthy.

In today’s busy society, it is important to spare a few moments every day to give our brains a workout and fight against the natural decline of their abilities. Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima for PC and ‘Games for Laptop’ lets busy people who spend the majority of their day in front of computers enjoy a mental workout when travelling, during a break at work or on the sofa at home. Now there is no excuse for not keeping our minds in great shape!

Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima consists of 36 quick mini exercises divided into three colour-coded categories to train the three main lobes of the brain – frontal, parietal and temporal – through simple arithmetic, memory games and puzzles. The highly intuitive games are played using the mouse to point and click or simple keystrokes. Progress can easily be tracked by viewing the results charts, and can be shared on the official website at www.brainexercise.eu for worldwide ranking.

Dr. Kawashima, the ‘brains’ behind the best-selling and influential Brain Training series on Nintendo DS and mobile phones, oversaw the development of Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima. NAMCO BANDAI Games now broadens the appeal of the acclaimed series by bringing Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima to anyone who spends time in front of a computer with the new ‘Games for Laptop’ mini-DVD format ideal for laptop use on the move. Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima will be available on PC DVD-Rom and ‘Games for Laptop’ mini-DVD at retailers in Europe and PAL regions from 29 May 2009, and for digital download by visiting the Atari store at www.atari-store.eu.

Namco Bandai In Soul Calibur Breast Cover-Up

For your submission, the picture, showing Soul Calibur's Ivy as she's depicted on the game's official website. On the left, how she appears on the Japanese site. On the right? How she appears on the American site.

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Namco Bandai head-to-head with THQ in cheerleading games

After the announcement from THQ of a cheerleading game for the Wii and DS, Namco Bandai has announced they're also bringing a cheerleading game to the Wii in the form of We Cheer.

Seemingly in the same series as their earlier-announced skiing game We Ski, Namco trademarked the name We Cheer with the US Patent and Trademark Office this week.

THQ's All Star Cheer Squad title has been announced to support the Wii Balance Board, but there's no word on any details for We Cheer's support of the peripheral, or a release date for any region so far.

Namco Bandi - Bubble wrap popping comes to Nintendo Wii

Ouchi de Puti Puti Wii might be the strangest WiiWare title to date.

For 800 Wii Points you get a bubble wrap destroying adventure that spans across 40 levels.

Namco Bandai is developing the title and it includes vibration feedback.

Perhaps even more interesting to note is this game is based on a Japanese toy made by Bandai. Puti Puti is a plastic keychain with buttons and bubble wrap sound effects.

Part of the “fun” of destroying bubble wrap is releasing tension with each tiny burst of air. While this hobby isn’t environmentally friendly, it can be cathartic.

After trying out one of the many flash bubble wrap popping games I can’t imagine the Wii version having the same effect as the real thing. However, you can't pop giant pieces of salmon roe in real life without making a mess.

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NAMCO BANDAI GAMES' NARUTOTM: ULTIMATE NINJA 3 HAS GONE GOLD FOR SONY PLAYSTATION 2

NAMCO BANDAI GAMES' NARUTOTM: ULTIMATE NINJA 3 HAS GONE GOLD FOR THE PLAYSTATION 2 COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM

Leading video games developer and publisher NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., announced today that NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 3 has gone gold for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Based on the popular NARUTO animated series, from VIZ Media, this fighter steps it up a notch and delivers new innovative features, enhancements and customizations. Battle through 20 stages with over 40 popular NARUTO characters in the fiercest battles the series has ever seen when it is released on March 25.

The most feature-rich game in the Ultimate Ninja franchise to date, NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 3 will not disappoint as it offers up a host of firsts for the series. Diligent fans can re-live all their favorite battles that made up Story Arc 1 in Hero’s History mode. Ninja-in-training can earn points to upgrade their strength, agility, defense, chakra and other special abilities to customize their characters to their liking. Turn characters into giant ninjas of unprecedented size, or summon large beasts to help turn the tide in Summoning Mode. Also for the first time, North American fans can listen to both English and Japanese voiceovers.

NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 3 will also include a brand new original story, which will have players exploring the Hidden Leaf Village and participating in battle royale matches in over 55 scenarios. The fun doesn’t stop there, as tons of unlockable items such as movies, music and cards are hidden away offering loads of replay value to the game.

NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 3 is rated “T” for teen by the ESRB and carries an MSRP of $39.99. For more information please visit: http://www.namcobandaigames.com or www.naruto.com.

Title Update for Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation

New Title Update for Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation Offers

NAMCO BANDAI Games America, Inc. today launched a title update for Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, its hit flight action game for the Xbox 360. The update is free to all users with an active Xbox LIVE Gold or Silver account and will be downloaded automatically once the game is started.

The newly released title update offers several enhancements for the game’s online modes, resulting in a more seamless and balanced experience via Xbox LIVE. The following changes are included in the title update:

• The in-game HUD will now indicate when points are gained or lost in online play
  
• Players will now be penalized for crashing their aircraft, leaving the battlefield and being shot down by opponents in Team Battle and Battle Royale modes
  
• Players can now gain points by damaging enemy aircraft rather than making a complete kill in Team Battle and Battle Royale modes
  
• Players will now be invulnerable for a brief period of time after each respawn
  
• The overall strength of each special weapon has been updated for greater gameplay balance
  
• Players can now identify who is speaking in the pre-game lobby with a microphone icon next to their GamerTag
  

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation is currently available in stores nationwide for the Xbox 360. For more information on the game, please visit http://www.acecombatsix.com

Four Player Skiing Comes to Wii with we ski balance board game

NAMCO BANDAI GAMES BRINGS THE SLOPES HOME

Edge through the Alpine with Your Friends as Four Player Skiing Comes to Wii

Step onto your Wii Balance Board or grab your Wii Remote and Nunchuk and hit the fresh powder as NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., today announced We Ski, an exciting skiing game for WiiTM. Now up to four skiers can experience the sweetest mountain runs in the comfort of their homes as We Ski’s highly responsive and intuitive controls take them down the slopes like never before. We Ski will slalom into stores in Spring 2008.

“We are thrilled to be the first publisher to offer a realistic and enjoyable skiing experience that can also support the new Wii Balance Board,” said Todd Thorson, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “NAMCO BANDAI is working to entertain both casual gamers and hardcore enthusiasts with a recreation of a beloved sport and pastime.”

In We Ski, up to four skiers can test their skills on more than a dozen runs from the bunny slopes to the most challenging Black Diamonds. Not only can players carve through the trails using the motion-based controls but they can also mix in the Wii Balance Board for a whole new level of realism. Players can ski using their own Mii™ or create a new character with a host of customizable options including changeable face and body types. Boosting the customization feature, additional skis, poles, goggles, and costumes can be unlocked.

We Ski features an entire mountain to explore, complete with a ski school, freestyle skiing, moguls and slaloms, photography, and a variety of other events. Players can even try their hand at night skiing while enjoying the spectrum of fireworks that color the sky. With We Ski no more long drives to the snow will be necessary to enjoy a day of shredding the mountains.

NAMCO BANDAI GAMES Celebrates 10th Anniversary Of Tales Series With Two New Games In 2008

NAMCO BANDAI GAMES Celebrates 10th Anniversary Of Tales Series With Two New Games In 2008

Tales of Vesperia for Xbox 360 and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World for Wii Highlight Celebrated Role-Playing Series' First Decade

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today announced Tales of Vesperia for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World for Wii. Marking the 10th anniversary of the Tales franchise in North America, these two new games expand the series’ winning combination of real-time combat, captivating storylines and remarkable graphics while introducing original elements that set a new standard for role-playing gameplay and interactive storytelling.

The debut of the Tales series on the Xbox 360, Tales of Vesperia launches the series to new heights of interactive narrative and engrossing gameplay with incredible anime-style graphics, a captivating storyline and characters as well as an upgraded battle system. Set in a world reliant on a mysterious ancient technology known as “blastia,” the game follows former knight Yuri as he delves into a shadowy plot to use these magical devices to control civilization, or destroy it.

A bold new interpretation of the elements that made the Tales series a hit with gamers around the world, Tales of Vesperia delivers a standard-setting RPG experience on the Xbox 360. Using an all-new graphics engine and character designs by the renowned Kosuke Fujishima (Ah! My Goddess, Sakura Taisen), the game delivers high-quality HD character models and environments that are indistinguishable from traditional cel-based anime. The game also makes significant additions to the series’ trademark real-time combat system, allowing players to do battle in massive battlefields and learn new special attacks that are tied to individual weapons. New finishing blows allow players to take down enemies in a single hit with correctly timed button combinations, while mission-based battles increase the variety of each encounter as players gain unique items by fulfilling various battle objectives. Players can also use materials collected by successfully executing finishing moves to craft rare and unique equipment for their characters.

Set two years after the events of the award-winning Tales of Symphonia for the Nintendo GameCube™, Dawn of the New World follows the journey of two new young heroes, Emil Castagnier and Marta Lualdi, as they seek to uncover the mystery of why their world has fallen into ruin. In their quest, their paths will cross with the original cast of Tales of Symphonia including Lloyd and Colette, as well as a summon spirit known as Ratatosk who claims to be the lord of all monsters.

Advancing the combination of story, characters and real-time battles that made Tales of Symphonia one of the best-selling and highest-rated role-playing games for the Nintendo GameCube, Dawn of the New World introduces a new monster recruitment feature in which players can capture more than 200 unique enemies and train them to actively participate in battle. Players can then feed these monsters to make them more effective, and even evolve them into several new fearsome forms. The game also features an updated real-time battle system that lets players move freely in all directions around the battlefield, execute powerful unison attacks and take advantage of a new elemental alignment system for even more strategic depth. Dawn of the New World gives players complete control over a full roster of Tales of Symphonia characters and ally monsters, letting them customize their adventure party into hundreds of unique combinations.

“The Tales series is one of our most successful and well-regarded franchises, and we’re celebrating its 10th anniversary in a big way with two new games that redefine role-playing on the Xbox 360 and Wii,” said Todd Thorson, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “Not only can gamers look forward to playing these two incredible titles later this year, but we’ll be supporting special anniversary-themed programs throughout the year to thank all the fans of the series for their dedication and enthusiasm.”

Tales of Vesperia for the Xbox 360 and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World for Wii will be available in stores later this year. Tales of Vesperia is currently featured in the March issue of Play magazine, and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World is featured in the March issue of Nintendo Power magazine, both now on sale nationwide. For more information on the Tales series, please visit www.namcobandaigames.com.

Namco Bandai Website goes International

Leading video games publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe (NBGE) today announced the release of the multi-language version of its official website www.namcobandaigames.eu.

The website is now available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. The website contains the latest corporate and product information with official announcements added in the future as they come. Other features include exclusive downloadable contents, online surveys and many more.

For more information about NAMCO BANDAI Games, its products and services, visit www.namcobandaigames.eu

Ninja Battles Are Perfected As NAMCO BANDAI Announces NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 3

Iconic Animation Hero and Friends Come out Fighting with Major Innovative Features

The world-renowned ninja has become better, faster and stronger as NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today that NARUTO™: Ultimate Ninja® 3 will be available in March 2008 exclusively for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. Based on the popular animated sensation NARUTO™, from VIZ Media which is currently airing on Cartoon Network, this action fighter perfects everything we have come to expect from the franchise with new innovative features, enhancements and customization options. Battle through 20 unique stages using more than 40 of the most loved and feared characters from the animation phenomenon. Unleash the hidden chakra from within and experience the best yet from the series.

“NARUTO is an international sensation and Ultimate Ninja 3 is the perfect complement to the VIZ Media franchise,” said Makoto Iwai, Executive Vice President and COO, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “CyberConnect2 has built upon the series and crafted a title that reaches Hokage level of fun.”

NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 3 makes monumental leaps in the franchise with a host of “firsts” for the series. Players can now live through and be a part of all the major events that defined Story Arc 1 in Heroes History mode. Also, ninja-in-training can customize their characters with the Ultimate Jutsu which gives them that extra bit of edge during battle and allows them to earn points towards upgrading their strength, defense, chakra, agility and other special abilities. Turn playable characters into more powerful ninja of unprecedented size or summon giant creatures as allies with the new Summoning mode. In addition, NARUTO fans throughout North America can experience the game in both English and original Japanese voice over.

In keeping with the tradition of the series, an exclusive and original story will have players exploring the massive 3D rendered Hidden Leaf Village, participating in battle royale matches and completing more than 55 missions. The unparalleled experience doesn’t stop there as tons of unlockable content will be available to offer loads of replay value including movies, music and cards.

For more information on NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 3 please visit: www.namcobandaigames.com or www.naruto.com

DRAGON BALL Z BUDOKAI TENKAICHI 3 PLAYSTATION 2 COLLECTOR'S EDITION

Exclusive Content Accompanies the Ultimate DBZ Fighting Experience

Atari today announced the forthcoming PlayStation 2 Collector’s Edition of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 containing great exclusive content. Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. / Spike, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for PlayStation 2 is scheduled for European release on 9 November in both standard and Collector’s editions.

Available in a specially designed retail box, the Collector’s Edition contains the game, plus an exclusive digital art book and giant wall poster. The 50-page art book includes imagery from the development team detailing how the game’s characters and environments were created, plus a personal message from the team at Spike. The poster features a dazzling array of DBZ characters, making the Collector’s Edition something no fan should be without.

Improving upon last year’s hit 3D fighting experience, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 offers more than 150 playable characters, more than 30 battle stages, and upgraded shading techniques providing enhanced and devastating effects. The exclusive ‘Disc Fusion System’ featured in the PlayStation 2 version of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 lets players insert either Budokai Tenkaichi 1 or Budokai Tenkaichi 2 into the console to unlock brand new gameplay modes. Each game in the series will provide a different and exciting new gameplay mode.

The immensely popular Dragon Ball Z series is the gold standard of anime-based video games, with more than 25 different games and over 10 million units sold since May 2002.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for PlayStation 2 is scheduled for release on 9 November. Featuring online play for the first time in a DBZ game, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for Wii is scheduled for European release in January 2008. For more information on Dragon Ball Z video games, please visit www.dbz-videogames.com.