Neopets new multi-platform puzzle adventure game for Nintendo and PC

Capcom and neopets partner to introduce new multi-platform puzzle adventure game.

Neopets Puzzle Adventure Coming for Nintendo Platforms and PC This Winter

Capcom Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, and Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group’s Neopets, the most engaging tween virtual world on the internet, announced today a partnership to develop a new multi-platform puzzle adventure game, Neopets Puzzle Adventure (working title), for the Wii, Nintendo DS and PC this holiday season. Based on the deep storylines of Neopets, Neopets Puzzle Adventure is a new puzzle game being developed by Capcom and Infinite Interactive, developers of Puzzle Quest.

“As part of Neopets’ strategy to extend the property into a multiplatform brand, we are continuously giving our audiences new ways to play on and off of the site,” said Kyra Reppen, Senior vice president and general manager, Neopets. “Our partnership with Capcom provides a new form of game play for Neopets that is relevant to the platforms our audience is using, and that complements the game play on the site.”



“Capcom is working to expand the breadth of our catalog to gamers of all ages in North America and Neopets is a perfect brand for us to bring to casual and family gamers,” said Germaine Gioia, senior vice president, licensing, Capcom Entertainment. “Combining Capcom’s experience, the rich world of Neopets, and Infinite Interactive’s skills in the puzzle/adventure genre makes a perfect match.”

Set to launch on the three systems this holiday season, Neopets Puzzle Adventure takes puzzle solving skills to new levels with a unique Neopets spin. Based on the classic board game, “Reversi”, Neopets Puzzle Adventure, is a robust and fully integrated Neopets experience as it includes 150 different quests across vast Neopian lands, a variety of the most popular customizable Neopets to choose from, and several fun mini-games to add depth and fun to the gameplay. As a bonus to Neopets fans, players will be able to earn codes throughout the game that connect back to the Neopets site by achieving certain goals throughout the DS, Wii or PC game. These unique codes will allow players to unlock exclusive items back in their virtual world on neopets.com.


Neopets Puzzle Adventure is the only multi-platform puzzle adventure console game based on the popular virtual, global community. For the Neopets fan, Neopets Puzzle Adventure is a must-have game with its intuitive “pick up and play” game play pattern and new never-before-seen areas in the Neopets universe to explore. Neopets Puzzle Adventure will incorporate several different mini-games, 150 petpets, as well as more than 300 items to equip various Neopet characters, recipes, treasures, awards and more.

ABOUT NEOPETS

With more than 44 million global memberships, 200 games, an active virtual economy based on Neopoints, daily and weekly creativity contests, Neovision video player, discussion boards, quests and thousands of virtual items to collect, Neopets offers its audience an almost endless array of engaging activities. Neopets is a global community available in 11 languages.

Tank Defense free online game - play now

Not quite tower defense, and not quite your average shooter. However you want to classify it, I had fun getting through the first 15 levels and I think you will too.

read more | digg story

Wii Shop Channel add Protöthea and Ninja Combat video games

From family-friendly puzzles to crackling combat, this week's additions to the Wii Shop Channel offer a mix of downloadable delights. Fight fans can even choose between futuristic space missions and retro-styled martial arts battles. Take your pick and kick off the summer with an invigorating dose of Wii action.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

WiiWare

Protöthea (UbiSoft, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Protöthea is a top-down scrolling shooter game with free movement that puts players in complete control of a last-generation spaceship. The mission is to destroy the asteroid called Maqno 01 and finish with the plans of The Core. UbiSoft's Protöthea introduces new concepts to a beloved, classic game style while mixing genres and utilizing the full capabilities of the Wii console, from graphics to controls. Players of all ages and experience levels will enjoy taking command of their ship, blasting through four different worlds in 10 challenging missions. Use your weapons arsenal and the special bonus items to help you accomplish your mission, and don't forget to slow down time and take an edge over the enemy.

Virtual Console

Ninja Combat (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Mild Suggestive Themes, Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released in 1990, Ninja Combat is a side-scrolling combat-action game. Take control of the ninjas Joe (one player) and Hayabusa (two players), and enter into battle against a group of evil ninjas called the Kage Ichizoku. Make your way into their home fortress, Ninja Tower, which dominates a big city of the near future. Fight using normal attacks, jumps, special movements and ninja materials that deliver damaging blows to all enemies on the screen. In addition, you'll find weapons and items to aid you along the way. Even better, as you progress in the game, reliable allies such as Musashi, Kagerow and Gembu will emerge to fight alongside you, allowing you to choose a new character in each stage. Ninja Combat also supports simultaneous play with two players, so you can grab a friend and defeat the Kage Ichizoku together.

Halo - Master Chief created in Balloons

We'll admit to not following advancements in balloon animal technology, so we were understandably blown away to see this nearly life-sized Master Chief inflatable construction — clearly not an animal. This is the stuff of dreams and nightmares...

read more | digg story

Everquest celebrates fans with living legacy promotion

The EverQuest franchise, the groundbreaking, award-winning fantasy series that redefined massively multiplayer online (MMO) video games for a generation of gamers around the globe, is bringing a near decade of success back to millions of fans with a new Living Legacy program from Sony Online Entertainment LLC, which will feature in-game events, promotions, game updates and more.

Living Legacy, announced today, is a brand-new initiative aimed at the millions of players who have experienced the vast, engaging online worlds of EverQuest (EQ) and EverQuest II (EQII) since the original EQ game was launched in 1999. The celebration starts today and continues through the end of September. As part of the promotion, both EQ and EQII subscribers with inactive accounts who left in good standing will be able to log back in to the games and play for free until the end of July.

“The EverQuest franchise has touched so many lives since the launch of EverQuest in 1999, and with the 10th anniversary of EverQuest just around the corner, we felt it was the best time to give back to all the players who made it the cultural phenomenon it is today,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “We are grateful for the continued support from our legions of fans and are extremely excited about the groundswell of interest surrounding Living Legacy.”

While the Living Legacy program is aimed at former EQ and EQII players, the program also offers a perfect way for new players to experience the world of Norrath. Nostalgic NPCs and group PvE encounters, as well as brand new raid content, will commemorate EQ’s hardcore heritage. The program features bonus XP weekends, several live events, new content updates and the introduction of new zones all taking place in EQII. Returning EQII players will also be able to experience Rise of Kunark, EQII’s fourth expansion, which just became the game’s best-selling expansion of all time.

Key features of the Living Legacy program include:

• All qualified returning EQ players will receive the EverQuest Secrets of Faydwer all-in-one compilation and bonus in-game items at no additional cost.
  
• All qualified returning EQII players will receive the EverQuest II Rise of Kunark all-in-one compilation and bonus in-game items at no additional cost.
  
• All software provided during the promotional period will be credited to any EQ or EQII account that is converted to a valid, paying monthly subscription.
  
• Current EQII players who recruit a friend to play the game who converts to a valid subscription will receive free gameplay-time added upon conclusion of their then-current subscription .

In the spirit of honoring the players, the Living Legacy program is supported by an online and print advertising campaign that features real EQ and EQII players.

Harmonix and MTV bring Rock Band to Japan

Harmonix and MTV to Partner with Q Entertainment for Rock Band - Japan

Harmonix Music Systems, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, announced today that they will team up with Q Entertainment, a leading Japanese music game designer, to bring the best-selling music videogame Rock Band to Japan. The two studios will work together to develop the title, marking the first US-originated rock music game to be heavily localized for the Japanese market. The game will feature Japanese musical acts as well as other localized assets.

Rock Band’s return to the birthplace of rhythm games will benefit from Q Entertainment’s experience designing progressive and engaging games many of which have a heavy focus on integrating music elements into gameplay. Since its founding in 2003, Tokyo based Q Entertainment has become a leader in rhythm oriented titles, including the critically acclaimed music and luminary action puzzle game series Lumines,and the recently released Extend Every Extra Extreme (E4) and Rez HD for Xbox Live.

Today’s announcement was also featured Saturday at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards - Japan, where a Rock Band trailer was presented.



The US-version of Rock Band was also prominently featured backstage and at the afterparty, giving Japanese attendees a taste of what’s to come in the newly announced title.

Rock Band, which has sold over 3 million units in North America and Europe, is an all-new platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music. The game challenges players to put together a band and tour for fame and fortune, mastering lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals.With more master recordings than any other music game, Rock Band features some of the world’s biggest rock artists and spans every genre of rock ranging from alternative and classic rock to heavy metal and punk.

Rock Band is a true music platform, with over 12 million songs sold as downloadable content since its initial release. There are currently over 140 songs available for download in the Rock Band Music Store and Harmonix continues to release new music every week.

Since its North American release in 2007, Rock Band has garnered over 40 awards including Game Critics Award: Best of Show E3 2007and three awards at The 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards including Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, Family Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack.

Toki Tori for WiiWare in North & South America, Europe and Australia

Two Tribes, the Dutch game developer behind "Worms: Open Warfare 2" for Nintendo DS, announces the full availability of Toki Tori for WiiWare. Toki Tori was a launch game for the European/Australian launch of WiiWare and is available in North and South America as of today, June the 2nd.

Toki Tori has been available for two weeks in Europe and Australia and has met with a lot of praise from the online gaming community. Early reviews have also been favorable, with gamesradar.com claiming:

"Fun, clever, friendly and rewarding, it will stimulate the old noggin without ever feeling like hard work. And that's exactly what puzzle games should do."

The gameplay in Toki Tori is a blend of two genres. While it looks like a platform game, it's a puzzle game by heart. Players will have to look and plan ahead carefully while using a variety of items, such as the Telewarp, Freeze-o-Matic and InstantRockTM to name but a few.

To celebrate its release, Two Tribes has released some new footage in the form of a TV Commercial. The video can be found at:

http://www.tokitori.com/downloads/TokiToriTVCommercial.mov (Quicktime)
http://www.tokitori.com/downloads/TokiToriTVCommercial.wmv (Windows Media Video)

Aces of the Galaxy - plus Action Puzzler - Roogoo - coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade

Experience the thrilling retro arcade space shooter “Aces of the Galaxy,” and enjoy a new type of action-puzzler, “Roogoo,” both launching on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday 4th June, 2008 at 09.00.



Enjoy the frantic action of “Aces of the Galaxy,” an old fashioned arcade adrenaline-pumping shoot-em-up that allows players to save the Universe from the wicked Skurgian Empire. Players annihilate enemy ships with an impressive arsenal of upgradeable weapons including high-powered missile launchers, devastating torpedoes and the relentless chain gun. Battle intense waves of enemy Skurgians against a breathtaking outer space backdrop, and choose to fight alone or join up with a friend at home or via Xbox LIVE.


“Roogoo” takes puzzles to a whole new level. Help the Roogoo defeat their enemies, the evil Meemoo, in “Roogoo,” a new and innovative action based-puzzler with addictive gameplay. Players line up multiple platforms on different levels to allow shaped blocks to pass through and once enough stack up, that particular shape closes off. A simple premise becomes more complicated as Meemoos begin to obstruct players' paths and butterflies attempt to steal blocks away. Players must swivel, roll and boost their way through 45 puzzle-filled levels alone or with up to four friends in cooperative party mode play. For those with a more competitive spirit, “Roogoo” offers a two-player multiplayer mode over Xbox LIVE where players battle to solve the same puzzle and can build up attacks to defeat their competitors.

Where can I get theses games from?

"Aces of the Galaxy" will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points.

Video for Hellgate - London patch 1.3

Flagship Studios today released a video to coincide with the recent launch of patch 1.3 for its action RPG Hellgate: London. Patch 1.3 offers no less than eight new features including Shared Stash, a Premium Item Merchant, Donation Collectors and Global Buffs, Ranks and the Expertise system.

Interacting with your fellow players has been enhanced with the introduction of optional chat bubbles that appear when players talk and performable emotes that characters now have at their disposal. In Patch 1.3, players can also easily browse lists of chat and emote commands using the two according buttons in the chat panel.

Visit the site here

Battlefield 2142 video game - Patch 1.5 Released

The highly anticipated patch integrating map making skills from the community is now available. The patch integrates the maps Wake Island 2142 and Operation Shingle into the game as well as the ability to use wide-screen resolutions.

read more | digg story