Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/JoystiqThe Joystiq Podcast combines insightful commentary on the week's video game news and culture with several disembodied, often spooky, voices. Voices may or may not belong to Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann, Joystiq.com editors, or their guests. Spookiness not guaranteed where prohibited, please check local laws. More information available at www.joystiq.comNot so fast! Alan Wake may not be at TGS 2008 after allhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/not-so-fast-alan-wake-may-not-be-at-tgs-2008-after-all/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/not-so-fast-alan-wake-may-not-be-at-tgs-2008-after-all/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/not-so-fast-alan-wake-may-not-be-at-tgs-2008-after-all/#commentsFiled under: ,


Despite being a total no-show at E3 last week - and teased in a not-so-recent Vista promotion - Microsoft Game Studios' Alan Wake may not be coming up for air at the 2008 Tokyo Game Show this October. A spokesperson for developer Remedy Entertainment said, "The Microsoft Vista promotion referring to TGS took place in 2007, and is old news - we've had the winner over for taking the pictures already." He continued dashing our dreams, bluntly stating that "this was not an announcement that Wake would be shown at TGS 2008."

Note, Remedy isn't saying that Alan Wake won't make it to TGS, just that we shouldn't plan our schedule around it just yet. In fact, considering the game was first shown to press at E3 2005 (that's thirty-eight months ago, folks!) we're not planning much of anything around the game, short of our retirement.

[Thanks, Pete]
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]]>Alan-WakeRemedyTGS-2008Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:57:00 ESTAlan Wake to show his face at Tokyo Game Showhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/18/alan-wake-to-show-its-face-at-tokyo-game-show/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/18/alan-wake-to-show-its-face-at-tokyo-game-show/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/18/alan-wake-to-show-its-face-at-tokyo-game-show/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Although missing in action from this week's E3, Alan Wake will roll out of bed and board a plane to Japan for this year's Tokyo Game Show. According to an MSN Games "'WOW' Be a face in the game" contest, the winner will be given a trip to Finland to be scanned into the computer, then "jet off to Tokyo to [TGS] to be on the scene and on the screen!"
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]]>alan-waketgstgs-2008tokyotokyo-game-showFri, 18 Jul 2008 20:50:00 ESTTokyo Game Show 2008 is 'Ready for Game Time' on Oct. 9 to 12http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/tokyo-game-show-2008-is-ready-for-game-time-on-oct-9-to-12/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/tokyo-game-show-2008-is-ready-for-game-time-on-oct-9-to-12/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/tokyo-game-show-2008-is-ready-for-game-time-on-oct-9-to-12/#commentsFiled under: ,

In the midst of GDC comes word from Japan that this year's Tokyo Game Show has been dated. Get ready for October 9 to 12 at the usual home of Makuhari Messe in Chiba City.

Organizers have already announced this year's theme: "Ready for GAME Time!" (sic). As opposed to every other year when they were just practicing for game time. Seriously, we're having a hard time grasping at this one. Previous themes include "Link up, Reach out, To the World" (2007) and "New Excitement. New Sensations. A New Generation" (2006).
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]]>makuhari-messetgs08tokyotokyo-game-showTue, 19 Feb 2008 11:30:00 ESTTGS 2008 dated Oct. 9-12http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/10/tokyo-game-show-2008-dated-oct-9-12/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/10/tokyo-game-show-2008-dated-oct-9-12/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/10/tokyo-game-show-2008-dated-oct-9-12/#commentsFiled under:

makuhari messe
Tokyo Game Show organizer CESA has announced that the annual trade show will be held October 9-12 this year, several weeks later than its typical September arrival. TGS 2008 will be hosted in the show's usual spot, the Makuhari Messe convention center, and, like last year, the first two days will be closed to the public. With E3 retaining an invite-only policy, expect TGS to continue to be the world's largest games event, with Leipzig Game Convention a close second.

[Via Gamasutra]
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]]>cesamakuhari-messetgs-2008tokyo-game-showThu, 10 Jan 2008 17:59:00 ESTJoystiq interviews Polyphony Digital's Kazunori Yamauchihttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/24/joystiq-interviews-polyphony-digitals-kazunori-yamauchi/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/24/joystiq-interviews-polyphony-digitals-kazunori-yamauchi/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/24/joystiq-interviews-polyphony-digitals-kazunori-yamauchi/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


During TGS, we had the opportunity to visit the studios of Polyphony Digital and meet with the man behind the Gran Turismo series, Kazunori Yamauchi. We had just finished watching a demo of their video-on-demand GTTV service - which was announced during a Japanese-press only event at TGS the preceding day - and got to poke around their studios (check out Gamespot's fancy video tour) before sitting down with the man himself. We talked about GTTV (of course), the current status for Gran Turismo on PSP, how they reached the elusive 1080p goal, and if their PSP/PS3 connectivity ideas are any better than a rear-view mirror.

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Thanks for taking the time to meet with us and show us the game and your studio. It's very much appreciated. Could you explain the rationale behind releasing GT5: Prologue before releasing the full Gran Turismo 5?

So there's basically two reasons behind GT5 Prologue. First one being, as we move with the franchise to a new generation of hardware, the PS3‚ and trying to extract the maximum out of it and being comfortable, it's already taken us three years to get to a point where we're almost happy with what we're delivering on the system.

Continue reading Joystiq interviews Polyphony Digital's Kazunori Yamauchi

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]]>GranTurismoGranTurismo5GT5Kazonuri-YamauchiPolyphony-DigitalWed, 24 Oct 2007 15:29:00 ESTJoystiq interviews Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagakihttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/03/joystiq-interviews-team-ninjas-tomonobu-itagaki/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/03/joystiq-interviews-team-ninjas-tomonobu-itagaki/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/03/joystiq-interviews-team-ninjas-tomonobu-itagaki/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It's not too long into our interview with Tomonobu Itagaki before he issues us with an impromptu challenge. "If there's a game out there that is more beautiful, more interactive, faster and has better action than this game, please let me know." The Team Ninja boss has a train of thought that truly exemplifies the bluntest characteristics of that phrase. It's an unstoppable machine barreling down a track without diversion and without apologies -- because it's a train.

We conducted (oh dear) an interview with the outspoken developer at the Team Ninja offices shortly after the Tokyo Game Show, focusing on the aforementioned title, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. After the break, you'll find Itagaki's concise thoughts on Dragon Sequels, dual-screen slashing, how the competition stacks up and why multiplayer Ninja Gaiden might just piss you off.

Continue reading Joystiq interviews Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagaki

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]]>Dragon-SwordItagakiNinja-GaidenNinjaGaidenTeam-NinjaTecmoTGS07Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:28:00 ESTJoystiq interviews Jade Raymond of Assassin's Creedhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/02/joystiq-interviews-jade-raymond-of-assassins-creed/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/02/joystiq-interviews-jade-raymond-of-assassins-creed/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/02/joystiq-interviews-jade-raymond-of-assassins-creed/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Oh, Jade. You surely are Ubisoft's finest asset, with your playful and inquisitive eyes inviting us to relive the many adventures we had after our first and far too brief meeting. If only we could be reunited and take some more pictures of our escapades. If only mere images could capture your boldness, allure and glistening green lips! Where is Beyond Good & Evil 2?

Putting our reminiscing aside, we can talk about the other Jade at Ubisoft -- Jade Raymond, producer of big budget bump-off epic, Assassin's Creed. More specifically, we can talk about us talking to her about sandboxes, flower boxes, pushy crowds and Star Trek's Holodeck in a brief Tokyo Game Show chat. Find it after the break.

Continue reading Joystiq interviews Jade Raymond of Assassin's Creed

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]]>Assassins-CreedAssassinsCreedJade-RaymondTGS07UbisoftTue, 02 Oct 2007 14:55:00 ESTTGS07: Interview with Loco Roco's Tsutomu Kounohttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/01/tgs07-interview-with-loco-rocos-tsutomu-kouno/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/01/tgs07-interview-with-loco-rocos-tsutomu-kouno/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/01/tgs07-interview-with-loco-rocos-tsutomu-kouno/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We had the opportunity to catch up with the father of Loco Roco, Tsutomu Kouno, and ask him a few questions about his newly released sequel, Loco Roco Cocoreccho. The interview was conducted along with Spencer Yip from Siliconera. We ask him what his inspirations were, why he decided to develop an "interactive screensaver" and whether there will be any downloadable content in the future. Find the full interview after the break.

What was your inspiration for the Loco Roco franchise?
I carry a PDA around with me wherever I go and I draw out any ideas that I have. Several years ago I found myself drawing Loco Rocos on the train in various forms. Around that time the PSP had first been announced so I started to think how I could turn my little characters into a game. I thought to myself: "there must be a way to have the shoulder buttons of the PSP control the movement."

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]]>loco-rocotgs07tsutomu-kounoMon, 01 Oct 2007 07:00:00 ESTTGS Video Games Museum highlights Japan's tastehttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/30/tgs-video-games-museum-highlights-japans-taste/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/30/tgs-video-games-museum-highlights-japans-taste/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/30/tgs-video-games-museum-highlights-japans-taste/#commentsFiled under: ,


Hidden away at the very end of the second hall at Tokyo Game Show was a booth dedicated to, supposedly, showcasing top of the class video games from generations past. Several stations were set up, around 12 or so, which allowed gamers to step back in time and play those great games that perhaps they hadn't had the chance to play before.

All well and good you might think, until you notice that the majority of the games are RPGs and a large proportion of those are from the Final Fantasy series. This particular "museum" (which failed to showcase anything older than the PlayStation 1) was clearly tailored to the very specific tastes found in Japan. Still, why not just cut out the middle man and call it the "Final Fantasy Museum"?

We were a bit snap-happy and took a few photos of the booth - the gallery for which can be found below. Our favourite image shows two old rivals sitting side by side in perfect harmony. Seeing Final Fantasy VII and Zelda: Ocarina of Time together like that really tugged at our heartstrings. Other games shown at the booth included:
  • Phantasy Star Online
  • Dragon Quest VIII
  • Brain Training
  • Final Fantasy XII
  • Final Fantasy XI
  • Taiko Drum Master
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]]>tgs07video-game-museumSun, 30 Sep 2007 23:00:00 ESTTGS hands-on: Final Fantasy Ring of Fates multiplayerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/30/tgs-hands-on-final-fantasy-ring-of-fates-multiplayer/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/30/tgs-hands-on-final-fantasy-ring-of-fates-multiplayer/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/30/tgs-hands-on-final-fantasy-ring-of-fates-multiplayer/#commentsFiled under: ,


Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for the Gamecube was a bit of a hit-and-miss title. Touted as a multiplayer roleplaying experience, the game required you to have access to four Gameboy Advances (and three friends) to fully enjoy. The lackluster single player mode meant many were put off before they even started calling through their little black books looking for GBA owning friends.

The franchise has survived, however, and has moved onto the Nintendo DS in the form of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates. We took advantage of the strangely short line (the game being out in Japan might have something to do with it) and played a 4-player multiplayer game with the Square Enix booth attendants.

Multiplayer seems to consist of co-operative dungeon crawler, with no sign of story or non-battle gameplay. Players can choose their character class, which affects their base attack style. Magic can be used by all players by picking up giant materia orbs, just like in the original. The action all takes place on the top screen while the bottom screen contains your stats. The bottom screen also shows how many of each materia you have and allows you to change between the different magics by tapping the desired orb on the screen.

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]]>final-fantasyfinal-fantasy-ring-of-fatesring-of-fatestgs07Sun, 30 Sep 2007 21:30:00 ESTTGS hands-on: No More Heroeshttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/30/tgs-hands-on-no-more-heroes/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/30/tgs-hands-on-no-more-heroes/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/30/tgs-hands-on-no-more-heroes/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Given the over-the-top action and exuberant style found in Grasshopper Manufacture's No More Heroes, it came as a great relief to learn that the game's control scheme wasn't similarly vigorous. There's nothing worse than an action game that translates fairly familiar tasks into manic swatting for the simple sake of justifying its existence on the Wii. That isn't to say the motion controls are so reserved as to become worthless, but No More Heroes does seem to share our support of No More Flailing -- sometimes it makes more sense to smack someone with a sword simply by pressing a button.

Here, the button in question is the one obviously marked "A" and the sword is a lightsaber. It's really more like a battery-powered katana, but we're confident that the Star Wars weapon is culturally ingrained enough to make the explanation that much simpler. Rather than get into electric sword specifics, know that protagonist and assassin Travis Touchdown uses one to hit and slice things repeatedly. Said things are targeted by holding the Z-button on the nunchuk, evaded by pressing on the directional pad and ultimately sent into a stunned state with enough battery. (A cheeky double reference there, as you also have to recharge your sword occasionally by giving it -- and the Wii remote -- a few jolts, just like you would an uncooperative flashlight.)

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]]>Grasshopper-ManufactureNo-More-HeroesNoMoreHeroesSuda-51TGS07Sun, 30 Sep 2007 21:03:00 ESTTGS hands-on: Cooking Mama 2http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/30/tgs-hands-on-cooking-mama-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/30/tgs-hands-on-cooking-mama-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/30/tgs-hands-on-cooking-mama-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Scouring the show floor at TGS is hungry work, but when all the eateries are full of the Dreaded Public where can you get the sustenance you require? We tried our luck at the Cooking Mama 2 booth, just in case they had some tasty swag to give away. Sadly, there was none. While we were there, however, we did get embroiled (which kind of sounds like boiled) in the game.

The first thing we noticed about the game, once we'd finally worked our way through the main menu to some actual gameplay, was that the touch controls are much more responsive than in Cooking Mama 1. Whereas previously success in the game relied as much on the DS being your friend as it did on your skill, now the game plays with much less frustration.

The game itself is more of the same. More of an upgrade than a sequel, Cooking Mama 2 has extra recipes to produce as well as more diverse methods of cooking. During our play session we were challenged to scale a fish, open a sea urchin and empty an oyster. All without getting our hands covered in sea ming (that is, ming from the sea).

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]]>cooking-mama-2hands-ontgs07Sun, 30 Sep 2007 12:00:00 ESTSayonara Tokyo: The TGS aftermathhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/28/sayonara-tokyo-the-tgs-aftermath/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/28/sayonara-tokyo-the-tgs-aftermath/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/28/sayonara-tokyo-the-tgs-aftermath/#commentsFiled under: , ,


As our fearless leader Christopher Grant flies out of Narita Airport and returns to his vile trans-dimensional lair, the last remaining blemishes of Joystiq are being scrubbed from the silky sheet of Japan. A sigh of relief now washes over Tokyo, a city content to be rid of the obnoxious bloggers who devoured cheeseburgers on its trains, hurled paper into the "plastics" recycling bin and remained insultingly ignorant of the current Haruhi Suzimiya craze.

Though this year's Tokyo Game Show wasn't quite filled with earth-shaking revelations, it did allow us to gain further insight into anticipated titles such as Metal Gear Solid 4, echochrome, Ninja Gaiden 2, Nights: Journey of Dreams and, err... Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon. But that's not all! This weekend will see our last batch of impressions materialize, along with a sordid account of Joystiq's run-in with the official Square Enix store. Following that, we'll share some interviews involving Gran Turismo 5, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, Loco Roco and Assassin's Creed.

As they say in Japan, "Please look forward to it!"

Continue reading Sayonara Tokyo: The TGS aftermath

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]]>TGS07Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:34:00 ESTTGS hands-on: Pataponhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/tgs-hands-on-patapon/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/tgs-hands-on-patapon/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/tgs-hands-on-patapon/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Patapon, a PSP title which we've seen very little of so far, is proving a great hit at the Tokyo Game Show. With a line that was sometimes longer than Metal Gear Online we were curious to see what all the fuss was about. Finally we braved the Dreaded Public and got our hands on the goods.

Stepping into the Patapon enclosure a Sony booth attendee talked us through the gist of the game. We couldn't understand some of the Japanese, though we did enjoy it whenever she sang instructions to us. "Pon pon pata pon ... pata pata pata pon." Lovely.

Your tribe of one-eyed worshippers are required to go from one end of the level to the other (with two levels in the demo on the show floor). The only method of getting them there is to command them to act by performing different beats with the circle and square buttons, which correspond to the sounds "pata" and "pon", respectively. By stringing combinations of these two sounds together your minions will perform different actions.

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]]>patapontgs07Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:30:00 ESTTGS07 bits: Darth Vader paparazzihttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/tgs07-bits-darth-vader-paparazzi/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/tgs07-bits-darth-vader-paparazzi/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/tgs07-bits-darth-vader-paparazzi/#commentsFiled under: ,


It seems the Tokyo Game Show's intense draw extends beyond international borders and well into intergalactic, fictional universes, a fact highlighted by Saturday's arrival of one Darth Vader. The force-choking, emperor-dunking Jedi was seen leading an imperial march through the show floor, glaring intensely at cosplayers and scolding his accompanying stormtroopers for being unable to complete the Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles demo.

When quizzed about his favorite games at the show, Mr. Vader blamed Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon for putting something resembling a smile on his horribly scarred face. He also noted disappointment in the response of Japanese gamers to Halo 3's "Believe" marketing campaign, describing their lack of faith as "disturbing."

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]]>Darth-VaderStar-WarsTGS07Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:56:00 ESTTGS hands-on: echochromehttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs-hands-on-echochrome/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs-hands-on-echochrome/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs-hands-on-echochrome/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


After its shocking E3 debut, we desperately wanted to play echochrome, the mind-bending Escher-inspired puzzle game that has players changing their perspective. Available on the PS3 as a downloadable title and as a PSP game, echochrome excited audiences with its truly innovative concept. But, how did the publicly playable PS3 demo play?

Well, it works exactly as you expect it to. The demonstration features an English-speaking monotone voice that seems a perfect match with the game's ultra-minimalist presentation. She'll explain the five rules of the game that control the way your perspective, the world, and your character, all interact with each other. Each sequence has players testing out a single new device, such as being able to block obstacles by hiding them from the player's vision. Through this brief tutorial, players will be gifted with the ability to start playing through the game's mind-destroying puzzles.

The single level available in the demonstration had us attempting to collect echoes, shadows situated in various points in the stage. As simple as that may sound, imagining the total destruction of object permanence is not something we're readily accustomed to. The on-screen avatar acts like a lemming, constantly going forward, even if it means certain doom for the character. This means players will have to act fast, and position the level correctly as the avatar makes its way forward. This is where we found that the camera rotates a bit too slowly for our tastes. We ended one of our lives trying to cover a hole, but couldn't rotate the level quickly enough to save our character. Thankfully, each echo that one walks into acts as a checkpoint, so that the level we played didn't become frustrating. However, we hope that Sony will make moving the camera a bit speedier.

echochrome is a simple, innovative, and more importantly, fun title that continues to deliver on the PlayStation Store's promise of offering gamers unique gameplay experiences. Although we didn't get to play much, it's clear that Sony has something truly special in their hands.
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]]>echochrometgs07Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:30:00 ESTTGS07: Advent Children gets dirty on Blu-rayhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs07-advent-children-gets-dirty-on-blu-ray/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs07-advent-children-gets-dirty-on-blu-ray/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs07-advent-children-gets-dirty-on-blu-ray/#commentsFiled under: ,


Square's big budget fan service film, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, is heading to Blu-ray and it's going to provide much more than an HD transfer. A new trailer showcased at TGS shows a few new scenes that expand upon the film's storyline. One scene took place in the alleys of Midgar as children afflicted with Geostigma appear to be melting goo. Another sequence shows Sephiroth stabbing Cloud through the chest, skewering him and swinging him like a piece of dead meat. Not only will the updated Blu-ray disc feature new scenes, but new special features that were cut from the original DVD will find their way into the collection, thanks to the spacious capacity of the HD movie format.

But that's not what has us most excited. The fight scenes from the film have been completely re-rendered with a feature we've long waited for: dirt. The always-fashionable Cloud and company will have perfect clothes no more! They'll have to invest in even stronger hair gel to survive the battles that they face. The press release explains it best: "Clothing that gradually dirties through intense combat, faces that darken with soot from explosions, and motorbikes pockmarked with gunshots - the Complete edition brings a grittier, dirtier look to the film's nonstop action."

The now-Incomplete edition will now be too clean for the Square Enix hardcore. The added sheen of the HD transfer will only accentuate the dirty details that Square has deemed necessary to include in this re-release. Of course, we can't wait for the next 2160p "Really Complete Edition" which will add even more wrinkles to the character's clothes and subtle acne on their backs.
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>advent-childrenadvent-children-completeblu-rayfinal-fantasy-viitgs07Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:10:00 ESTTGS hands-on: Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon (Wii)http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs-hands-on-chocobos-mysterious-dungeon-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs-hands-on-chocobos-mysterious-dungeon-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs-hands-on-chocobos-mysterious-dungeon-wii/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Square Enix's upcoming cute-em-up dungeon crawler, Chocobo's Dungeon: Toki-Wasure no Meikyuu will be released in Japan on the 13th of December. We managed to drag ourselves away from the giant Chocobo guarding the entrance to Square Enix's booth long enough to check the game out.

Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon is, essentially, a sequel to Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon 1 and 2 for the PlayStation. While those games didn't do as well as perhaps they should have (only Mysterious Dungeon 2 was released outside Japan) Square Enix seem to be giving the franchise one more chance on the Wii.

This latest iteration maintains much of the cuteness of the previous titles, keeping a consistant art style with all past Chocobo based games, whilst using a softer palette of colours throughout. The world of Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon is now full of pastel shades, as opposed to the bright primary colours used in games such as Chocobo Tales.

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Continue reading TGS hands-on: Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon (Wii)

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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>chocobos-mysterious-dungeonhands-onsquare-enixtgs07Sat, 22 Sep 2007 03:33:00 ESTTGS cosplayers galleryhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs-cosplayers-gallery/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs-cosplayers-gallery/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs-cosplayers-gallery/#commentsFiled under: , ,


You simply can't barge your way through the throbbing mass of people at the Tokyo Game Show without bumping into video game characters which have somehow manifested in reality. Actually, physically bumping into them isn't recommended, as the ornate headdresses, gargantuan shoulder pads and razor-sharp hair is very likely to cause unexpected injury. With all the Clouds marching about the hallways of the Makuhari Messe center, you're likely to become trapped in a cosplay iron maiden* if you're not careful.

*Due to creative cosplay, "maiden" may in truth be "man."

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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>Ace-AttorneyCosplayDevil-May-CryFinal-FantasyKingdom-HeartsSpace-Channel-5TGS07Sat, 22 Sep 2007 02:00:00 ESTTGS hands-on: PSP 1seg TV tunerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs-hands-on-psp-1seg-tv-tuner/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs-hands-on-psp-1seg-tv-tuner/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/22/tgs-hands-on-psp-1seg-tv-tuner/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The 1seg tuner for PSP makes us jealous of Japanese PSP owners. The tiny peripheral attaches to the top of the system, and allows users to tune into a variety of broadcast channels. The video quality at the Tokyo Game Show floor was stellar, with very minimal artifacting seen in the video. It's easy to change channels through a simple intuitive interface which overlays over the video quite nicely. A variety of video resize options can be readily accessed by bringing up the options menu with the Triangle button.

If there's a complaint we would have about the 1seg tuner, we'd say it has to be the delay that comes when switching channels. It takes a full second or so for the system to display video of the next channel. Certainly not a major hindrance, especially when considering the quality of video that's produced on such a small peripheral. Japanese Joystiq readers will want to check it out.
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

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