Released the day after April Fools, Mr Driller Online was criticized immediately for its lack of polish. The non-HD, up-scaled sprites and the online lag were by far the biggest complaints, and while the former is a lost cause, the latter should hopefully be fixed before month's end. Talking with IGN, Namco promised that the patch would fix the online technical glitches, but whether or not the game can be saved in both mind and market share, remains to be seen.Posts with tag namco
Mr Driller Online will be patched before May is out
Released the day after April Fools, Mr Driller Online was criticized immediately for its lack of polish. The non-HD, up-scaled sprites and the online lag were by far the biggest complaints, and while the former is a lost cause, the latter should hopefully be fixed before month's end. Talking with IGN, Namco promised that the patch would fix the online technical glitches, but whether or not the game can be saved in both mind and market share, remains to be seen.Ace Combat 6 DLC totals $120+ and growing
We've joked around about the amount of and how crazy expensive Ace Combat 6's downloadable content is, but never really pulled out our calculators to get the full picture. But the crew at 1UP did and their findings will make AC6 fanboys' jaws fall to the floor.Let's get to it. The grand total of all of AC6's DLC (including new jets, skins, new missions and multiplayer modes) equals an astonishing $121.83 or 9,750 Microsoft points. Add to that the cost of the game itself and you've got a $181 "complete" AC6 experience. Outrageous! After doing the math, 1UP was able to ask NAMCO about the numerous / crazy expensive DLC and were given the standard we "pay very close attention to user feedback and comments", blah, blah, blah marketing runaround. But most interesting is the fact that NAMCO refused to answer 1UP's questions about certain items' pricing, what was up with the Beautiful Katamari paid unlocks and how they'll treat Soul Calibur IV DLC. On second thought, maybe NAMCO has taken the crown from EA for being most evil DLC developer.
Smash Court Tennis 3 smashes retailers in August [update]
Update: It looks like Namco Bandai made an error in their original press release. Smash Court Tennis 3 is actually releasing in August, not June. Thanks to 360Sync for the heads up.As if tennis fans didn't have enough exciting tennis fun to look forward to this year, Atari and NAMCO just announced that Smash Court Tennis 3 will hit retailers this
First screen of new Splatterhouse emerges
The first screen of the recently revealed revival of Namco Bandai's Splatterhouse has been uncovered, thanks to 1Up. The new Splatterhouse is set to release in the middle of 2009 and is being developed by BottleRocket (Mark of Kri, Rise of the Kasai). Details surrounding the game are sparse at the moment, apart from the revelation that the game's protagonist, Rick (pictured above) will be making a return. More details -- and presumably many more images -- will be coming in the June issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly.
New Afro Samurai gameplay trailer
Original Soulcalibur coming to XBLA
With the release of the highly anticipated Soul Calibur IV now confirmed to be July 29, and another fourth iteration fighting game likely hitting near the end of the year or thereabouts, what could fuel the single combat genre until the fall? Well, if you're going to be picking up SCIV it might be worth your time to see how the series started off, and Namco Bandai looks to be making that even easier when they bring the original Soulcalibur to Live Arcade later this year. Regarded by some as a near-perfect weapon based fighter, this 1999 Dreamcast title will be upgraded to run in HD, though that's where the upgrades really stop. Leaderboards will be featured for the single player, but there are currently no plans to include online multiplayer, local only. We're not sure about this particular port, our purchase will likely depend on the amount of ambient nostalgia upon release (and of course upon the quality of Soul Calibur IV).
GameSpot checks out Afro Samurai, digs it
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Mr. Driller Online
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X3F TV -- Mr. Driller Live multiplayer is a laggy mess
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Mr. Driller Online digs into the XBLA
Newly released today to a service we all know by the name of the Xbox Live Arcade, is Namco's classic driller game that has been made over into Mr. Driller Online. And, as the name suggests, it's Xbox Live enabled and ready for multiplayer action. So far, after giving the trial game a whirl, the only thing we can't figure out is whether the game's constant drilling sound is giving us head pains or if the game's bright, cheerful and Easter egg inspired artwork is the cause. Yeah ... it's probably the art. Give Mr. Driller Online a trial today to see if deserves your 800 Microsoft points purchase, acceptance and love.Gallery: Mr. Driller Online (XBLA)
Mr. Driller Online drills into the XBLA this week
Releasing to the XBLA for 800 Microsoft points this Wednesday, April 2nd, Mr. Driller Online will feature all that traditional Mr. Driller puzzle action you've come to know and love (including the "old-school" look), but with the addition of multiplayer and online functionality. Gameplay options including online versus, team battle, split screen versus and single player Standard Driller or Quest Driller. Have a look at what Mr. Driller Online has to offer in our gallery below and be sure to sharpen your drill bit. You wouldn't want to sit out on the sidelines come Wednesday due to having a dull drill.
Gallery: Mr. Driller Online (XBLA)
AC6 just can't get enough jet fighter DLC
Mr. Driller Online will drill through the XBLA
Earlier today, Namco released new media and announced that their Mr. Driller puzzle series will be headed to the Xbox Live Arcade sometime this Spring in the form of Mr. Driller Online.Mr. Driller Online has a distinct Japanese flavor, with bubbly cartoon characters, a vibrant feel and an extreme use of the color pink. Namco mentions that Mr. Driller Online will stay true to the traditional Mr. Driller gameplay, but add new single player modes as well as Xbox Live functionality including a Solo Battle mode and a four player Tag Battle mode. Take in all the sugar-coated screenshots IGN posted after the jump and analyze the Japanese inspired fun over on Japan's Xbox.com Mr. Driller Online page. Dig it!
Famitsu reveals new female Soul Calibur IV fighter
Her name is Scheherazade (pronunciation anyone?), she sports a saber-like weapon and comes across as a scantily clad swordswoman who loves the color pink and frilly outfits. That said, we're sure she could beat us down any day. No other Scheherazade details could be lifted from Famitsu's foreign pages, but we expect good old Namco to come to our informative-rescue and announce the entire Soul Calibur IV character list before launch. Until then, we'll try our darnedest to envision Yoda and Scheherazade going head to head in a battle to the death. Odd ...
[Via EuroGamer]
Soul Calibur IV Boxarts: 360 = Light Side
We've all been aware for some time that the guest characters in Soul Calibur IV would be Darth Vader and Yoda. And at the time there was an assortment of people making darkside-lightside jokes concerning certain platforms, and it seems Namco-Bandai might have found them funny. The boxarts for the game are up on Gamestop's page for the game, and display the console-exclusive characters at the top of each respective unit. Now some have speculated that these are only placeholder, and while that is possible, the designs do hold an uncanny resemblance to the other entry in this series that saw exclusive characters. Now the only battle that needs deciding is which box has the better design! For those day-one consumers out there, Soul Calibur IV is set to release on June the 30th.
