Lost Planet 2 for release on May 11

Posted by John as Shmups

Capcom to launch Lost Planet 2, a sci-fi shooter sequel on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on May 11. The PC version is slated for fall while the new multiplayer demo is coming out next month.

Lost Planet 2 was originally set for release before the end of March, but was postponed to May 18. The publisher pushed it back to May 18 to avoid an unusually potent assortment of high-profile competition. Since that time, Capcom has seen publisher after publisher announce their potential blockbusters to launch on the same day. The first game announced was Alan Wake slated for May 18, then Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and Split/Second, and finally Red Dead Redemption.

Capcom has apparently seen enough reasons to move Lost Planet 2’s launch date up to week to May 11. It also gave the PC version of the game a release window, saying that it would follow the console editions onto shelves this fall.

To further excite players, Capcom announced that it will release a new multiplayer demo of the game on the Xbox 360 April 21 and on the PlayStation Network April 22. The 16-player versus mode demo will include a single map, as well as chat support and stat tracking features.

Lost Planet 2 is set 10 years after the original, following substantial terraforming on EDN III that replaced the frigid tundra with large swaths of lush forests. Its campaign will follow the protagonist and three non-player characters through six chapters, each of which will have multiple outcomes that hinge on players’ actions.

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Raiden Fighter Aces Landing Soon in North America

Posted by John as Shmups

The release of Raiden Fighters Aces now ceases to be rumor as Valcon Games officially announces its arrival on the Xbox 360 on April 7, 2009!

Raiden Fighters Aces is, initially released in Japan, a compilation in one disc of all three Raiden Fighters titles (Raiden Fighters, Raiden Fighters 2: Operation Hell drive and Raiden Fighters Jet), and the title features both Training and Arcade modes.

As a new addition to its 3 arcade classics recreated in this collection, a new training mode allows you to modify every aspect of your ships and wingmen. You can skip to any level or even play in slow motion. While there is online leader boards, the game’s cooperative play is an offline affair as well.

Play each game in a full screen as a side scroller or even vertically on a rotated 4:3 display with a comprehensive screen and control settings. You can play 2-player co-op games offline or play Arcade Mode and brag your high core by posting them along with game clips to Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA).

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Microsoft Holds 2D Shooting Festival

Posted by John as Shmups

“Space Invaders” as the mothers of all shmups traces back its roots in Japan.  It’s no wonder Microsoft held the 2d shooting festival in the “Land of the Rising Sun” or Japan last December 5, 2008.  The latest gaming event dubbed as the Xbox 360 Shooting Fiesta, lured the hard core genre of Xbox 360 into arcade-style shmup spree.

The Japanese arcade-style 2d shooters managed to show off their skills at the massive FujiSoft complex in Akihabra.  The shooting fanatics registered in advance for a 2-hour intense shooting fun festival.  Part of the shooting festival was for all players to try out Xbox 360 shooters both old and new.  The list of Xbox 360 shooters includes upcoming titles like DoDonPachi Daioujou Black Label X, Shooting Love 200X, Ketsui Kizuna Jigoku-tachi Extra, and R-Type Dimensions.

The spotlights at the event were both Death Smiles and DoDonPachi.  Death Smiles, an updated port of an October 2007 arcade title, didn’t fail to surprise shooting fanatics when made in a playable form. It was a nice catch enough to attract practically everybody in attendance to line up and sample it for a good five minutes.  All players who tried out Death Smiles walked home carrying a special collector’s mug.  DoDonPachi was recently delayed of its release in Japan from its December 25 release to winter. The score attack tournament highlighted the 2d Shooting Festival with DoDonPachi as the chosen shmup.  The champion of the score attack tournament was Mon who managed to clear the required stage of play with almost 3 billion points and edged out RadiantSilver’s points of around 2 and a half billion points.  Mon won for himself a new fighting stick from Hori and a surprise gift of a collection of five Xbox 360 shooters.

Microsoft‘s key staff members, Tsuneki Ikeda and Junya Inoue, appeared for a short talk session.  Ikeda released a major announcement that the latest arcade Death Smiles, a Mega Black Label, will be released to the Xbox 360 as download content for the 360 Death Smiles release.  The said download content will arrive comes spring coinciding with the retail release date.

The first major revelation of the event was the Japanese release of PowerUp Forever, having its origins outside Japan and developed by BlitzGames.  By December 10, Bandia Namco will publish the Xbox Live Arcade shooter in Japan. In America, the release date of this game both for XBLA and Playstation Network has yet to be announced.

The Xbox 360 Shooting Fiesta shows that there’s also plenty of homegrown shooting content for Japanese gamers, propelling the 360 as the current king of one of the gaming industry’s most hardcore genres.

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