Japan Gaming Guide

One of the coolest looking new games at the recent E3 show was Child of Eden. A spiritual successor to the seminal Rez, Child of Eden will allow players to interact with musical rhythms via Kinect.

As with Rez, players will come under attack from various surreal creatures which can then be shot, resulting in new beats and riffs being merged with the game’s music. This time around they will be able to aim with their arms thanks to Kinect’s motion detection. Standard controllers will also work, but it sounds like the experience is the perfect showpiece for Microsoft’s new peripheral.

Child of Eden is expected in 2011, for Xbox 360 and PS3.

Developer Dimps must have mislaid their speed boots. Sonic isn’t usually slow to arrive, but the forthcoming continuation of his 2D adventures has been pushed back to late 2010.

We can’t wait to get our hands on the new game, which will concentrate on Sonic alone and get back to the classic gameplay we know and love. The extra playable characters, that some regard as responsible for the decline of the series, have been dropped for this new episode.

Tomorrow sees the Japanese launch of Super Street Fighter 4. The updated version of Capcom’s superlative fighter includes ten new characters as well as new gameplay modes, moves and features.

The additional characters include old favourites T-Hawk, Deejay, Cody, Guy, Adon, Dudley, Ibuki and Makato from older Street Fighter games and the Final Fight series. The two newcomers are taekwondo expert Juri and Turkish oil wrestler, Hakan.

The old car and barrel smashing bonus stages have been restored, there’s a new 8 player team battle mode and a winner stays on ‘Endless Battle’ mode where spectators can discuss the match in progress.

As if that wasn’t good enough the game is launching at a low price, reflecting it’s status as an update rather than completely original game. You can pick it up for 4,990 yen, or 5,990 yen for the special edition.

Tri-Ace’s new RPG, End of Eternity (Resonance of Fate outside Japan) is getting a demo, which will give players a taste of the battle system, according to Famitsu. The tri attack battle system takes place in semi-realtime, with characters directly controlled for limited time periods. The battles are said to be tough, though the game offers an instant retry mode to stop things getting too frustrating.

The demo launches December 22nd, with the full game to follow on January 28th for PS3 and XBOX 360.

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Here’s the Japanese trailer for Winning Eleven 2010:

[Read, via GoNintendo]

Bayonetta hype is starting to build as the game nears its autumn release. Designer Hideki Kamiya has a history that includes Okami and Devil May Cry, so our hopes are very high for this.

Kamiya-san has promised to “blow the doors off the action genre”. The eponymous heroine is a shape shifting witch who backs up her magic attacks with a cornucopia of firearms and heavy weapons. As with Devil May Cry skilled players will be able to rack up the damage with spectacular combos and special moves. Fallen enemies drop halos that can be exchanged for bigger and better weapons.

Bayonetta launches in Japan on October 29th for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, price Y7980. North American and European release is expected to follow in January.

[Read]

It looks like the arcade version of Blazblue was a hit. Not only is it getting converted to PS3, but also to Xbox 360. Let’s hope the home versions are just as good as the arcade original, keeping the spectacular 2D fighting gameplay intact.

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Outrun Online Arcade is coming out on Xbox live arcade soon. Outrun 2 was one of my favourite games on Xbox, and the new version is looking every bit as good:

[via Sega Online]

Street Fighter 4 has already sold 2 million copies, just two weeks after release. Some gamers had to leave stores empty handed as the game rapidly sold out. As well as making a few dollars for Capcom, Street Fighter 4 has proved a big hit with reviewers, with metacritic scores of 93% on Xbox 360 and 94% on PS3.

Capcom were in need of a hit after a slow 2008, so this is good news for them, and good news for their many fans.

[Read]

The latest installment of the Star Ocean series is coming out on February 19th. Star Ocean: The Last Hope is set in the year 2087, several centuries before the original game – and just after the third world war of the series’ mythology. With the invention of warp technology, humanity is taking its first steps towards exploring the universe.

As an added bonus, those that pre-order the Japanese version of the game will get a free Soundtrack CD, packed with music from the games. The Soundtrack disc contains nine tracks, including five voted for by fans, two selections from series composer Motoi Sakuraba, and one each from producer Yoshiharu Gotanda and tri-ace president Yoshinori Yamagishi.

We don’t expect the Japanese release to include English support, so brush up on those Kanji if you’re thinking of ordering. Or buy it twice and use one as a luxury coaster.

[Read, via Famitsu]