Tokyo Game Show 2007 - The Game Announcements

This year's TGS boasted relatively few game announcements of its own, as most of the convention's featured titles had previously been detailed in Famitsu and in recent press releases. Big-name sequels like Ninja Gaiden 2 and Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! were already old news to TGS attendees, and many news outlets focused on reporting hands-on impressions of games that were being shown in a playable form for the first time. A small number of new titles were revealed on the show's floor and during press conferences, however. Flower (Sony/thatgamecompany, PlayStation 3) Under development by the Santa Monica-based thatgamecompany, Flower is a follow-up to the PlayStation Network downloadable hit flOw. Not much else is known about the title thus far other than the fact that it takes place in a field of flowers, as the 30-second trailer released at TGS contains no gameplay footage. Current speculation hints that Flower may feature growth-based gameplay similar to flOw's, though no details can be confirmed at this point in time. Populous DS (Electronic Arts/EA Japan, Nintendo DS) Peter Molyneux's and Bullfrog Productions' 1989 god game Populous is set to receive an enhanced Nintendo DS remake thanks to EA Japan, the same development team responsible for the recent SimCity DS. Much like the PC-born original, players in Populous DS will sculpt terrain and guide civilizations to victory over rival factions. The DS version will additionally feature a story mode, multiplayer battles, and revamped, stylus-based controls. No release date for Populous DS has yet been announced. Metal Slug 7 (SNK Playmore, Nintendo DS) In a move that surprised longtime Metal Slug fans, SNK Playmore recently announced that Metal Slug 7 will be released exclusively for the Nintendo DS. Since the franchise's inception in 1996, every release in the core Metal Slug series has originated in arcades, only to later be ported to consoles. The side-scrolling shooter series has also long been famous for its two-player cooperative gameplay, which is reported to be missing in the single-player Metal Slug 7. The version shown at TGS is reportedly early in development, however, and this may change prior to its release in 2008. Family Trainer Athletic World (Namco Bandai, Nintendo Wii) The Nintendo Entertainment System's Power Pad peripheral is making the move to the Nintendo Wii next year, along with a remake of the NES title Athletic World. Namco Bandai's new floor mat controller is a dead ringer for the Power Pad, and features a nearly identical button layout. Athletic World itself is receiving a more thorough makeover, with gameplay that includes the use of Wii Remote gestures in addition to floor mat footwork. Family Trainer Athletic World will receive a Japanese release in 2008, and will later be released in North America as Active Life: Athletic World. Space Invaders Extreme (Taito, Nintendo DS) Space Invaders has seen numerous sequels and remakes since its initial arcade release in 1978, but Space Invaders Extreme is said to take a radically different approach to the series' traditional gameplay. TGS attendees report that Space Invaders Extreme is a classic facelift of the Pac-Man Championship Edition variety, with fast-paced gameplay and a Rez-like aesthetic that ties on-screen action to musical cues. No U.S. release date has yet been set, but Japanese gamers can expect to see Space Invaders Extreme in February of next year. Secret Agent Clank (Sony/High Impact Games, PlayStation Portable) In the same vein as the PSP's successful Jak and Daxter spinoff Daxter, the recently announced Secret Agent Clank places its focus on the sidekick character Clank from the Ratchet & Clank series. Secret Agent Clank will not feature shooting-based gameplay typical to the series, however; combat will instead be largely reliant on melee attacks and the usage of special items. Ratchet & Clank fans can expect to see Secret Agent Clank's mix of platforming and action in summer or fall of 2008. Mesmerize (Sony, PlayStation 3) Operation: Creature Feature (Sony, PlayStation 3) Tori-Emaki (Sony, PlayStation 3) Trials of Topoq (Sony, PlayStation 3) During a pre-TGS event, Sony showcased a quartet of downloadable games that will be compatible with the PlayStation Eye camera peripheral upon its release in October. According to reports, Operation: Creature Feature and Trials of Topoq are puzzle titles controlled by PlayStation Eye-detected body motion, while Mesmerize and Tori-Emaki lean more towards the tech demo side of things. All four games are expected to debut sometime after the release of the PlayStation 3 card battle game The Eye of Judgment, which will come bundled with the PlayStation Eye accessory. Sengoku Basara: Tactical RPG (Capcom, Mobile) Breath of Fire IV: Action RPG (Capcom, Mobile) Rockman Dash: 5-tsu no Shima no Daibouken! (Capcom, Mobile) BioHazard 4: Mobile Edition (Capcom, Mobile) Devil May Cry: Dante x Virgil (Capcom, Mobile) Street Fighter Zero: Wide (Capcom, Mobile) Capcom's mobile lineup at TGS featured a variety of expansions for some of the publisher's most popular franchises, as well as a surprise return for Breath of Fire and Rockman Dash. While the BioHazard 4 (Resident Evil 4) and Street Fighter Zero (Street Fighter Alpha) titles appear to be modified mobile-specific ports of existing games, the rest appear to be entirely new additions to their respective series -- an especially noteworthy announcement for fans of Rockman Dash (Mega Man Legends), which hasn't seen a sequel since the 2000 release of Mega Man Legends 2. Few details are known about any of these future mobile releases, but none are likely to ever be played by gamers outside of Japan. Other publishers showcased impressive mobile lineups as well. Namco Bandai hosted a playable version of Katamari Damacy Mobile, while Square Enix displayed Parasite Eve 3, Tobal M, and Kingdom Hearts Coded. Konami, meanwhile, showed off mobile adaptations of Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, and Suikoden, among several other franchises. Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (Square Enix, Nintendo DS) Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (Square Enix, PlayStation Portable) Kingdom Hearts: Coded (Square Enix, Mobile) As reported previously, Square Enix has plans to release two new Kingdom Hearts titles for portable consoles, in addition to the mobile-based Kingdom Hearts: Coded. Unlike Coded, future U.S. releases for both the Nintendo DS and PSP Kingdom Hearts games are likely, even considering the fact that Birth by Sleep features a character seen only in the Japanese-exclusive Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix +. None of the three games have received Japanese release dates, however, so fans will be in for a long wait for any potential North American versions. Time Hollow (Konami, Nintendo DS) An original IP adventure title to be published by Konami, Time Hollow features a play structure similar to recent Nintendo DS hits like Hotel Dusk and Capcom's Phoenix Wright series. During the course of gameplay, Time Hollow grants players the ability to see through time using a device that "cuts" through the scenery of the present in order to reveal past events. Specific details regarding these time travel mechanics are sparse, however, thanks to the TGS demo's heavy amount of Japanese text. Time Hollow has not been given a Japanese release date, and a U.S. release is uncertain.