The classic run and gun shooter, Wolf Fang, was recently released on the Japanese PSN. This was an arcade game from the early 90’s in the same vein as Assault Suits Leynos and Valken, it also received both a PlayStation and Sega Saturn port (though the version on PSN is obviously the former). Wolf Fang has also been getting a bit of a resurgence as of late, as we reported the release of the Video Game Robotics gashapon not that long ago and it featured one of the mecha from the game. In any case, we’re big fans of Wolf Fang and the ability to play it on our PSP is most welcome.

Over at the Another Century’s Episode R site they’ve uploaded the game’s first promo video. This is entirely footage from the CG opening the game will have, something the three previous PS2 games also had. In any case, it’s so very shiny and it features Acid Black Cherry’s new song “Re:birth” which fits the setting surprisingly well. Game Watch have also done some coverage on the game, showing off the all new in-game environments quite a bit. In any case, we are very happy this is coming out this summer and we wish Bandai would release an all new Orguss toy – preferably in the Soul of Chogokin SPEC range. That would be, as they say, totally sweet.

For the Armored Core inclined, this is quite an important kit. If only for the fact that it defined and adorned the original Armored Core 3 Silent Line’s box cover – a game we rate as being the best Armored Core game of all time (something the recent PSP port really fails to live up to). Not only did this design equip the lethal Karasawa laser rifle but also the highly controversial stealth extensions (which were banned in all Japanese tournaments in case you were wondering). Despite sharing the same core as the updated Nineball, this is an all new kit. Like with all the Kotobukiya kits, all the parts are interchangeable from other mecha in the same range and the sculpt is superlatively good as well. This kit is out in August and will be charged at the very reasonable price of 4,725 yen. Here’s the original game’s opening and it features the above design quite prominently too.

Tail Concerto‘s new spiritual sequel for the Nintendo DS, Solarobo, has had three short gameplay demonstration movies released as well as some nice coverage over at Game Watch.

While their brevity (and the lack of sound) doesn’t tell us too much about the game, what we can see does inform us that the game is coming along nicely. The promotional art’s almost ‘watercolor’ style seems to have very much inspired the game’s current 3D graphics, and the character designer, Nobuteru Yuki, has not only done character designs for video games with similar ‘watercolor’ graphics styles (most notably a few games in the Mana series), but also has worked on mecha-oriented productions before, most notably Visions of Escaflowne and Five Star Stories.

From the gameplay previews here we can also see that the camera angle changes in response to different gameplay needs. A few sections look much like any other 3D game on the Nintendo DS with an overhead view, while other sections make the game look more like an old PlayStation sidescroller instead. Hopefully this willingness to experiment will create a unique flavor for the already somewhat crowded Nintendo DS platformer market.

We also see the character leave the confines of his mecha to do some exploring on his own, which is something that, when done well, has led to good things in the past by making the difference between mecha and man (well, animal man in this case) more obvious. The mecha itself has a unique design, looking as much like a bird as it does a mechanical man, with arms that remind me of the robots both from Laputa: Castle in the Sky and from Tokobot. Those same arms seem capable of stretching a great deal in the gameplay videos, even allowing continuous “combo” throws of enemy mecha.

The internet is currently abuzz over all the details that were disclosed at yesterday’s Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker event, like the appearance of creatures from the Monster Hunter series, or the wacky in-game product tie-ins, including Doritos, Pepsi, and AXE body spray. For those interested in learning more, Google will service those needs quite nicely, but let’s focus on the latest trailer, which highlights the new cast, and also features the three heavy machinery that the action will revolve around. I’m talking about the AI units, two of which we’ve already covered due to their apparent connection to the mecha in Snake Eater.

But near the very end, we also get a quick glimpse of something that can only be described as a real deal Metal Gear, since it fulfills one of the core criteria, that being a bipedal tank. Up till this point, the first unit to actually stand on two legs was from the very first title, the TX-55. And the Metal Gear before that, from the game that immediately precedes Peace Walker (timeline-wise), Portable Ops, is the RAXA, which had four legs. Hence why this latest mecha might be, in fact, the first true Metal Gear. Then again, it could be revealed that it has zero nuclear capabilities, another important criteria. In that case, it can only be viewed as a Metal Gear successor, which is still significant nonetheless.

As for what it’s called, apparently it’s the Basilisk. At least according to the documentation that accompanies the shot of the Square Enix Play Arts toy, which was also revealed at the same event, from above. Try and see if you can spot the mystery machine:

Last Raven Portable received a new trailer today for its Battle TV service. These are player submitted replays that are then uploaded as videos for the public at large to see. It’s a pretty cool service, as capturing PSP footage to something like YouTube is a bit of a technical faff. The trailer nicely encapsulates the general skill seen across almost all the Battle TV videos thus far and it’s nice to see From Software supporting their large fan community like this too. Last Raven Portable will be receiving a Western digital release via PSN at the beginning of May.

The upcoming Kihei Senki Legacies has received its first trailer. This series, as we previously mentioned, is fueling the semi-frequent zeitgeist in anime that gamers make great mecha pilots (a posit will heartily concur with!). However, this premise does go beyond the narrative background of the series itself. As the entire show appears to animated in 3D CG, in a manner not too dissimilar to the recent OVA Freedom.

This has been going the rounds as of late, as it seems that a live action Gaiking is in production. The teaser trailer shows that, much like Michael Bay’s recent Transformers films, this Gaiking remake is massively over detailing its designs. The reasoning behind this is obviously because some muppet thinks that this makes the mecha look more realistic; the problem is that they picked Gaiking.

Gaiking is a super robot with MASSIVE horns on its head and a giant mouth in its chest. I mean, honestly, it’s hardly a realistic place to start. Yet going to all that realistic detail in the cockpit and all the visual kibble adorning the mecha’s body is utterly missing the point. At least with the recent animated sequel a few years back they managed to at least get the tone right. This just looks very silly, simply because it’s taking itself desperately seriously. Super robots are meant to be preposterous fun, making them realistic just makes it all very dull.

Gaiking was also one of the mecha mecha in the Shogun Warriors toys/comics line. These were basically a means to sell totally disparate Japanese mecha toys from separate series all under one line back in the late 70s and early 80s (a bit like a super robot version of Robotech). The only heartwarming thought about all this is that Go Nagai might get to finally see some Gaiking royalties if this is actually made.

The original Gaiking and its recent sequel have also been featured in numerous Super Robot Wars games over the years. Our personal favourites are Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 and Super Robot Wars K. Both games come highly recommended.

Thanks to Plastic Pals for the heads up.

Made by a nice chap called gevurah22, it features Char Aznable’s iconic red MS-06S Zaku II along with the English version of Char’s theme tune Char ga Kuru (or “Here comes Char”), which does hurt the ears somewhat. All within the cute confines of Little Big Planet no less. It even features some of the Blue Destiny mobile suits. Anyway, the video of it in action is linked below.

The upcoming DS remake of the Super Famicom game (screenshot above), The Lord of Elemental, received its first trailer. It’s clear that this is not just a straight port either, as it’s very obviously been given a graphical facelift to bring it into line with the last few DS SRW games. Famitsu also has some nice coverage of the game as well.

It’s worth also mentioning that the original game was thematically quite similar to Aura Battler Dunbine, with the ethereal Cybuster bearing an uncanny resemblance to Sirbine – an aura battler from one of the Dunbine OVAs. Even the original box art to Lord of the Elemental looked much like one of Yuji Kaida’s model kit box covers. The in-game footage below does look promising though and it’s nice to know another decent SRW game is on the way to the DS, as Gakuen was rather disappointing and Frontier Exceed was just a pointless moegasm.