Tag: Konami - Page 5
Rumour Konami Is Bringing Its WiiWare ReBirth Series To Switch
Castlevania, Contra and Gradius could all be coming to the eShop
WiiWare wasn't exactly inundated with quality games but it had a few solid-gold gems, three of which were part of Konami's ReBirth series. Developed by emulation experts M2, Gradius ReBirth, Castlevania The Adventure ReBirth and Contra ReBirth adopted a classic 16-bit visual style and...
News Castlevania: Dracula X Gets MSU1 Digital Audio Enhancement Treatment
What a horrible night to have digital audio
Alas, poor Castlevania: Dracula X (Vampire's Kiss in Europe). Despite the best Konami efforts to snugly fit all the brilliance of the original PC Engine CD title Castlevania: Rondo of Blood inside a Super Nintendo cartridge it was just not meant to be; the fact it was a step down in the controls...
News Mammoth Super Bomberman R Update Goes Live With New Characters, Pets And A Grand Prix Mode
Impressive post-launch support from Konami
Konami has updated its Switch launch title Super Bomberman R with a massive helping of new content. The update includes: New World 7 Story and bosses Nine New Characters New Unlockable Pets New Playable Multiplayer Maps 3v3 Grand Prix mode New Arena style Maps The shiny new Grand...
News Gradius III Gets the MSU1 Digital Audio Enhancement Treatment
Option!
Shmups! We love them and we are not shy to admit it.The Super Nintendo always fell short to the lush number of shmup offerings present on the PC Engine, Mega Drive and even the NES / Famicom. Yet whisper Axelay in the wind and a wave of awe will overcome everyone. However, today's news is in regard to another classic Konami shmup, the early...
News PES 2018 is Skipping Nintendo Switch, But Konami Will Consider Future Releases
Fans have to make noise, of course
Nintendo Switch owners will be able to play some virtual football this year when FIFA 18 arrives, and it should be an interesting release. EA will have a clean run without competition, however, as Konami has confirmed what was already quite obvious - PES 2018 isn't coming to Nintendo's console. Though that is the...
Video Tinkling The Ivories With Doremikko, The Famicom's First Piano Video Game
Welcome to the Magic Forest
Those of you old enough to have been alive during the NES era may recall seeing adverts for Miracle Piano Teaching System, released in 1990. It aimed to teach kids how to play the piano via the on-screen instructions delivered using the NES itself, but despite its groundbreaking nature, it wasn't the first device of its...
News Famicom Title "Ganbare Goemon Gaiden: Kieta Ōgon Kiseru" Translated to English
1990 JRPG spin-off includes healthy doses of Ebisumaru
Despite very few and far between official Western releases, Konami’s “Ganbare Goemon” series has quite a following outside of Japan, a deserved status considering that despite a few ninja duds it is a strong and solid series that made its way across several generations of Nintendo...
News New Nikkei Report Accuses Konami Of Blacklisting Past Employees
"If you leave the company, you cannot rely on Konami's name to land a job"
Konami has made plenty of headlines over the past few years, but not always for the right reasons. Following the publisher's acrimonious split from Hideo Kojima - who was responsible for some of the company's biggest games - reports hit the Japanese media of Konami's shameful...
News Konami on Super Bomberman R Support and the Possibility of Producing More Games for Switch
Castlevania is being discussed
Admittedly, Konami hasn’t been all too popular with the gaming community in recent times. The company is in charge of multiple treasured franchises, such as Silent Hill, Metal Gear, Castlevania, and Bomberman, but it’s been rather eclectic in its continued support of gaming. When the company decided to release...
News Famicom Version of "Rampart" Translated to English
But your castle is (with)in another castle!
If you fought in the great medieval wars of the 1990s, you might read the headline and wonder what the fuss is all about. After all Atari's "Rampart", a perfect mix of artillery / puzzle game, conquered the arcades and gained quick cult status among gamers; it also had many home conversions, even managing...
News Free DLC is Coming to Super Bomberman R
Stages and characters included
New free downloadable content for Super Bomberman R on Nintendo Switch has been teased by Konami in a live stream with "The Game Theorists". The video for the most part was YouTubers from around the world competing with one another in an international competition within the game; then as the stream neared the end host...
News Kojima-Free Konami Is Doing Just Fine, Thanks Very Much
Profits up a whopping 70 percent
When Hideo Kojima parted company with Konami under a cloud and reports began to appear that the firm didn't have the best track record for staff morale, it seemed as if the veteran publisher was finally planning its escape from the world of AAA video games. However, fast forward to the present and the "new look"...
News Bomberman Is Coming To Arcades As Bombergirl
With anime girls and destructible clothing, obviously
As well as bringing Bomberman to the Switch in the form of Super Bomberman R, Konami - for reasons unknown - is creating an arcade title based on the franchise which uses anime-style girls instead of the titular Bombermen. According to 4gamer, this forthcoming title will be a 4-on-4 coin-op...
News Here's What the "R" in Super Bomberman R Means
The more you know
One of the most pleasant surprises of the Nintendo Switch launch line up was that of Super Bomberman R, which will see the long-awaited return of Hudson Soft's former mascot. Alongside the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the arcade game seems to be a much simpler affair, but it will no doubt make for some...
News Super Bomberman R's Retail Price Has Finally Been Confirmed
Boom, baby
Super Bomberman R is a pretty promising revival of one of gaming's most iconic characters, and we certainly enjoyed what we saw of it at last week's hands-on event. However, there's been some confusion over how much the game will cost when it arrives at retail. In the US, retailers have been pitching it at around $60, while in the UK it...
News Konami Files Fresh Trademark For TurboGrafx In The United States
Could we be getting a TG-16 Classic Mini?
Gamers of a certain age will no doubt have a fondness for the TurboGrafx-16, the console which tried to fight Sega and Nintendo during the '90s and failed. Based on the NEC PC Engine - which launched in Japan in 1987 and challenged the Famicom for dominance in that part of the world - the TG-16 was home to...
News New 3DS Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Title Will Include Super Mario Content
Super Mario Sluggers
Konami has revealed that the next entry in its Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball series will feature Super Mario-themed content. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Heroes - which hits the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on December 15th - will allow players to dress up the famous Power Pro Kun as Mario. As well as being a dead ringer for the...
News Fangs For The Memories Castlevania, You're Now 30 Years Old
Three decades of miserable secrets
Want to feel old? Konami's Castlevania series has now been going for 30 years. The franchise began life on the Japan-only Famicom Disk System as Akumajou Dracula. This title was released in North America as Castlevania in May the next year and was followed by two NES sequels - 1987's Castlevania II: Simon's Quest...
News Tom Dubois Talks About Creating Some Of The Most Iconic Boxart Of The NES And SNES Eras
"There was never any direct influence from Konami of Japan"
We're used to video game art assets being more or less consistent across all regions these days, but back in the 8 and 16-bit eras it was common for games from Japan to receive entirely new box artwork when released in the west. In the majority of cases the replacement covers were woefully...
Book Review The Unofficial Guide To Konami Shooters
A timely reminder that Konami was really good at making games, once
Konami may be retreating from the production of video games these days but not so long ago the company was seen as one of the leading lights in the industry, challenging the likes of Capcom, Sega and Nintendo when it came to creating compelling, must-have experiences. This...
News Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time Gets CD Quality Audio Hack
Cowabunga doesn't even begin to cover it
Prolific hacker DarkShock strikes again, increasing his already impressive list of similar enhancement hacks in the past, this time adding MSU-1 high quality PCM audio support for Konami's stellar SNES title Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time. In place of the already quite impressive SPC music,...
News Shadow Moses Is A Fan-Made Metal Gear Solid For The HD Era
But how long before Konami closes it down?
As we all know, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima has parted ways with Konami, which means that we're unlikely to see another "true" Metal Gear title, despite plans by the publisher to continue the franchise without its founder. If such a realisation leaves you feeling a bit blue, then cast your eyes over...
Review Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Contra-ry to popular opinion...
The Contra series of games includes some of the run-and-gun genre's greatest titles; along with the Metal Slug series you won't find a finer bunch of ridiculously tough, immaculately designed platform action experiences. We've already been blessed with a Wii U Virtual Console port of Konami's 1992 SNES masterpiece...
Review The Adventures of Bayou Billy (Wii U eShop / NES)
Billy's swampland slog
In 2014 Nintendo suddenly realised that it could recreate the experience of a light gun game by using the pointer controls of the Wii Remote. Duck Hunt arrived on the Wii U eShop that Christmas and a few other NES Zapper games have followed since. Now we have Konami's The Adventures of Bayou Billy, although it should be noted...
News You'll Be Able To Dress Up Your Felyne Palico As A Yu-Gi-Oh Dark Magician In Monster Hunter X
Or "Dark Maginyan", to be precise
The latest issue of Weekly Jump reveals that the forthcoming 3DS title Monster Hunter X will allow players to dress up their Felyne Palico as a Dark Magician from the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! series. Known as the "Dark Maginyan", the costume will be obtainable via an event quest. This is likely to be the first of many...
News Konami Already Planning Next Metal Gear Game, Presumably Without Hideo Kojima's Input
"A large-scale investment will become necessary"
The Konami drama continues. After rumours that the veteran publisher is leaving AAA development and the confusion surrounding the employment status of Hideo Kojima - its most famous staffer - Konami has recently confirmed that it is shuttering the LA-based studio responsible for Metal Gear Online,...
News It's Official, Hideo Kojima Has Parted Ways With Konami
Final day was October 9th
It has been confirmed today that Hideo Kojima has left publisher Konami. October 9th was his final day at the company. The news had been anticipated for some time, with rumours circulating that Kojima would leave the firm once work on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was completed. The rumour mill started running when...
News Konami Denies That It Is Walking Away From AAA Game Development
...for the second time this year
We recently reported on rumours that suggested veteran publisher Konami was abandoning AAA console development with the exception of its Pro Evolution Soccer series. The report - published by French site Gameblog but seemingly verified by ot
Rumour New Report Suggests That Konami Has All But Abandoned Console Development
PES and Metal Gear Online are the only titles spared
With the incredible commercial and critical success of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain you'd think that publisher Konami would be feeling pretty pleased about its home console output, but it would appear that earlier reports regarding the company exiting the domestic arena are true...
News Nintendo Is Licensing Hudson Soft IP From Konami
New Momotaro Dentetsu title in development
Earlier this morning, we posted some rather worrying news regarding the current situation at Konami, including claims that staff are being used as cleaners and security guards. If there's one positive to come out of the whole situation it's that Konami is so disinterested in harnessing its catalogue of IP...
News Scathing Nikkei Report Hints At Shameful Treatment Of Staff By Dictatorial Konami Management
"Useless" employees used as cleaners and security guards
All is not well in the world of Konami. Recent rumours have suggested that the Japanese veteran could be planning a move out of the home gaming business, and the company's recent treatment of Hideo Kojima - surely its most famous staffer - has raised eyebrows throughout the industry. However,...
Video Latest Teens React Episode Proves Age Has Done Little To Dull Contra's Insane Difficulty Level
Co-op for experts
We're keen followers of the excellent React YouTube channel, especially the retro videos which show gamers young and old struggling to come to terms with some of the most famous titles in the business. This time up, it's Konami's hard-as-nails run-and-gun shooter Contra (or Probotector if you're in Europe). Contra is considered to...
News Konami Not Turning Its Back On Consoles After All, Says Sorry For Causing Such A Fuss
Japanese company admits "conjecture" has caused "anxiety"
We recently reported on an interview with Konami boss Hideki Hayakawa which stated that the company was putting all of its eggs in the basket marked "mobile". However, these comments were translated from what was little more than a summary of the interview and the full, official transcript -...
News Mobile Is Konami's Future, According To President Hideki Hayakawa
"We will pursue mobile games aggressively"
Konami president Hideki Hayakawa has been speaking to Nikkei Trendy Net about the company's future, giving the strongest indication yet of how the firm's business is changing. Hayakawa states that smart devices represent the core focus of Konami's business moving forward. The success of Konami's current...
News Konami And Square Enix Post Positive Financials, Despite A Lack Of Major Console Releases
A sign of the times?
Japanese publishers Konami and Square Enix have both reported positive financial results for the past year, despite the fact that neither company has released all that many AAA console titles during this period. Konami has reported a 147 percent increase in net profit for the year ending March. Profits reached 9.5bn Yen, which...
Talking Point Is Konami About To Exit The Console Game Business?
Nintendo's old ally could be leaving the industry it helped to grow
Konami has been in the headlines a lot lately. First up were those troublesome rumours regarding the impending departure of Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear series and arguably the Japanese company's most valuable and famous employee. It would appear that Kojima is set to...
News Renegade Kid Twice Pitched Silent Hill DS Projects to Konami
Was quickly and then politely rebuffed
Renegade Kid is best known to most Nintendo fans - we suspect - as an indie download developer, in particular stepping up a notch in popularity with Mutant Mudds on the 3DS eShop. In the DS era, though, the studio released a variety of respected retail efforts, very much part of the mid-tier market subsequently...
News Konami Removes Its Listing from the New York Stock Exchange
Will raise eyebrows, but doesn't mean imminent doom
Some of the Nintendo Life team on the wrong side of 30-years-old recall the days when Konami was a true powerhouse brand in gaming. The Castlevania franchise was hugely popular, Pro Evolution Soccer was the mainstream choice ahead of EA's FIFA - really, that was a thing - and Hideo Kojima could get...
Rumour Metal Gear Creator Hideo Kojima Is Leaving Konami, But The Series Will Go On
Will part company after finishing MGSV
It is being reported that Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima will be parting company with Konami after the launch of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Tongues started wagging after Konami removed the Kojima Productions name from Metal Gear Solid V press material. Kojima's name was also absent from an updated...
Music Here's The Entire Gradius III Soundtrack In NES Style, Just Because
The remix you didn't know you needed
Gradius III was one of Konami's first releases for the SNES and took the popular shooter franchise into the 16-bit realm for the first time. As is the case with many Konami games, it featured an excellent soundtrack by Konami Kukeiha Club, the company's in-house music team. In its pure, untouched form it's a...
Review Axelay (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Restoring some Life Force to the 2D shooter
When you run through the list of prolific Japanese software houses during the 8 and 16-bit eras, Konami's name is usually pretty close to the top. Like rivals Capcom and Namco, it benefited from the incredible global success of the Nintendo's NES and many of its classic franchises gained astonishing...
News Konami Demands That Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: Castlevania Book Be Removed From Sale
"Their qualm is that it's unlicensed, but it doesn't need to be"
At the request of Konami, the review-packed book Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: Castlevania by Kurt Kalata has been removed from sale. The full colour book was only released two months ago on September 13th, and not only includes overviews of nearly every Castlevania title, but also...
Book Review Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: Castlevania
A bloody good read
Castlevania is one of those franchises which will always be inexorably linked with Nintendo. The series became a household name thanks to its well-received NES outings, and in the days of the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS it strengthened this connection with six excellent "Metroidvania" releases. Although its future may well...
Review Life Force (Wii U eShop / NES)
Forcefully fun
Konami's 1985 hit Gradius is one of the most influential scrolling shooters of all time, so it was pretty tough to follow up. Rather than make Gradius II right away, the company decided to create a spin-off; Life Force — originally known in Japan as Salamander — hit arcades in 1986 and the NES two years later. Space shooters were...
Review Cybernator (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Run-n-gun in space
Konami's Cybernator isn't as well-known as run-and-gun titles such as Contra, but this SNES game is a quality offering with plenty of challenge, personality and replay value. The Virtual Console exists to let gamers relive (and experience for the first time) classic games, and Cybernator will be a breath of fresh air for anyone...
Review Pop'n TwinBee: Rainbow Bell Adventures (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Jump'n TwinBee
Although the TwinBee series is mostly remembered as a shoot 'em up franchise, it might come as a surprise that there were actually a few games which took on different genres. Rainbow Bell Adventures — which is coincidentally also the last game released outside Japan — tries its hand at platforming, bringing its own unique little...
Review Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Wii U eShop / NES)
Blood relative
After the success of the original Castlevania title on the NES system, Konami decided to change things up quite a bit for Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. Gone was the straight-ahead platforming action of the original, replaced with a much more rpg-flavored approach that placed more emphasis on item collection and exploration. While...
Review Pop'n TwinBee (Wii U eShop / SNES)
WinBee
It's not particularly well known outside Japan, but for a while TwinBee was one of Konami's main shoot 'em up series. A lot more cutesy than Gradius and the like, its colourful graphics and characters were its biggest appeal. A while back the original TwinBee was remade as a 3D Classic, but now here we have Pop'n Twinbee, one of the few...
Review Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal World Duel Carnival (3DS)
Is the first 3DS entry a Dark Hole or a Monster Reborn?
Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh series has a long and successful history in digital form, perhaps never more so than on Nintendo hardware – a relationship that stretches all the way back from the original monochrome Game Boy right up to Zexal World Duel Carnival, which is both the first 3DS Yu-Gi-Oh...
News Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal World Duel Carnival Is On The Cards For A Euro 3DS Release This June
Play your cards right
Konami has confirmed that it is bringing Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal World Duel Carnival to Europe on June 26th. The first entry in the card-battling series to hit the 3DS, Zexal World Duel Carnival launched in Japan at the end of last year and is based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal anime and manga. This is also the first time that the Zexal...
