Konami News Articles
Thursday12th Nov 2020
News Konami's Gradius II Blasts Its Way Onto The Switch eShop This Week
A classic returns
The year might be slowing down, but Hamster's weekly Arcade Archives releases are still going strong. Today sees the arrival of Konami's 1988 shooter, Gradius II. This includes three Japanese versions and two overseas versions (also known as Vulcan Venture). Here's a little bit of backstory, straight from the PR: "Players will...
Sunday18th Oct 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl #64 - International Superstar Soccer 98
Fresh blood is coming in... again
Welcome back to Box Art Brawl, the series where we throw two or more regional box art variants into a ring and watch them kick seven shades out of each other in a fight for your vote. Last time we watched Advance Wars: Dual Strike give itself fifteen birthday bumps in a two-way bout between East and West. It...
Friday9th Oct 2020
News The Man Behind Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Is Working On A Follow-Up, But There's A Catch
"The market has hit a point where these kinds of games actually make sense"
Sam Barlow's stock has risen sharply in recent years thanks to the award-winning FMV titles Her Story and Telling Lies, but back in 2009, he was employed at Climax UK as the lead writer and designer on Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, a horror title which has since gone down...
Wednesday2nd Sep 2020
News Arcade Archives Contra Runs And Guns Its Way Onto Switch Tomorrow
Bill and Lance are back!
If you are still recovering from the dumpster fire that was Contra: Rogue Corps, then it might be time to go back to basics and enjoy Bill and Lance's first arcade outing in Arcade Archives Contra. Konami's arcade classic is coming to Switch tomorrow, thanks to good old retro publisher HAMSTER. Here's an overview of the...
Thursday20th Aug 2020
News Hamster's Arcade Archives Brings A Konami "Masterpiece" To Switch This Week
Get ready to shoot 'em up
The shoot 'em up library on the Nintendo Switch continues to expand - with Hamster Corporation this week adding Konami's 1990 "masterpiece" Lightning Fighters (known as Trigon in Japan) to the Arcade Archives library on the eShop. Here's a bit about it from the official press release, along with some screenshots: "SUPER...
Thursday13th Aug 2020
News FIFA Rival Pro Evolution Soccer Won't Be Making The Switch This Year
So much for "getting closer"
Last month, Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer brand manager for Latin America said the long-running football series was "getting closer" to a possible release on the Nintendo Switch. As promising as it sounded at the time, it seems there's nothing planned for this year. PES European brand manager, Lennart Bobzien, confirmed...
Thursday23rd Jul 2020
News PES On Nintendo Switch Is "Getting Closer", Says Series Brand Manager
Also wants to bring ISS to Nintendo Switch Online
Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer might not be the force it once was, but the series still has its long-time fans, and those same fans would no doubt appreciate being able to play the game on Switch. While that might seem like a pipe dream for some, Robbye Ron, PES brand manager for Latin America, has...
Thursday9th Jul 2020
News Konami's Seminal Shooter Gradius Blasts Off On Switch Today
Shoot the core!
Alongside the likes of Space Invaders and R-Type, Konami's Gradius is considered to be one of the most influential shmups of all time. Released in arcades in 1985, it introduced the world to the notion of the 'weapon bar', a feature which allowed players to tactically upgrade their Vic Viper ship. Gradius has since inspired multiple...
Wednesday1st Jul 2020
News 16-Year-Old Student Arrested For Allegedly Threatening To "Blow Up Konami’s Headquarters"
Individual was upset by connectivity problems with Konami's PES mobile game
A 16-year-old student has been arrested in Japan for allegedly threatening to blow up Konami's Tokyo headquarters. According to Yomiuri, the suspect made the threats between June 16th and June 18th on the review section of an online app store. Another Japanese outlet,
Wednesday10th Jun 2020
News Konami's Cowboy Classic Sunset Riders Is Galloping To Switch This Week
Update: We've got a release date!
Update: We now have a solid release date, for Japan at least: June 11th. That's tomorrow, you guys! Bury with me my money, indeed. Original Story [Thu 19th Mar, 2020 12:15 GMT]: Fans of six-shooters and saddlebags will be pleased to learn that Konami's seminal arcade shooter Sunset Riders is heading to the...
Thursday4th Jun 2020
News Konami Looking To Fund And Publish More Games Like Skelattack In The West
It's part of a long-term initiative
Earlier this week, Konami surprised many people when it published a brand-new game on the Nintendo Switch and other platforms called Skelattack. If you're still wondering how this came about, it's all part of the Japanese company's new strategy to strengthen its position within the western market. Senior...
Wednesday27th May 2020
Run for your life
Dead by Daylight fans are in for a treat on 16th June - with Behaviour Interactive announcing it has teamed up with Konami's horror series, Silent Hill. This next paid DLC will add Cheryl (Heather) Mason as a survivor and Pyramid Head as a killer. There'll also be a new map for all players (based on Midwich Elementary School), a...
Sunday24th May 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl #44 - Super C / Probotector II
Return of the evil forces
Welcome all to Box Art Brawl, the weekly series where we scrutinise regional box art variants from around the globe and vote on the best. Last week we examined the European, North American and Japanese covers of Super Turrican. At the time of writing, the easy winner is Japan with 66% of the vote. However, both Europe and...
Wednesday20th May 2020
News There's A Whole Host Of Castlevania Soundtracks On Spotify Now
Listen to them - children of the night. What music they make!
Konami's Castlevania series isn't just famous for its tight gameplay, sprawling fortresses and inventive boss battles – it's also a series with some of the best music in the history of video games, and while Konami doesn't seem to have plans for any new entries right now (that's a...
Friday10th Apr 2020
News Take To The Skies In Hamster's Latest Arcade Archives Release MX5000
A Konami shmup
Hamster has added another Arcade Archives game to the Switch eShop. This time around, it's Konami's 1987 shoot 'em up, MX5000 (otherwise known as FLAK ATTACK). Like previous releases, this one will set you back $7.99 / £6.29 and supports up to two players. You'll take control of "the latest fighter aircraft" of the Roufanis...
Thursday19th Mar 2020
News PC Engine Mini Production And Shipment Delayed Indefinitely By Coronavirus
Update: Japanese version now available to order
Update [Wed 18th Mar, 2020]: Well, that was unexpected. The adorable Japanese white PC Engine Mini is now available to order from Play Asia. We're not sure how much stock the online retailer has, so you'd better act fast! <products id="10326"> Update [Fri 6th Mar, 2020 12:05 GMT]: Konami has...
Tuesday17th Mar 2020
Rumour Sony Could Be Raiding Konami For Castlevania, Metal Gear And Silent Hill IP
Smash and grab
Konami and Nintendo go back a long way. It's highly debatable whether the former would have enjoyed the success it has had over the years without the NES, as titles such as Castlevania, Gradius and Contra all found a receptive audience on the system. Likewise, you could argue that the NES (not to mention the SNES and Game Boy)...
Sunday8th Mar 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl #33 - Castlevania (Nintendo 64)
Got its Reinhardt in the right place
Welcome back to Box Art Brawl, the weekly contest where retro video game box art variants duke it out for your approval. Last week we broke the 'rules' and featured a non-Nintendo platform example in the spiky blue form of Sonic the Hedgehog for the SEGA Mega Drive / Genesis. The hedgehog's first game cover is...
Wednesday4th Mar 2020
News Please Konami, Stop Trolling Us And Release Castlevania: SotN On Switch Already
iOS and Android are getting it, so where's the Switch version?
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is unquestionably one of the best games of the '90s, and arguably one of the most influential titles of the past few decades. Along with Super Metroid, it sired the Metroidvania genre which continues to see new additions up to this very day. It also...
Saturday15th Feb 2020
News Netflix Raises Hell With Castlevania's Season 3 Trailer
"Evil never stays buried"
After a false call by Netflix Nordic last November, earlier this week the third season of the animated adaptation of Castlevania was officially dated. It's arriving next month, on 5th March, and will reportedly be comprised of a total of 10 episodes. If the release date alone wasn't enough, Netflix has now shared its first...
Sunday9th Feb 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl #29 - International Superstar Soccer 64
Fresh blood is coming in
Welcome back to Box Art Brawl, the series where we throw a rosette and a bunch of regional box art variants into a pit and see which one emerges victorious with the bloodied prize pinned to its chest. Last week we watched as Mario Bros. battled for your amusement and pleasure. In a shocking turn of events, the sneaky...
Wednesday5th Feb 2020
News Netflix's Blood-Sucking Animated Series Castlevania Returns For A Third Season On 5th March
Trevor Belmont is back
The release date for the third season of Netflix's Castlevania animated series has finally been revealed. After a false call by Netflix Nordic in November – claiming it would be out by 1st December 2019, the new season will officially go live on the digital streaming service next month, on 5th March. Here's what you can...
Tuesday21st Jan 2020
News Here's Your First Look At The Third Season Of Castlevania On Netflix
But there's still no release date
One surprisingly good animated series released by Netflix in recent years is Castlevania. It's based on the video game series of the same name and stars the one and only Trevor Belmont who must save the world from Dracula's army of demons. The show was developed by Adi Shankar and a third season was previously...
Sunday19th Jan 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl #26 - Castlevania: Dracula X
Whip it good
Welcome back for another edition of Box Art Brawl, the weekly vote to see who triumphs over the first and second losers in a box art beauty pageant. Three regional versions of the same game cover battle it out to see who is the sharpest looker. Last week we had a returning series in the form of Resident Evil 2. We looked at the N64...
Friday17th Jan 2020
News Konami Is Developing A Switch-Exclusive Monster-Battling Strategy Game
Update: And here's what it looks like in action
Update: The demo for Soloman Program is available in Japan, so footage has started appearing online: Original Story [Mon 13th Jan, 2020 14:30 GMT]: Konami was once the toast of the video gaming world thanks to franchises like Gradius, Contra, Metal Gear, Castlevania and Ganbare Goemon, but in...
Thursday16th Jan 2020
News Another One Of Konami's TwinBee Games Joins The Arcade Archives Series
This shmup has all the bells and whistles
Towards the end of last year, Hamster added Konami's vertical side-scrolling shoot 'em up TwinBee to its Arcade Archives collection on the Nintendo Switch. Now, to follow this up, it has decided to release Bells & Whistles. Although the two titles sound like they have nothing in common, Bells & Whistles is...
Monday30th Dec 2019
Allowing players to fend off vampires
The Game Boy Advance generation was a magnificent time for Nintendo in terms of first and third-party software releases. One of the quirkier and perhaps more innovative games released on the system during this period was Boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hand. It was developed and published by Konami and produced by...
Thursday5th Dec 2019
News TwinBee Is Hamster's Latest Arcade Archives Release
Konami's classic shmup returns
The year might be winding down, but the emulation experts at Hamster sure aren't. To kick off the month of December, the talented team has now released Konami's vertical side-scrolling shoot 'em up TwinBee. This latest entry in the extensive Arcade Archives series was first released in 1985 as a coin-op video game...
Tuesday3rd Dec 2019
News Contra: Rogue Corps Returns To The Original Game With Its Latest DLC
Weapon cool-down time is reduced, too
You might have forgotten it even existed by now, but Contra: Rogue Corps has just been updated with new content. Access to Hardcore Missions – super-tough stages intended for skilled players – is now available, and Konami has also thrown in a pair of new Carnage League stages, as well as other content...
Saturday30th Nov 2019
Poll Box Art Brawl #19 - Contra III: The Alien Wars
You mean Super Probotector: Alien Rebels, no?
And we're back for another edition of Box Art Brawl, our series of bloody bouts between video game box covers from video game territories across the globe. Konami up to its old tricks. Last week North America was deemed to have the best Donkey Kong 64 cover, winning the day with its brazen boldness...
