Konami has released details of key titles to be shown at this year's Tokyo Game Show, including the publisher's first Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games.
Konami will have a massive presence at TGS, with the first public showing of Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid 4 (Working Title) certain to be one of the key draws. Directed by series creator, Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid 4 shows off the capabilities of PlayStation 3 as its incredible aesthetic detail and ground-breaking gameplay drops Solid Snake into a battlefield environment. Kojima says the new game will "pave the way towards a revolutionary change that will lead us away from past concepts based on 'realism' as we move towards the 'natural." The game will be shown via a nine-minute video presentation, with Kojima on hand to answer questions.
Konami will also be showing extensive footage of Rumble Roses XX (Working Title), its first title for Microsoft's new Xbox 360 system. Rumble Roses XX stars over 20 female wrestlers and boasts an amazing array of throws, pin-downs and counters, with additional moves individual to each fighter. The girls also bring distinct personalities into the ring, and have special combination attacks and taunts for the player to master. Four-player tag team competitions, online competitions and a number of solo modes will ensure the Rumble Roses will enjoy the adulation of a new wave of 360-owning fans.
Other new PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 titles on show include a Baseball game bound to be popular in both Japan and the U.S. but maybe not so in Europe. Konami will also be using the show to showcase key titles for existing formats, with Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence available to play at the show, with Konami hosting an area where the online modes can be sampled. Suikoden Tactics and Suikoden V, the latest in the phenomenally popular role-playing series, will also debut as will Ys: The Arc of Napishtim, a conversion of the popular PlayStation 2 adventure for PSP.
Previously announced Konami releases will also feature prominently, and visitors to TGS 2005 will be able to play Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, the latest 3D action title in the long-running series; Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, the first Castlevania game for Nintendo DS; and Metal Gear Acid 2 - the sequel to the hugely popular card-based action title for PSP and starring Metal Gear legend, Solid Snake.
Konami unveiled further information on three new Kojima Production titles being displayed at the Tokyo Game Show for the first time.
A new Konami development force, Kojima Productions is named after and headed up by Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear Solid and Boktai series. The team is using the September 16th-18th event to show the first footage of the already eagerly awaited Metal Gear Solid 4 (Working Title) for PlayStation 3, and new additions to the forthcoming Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence for PlayStation 2 and Metal Gear Acid 2 for Sony's PSP.
Metal Gear Solid 4:
Following Kojima's comments that the fourth Metal Gear would be set after the events of Sons of Liberty, he is using TGS to show a nine-minute trailer featuring the first actual game footage from the PlayStation 3 title. Metal Gear Solid 4 sees Kojima Productions taking on the task of 'creating inner qualities.'
The inner aspect is unseen and establishes the presence only through time and the volition of the player, explains Kojima. This will pave the way forward to a revolutionary change that will lead us away from past concepts based on 'realism' as we move towards the 'natural'.
For the new game, series hero Solid Snake moves into a battlefield scenario, which will bring many new challenges in the harshest of infiltration missions. The drama and chaos of the battlefield, as well as questions of who to trust in war, will set the scene for a new era in the Metal Gear Solid series.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence:
With its new roaming camera system, online play and a wealth of additional extras, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence is a Metal Gear fan's dream come true. The new game is available to play for the first time, with the Konami stand showcasing the online elements with a series of networked tournaments.
The new online mode marks the first time the series' stealth gameplay has been available to network users. Players can choose one of several well-known characters to control in Death Matches, Versus modes and 'Capture the Flag' scenarios, which are played out in stages lifted from Metal Gear Solid 3. The Graniny Gorki Lab, Svyatogrnyj East location and Krasnogorje Mountain feature alongside all-new locations, as player use their stealth skills against like-minded online adversaries.
Kojima Productions is also using TGS to showcase Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence's additional game modes. The 'Snake Versus Monkey' mini-game returns in an expanded form, while identical conversions of the MSX versions of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake are included.
Metal Gear Acid 2
Following the phenomenal success of Metal Gear Acid as a PSP launch title, Kojima Productions is delighted to show the many additions to its sequel.
Leading the line are new characters Venus, Vince and Chaigidiel. Venus is a new heroine who works alongside Snake in the game, while Vince and Chaigidiel are on their trail. Vince is a security guard for Strate-Logic, the company Snake is charged with infiltrating, while Chaigidiel is a new boss creature, capable of walking on ceilings and vertical surfaces.
Metal Gear Ac!d 2 also benefits from a brighter new colour scheme and 3D play area, while Kojima Productions is also showing off the new 'Arena' mode that allows for link battles and specific challenges. Also on show will be a unique add-on - the provisionally-named SOL!D EYE TOBIAC!D - which clicks on to the front of the Sony handheld and adds a 3D perspective to the action. Several units are playable on the Konami stand, and it is planned to launch the add-on with the game when it is released.
