Undead Knights in stores

Tecmo’s hack-n-slash zombie action game Undead Knights is now available in North America and today, with a digital download release via PlayStation Network coming shortly. Undead Knights is the first title from Tecmo to be released on both a UMD and digital download for the PSP Go.

Playing as an anti-hero, gamers rage through a world filled with fearless enemies to build a true army of darkness using Zombies as your foot soldiers. You do this by defeating as many enemies as you can using ten different combo attacks to transform them into your own personal zombie soldiers. The game also supports versus Ad-Hoc Multiplayer and co-op and features a heavy metal soundtrack.

For more information, check out www.undeadknights.com. Undead Knights is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB and carries a suggested retail price of US $39.99.

Tecmo and Koei Agree to Merger Deal

Could Dynasty Warriors: Dead or Alive be looming around the corner? Probably not, but the remote possibility did actually get bumped up a little bit today, as shareholders in both Koei and Tecmo agreed to move forward with a proposed merger deal. It wasn’t a unanimous decision though, as Tecmo’s second largest shareholder, Effissimo Capital Management, opposed to the merger and stated that it may sell off its 18 percent stake in Tecmo as a result.

Barring any unusual surprises, the deal will have Tecmo investors getting 9/10ths of a share in the merged entity for every stock they currently hold, while stockholders on the Koei end will exchange their shares in a straight up one for one trade.

Oddly enough, the marriage between Tecmo and Koei could actually do a lot for both companies. Koei has had a lot of success with its Dynasty Warriors franchise, while Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive series have always been fan favorites. With the potential for crossover alone, adding Ryu, Kasumi, and Ayane to a new Dynasty Warriors game for example, the combined strength could make a hefty impact on the Japanese game market. Plus, thanks to Tecmo’s success in the Western market, it’s possible that the merger could give Koei a bit of wider appeal to the audience outside of Japan.

Finally - Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff Unleashed

The wait is over as the classic Tecmo football game is reborn as a DS exclusive. Tecmo has released Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff for Nintendo DS. Based on the popular cult classic Tecmo Super Bowl , Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff adapts that game’s old-school style and revitalizes it for a newer generation of gamers. The classic, over-the-top, all-American football game enables players of all levels to engage in a fun filled, fast paced, arcade style of football - and it does it without the need for an NFL license. Take that, Madden.

Tecmo Bowl Kickoff lets players customize their team with team colors, emblems, player names, team cities and abilities; offers Wi-Fi and Wireless multiplayer a choice of 32 different teams, tactical use of the abilities, stylus control, a customizable playbook to fool around with, and a unique soundtrack to crack skulls to.

Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff is rated “E” by the ESRB and carries a suggested retail price of US $29.99.

Tecmo’s Holiday Line-Up

Tecmo this week revealed its holiday lineup as we inch closer and closer to the most lucrative shopping season of the year. with that in mind, Tecmo wants to get the word out on what it will have on store shelves when the Christmas shopping season begins in late November.

On October 28 the company will release Robocalypse, a real-time strategy game for the DS featuring robot armies equipped with unique weaponry and a twisted sense of humor. SPRay will also be released on October 28 for the Wii, giving gamers an action-platformer game experience packed with puzzle elements and a unique gameplay element that requires you to spray your way out of trouble.

The return of Tecmo Bowl will be realized with the release of Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff for the DS in November, while Rygar makes his return to the world of videogames in December on the Wii with Rygar: The Battle of Argus.

Look for all these games later this year before Santa trespasses on your private property. I warned you old man, stay out of my house or there will be blood..

Ninja Gaiden II Moves One Million Units

Microsoft says that TECMO/Team NINJA’s Ninja Gaiden II for the Xbox 360 has sold over one million units worldwide. Not too shabby. One million fans have made the jump to the 360 to join Ryu Hayabusa in his epic quest to avenge his clan and prevent the destruction of the human race. In just a little over two months since its release in June 2008, Ninja Gaiden II has sold over one million copies worldwide on Xbox 360 and currently enjoys an average critics’ rating of 81 out of 100, according to Metacritic. Yeah, the whole Metacritic thing is real important. Right. Yeah.

Ninja Gaiden II is rated “M” for Metacritic’s approval. Check out the review that didn’t make it into metacritic - ours!

More Ninja Gaiden II Missions Today

If you’ve bought Ninja Gaiden II for Xbox 360 and have already breezed through its original missions then you may be happy to hear that 25 new missions are on the way today. Woo Hoo! These new missions will be divided into two sets of missions: Karma and Survival. Survival missions are fast paced affairs where you must survive an ever-increasing onslaught of bad guys using only one weapon. Karma missions challenge players to get highest score possible.

All of these can be yours for 800 MS Points beginning today on Xbox Live Marketplace. Enjoy.

Fishing Master World Tour - Fake Fisherman’s Delight

Hudson Entertainment is bringing Fishing Master World Tour to the Wii in Winter 2009, the company announced this week at E3. If you are going to do a fishing game, the Wii is probably the best platform to do it on, no? The game will be published by Konami in North America.
Sequel to Fishing Master, this new Hudson game comes with over 200 different types of
fish to catch and enables players to catch fish in their native waters around the world in forty different locations inside seven different regions.

Players use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to battle fish; pull the Wii Remote left and right as the fish fights you from the end of the line and adjust your drag to avoid breaking your line.

Other promises? Four person multiplayer modes, boss battles (catch rare fish with unique boss battle
controls), a Trolling mode (offshore boat fishing), Wi-Fi Laddering (lets players compete online against others), new local multiplayer battle modes and more. Of course, you could just go outside and catch a real fish, but that would probably be too easy. just saying.