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[Alcibiades]

http://home.businesswire.com/portal...d=news_view&newsId=20041007005186&newsLang=en

Namco Announces Two Exclusive Launch Titles for Nintendo DS

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 2004--

The Ultimate Action Puzzle-Solver Mr. DRILLER(R) and the Beloved Arcade Racing Favorite Ridge Racer(R) to Launch on Nintendo DS(TM) This Holiday Season


Leading video games publisher and developer Namco Hometek Inc. announced today that it is supporting the launch of the Nintendo DS(TM) with two of its cherished franchises, Mr. DRILLER(R) Drill Spirits(TM) and Ridge Racer(R) DS. Taking advantage of the technology the new platform has to offer, both titles will utilize dual screen support and wireless connectivity to the fullest -- providing players with the ultimate Nintendo DS gaming experience.

"The launch of the Nintendo DS marks an exciting time for the video game industry," said Nobuhiro Kasahara, chief executive officer of Namco Hometek Inc. "The Nintendo DS offers a whole new approach to handheld gaming, and Namco is proud to bring two of its popular franchises to a system that will allow gamers to play these games in a truly unique way."

Mr. DRILLER Drill Spirits offers the ultimate in drilling action, where players utilize the stylus and innovative dual-screen interface to avoid falling blocks and scramble for air capsules, in order to rescue their fellow Drillers, or collect power capsules to destroy the menacing Destroyer Drill! Players can play anytime, anywhere with various quick play modes or battle head-to-head with up to four other players through the Nintendo DS wireless capabilities.

From the arcade racing series gamers know and love, Ridge Racer DS delivers a whole new experience to racing fans by offering true analog steering through the Nintendo DS touch screen, up to six-player multiplayer races, a variety of exciting single-player racing modes and much more. Ridge Racer DS offers all the fast-paced action gamers have come to expect from the Ridge Racer name -- now in the palm of their hands on the Nintendo DS.

Mr. DRILLER Drill Spirits and Ridge Racer DS will be available this winter exclusively on the Nintendo DS. For more information, please visit: www.namco.com.

About Namco Hometek Inc.

Namco Hometek Inc. is the U.S. consumer division of Namco Limited, a Tokyo-based world leader in the high-tech entertainment industry. Based in San Jose, CA, Namco Hometek Inc. is an award-winning video games publisher for next generation game consoles. Namco has created some of the industry's greatest video game franchises: Tekken(R), SOULCALIBUR(R), Dead to Rights(R), Pac-Man World(TM), Ridge Racer(R), Time Crisis(R) and ACECOMBAT(TM). For more information about Namco and its products log onto www.namco.com.

TEKKEN(R), SOULCALIBUR(R), PAC-MAN WORLD(TM), Ridge Racer(R), Time Crisis(R) and ACECOMBAT(TM) are trademarks or registered trademarks of Namco Limited in the United States and/or other countries.

Dead to Rights(TM) is a trademark or registered trademark of Namco Hometek Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

Mr.DRILLER(R) Drill Spirits(TM)&(C)1999 2004 NAMCO LTD., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

TM, (R) and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. (C) 2004 Nintendo.

 

[Laurent]

Ridge Racer DS = Ridge Racer 64 port?

 

[Kon Tiki]

From the arcade racing series gamers know and love, Ridge Racer DS delivers a whole new experience to racing fans by offering true analog steering through the Nintendo DS touch screen, up to six-player multiplayer races, a variety of exciting single-player racing modes and much more. Ridge Racer DS offers all the fast-paced action gamers have come to expect from the Ridge Racer name -- now in the palm of their hands on the Nintendo DS.

I am not so sure about that. :/

 

[snapty00]

Ridge Racer DS delivers a whole new experience to racing fans by offering true analog steering through the Nintendo DS touch screen

Eh...sounded good until that part.

 

[cybamerc]

RR64 was Nintendo published. I doubt Namco wants anything to do with it anyway. They're more than able to come up with an RR title on their own. RR sucks though.

 

[ravingloon]

I am not so sure about that. :/

If they had a big steering wheel on the screen and you steered the wheel with your thumbs it could work.

 

[Laurent]

Maybe you need to shift with teh stylus pen?

 

[Kon Tiki]

If they had a big steering wheel on the screen and you steered the wheel with your thumbs it could work.

Gas and Brake? Shift? I only have 2 hands. In order to use the buttons I'd have to steer with my left hand. I donto like it.

 

[Brofist]

Touch screen drifting?

 

[Laurent]

According to IGN (which isn't that reliable, I admit - http://ds.ign.com/objects/704/704841.html), the developer of Ridge Racer DS is NST...

Nintendo Software Technology Corporation or Namco Something Thing?

 

[ravingloon]

Gas and Brake? Shift? I only have 2 hands. In order to use the buttons I'd have to steer with my left hand. I donto like it.

Gas and brake would be the shoulder buttons. Automatic only. I only drive racers with manual gearshifts, but it's a possibility.

 

[puck1337]

I'm sure it must have a regular control scheme.

 

[Kon Tiki]

Gas and brake would be the shoulder buttons. Automatic only. I only drive racers with manual gearshifts, but it's a possibility.

I can not imagine holding a shoulder button and using the stylus. I guess we will have ti wait.

 

[ge-man]

I'd really like to see who the did this. If the steering wheel works, that would seriously rock my world. I can imagine the DS making racers a prime genre of portables finally.

 

[ravingloon]

I am not imagine holding a shoulder button and using the stylus. I guess we will have ti wait.

If you have to use the stylus, it's not possible. I was just imaging using your index fingers for the shoulders buttons and the top of your thumbs to steer the wheel.

 

[neo2046]

pics??
and where is Soul Calibur??

 

[ge-man]

I am not imagine holding a shoulder button and using the stylus. I guess we will have ti wait.

I think it will work in case that ravingloon mentioned (using your thumb to steer). I can see this as a workable concept.

 

[BuddyC]

yay mr driller!

 

[eso76]

but...

Namco Hometek is developing this ? : (

 

[Acosta]

I can not imagine holding a shoulder button and using the stylus. I guess we will have ti wait.

D-Pad: Up gas
D-Pad: Down, brake
D-Pad: left-right, manual handing maybe

Analogic wheel at touch pannel with your right.

This could work just fine (and for people that use his left as main hand, it´s easy to offer the oppsosite, using the bottoms)

I think that would work fine.

 

[alejob]

Gas and Brake? Shift? I only have 2 hands. In order to use the buttons I'd have to steer with my left hand. I donto like it.

Well use your feet, just like in real life.

 

[Mama Smurf]

I don't really know the Ridge Eacer series, but here's a control scheme that could work maybe:

Steering on the touchscreen (turning a wheel or whatever). L (or R if you're left handed) handbrake. Up on the D pad is accelerate, down is brake, left is downshift, right up shift. And of course, for you lefties, the buttons insetad of the D pad.

EDIT: Damn you Ronin!

 

[Miburou]

It almost seems like you can't make a DS game without involving the touchscreen, regardless of how appropriate it may or may not be.

 

[jarrod]

It almost seems like you can't make a DS game without involving the touchscreen, regardless of how appropriate it may or may not be.

Well, Nintendo's left it up to the development community to decide... Puyo Fever doesn't use touch interface in gameplay for example.

 

[ge-man]

It almost seems like you can't make a DS game without involving the touchscreen, regardless of how appropriate it may or may not be.

I'm sure there's no restriction on what can be used, but I'm guessing developers feel a little intimated if they plan on not supporting the touch screen. I hope that isn't too much of a block--I would like to see some 2D arcade ports from Capcom and SNK for instance.

 

[Brofist]

It almost seems like you can't make a DS game without involving the touchscreen, regardless of how appropriate it may or may not be.

Yeah it seems like a strech in this case, for RR at least. Who knows maybe they know something we don't..even though all the speculated user configs in this topic sound like Twister for the hands.

 

[Project Midway]

If they had a big steering wheel on the screen and you steered the wheel with your thumbs it could work.

Sorry for asking a possibly stupid question (dont know much about DS details), but isnt DS screen inductive? you can also use your fingers on touch screen?

 

[duckroll]

If it worked for Bond, it could work for Namco!

 

[TheGreenGiant]

Sorry for asking a possibly stupid question (dont know much about DS details), but isnt DS screen inductive? you can also use your fingers on touch screen?

if you watch the flash movie and saw the goemon game. YES

 

[Mama Smurf]

You could probably fashion some sort of felt thing to stick on your finger if you wanted to use that way of controlling but still protect the screen.

 

[dark10x]

Touch screen racing?!

That's an awful idea...

I would hope they would also allow d-pad racing.

 

[Project Midway]

if you watch the flash movie and saw the goemon game. YES

Ok, thats cool. Most of the touch screens I have used work only with stylus. But I guess its because they have been expensive PDA displays.... no butter fingers on those please. =)

edit: and yes, touch screen racing is a bad idea. I tried one with SE P800 and its not a very good way to control the car you are driving. =)

 

[ypo]

Have fun recentering the car with the touch screen.

 

[GrandPipe]

Eh...sounded good until that part.

pfft, sounds good to me.
personally, i'll be looking forward to it (unless it's deemed to be totally shit somewhere between this very second and release ).

 

[jarrod]

Touch screen racing?!

That's an awful idea...

I would hope they would also allow d-pad racing.

Agreed. The fact that Namco Japan hasn't announced RRDS has me worried this is some nasty Hometek/NST hack job. :/

On the bright side NAMO HOMETEK IS FINALLY RELEASING MR DRILLER AGAIN!!!!!!!

 

[dark10x]

Agreed. The fact that Namco Japan hasn't announced RRDS has me worried this is some nasty Hometek/NST hack job. :/

On the bright side NAMO HOMETEK IS FINALLY RELEASING MR DRILLER AGAIN!!!!!!!

Yeah, the whole "Hometek" thing isn't a good sign...

 

[eso76]

just curious...
The PSP Ridge Racer is being handled by the "real" Namco, isn't it ?
This doesn't sound good for the DS, looks like namco has more faith in sony's handheld..

 

[DarienA]

just curious...
The PSP Ridge Racer is being handled by the "real" Namco, isn't it ?
This doesn't sound good for the DS, looks like namco has more faith in sony's handheld..

How do you come to that conclusion?

 

[dark10x]

How do you come to that conclusion?

Well, whether it's true or not, you can see how he came to that conclusion...

Both of these DS games are from Namco Hometek (US branch). RR PSP is being developed by Namco Japan. Hometek isn't exactly known for the kind of quality that Namco Japan is...

 

[eso76]

How do you come to that conclusion?

am i detecting sarcasm ?

 

[Acosta]

Have fun recentering the car with the touch screen.

There is no need of it, imagine a virtual wheel inside the touch pannel, it recenter itself when you quit the stylus.

I have to remind that DS is not a PDA, it´s a gaming device which software its managed by videogames companies, calibrate the sensibility of the touch pannel for a better experience shouldn´t be so hard for a studio like Namc (and if sega can make that the screen reacts to your breath, I´m sure it offers a great chance of playing with the calibration).

Suppose we have to wait, but I believe that with the touch pannel you can put any interface you want.

 

[akascream]

Ridge Racer DS delivers a whole new experience to racing fans by offering true analog steering through the Nintendo DS touch screen

Awesome.

 

[DarienA]

am i detecting sarcasm ?

Nope.

Well, whether it's true or not, you can see how he came to that conclusion...

Both of these DS games are from Namco Hometek (US branch). RR PSP is being developed by Namco Japan. Hometek isn't exactly known for the kind of quality that Namco Japan is...

How many games did Namco Hometek develop this gen? The only one that jumps out from memory is Dead to Rights.

 

[Brofist]

just curious...
The PSP Ridge Racer is being handled by the "real" Namco, isn't it ?
This doesn't sound good for the DS, looks like namco has more faith in sony's handheld..

Sony always gets the top tier Namco games, I don't imagine the releationship will change in the handheld market.

 

[dark10x]

How many games did Namco Hometek develop release this gen? The only one that jumps out from memory is Dead to Rights.

Just Dead to Rights and Kill.Switch. Both lacked the polish and quality of a typical Namco Japan game...

We'll see, though.

 

[imastalker co.]

where the hell are the pics?

 

[jarrod]

Just Dead to Rights and Kill.Switch. Both lacked the polish and quality of a typical Namco Japan game...

We'll see, though.

kill.switch was developed by POV iirc. Also, Mr Driller DS is being developed in Japan and we're still not sure about RRDS (though I fear NST). Namco Hometek's only developed DTR, DTR2 and the canceled Grant City Anti-Crime so far.

 

[eso76]

Well, namco hometek is a much smaller branch; they take care of cheaper productions for namco.
I believe they published kill switch, dead to rights (what about its pseudo sequel?) and that spawn game.
Titles with much lower productions values than your typical Namco of Japan game.

It's true that sony and namco were always tied, but I would have thought they would behave differently in the handhelds market, where nintendo was always the leader.
To me, this sounds bad on different levels for nintendo DS: A weaker support from namco - regardless of the reasons - and a predictably worse incarnation of one of the company's major franchises as a launch title, which is bound to be put in comparison with the PsP Ridge Racer - obviously a higher value production and a less rushed title.

 

[Chibbi Brady]

I know, what good is announcing something without pics?

Surely we'll get some later today, if it's a lunch title then it's bound to show up in Seattle in some form. Speaking of which, anyone know what time that starts?

 

[jarrod]

Namco DS Vs PSP

Nintendo DS
-Mr Driller: Drill Spirits (Namco CT)
-New RPG (Monolith Soft?)
-Pac'n Roll (Namco CT)
-Pac-Pix (Namco CT)
-Ridge Racer DS (NST?)

PSP
-Namco Museum (Mass Media?)
-New Ridge Racer (Namco CT)
-Shin Mojipittan (Namco CT)
-Taiko no Taijutsin (Namco CT)
-Tales of Eternia (Tales Studio)

...seems pretty even to me, even the same amount of inhouse development so far.