On one side of the stand, a brace of Square Enix RPGs (The Last Remnant; Star Ocean 4) is attracting hour-long queues; on the other, games from third-party supporters such as Capcom, Ubisoft, Konami and From Software provide balance and range.
From Software’s recently announced Ninja Blade plays an unusual game based on some very obvious influences – substitute ‘Blade’ for ‘Gaiden’, and note the similarity between From Software’s protagonist and Ryu Hayabusa. But it also features some unexpected quirks, with the symbol-driven Quick Timer Events born in Shenmue appearing here to make even the most extreme of cutscenes basically playable. Ninja Blade has an odd, shimmering graphical style, and this single-level showing leaves us wanting more – even if it is in many ways derivative of famous IP.
On the XBLA front, Japanese arcade-style games are the order of the day. Irem’s R-Type Dimensions is solid but would probably play better with a superior d-pad, and the visual style can be forced into 2D or 3D mode mid-level (for some reason, the 3D option brings a smoother frame-rate). Taito’s Arkanoid is, well, Arkanoid, but Space Invaders Extreme (as DS and PSP owners will appreciate) is something else. And SNK’s previously DS-exclusive Metal Slug 7 begins to make sense on a larger screen, although two-player co-op, sadly missing from the DS release, has yet to be confirmed for this XBLA version.
Xbox 360 may be an unlikely destination for such titles, but a few locally produced 2D shoot ‘em ups are also playable here, including Konami’s Otomedius Gorgeous, a side-scrolling self-parody that is sure to delight fans of the Konami brand of humour first seen in the Parodius series.
Western blockbusters are also playable at Microsoft’s booth – see H.A.W.X., Prince Of Persia, Mirror’s Edge – but, understandably, there appears to be more interest here in the likes of Biohazard 5 (playable at Microsoft’s stand, and with proportionately shorter queues than the myriad demo pods at Capcom’s booth) and Star Ocean 4. Having said that, Far Cry 2, Saints Row 2 and Fable 2, which are playable inside a walled area of the MS stand, are attracting significant interest.
But there’s no question that the focal point of Microsoft’s stand is provided by Square Enix. As Microsoft Japan’s recent advertising campaign has been keen to stress, “RPGs are being reborn on Xbox 360.”