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Monthly Release Preview: June
Another month passes by, and the month of June begins with the promise of some
exciting Game Boy Advance titles including Advance Wars 2 and Donkey Kong Country.
Those lucky Japanese gamers will also be able to get their hands on the Mother
1+2 remake towards the latter part of the month. In addition to the games listed
below, numerous other titles are set to make their debut, but we have so little
information that we'll just make a brief mention of them. These games include
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Return of the Dark King, a remake of Rock N Roll Racing
from Blizzard, and THQ's The Simpsons: Road Rage. With so little official talk
of these games it's likely that they will be delayed again, but we thought they
were worth mentioning anyway.
One To Watch:
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Advance
Wars 2: Black Hole Rising
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Release: 23rd June
Game
Profile
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Advance Wars was and still is one of the most popular
and highly regarded games to be released on the GBA so far, yet
before it actually hit store shelves there were some uncertainties
that it would actually get released due to then recent terrorist
activities. Fortunately, the game was released and became a huge
success. It is no surprise that Nintendo have decided to follow
on with a sequel, subtitled Black Hole Rising. New units, COs and
CO Powers will be included, along with an improved Map Editor and
single-pak and multi-pak multiplayer modes. Advance Wars 2 is more
evolutionary than revolutionary, but it's sure to be this month's
favourite release following on from the success of the first title.
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Other Noteworthy Releases:
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Ultimate
Muscle: The Path of the Superhero
Publisher: Bandai
Developer: Banpresto
Release: 3rd June
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Profile
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Bandai’s first game made exclusively for the GBA
is just about here, and it’s sure an odd one. It’s a wrestling
game based on the anime series of the same name, and things are
strange in both. The game features over 20 different combatants,
all of which are anything but normal looking humans. The battle
system is timing based so there will be more to it than just mashing
buttons constantly. There are all kinds of special moves to perform
too, and of course these are outrageous and unrealistic. Wrestling
fans may find what they want here but others probably won’t be
interested in either the wrestling or the bizarre license.
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Wing Commander:
Prophecy
Publisher: Destination
Software
Developer: Raylight Studios
Release: 4th June
Full
Preview
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Wing Commander: Prophecy is the first game that
Raylight Studio's have developed using their Blue Roses 3D technology.
Raylight claim that the game will stay as true to the PC original
as possible, with the most notable difference being the removal
of the FMV, which has been replaced with stills due to the storage
constraints of GBA cartridges. Wing Commander: Prophecy is a very
ambitious project, and something that we won't be able to judge
without playing. On the positive side the game will also feature
multi-pak multiplayer support, so fans of the original will have
more than enough to look forward to.
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Donkey
Kong Country
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Rare
Release: 9th June
Full
Preview
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Rare's Donkey Kong Country trilogy is a firm favourite
amongst many that enjoyed the 16-bit gaming generation. Already
released on the Game Boy Color a couple of years ago, Nintendo
will be releasing the first game in that series for the third
time in just under a week's time. The GBC version wasn't perfect,
suffering from some ropey collision detection and toned down graphics.
This time around it looks like both the gameplay and the graphics
are much closer to the original, and Nintendo has also included
a couple of entertaining minigames to give a little bonus to those
who have previously played through either two of the previous
versions of this game.
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Space Channel
5: Ulala's Cosmic Attack
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Art Co.
Release: 17th June
Full
Preview
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Sega's popular alien-shooting dance game comes in
miniaturized form tothe Game Boy Advance. The aim of the game is
to watch and then perform increasingly difficult dance steps in
time with the music. Successfully repeating the moves enables Ulala,
the orange-haired female star, to shoot aliens with her space-age
gun. Graphically the game looks impressive, but it will be down
to the use of music and how well the game plays that will decide
the GBA version's fate.
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Drome Racers
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Lego
Release: 17th June
Game
Profile
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THQ continues its Lego lineup with a new racing game
featuring digital versions of the toy line. The game has an arcade
mode for those people who just want to race while a career mode
will be available with a storyline and the chance to earn credits
that can be put towards upgrading your car’s engine, tires and handling.
It’ll also have four player multiplayer capabilities and a ton of
different cars to choose from. The game may not be the most visually
impressive title, but the actual racing may turn out good enough
to satisfy a craving for racing.
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Pirates
of the Caribbean
Publisher: TDK Mediactive
Developer: Pocket Studios
Release: 19th June
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Profile
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With the huge Jerry Bruckheimer produced movie on
the way, it should come to no surprise that there’s also a video
game. Pocket Studios is behind this one, and they’ve turned the
movie into an isometric action adventure. As actor Orlando Bloom’s
character you’ll be tasked with swordplay, gunplay and even manning
the cannons. When fighting with swords a nifty lock-on system has
been implemented to make fighting more fluid, just as in many modern
3D games. On the roaring seas you’ll be maneuvering your pirate
ship and timing the firing of cannons just right in order to land
direct hits on enemy ships. The game appears to be a solid game
for people of all ages, so it might be the game for you.
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Jet Grind
Radio
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Release: 24th June
Full
Preview
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Jet Grind Radio is another Sega Dreamcast hit that
THQ will be bringing to the GBA this month. Vicarious Visions, the
same people that developed the handheld versions of the popular
Tony Hawks Pro Skater series developed the game, so we can expect
similar gameplay mechanics. Those who have played any of the console
iterations of Jet Grind Radio will know that the game is all about
graffiti; players skate around various locations 'tagging' areas
with their art whilst avoiding the police who are intent on catching
you. Gameplay is spread over five different modes that focus on
different aspects of gameplay such as tagging, turf control and
the execution of tricks and grinds. Fans of the series should expect
a pretty solid game considering it is coming from an experienced
team like Vicarious Visions.
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Megaman
Battle Network 3
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release: 24th June
Game
Profile
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The third Battle Network game is coming but in true
Mega Man tradition, not much has changed. For those fans that loved
the RPG elements and the unique battle mode of the previous two,
this will likely be another dash of fun. Battle chips can now be
mixed and matched and finding the right combinations will provide
Mega Man new and unique abilities. This game also comes in two different
versions, Blue and White, and each will have certain unique enemies
and battle chips, the latter of which can be traded to the other
version with the aid of a link cable. It’s largely the same experience
but the previous ones were good fun so this should be a game to
look for.
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Dragon
Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Webfoot Technologies
Release: 24th June
Full
Preview
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The continuation of the Legacy of Goku series is
set to follow the Trunks, Android and Cell sagas for all of you
fans. The game gives players the chance to play as five different
characters (Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Trunks, Vegeta) and to explore
hundreds of areas. The game also features an improved battle system
with more responsive controls, diagonal movement, more attacks and
a new Super Saiyan mode. There’s also a new 3D map mode that lets
players travel from location to location. All in all, if you’re
a fan of the series this should be an improved experience over the
last game so it might be just what you’re looking for.
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Stuntman
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Valex & Dubail
Release: 24th June
Game
Profile
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This month seems to be the time for publishers to
release GBA conversions of big console hits. Stuntman is the another
title to get this treatment. Developed by Valex & Dubail, the same
team that developed the technically impressive V-Rally 3, Stuntman's
gameplay is heavily focused on the execution of stunts and tricks
that are being filmed for a total of six blockbuster movies. The
game is powered by an upgraded version of the V-Rally 3 engine,
and as can be seen from the screens it is visually impressive, but
will it suffer from the same average gameplay that let V-Rally 3
down? Gameplay will be split across two main modes; Career and Arena,
and Atari promise the game will feature 10 unique vehicles and more
than 20 different stunts.
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Import Watch:
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Gadget
Racers
Publisher: Zoo Digital
Developer: Takara
Release: 13th June (Europe Only)
Full
Preview
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Not the Gadget Racers that was released in America
over a year ago, but a English translation of the sequel to that
game, known as Choro-Q Advance 2 in Japan. Gadget Racers is currently
only scheduled for a European release through Zoo Digital, and is
expected to play similarly to its prequel, offering a great selection
of cars and interchangeable vehicle parts. The game features a similar
mode-7 styled design and will allow players to race across land,
water and through the air. The original Gadget Racers wasn't perfect
by any means, but despite some ropey collision detection it was
rather playable with vehicle physics that reacted to various track
surfaces and vehicle upgrades. If Takara have fixed the collision
problems, then Gadget Racers could be one of those few games that
European gamers can sit smugly with the knowledge that they have
got something that American region hasn't.
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Mother 1+2
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release: 20th June (Japan Only)
Game
Profile
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There’s currently no English release scheduled for
this compilation, so hardcore fans may be interested in this one.
The game includes, as the name suggests, the original Mother game
for the NES and then Mother 2 which appeared on the SNES, and was
also released in English under the name Earthbound. The series is
known for it’s bizarre humor and being a parody of sorts to older
classic RPGs. Generally the games involve the main character, Ness,
receiving psychic powers and being forced into saving the world
from imminent disaster and during the quest he’ll meet all kinds
of weird friends, wacky enemies and hilarious situations. Being
an RPG and having a lot of text this isn’t exactly an import-friendly
game, but it’s a notable possibility especially considering no news
of an English release at least month’s E3.
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* Note: All release dates were correct at the time of writing, but as always,
release dates for any games listed in this article are likely to change.
- John & Dan
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