Tag: Mushihimesama »

Cave has released a number of shooters on the App Store, and virtually all of them have been very well-received. In the interest of preserving that tradition, they've just announced an iOS port of Bug Princess (also known as Mushihimesama). I'm hoping that I have all my facts straight, but bear with me here.

Mushihimesama was a big hit in Japanese arcades when it was released in 2004. Thanks in no small part to its "Manic" and "Ultra" modes, I'm sure. After all that success, Cave released a sequel - Mushihimesama Futari - in 2006, followed by a 2010 spin-off most iOS users should be familiar with at this point: Mushihimesama Bug Panic. Still with me? Good.

So, Cave is getting ready to release the original vertical-scrolling shooter Mushihimesama, now under the name Bug Princess on the App Store for our enjoyment. My head hurts a little now... Anyway, the original arcade title that led to the creation and release of Mushihimesama Bug Panic is headed our way. According to the developer, it's going to be compatible with the iPhone4, 3GS, iPod Touch 3rd Gen and up, the iPad and iPad2, and will require OS 4.2 or higher.

There's no specific release info yet aside from "winter 2011," but there isn't a whole lot of 2011 left so it won't be too long a wait. As for pricing... Well, that's still unannounced, but it's a Cave game so I'd imagine it'll range from $5 to $10 or so. Best get those App Store funds ready.

This morning I got to sit-in on a streaming presentation by Cave World as they announced the particulars of their pending DEATHSMILES update. Options have been added, settings have been tweaked and lots of extra content has been tossed in that should keep the fans quite happy for a while. And they announced another game or something.

The update will include two new special features: First, players can unlock new costumes for Princess Tiara in iPhone Mode (eight plus her default, it looks like) by fulfilling "special conditions" such as clearing Normal Mode. The second addition is a jigsaw puzzle, similar to the one found in Mushihimesama BUG PANIC. Players can unlock pieces as they play and pick up equipment in-game and eventually put the whole thing together. What this accomplishes, aside from looking spiffy, wasn't talked about, but it's yet another carrot to keep players interested so it's hardly a bad thing. As is the "hidden" BGM that can be unlocked by using some "special technique."

In addition, special DLC weapons will be available for purchase. One of the DLC weapons, the "Golden Horn," was shown off and looked to be somewhat of a screen-clearing powerhouse. None of these weapons (ranging in price from $2.99 - $3.99) will be required for achievements or unlocking content, but Cave fans probably won't be able to resist using guns from Dodonpachi Ressurection in their game.

Last on the list of additions is a number of unspecified bug fixes and screen adjustment options. Now players will be able to shift the screen to the left or right in order to keep finger obscuring to a minimum, and the display can be reoriented (FINALLY) to accommodate those of us who hate holding our iPhones the wrong way. Oh come on, it's totally awkward with the Home button on the left. Admit it.

But updates to their newest shooter aren't the only thing they had in store. Cave World producer Masa King, clad in a French maid uniform (seriously), showed off a trailer for their upcoming social sim game: Castle Creator. Castle Creator lets players create their own castle town in feudal Japan, register their location and "skirmish" with other players when their town is big enough. There's no specific date yet, but it is in production and should be out later this year.

Mention of a Mushihimesama BUG PANIC soundtrack CD release (featuring 24 tracks) was also made, but I think the bigger announcement was Espgaluda II HD. It was a last-minute thing, and aside from a very brief demo virtually no information was given, but iPad owners should still be getting plenty excited. It looks gorgeous.

DEATHSMILES owners can look forward to the update sometime within the next day or so.

It's not often that we have four major new games released on the same day, but that's exactly what happened yesterday morning. Thanks to a confluence of events and the alignment of the planets, RAGE, Lord of the Rings Middle Earth Defense, Splaterhouse and Mushihimesama Bug Panic are all available right now for iOS devices. Forget holiday shopping for others, time to buy yourself some gifts!

RAGE is the latest offering from John Carmack and id Software, the folks behind the incredibly popular Doom franchise. The game finds players in a post-apocalyptic game show where they must survive waves of mutants and scrounge up enough money to win their freedom. This should be a nice appetizer for the console version of the game, which is slated to be released in September of next year. By the time that edition arrives you should be well-versed in all the different ways to slay mutants.

Just in case you were wondering, no, the Lord of the Rings franchise will never go away. This latest entry takes on the tower defense genre with an iPad game centered on protecting Middle Earth from Sauron. Players can positions and upgrade heroes to fight the hordes as well as call on allies to thin the enemy ranks. If you've been missing Aragorn and company then here's your chance to jump right back into Tolkien's fantasy realm.

How far would you go to save the woman you loved? Would you put on a cursed mask and enter a mansion full of demons who hunger for your flesh and only exist to cause you pain and suffering? Or would you instead just remember that there are plenty of fish in the sea and she was kind of a nag anyway? If you chose the former then welcome to Splatterhouse, where senseless violence has never been so fulfilling. If you chose the latter then congratulations, you are a sane and reasonable human being.

First off, if you can pronounce the game's name correctly, you win a dollar. Once you've struggled with typing the title into the App Store search (good luck AutoCorrect) you can gain access to a great new update on a classic arcade game. One warning though, you have to have the absolute latest model iPhone, iPod or iPad to play this game, otherwise it simply won't work on your device. Thankfully a warning is posted prominently on the app description so hopefully there will be minimal cases of people downloading the game and then not being able to play it.