None
D3Publisher announced today that they are currently working on the latest installment in the Astro Boy franchise. Astro Boy: The Video Game will be releasing this fall on Wii, DS, PS2, and PSP. In case you’re wondering why “The Video Game” moniker has been tacked on to the title, it is because this particular edition will coincide with the launch of the CG-animated movie in October. That makes Astro Boy: The Video Game a movie tie-in. Hopefully the franchise’s gaming and anime pedigree will buoy this particular version so that it can cast off the infamous reputation associated with tie-ins. There’s a good chance of that, as the game’s description harkens back to the classic adventure gameplay found in the original titles: “Astro Boy… take[s] to the streets and skies on an epic adventure to save Metro City from the clutches of the evil President Stone and his robot army. Utilizing Astro’s entire arsenal of iconic weapons and abilities—Finger Lasers, Arm Cannon, Butt Machine Guns and Drill Attacks, players will battle hordes of robot enemies and colossal bosses including some never-before-seen enemies across Metro City and the mysterious Surface. Using an intuitive combat system that adds depth to gameplay, players will experience classic platform action and exhilarating flight combat levels as they use Astro’s unique rocket boosters to hover, avoid enemies and zip out of the way of danger.” The complete presser is contained below:
Press Release: CAMBRIDGE – 7th May 2009– D3Publisher, a publisher and developer of interactive entertainment software, today announced that it will bring Imagi Studios’ new CG-animated movie, Astro Boy, to Wii™, Nintendo DS™, PlayStation®2 and the PSP™. Based on the upcoming feature film which itself is inspired by one of the most beloved characters of all time, ASTRO BOY: THE VIDEO GAME will allow players to become Astro Boy, a young boy robot with incredible powers. ASTRO BOY: THE VIDEO GAME will release worldwide this autumn to coincide with the international release of the movie in October 2009 from Summit Entertainment. “We are confident that the ASTRO BOY: THE VIDEO GAME will be a faithful adaption of the movie by successfully blending action gameplay with immersive storytelling,” said Alison Quirion, vice president of marketing, D3Publisher. “Players of all ages will interact with the much-loved characters from the movie and square off against powerful foes from the movie for a rock solid gameplay experience from start to finish.” In ASTRO BOY: THE VIDEO GAME, players become the iconic hero, Astro Boy, and take to the streets and skies on an epic adventure to save Metro City from the clutches of the evil President Stone and his robot army. Utilizing Astro’s entire arsenal of iconic weapons and abilities—Finger Lasers, Arm Cannon, Butt Machine Guns and Drill Attacks, players will battle hordes of robot enemies and colossal bosses including some never-before-seen enemies across Metro City and the mysterious Surface. Using an intuitive combat system that adds depth to gameplay, players will experience classic platform action and exhilarating flight combat levels as they use Astro’s unique rocket boosters to hover, avoid enemies and zip out of the way of danger. ASTRO BOY: THE VIDEO GAME offers numerous unlockable and collectible elements that include exclusive art work, different versions of Astro Boy and more, as players live the story solo or side by side with a friend in 2 player co-op mode on Wii and the PlayStation®2. ASTRO BOY: THE VIDEO GAME for Wii, PlayStation®2 and PSP™ is under development by High Voltage Software and Nintendo DS by Art Co. Ltd. # # # About Astro Boy Imagi Studios is currently in production on Astro Boy, produced by Maryann Garger, directed by David Bowers (Flushed Away), and written by Timothy Harris (Kindergarten Cop, Trading Places) and Bowers. The CG-animated motion picture features the voices of Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Eugene Levy, Matt Lucas, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland and Nicolas Cage as ‘Dr. Tenma.’ Set in the future, Imagi Studio’s Astro Boy is a classic superhero origin story about a young robot with incredible powers and his adventure-filled journey in search of his identity and destiny, taking him into a netherworld of robot gladiators before he returns to save Metro City. The iconic character Astro Boy has found global popularity since his creation in the early 1950s by Japan’s Osamu Tezuka, known as the “god of manga” and “father of anime”, and has been the hero of three acclaimed animated television series aired around the world. Astro Boy, slated for North American release on October 23, 2009, is being distributed worldwide by Summit Entertainment except for Imagi’s reserved territories of Japan, Hong Kong and China. |
