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Ghost Squad advert has PS3 shooter in its sights

by Chris Greenhough { Jan 14th 2008 at 7:00PM }

Ghost Squad, as we've already seen, is not afraid of being different. It's also not afraid of standing up for itself and picking on bigger games, when the need arises; games such as the PlayStation 3's Resistance: Fall of Man. The print advert above, for example, has been seen in various German magazines in recent weeks. And if we were being completely honest, we'd totally buy Resistance: Fall of Mandy.

[Via Go Nintendo]

Best of 2007: Worst attempt at a cash-in

by David Hinkle { Dec 19th 2007 at 6:00PM }

During 2007, lots of companies realized that the Wii was doing good. Perhaps, too good. So, they scrambled to make games that they could port or "enhance" for the Wii, or other games that were made to take advantage of ~~the console's~~ adopters who were new to gaming and thus susceptible to spending money on crap games the unique capabilities of the Wii's controls scheme, causing a slew of cash-ins on the console that didn't necessarily bring anything new to the Wii other than another game sitting on the shelf. So, let's look at those games and you tell us what the most shameless and useless game of the lot is.

Continued →

A suitable substitute for a dolphin-shaped Zapper

by JC Fletcher { Oct 31st 2007 at 2:15PM }

We have lamented the lack of a hilarious themed Zapper to enhance our enjoyment of the ridiculous bonus mode in Ghost Squad, but now it seems that our troubles have come to an end thanks to Pega, whose silly gun shells we've enjoyed in the past. They're still playing easily, and playing happily!

Sure, the gun actually represents a shark shape, but it's close enough to a Wii-white version of the Ghost Squad dolphin squirt gun for our purposes. Isn't it amazing that Pega and other third-rate peripheral companies have graduated to outlandish gun shell designs while Nintendo has yet to release their own Zapper worldwide?

The president has been kidnapped by Ghost Squad's unlockable mode

by Eric Caoili { Oct 31st 2007 at 9:45AM }

We apologize in advance for dropping more Ghost Squad media onto your lap, but this newest video features ninjas, and our love for ninjas is outstripped only by our zeal for zombies ... and Batman.

While this unlockable mode for Sega's rail shooter doesn't have any bikini-clad women or porpoise pistols, it does have plenty of ninjas, ninjas, and more frickin' ninjas. Specifically, ninjas with submachine guns. What sort of stealth assassins need firearms? And what ever happened to Michael Dudikoff? We may never know ...

Point-blank shots of the Ghost Squad Zapper bundle

by JC Fletcher { Oct 29th 2007 at 11:15AM }

We're not linking to Siliconera's coverage of the Japan-exclusive Ghost Squad Zapper bundle because we're jealous-- after all, with Ghost Squad at $30, we're actually getting a better deal on the Zapper and the game. All we're missing is the huge box, and that's no loss.

But what we do care about (in a professional capacity) are the close-up pictures and details of the Zapper. Spencer Yip opened the thing up and provided detailed pictures of its setup. The process, including opening a panel and coiling the Nunchuk cord inside the compartment, seems well-thought-out and well-designed, with the intention of holding everything in place. However, we can spot two obvious problems.

First, the process appears to take a long time. This may dissuade the more casual players from using the Wii, as it renders the whole thing a lot less pick-up-and-play. Second, use of the Zapper, like the Guitar Hero III controller, necessitates removal of the Wii remote jacket that Nintendo seems so intent on having us all use.

There is actually a third problem, and it's the one that weighs most heavily on us: the gun shell is, disappointingly, not dolphin-shaped.

Ghost Squad gets a new bundle-friendly price

by JC Fletcher { Oct 23rd 2007 at 11:15AM }

We're technically calling this a rumor, since prices change all the time on online stores and don't represent the final sale prices. But with Amazon and GameStop both making the same change on the same day, we feel confident that Ghost Squad will actually retail for $29.99 when it comes out on November 20th.

That means that we can now approximate a Ghost Squad Zapper bundle. Buying Ghost Squad and a Zapper now would set you back $50-- the cost of most new games-- and would get you Link's Crossbow Training as a bonus. Or you could just save money and hold your controllers yourself!

We think that releasing the game simultaneously with the Zapper, and at a price that encourages buying it with the 'hardware', is a good move on Sega's part. We hope somebody manages to notice this move a week after Super Mario Galaxy's release.

[Via GoNintendo]

Ghost Squad stands out from the crowd

by JC Fletcher { Oct 10th 2007 at 10:30AM }

Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles may have the power of a big series behind it, and Link's Crossbow Training has that and the whole pack-in thing, but Sega's Ghost Squad has something very important that none of the other Zapper titles can claim: swan-shaped jet skis. We won't know for sure until the games come out, but we feel confident about predicting a lack of swan-shaped jet skis in Crossbow Training and Umbrella Chronicles.

Between these, the dolphin squirt guns, and the be-swimsuited antagonists, Ghost Squad's bonus mode is starting to become very aquatic-themed. It's also becoming very hilariously surreal, and we can't wait to see what else pops up. Oh, Sega. You've already earned our admiration. You had us at dolphin-shaped guns. It's strange, but even more than the Sega fan dream of a NiGHTS sequel, a port is bringing back our long-dormant feelings of Sega fandom.

Sega gives up the Ghost Squad site

by Eric Caoili { Oct 4th 2007 at 8:10PM }

We've already seen dozens of screenshots and videos for Ghost Squad, Sega's arcade on-rails shooter adapted for the Wii, so what else can its newly-released official website offer? Well, uh, not much.

If you've yet to see any media for the game, though, it's all collected at the site for you to preview. Other than that, the only interesting item of note is the target reticule that replaces your mouse pointer, mimicking the in-game crosshair. There aren't any enemies for you to shoot at, but several menu buttons are available for you to aim and click. Pew pew!

Ghost Squad goes on sale this November 20th in the states -- that leaves plenty of time for Sega to fill the site with desktop wallpapers, AIM buddy icons, and other trivial "bonuses."

IGN demonstrates dual wielding in Ghost Squad, sort of

by JC Fletcher { Sep 28th 2007 at 9:50AM }

Yes, Ghost Squad has a dual wielding feature, if you accept 'just playing the two-player game by yourself' as a kind of dual wielding. It looks fun, however it's achieved. It also has a number of other newly-announced features that may be of interest to light-gun game enthusiasts.

For example, you can turn the cursor off. Since the Wiimote is not exactly a light gun and its pointer doesn't always move as quickly as your hand, the game displays a cursor by default. But you can turn it off for point bonuses and a more authentic gun game feeling.

Second, to combat the extreme brevity of the arcade game (as with all arcade gun games), Ghost Squad features a level system that changes the appearance and enemy layout of the levels as you replay them, gradually increasing the difficulty of the game.

Plenty of Sega screens to go around

by JC Fletcher { Sep 14th 2007 at 2:55PM }

Sega is releasing a lot of potentially awesome stuff in the near future (in Japan), including NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, Ghost Squad, and Mysterious Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer 3. They showed these products (and some stuff for other systems or whatever) to some lucky Japanese gamers at a consumer conference, and sent some new screens out to the rest of us poor folks.

We're happy just to stare at some screens, however, as they are all filled with excellence! Except for this one from NiGHTS. The screens from Shiren the Wanderer are old, but still nice-looking. NiGHTS is actually looking good, and Ghost Squad's got ninjas and bikini girls in it.

The only thing that could have made this bounty of screens any more exciting would have been new Mibri & Tebri content. Next time, maybe.

This Squad ain't afraid of no ghost

by JC Fletcher { Sep 12th 2007 at 2:30PM }

Of course, that's of little use when fighting terrorists. This trailer for the Wii version of Ghost Squad shows not only the game in action (revealing the fact that there's a constant on-screen crosshair, which may be annoying to light-gun game fans), but it shows what you may look like playing the game in a Hawaiian shirt. Or at a party! Or not at a party-- poor single-player guy.

For our money, this is the real Zapper killer app, if a controller holder can be said to have a killer app. We'd be perfectly happy with a bundle like Japan is getting, with a Zapper and a real gun game. Of course, you could get a Ghost Squad bundle plus the regular package with Link's Crossbow Training and have (nearly) two games and two guns!

Gallery: Ghost Squad Wii

[Via GoNintendo]

TGS exhibition list light on Wii

by JC Fletcher { Aug 17th 2007 at 1:30PM }

This year's Tokyo Game Show doesn't look like it'll be as Wii-oriented as we would like. CESA, the organization that holds the show, has published a list of games to be exhibited at TGS, only eight of which are waggly. We're fairly sure that publishers wouldn't put previously unannounced games on a list before the show like this, so we assume that they're all holding back the new stuff. This looks like a list of show-floor playable games anyway, which usually doesn't include brand new games.

We're happy despite the relatively small list, because it contains stuff like No More Heroes that we're dying to hear gameplay impressions of. Here are all the Wii games on the list:

Nights: Journey of Dreams
Ghost Squad
Doraemon: Himitsu Doguo Kettei Sen
Simple Wii Vol. 1 THE Everybody's Kart Race
Simple Wii Vol. 2 THE Everybody's Bass Fishing Tournament
Dragon Ball Z Sparking! METEOR
No More Heroes
Project O

[Link goes to a Japanese .PDF file containing the full exhibition list for all systems.]

Ghost Squad screens marked by a distinct lack of panda suit

by Alisha Karabinus { Aug 9th 2007 at 3:50PM }

Ghost Squad is headed from the Arcade to Wiis everywhere, and while we could go either way on the screens in our new gallery, we are intrigued by the four-player co-op possibilities. This is definitely one game, however, that should benefit from Zapper functionality for those who want to recreate the arcade experience. Too bad the Zapper is a little smaller than giant plastic assault rifles, though!

All we can say is: unlockable panda suit, please.

Gallery: Ghost Squad Wii

Ghost Squad gets Zapper bundle in Japan

by JC Fletcher { Aug 2nd 2007 at 1:30PM }

Sega's Ghost Squad will be sold in an optional bundle that includes the Wii Zapper when the game comes out on October 25. If you're interested in Ghost Squad more than whatever Nintendo is bundling with the Zapper, and you can also play Japanese games, there you go.

While it seems quite natural for a shooting game to use the Wii Zapper, we're a little interested in how it will be implemented, since Sega's Yosuke Okunari told IGN that the game only uses the Wii Remote. Why, in that case, would the Wii Zapper be useful? Or did Sega change the control scheme after seeing the Zapper?

[Via Sega Nerds]

Sega haunts the Wii with Ghost Squad

by Eric Caoili { May 10th 2007 at 4:00PM }

Much to our disappointment, Ghost Squad bears no relation to either the Ghost Busters series or the Wu-Tang Clansman, Ghostface Killah. No, it is merely a light-gun arcade game that Sega has decided to port to our fair console.

If you've never had the fortune to come across Ghost Squad's arcade cabinet, it's an on-rails shooter that comes armed with plastic assault rifles for you to aim with. Playing without the modeled weaponry sounds like a downgraded experience, so hopefully there will be optional controller shells for us to equip by the time Sega releases the game this holiday season.

This port will feature Wii-specific game modes, new ways to use the Wii remote as a "multi-purpose tool," and four-player co-op support. We've got a few screenshots that we grabbed from Jeux-France past the post break, but uh ... they're not very flattering. We think we'll stick with Umbrella Chronicles for all our light gun needs for now.