Project X Zone 2 director Kensuke Tsukanaka, speaking with Siliconera, explained why Baten Kaitos isn’t represented in the games. Monolith Soft developed Baten Kaitos and its sequel along with the Project X Zone titles.

Tsukanaka was also asked if we’ll ever see Baten Kaitos again, even if it’s outside of Project X Zone.

Here’s what Siliconera was told:

“So, do you remember that KOS-MOS and T-elos, from Xenosaga, were in the first Project X Zone game? We didn’t include them just because Monolith Soft was developing Project X Zone, we put them in there because there were so many fans of their games on the team, and that they happened to make sense for the world of the game.

“The reason there’s not Baten Kaitos characters in the story is because they just didn’t seem to fit in anywhere. As for [Baten Kaitos] itself outside of Project X Zone, well, I can’t really say much about that yet, but I think we need some substantial feedback from fans before moving forward with a project like that. What do they want to see from it? What platform do they want to see it on? If we can gather more voices for Baten Kaitos, then maybe we can start something with Bandai Namco Entertainment. That’s about all I can say right now!”

I honestly never thought I’d be writing about Baten Kaitos in a news post. I have so much love for the first game, though I’m ashamed to say that its sequel is sitting in my never-ending backlog. I’d be a massive supporter of a third Baten Kaitos!

Source, Image source

More: Baten Kaitos, interview, Kensuke Tsukanaka, Project X Zone, top

A short while ago, Amazon announced that it will be the exclusive retailer to be offering the Palutena amiibo in both the U.S. and Canada. A representative for the site has since shared some additional information about what to expect.

The rep stated:

A few things to keep in mind, that we learned before wave 4:

1) We want to avoid resellers as much as possible, so she’ll be limited to 1 per customer.
2) We’re going to let everyone know when she’ll go on sale ahead of time.
3) That time will be during “normal business hours” (No 2:30am releases).
4) We learned from wave 4 that the time “windows” aren’t much different from just announcing a time, so I think that’s what we’ll be doing.

Also, we have a lot more stock than we’ve had of any other amiibo yet. I know we’ll end up selling out, but I think it’ll be closer to the Splatoon 3-pack or Charizard or something rather than Lucina/Robin in terms of how long they’re available (~15 mins after available). If you show up on time, you should be able to get one.

The same rep added, “I know that there’s a lot of concern, but these are not going to disappear instantly like Lucina/Robin. I’m confident that if you show up when they go on sale, you should be able to get one.”

Amazon will be selling the Palutena amiibo on July 24. More specifics are due on July 22.

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Today, Activision announced another set of songs that will be included in Guitar Hero Live. Each one is listed below.

OneRepublic – Counting Stars
Paramore – Now
The Mowgli’s – San Francisco
Cypress Hill ft. Tom Morello – Rise Up
Asking Alexandria – The Final Episode
The Vines – Metal Zone
Wolf Alice – Moaning Lisa Smile
Disturbed – Down With the Sickness
TV On The Radio – Lazerray
Foster the People – Coming of Age

Activision has also confirmed a pre-order bonus for Guitar Hero Live. By pre-ordering the game at GameStop, consumers will receive a free 30 day Pandora One Premium Trial. Those who have already reserved Guitar Hero Live also qualify for this promotion. You can visit a local GameStop at which the pre-order was made and pick up a trial code from a Game Advisor.

Guitar Hero Live launches on Wii U this fall.

Source: Activision PR

More: Activision, FreeStyleGames, GameStop, Guitar Hero Live, pre-order

Update: Palutena is also exclusive in Canada. The official product page can be found here.

In spite of rumors to the contrary, the Palutena amiibo will be a retailer exclusive after all. The figure will only be made available through Amazon next week.

You can see the listing here. It won’t be going live until July 24, however.

More: Amazon, Amiibo, top

There will be only one way to purchase a Dark Pit amiibo in Canada. Best Buy has obtained exclusivity for Dark Pit in the country, meaning no other retailers will be selling the figure.

Best Buy’s Reward Zone Gamers Club Twitter account confirms:

Dark Pit was previously confirmed as a retailer exclusive in the U.S. Palutena also arrives on the same day, and should be available at all stores.

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Nostatic Software is planning some of its first games for Wii U. “Kung Fu FIGHT!”, a game that previous hit a number of platforms, should be coming to the eShop soon.

Here’s an overview of the included features:

Fight the bad guys, save the girl – you know the drill! Relentless old-school action as you run, jump and fight your way through your quest of rescue and revenge.

– Non-stop action!
– Retro-styled, old school gameplay.
– Battle through varied environments against unique enemies.
– Multiple difficulty modes add challenge and replayability.

A brief gameplay video of Kung Fu FIGHT! running on Wii U can be seen below.

Kung Fu FIGHT! is one of two projects Nostatic Software is planning for Wii U. We’ll be hearing about the other title in the near future.

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More: indie, Kung Fu FIGHT!, Nostatic Software

Nintendo developer Retro Studios published a statement about the passing of Satoru Iwata on its Twitter earlier today. This is what was shared by the company:

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Last month, Arc System Works announced the acquisition of the Double Dragon, Super Dodge Ball, River City Ransom, and Kunio-kun franchises. This week’s issue of Famitsu asks president Minoru Kidooka about what’s next for these former Technos IPs.

Kidooka told the magazine:

“Firstly, we’d like to develop 3DS titles like we’ve been doing up until now. Personally, I’d like to see titles such as Kunio-kun and Double Dragon be revived as arcade games again.”

“This is something we’re aiming for the next fiscal year, but I’d like to get the fighting part of Downtown Hot-Blooded March: Let’s Go to the Great Sports Meet and make it into a game, and turn it into something that can be played competitively with four players at the arcades.”

Arc System Works most recently developed Downtown Special: Kunio-kun no Jidaigeki da yo Zenin Shugo. That game launched in Japan on May 28.

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More: Arc System Works, Famitsu, interview, Minoru Kidooka

This week’s European Nintendo Downloads report hasn’t been issued yet, but we’ve slowly been hearing about some of the games heading to the eShop on Thursday. We now know that Circle Entertainment is releasing Samurai Defender, which is set at €2.99. The game previously launched in North America on May 21.

Source: Circle Entertainment PR

More: Circle Entertainment, Europe, Samurai Defender

Nova-111 is launching on the Wii U eShop in September, Funktronic Labs and Curve Digital have announced.

You’ll find an official overview with a breakdown of features below. Additionally, new screenshots can be found in the attached gallery.

The game is the brain child of ex Q-Games developers Eddie Lee and Kalin, whose previous work included the PixelJunk series. Since being originally announced, Nova-111 has been a mainstay in the American expo scene – picking up awards at PAX and SXSW, and being named a finalist at Indiecade 2014.

Nova-111 is a sci-fi themed adventure that lets you utilise both real-time decisions and turn-based strategy to fight enemies and solve puzzles. Pilot your trusty orange vessel through mysterious and foreign planets, navigating mind-warping puzzles and engaging in strategic battles with bizarre astrobiological creatures. It’s all based in a twisted environment where the turn-based world and the real-time world collide – can you fix space-time and rescue the scientists lost in the aftermath of the Universe’s Greatest Science Experiment?

Nova-111 features

· Twisted mix of turn-based and real-time gameplay
· Strategic combat where brains beats brawn
· Mind-warping puzzles…in space!
· Abilities like TIME-STOP to cleverly avoid danger
· Collectible upgrades and modules for your ship
· Dynamic soundtrack suited to your play style
· SCIENCE – who doesn’t like scientific progress?

Source: Curve Digital PR

More: Curve Digital, Funktronic Labs