In the latest issue of Famitsu, it’s been announced that the upcoming Armored Core V will not only be released (in Japan) sometime in October, at a price point of 7,800 yen, but also that a closed beta will occur before that. In terms of player applications to the beta, From Software will be releasing details about that shortly. In any case, this is very good news either way. Mainly on account of the fact it will massively improve the online QA process, as well as allow From Software to deal with server load issues before the game is released. Whilst we don’t think this is by any means a silver bullet it will make a huge difference to the end game.

Separately, the Famitsu also references several new boosting mechanics; glide, charge, high, jump, drive, and drift. Whether these will sit atop the traditional boosting/movement setup or replace it entirely remains to be seen. Finally, don’t forget that the live stream of the game is still happening on the 13th.

It finally seems that Solatorobo will be given a Western release. Though weirdly it appears to be only in Europe at present, specifically for July 1st. In addition, Nintendo are handling the European release rather than Namco Bandai, who published the game in Japan. From what we played at last year’s TGS, the game was really interesting. We’re just glad it’s finally getting localised. The official English trailer is shown below.

The rather brilliant and much anticipated Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury has hit XBLA today. For only 800 MSP you can spew missiles at teeny enemies to your hearts content. This new game also sports online co-op, which is a pretty cool addition really. In any case, we’re just glad the game is finally out as we loved it at last year’s TGS. Again, if you’re at all curious about the Bangai-O games then make sure to check out our feature on the very subject.

The live demo event for Armored Core V originally planned in March, that was obviously delayed on account of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11th, is now back on. Scheduled for the 13th May at 9pm (Japan time, obviously), Famitsu will also be hosting a live stream of the event too. In addition, the official Armored Core site is now also hosting a new questionnaire for fans of the series to fill in.

Say it ain’t so, Irem. First it was a rumor, and then that rumor was confirmed. Irem, the game’s developer, was perhaps the hardest hit of any game company by Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, for they cancelled their big game release for this year, Disaster Report 4, because of the obvious similarity of the game’s hypothetical scenario and the very real nightmare that Japan was currently living. Having their big budget game pulled out from under them at the last second likely caused Irem to reassess their financial situation, and continuing work on Bumpy Trot 2, or as it is known in the West, Steambot Chronicles 2, probably seemed impossible – especially given its vaporware nature, being first shown at Tokyo Game Show 2006 and only sporadically talked about since.

In a comment over on the official Facebook page for Armored Core V, From Software have confirmed that the game will indeed use dedicated servers (on account of their new partnership with Namco Bandai). Naturally, for a game to boast such a thorough online setup it makes sense for the investment of a dedicated server setup. Hopefully the servers won’t get arbitrarily shut down like they did on Chrome Hounds though. There’s also another interview up on Dengeki Online talking more about the story missions (amongst other things). With each new update, it seems that Armored Core V could shape up to be something truly special.

The recently released Super Robot Wars Z 2 has topped the Japanese charts selling over 300,000 units in its first week. From what we’ve played, the game is wholly deserving of this success and naturally a review will be forthcoming. The game is also part of the Super Robot Wars 20th Anniversary celebrations, though apparently more fun and frolics are expected in the months to come. Another game is also planned to follow the Z lineage too, though what platform that may end up on is still unknown. In any case, you can still buy the game here (or here if you’re in Europe). There’s also a handy Wiki available for the game already, so there’s no excuse not to pick this little beauty up.

TimeGate Studios has released Section 8: Prejudice to the Xbox Live Marketplace today. This of course being the sequel to the not so well received Section 8, released in 2009. Listening to criticism from critics and fans alike, TimeGate has promised to fix or totally revamp much of what was wrong with the previous installment, while retaining, that which made the original…well, original.

So, while all of that is yet to be seen, one thing is for sure; power armor mayhem. Like its predecessor Prejudice will have wonderful Landmate-esque powered armor, to stomp, crush, and blow away your competition. Add to that a cacophony of vehicles, weapons, and customization options and you have yourself one hell of a game (or so we hope).

Now for those of you who actually own and have played the original Section 8, TimeGate has announced that they will be giving away “Loyalty Rewards” based on your player level in the first Section 8. The rewards are: For simply playing the original you get the Aegis Armor and Reactive Plating for your character, if you made it to level 25 then you get the Ablative Plating upgrade, and finally for those who reached level 50 you receive  the Explosives Amplifier upgrade.

A very nice gesture on TimeGate’s part if you ask me, and I’m fairly excited to play. Sadly, however, I will not receive any rewards. While Xbox owners can enjoy Section 8 today, PC and PS3 owners will have to wait a little longer. May 4th for PC users, and sometime in summer for PS3 users. You can purchase and play Section 8: Prejudice on your Xbox, right now for 1200 MSP. Additionally upon release on PC (through Steam and Games for Windows Marketplace), it will be $14.99 USD.

Famitsu has the scoop on a big LAN party for the suitably wonderful Xbox game, Tekki Taisen (or Steel Battalion: Line of Contact) that was renowned for its online play setup. Specifically the “Project FireWorks” group has organised this awesome gathering as well as helped to show off the scratch built VT kits by a chap called “nanaC”. The event gathered over 100 fans of 5 by 5 teams, some even brought their own homemade cockpits. Many met one another for the first time too, despite having played together via an online battlefield. In any case, it’s nice to see that the fans still support games like these. Whilst there is a new Steel Battalion game on the way, we still think a properly complex controller is still what made the original games so very special. Thanks to Atsushi Kawashima for the heads up.

Game Watch has a piece on a forthcoming update to Senjou no Kizuna, featuring two more units from the classic Blue Destiny games on the Sega Saturn. Whilst the RX-79BD-1 GM Blue Destiny Unit 1 and MS-08TX Efreet Custom are already available in the game, this new update (Rev 2.52) will also add two Gundam units to the already large mobile suit roster; specifically that of the RX-79BD-2 Blue Destiny Unit 2 and RX-79BD-3 Blue Destiny Unit 3 respectively. These were present in the final instalment of the trilogy and like the prototype units before it they used the ethically questionable EXAM System. The latter will also functionally inferred when players take too damage, as the EXAM System will give Unit 2 a performance boost and increase the range of its weapon locks, whereas Unit 3 will have a melee damage boost. As with all the Blue Destiny units, since their creation they’ve been featured in numerous games over the years and have become something of a fan favourite. One day we’ll get around to reviewing the original Sega Saturn games, but in the meantime this is a pretty awesome little toy of the Blue Destiny GM and Unit 2.