Konami to bring its Hit properties to Next-Gen Platforms.
Electronic Entertainment Expo – May 21, 2002 – Los Angeles, CA – Konami of America, Inc, today revealed its massive video game line-up for 2002 and early 2003. Continuing last year’s success of bringing hit properties to next generation platforms, Konami unveiled all-new versions of longtime favorites Contra, Suikoden, Castlevania and Dance Dance Revolution, and also provided the first look at next generation versions of its newest hit series, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Using DOLBY Theatre’s state-of-the-art facilities in Burbank, CA, to showcase its games, Konami also revealed sequels to its mega-hits with Silent Hill 3; Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner; and Frogger Classic (working title); as well as Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, an enhanced version of last year’s smash hit coming to Xbox video game console from Microsoft, PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system and PC. In all, more than 20 games were presented in the areas of action, sports and family entertainment.
“This promises to be one of the strongest line-ups in Konami’s history,” said Dick Wnuk, Chief Operating Officer for Konami of America, Inc. “We are bringing high-quality versions of our popular properties to next generation platforms, and also introducing creative, new directions in sports and family games.”
The entire Konami line-up can be seen during E3 at Booth #900 in the South Hall. The complete line-up includes:
ACTION AND ADVENTURE GAMES
Contra: Shattered Soldier
Platform: PlayStation® 2
Genre: Action
Release date: November 2002
The tremendously successful Contra franchise makes its debut on PlayStation® 2 with Contra: Shattered Soldier. Classic run & gun Contra gameplay combines the best of 2D and 3D action gaming as the PS2 brings gruesome characters to life. Easy to pick up and play with simple, intuitive controls, players can play with a friend in the 2-person Simultaneous Mode. Multiple endings and hidden levels can be uncovered depending on player’s performance.
Contra Advance (working title)
Platform: Game Boy® Advance
Genre: Action
Release date: November 2002
The legendary action and adrenaline of the famed Contra series makes its Game Boy® Advance debut with Contra Advance. Based on the Contra game for SNES, this fast-paced 2D side-scrolling shooter has all of the classic, addictive gameplay that has since become a hallmark of the series. When the action gets tough, players can link their Game Boy® Advance systems together in the 2-player Simultaneous Mode for twice the firepower (link cable required).
Castlevania®: Harmony of Dissonance
Platform: Game Boy® Advance
Genre: Action/Adventure
Release date: September 2002
An all-new Castlevania adventure for Game Boy® Advance! The creators of the renowned Castlevania Symphony of the Night have developed the most visually stunning portable Castlevania ever, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance. The “Spell Fusion” system allows a player to combine sub-weapons and spells to create new attacks, while RPG elements allow players to level up and become more powerful over time.
Suikoden III
Platform: PlayStation® 2
Genre: RPG
Release date: November 2002
The Suikoden series makes its debut on the PlayStation® 2 with Suikoden III, the deepest and most innovative installment in the series’ rich 7-year history! With multiple endings, 3 styles of combat (party battle, army battle, and one-to-one battle) and the ability to recruit from over 100 characters throughout your quest, Suikoden III raises the bar for RPGs everywhere. All new to both the series and the RPG genre is the Trinity Sight System, which enables players to experience events from the viewpoints of three different characters!
Silent Scope 3
Platform: PlayStation® 2
Genre: Shooter
Release date: October 2002
The ultimate anti-terrorist sharp shooting experience returns for a third round on the PlayStation® 2. Silent Scope 3 contains an original story mode with numerous new areas created exclusively for the PlayStation® 2. As an added bonus, all 14 missions from the smash-hit arcade game Silent Scope EX are also included. In a Silent Scope series first, an innovative 3D sound system can be used to help spot and target enemies. Rounding out the features, hidden options can be unlocked, and multiple endings and paths add replay value.
Silent Scope
Platform: Game Boy® Advance
Genre: Shooter
Release date: September 2002
The popular arcade shooter comes to the Game Boy® Advance. As a skilled sharpshooter, it will take razor sharp reflexes, a steady hand, and a sharp eye to take out the terrorists before they attack. The Silent Scope series has consistently ranked as one of America’s most popular arcade game series since its release in 1999.
Silent Hill® 3
Platform: PlayStation® 2
Genre: Survival/Horror
Release date: Spring 2003
The follow up to 2001’s smash hit Silent Hill 2, this new installment adds yet another eerie chapter to the growing legacy of the Silent Hill franchise. Silent Hill 3 promises to take the survival/horror genre to new heights with the series’ trademark stunning graphics, masterful use of sound, and mature, sophisticated storylines.
Konami’s Moto-X (working title)
Platform: PlayStation® 2, Xbox
Genre: Action
Release date: October 2002
It’s the ultimate battle between good and evil as you combat vicious gangs in Konami’s Moto-X. Bike-based combat takes place across a series of post-apocalyptic levels including a bombed out cityscape and an old desert town. Choose from six riders, each with different bikes, characteristics, and back-stories, and then take to the arena for high-speed hand-to-hand combat, or scavenge weapons to help even the odds. Special multiplayer modes enable players to duke it out with friends and enemies alike.
AirForce Delta Storm
Platform: Game Boy® Advance
Genre: Flight Oriented Simulation
Release date: October 2002
The most realistic flight experience available on the GBA, Airforce Delta Storm features classic and modern military aircraft and allows players to unlock up to 9 fighters as they progress through the game.
Cy Girls
Platform: PlayStation® 2
Genre: Action
Release date: Summer 2003
In Cy Girls, the new cyber-thriller action game for PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, players are taken on a wild ride in a dangerous, futuristic world. Following the game’s crime fighting team of sexy heroines, Sky and Shadow, Cy Girls features multiple styles of game play, including ranged combat, martial arts fighting and the ability to “dive” into the Internet.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner
Platform: PlayStation® 2
Genre: Action
Release date: Spring 2003
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner is an entirely new 3D adventure from producer Hideo Kojima and character designer Yoji Shinkawa, the creative team behind the celebrated Zone of the Enders and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. In ZOE2, players are once again thrown into an interplanetary conflict, but this time the stakes are even higher, as the fate of Jupiter and Mars are held in the balance. Players will find a host of new gameplay features such as teleportation.
Metal Gear Solid® 2: Substance
Platform: Xbox, PlayStation® 2, PC
Genre: Action
Release date: November 2002 for Xbox
Metal Gear Solid® 2 Substance is the latest entry in the hit Metal Gear franchise by the world-renowned Konami Computer Entertainment Japan development team, led by Hideo Kojima. MGS2 Substance is slated to be released for the Xbox video game console from Microsoft in November 2002. Versions for the Sony PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system and PC are under development.
FAMILY GAMES
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelists of the Roses (working title)
Platform: PlayStation® 2
Genre: Strategy/Card Battling
Release date: Winter 2002
The first Yu-Gi-Oh! game for the PlayStation® 2, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelists of the Roses features all of your favorite characters from the smash hit Yu-Gi-Oh! animated TV series. The new Card Movement Battle System encourages strategic gameplay, while 680 beautifully 3D rendered monsters keep the onscreen action exciting and engaging. Includes three exclusive Trading Card Game Cards.
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Immortal Duelist Soul (working title)
Platform: Game Boy® Advance
Genre: Strategy/Card Battling
Release date: October 2002
The Yu-Gi-Oh! phenomenon comes to the Game Boy® Advance! Based on the official rules from the Trading Card Game, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Immortal Duelist Soul enables players to duel head-to-head or just trade cards with their friends, while beginners can get up to speed with the Duel Monsters world with intuitive controls and in-game explanations. Includes three exclusive Trading Card Game Cards.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters (working title)
Platform: Game Boy® Advance
Genre: Strategy/Board Game
Release date: August 2002
With over 80 unique opponents to duel, Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters brings all of the thrills of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Strategic Board Game to the Game Boy Advance. Duel head to head or trade dice with your friends, or compete to acquire over 100 monsters, including the powerful and mysterious “Blue Eyes White Dragon” and “Black Magician Girl”.
Frogger Classic (working title)
Platform: GameCube, PlayStation® 2, Xbox
Genre: Tile-Based Platformer
Release date: November 2002
America’s favorite amphibian hops back into the limelight with Frogger Classic. Making the return to Frogger’s famous platform-style gameplay, the new title features a stunning array of exotic and colorful worlds rendered in stunning detail. Perfect for the whole family, Frogger Classic enables up to 4 players to compete in the fun, and features a wide range of hidden features, including secret characters, a blooper reel, and more.
Frogger’s Adventures 2 (working title)
Platform: Game Boy® Advance
Genre: Action/Adventure
Release date: November 2002
The sequel to last year’s award-winning Frogger’s Adventures: Temple of the Frog, Konami’s new Frogger’s Adventures 2 offers Game Boy® Advance owners the same addictive, classic arcade style gameplay that made the first title so popular. Players will join Frogger as he hops across six unique worlds and 17 levels, avoids oncoming obstacles and uses his new tongue-grab move to drag tiles. Also, available in Frogger’s Adventures 2 is a multi-player option that allows fans to compete against one another for frog-tastic fun!
DDRMAX Dance Dance Revolution
Platform: PlayStation® 2
Genre: Music/Dancing
Release date: November 2002
The global smash hit dancing sensation comes to the PlayStation® 2 with DDRMAX Dance Dance Revolution! The most robust DDR title ever, this is the definitive version of the game that’s got gamers jumping to their feet with over 65 songs, including licensed tracks and international dance hits. The power of the PlayStation® 2 enables full-motion music videos and high-resolution graphics; game modes include Edit MODE that allows players to customize their dance routines and a Workout MODE that tracks calories burned during play.
SPORTS GAMES
Evolution Skateboarding
Platform: PlayStation® 2, GameCube
Genre: Sports/Skateboarding
Release date: October 2002 for PlayStation® 2, November for Game Cube
Taking skateboarding to the next level, Evolution Skateboarding features a host of new features that are brand new in the extreme sports game genre. Players skate across 8 sprawling fantasy levels that are 200% larger than the levels seen in Konami’s previous Skateboarding titles. Gameplay is enriched by intense boss battles that must be completed to progress through the game. Players will come face-to-face with a giant spider and a runaway truck as they grind their way to the next level. Topping off the game’s rich feature set are in-game tools that allow players to design their own stunts and skaters with the Create-a-Trick MODE and Create-a-Skater MODE.
Evolution Snowboarding
Platform: PlayStation® 2, GameCube
Genre: Sports/Snowboarding
Release date: November 2002
Featuring simple, pick-up-and-play controls and a more action-oriented attitude, Evolution Snowboarding tears up the slopes this fall. Choose from 10 pro snowboarders and authentic gear to make your way across fantastic levels in mysterious locales. With new Mission style modes adding variety and challenge, and the ability to punch, kick, and otherwise shake up the competition, it’s a snowboarding game like you’ve never seen – or played before.
Evolution Snocross
Platform: PlayStation® 2, Xbox, PC
Genre: Sports/Snocross
Release date: November 2002
Get ready for extreme cold-weather action with Evolution Snocross, a high-speed snowmobile racer with aggressive antics and plenty of intense big air tricks. Choose from 14 riders and 12 powerful sleds and then challenge one of five different play modes, including Multiplayer, Practice, Quick Play, Arcade, and Career. Big jumps, plenty of power ups, and over 40 tricks executed at blazingly fast speeds ensure that the action never gets dull. Vehicle upgrades, variations on time of day and weather, and the ability to challenge other players in the Multiplayer mode ensures plenty of replay value.
NBA Starting Five (working title)
Platform: PlayStation® 2, Xbox
Genre: Sports/Basketball
Release date: October 2002
Take it to the net with NBA Starting Five, the basketball simulation that lets you play like an NBA All-star…effortlessly. Intuitive controls and ultra-responsive animations make realistic NBA moves more effective and easy-to-execute, while stunning graphics will make you feel like you’re out on the court. NBA Starting Five features revolutionary basketball AI, offering a true sense of playing as a team with your computer controlled teammates. With NBA Starting Five sporting one of the deepest, most interactive franchise modes around, virtual GMs will find running their own franchise both challenging and rewarding.
WTA Tour Tennis
Platform: Xbox, GameCube
Genre: Sports/Tennis
Release date: September 2002
Featuring 20 pro players including Serena Williams, Monica Seles, and more, WTA Tour Tennis is primed to serve up an ace this fall. Backed by all of the authenticity of the Women’s Tennis Association, WTA Tour Tennis features realistic graphics, plenty of real-world locations, and true-to-life physics. Multiplayer modes (up to 4 players on the Xbox) and plenty of gameplay options make this the only tennis game you’ll need!
Fisherman’s Bait 2003 (working title)
Platform: PlayStation® 2
Genre: Sports/Fishing
Release date: November 2002
The Deepest Freshwater Fishing Game Available, Fisherman’s Bait 2003 offers virtually endless game play with 6 modes, including Arcade, Tournament and Head-to-head competition. Plus, intelligent features make it accessible to beginners and challenging for experts.
