Konami announces Playstation 2 release line up
Konami announce their stable of forthcoming games for the PS2
Those lucky enough to get their hands on a PS2 at launch can look forward to a blockbuster stable of Playstation 2 titles from Japanese arcade giant Konami. Winter X-Games, International Track and Field, Silent Scope and ISS2000 will join 2D shoot ‘em up Gradius on many people’s christmas lists.
Konami know the score when it comes to video games. With a first class pedigree in the coin-op circuit dating back to 1980, it’s a safe bet that at some point, one of their machines was responsible for clearing your pockets of arcade friendly coinage.
In respect to the home market, Konami made their initial breakthrough licensing conversions of their arcade games to Nintendo for release on the NES. They have faithfully followed this concept through the years, releasing titles on all the major platforms. Even last week the president of Konami Japan was pictured at the XBox event, fully backing development for the new machine.
With the belated European release of Playstation 2 looming on the horizon, major developers are starting to get their final release titles together and Konami is no exception.
First up is ESPN International Track and Field. First appearing in the arcades in 1983, this is without question the king of button-bashing athletics games. Seventeen years on the play arenas and athletes look polished, fitting in well with the real-life TV camera work.
Tying in nicely with the ESPN license, comes Winter X-Games. For the uninitiated, the X-Games are the annual extreme-sports world championships. As the title suggests, this title reflects the winter events, which include Snowboarding, Ice climbing and Snowmobile racing. This is a break from the button-bashing of Track and field, with individual events being given tailored control systems and procedures.
Released as Jikkyou World Soccer 2000 in Japan, International Super Star Soccer makes a welcome return on the Playstation 2. The play and style of the series has been faithfully brought forward with enhanced graphics and sound. The analogue buttons on the PS2 pad have been well employed, with strength of press relating to strength of kick.
A surprise release from Konami comes in the form of Silent Scope, a sniper-based coin-op. The appeal in the arcades surely relied on the novelty factor of using the large rifle mounted on the cabinet. Though the game was floored (you wouldn’t use a sniper rifle to take down an attack helicopter!) it was a great success, with Silent Scope 2 doing the rounds at the moment. We will wait to see how this translates onto a home console.
Finally, Gradius 3 and 4 will hit the PS2. A thoroughbred shooter, Gradius is from the same stable as Salamander, Nemesis and the mighty Parodius. The first (and last?) 2D shoot-em-up on the PS2, Gradius has a massive following in the arcades around the world.
"We are convinced by the power of PlayStation 2 and we are sure that the intense work put in over the few last months will pay off. Our target is to offer players an ambitious and exciting variety of titles from day one. In Japan, Konami is already the leading software developer," says Kunio Neo, President of Konami of Europe GmbH, "and with the release of so many new titles looming we have the potential to gain a larger market share in Europe as well."
Konami know the score when it comes to video games. With a first class pedigree in the coin-op circuit dating back to 1980, it’s a safe bet that at some point, one of their machines was responsible for clearing your pockets of arcade friendly coinage.
In respect to the home market, Konami made their initial breakthrough licensing conversions of their arcade games to Nintendo for release on the NES. They have faithfully followed this concept through the years, releasing titles on all the major platforms. Even last week the president of Konami Japan was pictured at the XBox event, fully backing development for the new machine.
With the belated European release of Playstation 2 looming on the horizon, major developers are starting to get their final release titles together and Konami is no exception.
First up is ESPN International Track and Field. First appearing in the arcades in 1983, this is without question the king of button-bashing athletics games. Seventeen years on the play arenas and athletes look polished, fitting in well with the real-life TV camera work.
Tying in nicely with the ESPN license, comes Winter X-Games. For the uninitiated, the X-Games are the annual extreme-sports world championships. As the title suggests, this title reflects the winter events, which include Snowboarding, Ice climbing and Snowmobile racing. This is a break from the button-bashing of Track and field, with individual events being given tailored control systems and procedures.
Released as Jikkyou World Soccer 2000 in Japan, International Super Star Soccer makes a welcome return on the Playstation 2. The play and style of the series has been faithfully brought forward with enhanced graphics and sound. The analogue buttons on the PS2 pad have been well employed, with strength of press relating to strength of kick.
A surprise release from Konami comes in the form of Silent Scope, a sniper-based coin-op. The appeal in the arcades surely relied on the novelty factor of using the large rifle mounted on the cabinet. Though the game was floored (you wouldn’t use a sniper rifle to take down an attack helicopter!) it was a great success, with Silent Scope 2 doing the rounds at the moment. We will wait to see how this translates onto a home console.
Finally, Gradius 3 and 4 will hit the PS2. A thoroughbred shooter, Gradius is from the same stable as Salamander, Nemesis and the mighty Parodius. The first (and last?) 2D shoot-em-up on the PS2, Gradius has a massive following in the arcades around the world.
"We are convinced by the power of PlayStation 2 and we are sure that the intense work put in over the few last months will pay off. Our target is to offer players an ambitious and exciting variety of titles from day one. In Japan, Konami is already the leading software developer," says Kunio Neo, President of Konami of Europe GmbH, "and with the release of so many new titles looming we have the potential to gain a larger market share in Europe as well."
Companies:
Konami
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