Rare's Official Site Previews New Xbox Titles

Thanks to an anonymous reader for sending us a link to Rare's official site, recently updated with screenshots, teaser/trailer movies and info about their three newly announced titles for the Xbox, following Microsoft's purchase of Rare for anything up to $500 million late last year. We covered Kameo, Grabbed By The Ghoulies, and Conker:Live And Uncut briefly in our E3 Microsoft overview last week, but there's extra info here, including the fact that the Conker title, besides Xbox Live multiplayer, also "..consists of the classic solo outing Conker's Bad Fur Day, here not only in its entirety but actually expanded with extra footage that didn't make the original cut." It seems Microsoft will let Rareware put back in certain things which Nintendo made them leave out?

Comments

This is sooo gonna be slashdotted, so:

[The J Kid]

Kameo: Elements of Power - Movie (Medium Qual.) 10mb Wmv

E3 2003 marks the first major public appearance of Princess Kameo since her Xbox debut at last October's X02 press event. Kameo: Elements of Power remains one of Rare's key games for its initial foray into the Xbox games market, and we're confident that audiences will take a shine to its stunning appearance, top-tier soundtrack and engaging blend of exploration and realtime fantasy combat.

These are dark times in Kameo's world, as the Troll King Thorn has returned, leaving chaos and savagery in his wake. Thorn's escape from imprisonment was something thought impossible, as of the four remaining members of Kameo's race before she herself was born, three - sister and brothers to Theena, Kameo's mother - had sacrificed themselves in the ultimate magic rite, locking both themselves and Thorn in stone forever. The Dark King's release is a mystery that Kameo will have to solve as she inherits her mother's unique talents and sets off on a quest to end what the previous generation began... the permanent removal of Thorn and his foul Troll army, a dark stain on the history of the land and a very real threat to its future.

To earn the kind of power necessary to stand a chance against such odds, however, Kameo will need to hone and perfect her new-found skills as she journeys through the world towards the distant Troll Castle. These skills are based on a miraculous affinity for wildlife which extends to actually becoming one with the creatures that she nurtures into adulthood, making use of their strengths and advantages to overcome any obstacles in her way.

Each creature belongs to one of the six elemental fields - Fire, Water, Wind, Plant, Ice and Rock - and starts out as a baby, which Kameo will need to catch and feed until it finally reaches its most advanced stage of development. Lending a hand in the capture of these young beasts will be Meepo, a smart-mouthed dragon with talents (and secrets) of his own, and though Kameo may well feel at times that she could do without his company, Meepo's assistance is not to be sneezed at...

Will Kameo prevail against the odds and carry the battle to Thorn's stronghold with a full army of beastly followers in tow? Can she break the curse on her sister and brothers, the Elemental Ancestors, and add their powers to her own? Play your part in the saga when Kameo: Elements of Power ships only for Xbox next year.

Grabbed by the Ghoulies - Movie, 4,7 Mb Wmv

From the team that brought you the hugely popular Banjo-Kazooie and its sequel comes a spirited new gameplay experience, crammed to the rafters with new faces and a bony handful of twists on genre expectation. At last, after months of speculation over the name, E3 2003 has arrived and Grabbed by the Ghoulies is here.

As you might expect, the game is overflowing with spectres, zombies and other sepulchral misfits, notably those resident in the shadowy depths of Ghoulhaven Hall. Framed by jagged bolts of lightning and leering down from its high clifftop overlooking the sea, the Hall isn't a place that anyone would willingly venture into - unless, of course, they were left with no choice. As if on cue, meet the game's central player Cooper, forced into this very position when the Ghoulies take advantage of the raging storm to swoop down and spirit away his girlfriend...

What follows is a frenetic chase through long-standing haunted house tradition, complete with sinister aristocrats, cobweb-choked rooms and a gentlemanly butler, but also with a few Rare twists and surprises thrown into the mix. Gameplay is focused on making progress towards the heart of the house by solving puzzles or beating back all the enemies in each room, using any means available: the interactive and destructible nature of Cooper's surroundings gives him the opportunity to u

Re:I hope

[Baron_911]

Well, since most of the game comes from the N64 version, you can pretty much be sure (unless Rare REALLY screws up) that the gameplay will be there. Especially if the Single player is just a graphics update. The 64 Conker was one of the best 64 games ever, not even considering the extrordinarraly (sp?) funny content. They could have made Conkers Nice and Friendly Fur Day and it still would have been fun.

Grabbed by the Ghoulies

[Zico]

It's a shame that so many people seem to be missing one of the greatest things about this game. Try doing a search for "goolies" and "slang" to get an entirely new aspect on what "Grabbed by the Ghoulies" means, and why it was easily the best-named game at the show this year.

Re:Grabbed by the Ghoulies - Painfull

[NeonSpirit]

I don't think that our cousins across the pond get the reference, especially since the write-up for the game refers to the hero's girlfriend being spirited away or "grabbed by the ghoulies". If this happened to my other half I would take a serious look at the relationship, BEFORE seeking to rescue them.

Played 'em at E3

[Anonymous Coward]

"Grabbed by the Ghoulies" was a button masher (actually, more of a stick twister).

Basically, lots of rooms full of ghosts and monsters, you move with the left stick, and punch/kick them away by spinning and flicking the right stick a la' Robotron. Got old after 10 minutes. There's also this "you've suffered a super scary fright" element that forces you to push a few face buttons in a certain order to recover from being scared. It really was unimpressive, and I can't even see kids enjoying it for very long. Sure, it was fun to beat up a pirate with a ham hock or a swordfish...but that can't carry a game.

Conkers:
It's the original N64 game, same levels and such, but obviously beefed up graphics and Xbox Live deathmatch gameplay. The Live gameplay is the real fun part. There's nothing so fun as being a teddy bear armed with a rocket launcher. They also applied some "encumbrance" rules to the characters. For example, if you pick up a gun, you're still pretty quick on your feet, but pick up the rocket launcher, and you're moving very slowly and awkwardly, losing your balance easily.

Kameo
Didn't get too much time with this. Visually, it's stunning, but a little weird to try and figure out.