Sony has confirmed that it will release Level 5’s (Rogue Galaxy, Dark Cloud) tactical role-playing game for the PSP, Jeanne d’Arc, this August. The game leaves one foot in real world history with and another in fantasy, keeping its balance to deliver a strategy game that looks a bit like Disgaea and too good to pass up.

Inspired by the life and times of Joan of Arc, the game promises more than 40 hours of gameplay with a story that begins far in the past, when a great war was waged by mankind against demonic armies attempting to invade the human world. During that time, five brave heroes created armlets to restrain the demon gods. In a quest to turn back the rueful army, a young crusader named Jeanne is commanded by mysterious voices to use the power of the magical armlet to seal away the demon king and recover her homeland once and for all.

Set among 40 different environments, players will engage in the pursuit of France’s resurgence. Players will control up to 14 characters throughout the journey, including humans and beasts, as they battle a variety of enemies in the quest to turn back the English domination.

Jeanne d’Arc will offer a turn-based battle system where players engage in unique team attacks and defensive schemes, using multiple characters’ skills in combination to create devastating strikes. Furthermore, each character has access to one of eight weapon types that are also upgradeable as players’ progress through the game. Additionally, players can customize their characters with more than 150 different skills and abilities throughout the game.

“With the introduction of Jeanne d’Arc for PSP, Level-5 now brings their high standard of game development excellence to the portable world,” said Jeff Reese, Director, Software Marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment America. “The team has managed to create an action filled, mythical adventure that RPG fans and gamers alike will take anywhere they feel like playing, further adding depth to the ever expanding lineup of PSP software.”

[img]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/news/2007/03/Jeanne09.jpg[/img]

Midway has confirmed plans to release a PlayStation 2 game starring Adult Swim’s Meatwad, Frylock and Master Shake the beautifully named Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am. Scheduled for release this fall, the game – let’s call it ATHFZNPA – follows the trio of sentient fast-food items in an “epic, action-adventure combat golf cart racing game.” Game of the year candidate? With this AND a feature film slated for April 13, 2007 is certainly looking up.

The game centers on the events that follow Frylock’s admission to the prestigious Jersey Pines Golf Club, after which Master Shake decides to show the uppity members that he is also just as good (and uppity) and deserves a place in their exclusive club. Meatwad is, of course, persuaded to join in, and the three crime-fighting food products use golf clubs and a variety of other weapons in ways not intended as they battle numerous villains, fan favorites and other show characters.

“Aqua Teen Hunger Force is a unique and completely hilarious property,” said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. “We are working closely with Aqua Teen creators Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis to bring the tone of the TV show and movie into a video game.”

“This golden chalice represents a new age in gaming, the likes of which has never before been seen on this planet. The weak will tremble at the awesomeness of our full color, hand-made graphics!” said creators Maiellaro and Willis simultaneously and in unison.

[img]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/news/2007/03/aqua_teen.jpg[/img]

XSeed, the same folks who brought us the unremarkable Wild ARMs 4 and the sublime Shadow Hearts: From The New World, have announced plans to localize a trio of new games in North America this year, including Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground and Brave Story: New Traveler for the PSP, and what I can only assume will be an interactive apology with Wild ARMs 5 on the PS2.

Also known as Wild ARMs: The Vth Vanguard, Wild ARMs 5 will ship in North America in the third quarter. The game will once again see a return to the desert plains of Filgaia, and will also mark a return of Wild ARMs 4’s wildly uninspired HEX combat system. My hopes for an apology are dwindling.

The other pair of releases, both for the PSP, will bring some variety to the handheld, that much is certain. Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground is described as a kind of real time strategy role-playing game where players create a dungeons and fight monsters for fun and prizes …and also to attract a large demons that apparently has gripped the townspeople in fear. This one this in July, just following XSeed’s previously announced PSP title Valhalla Knights, which is expected to ship in April and which we at Snackbar are making our way through currently.

The other new release on XSeed’s plate for this year is Brave Story: New Traveler for the PSP. This RPG is actually based on an anime, which was itself based on a manga, and was also created by Genji devs Game Republic, so hopes are not being held to terribly high for this little ditty. However, early word is that is a decent RPG, and may merit some attention as the game’s releases creeps ever closes this fall.

EA announced today that they were teaming up with a few of the nations top art and design schools in an effort celebrate the art of The Sims through competitions and art exhibitions. The schools that were chosen for the project are: Parsons The New School for Design in New York, Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. Acceptable art forms include the standard mediums of paintings, illustrations, and sculptural work and even include machinima, fashion designs, cinematography, and interactive displays.

A committed of members from the selected schools as well as EA will pick the art that will be on display. For the competition portion there will be 2 categories: machinima and traditional art with $12,000 in prize money up for grabs at each school for the winners.

The exhibits will be on display during the following dates:

– April 19-May 12: Parsons The New School for Design at the Chelsea Art Museum

– June 26-July 19: 79 Gallery at Academy of Art University, San Francisco

– July 14-August 11: Ben Maltz Gallery at Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles

Or for more information you can check out the [url=http://my.otis.edu/SIMS/index.htm]exhibition website[/url] at Otis College.