The London Movie Comic Media Expo isn't known for its gaming section, with much of its attendees preferring other forms of entertainment. But all that's gonna change this year, or improve at the very least, because apart from the support of some of today's A-list publishers, the London MCM Expo is attempting to set the World Record for "largest number of people in costume for a video game."

It's a triple threat of bad news for those who live in Europe. News has been out that games such as Rising Star Games' No More Heroes, Dungeon Explorer: Warrior of the Ancient Arts, and Bomberman Land have been pushed back to new release dates. Find out when they'll be out after the jump!

 

UK-based Rising Star Games has signed a co-publishing agreement with industry veteran Hudson Soft. The deal covers seven games to be released from 2007-2008. The games are said to be for various platforms which include Sony's PSP, Nintendo DS, and even the Wii.

This deal boosts Rising Star Games into the realm of the "major players" of publishing video games. It should be noted that this deal has allowed the company to publish its first Wii game. The Managing Director and COO of Rising Star Games Mr. Martin Defries was obviously very happy about this deal saying:

This is a significant partnership for Rising Star Games and a further endorsement that the values and business plan of the company are spot on; we are delighted. The line up from Hudson is fantastic and we are honoured to be part of the reintroduction of Hudson to Europe along with the games it brings.

This enthusiasm was shared by Hudson Soft as well. Hudson Soft is very well known among gamers everywhere with classics such as Adventure Island and Bomberman under their extensive list of IPs. The Head of Europe Business and Global Business Division of Hudson Soft Co. Ltd. Mrs. Hiromi Tomisawa spoke about the partnership and the confidence they have about their new business partner:

We are very happy to have the opportunity to work with Rising Star Games. They are an experienced hand at managing the very best in Japanese games for release in Europe and have a dynamism that matches our goal to return the Hudson brand to Europe once again. We have an exciting multiformat line up of titles and look forward to this partnership building.

We're pretty excited about this deal despite the fact that the specifics on the games to be released have yet to be disclosed. However, we're pretty sure that both companies won't be keeping these games under wraps for a long time. Europe based gamers rejoice, Hudson Games is back in your area and it looks like they're planning on sticking around for a while.

With all the hubbub about big announcements, here's something else to celebrate: Hudson Soft, the games-developing firm responsible for timeless classics such as Bomberman and Adventure Island, is finally making a comeback in Europe after several years of absence.

Everything's still hush-hush, of course, but rumor has it that the veteran company is actually teaming up with Rising Star Games, a publisher that's more or less new to the scene.

If the rumors ring true, then this is quite good news indeed, as Hudson Soft is also rumored to be getting a dedicated HQ in the UK. This could mean a renewed surge of games that has that distinct Hudson flavor -  or better yet, a new Bomberman title that actually sticks to its roots. We can only hope. Updates as they happen!

Three titles debut to the top spots on the All Formats charts for the week ending in April 28. God of War II for the PS2 has been out in North America since March, but it's release in Europe has pushed all the other contenders aside as Kratos elbowed to number one. MMORPG Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar debuts at number two followed by The Elder Scrolls VI: Oblivion for the PlayStation 3.

Everybody else on last week's chart had to make room, though other titles clawed their way to the top and got spots overthrowing MotorStorm, Medal of Honor: Vanguard, and Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Here's this week's list:

• God of War II (Sony Computer Entertainment
• Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (Codemasters)
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Ubisoft)
• Pokemon Ranger (Nintendo)
• TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Ubisoft)
• Harvest Moon DS (Rising Star Games)
• Virtua Tennis 3 (Sega)
• Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (Nintendo)
• Tiger Woods PGS Tour 07 (Electronic Arts)
• Diddy Kong Racing DS (Nintendo)

Diddy Kong Racing DS, the remake of the Nintendo 64 videogame by Rareware, debuts on the charts at number ten. LotRO: Shadows of Angmar is now the second fastest selling online videogame behind... (need we say it?) World of Warcraft. We'll see if Kratos and God of War II manages to stay on top next week. We'll keep you posted.

Another week ends and another dose of top videogames on the UK Chart Track for all formats. Last week's top dog (or should we say turtles?) TMNT has been usurped by Pokemon Ranger. Another DS title debuts in the top ten - Harvest Moon DS. Here's the list:

• Pokemon Ranger (Nintendo)
• TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Ubisoft)
• Harvest Moon DS (Rising Star Games)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 (Electronic Arts)
• Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (Electronic Arts)
• Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 (CODEMASTERS)
• Virtua Tennis 3 (SEGA)
• Medal of Honor: Vanguard (Electronic Arts)
• UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 (Electronic Arts)
• MotorStorm (SCE)

Last week's number seven, Guitar Hero II fell off the charts to number 16. MotorStorm, a no-show in the previous top ten, was able to drag itself back to the last spot. A new entry in the charts, Hotel Dusk: Room 215 unfortunately failed to make it to the top ten. We'll see in the next few weeks whether sales eventually pick up.

Bub and Bob's back on a new adventure as they, along with the rest of Rainbow Islands, get a major modern overhaul/makeover. This time, they battle an evil record company that has killed the flora and turned the fauna into rabid killing machines. Now the duo goes out to fight the company's seven bosses to stop their dastardly plans.

This resurrected Taito classic is the third title in Rising Star's Evolution series which included co-resurectees Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble. Rainbow Islands Evolution is set for release in Q1. For now, we'll hope these screens can tide us over while we wait for the official release date - or the game itself.

More screens after the jump!

Revisit the Rainbow Islands, where Bob and Bub are now under the grasps of an ecosystem-polluting record company evil. Because of its grubby enterprise boldly dubbed as "music", flowers then die off, and the usually friendly greens have mutated into angry, angsty foes. It is now entirely up to the duo to put a halt to this atrocity spawned by the record company.

Well that certainly seems like a lot to do for our two heroes. But on a lighter note, check out the enhanced environment, now in 3D. The platforms now follow perspective and disappears off into the distance. As Bob and Bub go through the levels, these platforms will then move forward, thus becoming accessible.

Says Rainbow Islands Evolution producer Tony Byus, "We're passionate about keeping the classic gameplay intact, whilst updating and modernising the design without affecting the essential gameplay. In effect, our goal is to produce what [it] could have been if the PSP...had been available in 1987."

The Evolution series is a range of modernized videogame classics, especially made for the PSP, by Rising Star Games. Bubble Bobble Evolution also was developed by the same guys.

Rainbow Islands Evolution shines your way early next year.

 

It seems that developer Rising Star Games is all for evolution - in a sun-shiny, rainbow-glittered sky kind of way. Just two months after releasing Bubble Bobble Evolution, the company announces today that they will be porting another Taito classic to our much loved handhelds.

Rainbow Islands Evolution actually served as a sequel to arcade game Bubble Bobble back in 1987. So making it next after the latter and the first title for 2007 is actually a good call for Rising Star. "Rainbow Islands Evolution is the first PSP title we’ve confirmed for release early next year. 2007 is going to be a busy 12 months for Rising Star and in the coming weeks we'll show how varied our product-packed schedule really is," states Rising Star Games COO Martin Defries.

While we are happy that Defries company is quite in a good shape, we would appreciate it more if he had given any details about Rainbow Islands. We know that Bubble Bobble follows the adventure of Bub and Bob, two brothers that were trapped inside dinosaur suits. We wonder if they would continue with this plot. In the original series, the brothers finally revealed their human forms in Rainbow Islands. We guess we'll just keep our eyes open for new details.