Zone of the Enders is a surprise

Sony has announced the free titles available for PS Plus subscribers next month and there seems to be something odd going on. Each platform has one quality game mixed with an underwhelming one. On PS4, you'll get Ubisoft's open-world sports game Steep and the quirky craftathon Portal Knights. For PS3, Zone of the Enders HD Collection stands out amongst the disappointing Amplitude reboot. On Vita, you'll get the amusing Super Mutant Alien Assault along with the half-sequel Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion.

That is quite a mismatch of quality. None of the games are outright bad, but there are clearly superior outings sitting aside weaker games that aren't really begging to be played. I can't say I'd recommend you play Steep over any of the other games, for instance.

As with last month, Digital Extremes is still handing out the Warframe: Pl??ayStation Plus Booster Pack III. This will be available for subscribers until January 15, 2019, and offers 100 platinum, 100,000 credits, an extra laser rifle, a skin for that rifle, a seven-day affinity booster and a seven-day credit booster. It's a pretty nice package for anyone still sinking their teeth into the free-to?-play shooter.

• Steep - PS4
• Portal Knights - PS4
• Zone of the Enders HD Collection - PS3
• Amplitude - PS3
• Super Mutant Alien Assault - PS Vita
• Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion - PS Vita (Cross-buy with PS4)

PlayStation Plus: Free Games for January 2019 [PlayStation Blog]

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Hop in the cockpick if you want to rumble

Today is a Konami filled day for Xbox One owners. Two games have joined the ever-growing backward compatibility list and they both come from everyone's favorite pachinko developer. While not VR enabled or freshly redone, the Zone of the Enders HD Collection is now playable on Xbox One. This means you?? won't need to shell out for the newly released ?versions if you somehow tolerated the decentish port from years ago.

If that isn't your scene, then you can also pop in Rumble Roses XX to get down and ??dirty with. I wouldn't really call that much of a game, but it does feature girls in scantily clad costumes beating the crap out of each other. That has to?? be worth something.

Major Nelson [Twitter]

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I think I heard a piece of my childhood cry

Bad news everyone -- due to the recent Zone of the Enders HD patch, it seems as if all production on the next Zone of the Enders game has halted, as the entire team has been dismantled as he "re-evaluates" the franchise -- whether this has to do strictly with performance issues or sales (or both) wasn't revealed. Kojima and his team allegedly reprogrammed the entire game to get it to work, and is offering up a PS3-only patch for t?he time be?ing.

Seeing as Kojima took personal responsibility for the performance issues, this is pretty much the opposite of what happened with the shameful Silent Hill HD screw-up that Konami also was responsible for. Unlike the Silent Hill HD fiasco, it's nice to see Kojima address his fans beyond the veil of PR, even if a 360 patch isn't planned (and in this case, I can confirm that ZOE HD on the 360 isn't nearly as bad as Silent Hill HD was). Whatever the case may be tho??ugh, Kon?ami really needs to get their act together if they want to remain competitive.

I have a suggestion on what to do with the franchise, Kojima. Just give it to Platinum Games -- they'll know what to do with it. Better yet, why not just conv??ince Konami to buy Platinum Games and oversee it? I think you g??uys would get along great.

We Might Have To Wait A Little Longer [Siliconera]

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Only announced for Japan, at the moment

Not all platform releases are born equal. PlayStation 3 owners got the short end of the stick with the release of Zone of the Enders HD Collection?. While the game played favorably on Xbox 360, the game's frame rate took a serious hit during boss fights on PS3. It only took six months, but Kojima Productions finally announced a patch is incoming.

Only Japan has been addressed, at this point. The patch will also be included on future retail version of the game. This news comes from Kojima Productions' online radio show, translated by NeoGAF user raven777.

Kojima Producion working on a free patch for PS??3 version of Z.O.E HD [NeoGAF]

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Mecha action brought up to speed

Zone of the Enders was a welcome departure from Hideo Kojima's legendary brainchild Metal Gear Solid back in 2001. While a stark contrast to tactical espionage action, Z.O.E. always weirdly felt like it could easily fit into MGS' universe and fiction, no doubt stemming from Yoji Shinkawa's beautiful design? on the games' mecha.

The series isn't perfect, but anyone who played either Zone of the Enders or Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner certainly remembers their time with the titles. This has kept a strong following for the series and demand for a third entry, which has finally started development as of May this year. Now we have the solid Zone of the Enders HD Collection to help tide us over unt?il the aforementioned p??roject is in our hands.

Zone of the Enders HD Collection (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [reviewed])
Developer: Kojima Productions, High Voltage Software 
Publisher: Konami
Release: October 30, 2012
MSRP: $39.99

If you're intimately familiar with these games after playing them countless times on your PlayStation 2, yes, t?hese are the exact same games you remember. They stay true to the originals by keeping the exact same content, but upgrading the textures, smoothing out the jaggies, and expanding the aspect ratio to widescreen. These are the games you know and love, looking more beautiful than ever before. Read on for more technical details.

The first Zone of the Enders was developed concurrently alongside Metal Gear Solid 2. Even back in 2001, it was clear which was neglected in design and budget. The story was a mess and, frankly, wasn't interesting at all (voice acting was equally painful to listen to). It follows Leo as a group of his friends are killed, and he happens upon Jehuty (your Orbital Frame from here on out) and its AI A.D.A., where they go on adventure not unlike Zelda where you must find particular upgrades so the ship can leave the Jupiter colony installation in one piece. The climax never really comes to a satisfying resolution, and the player can never really feel bothered to care for the characters.

It was the gameplay and the visuals that kept players invested. I? can even recall a time when I thought it was the best-looking game I ever saw up to that point. Combat was quick, sleek, and made the player feel like a badass. Even though the player never meets any new enemies, and the camera can prove to be a problem occasionally, fighting always felt right. There is nothing quite as satisfying as pulling out insane combos with your sword, backing off to fire a few shots, boosting to the side to launch some rockets, and finishing it all off with a final strike. All in beautiful HD now, to boot.

No other game (that I know of) to this day plays like Zone of the Enders. It holds up remarkably well, save for the awful story and voice acting. The game's aesthetic looks better than it ever has -- colors just pop with the increased re?solution. Only the game's cinematics were not able to receive the HD treatment. But really, there isn't much reason to watch them anyway.

Flash forward ahead to 2003, and Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner took everything that was said about the first Z.O.E. above, but multiplied it by ten. Even the PS2 version still looks gorgeous now. Kojima Productions went with a cel-shaded look where particle effects glow and shine through al?l of the action perfectly, and there's much more variety in the environments which all helps to create a perfect storm of eye candy in HD. The anime cinematics were also redone in full HD this time around, so nothing was left untouched when it came out of its time capsule.

The story and voice acting are slightly better in this sequel, but there's still not much that can be said about them. It's all very forgettable. Again, it's the gameplay that makes all of the same problems passable. Combat moves much, much faster than in the first title, a??nd the game will throw many more enemies at you than before. Good thing Jehuty has a revitalized moveset and array of weapons to take care of them like it's nothing.

This is the best way to experience mecha action that no other game can offer like Z.O.E. But if you just want to catch up on the series, High Voltage Software did an amazing job bringing these cult classics up to spe?ed on the Xbox 360. Be warned, however, that the PlayStation 3 version (which we did not play for review) is well-documented to have a?? significantly lower performance.

If you're an old fan, dedicated fan, or a would-be brand new fan of the series, Zone of the Enders HD Collection is easily worth your time and money, especially with the inclusion of the Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance demo and The 2nd Runner alone.

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Tonight, Konami pimped their release date for Zone of the Enders HD Collection in North America, along with a little added surprise. You'll be able to pick up the game on October 30th, either in its standard edit??ion or -- in a bold move -- a collector's edition.

I say "bold" because I think it takes a phenomenal amount of testicular gumption to push a Collector's Edition of an HD remake for a pair of games which don't actually seem all that popular. The package will contain the game, a soundtrack and a 100-page art book. And, in what's either an homage or a hope that lightning will strike twice, both versions will come with an early demo for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

No pricing has been announced for the Collector's Edition,?? but it shouldn't be too terrib?ly much to toss a CD and a book in a sort-of fancy box. The standard version will run you $39.99.

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Halloween with Zone of the Enders HD Collection doesn't sound like a bad way to spend the day at all. In North America, the two-game pack will be out for PlayStation 3?? and Xbox 360 on Tuesday, October 30.

HD Collection compiles Zone of the Enders and the European special edition version of its follow-up, The 2nd Runner, while remastering both in high definition. There's also the inclusion of a playable Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance demo to get excited about, as ?if that weren't enough already.

We've written about this collection enough that I'm beyond ready for it to finally come out. I can only imagine how impatient you hardcore ZOE fans are becoming.

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I screamed for joy the day Konami finally announced an HD re-release of the Zone of the Enders games. I love anything with mechs, and nothing even comes close to the fast paced nature of ZoE. Konami is showing it off at San Diego Comic-Con where I went hands-on, and ?both games look fantastic in H??D. 

The only downside to the collection is that the CG sequences in the first ZoE look horrible as it's simply been upscaled. The visuals don't stand the test of time, but that only applies to the movie sequences. ZoE: The 2nd Runner, ??however, won't suffer the same issue as it uses anime visuals which still?? look great.

Of course, what really matters is the actual gameplay visuals, and they just shine. Th?e t??extures on Jehuty and enemy units are so smooth and sleek, plus the HD effect adds a lot to the lights and bright colors throughout the game.

Screenshots like these don't do the collection justice. As far as I'm concerned, Zone of the Enders fans won't be disappointed.

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Konami is teasing us with yet more Zone of the Enders HD Collection screenshots, fresh from Comic-Con. I must confess that I never played these titles the first time around, but with the new visual effects in 720p running at 60fps it looks like I might get to experience it for the first time in the ?best way possible.

With this and the sequel in the works, I imagine it's a rather splendid time to be a Zone of the Enders fan, or a newcomer to the series.

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It's the next best thing to a new Zone of the Enders game. An HD upgrade. In a collection. Well, screens of an HD collection. Konami is still set to release the two ZoE remasters in a coll?ection this Fall, and they've sent out some new scre?enshots todayto hold you over until then. 

As you'll see from the images in our gallery, the HD upgrade looks really nice. The Frames look so sharp and clean. The recent Silent Hill Collection left a nasty taste in my mouth, but someho??w I'm not too worried about this one. 

You'll also find some sc??reens fr?om the game's new opening in our big ol' gallery. Enjoy.

The post Lovely HD: New Zone of th??e Enders HD Collection s??creens appeared first on Destructoid.

When I woke up today, I had no idea I would not only see one, but two Zone of the Enders-related news today. Of course, the hottest news was that Koji?ma Productions has officially ??started working on the third entry in the series. Also making the rounds today is a handful of Zone of the Enders HD Collection screenshots.

As it stands, I think both Zone of the Enders titles still look fantastic, but that visual boost to 720p with replaced visual effects makes them just that much better. ZoE HD Collection will also boast 60 frames per second and come with much higher quality sound effects and music. Sunrise has put together a brand-new opening animation for the collection as well. A premium version of the collection will come ?in a special case with a remix CD and two booklets (one that encompasses the booklets from the original releases, and the other which covers the development of the HD release).

It was a good day to be a Zone of the Enders fan. Anyone else have their fingers crossed for a worldwide release of October 25th? To celebrate, I think I might dust off my copy of the original Zone of the Enders and pop it in tonight. It's been far too long.

Zone of t?he Enders HD Release Date and Screenshots [Andriasang]
Zone o?f the Enders HD Edition Full Resolution Screenshots [Andriasang]

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Zone of the Enders, Hideo Kojima's contribution to the battle mech genre, will see its high-definition release in autumn of this year, according to Konami. Yes, they've narrowed it down to 3 of the remaining 10 months of 2012. It's helpful, b?ut not quite what I'm looking for.

The Zone of the Enders HD Collection package containing Zone of the Enders and Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner will release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and features a graphical overhaul. The original Zone of the Enders is often jokingly referred to as the game you got when you bought the Metal Gear Solid 2 demo, but it wasn't bad. And the sequel is damn good, if stupid hard in spots. I'd recommend picking it up for The 2nd Runner alone if you missed that the first ti??????????????????????????me around.

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If you ??didn't want a Vita before, I bet you do now.

Hideo Kojima took the stage at today's Sony TGS press conference here in Tokyo to tell us that both Metal Gear Solid HD Collection and Zone of the Enders HD Collection are also coming to te Vita. It was ??already k??nown that the titles were coming for the PS3, but now you can get portable versions, or both! Transfarring technology lets you share game saves between the two. 

I'm sure we'll see?? more on both titles soon. 

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