Rising Star Games, Europe’s most prolific publisher of Japanese-originated games, will begin 2010 with a bang, as the publisher has announced its first eight titles for its first quarter of next year.

Rising Star Games’ first-quarter releases – confirmed to Hoshi members (www.risingstargames.com/hoshi) last week – cover all major console formats. Including three titles from affiliate label Gamebridge, the release schedule offers staggering diversity, and includes the firm’s first Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 title.

“With eight games released from February to April, we’re about to embark on Rising Star Games’ busiest period to date,” says Martin Defries, managing director, Rising Star Games. “And it’s a real case of quality and quantity – with Fragile Dreams (the title known as Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon in Japan), Half-Minute Hero and our first PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 titles, it’ll be a brilliant start to what will be our best year ever.”

Highlights from February include the mind-meltingly mental Half-Minute Hero on PlayStation Portable (PSP). This brilliantly original title fuses classic gaming mechanics with bite-sized thirty-second gaming to create one of the format’s most audacious twists on the Role-Playing Game (RPG) genre. Animal Kororo, a ludicrously cute Puzzle game will also be published on Nintendo DS this month.

March sees the release of Fragile Dreams, one of 2010’s most anticipated Wii titles. A game of unrivalled atmosphere, charm and beauty, it looks set to be the format’s definitive entry into the adventure genre. Avalon Code, My World My Way and Rune Factory Frontier complete a busy month for Rising Star Games.

Gambridge titles include February’s Papermates on Nintendo DS and DSi – with users of the latter able to photograph themselves or anything they fancy in order to create truly unique in-game characters. These characters must be nurtured through a series of stat-increasing mini-games - the better the creations, the more valuable they become. Way of the Samurai 3 – also released in February – sees Rising Star Games debut on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The Way of the Samurai series has been hugely popular in Japan, and this latest incarnation marks its most accessible outing yet. With an engrossing storyline which sprawls across ancient Japan, this historic action adventure marks the first appearance of the series on the more powerful Current-Generation home consoles. Electronic Theatre will keep you updated with all the latest from Rising Star Games.

Rising Star Games 2010 release schedule so far:

February 2010

• Animal Kororo (Nintendo DS)
• Half-Minute Hero (PSP)
• Way of the Samurai 3 (Gambridge, Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3)
• Papermates (Gamebridge, Nintendo DS)

March 2010

• Avalon Code (Nintendo DS)
• Fragile Dreams (Wii)
• My World My Way (Nintendo DS)
• Rune Factory Frontier (Wii)

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