Deathsmiles 2X to Release May 17 Exclusively Through Games on Demand
The Japanese shmup blasts its way to Xbox 360 next Tuesday.
The sequel to Deathsmiles is being released through Games on Demand, the Xbox 360’s digital distribution service for full-fledged retail games. There will be no retail version of Deathsmiles 2X in North America.
Cave, the game’s developer, is self-publishing Deathsmiles 2X. The game is set to release on May 17 for $29.99. 2X originally released as a retail game in Japan on May 27, 2010. An upgraded version of the arcade release, the console version of Deathsmiles 2x features new characters, stages, and other extras. Currently the digital version of Deathsmiles 2X will only be available in North America.
Deathsmiles 2X is the first game in North America to see its release through Games on Demand. All titles in Games on Demand were previously disc-based retail releases before becoming a digital download. Deathsmiles 2X is also the first import game on the service.
The bullet hell shoot ’em up will be a straight port of the Japanese version with no English localization. Some of the game’s menus and options are already in English so players will understand what to do, but the story and dialogue won’t be translated. The language barrier shouldn’t be a major issue considering Deathsmiles 2X’s gameplay style.
The size of the download hasn’t been confirmed. There’s also no word on how achievements will translate for this version’s release.
According to Siliconera, Cave said Deathsmiles 2X could only be bought with credit cards and not Microsoft Points. However, Microsoft told Joystiq that Microsoft Points can be used to buy the game. All Games on Demand titles can be purchased with Microsoft Points, credit and debit cards, and PayPal.
Xbox 360 producer Makoto Asada said Microsoft approached Cave to put Deathsmiles 2X on Games on Demand. The release is a test run for the company’s Japanese-only games. If successful, more Cave games might release outside of Japan through Games on Demand in the future.
The first Deathsmiles released on Xbox 360 in Japan on April 23, 2009. Aksys Games localized and released the game in North America exclusively for the Xbox 360 on June 29, 2010 for $49.99.
Photo by Cave
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