June 3rd features a Karate Kid: Legends collaboration with a free hoodie for characters and a “Vision” takeover, which amounts to billboards and signs in one stage. Players can also expect free colors for Kuma/Panda and more balance changes.

Summer marks a more significant collaboration with PAC-MAN with a new stage, Pac-Pixels, coming as part of the Season 2 Pass. A PAC-MAN Ball will also be added to Tekken Ball for free alongside a Plushie Ghost, T-Shirt, and Hit Effects in Fight Pass Round 6. Other cosmetics like the PAC-MAN Head require paying, though.

This is all in addition to more balance adjustments, many of which should make up for the controversial changes introduced at the start of Season 2. Stay tuned for more details in the coming days.

Namco is one of the most important video game companies there is- it was responsible for the rise of video gaming in arcades, via its Pac-Man and Galaga cabinets, it was a frontrunner in NES development, it is credited with the rise of Sega with the Genesis, and it single handedly blazed the trail for PlayStation’s success, thanks to early games such as Tekken and Ridge Racer. Namco is a pioneer of genres such as 3D fighters and racing games, and even today, remains one of the largest publishers in the world, and one of the few Japanese companies to have escaped the decline of the Japanese market without being affected at all.

A large part of all of Namco’s accomplishments can be credit to founder Masaya Nakamura (who even named the company after himself- Nakamura Amusement Machine Company). Nakamura-sama truly stands as one of the pioneers of the video game medium, and one of the fathers of the medium as we know it today. So it’s with a heavy heart that we have to report today that he has passed away at the age of 91. Bandai Namco confirmed his passing in a statement, where they also noted that out of respect for his family’s wishes and privacy, they would not be disclosing the exact cause of his death.

Nakamura-sama is one of the fathers of video games, and one of the reasons that all of us are playing games today. On his passing, let us all of us unite as fans of the medium to pay respects to his memories. May he rest in peace.

Three new games have become backwards compatible on the Xbox One. They’re nothing major by any stretch by Xbox One gamers can now play Alan Wake, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Pac-Man on their consoles.

The backwards compatibility for Alan Wake comes just in time – Quantum Break will be releasing in April and includes a digital version of Alan Wake with its DLC for playing. If you find the game somewhere or just want something to do once Quantum Break wraps, then Alan Wake isn’t the worst option.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is arguably more appealing though, especially since it’s one of the best Castlevania games ever made. It’s also responsible for the modern era of 2D Castlevania titles which took a more Metroid-like approach to exploration and upgrades (thus creating the term Metroid-vania).

And Pac-Man is…well, Pac-Man. Still fun though.

Stay tuned for more information on other titles that will support Xbox One backwards compatibility in the coming months.

Bandai Namco announced today a sneak peak of their mobile exclusive game lineup for San Diego Comic Con, and… it’s Pac-Man. A lot of Pac-Man. Lots and lots of Pac-Man.

The first of these games is Pac-Man Friends, a brand new game that utilizes tilt controls, and has players navigate what are called ‘increasingly tricky mazes’ to rescue Pac-Man’s friends from the Ghosts’ castle. There are ninety five levels across six worlds, and six of these ‘friends’, all with their own unique differentiating characteristics.

The other game is Pac-ManChampionship Edition DX, which is actually the official sequel to one of the most beloved games of all time. When the game first released, it set the world on fire, winning oodles of accolades, and now it can be played on your smartphone, with all three original modes (Score Attack, Time Attack and Ghost Combo) are playable across 7 zones with over 150 levels of Pac- Man action.

Pac-Man Friends is going to release on mobile devices in September, while CEDX is aiming for a November release. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage, right from Comic Con.

Video game cover artist Greg Martin recently passed, according to a close friend posting on the NintendoAge forum. Martin is famous for a number of covers for video game box arts such as Pac-Man and Landstalkers but is most famous for his work done on Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

A eulogy for Martin was posted, with an excerpt stating that, “Greg was the rare person who both worked in and was a fan of the work of others in his industry. I don’t think he ever lost that sense of wonder he had as a teenager for really great artwork, and he was a collector himself of artwork, movies, art books, and other things. He was a huge fan of Frank Frazetta, Gil Elvgren, Hal Foster, and dozens if not hundreds of other artists.”

It’s never easy to deal with loss and we especially wish Martin’s family and friends the best in this time of need. The industry itself has lost a legendary figure who will nonetheless live on in our hearts and minds.

Namco Bandai’s Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventure, a new reinvention of the classic gaming icon based on Disney’s animation, launches today in North and South America on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo 3DS, and Steam. The new title involves a plot heavy emphasis that nonetheless strives to maintain the classic elements that Pac-Man is known for.

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures also includes an all new multiplayer mode that introduces a twist to classic Pac-Man sensibilities by letting players play as Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde, as they compete against each other in increasingly complicated mazes to try and catch Pac-Man.

“Pac-Man has been a cornerstone franchise at Namco Bandai Games for over 30 years touching the lives of multiple generations of gamers,” said Chris Gilbert, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Namco Bandai Games America. “From Pac-Man’s arcade debut in the 80’s that kick-started his meteoric rise to becoming a pop-culture icon to his hit animated series that premiered this year on Disney XD; Pac-Man continues to be a global entertainment brand, winning new fans and bringing fun and laughter to families the world over.”

Stay tuned to GamingBolt as we bring you more coverage on the newest game starring gaming’s oldest icon.

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures is not your traditional Pac-Man game that you’ve come to expect. The players will still consume ghosts and food, meanwhile, the ‘debut trailer’ demonstrates a mix of platforming and action. In the video Pac-Man also eats a power petal that grants him new and unique abilities.

Screenshots Gallery:

Are you interested in the new Pac-Man title? Let us know in the comments below.

Check back on GamingBolt for future updates of this newly announced game in the coming weeks at E3 2013.

Contrary to early reports, Namco Bandai has announced that data can be deleted in the upcoming 3DS Pac-Man title, Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions. Just press “ABXYLR” when you begin the game, and all your data will be deleted.

After the save file debacle in Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, it’s a huge relief to see that other developers aren’t following in Capcom’s footsteps.

“There has been a miscommuniation at our level,” said Namco about the early reports that data in Pac-Man 3DS could not be deleted. “Thanks for understanding.”

[IGN]

The utterly awesome PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX was, until recently, available only on Xbox Live. It is now, however, also available on PSN, for the price of $9.99.

Here is some info on the game:

PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX dials the intensity up to 11 with new neon graphics, an ear-thumping techno soundtrack, more maps, ghosts, modes, and interchangeable maze visuals.  In addition to the original Championship Edition’s Score Attack mode, where players try to gain as many points as they can in either five or 10 minute variants, PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX includes Time Trials and Ghost Combo.  Time Trials tasks players to run laps around each maze as fast as they can to collect a specified number of items.  Ghost Combo gets rid of traditional points in favor of how many ghosts PAC-MAN can eat by chaining together Power Pellets.  This game proves that no matter how old PAC-MAN may be, our yellow rotund hero will always be ready to captivate a new generation of fans.

Pac-man Championship Edition DX is now available on XBox Live and PSn for 800 Microsoft Points and $9.99 respectively. Pac-man Champinship Edition, Namco says, “upercharges the beloved PAC-MAN formula with more mazes, new modes and exciting gameplay features that will have everyone rethink what they know about PAC-MAN.”

Here is some information on Championship Edition DX:

“PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX includes two exciting new modes in addition to PAC-MAN Championship Edition’s signature Score Attack mode, where players must collect as many points as possible before time runs out.  Time Trials has players clearing out a set number of laps around each maze as fast as they can.  Ghost Combo forgoes gobbling Pac-Dots for chomping as many ghosts as possible. Players’ scores are determined on the consecutive number of ghosts PAC-MAN eats while chaining together Power Pellets.

Also new to the series are the multitudes of sleeping ghosts that infest each maze.  As PAC-MAN runs past these ghosts, they become angry and chase him until he finds a Power Pellet.  If a ghost gets too close, a slowdown effect will begin, giving the player an extra vital second to figure out the best course of action.  If the ghost train becomes too much to handle, players can set off a bomb which sends all active ghosts back to the center of each maze.

With the game’s hypnotic neon graphics, new and updated mazes, techno soundtrack, updated features, and three fast-paced modes, PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX is one of the most satisfying gaming experiences available for download this year.”