Konami Announces E3 Lineup

May 14, 2001

Konami is unveiling a huge lineup of games to be shown at E3. With titles for a range of systems from the PlayStation to the Game Boy Advance, Konami continues to be a major presence in the industry. While notables like Metal Gear Solid 2 and Silent Hill 2 will undoubtedly be ogled by many Expo attendees, Konami’s other titles look great, too. Check them out.

Dance Dance Revolution Bundle Pack

Release date: May 2001

Genre: Dancing/Rhythm

Platform: Sony PlayStation

Following in the footsteps of its arcade cousin, Dance Dance Revolution is the first real dance simulation game combining fun, excitement, dance competition, choreography and a high-impact workout. The game showcases a wide variety of pulsating dance music including pop, disco, techno, house, Latin, drum n’ bass, hip-hop and pop. A special dance pad is included in this bundle pack to accurately recreate the arcade experience.

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

Release date: June 11, 2001 Launch Title

Genre: Action

Platform: Nintendo GameBoy Advance

Count Dracula has been resurrected and evil will reign supreme unless he is stopped. As Nathan Graves, you’ll hunt down the Count and use your whip and a variety of special items to destroy his minions. Battle your way through Dracula’s castle and rid the world of evil once and for all!

Konami Krazy Racers

Release date: June 11, 2001 Launch Title

Genre: Racing

Platform: Nintendo GameBoy Advance

Players race cars through 16 action-packed, fun-filled tracks with eight favorite Konami characters, in the first kart racing game for Game Boy Advance. Special features include four play modes (Grand-Prix, Time Attack, Free-Run and Mini-battle), three difficulty settings and collectible coins to upgrade the karts.

Ephemeral Fantasia

Release date: July 2001

Genre: RPG (Role Playing Game)

Platform: Sony PlayStation 2

Using innovative game play mechanics like the “surround battlefield system”, a life-sized game world, and a phenomenal story, players will experience the anguish and joys of their in-game characters. Set on an island paradise, players take on the role of a traveling musician who is hired to sing at a royal wedding. Catastrophe strikes when an evil sorcerer casts a spell on the island, causing the days to repeat over and over again in a time loop that must be broken by the player.

Silent Hill 2

Release date: Fall 2001

Genre: Horror

Platform: Sony PlayStation 2

In the most terrifying interactive experience ever created, players assume the role of James, who receives a cryptic letter from his deceased wife beckoning him to meet her in Silent Hill, a place that holds great meaning for the couple. The suspense begins when the mystery of the letter compels him to return to the surreal horror and all too real danger in Silent Hill. Benefiting from the advanced technological power of the PlayStation 2, the visual expressions of the characters, weather conditions and the gore of the game are intensely frightening.

Airforce Delta Storm

Release date: Q4 2001 Launch Title

Genre: Flight Combat/Simulation

Platform: Xbox

AirForce Delta Storm puts players in the cockpit as they navigate through the high-flying world of air combat. Developed to optimize the latest videogame technology of Xbox, AirForce Delta Storm recreates the excitement and energy of red-hot in-air battle. The title features more than 50 warplanes, ranging from the latest in true military technology to fantastic cutting-edge creations designed specifically for the game. Airforce Delta Storm will be a launch title for the Xbox.

Frogger: The Great Quest

Release date: Fall 2001

Genre: Action/Platform

Platform: Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo Game Boy Advance

Hopping onto the Sony PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance this fall is an all new Frogger, the fun-filled 3D-action/platform game featuring the famous amphibian. The adventure will take the green hero from swampy towns to desert wastelands, navigating rivers and majestic waterfalls and exploring gigantic castles while collecting power-ups and avoiding hazards and enemies. Over 80 new characters inhabit Frogger’s magical world, with creatures ranging from menacing mosquitoes, humorous toads to predatory cats each contributing to the light-hearted and humorous tone of the game.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Release date: Fall 2001

Genre: Action

Platform: Sony PlayStation 2

Solid Snake is back in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. The follow-up to 1998’s critically acclaimed bestseller takes action gaming to a whole new level. Playing as the game’s hero, gamers will use an arsenal of high tech weapons, gadgets and supplies, utilizing a variety of maneuvers to defeat an army of terrorists. MGS2 combines this unique gameplay with stylish cinematic presentation, a fair dose of political intrigue and the most stunning graphics ever seen on a console; the result is the closest thing available to a real spy movie on a video game console.

Silent Scope 2: Dark Silhouette

Release date: Fall 2001

Genre: Action

Platform: Sony PlayStation 2

In this ultimate action game, taken from the popular arcade games, players take on the role of a skilled anti-terrorist operative hired to prevent a terrorist group’s attack on several European locations. Heart-pounding missions take place across all types of environments, ranging from London’s River Thames to Swiss mountain ranges.

Police 911

Release date: Fall 2001

Genre: Action

Platform: Sony PlayStation 2

From the creators of the Silent Scope series comes Police 911, the newest arcade hit that delivers the closest experience players have to being an actual police officer. The high-impact action starts in the Little Tokyo section of the city of Los Angeles, where the “Gokudo-kai” organized crime family are suspected of illegal weapons smuggling. Players must crack down on the criminal activity by searching and apprehending the enemies who are hiding throughout the city.

Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor

Release date: July 2001

Genre: Action/Puzzle

Platform: Nintendo GameBoy Advance

Making its ferocious launch onto the Nintendo GameBoy Advance in time for the biggest theatrical release of the year comes Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor. Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor recreates the Jurassic Park world and takes players into an interactive pre-historic adventure. The game is a fun and unique mix of side-scrolling adventure stages and intense puzzle action. Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor includes more than 10 species of dinosaurs and 12 huge levels to explore.

Jurassic Park III: Park Builder

Release date: Late Summer 2001

Genre: Sim

Platform: Nintendo GameBoy Advance

Jurassic Park III: Park Builder allows players to create a miniature version of the dinosaur theme park, right in the palm of their hands. Search the world for DNA samples and use them to create over 100 dinosaurs to display in your park. Build shops, restaurants and dinosaur facilities, and manage all aspects of the theme park.

Jurassic Park III: Primal Fear

Release date: Fall 2001

Genre: Action/Adventure

Platform: Nintendo GameBoy Advance

In Jurassic Park III: Primal Fear, players are lost on an island inhabited by fierce dinosaurs, forcing them to use all their cunning and survival tactics to escape. Explore the island, find equipment and weapons and search for the location of the rescue helicopter before becoming the main course. The game features 360-degree movement through huge 3D rendered environments, several species of dangerous dinosaurs and dozens of items to bait and trap the dinosaurs.

The three Jurassic Park III Game Boy Advance titles are based on Universal Pictures’ and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic Park III, the third installment in the studio’s most successful film franchise ever, scheduled for release on July 18, 2001.

Shawn