TrackandField posts (Subscribe to this feed)

Okay, as if the inclusion of Pyramid Head in the game could be topped, Konami has gone ahead and included their resident neck-snapper, Solid Snake. What we found to be particularly cool about all of this is how he even dons his sweet facemask seen at the beginning of Metal Gear Solid during the water events.

Now, before you go screaming unfair advantage, keep in mind the man is going up against a very large penguin. They're bred for swimming. So we think a little slack should be given.

Check out the other screens of Snake in action in our gallery below.

A press release for New International Track & Field just burst through the tape and into our inboxes, complete with news of a U.S. release window and fresh details.

Apparently, the game will be launching stateside this summer, with more than 15 characters available from the start. A further two are unlockable (and our money would be on Snake making his second non-Metal Gear Solid appearance of 2008), and there'll be 20 events to keep us distracted and our touchscreens gouged.

Also worth mentioning is the "Voice Boost" feature, which will allow players to bellow into the DS microphone to give their character a performance boost by cheering them on. We saw this idea used (briefly) in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (one could psyche up the crowd by clapping near the microphone), but it seems like it could be a more significant feature here. "The louder you are," declares Konami's press release, "the bigger the boost!" That could get annoying.


[Via press release]

Look at Frogger's expression here -- he simply can't believe that he's part of a 100m sprint with super-deformed versions of Pyramid Head and Simon Belmont. Nor can we, actually. The cast of characters in Konami's New International Track & Field is even more unusual and eclectic than that of the DS's other mascot/athletics mash-up.

As well as Frogger, Pyramid Head, and Simon Belmont, these 28 new screens feature Pentarou, a penguin whose most notable appearances came in the Parodius series of games, and Evil Rose, a fighter from the mediocre Xbox 360 'rassler Rumble Roses XX. The events appear to be just as diverse, including as they do the likes of "Belmont's Challenge," which looks like a kind of vampire-themed take on archery.


[Via press release]

A WINNER IS WHICH RETRO SEQUEL
	International Track & Field
	Super Dodge Ball DS
	Arkanoid DS
	The Legend of Kage 2
	Contra 4
Free polls from Pollhost.com

When Konami announced that its rumored remake would be for Track & Field, we had to excuse ourselves and spend some alone time in our cars, sobbing, coming to terms with the fact that we'll never receive another Boot Camp or Rocket Knight Adventures title. Our whimpering quieted a bit when we heard that the Olympic-themed game would have guest appearances from other Konami franchises like Silent Hill, and we might have even smiled a little when we saw that Sparkster was on the roster.

The most promising thing we've read in previews for New International Track & Field, however, is its commitment to providing a robust online experience. Players will be able to battle against up to three opponents, enter custom tournaments and official competitions, and grab downloadable content, all with Nintendo's WiFi Connection service. There will also be leaderboards and an in-game ticker tape that updates you on the progress of your friends and rivals. Developers, take note: This is how you add online support to your DS games.


[Via IGN]

Without starting a riot, we'd like to point out that our love of games extends to those titles that don't grace Nintendo platforms. For example, Silent Hill. The franchise is one we absolutely love and will play every installment in. That's why the inclusion of Pyramid Head (in the screen to your right, far left) has us thinking there might be some charm to this title yet. Screens including the big guy (although he's quite short in the screen there) can be found here.

Courtesy of Joystiq, we've got some more screens (better ones, actually) in our gallery below. Also, there's the first teaser trailer for the game past the break.

The Konami press conference at the Leipzig Games Conference has elucidated an impressive feature list for the recently revealed DS title New International Track & Field. The game is a celebration of 25 years since the first version was released as an arcade game. Not only will the new version include over 20 different athletic events, but there will be unlockable Konami characters to play as. The first two such characters to be announced are Pyramid Head from Silent Hill 2 and Sparkster from Rocket Knight Adventures.

All the new characters for the game are being designed by Udon Entertainment and the final title will include extensive online features, including 4-player matches either locally or via Wi-Fi, downloadable content, online rankings, leader boards and detailed player profiles. The game will also include a ticker "news feed," which promises to update anyone playing online whenever any world records are broken via a news ticker across the screen.

We've embedded an ad for the game after the break. If you're sitting in a quiet office, note that it's filled with grunting and screeching.

While strolling through the event halls of the Leipzig Games Convention, the folks at 1UP snapped some pictures of a display for New International Track & Field, an apparent DS sequel to everybody's favorite foray into athletic verisimilitude. Judging by the images, the game is developed by Super Rub 'a' Dub's Sumo Digital and is likely to be announced by Konami later this week, potentially for additional platforms.

We'll let you know what to expect (aside from a heavy presence of tracks and fields) as soon as an announcement is made.

Looks like those rumors from this morning are true: Konami is ready to present a remake for the DS. The folks at 1UP managed to check out the hall where Konami has set up shot. Without any kind of security to stop them from entering, 1UP just walked around and took a couple of pictures, revealing the game we see above.

There's another picture past the post break.

Today's XBLA offering is none other than Konami's athletic button masher Track & Field which is an updated version of the 1983 classic you've come to know and love. This Track & Field remake is available for 400 Microsoft points and features four player competition over Xbox Live or locally, six classic events, original or updated graphics options and the standard leaderboard / achievement offerings. It's time to stretch your hands and tape up your thumbs, because we've got some Track & Field controller abuse about to go down.

This Wednesday, you can relive your glory days of high school track and field athletics with Konami's Xbox Live Arcade offering of ... Track & Field. Mash buttons for that 100 meter dash record; hit the button at the right time for the long jump; or press the button in time to jump those hurdles. It's all the glory of your youth – minus the awkward dates and unfortunate facial blemishes – for the low asking price of 400 Microsoft Points ($5). Invite your old high school buddies along for the ride with 4-person Xbox Live multiplayer support and determine, once and for all, who the best athlete is.

We just got the release informing us that this week's Xbox Live Arcade title will be the 1983 classic, Track & Field. As a retro title, it will run you (Nyuk!) 400 Microsoft Points, and will feature all the XBLA standards, like Achievements Leaderboards, and also has 4 player local and online multiplayer over Xbox Live, which is a nice touch. The main menu, pictured above, looks pretty snazzy, with a familiar red, white and blue motif. While it's not a twofer, it's still a nice retro title for the week.