An entry in the long-running homoerotic shooter series Cho Aniki is coming to PSP owners in North America as a digital download, publisher Aksys has revealed. Packing "five man-rageous levels of brotherly love and muscle-on-muscle madness" plus "heightened experiences of rhythmic action," the "manliest shooter ever" has players fighting Emperor Balzac II (say it out loud) to save the universe's protein supply.

Cho Aniki Zero "will be oiled up and ready to thrust its way onto your PSP" as a PlayStation Store download this spring. More thinly-veiled gags follow... Read more

Publisher Aksys Games has announced that Battle Fantasia, a fighting game developed by Guilty Gear creators Arc System Works, is planned for a North American release on the Xbox 360 this coming fall.

Unlike Guilty Gear, Battle Fantasia makes use of a stylized, cel-shaded 3D graphics engine within a familiar two-dimensional fighting gameplay scheme. The game includes 12 characters, and is said to employ RPG-like elements blended with high level gameplay.

Released in Japanese arcades in 2007, Battle Fantasia hit Japan on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 late last May. Aksys has not yet announced whether the PS3 version of Battle Fantasia is bound for North American shores.

Publisher Aksys Games today announced that From The Abyss (NDS), an action RPG developed by Japanese developer Sonic Powered, will be released in North America this fall.

The game takes place in the world of Rubenhaut, a vast land which is randomly generated at the start of every journey. Players can customize their character using skill points that define skills and abilities, and capture the souls of monsters to utilize enemy skills in battle.

From the Abyss also supports local multiplayer via wireless for a two-player cooperative experience. Shacknews has contacted Aksys for screenshots and other media, but the company has not responded as of this writing.

Arc System Works' Guilty Gear 2: Overture (X360) will hit North American shores this fall, publisher Aksys Games announced today.

Described by the publisher as an intense tactical action game, Overture marks a shift from the series' traditional 2D one-on-one fighting into large-scale 3D action. Pitting returning character Sol Badguy against scores of enemies, the title is more akin to Koei's Dynasty Warriors rather than previous entries in the franchise.

"Guilty Gear 2: Overture retains a lot of elements that the fighting games are known for, so it's cool to see how familiar moves like the Gun Flame make the transition to 3D," said Aksys Games project lead Michael Manzanares. "You're facing off against an entire army instead of just one character."

The title's North American release is said to feature new items, skills, tweaks, and additional modes not available in the original Japanese version. Overture also supports multiplayer deathmatch via Xbox Live for up to four players.