Ghost In The Shell S.A.C. to be released in USA

Source: IGN

Masamune Shirow has made a great many stunning contributions to cyberpunk fandom with his Japanese manga and subsequent anime adaptations, but it was the anime version of Ghost In The Shell that set the world ablaze. With its literate, probing story about questions of the soul and the living world — along with its kick-ass action that was detailed down to the last whiff of steam off a hot bullet settling into a puddle — Ghost In The Shell helped usher in the otaku craze that has finally taken anime mainstream. This is one that still sticks in many minds as one of Japan’s best in the artform.

The anime producers at Production I.G have since paid back the love of the fans with a sequel and a TV series now in its second “Gig” of episodes. Production I.G is also heavily into videogames, having created a number of titles for SCEJ as well as produced animation for other game titles. Naturally, Ghost In The Shell has made it to the videogame world several times before, including a manic PSone shooter (where you were fought on any and every surface in 3D as a Fuchikoma spider-tank assault vehicle) and the recent action-adventure S.A.C. game on PlayStation 2.

The series now becomes portable with the new PSP Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Developed as a first-person shooter for this exclusive entry in the series, GITS for PSP puts you in the role of Section 9’s top officers — the cyberware-modified and lethally agile female Major Kusanagi, the quiet but burly Batou, the wholly human and cleverly stealthy Togusa, and the eagle-eyed sniper Saito (we’ve even seen one screenshot where Section Chief Aramaki is packing heat.) The game allows you to use each character’s skills as you hunt down a terrorist cell, while your own Tachikoma (or Fuchikoma, depending on when you became a Ghost In The Shell fan) can be customized to assist on your mission to perform tasks and hack into enemies. A new gameplay style, an original storyline, and even a full four-player multiplayer feature all make this a game to watch for both anime and action fans.

Unfortunately, fans haven’t had anything to watch since the TGS debut of this PSP game — Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan has said nothing new, and there hasn’t been word on the US release. But this Ghost is about to be freed. Bandai has picked up the game for a North American release, and the game will make its debut at this year’s E3. We spoke with Bandai’s producer on Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex to find out where this handheld mission will take us. Source: IGN

Masamune Shirow has made a great many stunning contributions to cyberpunk fandom with his Japanese manga and subsequent anime adaptations, but it was the anime version of Ghost In The Shell that set the world ablaze. With its literate, probing story about questions of the soul and the living world — along with its kick-ass action that was detailed down to the last whiff of steam off a hot bullet settling into a puddle — Ghost In The Shell helped usher in the otaku craze that has finally taken anime mainstream. This is one that still sticks in many minds as one of Japan’s best in the artform.

The anime producers at Production I.G have since paid back the love of the fans with a sequel and a TV series now in its second “Gig” of episodes. Production I.G is also heavily into videogames, having created a number of titles for SCEJ as well as produced animation for other game titles. Naturally, Ghost In The Shell has made it to the videogame world several times before, including a manic PSone shooter (where you were fought on any and every surface in 3D as a Fuchikoma spider-tank assault vehicle) and the recent action-adventure S.A.C. game on PlayStation 2.

The series now becomes portable with the new PSP Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Developed as a first-person shooter for this exclusive entry in the series, GITS for PSP puts you in the role of Section 9’s top officers — the cyberware-modified and lethally agile female Major Kusanagi, the quiet but burly Batou, the wholly human and cleverly stealthy Togusa, and the eagle-eyed sniper Saito (we’ve even seen one screenshot where Section Chief Aramaki is packing heat.) The game allows you to use each character’s skills as you hunt down a terrorist cell, while your own Tachikoma (or Fuchikoma, depending on when you became a Ghost In The Shell fan) can be customized to assist on your mission to perform tasks and hack into enemies. A new gameplay style, an original storyline, and even a full four-player multiplayer feature all make this a game to watch for both anime and action fans.

Unfortunately, fans haven’t had anything to watch since the TGS debut of this PSP game — Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan has said nothing new, and there hasn’t been word on the US release. But this Ghost is about to be freed. Bandai has picked up the game for a North American release, and the game will make its debut at this year’s E3. We spoke with Bandai’s producer on Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex to find out where this handheld mission will take us.