By 
While Namco Bandai seem perfectly happy to deprive us non-Japanese folk of some of their better games (hello there, Tales of Innocence), apparently those down in the land of Oz are worthy of their attention. Case in point: a listing for Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces priced at $69.95 AUD has popped up on the websites of several Australian retailers.
While the boxart for the listing is the original Japanese, it could be a placeholder. The interesting part, though, is that Atari is listed as the publisher. Atari publishes Namco Bandai developed games such as Tales of Vesperia in PAL territories.
The game is unique in how it uses the Wii remote and Nunchuk for flight control. Instead of using analog control for movement, Project Aces designed the game so you direct your plane using the Nunchuk’s tilt features with the Wii remote acting as the throttle (by tilting it forward and backward). The game also features Classic Controller support for traditionalists.
Sky Crawlers is based on the anime film by Production I.G. of the same name, which in turn is based on a series of five novels by Hiroshi Mori. The film is directed by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell) and is being distributed in North America by Sony Pictures. Despite being based on the movie, the game features an original story. It’s said that Oshii playtested a pre-release version of the game himself!
Whether or not Atari or Namco Bandai have plans to publish the game in the U.S. is anybody’s guess, but we’d love to check this one out, even if it means importing it at a high price.
