Eidos unveils Fresh Games

Eidos has officially announced the creation of its new label, Fresh Games, which will be responsible for bringing several formerly Japan-only games to North America and Europe. The first three games to be published under the Fresh Games label--Mad Maestro!, and Legaia 2: Duel Saga--were all originally developed by Sony Computer Entertainment.

"Fresh Games is considered a boutique label, created solely to expose gamers to unique and captivating gameplay experiences that traditionally have been unavailable outside of Japan," said Mike McGarvey, CEO of Eidos. "With Mister Mosquito, Mad Maestro!, and Legaia 2, we will change people's perceptions of what constitutes a great game."

The first of the three games, Mister Mosquito, was originally known simply as Ka in Japan. Players assume the role of a mosquito that has to suck blood from various members of a family in order to survive over the course of a winter, but they'll have to do so cautiously. The family members will try to kill the mosquito if they see it on their body or flying through the air. The second game in the Fresh Games library will be Mad Maestro, which was formerly known as Bravo Music in Japan. Much like in a typical rhythm game, players will be required to press a series of buttons corresponding to the onscreen action in Mad Maestro, which takes the form of an orchestral concert. The last of the three games, Legaia 2: Duel Saga, is a sequel to the Legend of Legaia. While the game falls under the RPG category, its battle system is somewhat unique, as players can link different attacks to create a single powerful magic attack.

All three games will be available this spring.