Ignition imports Marvelous games

US developer-publisher Ignition Entertainment announced today a long-term agreement with Marvelous Entertainment to bring the Japanese publisher's games to North America. Although Marvelous is best known for its Harvest Moon series of games, the first three products released under the agreement will instead focus on revamped installments of vintage Taito arcade franchises. Ignition Entertainment will bring Bubble Bobble Double Shot and New Zealand Story Revolution to the Nintendo DS, and Rainbow Island Evolution to the PlayStation Portable.

Bubble Bobble Double Shot introduces a third character to the mix, Babu, as well as a single-player campaign mode, three-player multiplayer modes, and levels that span both of the DS system's screens. New Zealand Story Revolution offers a similarly overhauled take on its own arcade predecessor, but adds in a new four-player wireless mode and a "spot the differences" gameplay mechanic. Finally, Rainbow Islands Evolution puts players in control of more human versions of Bubble Bobble's dinosaurian protagonists Bub and Bob as they try to thwart the plans of an evil record company. Like its fellow reimaginings, Rainbow Islands Evolution also contains new multiplayer modes.

All three games are expected to be released in North America in early 2008.