Following up on the previous announcement, here’s a CES 2008 trailer for Soul Calibur IV, showing off the inclusion of Yoda and Vader from the Star Wars series.

In one of the oddest announcements to be ever made, Namco Bandai sent out word that iconic Star Wars characters Yoda and Vader will make their appearance in the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Soul Calibur IV. The Sith Lord Darth Vader will be choking his way to the PS3 version, while Yoda will be jumping around frantically on the Xbox 360 version.

“It is quite rare that two publishers of this caliber are able to collaborate on this level to create a top notch entertainment experience for next-generation platforms.” said Makoto Iwai, executive vice president and COO at Namco Bandai. “In the entertainment industry, LucasArts possesses some of the most recognizable characters and franchises in the world. We’re thrilled to integrate their historic characters into one of our most treasured brands.”

It is not known how exactly the players in the game will be able to block lightsaber attacks, but rest assured, it will be fun. Soul Calibur IV is due out this September.

It has been announced that Dwight Little, the director behind Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid and Free Willy 2, has been chosen to helm the upcoming live-action film adaptation of Tekken, Namco Bandai’s popular fighting franchise.

“The film plays out as a science fiction story set in the near future, about a rebel who rises up against the Tekken Corp. to seize freedom for his people,” Little said to Variety. “It’s a gladiator story, but the video game has a complicated enough storyline that it provides the template for a martial arts spectacular.”

The movie’s script has been penned by Alan McElroy (Spawn, Halloween 4) and will begin production on February 4, 2008.

Both Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation and Beautiful Katamari have gone gold for the Xbox 360 and will be released on the console on October 23 and October 16, respectively.

The titles were internally developed at Namco Bandai and feature online multiplayer and more. Demos of the games are available from Xbox Live Marketplace.

Recently updated official game pages for two Namco games show that they are coming to the PS3: Beautiful Katamari and Eternal Sonata. Previously exclusive to Xbox 360, Beautiful Katamari will now also be available on the PS3 as well as the oft-rumored Wii version. Eternal Sonata, also an ex-Xbox 360 exclusive, will be released for the PS3 as well, though it is not known when it will ship; the Xbox 360 version ships this week.

A picture pack from Eternal Sonata is now available via Xbox Live. It includes new avatars of Allegretto, Beat, March, Salsa and Viola. Previous picture pack includes the Polka pack, which is also still available on the service.

Eternal Sonata is a turn-based RPG set for release on September 17.

Today marks the release of new details of Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, an upcoming flight-action game for the Xbox 360 from Namco Bandai. The game will feature four unique multiplayer modes with full leaderboard and stat-tracking functionality. The modes are:

Battle Royale: Dodge missiles, blast your opponents and hit the throttle in this frenetic free-for-all battle! Up to 16 players can participate in Battle Royale mode, with the pilot with the highest score at the end of play taking first place.

Team Battle: Put your teamwork to the test as you try to out-maneuver and out-shoot opposing squadrons controlled by other players. Choose from the game’s variety of authentic licensed aircraft to choose the perfect combination of speed, durability, and firepower for your team. Up to 16 players total can play as up to two different squadrons to see who rules the skies in this test of aerial tactics.

Siege Battle: Two teams of up to four players each take turns assaulting and defending a variety of land, sea, and air-based targets in this original online mode. The team that is able to divide and conquer, clearing the targets in the shortest amount of time, will become the winner.

Co-op Battle: Up to four players can compete against computer-controlled enemies in a selection of cooperative missions. Use teamwork, superior firepower, and your ferocious fighting sprit to dominate the skies and complete the mission as quickly as possible.

Additionally, the company also announced that the game will support a wide variety of downloadable content including new color schemes for their planes, super-high difficulty missions, additional multiplayer stages and more.

The game ships exclusively on Xbox 360 on October 23.

Namco Bandai has announced Warhammer: Battle March for the PC and Xbox 360, marking the debut of the series on consoles. Battle March is an expansion to the tactical strategy game, offering six unique playable armies, fully customizable units and more.

The Xbox 360 version will get intuitive control schemes and support for online play for up to four players via Xbox Live. The expansion adds the Dark Elf and Orcs & Goblins forces; it will also allow players to fully customize their units in great detail, enabling them to “strike fear” into the opponents’ hearts using a combination of weaponry and armor.

Battle March is set for release sometime next year on PC and Xbox 360.

Revealed some time back, Namco Bandai has officially announced that the online add-on pack for the PS3 version of Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection will be available in North America later this year. To be purchasable through the PlayStation Store for $9.99, the multiplayer add-on pack will add four different modes: Opti Match, Quick Match, Custom Match and Friend Match. An online news ticker will keep players notified of noteworthy movement on the leaderboards. The add-on will also add Practice and Survival modes to the game.

Interestingly, this add-on pack will be sold only to current owners of the game. Those looking to get the game once the add-on is released will be able to get the pack plus the game at its original $20 price point.

Released during Microsoft’s Bringing it Home event during E3, the online demo for Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation has received over a half million downloads in its first week, marking its debut at number 1.

The game is set for release on October 23 for Xbox 360. There will also be a limited edition ACE-EDGE Flightstick bundle ($150) alongside the normal edition ($60).

The official website for Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes, the first game in the franchise for the PSP, has launched, offering information on the game, its characters, screenshots, artwork and more. There are also forums, unique “ninja missions” and a competition to win exclusive Naruto gear.

PlayStation Universe reports that the PS3 version of Tekken 6 will feature online multiplayer combat which Namco Bandai confirmed at the PlayStation Premier event in Japan.

The online play will be featured in various game modes similar to that of Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, which is now available on the PlayStation Network. As per the report, the PS3 game is to be expected in less than a year after the arcade version is released, which is later this year.

Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi is back at it again, cooking up kooky ideas for great games. His next creation is Nobi Nobi Boy, a PS3 game that apparently features a worm-like character who can twist around himself and other objects.

That’s about the only information released on the project so far. More information is expected soon.

It seems ‘Ultimate’ just isn’t ‘Ultimate’ enough for Namco Bandai; the company has announced Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2, the sequel to the PS2 action fighter. Slated for release this Summer exclusively for the PS2, the game features over 30 playable characters, 16 unique stages and head-to-head style fighting for fans of the series.

In “NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 2″ gamers can play through monumental events in the NARUTO storyline all while earning points toward upgrading their character’s strength, defense, agility, chakra and special abilities. Players can walk the path of NARUTO in the new all-new mode, Ultimate Road that will allow them to play through all of the pivotal events in the storyline, as well as unlock an original story, as more and more pieces of the NARUTO saga unfold. More than 60 exciting missions and seven challenging mini games will push potential ninja to their limit. Players can take the role of Naruto, Sasake, Kakashi, Rock Lee, Gara, Kiba and other favorites while taking on daunting tasks like battling the sand ninja and working their way through the Chunin exam, the test to move up in the ninja ranks. Ninja in training can perfect their skills in Practice mode then put their training to the test against a friend in the VS mode. With a vast amount of unlockable features such as playable characters, movies, music, collectible cards and more NARUTO fans will be busy for ages to come.

My Gaming Den reports that Japanese gamers can now download Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection for the PS3 through the console’s online network. A remake of the PSP game, Tekken 5 retails for 2,000 yen, which, according to the site, amounts to $17 US. It is not available to North American users; no release information has been provided for other regions.

Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection for the PS3 retains all the characteristics of its portable version, but also adds 1080p support, new characters, new gameplay modes and bonus features.