KAIO: King of Pirates

Since leaving Capcom, fans have been eager to see what's next from former exec and Mega-Man co-creator Keiji Inafune. His first post-Capcom title, mobile game The Island of Dr. Momo, wasn't exactly what North Americans may have been hoping for, but his latest project may be more enticing. KAIO: King of Pirates is a 3DS game with striking characters and high-seas piracy.

Inafune isn't providing any gameplay details at this time, aside from saying that it takes place in a great ocean. The announcement is accompanied by a trailer, which focuses on setting up the game's atmosphere and introducing us to a few of KAIO: King of Pirates' characters. Don't let their adorable looks put you off; if the glimpse of that leviathan-like beast is any indication, there be fearsome monsters ahead. The footage shows off both melee combat as well as ship-to-ship engagements – with animated figureheads who join in the battles.

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The game is being developed by his Intercept company and published in Japan by Marvelous. There's no word on the official site if the game will be docking on our shores, but judging from Inafune's past efforts in creating games for Western audiences it's probably a safe bet we'll be seeing it here, too. While we wait, check out a snippet of the game's story below.