Earlier this year, D3 Publisher showed off Chikyuu Boueigun 3 (Earth Defense Force 3), the Xbox 360 sequel to the 2005 cult hit for the PlayStation 2, Chikyuu Boueigun 2. The latter game and its 2003 predecessor were part of the Simple 2000 games, a subbrand of D3 Publisher dedicated to budget-priced games--many of which earned praise for delivering high-quality gameplay for a low price.

　　Man, I wish I'd paid that interstellar exterminator bill!

　　Like its predecessors, Chikyuu Boueigun 3 features a kitschy sci-fi scenario that sees Earth invaded by antlike aliens, and players are tasked with destroying them en masse. Back in September, the game made a positive impression on attendees of the 2006 Tokyo Game Show with its free-roaming combat against new hordes of intergalactic insects and 1950s-style giant robots.

　　Chikyuu Boueigun 3 goes on sale next week across the Pacific, where it has already gained something of a cult following. Luckily, North American gamers will also get to take a shot at the title next spring, when D3 Publisher will release the game in the US and Canada as Earth Defense Force X.

　　As outlined in GameSpot's hands-on preview from TGS, Earth Defense Force X will feature a huge amount of shooting and no small amount of six-legged foes. It will also feature greater depth and improved graphics over its PS2 forebears, although its multiplayer co-op mode will be strictly offline.

　　Earth Defense Force X is part of a wave of next-gen titles from D3 Publisher, which is also publishing Dark Sector from developer Digital Extremes (Pariah, Warpath). More details on EDFX can be found in GameSpot's exclusive preview tomorrow afternoon.