Who doesn’t love a good board game? Well, here comes the next generation in family board gaming – Boom Street. Boom Street has several different themes boards, that you go around purchasing property and charging opponents for landing on them. Sound familiar? Yeah, just a bit.
As you move around the board you can buy shops to build a property portfolio along with collecting ‘suits’ that can be cashed in at the bank to earn more money. There are a few different settings, beginner to get you used to it, and standard mode which offers more strategic options as well as the ability to manipulate the stock market. Which sounds totally legit.
You can play on Mario and Dragon Quest themed boards, and you can also play with your own Mii or over 20 playable characters from Mario and Dragon Quest. I totally put dibs on Yoshi forever and ever to the end of eternity. You can play with up to our people on the same Wii remote, or against people all over the world using the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection, to see who can earn the most net worth the quickest.
Boom Street is coming out on January 5, 2012 on the Wii for $69.95. For more information on the game, go HERE
Voltron: Defender of the Universe Publisher: THQ Inc. Developer: Behaviour Interactive Platforms: XBLA (reviewed), PSN Release Date: November 30, 2011 Price: 800 MSP – Available Here
Overview
In the 1980’s, Voltron quickly became a popular anime television series. Even though the series had gained immense popularity, not many games have been developed in its honor. The developer, Behaviour Interactive, has created a duel stick shooter that incorporates different styles of gameplay. Let’s take a look and see if Voltron: Defender of the Universe lives up to the anime persona.
Story
The good planets of the universe created an alliance to protect the galaxy from evil oppressors. From this alliance one name rang throughout the galaxy – Voltron. A group of five space explorers sought the secret of the lion force to fend off the new evil from Planet Doom. Proclaimed as king, Zarkon rules his planet with force of machines. In addition to the evil ruler, a mischievous Prince Lotor and Witch Haggar aid in the king’s plans.
As Zarkon’s forces begin to spread, it has become the Voltron Lion Force’s duty to stop his reign. With the combined efforts of King Zarkon and Witch Haggar, they summon powerful Robeasts to destroy the lion fleet. Only by forming into Voltron will they be able to defend their universe.
Gameplay
In the character select screen, players will be able to choose their favorite/available lion to play. Each lion is given different attributes and identifiable color. However, the difference in lion attributes is hardly noticed during play. Once the character chooses a lion the game begins with a short film from the anime series.
The game style changes between three modes of play during the course of the game: Lion Mode, Space Mode, Voltron Mode. In Lion Mode, players use a duel stick shooter format that provide constant fire with the right analog and movement with the left. A tap of the right trigger will cause a lion to activate mega-thrusters and pounce in a targeted area. This melee attack can be quite useful to avoid attacks or take down flying opponents. Additionally, each lion is given their own special attack using the left trigger. During the course of each Lion Mode level, players are to complete objectives like defending a castle, protecting supplies, or defeating minions. No matter what lion you choose, the constant firing of your guns will grow tiresome and make you wonder if you have really accomplished anything. Any level can be cleared alone by strafing left to right with constant fire.
Within Lion Mode, players are given a chance to redeem themselves once their lion takes too much damage. The character is ejected out of the lion and must defend the position for 10 seconds without dying. If the player can survive 10 seconds and make it back to the lion, his/her life will be spared. Staying alive is a huge deal in multiplayer because extra lives are shared by everyone – this is a team sport!
Space Mode incorporates a scrolling environment in zero gravity space. Moving in outer space can be difficult if the screen becomes full of Zarkon’s forces. This mode mimics a combination of Geometry Wars and Asteroids but with Voltron graphics. As the Voltron Lion Force travels from planet to planet, they must dodge/shoot asteroids as well as take down attacking airships. Still with the duel stick format, the only difference is with the secondary controls. Once activated the right trigger will perform an unique somersault that avoids any contact with enemies. This becomes extremely useful when enemies begin to cloud your screen with projectiles. Space Mode was the most difficult for me to play because I would occasionally lose sight of my lion in the blending background.
The final mode I got to experience was Voltron Mode. After breaking down a robot’s defenses in Lion Mode, up to five player conjointly form into Voltron. Shifting from a duel stick shooter to a turn based accuracy match really dampened any of the game’s greatness. If this section was changed in favor of active boss battles, I believe a lot more opinions would have been positive. To make this mode even more aggravating, you must count on your teammates to accurately time attacks when it is not your active turn. The turn based battles are slow moving and could have been made much more interesting, yet it seems necessary to involve all five players.
You may find yourself strafing and avoiding a lot in single player, but multiplayer offers a fast, addictive style that understands the meaning of playing with friends. Voltron: Defender of the Universe should always be played with five players. The aspect that makes Voltron unique is that a team of space explorers with different mentalities have fought together separately and as one unit. Put away your pride and fight with courage and humility with the rest of the Voltron Lion Force.
While the environments are not completely distracting, they provide enough space for an effective dual stick shooter. And there is enough space for five separate lions to roam freely! In many multiplayer shooters, players complain that they have to stick to a specific area or follow their partners around. This game offers freedom from that “player following” and allows you to take full control of your lion.
Audio/Visual
The storyline becomes enhanced by scenes from the anime series. Before each stage begins, a short film is initiated and offers the nostalgic environment that fans have loved about Voltron. Being able to watch segments of the show was a definite bonus. I almost felt the need to continue to beat each stage just so I could view the next clip. At one point, my brother-in-law came into the room and asked me what I was watching. I told him I was playing Voltron. Stunned, he looked at the screen once more and shook his head in disbelief.
Game visuals do not compare well with modern graphics. Players can definitely tell that this game was made as a downloadable title rather than on a physical disc. The robot battles take the biggest hit for having too much of a cartoon vibe. I felt that the machines did not fit well into the environment and that the turn based system prevented a stream of animations that could have made battles more appealing.
Overall
Many reviews critique Voltron on poor graphics and repetitive gameplay. I agree that the graphics aren’t as great as they should be, and the fact that the gameplay becomes a rigorous grind against robots. However, the greatness that is Voltron is experienced within the multiplayer. Not only does the game move faster but also gains a feeling of teamwork that is the essence of the Voltron Lion Force. What is Voltron but the make-up of five space explorers?
With the single player lacking the essence of a team and game lacking Voltron playability, Voltron does not sit well with a lot of viewers. For those that want to experience an enjoyable multiplayer experience and the nostalgia of Voltron film shorts, this is still a game that can be enjoyed.
Voltron will be right back after these messages… for
Ever popular game publisher and developers, Atari, have announced the launch of Breakout: Boost on the App store. Breakout: Boost combines classic fun with new features such as Boost Control, which allows you to adjust ball speed and customise your brick-breaking experience, should you feel the need to have such control over your balling experience. Five levels of bricks to smash are included with the app, with over 200 additional levels available through in-app purchases.
Breakout: Boost relives the fun of the popular brick-breaking game that Atari first introduced to gamers in 1976, with some awesome new features of course. As well as Boost Control, there are special ball upgrades such as fire, acid, splitting and grenade balls. And if there is one thing that will get me interested in a game, it’s grenade balls. So if you’re an old school Atari fan or just someone who loves to break some bricks, then this is definitely worth the download.
Breakout: Boost is available NOW for FREE on the iPad and iPhone. Get it HERE
PC gamers, have you missed defending the earth from giant bugs while all the other platforms out there made heroes of themselves? Well be disappointed no more! Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon has just arrived on Steam for Windows. To make up for the fact that every other platform has had the game for a good six months there are four exclusive weapon packs available for purchase alongside the game: The Earth Defense Force Battle Armor Weapon Chest, Trooper Special Issue Enforcer Package, Aerialist Munitions Package, and the Tactician Advanced Tech Package.
Each pack contains ten weapons for all that third person bug squashing action, including the interestingly named Nilas Cryo Pancake Cycler (an ice mortar, in normal terms), an acid shotgun and a chain lightning weapon. The game itself is on special from now until January 2nd, so head on over to Steam for 25% off.
Bust-n-Rush Developer: Techtonic Games Publisher: Techtonic Games Platform: PC (reviewed), Mac Release Date: December 15, 2011 Price: $7.99 (buy here)
Overview
Bust-n-Rush is the first game from Santa Barbara studio Techtonic Games. The first game. And for that, it is seriously impressive. At the most basic level all you have to do is run and smash into stuff, but Techtonic have managed to create something here that will test your reflexes, boggle your brain and please eyeballs and eardrums alike.
It uses the Unity engine to great effect, creating procedurally generated levels so that no two run throughs will ever be the same. Players take on the role of Kovo, and must ‘Bust ‘n Rush’ their way through 3 levels of ten challenges each – all in the name of a flamingo! (explained shortly) Also included is endless mode, which as the name implies, is a never ending run with the simple aim of getting the highest score possible.
Story:
Now a game like this isn’t ever going to be story heavy, but what confused me about Bust-n-Rush is this – there is a story, and it’s quite neat, but it’s for the most part hidden away on the developer’s website rather than in the game. The screenshot you see above is pretty much the entire story set up, and despite the fact it’s only one tiny scene, it’s a good one. It’s quirky and different, with the game’s hero Kovo chilling out in his underground haven, listening to some tunes with his pal the pink flamingo.
Seconds later a giant machine comes and decimates the area, squashing the flamingo and disturbing Kovo’s relaxation time. Understandably annoyed by this random act of destruction, he sets off to chase down the machine – making the entire driving force of the game one stone golems desire to avenge his squished flamingo . Thumbs up. But I only knew that the flamingo had anything to do with it by looking at Techtonic’s website, which reveals more details, including the fact the flamingo is called Paco and that the bad guy machine is actually something called the Satellite of Wub. Both made me chuckle, both were on the website. As I said, it doesn’t really detract from the game , but having a few more extra details of humor in there wouldn’t hurt.
All in all it has what it needs, a neat, funny, unique set up.
Gameplay:
Run. Run faster. Smash things. That in a nutshell, is Bust-n-Rush. What the nutshell doesn’t quite cover is how fast, crazy and difficult this game is. Kovo can only crash through objects outlined in blue, and then only when rushing. Red outlined objects will stop him in his tracks, as will falling off ledges, or hitting anything at normal speed. The game works on three tracks, allowing Kovo to switch between them to pick out the path of least (or most, depending on your mood) resistance.
There are thirty challenges to beat, which generally mean collecting a certain number of objects, bust n rushing a certain number of obstacles, or surviving for a certain period of time. Hit up to rush, space to jump, down to brake.
It all starts off fairly easily, a few rocks here, a few rocks there. But then the challenges take a brutal step up in difficulty, throwing in score multiplier scorbs (see what they did there?) , super scorbs, tricky little rock arrangements, and so, many, obstacles! The second and third stages have a crazy amount of them – portals, gravity flippers, compactors, objects that force you to jump, power ups that speed you up, conveyor belts that go backwards, air vents, objects that force you into the ground, conveyor belts that go forwards, plain old lumps of metal, electrified metal, spikes of metal. All at high speed.
See how you’re brain felt when reading that list? Multiply that level of information processing by 100 and speed it up and add some bright colours and maybe some little sparkly lights, because that’s how your head will feel when playing this – it’s fast, it’s hard, and it can also be incredibly frustrating. Surviving for 60 seconds may not seem like a big deal, but in Bust-n-Rush that minute is full of tons of randomised obstacles flying at your face, moving side to side or up and down – finishing a challenge here can be a real accomplishment. It can also cause a rage quit. How you deal with Bust-n-Rush’s difficulty spike will really affect how you get on with this title, especially when the tiniest mistake can cost you everything.
The procedurally generated levels only add to the challenge,preventing you from becoming familiar with layouts and tracks. It’s a very clever way to make your success all about skill and reaction times – so top up on the caffeine and get practicing, because if you’re going to stick with Bust-n-Rush you’ll need it! Combos and multipliers net ever higher scores, and in yet another little twist of difficulty, you actually have to slow down and stop rushing to finish off a combo and bank it to your score.
It’s all about the balance between fun and frustration, the tiny little wobbles from a sense of accomplishment to one of pure, raging fury. It’s great! It is perhaps a little short on replayability value, and the time you can spend with it before your brain melts or the frustration gets too much is limited. Despite the fact the levels are procedurally generated things can also get repetitious – although the goals change what you’re doing to achieve them is very much the same.
Audio & Visual:
Bust-n-Rush is like a living comic book, one that moves ridiculously fast. The outlined style brings a nice distinction to everything that makes sure that when you crack your skull into a giant rock and die, it’s your own fault. The three different settings do a good job of keeping things fresh, although you’ll be speeding by everything so quickly you’ll barely have time to notice. Of course certain elements pop up again and again, but the same point applies – you’ll be focused so completely on not screwing up that it simply doesn’t register.
When you take a minute to actually look at Bust-n-Rush it doesn’t disappoint- Kovo looks like he’s stepped straight out of a Marvel comic book and the environments are packed with dynamic detail that cleverly keeps the bright colours to the obstacles.
The music in Bust-n-Rush is like the soundtrack to an 80’s sci fi action movie (and I mean that as someone who loves those things) – a kind of techno rock that fits perfectly with the gameplay. Unlike the visuals the sound track is something you can actually appreciate while playing, and it has that lovely effect of sucking you even further into the game. Completing a challenge gets a fantastic little guitar riff from Kovo, and the few sound effects in game have a fantastic over the top quality (SOOPER SCORRRRRRB!!!).
Overall:
Bust-n-Rush is incredibly impressive for a first game. The presentation is fantastic and the option to pay an extra dollar for the soundtrack is certainly worth it. Depending on your gaming outlook the difficulty level may be a turn off or mana from heaven – but the quality of build here is top notch whatever your outlook. Techtonic have pushed the runner genre as far as it can go with Bust-n-Rush, and although it may be frustrating and overwhelming at times, at others it is addictive, challenging, rewarding and a whole lot of fun.
Sitting around with nothing to do and want to win a nice gift for yourself? Well, your in luck as PopCap have launched a new game on their Facebook page by the name of Prize Plunger. This little romp lets players take control of the Yeti Zombie and use their powerful plunger to pull up a prize. prizes include the likes of an iPad 2, a zombie figurine, or a free PopCap game.
The whole game takes under a minute to complete and is definitely worth a try for those devoured in holiday boredom. Check out the game for yourself at PopCap’s Facebook page here and best of luck to all that take the plunge!
Like with most MMORPGs that fail to have an official Oceanic server list, players of The Old Republic have chosen to congregate on a select few servers based on which had the largest proportion of guilds deployed to them. So far there are four unofficial Australian servers in the game, one for Role-Playing, One for PVP and Two for PvE.
As you can see from this list, there is already a large Australian playerbase for the game, spread across these servers on the list. Already over 1,000 confirmed Australians play this game, there could be more unaccounted players for you to hang out with while on these servers.
Can you believe we’re only 9 days away from Christmas? It’s the happiest time of the year for many, and PopCap are celebrating with a nice seasonal update for Plants vs Zombies. As you can see in the photo above, this update lets the many characters of the game don some holiday attire and hats, but there is a bit more that has been packed in this download.
A new mode by the name of I, Zombie has been added and allows players to play on the zombie side of the garden. Boasting one free level (with 8 additional levels and Endless mode available for in-app purchase through Crazy Dave’s shop), I, Zombie offers the same kind of features that the PC and Console versions have seen as well as four new achievements (Better Off Dead, I,Win, Where the Sun don’t Shine, and Undead Space) as well as the introduction of Bronze, Silver and Gold Mystery Sprouts. Leader board support has also been added, so you now have no excuse to purchase or simply download Plants vs Zombies for your on-the go fix.
So take a break from shopping and get to the backyard, as Santa’s undead friends are plotting an attack on all iOS devices.
The 3DS may have had a worringly slow start after launching in March this year, but Nintendo have again proven their might in the gaming industry as the 3DS became the fastest-selling games console ever in Australia.
Reported proudly by Nintendo, and confirmed by the NPD Group Australia, the 3DS sold 200,000 units in Australia in under 37 weeks, surpassing the mark faster than any other handheld or home console in the past.
The strong sales have no doubt been the result of several factors, including the price drop of recent months, the Christmas shopping craze, and the recent release of two fantastic first-party Mario games, Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7.
It’s a little surprising, really, considering both the slow initial uptake of the 3DS and Nintendo’s previous high-selling consoles – there was a worldwide shortage of Wii consoles after launch, as orders came in faster than the machines could be produced. And the original Game Boy broke sales records in the early 90s, some of which still haven’t been topped after more than 20 years. It makes you wonder what might have been, had the 3DS had a stronger software lineup at launch.
Regardless, it goes to show that Nintendo are certainly not struggling, as it has been suggested, and it brings hope for next year’s release of the Wii U.
Are you 3DS Ambassadors ready to get your Game Boy Advance fix? Good. All 10 of the promised GBA titles are now available for download in both Australia and the United States.
As a reminder, the full list of games includes:
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi’s Island
Zelda: The Minish Cap
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
Mario Kart Advance
Mario vs Donkey Kong
Metroid Fusion
Wario Land 4
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames
To download these titles, you must make sure you are connected to a Wi-Fi point, and then access the eShop. From there, just go to the Settings/Other tab and then “Your Downloads”. After that step, just hit Re-Download on each game and you are good to go! Simple as that. Now go enjoy your Game Boy Greatness!
Who doesn’t love a good board game? Well, here comes the next generation in family board gaming – Boom Street. Boom Street has several different themes boards, that you go around purchasing property and charging opponents for landing on them. Sound familiar? Yeah, just a bit.
