Square Enix is revisiting the Unreal Engine with a medieval inspired RPG, first revealed by Famitsu quite recently. However, the game has no name or story at the moment. However, it does have its first piece of artwork. If you want to have a look at it, look above this paragraph. It is a man with a sword and what seems to be an owl as an companion. In the distance is a castle with the sun setting in the background. Looks interesting.
This particular piece of artwork was found at their recruitment page. It seems they are still looking for members to join the development team. Here is what they are looking for:
Planner (Action) — creating the specifications and data for the game’s action, focusing on combat action.
Planner (Writing) — writing the text for the game and scenarios.
Planner (Level) — level and field design via Unreal Engine 3, positioning enemies, items and so-forth.
Game Programmer — camera control and AI.
Network Programmer — matching and network synchronization during gameplay.
3D Graphics Programmer — real time 3D graphics realization and optimization.
Physics Programmer — in-game physics simulation and optimization.
Animation Programmer — 3D model animation.
Art Designer — background art (image and gadgets), character and enemy art and design.
Motion Designer — game character motion.
VFX Designer — effects for action scenes, cut-scenes and so-forth.
BG Modeler — production of 3D backgrounds, level design.
Character Modeler — modeling for characters and enemies.
If you think you can handle one of these roles, have game development experience and can read and speak Japanese, then why don’t you head over to their recruitment page. They are asking for experience with the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, so it safe to conclude that these are the platforms that this game will be coming out on.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is finally available to purchase worldwide. Like the US and Europe, the game is selling well in its native land of Japan. How much exactly? Well, in its first week on the market, it has debuted with 194,978 units sold, according to numbers by Media Create. It had stiff competition from 7th Dragon 2020 and Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, which also debuted this week.
It didn’t have a prolonged effect on Wii sales, though. The Wii moved 20,148 units, which is doubled from last week, but most Zelda fans in Japan already own a Wii, so this was expected. Another piece of Nintendo hardware, the Nintendo 3DS, managed top spot this week, with 120,920 units moved, leaving the Playstation duo of the PS3 and PSP far behind.
Below are the hard numbers of Japanese sales between Nov 21 and Nov. 27, all from Media Create (via Andriasang):
Software:
01. Zelda Skyward Sword (Nintendo, Wii): 194,978
02. 7th Dragon 2020 (Sega, PSP): 122,498
03. Saint Seiya Senki (Namco Bandai, PSP): 66,557
04. Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo, 3DS): 61,710
05. Metal Gear Solid HD Edition (Konami, PS3): 61,192
06. Little Battler eXperience Boost (Level-5, PSP): 60,727
07. Weiss Schwarz Portable (Namco Bandai, PSP): 47,586
08. Uta no Prince Sama Music (Broccoli, PSP): 38,918
09. Taiko Drum Master Wii Ultimate Version (Namco Bandai, Wii): 32,098
10. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Subtitled Version (Square Enix, PS3): 29,726
11. One Piece Gigant Battle 2 (Namco Bandai, DS): 27,379
12. Pop’n Music Portable 2 (Konami, PSP): 20,965
13. Ni no Kuni (Level-5, PS3): 20,185
14. Kirby Wii (Nintendo, Wii): 19,527
15. Final Fantasy Type-0 (Square Enix, PSP): 16,655
16. Hatsune Miku Project Diva Extend (Sega, PSP): 16,322
17. Pokepark 2 Beyond the World (Pokemon, Wii): 14,710
18. Just Dance Wii (Nintendo, Wii): 14,013
19. Wii Party (Nintendo, Wii): 13,756
20. Sengoku Basara 3 Utage (Cacpom, PS3): 13,233
Overview
After dominating the Nintendo DS and seeing 10 successful releases thus far, you would think Mama would be in need of taking a long day off. A mother’s work is never done though and there are always hungry mouths to feed, which is exactly why Majesco have brought their gaming heroine of sorts into the third dimension with Cooking Mama 4: Cooking Magic. In this brand new title, Mama returns to her roots and is ready to cook up 60 new recipes in full 3D. This sequel is also out to impress, with an added in gyroscopic control, extra modes, and a handy customization feature. The question is, is this follow-up as delicious as it’s predecessors or has this series been in the oven too long?
Gameplay
After all of the Mama games we have seen to date, I really shouldn’t have to go into detail about how Kitchen Magic plays. Your job is to assist Mama in cooking up recipes by completing mini-games. As usual, the most utilized tool is the stylus, where players will have to slice, stir, and fry up food in timed events. This main method of movement is starting to feel a bit dated, but I doubt many fans will have much of a problem using the touchscreen as taking away the touch controls in a handheld Mama game would almost be like telling Mario not to jump. There is some freshness to be found here though, as Cooking Mama 4 has taken advantage of the 3DS’ gyroscopic controls. This lets players tuck their pens away for brief periods of time and actually move the 3DS to prepare a dish. We’ll touch base more on that in a minute, but for now, let’s talk about the main ingredient within the game, the food.
In the main mode, players will be asked to help cook up a dish, one ingredient at a time. Everything feels a bit more detailed this time around as well, as to make a Salsbury Steak, you will need to grind the meat, peel and chop onions, perform a stir fry, crack and mix eggs, make your own breading, and then mix everything together and cook it all up to perfection. This may sound like an elaborate exorcise, but one has to respect how much content that has went into making each dish. Not every recipe is as thought-out, but conjuring up each one felt like a realistic process and thankfully, the mini-games to get the player from start to finish are quite enjoyable to start with.
On the topic of the mini-games that are utilized to create your culinary masterpiece, there is a good variety to chew on. These little romps are usually crafted to test a player’s timing skills, memory, or to have you perform accurate stylus strokes in order to cut an ingredient…just to name a few. The standouts of the over 200 offered are without a doubt the games that use the gyro control method. Every wanted to actually shake your DS like a skillet as you fry up some food? Now you can. Players can also rock their 3DS back and forth to batter their ingredients or perform small shakes to mix items up a bit. This new gimmick for the series isn’t that complex, but it actually works well and fits in perfectly with the casual nature of the bite-sized games found within.
Simply helping Mama in the Kitchen would be enough to hold most over, but this matriarch has a few other offerings up her mitts to extend the life of the game. The “Let’s Combine” mode lets players take two completely different dishes and put them together in one quick yet enjoyable side-game. As odd as it sounds, this plays out a bit like Guitar Hero as the player must tap on falling entrees at the appropriate moment to have them combine with the plates found at the bottom of the screen. These creations can be as bizarre as you like as well with players having the freedom to mix certain dishes with any of the unlocked recipes found in the main game. From Spaghetti and popsicles to Corn Dogs on pizza, if it’s available, you can combine it. Making all of these exotic foods can also cause a mess and a “Let’s Help” mode has you complete small tasks to assist Mama with all of her chores around the house. Both of these little extras aren’t as elaborate as actually cooking, but I found both to be a nice bonus and a refreshing change of pace in comparison.
Like nearly every other title in the franchise, Cooking Mama 4 rewards more content to those who finish the creations they start with. Each time you complete a task of almost any sort, new content is given as an incentive to keep playing. Yes, more recipes and mini-games are pretty much a given, but other unlockables to be found can even let you change up Mama’s appearance, cooking sets, and backdrops in-game. Add in the local multi-player that allows up to four players to cook together to all of the dishes and side-games already packed in and it becomes clear that this is certainly the largest and most ambitious Mama title in the series to date.
Visuals/Audio
Mama hasn’t aged a bit since her debut on the Nintendo DS. Still sporting that classic bandana, those familiar with the series will find that all of Mama’s charms and quirks are still present in Kitchen Magic, with newly added animations and minor touches to make her character even more endearing. If you happen to miss in a timed mini-game, you may see your ingredient fly up and pop Mama right in the face. Messier foods like bananas or desserts can even stick to her pouty cheeks and the player can then get to feel a bit of guilt as Mama brushes off the incident in a brave manner. I never really thought I would ever say that “I hit Mama in the face with a hot dog…in 3D!”, but after playing this title, I’ve got something new to brag about.
The 3D aesthetic isn’t really a huge addition to this sequel for the most part. Certain foods can be seen flying around on the top screen and black smoke looks particularly well done when a dish is burnt, but the game as a whole doesn’t really try to force players to keep the slider up as the 3D effects are subtle at best. That isn’t to say that this title doesn’t look good on the 3DS, as the 3D is still a stand-out feature and is well implemented. However, if you are eyeing Cooking Mama 4’s visual treats, thinking the 3D will come together with the actual gameplay, you might be a bit disappointed as the 3D offered is just extra eye candy and nothing more.
As far as the music in the game goes, most should expect to hear the same variety of upbeat tracks from the past. These tunes fit in well and help capture that upbeat nature the series is famous for without much problem. Little sound effects like hearing onions sizzle in a skillet or meat squish in the palms of your virtual hands also go a long way to make the cooking experience here feel fulfilling. As far as the voice acting goes, Mama still has her broken English dialogue and is as loving as ever, constantly complimenting the player or reassuring that “Mama will fix it!”. Sound-wise, there hasn’t been a whole lot done to bring this game into a new platform and even though everything sounds great, I feel Cooking Mama Limited need to start paying this voice actress to start reciting some new lines as the same old lingo is starting to get tiresome.
Overall
This is Mama’s first title on the 3DS and after it was all said and done, I must say I was impressed by everything Kitchen Magic delivers. With more mini-games, recipes, and content than we have seen before, there is a ton of reason for fans of the series to snag up this upgrade without hesitation. With that said though, the series as a whole is starting to age and while the extras and 3D visuals in Cooking Mama 4 are a step in the right direction, some might feel like they are getting the same experience they received in previous offerings. Of course this game isn’t targeted towards a hardcore crowd that is going to put a lot of thought into all of that though, as at the end of the day, this title still falls under the casual category. However, if you are looking for a delightful and equally meaty addition for a growing 3DS library, this magical kitchen has all the ingredients to keep your hunger at bay.
If the name Fumito Ueda is not familiar to you, then you must have missed out on two of the most artistic, creative and original Playstation 2 games of all time. He is the main man behind Ico and Shadow of the Colossus and he is working hard on The Last Guardian. But, according to a report on Eurogamer, The Last Guardian may be Ueda’s last game with Sony, as rumours have circulated that he will be leaving Team Ico, an internal development studio of Sony Computer Entertainment.
Eurogamer also believes that the rumoured departure is the reason behind the delay of The Last Guardian. The Last Guardian’s original release was meant to be roughly at this time (late 2011). However, the title has been pushed into 2012. It was also a no-show at the major game shows of 2011. Ueda, if he has departed, is still working on The Last Guardian, albeit in a freelance position. Then he would pursue personal projects.
However, as Sony’s polices on rumours is not to comment about then, one can only treat it as such until one hears official confirmation.
Who says that dedicated handheld gaming is dying? In what is considered a victory in the dedicated handheld camp (and Nintendo as well), the Nintendo 3DS has surpassed the number of DS units sold within a twelve month period in its first eight months. The Nintendo DS, predecessor to the 3DS, sold 2.37 million units back in 2004/2005, which is quite impressive.
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimes told Time the news. Fils-Aimes also talked a little about Super Mario 3D Land, noting that it is bringing a new type of consumer to the portable gaming machine, which may have contributed the push over the line. Here is what he has to say about this milestone for the 3DS,
“In sales through this past Saturday – 8 months – [the 3DS] has outsold the full 12 months of the original DS. During that 12 months time, the original DS sold 2.37 million and we just surpassed that this past Saturday, so we’ve got real good momentum going into the holidays.”
This is further proof that the dedicated handheld market is not in dying state, let alone on life support. There is a market for Mario, Zelda and other Nintendo mascots. Now it is up to Nintendo to push this momentum through the holiday period. If they do, then the Playstation Vita has an uphill battle on its hands.
Do you remember when I brought the news that an update to make the Playstation Vita play games on the Playstation 3 via Remote Play could be on its way? Well, if you want to refresh your memory, read it here. Now, what did Sony have to say about it? Well, a representative in Japan has outright deny that such an update is coming, according to Andriasang.
This was raised during an interview with Sony Computer Entertainment Senior VP Yoshio Matsumoto and Division 2 Software Development Head Muneki Shimada, conducted by Munechika Nishida, a freelance journalist, working for the latest installment of his “Random Tracking” series at Impress Watch. Matsumoto was very direct with his denial, as you can read below,
“That information is mistaken. The compatibility is achieved on the side of the PS3 game, just like normal.”
Shimada further added that Remote Play on the Vita will act as the same as Remote Play on the Playstation Portable, which didn’t support all Playstation 3 games. In order for the game to work, according to Shimada, the games themselves would need API support, which has to be added by the developers.
I am a little disappointed about this. I mean, if I wanted to continue a session on gaming but someone else wanted to watch TV, switching to Remote Play via the Vita would allow me to continue. Wouldn’t you like to continue a session of Skyrim or Battlefield? But it may still be in the plans later on in the Vita lifecycle.
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend is another entry in the BlazBlue series, building upon the original Continnum Shift and the first update Continnum Shift II. That makes it the second update to the game. In Japan, it will be released on December 17 on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. A Playstation Vita version will also be available, making it a launch game. Now, Arc System Works Europe can confirm that Europe will be receiving the game in the first quarter of 2012 for all platforms.
So, what makes this update different? The game will include all of the features from the previous versions, all updated of course, with the DLC characters (Makoto, Valkenhayn and Platinum the Trinity) and Relius Clover all available on the disk/flash card. The game will also include a new opening animation produced by Production I.G as well as new theme: “Azure Light” (Sōkyū no Hikari?) by Faylan.
In terms of additional modes, Arc System Works have included Abyss mode, team battles (2v2, 3v3, and 2v4), Unlimited Mars mode for that great, tough challenge. The story has been expanded as well with an additional 23 scenarios added. This looks like a great pickup for those who haven’t played the BlazBlue series.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss will debut alongside a plethora of Playstation Vita games and the Playstation Vita itself on December 17, which is the Japanese launch date. In order to hype the Land of the Rising Sun, Sony has released a new trailer with Japanese voice overs. So, if you want to hear Nathan Drake speak in Japanese, you can watch the trailer below.
In this new trailer, there are some scenes that were in the Gamescom trailer. What wasn’t in that trailer happens to be Drake’s new female friend. No Elana or Chloe in this adventure through what seems to be a jungle. Instead a new female companion. She doesn’t have a name (or I couldn’t pick it out due to the language barrier). Interestingly, there is no Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan either.
The game will also be part of the North American, European and PAL launches of the Playstation Vita in February 2012.
The Glowing Void 2 Developer: Assyria Studios Publisher: Daily App Dream Platforms: iPhone, iTouch, iPad (reviewed) Release Date: November 24, 2011 Price: $0.99 – Available Here
Overview
The Glowing Void 2 is the sequel to the popular casual game Glowing Void (yes, surprising title, I know). With a visual makeover making it as sparkly as your standard Asian sticker photo, the glowing is really pronounced in the game. So does this game have more to it than just good looks? Or is it as uninteresting as a sparkly vampire?
Gameplay
Glowing Void 2 is based around the idea of creating bubbles to fill a glowing void while avoiding the evil red dots while forming the bubbles. After you’ve finished forming them the red dots bounce off them harmlessly, which can be a tactical advantage for those who are smart enough to use it.
You can drag the bubbles around to dodge the balls although often it’ll just be better to do it in short bursts, especially as you get further on in the levels and have more red balls to deal with.
Logically, the amount of balls increase with each level increase, so as the levels go on you’ll find it getting more and more hectic, although your skill will also increase so the learning curve is fairly sensical.
You also get three lives for each level, so you do get some extra chances when it comes to having balls hit your bubbles, obviously you’ll lose the bubble once it gets touched by a red ball, but just be happy that you survive! Ungrateful much?
On top of the classic mode, there is also survival mode where you play as long as possible. You also get three lives, except the bubbles that you grow do not stay there the points are just added to the score. And then all the red balls come. Oh, all the red balls. Plus, with no established balls there to protect you from those evil red balls, it can get a bit hectic. I don’t think I’ve ever said the word ‘balls’ that much in a paragraph before…
The game itself is inherently repetitive, there aren’t any bonuses or new things that are brought to it. However, that is with the standard purchase, there are also in-app purchase modes of Dodger, Gamer and Speed which are $0.99 each. So if you’re willing to spend as much as the app itself for three different modes then that’s fine for you, however if you’re expecting to get the entire game for the 99c then you aren’t going to be very happy. But, just a quick rundown of the modes for people who are interested in the extra purchases: Gamer mode has power-ups that you can pick up, Dodger mode involves achieving your highest score by surviving as long as possible by dragging around a pre-made void with your finger, and Speed mode where you must do your job as quickly as possible while being able to take 3 hits.
Still, I think that the modes that it comes with are fairly fun anyway, although you may get over them after a while. I have yet to get sick of them, and I think that in short bursts it is definitely a game that will get you through some boring transport rides or family holiday get-togethers.
Visuals
The Glowing Void 2 is very pretty to look at. It’s all sparkly and though the game itself isn’t super high def or realistic, that’s not what you’d be looking for. It’s casual and fun and shiny enough to embody what the casual genre is all about.
Audio
The audio for Glowing Void 2 is quite subtle, it’s a soothing little track that sits in the background. In terms of sound effects there are little bubble sounds that pop up every so often but they aren’t in any terms annoying. If anything, the soundtrack will be good to send you off to sleep because it’s just that soothing.
Overall
Glowing Void 2 can go either way depending on your personal preference. Either you’ll think its that awesome app that you’ll keep around for times when you need a quick game to occupy yourself, or you’ll get bored by the repetitiveness of the levels. Personally, I’m leaning towards the first option but that may change over time.
The in-app purchases for the modes are a bit of a bummer, especially since they do bring extra aspects to it that those who are unimpressed by the repetitiveness of it. But if you’re willing to spend the extra three dollars to pick up all the modes I’m sure the app will have a longer shelf-life for you.
While Final Fantasy XIII-2 may not be coming out for a couple of months… January 31st to be exact, we’ve heard a few things about the game’s combat system which has seen a few tweaks as well as one brand new mechanic. As you can see in the video below Square Enix has provided a full focus video on the various combat mechanics in the Active Time Battle system that was used in FFXIII which allows for Paradigm Shifts to change character roles.
Plus in this video we see the brand new Cinematic Action sequence which is more or less a quick time event in battle which will pull off an amazing looking move or action during the battle. Plus, if you pay close attention you can even see Snow fighting alongside Serah and Noel temporarily, though he won’t be a playable character.
