Hmm… it seems that EA will do absolutely everything that they can to try and make a quick buck nowadays. Which is completely justifiable, being that they are a major company and all, but perhaps this one is a bit too much for even that. EA has released a new Tetris App for the iOS and with it also comes an optional subscription plan for $29.99 a year.
This plan will get you entered into the “T-Club which will include additional in-game content and faster leveling up for your profile. Plus you can even get future DLC entirely… wait not free, at a discount. Lovely… well if you want to pick up this app you can do so here for $.99, then pay 30x the amount of the app for the plan if you feel like it.
While it may have taken a whole coalition of folks to try and get this title brought over to North America, it appears that Operation Rainfall has managed to get at least one of the titles they want. Nintendo revealed today that they are going to be launching Xenoblade Chronicles sometime in April 2012. Here is the kicker however, they will only be releasing it through GameStop and their own Nintendo.com website.
GameStop is currently listing a April 2nd release date, so expect a release in early April. This is a big win for fans of the Wii and especially for RPGs and shows that Nintendo of America at least cares a little bit about what their fans want. Expect to pay $49.99 when the title is released in April, though considering the hype I’m sure that is only a small price to pay for this title. Nintendo also released a new trailer for the title to go along with the announcement, which can be seen below.
As Final Fantasy XIV goes through various important updates, Square Enix decided to show off one of the quests of teh upcoming patch 1.20. This quest, renamed “Good King Moggle Mog XII” from “Dark Moogle Battle” for some unknown reason, has some interesting items up for grabs after it is completed. In fact, Square Enix has put together a video for your viewing pleasure. You can see it below.
As for the contents of the quest itself, Square Enix is being tight lipped about it. I guess they don’t want to spoil the quest when patch 1.20 goes live sometime in early December, which should be in the next week or so. Of course, if it isn’t live in the next week, then it might have been delayed without any warning. Hopefully that doesn’t happen.
It might not have made the Playstation 3 and Xobx 360 versions of Sonic Generations, but Sega is determined that fans of Sonic The Hegdehog 2 won’t miss out on a favourite stage. The famed Casino Night stage is coming to the console versions of Sonic Generations. It has been included in the 3DS version of the game. However, it will be different to the stages of the game. Sonic will be forced into a small ball for a pinball-themed level. However, the slot machine does make an appearance.
Also included in this downloadable pack are three costumes (Amy, Sonic and Super Sonic) for Xbox avatars and custom themes for both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. All of this stuff is available on both Xbox Live and PSN in Japan right now. The avatar costumes cost 240 MS Points each, themes cost 240 MS Points (one theme only) or ¥200 each (two themes available) and Casino Night costs ¥350 or 340 MS Points. No word on when these items will hit Xbox Live and PSN in North America, Europe and PAL territories.
Gran Turismo 5 had a downloadable update back in October, bringing the game to version 2.0. Now that update is getting a retail version as Sony announces Gran Turismo 5 Spec II. The game will include all of the content from the Spec II update as well as a voucher for the downloadable content that was released on October 18. The game will be released on February 2, 2012 at a price of ¥4,980.
The above release does have one bit of restriction. That release date is only for Japan. There has been no word on whether the retail copy of the update shall head overseas. That’s a shame, but I’m sure this update will find its way to the West. Each Gran Turismo, including Prologue versions, have been release in all major territories, so this game should be no exception.
The Japanese have revealed their advertising campaign to promote the Playstation Vita ahead of its December 17 launch (which you can see for yourself here and here). A few months later, on February 22 2012, the Vita will debut in North American and European markets. So, how is the United States going to promote the Playstation Vita exactly? They are not going with a teaser spot like the Japanese. In fact, they are going the complete opposite.
The ad for the United States market has been posted online and, if you do watch, Sony Computer Entertainment America seems to go for a more direct approach. It shows off the Vita and several of its features and games. It also notes that there will be support for cross platform multiplayer, showing WipEout as the example. No actors, no school kids. It is just the Vita. You can watch the video below.
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.
Hmm… it seems that EA will do absolutely everything that they can to try and make a quick buck nowadays. Which is completely justifiable, being that they are a major company and all, but perhaps this one is a bit too much for even that. EA has released a new Tetris App for the iOS and with it also comes an optional subscription plan for $29.99 a year.
