There have been plenty of dance titles to come out as of recent, but none have been catered to the many country music fans out there…until now, that is. As of today, those who want to get down to some of their favorite modern country tunes can rejoice as Country Dance 2 is now on shelves everywhere for the Nintendo Wii.
To give you a quick rundown on what this dance/sing-a-long title possesses, here are a few prominent features that this sequel includes:
Star-Studded Soundtrack: 30+ country hits from country music’s biggest artists!
User-Friendly Gameplay: Easy to jump in and play – just grab the Wii Remote™ controller and replicate the onscreen dance moves! Fun for all ages and all dance abilities!
Don’t be Shy, Belt it Out: New sing-along features and scrolling lyrics let you dance AND sing!
Grab a Partner: Supports up to four players at once including duet dancing option that features unique choreography for each player during the same song!
Calorie Counter: Dancing is a great way to burn some calories; take advantage of the all new calorie counter!
Along with this release comes a shiny new launch trailer that shows the game in action. You can check out that below and dust off that old cowboy hat as Country Dance 2 is out and ready to take the Wii to the south!
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One Developer: Insomniac Games Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Platform: Playstation 3 Release: Out Now Price: AU$79.95/US$35.93 (Available Here)
They’re back. Insomniac’s crazy duo has returned for a new adventure on the Playstation 3. Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One is set after the events of A Crack In Time, the previous entry of the series. Players will follow Ratchet, Clank, Captain/President Quark and Dr. Nefarious as they explore a mysterious island and battle a new threat that will destroy all living things in existence. As a game, it does retain the staples of the series, but there are a few set backs that allows the player to have an immense experience. These seem to stem from the co-op focus, with a fixed camera and fidgety lock-on system. The visuals of the game are not bad; a step down from earlier PS3 titles and the music is good to listen to, especially their main theme.
Story
The story starts off as Captain/President Quark (yes, he is the intergalactic president. I don’t know why either) heads off to Luminopolis to receive an “Intergalactic Tool of Justice Award” with Ratchet and Clank by his side, which turns out to be a fake award created by Dr. Nefarious. He, with his trusty butler, awakens a creature known as the Z’Grute, but quickly turns on Nefarious, forcing the four to join forces to stop it. While tracking this monstrosity, robots that don’t belong to Nefarious start following the Z’Grute. It turns out that the robots belong to a facility floating above Luminopolis. The Z’Grute and the four characters are captured, but with the help of an alien called Susie, the four escapes and end up on an alien world. There, they must find out what this new threat is and destroy it quickly.
The pacing is good and the story is sound. It is nothing special but it is quite humorous. The fact that Dr. Nefarious is part of team of heroes leads up to a few humorous moments, especially between Nefarious and Captain/President Quark. The chemistry between Ratchet and Clank is still there, as it has been throughout the series. Overall, with an okay pace and great use of humour, the player may enjoy the story of the game.
Gameplay
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One isn’t the single player focus that precedes the previous games. Instead, it is focused on co-operation aspect of multiplayer gameplay. Actually, it is forced upon the players. The co-op can be either be played offline or online with up to four players. It is safe to say that the implementation of a so-op focused core mechanic does cause the game to lose its charm. This is a problem when a game decides to make a game in a series that is predominately a single player experience.
Ratchet and Clank relies on the shooting mechanics and it suffers to an extent due to the focus on co-operative mechanic. There are a variety of weapons, a staple of the series, some as silly sounding as others. The weapons can also be upgraded via weapon shops around the planets. When one targets a single enemy together, the guns power increases and ends with a slow motion explosion. This is quite awesome; satisfaction is achieved when one sees that slow motion explosion. This will not be achieved when the player shoots alone. In fact, the player will feel the weapons are useless. The lock-on targeting system compounds on the problems. The system will not target the enemy you want at times. This tends to create frustration and small doses of anger.
Aside from the shooting, the puzzles and platforming that appear in other games of the series do change the flow of gameplay. Players will jump over big gaps, grind on rails and solve rather easy puzzles. There are also jetpack sections, which happens to be a highlight of the game. In fact, these sections are better in general compared to the shooting sections. The obstacles keep the player on their toes. The camera in these sections is generally in a better position. In the game, the camera is fixed to allow the four-player action to stay of the screen. However, that provides a few problems. In these sections, though, the camera is close to the action allowing the player to feel the action.
Since there will be players who want the single player experience, then the AI will be an important area for them. Fortunately, the AI is up to scratch. If one plays as Ratchet, then Clank is a worthy computerised friend… at times. Of course, there will be times where Ratchet and Clank will team up well. However, Clank will also go off on his own, leaving the player felling alone and cornered, resulting in death or near death. The co-op is done fairly well, with an added competitive point system, but there are no rewards for gaining the most points after a level.
The boss battles are somewhat average. The first boss battle is at the beginning of the game and felt underwhelming and anti-climatic. The ending of this boss battle sees the characters controls turrets and just shoot down generators (electricity seems to be a shield for the giant worm) and then just shoot him down with a barrage of bullets. They feel that they do not need any sort of strategy to take down these monsters. Just run through to the end and kill it. That is it. It is tedious and unsatisfying. Boss battles should make the player feel relieved and satisfied about destroying the danger. I was relieved that I finished such a tedious run.
Overall, the gameplay can be fun, but the camera can ruin the experience. Also, it feels like Insomniac wants to punish the player for embarking on a single player experience. The AI is not bad, but it can wander off, leaving the player vulnerable at times. The boss battles could have been executed better and the shooting mechanic feels poorly done. However, the puzzle and platforming sections are done right.
Visuals/Audio
The visuals give out a more cartoon look, something the series is quite well known for. The character models are colourful, but not sharp as they could have been. The environments are also in the same camp. They are varied in look and colour. However, like the character models, they are not as sharp as other games in this generation’s series. The design of enemies looks good and also varies from enemy to enemy. It isn’t bad looking, but the game could have looked a little better.
The music of the game isn’t bad. It is quite good, actually. The music usually fits the action on screen and happens to bring some of the charm of the series. One particular track in the game that deserves a mention is the main theme. This track is often used in the various tracks throughout the game and it is a track worth listening to. It is quite catchy and somehow fits with the overall theme of the game, which is quite good. Other than that, there is not much to say about the soundtrack. Sound effects and voice acting is quite good as well.
Overall
Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One is a great game to play with other people, but the focus on multiplayer gameplay does make the game suffer to an extent. There are issues with the camera and the lock-on system while the shooting elements feel redundant and tedious, along with the boss battles. The visuals and the music is also good but could have been a little better. Overall, this is a good game, but if it didn’t divert from its roots, it would have been better.
Game Name:Pokemon Rumble Blast Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Publisher(s): Nintendo, Developer(s): Ambrella Genre(s): Action RPG Release Date: October 11, 2011 (US) December 2, 2011 (UK) Price: $34.99 BUY NOW!
Many have been long awaiting the debut of a Pokemon title on the 3DS. Why shouldn’t they be though? The series has dominated Nintendo’s handhelds for generations now and is one of the highest selling franchises of all time. Pokemon Rumble Blast is the first Pokemon title to appear on the new 3D platform, and while it is a spin-off, many of the hardcore fans are sure to snag this title up based on name alone. Pokemon Rumble certainly turned some heads a couple of years ago when it appeared on the WiiWare, but the main question is if that same formula can be executed on a portable platform. What is the final result of Pikachu and friends’ first trip into 3D? Here is my review for Pokemon Rumble Blast for the Nintendo 3DS.
Story:
In Rumble Blast, players take control of nearly the entire roster of Pokemon, but with the creatures themselves now being made out of wind-up toys. Much like the main series, this title thrives on the same idea of “catching them all”, but instead of doing battles in gyms and going through any substantial story, you must take your team of toys throughout various locations and defeat several enemies before tackling one large boss at the end of a stage. If you are looking for a plot that mirrors that of the main line of Pokemon games however, you might be a bit disappointed in the light narrative within this toy-ridden romp as there isn’t much depth to the story told.
The main story revolves around special fountains that are filled with a rejuvenating element known as “glowdrops”. Due to the rare and powerful nature of this special liquid, many evil Pokemon have been draining these fountains and it is up to you to seek out and defeat the culprits with your team of obtained toys. This of course is happening in a “Toy World” where Pokemon are constantly battling to become the Battle Champion, so both tasks run in unison throughout most of the game. While the plot does assist in giving a sense of progression, the game never allows you to get to know any of the monsters you work so hard to catch. You see, each time you defeat a Pokemon and they join your roster, an unchangeable power stat is already pre-assigned and that particular toy cannot be leveled up. This means that the player has to constantly replace and throw away obsolete party members if they want to progress. While this does make the gameplay more strategic to a degree, it sadly prevents the player from forming any sort of attachment to their team. Some may be able to easily overlook this problem, but I personally couldn’t as nearly every Pokemon title of the past (spin-off or not) has always let the player develop somewhat of a bond with their trusted creature(s). That element is why I think the series is so endearing to start with and without a steady and familiar group of heroes, the story suffers to a great degree due to the lack of any character growth.
This may sound grim to those who are looking for a famous Pokemon filled experience, I can say that there is some personality to be found in this toy-filled world though. Many towns possess quirky NPC Pokemon who all have been given some light dialogue that can make each chapter feel distinct. The main questline feels random and a bit hollow, but there is a still a small redeeming factor in the sheer variety of creatures that can be found roaming about Toy Town and the many other locations in the game, who are all ready to share some insight, tips, or secrets at a moments notice. Even though this interaction was minor, I feel if the same attention was given to the player’s team, the story would have been much easier to follow and more enjoyable overall.
Gameplay:
As I mentioned, Pokemon Rumble Blast consists of the player controlling a toy Pokemon. The heart of the game feels that of a dungeon crawler, as the main objective is simply to fight to the end of each area and keep progressing until one big boss in encountered at the end of a level. Like the main series, each one of these wind-ups have their own move-set, stats, and power level, and all of which must be properly utilized to take on any of the foes ahead successfully. Since each toy cannot be leveled, the player must constantly rely on obtaining coins that are dropped by all opponents they defeat as this currency is used to purchase new moves. It’s a solid system, though Rumble Blast never tries to innovate in it’s mechanics as players progress, which can lead to everything feeling rather bland and repetitive after just a short time.
Rumble Blast is split up into chapters, and each chapter is made up out of a few separate locations that players can explore to find new dungeons. “Explore” may be a bit too strong of a word though, as these areas are found right beside eachother and aside from one or two roaming opponents, there isn’t a lot to see in any of the overworld as a whole. Each dungeon has a set number of Poke-Toys that can be obtained, and every one of these Pokemon have a unique move-set and power level that is based on how far you may be in the game.
Macquarie University’s three day gaming festival GAME On went out with an exciting bang on October 29 as the family festival day was host to a variety of creative and interesting indie developers. Alongside fellow editor Josh Spudic, I explored the campus, met some interesting people, played some quality games and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere GAME On had to offer, leaving me looking forward to hopefully many more of these festivals to come in the future!
Upon arriving it was pretty clear that Microsoft was a big supporter of innovative thinking, sporting a rather large tent promoting a variety of creative Xbox Kinect titles. I decided to show off my ninja skills at Fruit Ninja Kinect like a boss, until “Spud” (oh yeah that’s Josh’s nickname, try and catch up will ya?) decided to break the high score of the day. Show off! For playing we were given a free pack of React 5 Gum in easily the most impressive and sophisticated packaging I’ve seen in my life. Upon heading downstairs (yeah this tent had stairs) we were introduced to a variety of other Kinect titles. I got my hands and feet on Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster as well as Kinect Disney Land Adventures while Spud got a hold of Kinect Sports Season 2. We could’ve stayed there for hours as there was also Just Dance 3 and Forza Motorsport 4, but with such little time on our hands and so much left to see we were forced to march on!
Being video game fans and journalists, it’s only natural Spud and I wanted to play some more video games so we ran over to check out the indie developers. First up we met a friendly bunch known as Convict Interactive from Wollongong, who are fresh out of University and seemed eager to be constantly improving their programing skills, looking for feedback and certainly not shy with expressing ideas they’ve been pitching to each other for improving they’re current titles. First we got out hands on Planetarians, a multiplayer shooter for Xbox 360 sporting some really interesting character designs. The concept was really interesting: you battle on a planet of which you can run around and shoot bullets outside the atmosphere, so you can use gravity to help base your strategies and tactics around defeating your friends. Unfortunately the game is currently put on hold, which is a real shame as it does show a lot of potential.
The big game Convict Interactive wanted to push was a punisher platformer called Triangle Man. In Triangle Man levels are just single screen, so everything seems really simple: you just collect coins, flip switches and reach the end. But no, It’s incredibly hard and the game will try and make you cry like a baby by insulting you with reminders of how many times you’ve died. The game is currently available for purchase via Xbox Indie Games in the Convict Minigames pack of 5, but the team hope to bring it to Steam sometime soon. The team seemed really excited to improve the game and discussed possible new features they plan to implement in order to add more content, including a world map, higher resolution graphics and a variety of alternative costumes. By the sounds of things if they can pull this off Triangle Man could turn out to be a really nice addition to the Steam platform, so keep an eye out for that in the future!
Without a doubt, one of the most popular booths people were saying ‘yes’ too was of Sydney developer Nnooo. I got my hands on WiiWare title escapeVektor: Chapter 1 which currenly stands as one of the highest ranked titles on the service to date. escapeVektor: Chapter 1 had a simple but effective approach to it, where players take control of Vektor who is trapped inside an evil CPU which you must help escape by using stealthy tactics, and had some really nice polish. Although I completely sucked at this game, I still really enjoyed it and must say it had some really nice polish to it. If your a fan of the WiiWare, it’s definitely worth checking out especially since it’s only 500 points so expect to get some pretty good value out of that!
What really turned heads however was Nnooo’s upcoming DS title Spirit Hunters. The concept of Spirit Hunters blew me away: it’s a video game that aims to get kids to play outside. The game takes advantage of the Augmented Reality camera features of the device. In Spirit Hunters, players aim the camera at various objects to find different spirits and battle them. It’s a unique concept and very innovative. Keep an eye out for that one as it’s sure to be a hit!
GAME On festival this year was nothing but sheer fun! I met a variety of awesome indie video game developers the first of which was Stephen Barnes and Rebecca Fernandez Convict Interactive. Rebecca was kind enough to gives us a an in-depth run through of their punisher-platformer Triangle Man. The title has already seen a release in a pack of 5 called Convict Minigames via Xbox Indie Games, but the team plan to hopefully bring it to Steam soon. Check out the video below as Rebecca shows us the incredibly difficult level design of Triangle Man, and discusses some possible new features the team has been looking into including for future Steam version of the game.
Oh, Japan! is a weekly feature in which I chronicle the wierd, wacky and just plain crazy goings on in Japan. Because we all know, Japan is prone to doing things that make us Westerners say “Oh, Japan!”.
We have covered all kinds of weird things on “Oh, Japan!” but never have we delved into the world of Western/Japanese crossovers. This week we have a very weird, Weird Al Yankovic appearance on a Japanese variety show, dating all the way back to 1984.
Unfortunately for Weird Al Yankovic, he doesn’t exactly understand what is going on around him and as you’d expect his appearance results in quite a weird viewing experience. After beating out an hilarious rendition of “Eat it”, Weird Al comes face to face with a giant Lobster who doesn’t particularly seem to be very fond of the weird foreign celebrity in there midst. You can check it out below, there is no doubt you’ll be lost for words besides “Oh, Japan!”
We met up with Bryan Moses, director of Alternator Industries at the GAME On festival 2011 held at Macquarie University this year where he gave us quick run through the recently released browser-based game Alternator. Created for the ABC, Alternator is a fast and furious futuristic racing game that also educates on renewable energies. Bryan also talks with us about possible IOS and XBLA ports as well as a potential animated series and other exciting stuff!
DinoRoar Interactive came with full force this year at Macquarie Universities’ GAME On festival, giving away awesome temporary tattoos, flyers, CD soundtracks and game codes to promote their latest title for Android and IOS devices, Havoc. Adam from DinoRoar Interactive was kind enough to give us a quick run through of Havoc showing off it’s destructive gameplay and bright art style. With numerous power ups, 3 monsters, and 5 levels to choose from, as well as updates already in the talks, Havoc is filled with furious family friendly fun!
You can purchase the game for IOS devices here and for Android here. Check out the video below for more!
When you ask someone what they think of when they think of a gamer you’ll get a lot of answers, some good and some more in the region of cave-dwelling WoW creature. However, one thing you’re not likely to hear is ‘charitable’, but too bad stereotype cos I got news for you, gamers are charitable. Just over a million US dollars charitable.
Through the Extra Life 24 hour charity gaming marathon gamers could do what they loved – gaming – and help out kids in hospital with donations going to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Extra Life was held on October 15 and was organized by Jeromy Adams and Sarcastic Gamer. This year the event attracted over $20,000 USD from Razer, who pledged $100 for every employee that signed up.
Razer weren’t the only gaming community signing up though, with top StarCraft II team SlayerS and WoW team Manaflask among the many generous donators. It’s awesome to get these high profile gamers donating their time and money to such an awesome cause.
Robert ‘Razerguy’ Krakoff, the president of Razer USA said:
“This is a story that won’t be forgotten. When someone asks what good can games do, we tell them how gamers around the world came together and raised over a million dollars for children in need. We tell them that gamers are a force to be reckoned with, a global community that’s closer than ever, uninhibited by geography, culture or race, brought together by a unified love for games. A community that is capable of rallying around a cause for the good of the world. And I’m also proud of all the people who work at Razer, proud that they wake up every day to fight the good fight through what they all do best – gaming.”
Even though the event is over, you can still donate or participate any day until November 15. So if you’re looking for an excuse to play Battlefield or COD (when it comes out) all night without getting nagged, this is perfect!
For more info on the event go HERE
For more info on Razer’s contribution to Extra Life go HERE
And hey, if you want to donate to Team Razer and help them completely smash their target then go HERE
Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: XBLA (reviewed), PSN
Release Date: October 26, 2011
Price: 800 MSP (HERE)
Overview
Whether gamers like it or not, zombie games are always going to bombard them. Since there are a vast majority of games that include zombies, developers want their game to stand out amongst the crowd. Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone has its shining moments but suffocates the triumphs with crude humor and mediocre gameplay.
Story
On a secluded Canadian island, a rag-tag group of mismatched personalities join forces to gun down a zombie epidemic. The group consists of Jeremy – the obnoxious gamer, Alma – gun specialist, Father Bill – shotgun preacher, and Def Money – cricket playing rapper. With survival and “pwnage” on the mind, the four adventurers must find a way to escape the island.
Gameplay
I am off to the see the wizard – the wonderful wizard of Oz. Enough with the horseplay. Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone states the basic truth directly within its title’s name. “Never Die Alone” should refer to never playing alone. This sequel was meant to be played online or locally in multiplayer. Playing the game alone will result in you dying very much alone.
The single player campaign requires the user to actively switch between four characters. Being difficult in its own right, this feat can be accomplished. Only by switching between characters can you raise their stats and create a well balanced group of zombie decapitation. Failure to switch will ensure a chapter repeat due to the mass hordes of zombies gnawing at your dead body.
Utilizing the duel-stick format, gamers have the basic controls already figured out. Move with the left analog, and directional shoot with the right. Avoiding enemies is key to maintain health, and your finger should never be taken off the right analog. Since you do not run out of ammunition, fire at will.
With the basic controls out of the way, each player has special abilities they can muster. Each character is given a melee weapon to bludgeon a zombie to death. This method of killing is not recommended, but the continual thrashing could prove useful for character advancement. Chainsaw anyone? Additional to the melee character may perform a distraction technique. For example, Def Money’s distraction is a boombox that plays classic music from the 80’s. The soothing music stops most zombies in their tracks leaving them sitting ducks. Finally, all characters have an ultimate that can only be used once their ability meter is maxed. Father Bill’s ultimate heals teammates around him while destroying any minor undead that walks in his path.
I find it particularly important to discuss the respawn after dying in a level. Oh wait, there is none. You must restart the entire level over in order to try to succeed. Sometimes I feel the game was saying to me, “better luck next time.” This always brings up the point of the reviving dying teammates. Similar to Castle Crashers, the amount of life regained is based upon accurate timing of heartbeats. Rapidly pressing the (A) button will bring teammates to life but with minimal health.
With dying being an issue, health packs are available during gameplay to replenish lost life. Upon investigation I noticed that multiplayer games dropped more health packs than the single player campaign. Disheartened after finding out this truth, I knew that Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone was never intended to be played alone. The main menu screen lists the multiplayer option first!
Graphics/Audio
One major fault of the visuals is not being able to see complete characters. The game is set up strictly for multiplayer, and there is an enormous amount of traffic on screen. With all of this action going on, you can easily lose sight of your character and confuse yourself with another player. If you are playing with multiple players, a colored ring may help distinguish differences.
Explosions normally add to the intensity of the imminent environment. While the explosives may be intense, the effects have a wide range and blur the vision of the battlefield. With all of the action and special effects, the player may become lost in the gameplay and found drowning in a lake of fire. This also leads me to believe that Canadians are not practicing environmental safety regulations with highly explosive fuels scattered through their streets.
Settings and game objects mesh well with the governing story. One positive that can be discussed about the title is the consistent setting progression. With action shooters there seems to be a repetitive nature with the backgrounds, but Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone takes the adventure to several places such as the streets, playground, airport, and even power plant. Some of the most interesting effects come from objects in the levels like the street sweeper and airplane propeller.
Keeping on the positive, sound effects are done exceptionally well. I could be trotting around bashing away hearing the sweet crack of the cricket bat to each zombie head. Additionally, players can swap their melee weapon during the level for a chainsaw. The appearance of the weapon is deadly, but the audio enhances the tearing of decayed flesh.
If I could explain the voice casting in one word, it would be ghastly. While developer’s try to encourage the crude humor and mature content, the end result provides a distasteful experience better left muted. The more chaotic characters – Jeremy and Def Money – appear to have British/Australian accents in which they swear constantly. Jeremy takes the voice acting abuse further by using “pwnage” and “trolling” in his sentences. Is it annoying? Yes, yes it is.
Overall
The “fun” factor truly relies on the developing community. If there is a community in which players can openly join another’s game quickly, Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone will see plenty more action. However, the annoying antics provided by the main characters will drive you insane.
If you can ignore the snowballed effects of this top down shooter, you may find the storyline entertaining as well as amusing. Simply, this is one crude zombie game that will offer excitement as long as there are people to play with you. Can’t find anyone to play with you – enjoying dying.
