As with nearly every other Japanese developed game, Lollipop Chainsaw has received a new trailer in honor of Tokyo Game Show. The trailer shows off some new gameplay footage of Juliet beating down various zombies with both athletic moves as well as defeating them Mario style by jumping on their heads in continuous fashion.
Grasshopper Manufacture is developing the title for Japanese release on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and surprisingly, Warner Bros. is going to be localizing the game for release in North America. As seen in the trailer below, the game is going to be a brawler-style title where players take control of Juliet Starling a cheerleader who also hunts monsters.
Are you ready to get your blood pumping as you hit the skies and blow the enemy up? Namco Bandai’s TGS 2011 trailer will let you experience some of that adrenaline before the game is available. Showing off the lobbies and gameplay that will available in the online component of the game, Ace Combat Assault Horizon certainly looks like it is ready to take the top spot in our online multiplayer matches. How about you? Are you excited to once again fly your favorite aerial vehicles in combat? Let us know in the comments below what your favorite vehicles are and whether you’ll be picking up the newest Ace Combat game.
Ridge Racer has always been about super crazy racing with sexy cars and great innovation. However, they may be changing it up in their next game. Namco Bandai recently unleashed a new trailer for their newest Ridge Racer gamer coming to the Playstation Vita. Promising a new “machine” (airplanes, submarines, motorcycles?) this trailer is mainly set in space, and it is quite bizarre. Maybe they are hinting that we will be racing space shuttles or rockets or something? Now that would be cool. I can imagine the title now: “Ridge Racer: The Edge of SPAAACE!” Hopefully we’ll get some concrete details on this title soon, because Ridge Racer has always held a special place in our game collections.
During the Tokyo Game Show, THQ released 5 screenshots from Metro Last Light. Featuring the dreary, yet explosively beautiful environments, in addition to the guns and enemies, these screenshots hopefully represent the awesomeness that will be Metro Last Light.
Metro Last Light is the sequel to Metro: 2033. Developed by the Ukrainian based studio 4A Games, the Metro series is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Communities of humanity have fled underground to escape radiation, strange monsters and other dangers. Unfortunately, there are always humans and governmental entities who wish to take advantage of others when the moment is right. Your task in the game: to survive and stop the atrocities. Check out the Metro Last Light Facebook page here.
Shuhei Yoshida, the head of Sony’s Worldwide Studios, announced one of the first apps that will be coming to the Playstation Vita. The Torne application will allow you to look up television listings, remotely set up recordings, and stream television. The bad news about this app? So far, it has only been revealed as a release for customers who buy a Vita in Japan, just like everything else that would have been totally rad. Lucky Japanese Vita owners will be able to get the Torne software when the Vita launches later this year.
Ni No Kuni: Queen of the Holy White Ash is the PS3 version of a RPG collaboration between Level 5 and Studio Ghibli, the animations studio of legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. Studio Ghibli were responsible for Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle and we all know how beautiful they look. Now, imagine the excitement of Studio Ghibli and Level-5 fans when they hear that Level-5 have plans to localise the game and release it in early 2012.
During the Sony Computer Entertainment Asia conference, which was near the Tokyo Game Show site and held yesterday, there was a panel involving Level-5 President Akihiro Hino. It was during this session when he announced the exciting news. In fact, he revealed that the localisation was in production as he spoke. There was no mention of the DS version, but I suspect that version will stay in Japan.
The PS3 version will contain additional story beyond the ending of the DS version as well as downloadable content post game release. No details on DLC have been announced.
Remember Sony announcing Playstation Suite earlier this year? Well, here is a bit of news from them. During today’s session of the Tokyo Game Show, Sony revealed that the Software Development Kit (or SDK) will be available this November. Named “Playstation Suite SDK”, this will allow developers to create Playstation quality games to Android powered devices as well as the Playstation Vita.
Supporting C# as the programming language, PS Suite SDK can run programs developed in C# on virtual machine equipped on both PS Certified devices and PS Vita. By supporting development for multiple devices and by adopting libraries to create a variety of content not only limited to games, PS Suite SDK will not only help developers save their cost in creating new content but also allow them to efficiently create their content on one SDK and without having to create on several different SDKs.
Through PS Suite SDK, SCE will provide to game developers and publishers the potential to further expand their business opportunities to Android based portable devices. In addition, SCE can approach to a wider range of content developers, non-gaming developers and individual programmers. The detailed information of PS Suite SDK, including how to download, will be announced via a dedicated PS Suite section on SCE’s official website. As of right now, the PS Certified devices list is quite small and are only Sony devices: Sony Ericsson’s Xperia PLAY, “Sony Tablet” S, “Sony Tablet” P and the Playstation Vita.
To kick things off, the Playstation Store will be launched for Android at the end of October. Japan, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia will be the first nine countries to receive the service, however, the service will extend beyond the first nine. At first, only Playstation One games will be available, but by next spring, Sony will enhance the PS Store for PS Certified devices and provide content created by the PS Suite SDK.
Pokémon Black & White made a huge splash on the Nintendo DS earlier this year, and now Pokémon Company International are set to keep that wave flowing with a new event. Between September 16th and October 16th, select EB Games, GAME and Toys“R”Us locations will be giving away Zoroark via a special distribution.
This Zoroark will also be special, as it is level 50 and in a cherish ball. For a full run-down on all the instructions on how to obtain this Zoroark, you can check Pokémon International’s official page here which details all the goods you will need (mainly just a DS and a copy of Black or White). So get out there and snag this beast up before this giveaway is over!
Everyone knows Crazy Dave from Plants vs Zombies as the odd yet charming neighbor that is always willing to sell you tools to take down an approaching zombie hoard. One thing you may not know about this trinket collecting oddball is that he is also had dreams of becoming a world famous rapper.
Luckily, PopCap have given this lost soul a shot at his true passion, landing him a deal with “Ded Jam Records” who are now ready to reveal this masterful music debut. If you are scratching your head and kind of confused still, just feast your eyes on the clip below and your life will suddenly be complete.
I still don’t know why this exists, but we love you, PopCap.
Game Name:Star Fox 64 3D Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Publisher(s):Nintendo Developer(s):Nintendo Genre(s): On-rail Shooter Release Date: September 9, 2011 (US & EU), September 15, 2011 (AU) Price: $39.99 BUY NOW!
The Nintendo 64’s time may have passed, but the console has been living on as of late through some of the early releases from Nintendo on the 3DS. We have already seen Ocarina of Time get a fantastic makeover thus far, but now the spotlight belongs to a certain fox that captured our attention over 14 years ago in Star Fox 64. The control scheme, dialogue, and overall charm of the game completely set a standard for the once niche genre of on-rails shooters and cemented the franchise as a household name in gaming all over the world. Looking to recapture that magic, Star Fox 64 3D boasts the obvious 3D presentation with a brand new coat of paint and utilizes the gyro controls to let players experience the classic in a whole new way. So how does this port live up to the legacy of it’s predecessor? Here is my review for Star Fox 64 3D.
Story
Most of you should know this tale like the back of your hand if you have ever played the original, but I will provide a quick run down just in case you missed out years ago. StarFox 64 3D takes place three years after James McCloud was captured by Andross due to a betrayal by the villainous Pigma. Peppy Hare, an original member of the Starfox team learns that Andross is at it again with his old tricks and recruits James’ son Fox McCloud to lead a small squad through the Lylat System to put a stop this potential threat once and for all.
Yes, it’s the same exact plot we seen years ago with not one change made to any of the main narrative. That isn’t a bad thing at all though, as the production values that went into this port are superb and even though I played the original countless times, I couldn’t help but feel like I was playing the game for the first time all over again. Characters have remained about the same as far as personality goes as well, with all the trademark catchphrases (DO A BARREL ROLL!) and puppet-like personas left completely intact while remaining as clever and charming as they ever were.
Gameplay
14 years ago, the whole concept of an on-rails shooter was not really something I was fond of, but Star Fox 64 completely changed my opinion of the genre completely as it was easily accessible and literally set a bar that has never been passed in terms of actual gameplay. As Fox McCloud, the player is pulled throughout a set number of levels where the main concept is to survive until the finish while performing certain objectives along the way. Sometimes these tasks are just to ensure that you and your team pass through safely, but other moments will open up the area to let the player roam around to take out a specific target. Once you move through a planet, new paths open up that let you progress further. Unlike the original however, players are now allowed to choose the next area rather than to be forced to stick with their original preset destination. It’s a small touch, but definitely one that stood out quickly and got rid of one of my only complaints with the original.
Like the story, the gameplay in Starfox 64 3D is relatively the same, but Nintendo added in a whole new control scheme to give the game a fresh breath of wind to live on through the gyro motion-based controls. This function allows players to maneuver their Arwing by moving the 3DS itself. Since most of the experience is played on rails, this usually means that the most the player will have to do is simply tilt the system in a specific direction to get a new perspective on incoming targets. For instance, if little Slippy Toad is being shot at and is in dire need of assistance, the player can quickly pull their handheld into that direction and easily take care of any threats with very little problem. I imagine some would be weary of this control layout as it might sound a bit awkward to actually move the 3DS to control your ship, but after playing the whole game in this new mode, I can easily say that the whole gyro mechanic was very polished and perfectly complimented the face-button controls scheme.
Those who would rather not worry about the new gyro gimmick are also in luck, as there is an extra option from the start to complete Star Fox 64 3D in “64 mode”. This allows players to utilize the slide-pad for movement and execute special techniques or shoot with the buttons provided on the handheld for a more classic feel. Firing from your ship is never a chore as it’s as simple as tapping the A button to launch a shot. Holding down the button will also allow for Fox’s Arwing to lock-on to incoming aircraft and deliver a much more powerful attack. Other abilities such as performing a somersault are handled by braking and using the stick together in one swift movement or by tapping the correct direction on the D-Pad, alternatively. Thankfully, 64 mode is quite close to the original scheme and it really shows while you are playing the game as the clever mapping and slide-pad work wonders to not only control Fox, but also to deliver a more nostalgic and exciting experience.
It honestly shouldn’t take most more than two hours to finish the entire game, but yet again, this hasn’t changed from the first incarnation of Star Fox 64 so it isn’t really a big deal. Star Fox 64 was never a game that you just finished one time anyway as the multiple paths, secrets, and the newly added in medals give a ton of replay value that can keep this cartridge relevant for years to come. There is even a score attack mode that lets players replay each stage and aim for the top score based on speed and enemies destroyed.
Multiplayer
Those who want to take to the skies with friends are in luck, as 64 3D features a newly re-tooled multiplayer mode. This mode lets up to four players go up against eachother in three different battle contests such as survival, timed battle, and point battle. As an added feature, all pilots can use the built in camera to give a live stream of their face instead of the puppet avatars from the past. This feature goes a long way to make the experience more rewarding and even lets the winner sport a crown upon victory for some nice bragging rights.
Sadly, all these extras are just for local play though as Star Fox 64 3D has no online mode. To help soften the blow, there is a download play function included that allow all other players to battle with only one cart present, but I truly felt this was definitely an area of untapped potential as online play would have brought about THE definitive Star Fox experience, rather than just a well-made port of a classic.
Graphics/Audio
There may be just a few subtle changes to the main game of Star Fox 64 3D, but the most standout addition within are the enhanced textures and the shiny new presentation as a whole. Yes, Fox and friends look great this time around as well, but the redesigned environments, enemies, and Arwings all have been given a nice graphical update that bring this remake into the year 2011. The 3D effect is also hard to ignore as fallen enemies and explosions all “pop” off the screen and each stage now has an added layer of depth which in turn makes everything more much more immersive and enjoyable overall. With any on-rails game, I feel visuals are very important as you are literally being pulled through the game and thankfully Nintendo spared no expense to make this remake a visual spectacle for players new and old.
As far as the soundtrack goes, all of the famous melodies you remember are back and sound better than ever as each track has been orchestrated and make the trip through the Lylat System feel like a whole new experience. Voice acting has also gotten a fresh treatment with nearly all of the original cast returning to bring the Star Fox crew back to life. From Falco degrading your shooting skills to Slippy’s high pitched whining, everything sounds just as good as it did years ago and delivers pure nostalgia from beginning to end.
Overall
Star Fox 64 3D has just about everything you would want in a remake. If you by chance are still hanging onto that old cartridge for the memories, it’s time for retirement as this version improves upon almost every element that was in the original. Just having Starfox 64 on a handheld is honestly enough reason for most to pick this one up, but the newly orchestrated soundtrack, stunning 3D visuals and extra gyroscopic control scheme work wonders to make this title feel “new” again.
Unfortunately, the lack of online multiplayer feels like a misstep as if any game would have been perfect for that inclusion, it would be Star Fox 64. With that said though, this 3D port is still worthy of attention as it not only makes Fox McCloud and friends relevant again, but also cements this title as yet another cornerstone in the 3DS’s growing library.
