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.
Have you got Portal? What do you mean you haven’t?! It’s ok, relax. Valve has got your back! Until September 20 you can download the original Portal for FREE on Steam. That’s right PC and Mac users, you can own the critically acclaimed Portal for FREE!
For those who’ve been living under a rock for the past four years, Portal hit the Xbox 360, P.C. and Playstation 3 in 2007 and blew us all away! Since then the game has been re-released on XBLA in 2008, Mac last year, and now it’s hit Steam! A sequel recently was released and that too stunned us all, for the sceptical you can check out our review here.
Valve has launched a new website called Learn with Portals to promote their Steam service, where gamers can download Portal for free!
At this years Tokyo Game Show, Sega showcased a great deal of upcoming games for the Nintendo 3DS. I tried by very best to do the rounds and play as many 3DS titles as humanly possible, not just those presented by Sega. The very first Sega game I got my hands on was called Project Mirai, a cute little rhythm based game.
The game is rather basic to pick up, but a little harder to get the hang of, which I found out the hard way after losing a few times on the harder difficulties. Basically, the game plays an original soundtrack, presenting a circle on the screen. A hand will move around the circle like a clock, and point to buttons (the demo only A and B but I am not sure if more buttons will be involved). While you play a long there are cute little animations of the big-eyed blue-haired character dancing around.
The Nintendo 3DS wasn’t the only portable device Sega are flexing their rhythm-game muscles on. Over on the PSP, Sega showcased the title, Project Diva Extended. For all the cute little elements of Project Mirai, Project Diva Extended had them matched, only in not such a kid-like design. There are even similarities, with the Project Diva avatar looking like a more realistic version of the Project Mirai. The basic idea is the same, press buttons in time to music, but the game play is very different. Rather than having a set circle, button combinations appear across the screen at random points. Project Diva also includes the directional pad, rather than just the basic set of buttons, making the game much more difficult to master.
Overall both games were fun little games that could be played any time without too much involvement. Both have great graphical interfaces and some pretty addictive game play. Project Mirai will be out in early 2012, while PSP owners can get their hands on Project Diva Extended a little earlier, on the 10th of November this year.
Want your own COG armor? Well this one of a kind suit (minus the lancer, underclothes and boots) could be yours! What’s the hitch? Well to get an entry code you have to purchase one of Calibur11’s fully customised Gears of War 3 Vaults, released today in the UK and available on their website for 69.99 GBP. As previously reported, the Vault is specially designed for the Xbox 360 Slim model, and improves airflow and console stability. It comes complete with a controller cradle and is emblazoned with a Crimson Omen – it even glows red whenever the player is downed in Gears of War 3!
One lucky buyer will walk away with the COG suit, whilst 100 runners up will receive a ‘bleed out’ inspired hoodie. You do have to be over 18, and live in Europe or Asia-Pacific to enter, so if you were ever considering splashing out on a Gears of War Vault for your console, with the game less than a week away and this amazing suit up for grabs, now is the time to buy.
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi Director: Jonathan Liebesman Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriguez, Will Rothhaar, Ne-Yo Running Time: 116 minutes Available for purchase at:Sony Pictures ($17.49USD Blu-ray/$19.95USD Combo Pack)
Overview
When Battle: Los Angeles was released in the cinemas, I’ll admit that I didn’t even bat an eyelid. I just skimmed over the synopsis, decided it wasn’t for me, and moved on with my life. However, it seems to film has found me yet again, so I decided to invest the time to give it a go – perhaps it would surprise me.
Unfortunately, it did no such thing. The film is exactly as I expected it would be: flat and predictable. With an exhausted and clichéd narrative and characters, Battle: Los Angeles was almost doomed from the start. The visual elements had the potential to redeem it, but here I also feel it fell short, overall making for a very forgettable experience.
Plot
The narrative is your typical alien meets army hero film. Sergeant Michael Nantz just got his retirement approved after a long and painful career with the Marines. He is on the brink of leaving, however when meteors begin to approach Earth at an alarming rate, Nantz is called back in to do his duty and protect the civilians. Upon arriving at the site of these ‘meteors’, the team of Marines is shocked to find groups of unidentified species shooting at large across the coast. The team are then dispatched to rescue a group of civilians trapped in a police station before the Air Force bombs the entire area in a bid to kill the aliens.
As far as a plot goes, this is about as textbook as it comes. Every single person has seen this story in at least one other film during their lifetime (basically any kind of action or sci-fi flick, really). Man fights between the guilt of his past, aliens come out of nowhere, and said man must rise to the status of hero again. The narrative seemed to take a backseat to the action – and while this is perfectly okay, I wonder why they even bothered to make a story. In fact, they should have just called it Marines vs. Aliens, because it would have summed up the narrative in three words and we could have all just watched the shooting instead.
What was also disappointing was that while Liebesman could have at least tried requesting a decent reason for why the aliens are on Earth, he settled instead for a mediocre one: they’re apparently trying to steal our water. What could have become very District 9-esque soon spiralled down into an obvious quick attempt to throw any possible justification for unidentified species to be on our planet.
Characters
The main character of the film is Nantz, played by Aaron Eckhart. While most of us will know him for his brilliant portrayal as Harvey Dent alongside Christian Bale and Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, Eckhart’s latest character is anything but – any character development is exchanged for a lump of clichés instead. Nantz is a man who has seen the struggles of combat, and must live with the guilt of having his entire crew die while under his leadership. He must rise to the occasion when his team needs him, and in doing so, he must come to terms with his own past.
The central flaw to Nantz’s character is that he just doesn’t click and develop a relationship with the audience. While Eckhart had the potential to play the role poignantly and give the audience something powerful, he instead seemed to settle for a pre-conceived role – it’s as if he’s just going through the motions of being regretful instead of actually feeling regret. It can be convincing for a few brief seconds and at moments, such as when Eckhart refuses to abandon the leader of this new mission, he almost had me; then the emotion stopped, and it just became acting again.
The other characters almost merge into one another: aside from 2nd Lieutenant William Martinez (Nantz’s boss on the alien mission), the other Marines do not stand out or contribute a great deal to the overall narrative. In fact, the only face I recognised was Corporal Kevin Harris (and that’s because he was played by Ne-Yo). Martinez floats between being likeable and unlikeable; it’s almost as though the writers had bipolar and couldn’t decide whether they wanted him to be spiteful at Nantz for his history or a powerful leader. This again could have been utilised as great character development, but instead it was confusing to the narrative.
Visual/Audio
The visuals were perhaps the best aspect of Battle: Los Angeles (although that’s not really saying much, given the rest of the areas). There were some unique shots that wouldn’t be typical of an action/sci-fi flick, and had me pleasantly surprised – handycam shots and close ups akin to those found in first person shooters gave this film an interesting touch. However, for every interesting or unique shot, there were a dozen others that were predictable. None of the scenery or backdrops had anything special about them either, and for the most part, the cinematography was average.
Of course, special effects play a massive role in this film. What did confuse me, though, is that while aliens are CGI, there is some conflict in their appearance. From far away, they look like robotic Terminators; up close they have fleshy insides. This animation threw me off, and it seems Liebesman just fell short again when it came to character creation – even with the unidentified species.
As far as audio elements go, Battle: Los Angeles is again just…well, average. The soundtrack features popular hits such as Tupac’s California Love. Other songs are there to make the audience feel the correct emotions at the correct times. Like I mentioned before, everything is done right in a technical sense; however, it feels as though it’s just going through the motions as opposed to actually striking a chord with the audience on a deeper level.
DVD Extras/Blu-ray edition
The DVD is jam-packed with extras, as all these films always are. The standard DVD comes with Behind the Battle, Aliens in LA, Preparing for Battle, and Creating L.A. in L.A. – basically, all the ‘making of’ extras you could hope for. However, the film also is available on Blu-ray and in a combo pack (DVD and Blu-ray). Purchasing the Blu-ray will not only allow you to gain more features (Directing the Battle, Boot Camp, The Freeway Battle and Command Control), but it’s probably worth the extra money to see the film the way it was meant to be seen.
Final Comments
Battle: Los Angeles is nothing special – in fact, it feels like a draft proposal for what the film was actually going to be. If you have a palette for poignant narratives and avant-garde films, then give this a miss. With that being said, if you’re looking to kill two hours with some mindless action and like aliens, then pick up Battle: Los Angeles because it is absolutely perfect for you.
Given the success of the first Dance Central, there’s no surprise that Dance Central 2 for the Xbox 360 Kinect will be launching in October this year. Microsoft held small demonstrations and provided the opportunity for people ask questions about their up coming title.
By now, I’m sure most people know about the ability for two players to play Dance Central 2 simultaneously. Microsoft went into a bit of detail about two player motion tracking, as well as show casing how it all works. Dancing players can step in and out of frame to take a break from playing and the screen will automatically begin to start tracking the player left within the frame. If the player jumps back in, they will be tracked too. Unlike Dance Central, the sequel allows for players to both play at the same time, rather than alternate in verses mode. Furthermore, Dance Central 2 is not limited to verses mode, players can play co-operatively. Microsoft also noted that players cannot play together online. While they can compete through high scores and leader boards, simultaneous playing is limited to players in the same space. After seeing two players dancing in front of the Kinect, I think I have to agree with this emphasis on the presence of players and the push to maintain Dance Central as a socially driven game.
Microsoft also made note of the voice control options in Dance Central 2. Players can seamlessly change songs, navigate menus and pause the game via voice control, rather than interrupt their game play by moving their hands, which are engaged in dancing. The break it down mode especially benefits from the integration of voice control.
It was also revealed that songs for Dance Central 2 will also eventually be region specific. The game will support 14 languages and fans are able to request region specific songs via the Dance Central website or Dance Central Facebook.
In Tokyo I got to sit down with one of my favourite online action RPG’s, Phantasy Star Online 2, I played the original on Dreamcast to death and knew the franchise had slowly gone downhill since then. As such, I was unaware that it would be showcased and found myself pretty excited to play it. Luckily I wasn’t let down, this time around the developers have actually made what looks like a true sequel, improving the graphics, combat system and overall feel of the game. It looks like that excitement from the early 2000’s is back with this follow up, it felt like I was 14 again.
Currently the NA/EU release isn’t set in stone and the only platform is Windows PC, but a ALPHA will be coming along and the release on other platforms is still up in air. I was fairly impressed with the game, so I ended up going back twice to try and find out as much as possible. Firstly, you can finally jump in the game! This was one frustrating element that I felt was missing from previous games. I was playing a Force, meanwhile my friend was on a ranger. Suprisingly rangers can now lock on and shoot third person style, which plays similar to something like Gear of Wars and it’s a nice addition. More additions like this have been added to other classes as well, even the map system seems to be better than before.
There’s only 3 classes planned for release, another one is on the way. I believe the three will be, Hunter, Force and Ranger, the third wasn’t revealed. PVP is a possible in the future and the combat system is abit quicker and has more combos, along with the ability to climb on bosses for bonus damage. The level I played was forest, which if you’re a PSO player you’ll know means the boss is a dragon, the difference here was the level design and player capacity. These areas allow up to 12 people, while the bosses allow only 4, how that works if you have 12 people who wish to join wasn’t revealed. The levels are also dynamic, which means the environment changes slightly on every instance. Quests will also be around for the sequel, which I imagine work rather similar to the previous games.
If you’ve played PSO before, you’ll know the single player campaigns aren’t exactly the greatest. PSO2 will have one of those, although it’s like the old games, where it’s exactly the same as the multi-player. Not much information was revealed on story and whether or not there’ll be seperate characters for online and offline. Speaking of character creation, I believe SEGA have revised the process and added more customisation, it’s not something I got hands on with but I saw some at the conference.
The most impressive thing was probably the graphics (instantly knew they were much better) and just the complete overhaul of the game, which is something it really needed to catch up with the ever expanding online multiplayer market. There was a lack of mags in the version I played, however I was told they’d be present, which will make any fan happy. In short, what I played has me hoping that this will be the best PSO yet since the original. Here’s hoping it gets localised sooner rather than later.
Namco Bandai have announced at Tokyo Game Show 2011, that Americans will be able to take to the skies in Ace Combat 3D on their Nintendo 3DS consoles, come November 15th, 2011.
The American version is set to be titled Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy instead of Ace Combat 3D and will make use of the Nintendo 3DS consoles, stereoscopic 3D display for immersive aircraft piloting and touch screen for targetting with said aircrafts.
You can check out the trailer for the upcoming 3D aerial combat title straight from the TGS 2011 kitchen below. Be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you think of Ace Combat 3D.
Just in case you weren’t already excited enough for FIFA 12 to come out, I’d like to drag you away from the demo for just a few minutes and show you EA Sports’ latest video addition. The flagship of FIFA seems to have gotten a whole lot better with some great improvements to player transfers.
Simon Humber, the Creative Director of FIFA 12, talks us through player transfers and in particular the deadline day. You now get 8 “hours” in which you can work through to either get some last desperate attempts at persuading a player to join your team or do your best to hang on to all your prized players.
“You may find yourself getting involved without meaning to get involved. You might have a great squad, you’re happy with it, but suddenly a bid comes in…it really can change your squad dramatically at the last minute” Said Humber.
So boys and girls, in exactly two weeks you will be able to get your hands on a copy, let us know what you’re most excited about and also what you’ve thought of the gameplay so far from the demo.
