At Nintendo’s Pre-TGS conference held for the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced that they are currently working on a Mario Tennis game for the handheld. There were only a few details given at the time of announcement, besides that the game would be coming out next year.
Also announced was that the game would use the gyro sensor for controls and that the game most likely won’t be released under that name. It can be anyone’s guess as to which Mario sports title will be coming next, as the Mario crew have done everything from tennis, to golf, to hardcore soccer. What do you think will follow Mario Tennis as far as Mario sports games go?
During an event held today pre-Tokyo Game Show, Nintendo has announced that they will be releasing a new color of the 3DS in an effort to push more of their newest handheld. However this one will be marketed towards the finer of genders, as the color is called Misty Pink.
The handheld will be released on October 20th in Japan but currently there is no news whether or not this color will be available in other countries outside of Japan. Still if you are looking to get your sister or girlfriend a present perhaps this Pink 3DS will make them take the jump from the normal DS. Or you know, if you are a guy who loves pink like Dustin. It’s cool.
Aksys Games have announced that the North American version of the Fate/EXTRA game for the Playstation Portable will like the Japanese version feature a special edition jam-packed with Fate/EXTRA extras!
The game was previously released in Japan in 2010 and is based upon the Fate/Stay Night visual novel, of which has also spawned anime adaptations.
The special edition bundle of the title includes a 15-page Fate Visual Works art book as well as the 11 song limited edition Fate Soundtrack. You can pick up the Fate/EXTRA special edition for $39.99 and the standard edition for $29.99 and the PSN version for $24.99.
What do you think of the Fate/EXTRA extras? Leave a comment letting us know.
Overview:
Way back in 1991, video games were still starting out. A number of genres hadn’t even been discovered yet and many gameplay ideas were not even a blip on the radar. But that was the year something interesting was created. A game called Lemmings by DMA Design. Lemmings was a title that involved players providing ways through a level for little creatures, while also keeping them alive.
Fast forward twenty years and it is easy to say that the gaming industry has changed much since then. For example now we have the Kinect motion tracker for the Xbox 360, and Konami has a game with a number of similarities to Lemmings that makes full use of the Kinect’s abilities. Leedmees is the first Kinect Arcade title from Konami and the third ever released so far. Does Leedmees stand to make a name for itself with the combination of motion gaming and guiding small creatures?
Story:
Leedmee’s storyline is quite basic and pretty straightforward. As you begin your first level you will be greeted with a small bit of text which says that you were suddenly dropped into a mysterious world with no knowledge of how you even got there. You find that your body has been changed to a strange form and that these little white creatures are simply trying to go from place to place.
Only thing is, your body is now in their way. Seeing as you are blocking their way you feel that you should help these little creatures on their way as they seem to trust you to do so. The storyline is roughly as basic as it can get, but considering Leedmees is a puzzle title, it is enjoyable to see that there even is a storyline to go with the tiny puzzles.
Presentation:
Normally I would break this up into two categories, but it wouldn’t be really justifiable in this case. Leedmee’s graphics are relatively simple in the foreground, with the tiny white creatures and the player’s body having no complicated design. The backdrops are very interesting to see however, as they are well varied and are decent in quality.
The game’s music is suiting for a puzzle title such as this, with simple sounding music tracks varying depending what stage you are playing on. The little creatures also make a bit of noise when they grab onto you as well as when they are walking but you will be listening to the same music most of the time.
Gameplay:
At its core, Leedmees’ gameplay is quite simple, but most puzzles games are easy in description and difficult in execution. Players will play through different stages and each stage is designed differently. In each stage players must make sure that a certain number of creatures make it through to the red portal without too many dying in the process.
The creatures walk in a straight line and only stop to turn around when they walk into a wall or an upright limb, therefore you must create bridges and paths for them to walk around with by using your own body to pose for them. The player will do this in any way they can imagine, such as bending down so the creatures can climb onto their arm and then standing up with your arm extended to create a bridge or using your arms to create bridges, and any number of different ways.
If too many creatures die then you will be treated to a game over and must restart that stage. The creatures can die in any number of ways as they don’t pay any attention to their surroundings and can die from traps, falling a distance or even if you squish them yourself. While the first few levels may be rather simple, the puzzles do end up becoming quite hard as more traps are introduced and the time limit becomes a factor.
There are three different areas to play and ten stages in each. The puzzles can usually be solved in a few minutes, which is necessary as there is a time limit, which means that it is possible to finish all puzzles quickly. However, even though you only have to escort a minimum amount of creatures to the portal you can also have them grab one of five stars placed around the stage. Since each creature can only hold onto one star at a time, it creates quite a challenge to make sure you not only escort them all safely but also obtain all the stars in all the levels.
Besides playing the single player mode, there is also a multiplayer aspect to Leedmees. With local co-op only, players can bring a friend or family member and help escort them to the portal. This is made even more interesting when the portal is sometimes on one of the player’s body. Players must pass the creatures back and forth sometimes, but this can also be a bit of a furious endeavor. The Kinect seems to fail often when it comes to two player interactions and often misreads two matching arms or any number of actions needed to complete a level which can cause frustration and failure simply due to a problem with detection.
This is also a problem with the single player mode. Being a puzzle title that involves escorting a certain amount of the little white creatures to their destination alive within the time limit, there is a level of finesse required. While the Kinect performs admirably most of the time, occasionally your character’s movements will not follow your own and will jerk erratically which can kill any number of the little creatures through no fault of your own.
Overall:
Leedmees is an interesting little title which combines puzzles and full body motion tracking in a way never done before. The levels and stages are very interesting and although the game can possibly be quite short they can also be very complicated depending on whether or not you want to earn a perfect S ranking on each level. Plus any extended amount of gameplay can certainly cause a bit of fatigue on a players upper body simply because most of the poses with your arms extended out in various angles have to be held perfectly for a period of time, so sporadic playing is usually for the best.
If only the motion tracking had been a little bit better and the co-op gameplay didn’t have so many issues, then Leedmees would have been a great experience to play with a friend. Still despite these problems it is still a fun little title that puzzle lovers and those looking to get some use out of their Kinect will enjoy.
Media Blasters, recently announced the acquisition of the anime series Squid Girl and now they have confirmed the english version cast of the series. Squid Girl has been streaming in Japanese with English subtitles on Crunchyroll for a fair while now and news of the English dub cast has been hotly anticipated by fans of the series. The cast is as follows:
Christine Marie Cabanos as Squid Girl
Heather Pennington as Eiko
Jason Wishnov as Goro
Amanda C. Miller as Takeru
Shelby Lindley as Chizuru
Cristina Vee as Nagisa
Xanthe Huynh as Sanae
Laura Post as Cindy
Sarah Williams as Ayumi
Amanda Lee as Noh Mask Rider
Tony Oliver as Father
Lauren Landa as Announcer
Jonathan Meza as Devil Squid
Juicey Flannigan as Principal
Erika Harlacher as Customer
Matt Wolfrom as Customer
Victor Sgroi as Customer
It has been confirmed that Media Blasters will release the english dub on DVD onNovember 27th across North America. Let us know what you think of the english cast in the comments section below.
Several trailers for the upcoming Guilty Crown anime, set to air on the noitaminA anime block in Japan, have been uploaded onto the official website of the anime.
The trailer’s show off the series impressive visual style as well as giving a taste of what to expect from the series, from the creators of Ghost in the Shell and Eden of the East, Production I.G.
The three trailers can be seen for your viewing pleasure here at the official website. Be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you think of the near-future styled anime series Guilty Crown.
Following the trend of streaming trailers in anticipation of their official unveiling at Tokyo Game Show 2011, Level 5, known for their Professor Layton series, has started to stream a trailer for their joint production with Studio Ghibli, Ni no Kuni: Shiroki Seihai no Joo.
The trailer shows off prpecisely 100 seconds of RPG goodness, giving Ghibli and Level 5 fans enough whimsical imagery to beat a fairy to death with. The game is indeed beautiful and is said to tell an equally beautiful story (Studio Ghibli is said to be handling that part).
Ni no Kuni is set for release on the Playstation 3 in Japan on November 27th, 2011. You can check out the trailer below and let us know what you think of it in the comments section.
Rather than release a small teaser for each character, Capcom has decided to go completely over the top for the latest cinematic trailer for Street Fighter X Tekken. The video is similar to the one released a few months ago which introduced Poison and Hugo. In the video from Famitsu we see two of the more portly fighters getting into confrontation with one another after Street Fighter’s Rufus mistakes Tekken’s Bob Richards for Ken Masters.
After they fight into the restaurant we also see the big Russian Zangief get a little bit of screen time himself. The fight all takes place inside Tekken’s Marshall Law’s Diner, though he wasn’t actually shown. If Capcom can make interesting story cinematics to advertise the game, perhaps they could actually make legitimate story for this title as well.
Time to roll that monkey on the go as Sega has annpunced a new Super Monkey Ball for the Playstation Vita. It has been designed esclusively with the Vita in mind, taking advantage of the motion controls, front touch screen and the rear touch pad, as well as for allowing traditional controls. Expect AiAi, MeeMee, Baby and GonGon to be present in the game.
The game will also feature all-new worlds, original mini-games and updated graphics, adding a fresh new vibrancy to Super Monkey Ball. Players can manage each monkey’s momentum to navigate narrow ledges, moving platforms and loads of challenging obstacles. Roll your chosen ape to the goal by taking full advantage of the capabilities offered by the Vita handheld console, and challenge up to four friends in Wi-Fi enabled multiplayer modes. Fans can also enjoy revamped classic games such as the much-loved Monkey Target, along with other exciting brand new additions.
“Since evolving onto the current generation of consoles, the Super Monkey Ball franchise has always offered innovative game design, challenging the hardware capabilities for all the consoles it has released on” said Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing at SEGA Europe and SEGA of America. “Super Monkey Ball on PlayStation Vita is a great opportunity to experience the exciting features that the PlayStation Vita offers, and the SEGA development team are bringing a exciting new experience whilst staying true to the franchise.”
The game will see a release in 2012. Are you excited by a Super Monkey Ball on the Vita? Leave your comments below.
Since the DLC was released as a time exclusive on the Xbox 360 last month, some news came in today that should surprise absolutely nobody, the release date for the PlayStation 3 and PC versions of Call of Duty: Black Ops’ Rezurrection DLC has been announced. Releasing on September 22nd, the package will contain five zombie maps, four being fancy looking old maps and one quite fun Moon level as well as a number of new Trophies.
This DLC will cost Activision’s lovely price of $14.99 and they will be offering double experience points on the same weekend so that CoD fans can prestige even higher than they are right now. That is if you aren’t already all maxed out of course.
