The long wait is finally over for iOS device owning Gameloft fans. Previously released exclusively for Android, Backstab is now available for both iPhone and iPad from the iTunes App Store. In BackStab you take control of betrayed former English naval officer Henry Blake, as he climbs, jumps, sneaks and fights his along the path to revenge. The game includes an immersive 18th century Caribbean island that you can freely explore featuring responsive environments. Make your way through varied environments such as the jungle, beach, mountain peaks, tribal villages and even a volcano, not to mention four major cities. Players can follow paths set out by quests or roam freely and explore the detailed world Gameloft has created. Backstab is available for $6.99US or $8.99AU. Make sure you watch the trailer below featuring some impressive cinematic moments from the game as well as a glimpse at the incredible gameplay BackStab has to offer.
Cole McGrath would have to go down as being one of the toughest men on the planet. Aside from Kratos who is brutal incarnate this guy can take so much punishment for good or evil it’s disturbing. Infamous 2 returns Cole to the realm of the Beast and briefly back to Empire City where Cole, drained of his powers, makes a run for it with his crew to New Marais to replan and replenish. Sucker Punch have gone all out to create massive immersive environments, that encourage players to free roam and complete the wide array of side missions and karma boosters on offer.
Storyline
Without going on and on and boring you with intricate details I shall provide a quick rundown on the various characters and basic plot so anyone who hasn’t played the first game can easily relate. After escaping from the Beast but unable to stop its sheer power and size, Cole and his crew of Lucy Kuo and Zeke make a dash to New Marais city to plan their next move. NSA agent Kuo fits into the picture through her relation with the infamous Dr Wolfe who worked on the development of the Ray Sphere responsible for Coles electrifying powers.
New Marais unfortunately has problems of its own. Under the dictatorship of Bertrand, the city is under lock down as his army of human purists hunt down and kill the remaining conduits. Reconnecting with Dr Wolfe, Col learns of the Blast Cores scattered around the city that if absorbed into his body would enable him to power the RFI and potentially cripple and destroy the beast. Unfortunately for Col, Wolfe is soon captured and things go from bad to worse when Kuo is also taken prisoner while attempting to rescue him.
Where theres enemies theirs also friends, and Col and Zeke quickly become acquainted with Rouche, a resistance leader, focused on eliminating Bertrand from the city, and Nix, a fellow conduit who escaped a Ray Sphere attack on her city but has been infused with conduit abilities. Both agree to aid Col rescue Kuo who has been tortured and infused with conduit powers of her own. From this point Cols conscience and morals come into play as he finds himself in a constant battle between following Kuo, or falling for the sexy allure of Nix and really letting loose the demon inside him. I don’t want to give too much more of the story away but it twists and turns, culminating in a very unexpected finale that will really test what is left of Cols (or the players) human soul.
Gameplay
This game reminds me of Spiderman but on steroids. There is no building or bridge too high for Col, and his amazing array of electric and ice/fire abilities allow him to travel within the city with ease. Environments are huge, which is necessary considering the sheer number of campaign and side missions made available in single player mode. Gameplay primarily takes place on 2 different sides of New Marais, one being a more traditional city landscape and the other looking more like a war zone almost completely covered with varying depths of Cols mortal enemy; water. Both are highly interactive and almost every object can be used to Cols advantage.
Everything about this sequel feels more powerful and destructive. From lifting cars with ease using kinetic powers to the sheer epic size of his enemies the whole game screams intensity. One of my favourite parts (despite taking numerous attempts), was running down the street fighting a massive ugly beast, looking around for vacant cars and rubbish bins to hurl at it, as it plundered along without a care in the world for squashed civilians, destroyed houses and buckled sidewalks. Every Boss required a different strategy, including traditional weak points through to aerial attacks and out and out destructive force. Cols standard weapons more often than not have little to no effect on the larger bosses who all require much more firepower to destroy.
Controls are very easy to master and soon even players unfamiliar with the franchise will be skating over power lines while shooting bolts of lightning at will. There were a few instances where Col went a bit haywire usually when performing more intricate controls which was frustrating but were few and far between and didn’t have too much of an effect on the experience. For example, flying around from building to building was easy but simply climbing a ladder required the utmost effort. Also melee combat although very pleasing was very limited in control with Col taking many air swings. When it came down to it in the big battles the controls were fluid and didn’t disappoint.
As well as the basic storyline there are a multitude of side missions to complete throughout Cols adventures. These range from collecting medical supplies and stopping enemy convoys through to saving civilians and helping out the local resistance groups. Some of the side missions pop up more than once and are more like mini games very well intertwined into the campaign mode. Players will either have to control Col as he takes the form of a tesla missile and literally fly from one power station to the next in order to power it up. The other mission involves overcharging Col and then transporting him to a power station only using the power lines to skate on or fly across. Both are very challenging and progress in difficulty as the game goes on. The side missions are an essential part of building up enough AMPs to purchase different weapons and abilities. As well as the standard side missions, players can embark upon specific good or evil missions which heavily influence your karma meter.
Players who choose to side with Kuo and take her advice in hairy situations will gain ice abilities and those who fall prey to the seductress Nix will have fire at their fingertips. Each route will take players down very different roads inclusive of side missions and how the public react to you.
More varied styles of play such as hanging from rooftops and shooting enemies or using the environment such as water to electrocute the enemy all aid to unlock more abilities. Players chosen karma will also ascertain the various abilities available to purchase. Other abilities in Cols arsenal include his vortex (ice/fire) wind that knocks enemies off their feet, kinetic powers allowing him to hurl heavy destructive objects as well as grenades and flying upgrades. For cose combat Col now carries a charged rod capable of dishing out massive amounts of violence. As upgrades are bought Col will learn new attacks and more explosive finishing moves.
Where this game really comes into its own are in the immense long range battles. It’s not uncommon for Col to find himself surrounded by enemies on all rooftops, having to hide behind various objects while keeping an eye on available recharge points. AI are smart and have incredibly good aim so it’s essential Col can take a beating and most enemies weapons don’t pack too much of a punch. Gliding from rooftop to rooftop, taking out enemies and choosing a good vantage point is pure joy due to ease of the control system. Allowing him to blast his way out are the wide and varied bolts at his disposal ranging from long range streaks to concentrated balls.
Scattered throughout the city, and constantly popping up on the map are various tasks that Col can optionally perform to increase his Karma and earn more AMP’s. Unfortunately there are only 4 different variations and over the course of the game become a little repetitive and tedious. Still I would recommend doing as many as you can to earn those precious AMP’s and unlock abilities. I chose the good path to redemption and had to stop muggings, defuse bombs, revive civilians or shoot message carrying birds.
The fact that players have to choose between good and evil paths even within the campaign missions gives Infamous 2 huge replay value and players a totally different experience. Having players choose different outcomes allows them to interact and enjoy the game on a different level unlocking new abilities and following different characters paths.
Oh and don’t forget to collect the blast shards which are scattered throughout every environment in the game. Don’t hesitate to collect them whenever you see on even mid mission, they are invaluable in increasing the amount of electrical charge or essentially ammunition Col can carry. Your electrical meter is drained accordingly to your mode of attack with standard bolts having little impact and grenades and bombs heavily sapping your energy.
Online mode has seen the introduction of User Generated Content. Players can create their own missions and upload them for the rest of the community to use. These missions will appear on your screen like others and are rated after completion to find the top creations.
Graphics and Sound
Aesthetically speaking, Infamous 2 is very pleasing even though many will argue it lacks some of the finer detail found in modern day war based shooters. Don’t get me wrong, the enemies are well constructed and look amazing, and the skin and contrast rendering on Col, Zeke and Co. are exceptional. The cities are vibrant and explosions and visual damage to the city gives a real sense of the intensity and extent of the damage inflicted. Integrated into the story are the cut scenes which are appropriately rendered in a graphic novel style. They really give the game that dark feel similar to Sin City or the like. Cols voice is gritty, reminding us of a man who has been through hell and back to get to where he is. Sound effects are bold and give the sense of real chaos in a crumbling out of control city.
Overall
Sucker Punch have really come to the table with Infamous 2, creating a gaming experience rich in storyline and a refreshing change from the traditional Uzi or shotgun wielding hero. Everything in New Marais city is interactive and players are never left with the feeling they should be able to achieve more. Enemies are over the top and of epic proportion; the kind of beasts that really could level a city, and while Col’s size pales in comparison his abilities more than make up for it. Infamous 2 has elements that require finesse and the controls are responsive and easy to use despite the odd hiccup in Cols directional sense. Everything within the game fits well, from the side missions essential to gain enough AMP’s to gain the abilities needed to defeat the various anatomically incorrect beasts, to the karma system and associated storylines. This is a very welcome addition to the franchise at to a gaming market currently flooded with FPS and real life war interpretations.
Download services like Xbox Live Arcade and the Apple App Store are great places to find some fantastic independent games, and it’s games like The Adventures of Shuggy that make you glad the smaller developers can get their products out amongst the big guys. It’s no secret that the most interesting ideas come out of indie devs, but strangely, all the clever ideas in Shuggy (and there are a lot of them) have been done somewhere else before. This sounds like a criticism, but honestly, the game should be praised for the way it combines so many fun ideas, uses them expertly and injects them with a unique personality.
Story
Shuggy is the kind of game that’s stronger without a story, providing just enough to contextualise the location and characters. Basically, Shuggy, a vampire bat thing, inherits an old castle and discovers on arrival that it’s haunted. He (or you, as the player) must move around the castle and clear out the nasties. The small story segments – pretty much just segues from one part of the castle to another – are presented as animated comic strips, which are fairly cool. Other than these small moments, the story is pretty irrelevant, but in this kind of game, that’s fine.
Gameplay
In each part of the castle – Dungeon, Boiler Room, Gallery, Graveyard and Clock Tower – players are given access to dozens of rooms, each one varying in difficulty and gameplay style: some involve old-school platforming, some are puzzles, some a combination. In each, players must gather the gems scattered around, but doing so involves a different core mechanic each time. In some, Shuggy can rotate the level around to access different areas. In others, there are multiple Shuggys, and the player must switch between them. Some require you to use a rope to swing to places you can’t reach. Some play with time or gravity. Some let Shuggy grow or shrink. In some, players must herd little creatures into cages to unlock gems. And some combine two or three of these mechanics in one level.
Not only that, but they begin experimenting within each of these gameplay types. In the rotating levels, for example, sometimes the gems fall downwards, meaning the player must rotate the level to have the gems fall through a maze and eventually within reach. In others, the gems stick to surfaces, and rotating the level allows new paths for the player to collect them. Sometimes the entire level rotates, others it rotates small squares of it. The player may be able to rotate on command, or may have to hit a switch to do it.
Then combine any of these with any of the other mechanics above, and their variations that I won’t go into, and you’ll have an idea of the scope of Shuggy’s creativity.
The point is, Shuggy has a ridiculous amount of different gameplay styles, which is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing, obviously, is that there is a lot to do, and most of it is great fun. There are over 100 levels, but considering how many mechanics they have to play with, it doesn’t feel like enough. There are so many ideas at play here that many seem under-explored. I guess that’s a positive reaction – too much material, yet I want more.
There are certain levels of Shuggy that can be likened to plenty of other games; the platforming is reminiscent of early Mario games (right down to the jump sound effect, which sounds exactly the same as Mario’s), swapping between multiple Shuggys to solve puzzles feels like the Super Nintendo classic The Lost Vikings, the time mechanics have been explored in a similar fashion in Braid and The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom. But Shuggy handles them differently, combines them in interesting ways, does things with the mechanics that the other games didn’t, and maintains its unique personality throughout.
If they hadn’t handled it so well, you might think they have attempted too much for one game. At times, it can get confusing, as you try to remember what you can actually do in a particular level. But the simplified control scheme helps a lot: the left stick controls movement (obviously), A is Jump and the right trigger activates whatever ability Shuggy has in that level. That’s it. There’s a lot of depth in gameplay, yet the control’s simplicity smooths the transition between each level.
A potential problem could be in the developers’ future releases: Smudged Cat might have used up all their good ideas in one title, when they could have spaced them out across multiple games. Each of these mechanics could almost sustain an entire game themselves – at least a small downloadable title. We’ll have to see their next release to judge that, but with Shuggy, they’ve set the bar high for themselves.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to try the multiplayer modes (I only have one Xbox controller), but my understanding is that the mechanics are explored even further there. I will definitely play those modes later though.
Graphics & Audio
Visually, Shuggy is a treat. The character himself is, dare I say, cute, but with a touch of creepiness. The design of the enemies are probably the weakest part of the whole package, with the standard spiders, wasps, zombies, robots, spikey ball things, mines, nothing particularly unique. Shuggy himself, and the other vampire characters, would be recognizable outside the context of the game, but the enemies don’t stand out at all.
Thankfully the boss characters have had more thought put into the visual design. They all fit the overall aesthetic and suit their function, and are a pleasure to battle, with inventive use of prior mechanics required to beat them.
The environmental design is also very well presented. Each section of the castle is distinct, introducing a new aesthetic, new enemies, obstacles, and gameplay elements. The only issue I had was in later levels, where elements of the environment would reach into the foreground, resulting in a few blind spots. I’m not sure if this was a deliberate attempt to make these levels harder, but if so, it’s a cheap method, and unnecessary, as the game’s difficulty increases at a nice pace without the interference from the background.
The music is fitting, with a somewhat jazzy soundtrack, although more variation would be appreciated. Each area has its own music, but with 20 or so levels each playing the same loop, it can become fairly annoying.
Final Comments
There are plenty of minor problems with The Adventures of Shuggy, but they are more than outweighed by the things it does right. It perfectly captures the old-school platforming feel, and balanced with inventive puzzles, it challenges in both respects in equal measure. Throw in a nice visual aesthetic, a hell of a lot of content, and the very generous $10 price point and there’s really no reason not to get it.
Platform: Xbox 360 (reviewed)/Playstation 3 Publisher:Electronic Arts Developer: Spicy Horse Genre: Action Adventure Release Date: June 16, 2011 Price:$99 AUD
Overview
Suda51, Shinji Mikami and Akira Yamaoka – Three of the most influential video game developers of this current generation (whom works’ include Killer7, Resident Evil and Silent Hill respectively) have collaborated together to create one hell of an insane game “Shadows of the Damned”. With these three big names in the video game industry attached to this game, players can definitely expect the unexpected with plenty of gory violence, action and of cause to top it all off, an abundance of jokes about certain ‘phallic’ parts of the human anatomy.
Story
Shadows of the Damned certainly doesn’t beat around the bush (in one of the best gaming intros I’ve seen in a long time) in less than five minutes to the game, players are literally jumping straight into hell. And who might you be playing as, you ask…? Professional demon hunter, the one and only Garcia Hotspur! And holy shit what a badass he is. His journey through hell begins with the death of his lover Paula, by the ruler of Hell itself Demon Lord Flemming. But you’re not going at it alone you will be accompanied by your trusty companion Johnson a flaming ex-demon skull.
He also funnily enough, turns into your arsenal of weapons which includes The Boner, Teether and Monocussioner. Sort of a pistol, machine gun and shotgun respectively, I say sort of because throughout the game these weapons are upgraded to become so much more. Right from the get go the story kicks off with a bang and before you know it you’re standing in front of the gates of Hell. Now the story may sound familiar, a hero on a quest to save the one he loves and true overall the story doesn’t really get much more than this.
But where the game lacks in main plot, it makes up in the absolutely over-the-top scenarios, environments and bizarre-quirky side stories that players will run into that makes this interpretation of Hell so damn interesting. A nice inclusion into the game is these hilarious storybooks which tell the tales of how each ‘V.I.P Demon’ ended up in Hell (and by the way V.I.P stands for Very Important Pendejo…which I don’t think I can repeat in English). Personally I didn’t mind the simple story because it’s how the game has presented it which has made this game standout so much.
Gameplay
There are some solid game mechanics behind this game which is at its core, fundamentally a third person shooter. In this field the game plays fairly alright, aiming controls, moving and the camera may take some time getting use to as they do feel quite stiff from the start. Players of cause can tweak these controls in the settings menu. The game paces itself very well throwing in a range of new weapons, different enemy types and the occasional side-scrolling section to keep the game running and feeling fresh even towards the final chapters of the game.
As a Suda51 game you can expect plenty of insane boss battles, which Shadows of the Damned gladly delivers on. Boss battles in this game are very trial and error. The standard “aim for the weak spot” is easier said than done in this game, considering that sometimes there not as blatantly obvious as you would like them to be. But eventually studying a boss’ attack pattern will eventually give it away, given a few ‘restart from checkpoint’.
Along with the standard convections of a third person shooter, Shadows of the Damned also introduces a light and dark system which is integrated well with the various combat and puzzle sequences. When Garcia is trapped in darkness, enemies become invulnerable and he will slowly lose health leaving players with a short time frame to solve puzzles or complete the objective at hand. Even in the light, Darkness provides a protective coat for enemies which players have to remove first before they are able to kill them, which is a simple affair with a quick melee attack or light shot.
Gameplay overall doesn’t particularly change that much at the later stages of the game once you have full decked out your arsenal, and it would of been nice to see something that tied all Garcia skills together that’s not just the final boss. But with this said, what the game does presents is absolutely satisfying and fun to play through.
Graphics & Audio
‘Shadows of the Damned’ sports a strong art style which is backed up with solid graphics. It works wells in creating the dark, twisted and for the most part macabre world that you find yourself travelling through. It might be an artistic decision but there seems to be a fuzzy/blurry glaze over the each of the cutscenes, which I found to be quite distracting. But asides from this the game’s strong art style and art direct continue to through the weird and bizarre at you.
Audio in this game is superb, voice work by the lead characters Garcia and Johnson is as witty and filthy as it is downright hilarious. Throughout the game, there are so many great one-liners and memorable dialogue which adds to the overall look and feel of the game – very very crass humour indeed. And not only this, overall the soundtrack is fantastic in providing an overall atmospheric feeling. From the quirky music of moving ‘sushi lamp’ to each epic boss battles, every moment audio is layered together very nicely.
Final Comments
Suda51 has once again thrown the unexpected at us once again. Shadows of the Damned is truly a very unique experience with an unbelievable interpretation of Hell. The game provides strong gameplay with the odd twist to each boss battle and it’s filled with a lot of content that’s not afraid to eat your face off or fill it with undeniable laughter. It’s a damn shame then, that once the end credits roll you’re just left wanting more and more.
I give Shadows of the Damned for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3:
The 3DS e-Shop launched just a couple of weeks ago along with the 3DS Virtual Console and all the classic DSiWare favorites, but due to how disorganized the menus are at the moment it is rather difficult to find a specific title you want. When I received my first DSi at launch a couple of years ago, there was very little choice as it took Nintendo a good year to truly build up a decent selection. However, there are now nearly 400 titles to choose from covering nearly every genre. It seems that many 3DS owners have not had a chance to see some of the gems are on the download service, which is the purpose of this article you are about to read. Want to find that perfect title to spend those points on? I present to you some of the DSiWare’s finest titles (Please note that prices my differ per region and are marked in U.S. currency).
Dark Void Zero (CAPCOM) – $4.99
One thing that I have always been a fan of is sheer amount of remakes that have been released on Nintendo’s portable consoles, where ports were put out that captured the magic of the 8 to 16 bit eras while delivering a blast of nostalgia for on-the-go gaming experiences.
Dark Void Zero is a more original take of recapturing those golden moments of the past. I know the name “Dark Void” may at first remind some as the somewhat mediocre title that Capcom brought to the Xbox 360 & PS3, but Dark Void Zero is truly the definitive game to bare that name. Starting up Dark Void Zero, the player is treated to booting up the game by literally blowing in their NES Dark Void cartridge (via the mic on the DS/3DS) and then sucked into an full 8-bit world to take the role as the main protagonist, Rusty.
Everything about Dark Void Zero would literally make you feel it was ported straight out of the 80’s, as the controls, sprites, and even the story make you feel as if you are powering up an NES one more time, which is literally the charm of the whole experience. While nostalgia is nice, Capcom did not stop there and brought about a “Metroidvania” style of gameplay to the game where you can literally roam around via Rusty’s jetpack and view the retro-love that was tacked into every pixel of Dark Void Zero. Tons of power-ups, weapons, collectibles, and even a cameo by Jimmy Fallon can be found in this gem that should be placed in any 3DS owner’s digital collection.
Shantae: Risky’s Revenge(WAYFORWARD) – $11.99
If Mario is the Mascot of Nintendo, Shantae in my mind is the true representative for the DSiWare. Shantae: Risky’s Revenge released last year as a follow-up to the barely known Shantae, a title that seen a very limited run but gained an instant cult following due to the quality in level design, gameplay, and visuals that ended the Game Boy Color’s lifespan with an explosion. Being a true sequel, Shantae: Risky’s Revenge delivers the same mechanics that made the bubbly little character a star, but with even more of Wayforward’s charming settings and characters thrown in.
Much like Dark Void Zero, Shantae is a “Metroidvania” game, where the player controls Shantae in a free-roam 2D enviroment as she tries to put a stop to the mischievous Risky Boots. Not only does Risky’s Revenge look incredible on any DS/3DS system, you can truly feel the passion that went into this sequel from Wayforward, a trait that is rare to see in the age of rush-jobs and cash-ins.
Mighty Milky Way(WAYFORWARD) – $7.99
Part platformer, part puzzler, and with another lovable mascot, Mighty Milky Way was quietly released for the DSiWare earlier this year and made quite an impression due to it’s unique gameplay style and full utilization of the touch screen controls. Playing as Luna, it is the player’s job to bounce across the universe and create their own path of planets along the way by collecting pieces of candy.
Luna is a French martian, and is at her most talkative during moments of pure doom. Most protagonists just kill over when hitting an enemy or a damaging obstacle, Luna stops and spurts out a line of French dialogue before accepting her fate. That is the pure charm of Mighty Milky Way though, as the game tries to get you to care about Luna’s success during this spacey tale. A very dapper T-Rex also makes appearances during boss battles that change up the gameplay and make this title end on a highly rewarding note.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!(NINTENDO) – $7.99
The Mario vs Donkey Kong series has been one of those small Nintendo franchises that has slowly grew into a staple for the Nintendo DS. While I do feel the most recent Mini-Land Mayhem is the best title in the series to date, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! is still a very worthy title of mention as it feels like it should be on a cartridge.
The best part of this title however is the level editor known as the Construction Zone in which players can create up to 140 stages with all the power-ups and enemies they can fit into one map. Afterwards, the game allows you to connect with friends via the DSi’s wireless function and share maps, adding an infinite amount of replay value to an already fantastic game.
Plants vs Zombies(POPCAP) – $7.99
I don’t think I can do a recommendations article without mentioning Plants vs Zombies. I would guess most of you who are reading this have tried this game in one form or another, as it is on just about every device with a power button, but the DS version in my opinion is the strongest offering due to the touch screen. Never has it been easier to quickly sort out an army of plants onto your lawn than in this portable version as the stylus controls make everything a quick, drag-and-drop job.
I will say if you own the DS cartridge of Plants vs Zombies, there really isn’t a need for this digital version as it plays exactly the same (sans a few of the extra modes) but at a nice low price of just 800 points, making it worth a download for anyone who just want the core experience.
200 Point Quickies (1.99 eShop)
Frenzic
Frenzic is just how the name sounds, a hectic puzzler where the player must quickly fit pieces into circles (that sort of resemble a pie) while trying to strategically gain bonuses for color combos. Its a rather simple game, but one of the most addictive puzzlers on the service that can keep you infatuated for hours at a time.
Birds & Beans
Another small yet addictive game on the DSiWare comes in the form of Birds & Beans. Originally released with WarioWare for the Game Boy Advance, this game has players take control of a very hungry bird by the name of Pyoro. As beans rain from the heavens, it is this your job to use Pyoro’s long tongue to eat as many as possible while trying to obtain a high score. If a bean hits the ground, it breaks the platform and shrinks the very ground you walk on, giving this small contender a bit of challenge for veteran players. “Pyoro 2” can also be unlocked later on, which doubles this package and makes it one of the best values on the eShop to date.
Absolute Chess
There are quite a few chess titles on the DSiWare, but personally I enjoyed Absolute Chess over the handful of others I have downloaded thus far. It simply is a game of chess, but with 8 different characters that the player can use to represent themselves while they play. If you have a friend with any form of DS, a Download Play option turns this title into a fine multi-player experience at a low budget price.
Of course these are just a few of the offerings 3DS owners can find on the service, but hopefully with the new additions of 3D Nintendo Classics and the Virtual Console, we will be in for even more fantastic releases in the coming years as honestly, things just seem to be heating up on the Nintendo download circuit. Stay tuned as we still have plenty more downloadable greatness to cover in Part 2 of the Best of the eShop.
Now it’s your turn. Leave a comment below if you have a favorite DSiWare title worthy of mention to anyone with access to the service below. If you have played any of the games above, let us know what you thought during your experience with them.
Game Name:Valet Parking 1989 Platform(s): Nintendi DSiWare, Nintendo 3DS eShop Publisher(s):Zordix Developer(s):Zordix Genre(s): Strategy; Time-Management Release Date: May 30, 2011 (US) Price: 500 Nintendo Points ($5.00 U.S.)
Games of time management have been around for quite a while, with Diner Dash arguably unleashing the once niche genre into the mainstream. Valet Parking 1989 sets out to take on the genre by having the player park cars quickly and keep clients pleased in a late 1980’s setting. Oddly enough, this quirky downloadble title does it’s job rather well, but with a few dings and scratches to be found along the way. So how is the finished product? Here is my review for Valet Parking 1989 for the Nintendo DSiWare.
Story
I remember when I first heard of Valet Parking 1989, I was instantly intrigued as the whole concept of parking cars in the 80’s seemed to be an interesting concept that we just don’t see too often (or ever from my knowledge). If there is one thing that this title does well, it is way it captures it’s 1980’s setting to a near perfect degree. Now I was 2 years old in 1989, so my memory of the decade comes with VH1 specials and John Hughes movie marathons, but I still feel that anyone wanting a throwback to the neon lit generation might want to at least give this title a look based on the humorous writing and visuals alone.
Valet Parking 1989 starts you out as a young man with a dream of earning enough money to get a car and then going to the beach. Luckily enough, a valet service based in Hollywood offers up a job that the main character instantly accepts. To earn money, our young valet must park cars for some of the biggest names in Hollywood and keep their vast array of vehicles in one piece to earn a hefty bonus from each client. I won’t spoil how this ends up, but this quirky tale feels like it ripped right out of a teen flick from the time period as the characters, clothes, and even mullets (Yes, you have a mullet, too) are very prominent within the game.
I think the star quality of this valet parking experience is the “celebrity clients” that can be found within. No names are officially dropped, but we do see clients who eerily resemble a red-jacketed Eddie Murphy, Debbie Gibson, and even the Hoff himself. Even the dialogue that these celebs use represent the characters correctly as over-the-top stereotypes run a muck throughout the game. It is easy to see that Zordix certainly put a lot of thought into capturing the crazy year of 1989, and while the charm loses it’s luster after a while due to repetition, Valet Parking 1989 would be a hollow experience without all of the fine-tuned detail presented.
Gameplay
Once you start your job as a valet you instantly are thrown into the story mode, where you simply park cars in a timely fashion for your clients. Interestingly enough, there is a nice layer of strategy within the game that ups the challenge as you progress. At the start of a level, you are given an option by your boss to get a good look at the parking lot before getting started. This is a feature I overlooked at first, but over time it becomes crucial to scope out the map if you want to be successful due to the difference of lots and quantity of customers within each level. Standard vehicles can be parked in a standard parking space, while limos and monster trucks (yes, there are monster trucks) each have their own special spaces.
Valet Parking 1989 is completely controlled by the touch screen. Once you click “OK” to get the game started, guests will start lining up in their cars, where you must drag the car with the stylus to fit it into a specific spot. Once the client is done with their visit, their image will be displayed at the top screen where you then must back the car out and direct it to the exit. To create a challenge, each guest has a meter attached that resembles a thermometer. This meter measures mood, and when you take too long to park or deliver a car, the guest will get angry and leave. The player also must be extremely delicate with these fancy rides, as if you crash or damage a car, it can lead to losing the client completely or take a bit of cash out of your ending salary.
The drag and pull controls work well enough, but they are also responsible for the some of the frustration found in the game. The first few levels literally fly by within minutes as parking is a fairly simple task if you take your time, but as the game progresses, obstacles such as incoming traffic and distant parking spaces appear to up the difficulty. The number of clients also jumps up greatly later on, leading to an absolutely chaotic environment where cars are constantly coming in and in need of going out. The main problem I had with this is that it was really hard to actually park a car under such a strain and still keep guests happy. Yes, that is the point of the game, but the controls can make even the smallest cars control like large buses and turning a car is a lot more difficult than it should be, which is more noticeable as the game gets more hectic. Thankfully, Zordix did ease this strain with the nice addition of gifts.
At times, guests will be so pleased with your performance that they will give out gifts such as chocolate, food items, and even handcuffs. The purpose of these gifts is to pass them on to clients to cool down their mood, buying a small bit of precious time in order to better get organized. This doesn’t completely make up for the control mechanics, but it does add a refreshing element into the gameplay that is very useful during the more intense moments.
The story mode can be beaten within an hour, but those who want to give their brain a break will have to turn to keeping the DS idle as no saving points can be found within the game. This means that if you lose far along in the game, you must completely restart everything and go at it again. In this day and age where Nintendo are adding save points to Game Boy titles on the Virtual Console, Valet Parking 1989’s biggest flaw comes as simply not incorporating any form of checkpoints. It’s a small gripe, but I feel handheld titles should almost require a save point or even a password system due to the platform being portable. While the game is fun, this little flaw alone killed a lot of my desire to replay after finally completing the main story mode. For those who do stick it out, levels for an endless mode can be unlocked. Endless Mode is simply a quest for a high score, with the player going to their favorite level and parking cars until it is game over. I played quite a bit of this to master my parking skills, but there really isn’t any incentive to play this mode or even the story mode again for that matter as nothing changes or is offered make the game truly addictive.
Graphics/Audio
The presentation found in Valet Parking 1989 is in my opinion absolutely phenomenal considering the platform. From the well detailed characters to to the neon-lit structures, you can easily see the time that went into making this production. The top-down camera view is very reminiscent of the early GTA titles, but with a lot more color and atmosphere mixed in, delivering a very memorable result. Cutscenes were given a frame-by-frame animation treatment, which helps make the game feel like it came straight out of the time period as well.
Music is another trait that this game does wonderfully. Synthesized remixes of popular tracks from the late 80’s kick in at various times and add a load of personality to each character found within the game. Even though the midi format is used, every beat feels completely appropriate and becomes an earworm you will have to fight for hours after putting the game down later on.
Overall
Valet Parking 1989 brings about a perfect recipe for success. The gameplay is fun for the most part, the settings are well produced and memorable, and the quirky humor works wonders to better the overall experience. It should be a perfect game, as I feel it was close to truly delivering in every way, but sadly, some choices made in production just hold the game back a bit too much. The lack of a checkpoint/save system makes the whole game feel like a commitment, an issue that a casual title should not present. Another huge blow to the game is the lack of content that harms the replay value greatly. Even with these glaring flaws, at the 500 point price, I still feel like I can recommend this title on presentation value alone as this odd take on the genre is one I will remember due to it’s well crafted burst of 80’s greatness that is a fun ride before coming to a rather abrupt finish.
Have you logged into Rift over the last few days? You may have noticed the new medium sized patches that you had to download. Those patches were in-fact the 1.3 update, which has been live for a little while now.
Upon logging in after those incredibly patches, you will find that you version number has increased to 1.3 and with that patch comes a whole plethora of features. Those features are discussed below.
Hammerknell Opening Event – Limited time rewards, new mounts, and more plunder from the deeps
The Ancient Fortress of Hammerknell – 20 man raid, 10 bosses, opens at the climax of the World Event
Free In-Game Character & Guild Transfers – Click for the initial destination shards and find your perfect home in the Shard Travel Hub
Guild Banks!
Bind on Account Wardrobe/Vanity Items: Enjoy the event, and reap the rewards for your other characters.
New costume pieces, including Hammerknell themed items
Use Quantum Sight (Defiant) and Omen Sight (Guardian) Ascended Powers to find all new artifacts
PvP World Quests: Daily, level 50 quests that grant favour – battle on!
Us here at Capsule Computers love our Fridays, much like famous (or infamous) Pop artists Rebecca Black and Katy Perry. As it is presently Friday here in Australia, and close enough to the date everywhere else in the world, we wanted to share with you our current favorite song about Fridays! As you have probably guessed, the song in which I speak features both Katy Perry and Rebecca Black.
This song is Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) by Katy Perry and features Rebecca Black as a friend of hers. So sit back and enjoy the awfully catchy song (which is in the video box below)! I know I am! Make sure to look out for Ubisofts Just Dance 2 in the background.
Ubisoft has announced it will be releasing Just Dance 2: Extra Songs this August, a special limited edition of Just Dance 2 featuring new songs and routines. This new game will feature 21 tracks previously only available via download, plus two new exclusive tracks.
It will be accessible to Just Dance novices as it doesn’t require ownership of the previous Just Dance games, only a willingness to dance your heart out. It makes an ideal purchase for fans of the series who didn’t pick up Just Dance 2 or any of the DLC, or for newcomers to the series who want to get their jig on.
Just Dance 2: Extra Songs track list includes:
A Band of Bees – Chicken Payback
Blur – Song 2
Carl Douglas – Kung fu fighting ( Dave Ruffy / Mark Wallis remix)
Estelle feat Kanye West – American Boy
Katy Perry – Firework
M/A/R/R/S – Pump Up The Volume
Panic At The Disco – Nine in the afternoon
Rihanna – Pon De Replay
Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild
The Supremes – You Can’t Hurry Love
V V Brown – Crying Blood
Countdown Dee’s Hit Explosion – Barbie Girl
Love Letter – Why oh why
Nick Phoenix and Thomas Bergersen – Professor Pumplestickle
Studio Allstars – Maniac
Sweat Invaders – Skin-to-Skin
The Hit Crew – Here Comes The Hotstepper
The Lemon Cubes – Mambo NO. 5 (A Little Bit Of Monica)
The Lemon Cubes – Moving On Up
The Reverend Horatio Duncan & Amos Sweets – Down By The Riverside
The World Cup Girls – Futebol Crazy
Plus two exclusive tracks:
A R Rahman, Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger – Jai Ho! (You are my destiny)
What better way to celebrate a 20th Birthday than walking around with your head on fire. Not my idea of fun, but it seems that’s Bungie’s way of celebrating the occasion.
All you need do to nab one (plus a special name plate) is register on Bungie.net or through a recently released, totally free iOS app. A video from machinima group Rooster Teeth starring the Red vs Blue team should help explain the process in full.
We seem to be inundated with 20th Birthday’s in gaming this week. As you’ll know, the blue blur Sonic the Hedgehog celebrated his 20th. What happened 20 years ago that was so important for gaming? This giveaway from Bungie comes not long before Bungie Day on the 7th July, on which day Bungie have promised to make an announcement.
