The era of selling virtual gold for real life cash is probably no where near ending, but blizzard is attempting to stop it or at least temporarily halt it until people find another work around.
Blizzard recently decided to focus on the services the sellers use to transfer gold, rather than the sellers themselves. The developer has succeeded in getting Paypal to send out notices to all of the major gold sellers. The notice basically warns them that if they don’t stop selling World of Warcraft’s virtual money for real money their accounts would be permanently suspended.
While this may temporarily halt the selling of gold, it probably isn’t going to last long. Gold sellers always find a way, because money is the all powerful entity. As long as there are people willing to pay for it, there will be people willing to sell it. We’ll just have to wait and see.
If you really need money that badly, you can do what I do: Make pouches and sell them for major profit!
Angry Birds: The creation of developer Rovio, most likely he most popular video game ever in the history of smart phones.
Rio: A blockbuster CGI animated summer film coming to cinemas April 15 from the creators of the popular Ice Age franchise.
Angry Birds Rio: A unique collaboration of the two, an Angry Birds where the birds must save Rio’s protagonist’s Blu and Jewel.
Mikael Hed, CEO at Rovio Mobile spoke a few words of the game:
“Angry Birds Rio is a match made in heaven for a mobile application and a major motion picture, and this collaboration with Fox is definitely one the most exciting partnerships we have entered into with the Angry Birds brand to date.In addition to expanding the horizons of two fantastic entertainment brands and creating a great new gaming experience, we have also taken the concept of combining a mobile application and motion picture promotion to an entirely new level.”
President of new media and digital distribution for Twentieth Century Fox, Peter Levinsohn also said that:
“In partnering with Rovio, we are combining the world’s hottest application developer with one of the motion picture industry’s premier creative forces to introduce the millions of fans of Angry Birds to the exciting world of Rio,” said Mr. Levinsohn. “Our relationship with Rovio is another great example of Fox Digital Entertainment’s continuing work to extend our content to a variety of digital platforms.”
Angry Birds Rio will be available for download on smart phones and tablets worldwide in March with 45 levels and plans to regularly add new levels via app updates. If your not excited yet, you will be after watching the awesome story trailer below! No seriously, watch it! This birds are angry as hell!
NIS America’s Ar Tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel may not be coming out until March for the US and UK but that doesn’t mean you can’t put your money down right now and ensure yourself a copy. Knell of Ar Ciel will cost $59.99 for the basic edition, or should I say premium edition considering however you buy the game you will be able to get not only the game itself but an official art book and a CD featuring all of the original songs within the game itself.
Now that isn’t all, those who really want to get as much Knell of Ar Ciel merchandise as possible have the option to also pre-order the calendar edition on NIS America’s Online Store. This edition may cost $69.99 instead of the standard $59.99 but it will include a 12 month calender for the year of 2011 that features the characters of Knell of Ar Ciel within its pages.
Fans of RPGs may know that the Ar Tonelico series has only been released on the PlayStation 2 over the past years and has made itself quite the following among RPG players. Knell of Ar Ciel is the first game of the Ar Tonelico series that will use 3D fighting and is also the first time that the game has made the jump to a current generation console. Catch it some point in March only on the PS3, but in the mean time take a look at the plethora of screenshots below.
Now what better way to reward your players for finishing Dead Space 2 on hardcore difficulty than giving them a foam finger that says they’re #1. How about if you make that foam finger actually a hand cannon. You got that right, if you are able to beat Dead Space 2 on hardcore mode, which places the game on the hardest difficulty and only allows the player 3 saves throughout the entire game, then you will unlock this beauty.
Better yet when you actually “fire” the finger Isaac literally says bang bang or pew pew. Nothing actually shoots out of the finger but it does cause quite a lot of devastation. This means that other than giving players a nifty achievement/trophy, they can kill with their fingers…. literally.
So there is only a few short days when the First Strike map pack hits the XBLM. On Tuesday four new maps will be introduced into the plethora of multiplayer maps already, including one zombie map, if you are willing to pony up 1200 Microsoft Points to get the content. We’ve only seen a few choice bits of each map in a teaser clip so far, but that has changed in the latest video from Inside Xbox.
This video takes and gives fans a full look at each of the four multiplayer maps that will be in the download pack. There are a number of features for each map that set it apart from the maps already, such as ziplines, no mans land, and even breakaway pathways. It’s going to be interesting to see how many people will fall to their deaths when they try these maps for the first time. Also the use of C4 is definitely going to increase. Imagine…. C4 planted on a breakaway snow bridge and an unaware enemy running right over it…. beautiful.
Sony+Activision+Microsoft fight back against the life sucking zombies/hackers
In conjunction with the new map pack for Call of Duty Black Ops, Sony and Activision have apparently been secret cohorts in the war of attrition against digital piracy. Cheaters and hackers who downloaded the 3.56 firmware update on the Playstation 3 found themselves up a creek when they were banned from Black Op’s online features. Of course, many of these playa’s are protesting on the forums. Really, though, who is to believe?
In an interesting twist, it was found that the most recent update on the Xbox 360 also implemented anti-pirate and anti-modding measures for copies of Black Ops and MW2.
So if Sony, Microsoft and Activision have these kind of cooperative strikes, what else is coming?! Conspiracy theories… commence!
Uh oh, I sense a disturbance in the force. Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars which as meant to be released on February 15th in the US has been delayed until March 22nd due to unannounced circumstances from LucasArts. While this is a let down to fans of Star Wars, or even fans of Lego in general, it is good to see that this delay may be for better game development. Either that or the delay was done to avoid competition but I digress.
The third installment to the Lego Star Wars franchise will bring together the standard Star Wars characters previously seen in Lego games but also include a variety of characters that fans loved from the actual television series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Which means children who love the show and the adults wanting to take in every bit of the Star Wars universe will be happy to play as their favorite characters.
Secret Of Mana Platform: iPod (Reviewed), iPad, iPod Touch (Super Nintendo Port) Genre: Action/Rpg Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Square Enix Release Date: December 21, 2010 Price:$8.99 – Buy
In 1993 a developer known as Square (now Square Enix) released an action/Rpg game for the Super Nintendo known as Secret of Mana which gained high critical acclaim and still to this day is considered by many as one of the greatest and most memorable games on a Nintendo console of all time. As a kid with a Super Nintendo, I always wanted to play this game, but I never got a chance. I did hear great things however about its unique gameplay, it’s epic soundtrack, its intriguing storyline and impressive graphics. Since 1993 it’s been ported and re-lived on numours consoles including the Nintendo Wii’s Virtual Console, various Japanese mobile phones, emulated on computers via snes roms and now its been ported to the iPhone. Now, 17 years later I got the chance to experience what I had missed out on, but one powerful question was on my mind which Im sure many fans of the game were thinking as well: “Does Secret of Mana stand the test of time?” Lets find out!
Hey guys, look! Princess Peach makes a cameo, and for once is NOT the damsel in distress!
Presentation
Like most, if not all games by Square Enix, this game is presented beautifully. There isn’t really much to say about it other than it’s done really well and looks great. There are loading screens between sections of the game that are just black screens with a gold ‘now loading’ text that usually last less than 2 seconds, but before the beginning of the game there is an insanely long start-up sequence to load the game which is annoying as hell. It’s a fair trade off though because once that’s out of the way, the longest you’ll ever have to wait is a few seconds which keeps the game fast-paced. The impressive ‘Ring Command’ system is presented and set out well with the selected characters’ face centred in the middle with options surrounding him or her, and a nice iPhone exclusive ability to slide between options. There is a slight, time-consuming annoyance as to get to a certain menu you may have to go through another one or two to access it, but it’s not too bad. Everything about the game itself is presented well and for the most part you’ll feel just like your playing an old-school snes game, which is awesome. It just a shame that they didn’t add any in game tutorials for the iPhone, or clear up a few things for the port to keep things in place, but it’s not that much big of a deal.
Managing and switching between three warriors involves alot of strategic planning and quick judgement, and is really fun to do.
Story
The storyline can make or break an role-playing game as in order to play the role with enjoyment you must actually enjoy the role your playing. It’s with great pleasure to fill the shoes of Randi, Pimm and Popoi or whatever you decide to name them as. As the game begins you see Randi and a few random friends remove the Mana Sword which destroyed a flying evil warship known as The Mana Fortress a long time ago. The removal of this weapon unleashes hordes of monsters which leads to Randi getting banished from his own village. The game begins with the protagonist attempting to re-energise the Mana Sword by visiting the eight Mana Temples to save his village and restore peace. I won’t ruin anything, but the beauty of the games storyline is that it does not stop there, and that this game is pretty damn long. You will NOT finnish this title in one sitting, which is nice to see in a iPhone title, and the whole time this plot is weaving it all together. The storyline is also a little different from the cliché ‘hero with the world on his shoulders, better go save it and fall in love’ plot we always see in games like this, so its nice for something not so obvious. There is alot of background story going on with all three of the main characters and for a game that was on the snes this game gets pretty emotional. The character design is done with some amazing talent and their backstories are intriguing so it is easy to fall in love with these heroes. Dialogue can be a bit rough around the edges at times, but the message does get across.
There is no in-game tutorial but there is a 76 page manual you can find on the opening page, but seriously who has the patience for that when we can be slaying monsters, giant bees and possessed flying chairs? Not me!
Gameplay
The easiest way to describe the gameplay of Secret of Mana is that it plays like an old school Zelda game, with a few RPG twists. It’s a top down view with a run button (which is pretty much useless unless your trying not to fight enemies) and an attack button. Unlike Zelda however, you have an attack bar at the bottom that needs to be constantly refilled. Everytime you use your weapon, it empties and begins to recover. While you can constantly attack your enemies, the game rewards the player for their patience by dealing maximum damage once the bar is filled, so often waiting those extra few seconds is helpful. This can lead to a few on-the-spot, quick judgement call strategies which make the game more fun. There are many flavours like this which make this real-time RPG feel like a turn based one. For example, hit points gained or lost for each character appear above the player or NPC, as well as information such as missed attacks and poisoned players. This can really intensify combat, and is alot of fun. Also all three members of the party are constantly always on the screen, and the player can switch between controlling each one with a simple touch of the screen. This is required as the AI is pretty much terrible, and they will often do the most stupidest things you can think off, alot of the time it will seem as if your team mates may have a death wish. However you can program their style of combat which would’ve been awesome if they actually did what you want them to do half the time. It isn’t always the case, but in some areas such as dungeons it can be a nightmare. Also the difficulty is unforgiving, so in order to advance and play the game, you will be required to train up your party alot, and that’s where most of your hours will be spent-fighting the same losers over and over again to level up so you can have a chance of making through an area or to defeat the boss. This unfortunately can take away from the storyline’s intensity. On the plus side though, as it is all real time you can easily avoid opponents by walking around them and leaving an area to avoid combat is easy, so at least you have that option of incase you just want to hurry up and get to the next level. The ring command system is a unique delight to use, with the pause function allowing players to select items and status in an easy-to-use menu via touch screen that is just presented with great elegance.
17 years ago, one of Secret of Mana’s biggest selling points was its amazing graphics due to scenes like this one. We’ve come along way since this.
While the combat is a pleasure however, there are just one to many faults with the exploration aspect of the game. These are ruined by two main factors-one is the dialogue of many locals in villages who will simply say random, useless things that are plain and uncreative, eg: “This village is called x” or “My dad owns the x shop” and thats it. While this is a normal thing for RPGS, there are some really pointless lines here. Most importantly though, is just walking. Walking around towns is not very fun at all. The control stick is very unresponsive and very awkward. Often animations will show for example your character walking sideways while he or she will walk upwards. It just feels wrong. It can sometimes even interfere in combat, which can ruin the game’s awesome fighting system at times. To make things worse there are many collision issues in the game, in the sense you are able to move NPC’s around and it just feels unnatural. I understand this was in the original game, but this could’ve easily been improved on. This also wouldn’t be a proper Secret of Mana review without the mention of the awesome multiplayer. Wait! Oops! I meant lack of multiplayer. This is truly a major disappointment. The major selling point of the original game besides its unique (at the time) combat system was its multiplayer. Yeah that’s right! A multiplayer real-time RPG similar to Zelda made by the dudes who made Final Fantasy from 1993. Recipe for a perfect game much? But thats gone. So the adventure must be shared alone with the terribly stupid, suicidal AI. No Game Centre or Bluetooth options, nothing. This doesn’t ruin the game, its just major disappointment for anyone who was a fan like this. This could’ve easily been done for the iPhone, and it would’ve been amazing, its such a shame this feature didn’t make the final product.
The Monsters you fight in this game are evil, but none are as evil as the control stick! You will suffer under it’s demonic wrath!
Graphics
Back in the day, one of the many reasons to love Secret of Mana was its graphics, and its easy to see why. There are so many different, impressive aspects to admire about it. Backgrounds are incredibly detailed for a 16-bit console. Textures are sharp and a pleasure to observe. Character design is always an important aspect in games like these as it helps players to fall in love with them, and in this title they are done very nicely. It’s very anime, and done in a very stylish and impressive manner. Colours are sharp and work well together, and animation is smooth for the most part. Occasionally there will be a few issues when multiple characters appear on the screen and the frame rate may seem to drop and animation may appear slightly choppy, but it is most likely to do with the porting rather than the actual game itself. The graphics arn’t always as clear as the original and unfortunately can be a little fuzzy, but its really not that bad. The main highlight of the graphics in the original however was how Square took advantage of the Mode 7 graphics code which helped create depth via rotating backgrounds, creating a 3D effect in some cases. While it doesn’t look terribly out dated on the iPhone when used, some certain moments of the game will feel like it’s almost 20 years old, but it won’t ruin the experience. If anything, you’ll feel a retro vibe coming along. The graphics really look untouched since the original game, which is a double-edged sword. On one hand its great they have stayed true to the original, but on the other hand it would’ve been nice to see a few new things added as the iPhone is capable of much more the Super Nintendo was able to. Even small things like updated high definition graphics or even small things like reflections, or footprints or day/night cycles. It’s not terrible these ideas arn’t there, but it would’ve been nice for a little bit of an update to compete with current games.
The ability to program attack patterns is pretty cool, it just sucks that they don’t do what you want them too half the time.
Audio
The soundtrack of Secret of Mana was composed by Hiroki Kikuta, and has gained a massive fan base over the years. These tracks have been featured on cds and preformed live numerous times over the years, so it goes without saying there are a few tracks on this game that you’ll most likely dig. Personally I believe some are better than others and it isn’t flawless, but while all arn’t perfect, there are some really nice tunes on here. However don’t expect massive orchestral pieces here, its a snes port remember! Do expect alot of piano and woodwind instruments, but fear not as they are arranged with great excellence. Unfortunately the sound effects arn’t as great as the soundtrack, some are decent and some are terrible, but you’ll easily look past them and loose yourself in Secret of Mana’s beautiful score. Again, like the graphics, these are untouched from the original. So don’t expect voice acting-hope you like to read!
The Ring Command System has been given iPhone touch screen accessibility, so its easy to scroll through and drag items onto characters. It’s not that necessary, but its a neat iPhone exclusive feature to have thrown in.
Conclusion
Alot of fanboys and role-playing lovers will cry and complain over many things in the iPhone port of Secret of Mana. Sure the graphics arn’t at 100% quality as the original, but they are close. Sure there’s no multiplayer, but it doesn’t ruin the single player experience, and the control stick sucks, but….ok they can have that one! But underneath it all the magic of mana is still there. The Super Nintendo version may be an all time classic, but Square Enix have done a decent job emulating its beauty onto the iPhone. It’s not perfect but the plot is still intriguing, the combat system is still awesome, the soundtrack is still epic and Randi, Primm and Popoi are still as loveable as ever. It’s lengthy as hell and while it’s not as perfect the original was, there still arn’t that many RPG’s on the iPhone of this quality, which is a testament to the classic’s legacy. Most importantly though is one solid fact: Secret of Mana is pretty close to being 20 years old, and it is still a delight to play. It still has relevance and enjoyment today and has stood the test of time. A must have for any retro-loving gamer, and must-have for any real-time RPG fan with an iPhone.
Even in the heat of battle, a fight to the death, your party can easily be distracted and ‘spaced out’ by a pretty balloon. But hey, who can blame them? I mean, look at it! It’s red! IT’S SOOO RED!!!
PROS
A classic game that is still a delight to play 17 years after it’s original release
Great soundtrack
Wonderful combat system
No seriously, the combat system is pretty damn good!
Great character design
Good storyline
Interesting ‘touch’ and ‘slide’ movements for menus
CONS
Annoyingly long loading screen at the beginning of the game, but after that loading is quick
The control stick is often unresponsive and just straight-up bad
Some dialogue is a little uncreative
Come on! Where’s the multiplayer?!
Unforgiving difficulty will force you to spend way to long levelling up your party
Who’s that Flying?!, formerly a Playstation Mini exclusive, is now on its way to the Steam network. Releasing on the January 31, 2011, this game will be priced at £5.99. We really liked the game. You can read our review here.
The concept of WTF?! is pretty simple. Fly, shoot lasers out of your engineered arm, and take down the baddies surrounding the cities of Earth. On Steam, the game will feature HD graphics and achievement & leader board support. Lastly, Steam Cloud hosting of player content and Xbox 360 controller support will also be included.
While this may not be very exciting news it is good to hear that one of the most anticipated titles for fans of the Legend of Zelda series is near finish. In a recent investment meeting Nintendo revealed that Skyward Sword is in the final stages of production and will soon be ready for release on shelves sometime this year. Now the exact release date is still a mystery but this is good news regardless.
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword looks to take full advantage of the Wii’s motion controls by using both the nunchuck and the Wiimote as your sword and shield. Also there will be a number of other in game actions that will take advantage of the Wii’s motion sensing ability now that the console sports the Wii Motion Plus. Now who thinks that all of the integrated Wii motion control will actually turn out to be a good thing?
