If you were on the fence about pre-ordering a copy of the new Dragon Quest title, Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation, you might as well head to Gamestop and get that over with as all customers who pre-order are getting a snazzy little slime plush (pictured above) when they order online or pick up in store. The Dragon Quest series as a whole is starting to see more and more attention in the west since the highly successful launch of Dragon Quest IX last year and I am happy to see a nice bonus being added to this remake.
So unless you have no heart and would look this innocent slime in the eyes and just say no, I recommend you to pre-order what might be one of the best RPGs hitting the DS this year while giving one of these lovable slimes a home. Dragon Quest VI officially releases on February 14th for the Nintendo DS and for more information on this bonus you can check out GameStop’s official listing for the title here.
Hard Corps: Uprising by KONAMI has been selected to front Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade House Party event. Hard Corps: Uprising, the next game in the Contra series, is set to be released for download on February 16 for 1,200 Microsoft Points(about $20) on the XBLA, where a game a week will be released over the next five weeks. Included in the lineup are Bejeweled Blitz Live, Full House Pokerand highly anticipated HD remake of the classic game Beyond Good and Evil from Ubisoft.
Make sure you grab them all, I know I am.
For more information on Hard Corps: Uprising, visit their Facebook page
Platform(s): iPad (reviewed)/iPhone/iPod Touch Publisher(s): Activision Developer(s): Bizarre Creations Genre(s): Action Release Date: April 10, 2010 Price: $1.19 – Available here
Players first got a taste of the addictive arcade shooter ‘Geometry Wars’ as an Easter egg mini-game hidden within Bizarre Creations 2003’s racer ‘Project Gotham Racing 2’. It has since reached XBLA fame, released a sequel and many spinoffs like this one, ‘Geometry Wars: Touch’. A port of ‘Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2’ for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Squeezing all the features and shooting greatness into the palm of your hands. The original game has been retained in this ambitious port even adding in an extra game mode.
Gameplay
Players control a small white ship in this arcade shoot ‘em up. The goal of the game is to score points by destroying various enemy ships. The game caters for both casual and hardcore players with seven game modes – Deadline, King, Evolved, Pacifism, Waves, Sequence and the touch exclusive Titans, as well as competitive multiplayer variations on these game modes, where you and a friend team up with one another to gain the higher score. These game modes are quite varied and provide a good mix of gameplay with their own unique rules and twists on the original formula. Perfect for casual players who just want to kill five minutes and those who want to chase their next highscore on the leaderboard.
Despite solid and well mixed gameplay, controls in this game takes a lot of time to get use to and initially feel very awkward, especially to anyone who has played the game on Xbox. You control and fire your ship with two virtual analogue thumbsticks which are automatically placed whenever you touch the left or right hand side of the screen, ideally the best position to place your thumbs are on the bottom left and right hand corners. Otherwise you block up the screen with your hands, which I was doing when I first started playing. Controls are customizable but only to a limited degree, either movement or firing on one thumbstick or on two. Turning up the touch sensitivity does help players find their ideal playing position, but still does not fix the problem.
Like most arcade games, gaining a higher score and position on leaderboards is a major motivation for players to pursue in Geometry Wars: Touch. The leaderboards are automatically updated with player’s scores instantly after they have finished. Players also have the option to post their score on to Facebook via the game’s social media link. Strangely, offline scoring isn’t stored at all. A player’s score is only kept if they have an internet connection and have signed in with their Facebook account or through a Geometry Wars legacy account. This essentially means that anyone without an internet connection, their scores are going to be wiped from the game after they’ve finish playing. And for a game that relies so heavily on its leaderboards it’s just bizarre that the developers would leave out this feature.
Graphics and Audio
The graphics and audio in this game are impressive, bright vivid neon light coloured enemies and explosion fit in well with the addictive gameplay. It is very thrilling to see all these lights explode around your ship as you frantically shoot off enemies. It’s also a nice touch, to see the background grid morphs and change back into shape whenever you respawn, set off a bomb or destroy certain enemies. The bright vivid neon lights are also extended in the game’s overall futuristic yet retro 8-bit feel and theme. The game’s soundtrack also reflects this, featuring very catchy techno tunes and beats. This especially seen in game modes such as Pacifism and Evolved where the game’s music complement’s the rising difficulty which comes together in a very hectic yet visually stunning screen. Whist the graphics may not be on par with its Xbox counterpart, it’s good to see that Bizarre Creations were able to jam in this level of quality.
Overall
If you can pass Geometry Wars: Touch’s short comings, awaked controls and no offline scoring, it is still a very fun addictive game, that features solid gameplay and unique visuals. The game is best played with an internet connection as your time and effort is rewarded with leaderboards, but still the game is great for casual players on the go who are just looking for a quick gaming hit or two. Not to mention its new low price Geometry Wars: Touch is definitely worth a go.
Well, earlier today, we brought you some exciting news that LEGO will be bringing Ninjago elements to their video game franchise. And now we have learned that they will also be incorporating Ninjago into Lego Universe. This will be a massive ninja themed update to the acclaimed MMO. The date for release on the game will coincide with the release date for the Nintendo DS game and other Ninjago products.
Crux Prime, where the Ninjago story will take place, is the largest area the team at Netdevil has yet to release. Players must seek out Sensei Wu at the Ninjago Monastery to learn Spinjitzu. While your there, Maelstrom Skeletons are stealing a beam of Imagination. Only by spinning in a tornado can you defeat them!
The folks at EPIC games and People Can Fly studios have released the specifications for their upcoming shooter, Bulletstorm.
To quote Epic –
Bulletstorm requires the following minimum configuration:
Operating System Windows XP (SP3), Windows Vista (SP2), or Windows 7
Processor Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon X2, or equivalent, running at 1.6 GHz or greater
Memory (RAM) 1.5 GB
HDD Space 9 GB available
Video Card DirectX 9.0c compatible, 256 MB of VRAM; NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS, ATI Radeon HD 2400 Pro 256 MB, or greater
Soundcard DirectX 9.0c compatible, 16-bit
Disc Drive 16X CD/DVD Drive
Network Internet (TCP/IP) connection
The following configuration is recommended to run Bulletstorm:
Operating System Windows Vista (SP2), or Windows 7
Processor QuadCore 2.0 GHz
Memory (RAM) 2 GB
HDD Space 9 GB available
Video Card DirectX 9.0c compatible, 512MB of VRAM; NVIDIA GeForce GTX260, or ATI Radeon 4870
Soundcard DirectX 9.0c compatible, 16-bit
Disc Drive 16X CD/DVD Drive
Network Broadband Internet (TCP/IP) connection
The specifications appear to be quite reasonable and the game should run on any decent PC made within the last five years.
Though, should your PC be not quite up to it, the game is also to be released on the home consoles.
Product: HKS Racing Controller
Developer: EAGLE3
Price: $44.99 Buy it here. Only available in the USA
Consoles: Playstation 3
Genre: Racing
It is no secret that to have the best racing experience possible, you need a steering wheel. But adding a steering wheel can be more expensive than a regular controller and it takes up space. That is where the HKS Racing Controller comes in. Designed by EAGLE3, this controller is designed to marry the best of the controller world and the best of steering wheel world to create the ultimate Zen for driving perfectionists. Does it really work? Is it a crazy awesome idea or a total bust? Can a controller be considered sexy? Is that a creepy question to ask? Read on, my dear friends.
Hardware
I have to say, they are at least two standouts in the hardware department for this controller. First up is cable length.
That may seem like an odd thing to praise. However, I have been in plenty of situations where a few extra feet of cable would be greatly appreciated. And really, when a company skimps on cable length, they either have not done their research on what consumers want, or they are just trying to save a few dollars on each product. Personally, I don’t mind paying the extra $2 just so I can position my equipment wherever I want. And the HKS Racing Controller let me do just that. My Playstation 3 is at least 10 feet away from my gamer chair. And when I lean back, conventional wired controllers just don’t cut the mustard. But the HKS Racing controller has about 12-15 feet of wiring, and that is awesome. Utterly epic, to say the least. Unless you have a 70″ monstrosity of a television, this controller will work at distances appropriate for anyone.
Second is just general look, feel and quality of the model. Just looking at the screenshot, you know this controller will feel nice in your hands. It is much lighter than regular controller due to the fact that the battery pack is not there. Plus the whole thing is red. Everybody knows that red is awesome. Although it is light, it still feels like a quality piece of work. As in, I wouldn’t be too concerned if I let my 7 year old niece play with it. And, although this may be a turn off for some, the controller has sponsor logos all over it. Rather than detract from the experience, they actually complement the color schemes nicely and they are as smooth as the rest of the controller. You will not feel them at all.
Finally, one great part about the hardware is the customizable buttons. Yup, just press the Macro button, then press the keys you want to edit. However, not all buttons are editable. I hope they fix this if they release a sequel to this controller.
Gameplay
This is what it all comes down too. Does the controller work?
As you can see, the controller comes with modified buttons, including a mini “steering wheel” and pedals that mimic gas and brake. It was disappointing that I could not test this out with Gran Turismo 5. (Damn you Gamefly!) But I was able to test it with nail’d and Motorstorm and I can confirm that it works well. The steering wheel works well enough, as do the pedals. It was difficult to get used too at first, especially using the controller in menu selection. But, after figuring out all the quirks, it is very nice to play racing games with this type of controller. It is extremely sensitive and it may take many people by surprise. I found that I preferred regular controls, simply because I am more of a nervous type of guy and the controller was too sensitive for me. But, for fine tuned games, this will be a great addition.
It would have been great if this controller could work as a regular controller as well. Unfortunately, that is not possible. However, I think they could have finagled some way of putting in some modified controls for games like Uncharted. It also would have been amazing if the controller could be configured to work with the Xbox 360. Most of my racing games are on the Xbox 360.
Another minor kink in the design of the product is the speed monitor they installed in the center. It is supposed to monitor your speed. However, it does not actually really serve any purpose, that I could find. And, although it adds some small aesthetic design, it is worthless. In fact, the money spent on adding it in could have been better used on other areas of the product. Who actually looks at their controller while playing games anyway?!
Conclusion
The HKS Racing Controller is an awesome piece of hardware. Xbox 360 support and minor design changes would be very welcome though. A steering wheel is still the best option for games like Gran Turismo and Forza. But this controller is still amazing. Plus, it is cheaper and has virtually no flaws, other than the minor ones mentioned above. It is a good deal and a damn good looking one too. Also, the last question in the first paragraph can be considered creepy, but only a little bit.
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors hit shelves back in mid-November in the states for the Nintendo DS. 999 is a blend of genres in a way, with puzzle-solving coming into play during the title, but the genre that describes the game best is a visual-novel without a doubt. Don’t cast off this one just yet though as this title offers one of the most thought-out, twisted, and thrilling plots in the gaming world period. Here is my spoiler-free review for Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors for the Nintendo DS.
Story
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors starts you out behind the eyes of the story’s main character, Junpei. Junpei wakes aboard a ship and knows nothing about where exactly he is and has a strange watch attached to his wrist with simply the number 5 on it. After a short while, you soon discover eight other random people who all have encountered this same fate and must work together to find a way out. The plot is soon revealed by a mysterious voice over a speaker that goes by the name Zero that if you do not get off the ship in nine hours, a bomb which is inserted in each character’s stomach will explode and you must play a Nonary game to advance and through and find an escape. After assigning each other code-names to remain anonymous (except for Junpei), Junpei and his new found allies have to seek a way out by entering through various doors on the ship. It isn’t as easy as it sounds though as several rules apply to this game. The Nonary game has many rules which must be followed by all of the characters or the bomb will set off inside their stomach, killing them instantly. It is quite a crazy plot, but so many things tie together to tell a story that makes this title shine like no other in that department.
Each character you meet aboard the ship of course has their own backstory, and as you progress you really do learn a lot about the characters you are with on the ship, as well as Junpei, himself. The game tells it’s story like a visual novel, with animations and sounds blending into the text to create a full experience as you advance through the game. As you advance through, you learn more about why you are in this particular situation as well as why the other characters are all caught up in Zero’s twisted Nonary game. Everything ties together well and the story is told with such depth that I was finding it hard to even turn the DS off while playing. There are also really tense moments in the story as well which can leave you on the edge of your seat, quickly trekking through the game to get more answers. I honestly don’t think I have ever been this drawn into a plot on any video game before but with 999, it is nearly impossible to lose interest or just not care about any of these deep, human characters who are so easy to relate to and feel for. When a game can get you to actually feel emotion of any kind, that in my opinion is a true achievement in my opinion and 999 certainly produces many different feeling as you progress further into the game.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors is really mainly made up of puzzles and a bit of point and click with of course the main theme being “Escape”. As you make your way through each door, you are soon told to “Seek a Way Out” of the room you are in. This is done with an easily rotating camera on the bottom screen where you must tap the environment to discover clues, keys, and more to break the locks on each door. As I mentioned, the story will tie into all of these rooms as well, so when you are solving a puzzle to progress, each item may hold more secrets behind the plot or trigger a small cut-scene.
To assist you with this detective work is a well made inventory, which lets you fully examine each item you find. The game’s theme of numbers plays a huge role into just about every part of actual gameplay as well. The digital root method is a prime example of this. For instance, when entering doors, you must have 3-5 people with you to move through, no more, no less. Then you must use each character’s number on their bracelet to enter the doors by matching the digital root for the group of characters to the number on the door (For instance, 4, 6, and 8 want to go into a door, 4+6+8=18..1+8=9, so 9 must be the door’s number for all three to pass).
This method is used for many of the game’s escape puzzles and is quite a unique way to really test your brain as well as provide something original to the genre. Besides that, basic problem solving and riddles can also be cracked by just paying attention to the story in general. Nothing really is too challenging, but when you are scoping out a room it is wise to survey everything so you don’t miss what could be the next clue leading to your escape. At anytime you may also check your journal to get a refresher on past events as well, which helps if you decided to shut down your DS. Saving the game also works great as it can be done at anytime allowing you to pick right where you left off from the last bit of dialogue you previously seen.
One of the best features of 999 are the endings. There is only one true ending so certain decisions which you make in the story can effect the way the whole game climaxes. I got an ending my first play through that made be drop my DS in shock when I reached it and I immediately started a new game to see the next, so yes, each ending is that thrilling. Of course this game was programmed to be played multiple times, so the developers made a brilliant move of having certain text points which you have already seen to be skipped over after your first run. You also can discover new rooms which you chose against on your last play through so even though the game only takes around 5 or so hours to complete, this can lead to at least 4x that number by just going through again to reach each ending. This should not be a problem though as the twists are so intense in the game, it is easy to want to go back in for more.
Graphics/Audio
999 of course is a visual novel, but the whole design of the environments and characters are all done effectively with a stunning art style that lets you get a feel for each area your in as well as the emotions of the other characters. Each area you search is fully detailed and pulls together the story with wonderful settings so exploration is exciting upon reaching the next room as everything is quite different from the next. Characters are also detailed well and the expressions detail on their faces for each situation easily convey the feeling for whatever situation you may be in at the time.
There are a lot of tense, exciting moments in the game, but the music and sound effects are truly what can make your heart pound as you are waiting to unravel the next moment in the plot. Little things such as doors creaking, faucets running, and many more things all have very realistic sounds which allow you to fully engross yourself into the story. I guess I could best use to describe this by referring to the flashbacks in “Lost Odyssey” where everything you are reading, you usually could hear the sound effects and music coming in at the perfect moments to create a perfect image of exactly what the story is trying to portray, only it is like this in 999 for just about every scene that takes place.
Overall
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors is a prime example that there are games on the DS that are for an older audience. The story telling is like nothing else and is just as original as it is exciting. Each character is easy to grow attached to in many ways as you slowly peel away layers of depth behind their own stories of how they ended up in Zero’s game. This attachment works so well that I was constantly wanting to progress to learn the fate of everyone involved as with such a twisted story along with multiple endings, everything is really unpredictable. Besides a few puzzles and some point and click detective work, there isn’t too much actual gameplay involved, but honestly that doesn’t really matter as the pace of everything ties together so brilliantly that 999 comes together as a whole experience rather than just a game itself. When it comes to memorable titles that will stick with you and make you think about them hours after you finish playing, Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors may just be one of the best to date in that aspect and for sure one of the most exciting yet smart experiences on the Nintendo DS.
Behemoth, famed makers of Alien Hominid and Castle Crashers, are getting into iOS development! (which means you better prepare to spend some intimate time with your iphone)
Originally this was a minigame in Alien Hominid, Behemoth is now looking to get this put on iOS. In case you aren’t aware, the point of the game is to pilot a missle into capitalist, soviet pigs whilst dodging helicopters, planes and birds. A very simple game, but one that’s great to play while you have a little amount of time to kill which is perfect for the Iphone. If Apple doesn’t decide to be the usual bunch of party poopers they are and deny the game due to it’s semi-offensive, racist nature, Behemoth says to look forward to this on your Iphone in the next month for the very affordable price of FREE. Keep a lookout for this.
Cthulhu Saves the World
Platform: Xbox Live Indie Games
Developer: Zeboyd Games
Genre: Retro RPG
Release Date: December 30,2010
Price: 240 MS points ($3)
Cthulhu Saves the World is a quirky little gem amidst the myriad of shovelware in the XLIG. This is not to say it’s perfect, but for a paltry $3 it’s pretty great. For those of you not “in the know” Cthulhu is a well known entity born from H.P. Lovecraft, famed sci-fi writer. The titular beast from the Lovecraftian universe, Cthulhu, is normally a giant malevolent god with the body of a man with an octopus for a head, green skin, wings etc. This game starts out with a mysterious wizard sealing Cthulhu’s powers. The player is then informed that the only way Cthulhu can return to his former glory is to become a true hero, essentially doing a full 180 on his dark past.
From the onset Cthulhu Saves the World plants its tongue firmly in cheek in the same way many low brow comedy games often do. For example, Cthulhu informs the player that he was listening to the narration of the introduction to the game at an attempt to break the 4th wall and elicit a chuckle from the player. One of the developers advertised the game by saying if you don’t laugh within 5 minutes of playing the demo he’ll be surprised. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the comedy compelling. I’m not saying it’s bad, but it’s not my preference. The entirety of the comedy in this game feels like the developers are shouting in your ear, “HEY, YOU ARE PLAYING A VIDEO GAME AND WE KNOW IT SO WE ARE GOING TO REMIND YOU EVERY 5 SECONDS, OK?!” Many NPCs are modeled after classic characters from RPG’s one could find in the late 80’s early 90’s, Cthulhu mentioning his eavesdropping in the beginning, etc. You get the picture.
Luckily, the comedy is not one of the only reasons to get this. As an RPG, it’s actually very well made. Every time you level up you choose a bonus to receive such as increased health, higher strength, more MP, etc. There are a plethora of methods to defeat your foes, spells, summons, abilities, special attacks. A nifty little mechanic that deals with driving your enemies insane (an iconic sign of Cthulhu’s presence, always represented in anything he is in) with certain enemies receiving more damage while insane and a select few actually becoming harder while insane. Your party fully heals after every battle, making only the battles the thing you need to worry about, not getting to town with only 1 HP left before the next random encounter defeats you.
While this is all great especially for an indie game, its indie roots really do rear its sometimes ugly head, much to the chagrin of a handful of players I’m sure. Before I begin with this, know that this game pays homage to RPGs of yesteryear such as Final Fantasy 1 and the original Phantasy Star. So perhaps the biggest shortcoming is that there are pretty much no battle animations. You select an attack and nothing more than a simple slash appears over the enemy for a second. Summoning a giant kraken to wreak havoc on the enemies does not play some elaborate and epic cutscene showing the creature emerging from the ocean to smite your foes, only a mere darkening effect washes over the screen for a second or two and then damage is applied. Some won’t find this as troublesome at all and rightfully so. However, I’m sure others will, I certainly was a bit taken back by the lack of production value but remember the price, $3, so you can’t complain. You are able to instantly warp to any previous town you’ve been to. Some might call this combined with the automatic full heal after every battle lazy and marking the game as too easy, which is understandable, but it’s really not that big of a deal. The game is pretty good overall, it will definitely evoke a sense of nostalgia from the avid RPG player who has been playing RPGs for years.
The long and short of it is that this game is cheap, really cheap. If this were just a normal XBLA game it would likely cost 800 MS points ($10), which I would deem too expensive for such a title. Luckily, it is not, the game is only a mere 240 ($3) and for that price the game is totally worth it to the RPG enthusiast. If you are looking for a quick fix of retro RPG and happen to have an Xbox 360, pick this up. Support a fledgling developer in the hopes that this becomes a success and they can pour their talent into a much more substantial offering in the future.
On March 6th, Poké-fans everywhere will be able to finally get their hands on both Pokémon Black & White when they officially release, but Nintendo are planning to take both titles on a country-wide mall tour a month beforehand allowing everyone to get a first look (if you didn’t import, anyway) of the two brand new entries into the series. The tour will include 14 different cities located in the states and looks to be quite an event.
On February 5th, Nintendo will kick off the tour and will not only let players try out the titles and get a feel of the games themselves, but each two-day stop will be jam-packed with many different events for each city. Attendees will also get to check out their local theaters as the new movie, Pokémon-Zoroark: Master of Illusions will be screened for free as well. Nintendo have also listed that all three starter Pokémon, Snivy, Oshawott, and Tepig will all be available for a “meet and greet”, which I am guessing will be some sort of large cosplay characters running around while players demo the game. Other happenings also listed include a mall-wide scavenger hunt, a special Celebi character distribution at GameStop stores, many contests with prizes, and a lot more.
“The anticipation for Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version has been palpable, and we are eager to introduce these fantastic new games to America,” said J.C. Smith, The Pokémon Company International’s director of Marketing. “We cannot wait to hit the road and give Pokémon fans an up-close and personal look at an all-new world of Pokémon in a fun, totally immersive environment.”
It has been a while since a mall tour has hit the states for Pokémon, but if you were around about 10 years ago this kind of thing used to be the norm everywhere as Pokémon leagues and events were just about everywhere. Japan also featured a tour about like this one, but it is great to see the U.S. getting some Pokémon love once again.
The dates and locations for the tour are as follows:
February 5th and 6th:
· Seattle, WA (Westfield Southcenter, Seattle, WA)
