While continuing to drop gameplay videos left and right, of course. The reviews are pretty decent to really good so far, but I’m not too sure I want to be playing a handheld using a special stand. That’s my sole worry about this one, as I knew from the first trailer that it was going to be special. Nintendo is no doubt keeping a good eyeball on this weekend’s sales figures, but hopefully, they’ll also have an “evergreen” strategy for the Kid that keeps this one at the top of the charts for a while…
Always vigilant, Capcom (through its Capcom Unity blog), does its part in keeping some gamers off their usual slippery soapboxes griping about stuff by asking them to submit a rage-filled video clip to YouTube to support Asura’s Wrath (go buy it, it’s awesome stuff and original as hell in terms of a few things). Here are the best of the best (and some others you’ll want to check out. Enter the Rage Cage, sit back and prepare to laugh (hopefully you have some earplugs handy and don’t mind screaming)…
While the Atelier series isn’t for everyone, it’s great to see the series still going after all these years Atelier Meruru, the latest PS3 installment features characters from Atelier Rorona and Atelier Totori plus some all new or tweaked gameplay. If you’ve never played one of these cute simulation/alchemy/RPGs previously, it’s all a bit thick to the skull for a bit until you get a few hours in. Still, the mostly light tone, charming visuals and nicely done soundtracks the series is known for amongst its fan base are always good for losing oneself for a few too many hours before you know what hit you…
Yes, the original Wii game had it’s quirks, but it was also a breath of fresh air for the “mascot” platformer thanks to Warren Spector’s guidance and Junction Point’s solid programming. Of course, Peter David’s wonderfully dark script and James Dooley’s stellar music score helped as well. Anyway, I’m happy that PS3 and Xbox 360 owners will get to see the sequel (my own Move and Navigation Controller are shaking the dust off of each other and smiling crazily), but I wonder how those HD versions will address the first game/ Hopefully, we’ll see some sort of special prologue or perhaps a brief playable segment that highlights what went before. Below is a super-short Spike TV segment with Spector kicking his new baby off. I can’t wait to see this sequel in HD…
Hmmm…. I’m not a huge multiplayer fan, especially in a game such as KI: U where the story should be the big focal point (after all this time away from the gaming scene, it should be grand and thrilling, right?). However, the temptation of hundreds of weapons (loot!) is something that may have some solo players out there handing out Friend Codes like water in the desert. Or buying a 3DS at some point if they don’t own one yet so they can play this game. I’d also imagine those who fall into the latter category will also want to check out a few other games, as buying a system just for ONE title is a bit goofy (especially as the 3DS library has a number of fine games for nearly any type of gamer)…
The whole “add zombies to anything” style of game making is finally playing itself shuffle by shuffle after much success, but Telltale Games is definitely doing it up right in their upcoming episodic series based on the award winning comic. Actually, Based AROUND that award-winning comic would be a better description, as the game looks to introduce a whole new set of characters and situations rather than do the “expected” thing and let players dink around with what’s already in the comic (and on the TV show). Of course, some internet ranters aren’t hip to this and are giving the company both barrels on Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else they can set up a soapbox and bleat away mindlessly. Obviously, “Braaaaaaaaiiinnnns!” aren’t doing too well working, so even if Telltale and Kirkman sent a barn full of walkers out to get the haters, they’d all come back more pissed off because half those heads they chewed on were empty already (or filled to the brim with bile, yuk).
Personally, I rather like that the game isn’t trying to expand the older stories because there are absolutely a ton of other tales that can be told about other survivors, so you won’t be hearing any complaints from this direction. As for those excellent “making of” videos that have also been posted by Telltale, I’ll be dropping those into the other blog later this afternoon or so, as I’m about to go to bed. I’ve a long day later on – got a 7am wake-up call inbound, so I’ll be the one at the train station looking like a zombie, eek!
Based on this gamplay footage and info from the press release, 2XL’s new off-road racer is looking like pretty slick stuff. It also looks as if D3Publisher of America has a hot little hit on their hands here for PSN and XBLA. It’s too bad this wasn’t tossed on a disc as a budget game under a US “Simple 2000” series or something like that, as I could see this being the PERFECT impulse item at a Wal-Mart or some other retailer where you’d see a beefy pickup or three towing some ATV’s or dirt bikes in the parking lot. This is just that sort of game you’d like to have handy while on the road traveling between race events when you’re in the back of the camper and there’s nothing to do but play a fun game because you’re in an area with crappy internet service.
Hmmm. Here in the US, Namco Bandai seems to be tiptoeing on eggshells when it comes to hyping Bugbear’s upcoming game and that’s too bad. I’m gathering the jaded types that have been slamming them since the game was announced is flummoxing their PR team here as they try and get the good word out over the drone of haters who want nothing but the same old Ridge Racer with very few changes (or more of the same with a few modern tweaks). I see it like this: when you have a developer that’s already done some excellent racing games working on a spin-off of a world famous franchise, you should be more than confident that the game coming is going to be worthy of the name. That said, this City Editor trailer from the UK should go a long way in quelling the stream of leaky gas fumes coming from some out there who just seem to have nothing good to say about a game they haven’t even played yet. As I’ve said before, at the end of the day, it’s all about respect (and actually spending quality time with what you’re criticizing so much)…
Of all the Dynasty Warriors-inspired games out there, only Koei’s assorted development teams (primarily Omega Force) have really nailed them perfectly. They not only invented the sub-genre of beat ’em up the games fall into, they’ve also been doing them for so darn long that even the ones that aren’t so hot are still incredibly addictive to play. Warriors Orochi 3 is looking as if it will the ultimate in fan service hack ‘n slash greatness as it packs in characters from nearly every Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors game ever made (except the DW Gundam series, no doubt for licensing reasons and the fact that it would be deadly stupid to have life-sized heroes fighting 30-foot mecha). That and you get playable characters from other Koei games such as Ninja Gaiden, Warriors: Legends of Troy, Bladestorm, Trinity: Souls of Zill O’ll and Dead or Alive. Yikes.
Sure, the 120+ roster isn’t as nuts as the 210 playable fighters found in Squaresoft’s still amazing Tobal 2 by a long shot. Then again, I’d rather play as Areus, Ryu Hayabusa or Joan of Arc than the bottom head of a totem pole, a pile driver or an over-sized polygon star any day of the week. Yeah, I want this one, but I hope I’ll actually have the time to finish the game with a few favorite characters, as I know doing it with all 120 will take a bit longer than one should camp out in front of the TV. Crazy me will probably do this, but obviously, I won’t get to ALL 120 characters for a review. I’d need a time machine and a box of Dual Shock 3’s for that…
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