Nintendo Direct 4.17.2013: Making Some Intriguing Concessions To The Digital Age…

So, Nintendo seems caught between a rock and the next generation, what with the PS4 and Microsoft’s new console on the way and Wii U sales not being as solid as they need to. The company is dropping some online channels from the console, but don’t make the mistake of thinking the system is dead by any means. There are a bunch of cool exclusives on the way for the Wii U, but once more, it’s the 3DS that’s stealing the show. A new Legend of Zelda game (well, one based on the classic SNES game A Link to the Past), the cult classic Earthbound (Hoo-freakin’-raaaay!) both coming as Virtual Console releases are but two of the super games coming for the company’s fans.

HOWEVER (dun-dun-dunnn!) Hmmm… I see a slight problem here in all the happy-happy going on…
Continue reading

Pandora’s Tower: Xseed Gets Wii Owners One Final Great JRPG….

 

It’s finally here and yep, you should be playing this if you’re a Wii owner and fan of this type of fantasy action/RPG. As I’m seeing a lot of those “Project Rainfall” petitioners whooping it up and patting themselves on the back and heads about how they got those final three important Wii-only JRPGs localized, I’ll have to admit that after playing through Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story that so far, these games have been pretty amazing… but not quite the be-all, end-alls some were claiming and hoping they’d turn out to be. That said, I’m definitely not passing up Pandora’s Tower at all, as it might be the most unique of the tree titles in terms of a few things. So, a big fat THANK YOU goes out (once again) to the fine folks at Xseed Games for bringing home that BACON one final time for us Wii owners out there. You’ll only get that in-joke if you hang around the company’s message boards, by the way…

Review: The Croods Prehistoric Party (DS/3DS)

Croods DS_3DSPlatform: Nintendo DS/3DS

Developer: Torus Games

Publisher: D3Publisher of America

# of Players: 1 – 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site: (3DS) (DS)

Score: C (70%)

Like the Wii and Wii U versions, The Croods Prehistoric Party is a collection of 30 mini-games that range from pretty darn fun to slightly (and temporarily) baffling.  While colorful and lots of fun to play, both of the portable versions miss the golden opportunity to add any sort of multiplayer modes. In terms of design decisions on a handheld that has a number of fine multiplayer and party-themed games, this is actually a lot more baffling than that occasional mini-game you won’t get right away. As for how this is as a solo game, well, playing against the AI is at best, a bit too easy and at worst, way too easy once you find a few exploits too tempting to pass up… Continue reading

Review: The Croods Prehistoric Party (Wii/Wii U)

croods_wiiu_keyart (Custom)croods_wii_keyart (Custom)Platform: Nintendo Wii/Wii U

Developer: Torus Games

Publisher: D3Publisher of America

# of Players: 1 – 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Official Site (Wii U) (Wii)

Score: B (80%)

If you automatically expect a licensed game based on a family-friendly hit animated film to be yet another platform jumper in terms of gameplay and the usual appearance on multiple consoles, The Croods: Prehistoric Party may end up surprising you a bit on two fronts. First, it’s only for Nintendo’s consoles and handhelds and second, it’s a board game on the Wii and Wii U and a collection of mini-games on the DS and 3DS. Both home versions are exactly the same, save for the ability for solo players or one in a group having at it to play with the Wii U Gamepad. Like the Mario Party series, you’ll have more fun with up to three friends, but it’s entirely possible to play through the game against the AI and have a pretty decent time… Continue reading

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara – The Fighter: This Tank Won’t Tank!

Capcom gets with the rolling out of gameplay footage from their more than eagerly awaited HD remake of one of the cooler arcade games we never saw in the US. Check out the Capcom Unity post about this beefy brawler here and get ready for some superior hack & slash action coming to the PC, PSN, Xbox Live Arcade and Wii U eShop. Like a few of you out there wringing your hands for a Vita version, yeah – I’m with you there. Hopefully, Capcom WILL make this happen, as this one’s perfect for some on the go action, especially if the dev team at Iron Galaxy can make it run smoothly for some serious four player co-op. OK, I’m getting ahead of myself here, but hey, it’s a damn great idea I think NEEDS to get done.

Batman: Arkham Origins: Current Gen Still Has It Going On, It Seems…

Hmmm… I guess it HAD to happen, but with original developer Rocksteady Games not at the helm, will WB Games Montreal just be retreading the play mechanics from Arkham City in a different version of Gotham City packed full of familiar locations and possibly during different times of the day this installment? We shall see, of course and yeah, I’m too much of an optimist to think this talented dev team (which handled the superb Wii U enhanced “port” of Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition, by the way) is going to muck things up. THAT said, let’s hope they make this a game for the ages and fix a few of the issues even the mighty Rocksteady didn’t quite nail. One positive sign is the game is being made for every current-gen HD platform available, which means we’ll not only see a PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 version, but a new Wii U game as well.

The Vita and 3DS will finally get an Arkham game with Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate, a “2.5D” action game from Armature Studios. Hopefully, both will be as close visually to the console games as possible and not too watered down or cartoony, as that’s almost always a disappointment in terms of continuity (well, at least in my book). Oh, for those wondering WHY Origins hasn’t been announced for the PS4 and next Xbox just yet, I’m guessing here, but I allow myself to do that once in a while for fun. Perhaps the guys and gals at Rocksteady ARE doing something on those consoles you don’t need to know about just yet, hmmmmm?

I say wait and see… but don’t be too surprised if it’s a new Arkham game or this one but done entirely in house and packed with visual punch to knock a room full of drooling fanboys to the nearest space station. *POW!* Watch this space…

Young Justice: Legacy Gallery: Little Orbit & Freedom Factory Are Doing It Right For The Fans…

Fans of this freshly canceled (or hopefully just “on hiatus”) Cartoon Network show will have one really cool thing to comfort them in these desperate times: Young Justice Legacy is coming along REALLY nicely. While my overall impressions are embargoed for a few more days, I can safely say that fans of games like Marvel Ultimate Alliance, X-Men Legends and yes, even Justice League Heroes should be pleased with what’s coming from Little Orbit and Freedom Factory. That trailer shows off an older build, as the HUD is now different (it’s in a corner now) and anything else you want to know will have to wait (sorry!). As for looks, the stylized 3D visuals mimic the show’s 2D art style well enough and I like that the dev team didn’t go for the overused cel-shading some probably wanted or expected.

Of course, the BIG question is will the game do so well at retail that the powers that be over at Cartoon Network and DC want to kick things back into production? That, dear reader… is all up to YOU. Petitions are groovy and all, but buying the game and telling as many friends with a PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, DS and 3DS (Hey! Where’s the Vita version?) as possible and making sure they also vote with their wallets is the best thing to do if you want to see something positive come from all this hard work. Hey, even if the show never gets a second chance on TV, I’d say the game deserves a solid sequel that addresses that cliffhanger finale, right?

02 GA_IceRiver_Multiplayer001_large 07 SC_Greece_001_large 06 SA_Tempest_001_large 05 SA_Superboy001_large 04 SA_Artemis_002_large 03 GA_Temple_Fight002_large 08 SC_SantaPrisca_002_large 09 SC_Siberia_002_large 10 ST_MountJustice_001_large 11 ST_Siberia_001_large 1348328374_image4 GA_Greece_001_large

PAX East 2013: DuckTales Gets The Crowd Going (Therefore, You Must Go As Well)…


 

Yeah, you watched the show as a kid (or a drunken college teenager or early pre-hipster doofus) and yeah, you played the NES game to death. So now you need to show your love or else the game’s upcoming remake will be trapped in development HELL. Not really. I just wanted to see you all singing along to the DuckTales theme song. Corny as hell, but C-l-a-s-s-i-c cartoon stuff from the 80’s!

OK, shut up and sing along. You sing, an angel gets a new kidney or something like that. And a puppy.

YOU SING! NOW!!


Life is like a hurricane…
Here in Duckburg.

Race cars, Laser, Aeroplanes
It’s a… duck blur.

Might solve a mystery
Or rewrite history…

DUCKTALES
Woo-oo!

Everyday they’re out there making:

DUCKTALES
Woo-oo!

D-D-D-Danger moves behind you
There’s a stranger out to find you
What to do? Just grab on to some:

DUCKTALES
Woo-oo!

Tales of derring-do
Bad and good luck tales (Woo-oo!)

Not ponytails
Or cotton tails, no:

DUCKTALES
Woo-oo!

DUCKTALES

Woo-oo!

Now there, don’t you feel a LOT better?

You’re welcome.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Gameplay Reveal: Pirates’ (Raking In More) Gold…

 

Now, I really COULD (and should) litter this post with plenty of pirate and numerous nautically-themed puns (enough to make your eyes and ears cower in fear), but I won’t (consider yourselves lucky. THIS time). But instead, I’ll just state the obvious and say that Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag looks really amazing and yes, all that sea battle stuff from the last game seems to be what Ubisoft was going to end up making nearly an entire game around. Granted, it might have been really spectacular to see this game show up as an all NEW franchise, as the stand alone pirate game has been sorely missed. Now, we’ll get to sit through those long-winded online rants from fans of the original AC games who think going so far away from the Templar stuff is a terrible thing. I always thought it was kind of pompous and that futuristic Desmond plot unnecessary, but that’s just me. Oh well, this one will sell a million or two based on the “Yo Ho Ho” factor alone. Just you watch…

Gallery: DuckTales

DT NES_WFT WOO-HOO! What’s old certainly has gotten a MAJOR makeover, as WayForward Technologies takes the classic NES game to the next level with its DuckTales “remake”, set to hit Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U this summer. Screenshots don’t do this one justice, so make sure to check out that cool and funny trailer (and sing along, too, as you KNOW you remember all the words to that song! “Not ponytails. Not cottontails. DUCKTALES!!!”):

 

DTheader1 DTheader2 DTheader3 8b333e7b8198d579853fb9e92fe84313 9d0e1eefaeca31a0f8a9b9b00acb50a6 63b5554e52bf1e909ce4a23cac085ae4 212e411134697314d63d833f4e138d46 1586c36d0ae8781f53b503d98f2f13bf fc575e2bc0b04a64ad7bc5751301e908 bfaca205dee10d1e867d20dc0fdea19b