E3 2014: Devil’s Third: Now A Wii U Exclusive (And Not for The Kids at All!), But Needs Some Polishing Up…

Posted on June 11, 2014 by geelw

Well, this was a surprise in a day filled with surprises. The last time I’d heard anything about Devil’s Third was about two or so years back when it disappeared off PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 lists, somehow got picked up as a mobile game, but now here it is… as a Wii U exclusive. Tomonobu Itagaki and his team at Valhalla Game Studios have whipped up a SUPER violent throwback to those late 80’s and 90’s action flicks, cranked things up to 11 and added a few packs of cigarettes and a case of booze to the mix. Granted, the build shown at E3 seems a bit unpolished and definitely needs work in some areas. That said, no game shown at E3 as a demo should ever be judged as final code, so I’m willing to give this one the benefit of the doubt as work continues on the game.

There’s no release date at all for this, so I’d gather that means Valhalla will be ironing out the kinks over the next few months to whenever it’s ready to go gold. During a live demo for IGN.com, Itagaki noted to the hosts that any issues with the frame rate or other bits would be fixed, and I definitely noted some things that required tweaking. as the game progresses, I’ll be keeping an eye peeled for updates, as while rough now, this could be one of those oddball sleepers that Wii U owners treasure because only they can play it (much like Bayonetta 2 will be this September). back with more on this M-rated blast of nostalgia in a bit…

E3 2014: Nintedo Direct – Surprises Galore With Some Wait Times Involved (But Well Worth It)…

Posted on June 10, 2014 by geelw

Of all the three big game company media events, Nintendo had the most to prove, mostly to non-fans and journalists who believe the Wii U is “dead” when the console has yet to show off all it can do. Well, Nintendo’s showing was pretty impressive on a few fronts as you’ll see above, below and later on when I run individual videos. The new (and untitled) installment in the classic Legend of Zelda with its open world and lush visuals was the biggest surprise to me, but Bayonetta 2 packing the full version of the first game enhanced with Nintendo-themed outfits for the character (and coming in September on a single disc). Hyrule Warriors looks spectacular, Yoshi’s Wooly World activated my “D’awwwww” gene (dormant for a while) and will be the first stupidly cute game I’ll pick up in quite some time.

The big JRPG X, now officially known as Xenoblade Chronicles X has slipped into 2015, but this is a good thing at the end of the day because it gives Wii U owners time to get through a few other big releases. I’m not normally a Smash Bros. fan, but the newly announced ability to use custom Miis in the game makes my eyebrow tingle (which means I’ll at least TRY this one out). A few new IPs like Mario Maker, Splatoon and others kept me grinning and overall, it was a successful show, closing with Miyamoto teasing his Star Fox game without actually showing it up close. Anyway, enjoy the show – back in a bit…

E3 2014: Alphadia Genesis: So It’s A Mobile Port. For Now, It’s The Sole JRPG on the Wii U…

Posted on June 9, 2014 by geelw

Well, until Monolith Soft’s “X”(or whatever it will be called once it’s completed) gets an actual release date (which should hopefully be announced at the Nintendo Direct broadcast later today), that is. Somehow, Nintendo’s home consoles have slipped a bit on the JRPG front since the Super Nintendo days, although there have been a few outright classic (and not so classic) titles released for every home system from the N64 up to the Wii. Natsume is publishing this former iOS/Android game later this summer as a digital-only eShop release and I’d say it’ll do well among those gamers who have a Wii U sitting at home and miss playing these games on a big screen. Sure, the 3DS family has PLENTY of JRPGs and more on the way and yes, is the preferred handheld for millions of users. Nevertheless, old farts like me who prefer playing games we can actually see that won’t have our backs going out from being hunched over a screen and our poor eyeballs swelling in our skulls will be welcoming Alphadia Genesis with open arms. Thanks, Natsume!

E3 2014: Natsume’s Lineup Currently Has More Games Than Capcom’s. This Could Get Interesting…

Posted on June 6, 2014 by geelw

Let’s see now. Here’s Natsume’s E3 lineup:

Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley (Nintendo 3DS)
A-Train: City Simulator (Nintendo 3DS)
Alphadia Genesis (Wii U)
Reel Fishing: Master’s Challenge (PlayStation Vita)
End of Serenity (Sony PSP)
Reel Fishing Pocket 2: Ocean (iOS)
Gabrielle’s Monstrous Duel (iOS)
Hometown Story: Pocket (iOS)
Ninja Strike (iOS)

And here’s what Capcom is packing:

Dead Rising 3 (PC)
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (iOS)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Nintendo 3DS)
Ultra Street Fighter IV (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (Nintendo 3DS)

Ready? FIGHT!

Or not really. For that matter, new-ish publisher Little Orbit also will have more games at E3 than Capcom does. Granted this isn’t really astonishing news, as both small and large publishers have been condensing or expanding their lineups over the past few years in order to maximize profits and it seems that we’re at that stage where small and large games make the cut at these companies. Granted, Ultra Street Fighter IV or Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate will easily sell more copies than Reel Fishing and End of Serenity combined. But for a guy like me who just wants to play good games no matter who publishes them, these leaner, meaner lineups are almost a godsend because I don’t need to wade through junk to get to the treasure.

Naturally, not all of these games I’ll get to will be great, but fun is a more important factor than anything else for me at the end of the day, as is enough QA (quality assurance) that’s occurred pre-release that keeps what I play playable from beginning to end without a patch in sight (or at least one that fixes anything that’s busted). Anyway, I’ll have a more complete list of E3 games from more publishers shortly.My inbox is filling up with official lists and I want to do them all in one post as opposed to dropping in multiples.

Back in a bit.

Falling Skies Landing Hard on Consoles, Mobile In Autumn From Little Orbit

Posted on June 2, 2014 by geelw

Confession time: I’ve never seen a episode of Falling Skies, so last year when I heard a game was in development, I was wondering what type of experience it would be with my fingers crossed it was going to at least be a genre I liked and not just another first or third-person action game that would be compared to superior genre entries and easily forgotten if it wasn’t good enough to grab the attention of the shows fans or gamers expecting something like what they know so well.

Today’s news that we’re getting this as a tactical strategy RPG for the Wii U, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC along with a mobile game called Falling Skies: Planetary Warfare is making me smile a bit more. Some screens to peek at from both versions (and I’ll leave it to you to guess which one is which, although it’s pretty obvious):

Granted, these work in progress screens aren’t going to blow you away if you’re expecting a superior LOOKING tactical experience. On the other hand, this particular genre is known for games that may not look the best, but deliver the goods on the gameplay front.

I did take special notice that Little Orbit mentions the Wii U version FIRST in the press release, which is a good thing to me 9and probably a bunch of other Wii U owners). If the game is good, it’ll probably (and hopefully) use the GamePad as a key part of gameplay (which is a no-brainer in my book). Anyway, we’ll see what’s what soon enough. I’m hoping Little Orbit gets this game orbiting into the hands of editors post-E3 just so the folks who aren’t attending that madness (raises hand) can get some hands-on time and spread the word if the game works as it should. Back in a bit with more on this one. Maybe it will get me to actually check out the show at some point on DVD… We’ll see!

Surprise! Nintendo Gets The Jump On Super Smash Bros. Wii U Fans With A Game Cube Controller Adapter

Posted on May 29, 2014 by geelw

Well, this is quite cool. Earlier today, Nintendo dropped a little video about the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Invitational Tournament they’re holding at (or near) E3 this year and at the end of that video, BOOM! you’ll see that there’s a Game Cube Adapter coming for the Wii U, price and release date TBA.

Of course, Nintendo went and posted a picture of this soon to be hot seller on its Twitter feed… and pretty much anyone who still has a Game Cube lying around in a closet somewhere (or hey, still under their TV!) probably fainted dead away, woke up to pinch themselves HARD and promptly fainted dead away again. I think it was that sexy music playing when the Adapter was shown, but that’s probably just me…

Yeah, I want one of those AND more Game Cube games coming to the Wii U on the eShop… which according to rumor, MAY just happen. I’d gather this rumor is true as making that adapter for ONE game is just insane and I know a LOT of people want to buy and play some of those classics from the GC era and have at it for old time’s sake. I’m in that crowd although I still have a Game Cube here and a big stack of games to play on it. That said, I’ll snap this thing up in a heartbeat…

Watch_Dogs Launch Trailer: Your Ticket To Chicago Is Almost Ready…

Posted on May 22, 2014 by geelw

May 27 will be a pretty quiet day at some workplaces in a few places thanks to people coming down with crippling cases of Watch_Dogs flu and staying home to get some finger and wrist exercises in to keep healthy. Ubisoft Montreal is certainly doing its part to move next-gen consoles and maybe a new 3D card or two, but I think even on the older consoles the game will be a winner to those players that don’t give a hoot about their games looking about as realistic as it gets. Anyway, we’ll see what’s what next week (or later for Wii U owners still hoping for an actual release date).

Mario Kart 8 Direct: Nintendo Goes Nuts (Part Whatever) In The Best Possible Manner…

Posted on May 1, 2014 by geelw

Yep, Nintendo is swinging for the fences with all their might with these Directs and as crazy as it sounds to those who wan the console to simply roll over and die (it won’t), it looks as if they’re going to make the Wii U a system its owners can be proud of no matter how it does against the competition. Granted, by all accounts I’ve read, Mario Kart 8 isn’t breaking any “new” ground other than being the first in the series to run in glorious HD. On the other hand, it also shows that no one knows what its customers want in a returning and eagerly awaited franchise like this than Nintendo. Could it use MORE characters like (Smash Bros.), some actual gameplay innovations and perhaps better support for that GamePad? Sure, why not try to sell more copies to people who might still be on the fence about that shiny black or white console of yours? Of course, the game will sell millions as it is and doesn’t need me to tell you die-hards anything at all about what it “needs” to do.

Then again, the oddball launch strategy for the 3DS and Wii U versions does have me a tad worried. Then again, second guessing Nintendo seems to be a silly proposition (with a few exceptions where I’ve been correct, ha ha). Between this and the company skipping the usual E3 press briefing for a big Direct presentation (more on that later today), following its own muse is the best thing the company has done in a while. Methinks 2014 is going to be a worm-turning phase for that beleaguered console some have already written off, but it’ll take a LOT of sales in a market packed with too many other grand distractions…

Child of Light Out Is Out Today (So You’re NOT Reading This Post, Right?)

Posted on April 30, 2014 by geelw

Nope, I wasn’t lucky enough to grab a Child of Light review code from whomever handles this stuff over at Ubisoft, but I don’t mind paying the $15 to play this game at all. My platform of choice will be the Wii U, as it’s a system that needs more love and it’s great that Ubisoft decided to bring this game to the console, although it’s no surprise given their support for it since its launch.

As you can see, reviews are indeed in from those who DID get codes early and yes, the game comes highly recommended. I’ll probably get to playing this early next week, as I’m working on a few things and my poor backlog is indeed killing me these days. I guess I can train a monkey or goat to play games and write about them, but that would cut into my budget something fierce (and the food? Yikes, I’d go broke with a pet here in NYC)…

Child of Light Making of Part 3: Same As It Ever Was, No Matter What You Play It On…

Posted on April 24, 2014 by geelw

Ubisoft is really pushing these making of videos to show that Child of Light will be the same gorgeous visual experience across every platform. Given that all the consoles it runs on support HD resolution (and of course, PC as a given run at higher resolutions anyway), it’s clear that the game will be a feast for the eyes no matter what it’s played on. I’m now leaning towards the Wii U version as noted before just because it’s the easiest console for me to update from a wi-fi spot and get games for as well. Decision made! Now, it’s just less than a week of waiting to go…