THE SIMPLE Series For Wii U: The Family Party – D3 Knows Its Japanese Audience

Posted on December 5, 2012 by geelw

Nope, it’s not a sign of a new console’s premature apocalypse when the budget-priced releases start popping up. In Japan, D3 Publisher is well-known as a producer and publisher of a lower-priced games lineup for a few consoles called THE SIMPLE series, so it was only a matter of time before they started getting games done and shipped for Nintendo’s new system. This one’s a compilation of 35 family friendly mini-games and I’m gathering will do well because D3 has figured out that sticking a ton of content onto a disc and getting it out during the holidays (December 20) at an affordable price point (about $30) will net them a decent profit no matter what reviewers will say. The chances of this coming out here are pretty slim, but it would be a nice surprise if it did in some form or another.

Review: TANK! TANK! TANK!

Posted on December 3, 2012 by geelw

Platform: Wii U

Developer: Namco

Publisher: Namco Bandai Games

# of Players: 1 – 4

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: B (80%)

As a launch title for the Wii U, Namco Bandai’s TANK! TANK! TANK! may not look like a system seller, but look past its colorful arcade visuals and initially simple gameplay and you’ll find a fast-paced (and 100% tank focused) party game shooter that owes more than a little credit to Sandlot’s always fun Earth Defense Force series of games. In fact, the game manages to play almost exactly like an arcade version of EDF would, streamlining the experience down to timed stages, random weapon pickups that you can use instantly and a mix of assorted enemies from giant robotic spiders and wasps to some pretty wild bosses that need to be taken down as quickly as possible. Granted, blowing monsters into scrap metal over and over is all you do here in the main game whether playing in solo or co-op, so those seeking something deeper should look elsewhere. On the other hand, given that this is a rather enhanced port of an arcade game that offers much more than the original version, you SHOULD expect and respect the repetitive nature of the game to the fullest by diving in and shooting up the scenery as much as possible.
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Review: Nintendo Land

Posted on December 3, 2012 by geelw

Platform: Wii U

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo of America

# of Players: 1 – 5 (offline)

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 +)

Official Site

Score: B+ (85%)

As a launch title for the Wii U (or more precisely, the included pack in for those of you who are interested in or have very wisely purchased the black Premium version of the console), Nintendo Land is, much like Wii Play and Wii Sports, a collection of mini-games that shows how versatile the new GamePad is. Nintendo’s new system has a controller that’s been misunderstood by some in the gaming press and too many people who hang on every word some of those sites print. Fortunately, the game not only mostly delivers the goods where it should, some of the mini-games here end up being memorable enough that one hopes Nintendo decides to expand upon some ideas on the disc in the near future.

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Young Justice: Legacy Teaser: It’s Getting Closer…

Posted on December 2, 2012 by geelw

Finally (after a wee bit too long and quiet time), here’s a cool short teaser for the upcoming Young Justice: Legacy game, set to hit home and portable consoles in 2013. Thanks, Little Orbit! OK, that’s one more game to keep an eyeball peeled for next year. If you feel like reading some insider stuff about the game, boogie on over here and here for some posts that are pretty informative about what goes into making a game like this come to life. Naturally, the big fat question for many fans remains just how good it’s going to be. Then again, given that it’s an action/RPG and there’s a nice pedigree behind the product in progress, I think the Little League (a ha ha) is in fine hands indeed. Now, let’s see an all gameplay trailer next time!

Review: Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition

Posted on December 1, 2012 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii U

Developer: WB Games Montreal

Publisher: WB Games

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A (95%)

Nintendo-only console owners have most likely been hearing about how stellar Batman: Arkham City was on the PS3 and Xbox 360 for long enough that I’ve heard of some of the more hardcore fans of the Dark Knight plunking down the money for a competing
console and a copy of the game. For the rest of you who waited it out, you’re getting the definitive version of Arkham City that not only features every bit of DLC (on the retail disc (not as some download you need to buy or add before you play), but great new GamePad exclusive functions and some nice new costumes that make the experience even better than before. I’m console agnostic myself, so as soon as I heard this was coming out, it made it to the top of the list of “ports” that had to be played. While perfection comes thanks to the wealth of content old and new, some minor technical issues break the illusion from time to time. Nevertheless, WB Games Montreal has done some amazing work in bringing Rocksteady Studios’ smash onto a new console in such fine order.
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Video Game Appreciation 101 (Random Import Version): Bing Bing! Bingo

Posted on November 19, 2012 by geelw

Mention Bingo to the average younger gamer and you’ll probably get a blank stare for a few seconds until they remember either that goofy song about a farmer and his dog or recall passing a local senior center or church with a photocopied sign or fading poster announcing weekly play sessions geared towards more mature gamblers looking to rake in a few extra bucks. Of course, leave it to Japanese developers and publishers to do something wacky and fun with what’s basically seen as an old folks’ time-sink here in the US.

Released in 1994 for the Super Famicom in Japan by KSS, Copya Systems’ Bing Bing! Bingo was an offbeat blend of mini-games makes for an interestingly wacky diversion as it presents Bingo from seven different perspectives across an island vacation paradise of sorts. Granted, if Bingo had big-eyed ladies in skimpy outfits and a spandex clad hero called Bingoman as part of the draw, I’d bet those churches and union halls turned into minor vice dens for the elderly would be packed with hipsters and of age young folks looking to rake in those bucks a few winning cards at a time.

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Review: Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two

Posted on November 19, 2012 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Junction Point Studios

Publisher: Disney Interactive

# of Players 1 – 2 (Co-op)

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: Single Player D+ 6.5/Co-op: B+ 8.5

Like the piles of scattered Disney memorabilia you traverse through between maps, Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is a beautiful mess. As in beautiful when it works and a mess when it doesn’t. Of course, that’s both a good and bad thing, but we’ll get to the constructive criticism below the jump. As a co-op experience, the game in a great deal of fun as Mickey Mouse and Oswald The Lucky Rabbit team up to battle enemies solve puzzles and track down a seemingly endless supply of collectibles as they tackle the task of repairing an earthquake-ravaged Wasteland. There’s less darkness here and a much richer color palette, making this one of the better-looking Wii titles this year. But both single player and co-op have a few technical and gameplay hurdles that can sap the fun down a bit. While the PS3 and Xbox 360 (and presumably Wii U) versions can probably be patched up to a more stellar experience, I’m gathering Wii owners will be stuck with a flawed game that could have been greater than it is as it currently stands.

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Review: Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2

Posted on November 18, 2012 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS (also on Nintendo 3DS)

Developer: Cerasus Media

Publisher: Rising Star Games

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: B (80%)

Match-3 puzzle games have a certain healthy reliability to them and while it adds a few new twists to the formula, Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2 is a pretty solid budget game for entry level to veteran genre fans. While it’s not packing fancy HD visuals or flashy special effects, there’s a nicely addictive feel to the gameplay that makes for a game worth replaying multiple times. Featuring three game modes, 100 levels and an interesting resource gathering mechanic that really needs to be expanded on in any future games in this series, CoE2 makes foe a rather cool gift for puzzle fans of any age.

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Review: Thundercats

Posted on November 17, 2012 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS

Developer: Aspect Digital Entertainment

Publisher: Namco Bandai Games

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site
Score: C (70%)

There’s a decidedly old-school mentality to Aspect Digital Entertainment’s Thundercats that makes it somewhat compelling despite its flaws. It’s not innovative in any respect, but doesn’t need to be because it works well enough for what it’s aiming for. Then again, if you’re only looking for a side-scrolling beat-em up with timed stages, colorful but straightforward visuals and a ton of unlockable artwork and music, you’ll appreciate what’s here a great deal more than some snooty critic who demands innovation in every modern game they play. What’s here is fairly simple, definitely not for casual players (trust me, it’s a total ball-buster in parts) and packed with plenty of cheap enemies and bosses. while far from gaming perfection, it’s very reminiscent of plenty of quarter muncher beat-em-ups that crowded arcades in their heyday.

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Woo Hoo. My Wii U Is On The Way!

Posted on November 16, 2012 by geelw

So, Best Buy comes through (whee!), although since it’s a SUNDAY launch (which has been a Nintendo standard for a while), I won’t be jumping up and down like a kid on Xmas until the 19th or 20th. Still, that’s awesome news. I have some stuff coming and I hear Ninja Gaiden 3 has been reworked considerably to a much more enjoyable experience, so that one is going on my play list. Of course, Nintendo hasn’t ever sent me anything I’ve requested (they’re publishing the game not Tecmo/Koei), but I don’t mind paying for this one if it’s as good as I’ve heard.