Tag Archives: Sony

Sorcery Launch Trailer: It’s Like Magic! Sort Of…

Posted on by
Reply

It’s finally out as of today, so give it a try if you’ve got a Move wand and Navigation Controller that are feeling lonely these days. I’m not expecting “perfection” at all, but a game that’s fun to play and shows off how the peripheral is a lot better than waving your empty hands in front of your TV and pretending to swing a sword or cast spells. Sure, it probably won”t be a “game of the year” candidate, but as long as I’m entertained, I’m a happy camper…

You’re Not A Smart Ass When You Make Obvious Fun Of Sony’s New Vita Game’s Name…

Posted on by
1

 

Hmmmmm. I’m betting Sony knew that a LOT of people on the internet, specifically message board denizens with too much time on their hands would see their new Vita game Smart As as “Smart Ass”. OK, it was funny when I thought I was the ONLY one who misread it, but I soon realized that it doesn’t take a genius to think up an easy pun like that. So, either this social-focused Brain Age-inspired game is really great with a lame name or it’s not great at all and needs a catchy/silly title just to get people talking about it using the same lame joke until it gets old. Which was about thirty minutes ago. Well, at least the video is really informative and makes the social element look quite fun.  Check it out…

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two Isn’t The First “Musical Comedy” Game On A Console…

Posted on by
Reply

As much as I respect Warren Spector, I noticed he made a slight error in a recent interview when he noted that Junction Point’s upcoming Epic Mickey sequel would be the first musical comedy video game.  Wellll, I bet Nippon Ichi Software may have a tiny issue with that. Their insanely cute, insanely easy and on a few occasions, insanely hilarious PlayStation One strategy/RPG, Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure gets to wear that crown. I was working in an indie game shop when it hit the US back in 2000 and it was one of those titles that we couldn’t keep in stock because a wide range of customers found something to love about the game.

Parents with young kids liked the total lack of violent content, kids liked the songs and jokes and JRPG fans of a few ages found the game easy, but funny enough to dive into just to hear every one of the songs in the game. I did have to explain why there were a few too many panty jokes in the game to one concerned parental unit, but overall, I remember it as a lighthearted romp that was also one of the simplest JRPGs I’d ever played. A wee bit too easy, but then again, it WAS a kid’s game. Anyway, there were a couple of sequels released (in Japan only, of course) and the game got a nice reworking on the Nintendo DS that changed up the combat somewhat and can be found pretty cheap online if you know where to look.

Anyway, I’m not her to raise a “gotcha” game ruckus about this at all – just pointing out a fact or two in case you’re wondering about this sort of stuff. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how Mickey looks in HD and plays with the Move setup here, that’s for sure…

Sorcery Developer Diary Update: The Sound Of Music (And Sound, Too)…

Posted on by
Reply

It should be an interesting E3 this year for SCEA and Sorcery, now that the little game that most impressed me when the Move was first announced (even though it was a SUPER early demo version) is finally getting ready for its retail close up. Here’s a look at the music and sound design this time, both of which are coming along just fine, if this clip is any indication. My Move wand and Navigation controller are hopping from the anticipation, is all I’ll say…

Gravity Daze Japanese Commercials: The Vita’s Soon To Hit Must-Have Hit, No Matter Where You Are…

Posted on by
Reply

Every time I see one of these ads or more images in a magazine or website, I start wishing that the Vita had launched with this game and a few others not here just yet. Then, perhaps some of this angst and negativity I’m seeing on certain other sites just wouldn’t be there about the platform. For those who have short attention spans (about 90% on the Internet), we went through this SAME nonsense with the 3DS last year and look what happened with that handheld (huge sales and faster than expected, at that according to Nintendo). Well, E3 is next month, so hopefully SCEA has a big fat (and well-thought out) plan to squash the dopes spitting out silly opinions that have no basis in reality. Me, I like my reality altered all the time I’m gaming, but that’s about it.

Two more ads below the jump…

Continue reading →

Sorcery Developer Diary: Our Hero Gets Moving And Motivation – Silence The Skeptics!

Posted on by
Reply

For me, Sorcery represents an important game for the Move, even though it’s not packing the most original of plots. The selling point will be how well the game controls, particularly given the skeptics out there who still think motion control doesn’t equal good gameplay. I’d gather most if not all of those folks haven’t even given these types of games a try, as I can rattle off a bunch that work extremely well on the Wii and PS3 including some key hardcore games (Resident Evil 4 on the Wii being a stellar example of taking an older game a really showing how great the addition of motion controls actually make for an even better game experience). It’s clear to me that developer The Workshop is doing some good things with the Move. However, convincing those who keep their biases going through their lack of willingness to try something new will always be a bane to even the best of intentions…

Review: Dungeon Hunter: Alliance

Posted on by
Reply

Platform: PlayStation Vita

Developer: Gameloft

Publisher: Ubisoft

# of Players: 1 – 4

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: C+

With Dungeon Hunter: Alliance on the Vita, developer Gameloft had a rather interesting challenge in making a version of their popular (but “old” by other device standards) hack and slash RPG that could be seen as a solid (and full priced) showpiece the Sony’s new handheld. While they didn’t quite succeed in every area, the end result presents enough creature chopping challenge for those who like to go solo while also being a ton of fun in multiplayer. Visually, the game is solid, if not spectacular overall, the gameplay is what you’d expect with some interesting use of the Vita’s touch screens that range from handy to not really necessary. Unfortunately, despite the glossed-up visuals, the game misses the chance to do more with the basics, meaning if you’ve played this already on a device, computer or even the PS3, you’re not going to be too surprised at what’s here. Addicted? yes. Shocked at the stellar amount of originality on display? Nope.

Continue reading →

Gravity Rush Concept Video Has Me Wishing For Time Travel. Again.

Posted on by
Reply

While I love the new system dearly, my poor Vita is feeling a bit lonely these days thanks to a case of the post-launch window vacuum blues. It’s learned to play the harmonica quite well, too!. That said, every bit more of Gravity Rush I see, the more I hug that portable closer. Too bad it wasn’t a launch title, but hey – good games do take more time and are always well worth the wait. Anyway, let’s hope this one comes sooner than later and not at exactly the same time as a half dozen or so other Vita games I’m really looking forward to. I’m not one to Rush through a game I really like (er, obvious pun intended)…

God of War: Ascension Has At Least One Multiplayer Mode. It’s Worth A Look, I Say…

Posted on by
Reply

For me and many other gamers, adding multiplayer modes to a game that’s best known for its solo play and cinematic storytelling is the sign of the beast, a franchise running on fumes begging for cash from a crowd focused on massing up kill counts with no regard to narrative structure or hell, enjoyment of all the hard work it takes to make a story driven game flow from start to finish. Sony Santa Monica Studios obviously realizes this as well as a few other negatives and positives about MP and is forging ahead with an intriguing multiplayer mode in Kratos’ next adventure.

From what I’m reading elsewhere, you won’t have twenty Kratos’ running around the screen at all. One aspect of the mode will feature players representing warriors selected by the gods to do battle over territory, so at least my first fear has been quelled. As for the rest, well, I’ll need to see the game up close and personal to judge more fully what’s coming. All I’ll say is I’m looking forward to the single player story FIRST and foremost over any multplayer modes, no matter how good they are. Color me cautiously optimistic…

Datura: SCEA and Plastic Group Want You To Get Move-ing.

Posted on by
Reply

While I’m really loving what I see here and want the game to do fantastically well over PSN, I really wish that SCEA would get this game plus Plastic’s great Linger In Shadows along with some other PSN-only titles (even demo versions would be fine) onto a retail disc at a nice price so that the rather large amount of PS3 owners who still can’t (or don’t yet) use PSN can get to experience what they’re missing. As I keep saying, shutting out any gaming dollars by enforcing evolution before everyone can come along for the ride just makes you less profit if you expect everyone to be aboard at the same time. Hell, the Move needs more positive support, right? I’m keeping the flame going for Sorcery, which looks amazing from what I’ve seen, but I want Sony to acknowledge that as successful as PSN is, it (and any other download content service) isn’t doing much for those gamers who may want to try some of these titles but currently don’t have a decent online connection.