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!!!”):
Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom and its sequel Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara have been two arcade games fans in the US have been begging Cacpom to localize for the US. For years, the only ways to play this were flying to Japan, buying an expensive Sega Saturn import or through not so legal emulation means, but now PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC owners will get to get down with some serious D&D arcade action in Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara. Iron Galaxy is handling the dev chores on the two D&D games, which will get the HD remaster treatment and more (read that link for details – I have to warm up my happy dance) with everything set to release digitally in June.
As for DuckTales? This NES classic platformer is getting the SUPER royal deluxe McDuck treatment, as its HD remake is being handled by none other than WayForward Technologies, one of the best 2D developers in the business (in my humble opinion). Expect to see this one on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U this summer. I’ll post galleries for both games later today or tomorrow, as I have a museum trip and dinner appointment calling me and I’m about to dance on over thataway, happily…
OK, quickly now, as I’m still buried under a few Wii and Vita games I need to review: Blades of Time for the PS3 and Thor: God of Thunder for the Nintendo DS, both picked up this week dirt cheap. The former is a sort of sequel/reboot/update to developer Gaijin Entertainment’s poorly received X-Blades, a perfect example of great (in fact, spectacular) visuals and gameplay that’s somewhat lacking in depth. Blades of Time looks better, has tighter gameplay, an awesome time winding feature for combat and puxzzles, some really cheap enemies and yet, scored low to average on nearly every site that reviewed it. Granted, lead character Ayumi talks WAY too much to herself for a good chunk of the game and for those expecting a simple hack ‘n slash, the game can be really tough about a third or so of the way in. Nevertheles, it’s worth a buy if you like fast-paced action games and ton of monsters to kill. Oh yeah, that compass you whip out to find your way around (and hidded treasures) is pretty sweet as well.
As for Thor on the DS? It totally SMOKES the PS3 and 360 versions thanks to developer WayForward Technologies being true gods of 2D programming. Parallax galore, a fun, fast combat system, upgradable gear and amazing use of the DS’ dual screen format (the best bosses are two screens tall!) makes this one an excellent buy for any fan of classic side-scrollers from the 8 and 16-bit era. It’s too bad neither game got the totalrespect they deserved… but I guess that’s one reason I’m still doing what I do here. Go check them out sometime!
Hmmm… it looks as if this 3DS and DS game based on yet another popular hipster kiddie cartoon I’ve yet to see other than when flipping through channels at random or something like that is DONE and all set for its November 20 launch. I may not have seen the show, but I really want to play this game, as it looks like a hell of a lot of fun. That and WayForward Technologies really knows how to make some awesome games. D3Publisher of America has at least two games I’m really pleased to see coming – this one and EDF 2017 Portable (which is pretty stellar stuff from the many hours I’m sinking into the import version). Anyway, Candy Kingdom? My teeth aren’t pleased by that location, but the brain, eyeballs and fingers are happy campers…
I was instantly intrigued by Silent Hill: Book of Memories when I first heard about coming exclusively to the Vita. The fact that veteran developer WayForward Technologies got the gig was cool enough, but as soon as I saw early screenshots showing the game was a top-down action RPG hybrid, it went on my radar as something to watch. Of course, me being so stupidly busy trying to get DAF more noticed and generate some income (hey, I like being a taxpayer!) meant I’d forgotten to check in on things until recently when a demo dropped on PSN. Not too surprisingly, the team has whipped up an extremely addictive action-heavy blast that’s sure to draw in those who crave tightly focused dungeon crawlers in all their knocking off of monsters and gathering of much loot glory.
While the BoM demo isn’t as initially creepy or instantly unsettling as previous games in the franchise, it has enough going for it that promises plenty. In terms of gameplay, it rocks in the manner of the Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, Champions of Norrath and Hunter the Reckoning series. Naturally, some Silent Hill fanatics are raging over this intensely all over the internet, but let me put some sanity into place here by saying the game not only looks and plays well, it works as a Silent Hill game once you get over the fact that it’s the most combat-focused entry in the series history. The game deviates from the SH formula in a few key ways, but it also taps into what makes the series compelling. If you’re familiar with the above mentioned titles and love this type of game, I’ll bet you’re grinning already…
Speaking of Silent Hill, I’d actually forgotten this new Vita game was coming out on October 16 oops), so now I’ll need to see how veteran developer WayForward Technologies did with this decidedly different take on the horror anthology franchise. My guess is given that Silent Hill is supposed to be made up of all types of stories, we’d see how things go when you end up with a bunch of people who aren’t all running from their fears or dealing with the usual personal issues made into freakish flesh. I trust WayForward enough to know they can make some mighty fine game experiences, so I’m not hating on them at all for changing things up here. Of course, if the game is “bad” I’ll pick on them where it counts with some constructive criticism. That’s how I roll, folks…
I need to do this on a more regular basis like some of my other fellow game bloggers (you know who you are, but I need to list you guys on my sidebar at some point today), so here you go, six new DS games added, all picked up quite cheap.
Aliens: Infestation is a pretty challenging side-scrolling shooter/adventure from WayForward Technologies (makers of some of the best “retro” style games out there) and Gearbox Software. Hop aboard an alien packed Sulaco as a squad of Marines as you search for survivors in this sort-of sequel/side-story to Aliens. With a limited number of squad members available (one they’re dead, they’re gone for good), some mean bosses that take a bit of work to put down and a decent amount of replay value, it’s not a bad game at all if you’re a fan of this sort of game.
WayForward and Gearbox’ upcoming DS exclusive is probably going to be the best thing to happen to the DS in terms of licensed movie titles and definitely the best portable Aliens game I can think of. Of course, it IS coming from one of the best developers of 2D games working today, so it’s pretty much a given that it’s going to be a solid game. October 11 is rushing up really fast, so put this one on your to-do lists. Thank you, Sega!
What’s looking like one of the last great Nintendo DS games is winging your way courtesy Sega, WayForward Technologies and Gearbox Software. No flashy gimmick here, folks – just good, solid old-school gameplay, amazing 2D visuals and plenty of action. This one is definitely in the running for portable game of the year in my book. I really hope a PSP version is in the works, as this game is too good to be relegated to a single platform…
Just when you thought the Nintendo DS was going to roll over and die an unceremoniously dull and quiet death thanks to Nintendo pushing the 3DS hard as the next big thing, there's a ray of light that pokes through (well, BLASTS through) and shows everything is just peachy (for the moment). Sega has announced that Aliens: Infestation is headed to the portable this September. WayForward Technologies with a little help from Aliens: Colonial Marines developer Gearbox Software are taking the hugely popular film franchise on what's looking to be a wild retro ride that could be the best portable Aliens game to date.
Given that there haven't been too many good Alien or Aliens games on a handheld, that's really not saying much to some of you out there. On the other hand, if you know WayForward's stunning 2D work on the Game Boy Advance and DS (Their Contra reboot was phenomenal) as well as the upcoming BloodRayne: Betrayal, you know you're in for a superior firepower-packed instant classic. Hell if the DS IS going to go out soon, it's absolutely going to go out with a nuclear bang. I can't wait to see how this one's turned out.
Official game Info below the jump – I'm off to warm up my DS from its too long hypersleep…Read more »
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