[Via Engadget]
Logic 3 opens preorders on keyboard peripheral for Wii
[Via Engadget]
Watch this Active Life trailer from your desk chair
Commercials that show people having fun while playing the Wii are a dime a dozen, so this Active Life: Outdoor Challenge trailer doesn't score any points with us in terms of creativity. We also think the narrator sounds as excited for the game as she would about an enema (fake enthusiasm is fake), but that's neither here nor there. Yet the game itself -- dare we say it -- looks pretty interesting.
Don't take "interesting" to mean "good," but we can't help but be intrigued by some of the activities and the use of the mat. Granted, the last thing we need is yet another peripheral in our households, which will probably be enough to keep us away from Active Life. If Nintendo doesn't have its Wii Fit stock act together by the fall, though, we wonder if people will turn to Active Life instead. Granted, this game won't have even half of the hype that surrounded Wii Fit, but the situation does present an opportunity for Namco Bandai. Who knows, families might even buy into the whole "working out together" angle.
On the other hand, there's yet another obstacle in the way of Active Life. It looks to us at least that if you're going to go with a game with a mat, DDR would probably offer a better workout. But what do you lovely readers think? Does Active Life: Outdoor Challenge have a place in the current gaming market?
More like Complicated 2000
D3 Publisher has its Simple Wii series, which consists of cheap, original Wii games designed on a low budget. The company also has its Simple 2000 Series Wii, which consists of cheap Wii games designed on a low budget. The difference, aside from the extra number? The new Simple 2000 Wii games are actually ports of old Simple 2000 series games for the PS2.The first two Simple 2000 Series Wii games have both been enhanced with new features: Simple 2000 Wii Vol. 1 THE Table Games, which includes Solitaire, Reversi, Go, Mahjong, and other games, now has online play; Vol. 2 THE Party Games, which includes Sasuke-like athletic challenges, plate spinning, and sports-based minigames, now has waggle.
Joystiq busts kickflips with Skate It
Be sure to head over to Joystiq and read the rest of their feet-on impression of Skate It.
Metareview: Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon
We don't want to play a bad game, though, so we're interested in seeing what the critics have to say before giving Square Enix our hard-earned $40. If you are, too, then look no further:
1up (B+) found many redeeming qualities about the game, as long as you're willing to embrace the roguelike challenges: "It's difficult, and it's often controller-throwingly infuriating, but the challenge is fundamentally fair -- and the game looks and sounds so good that you'll keep playing to see what comes next. The dungeons are surprisingly pretty for randomly generated affairs, boasting colorful corridors and flashy graphical effects. And the soundtrack is nothing short of amazing, a collection of lush rearrangements of Final Fantasy standbys."
IGN (84/100) thought that this title had a lot of polish, and that Squeenix fans should run to pick this one up: "On the surface, Chocobo's Dungeon appears to be another watered-down entry with its kid-friendly presentation and seemingly simplistic gameplay. But spend a little time with it and layers of depth slowly reveal themselves. This is one of the most engaging, challenging experiences on the Wii, proving that a kiddie presentation doesn't have to mean shallow gameplay."
Punch-Out!!, bongo style
While we're sure that nobody is going to trash Soda Pop while using the Donkey Konga bongo controller in Punch-Out!!, it's good enough to take down Glass Joe with ease. And, it's a neat way to enjoy one of the best 8-bit games around. Just, uh, skip like the first minute of the video. It's kind of painful to watch.
[Via Joystiq]
More Heroes -- for cell phones
Marvelous has announced three (three!) new No More Heroes games for Japan. Even though they aren't for Wii, or DS, or really any game system, they still look pretty great. The three mobile "No More Heroes Flash Games" include Travis, in which an adorably chibi Travis fights UAA assassins and thugs who approach him; Schpel Tiger, an isometric driving game using Travis's giant motorcycle, and Glastonberry, a shooting game starring a giant robot from the fake anime Travis enjoys.
Each of these games will be distributed over cell phone networks for 100 "points," which we assume is equivalent to 100 yen each. They look simple, but we'd certainly enjoy paying small amounts of money for them.
Capcom opens E3 booth to the public
This is all well and good, but we have one thing to say to any of you out there expecting to take advantage of this: if Mega Man 9 is playable, you better back off the machine. We're totally ready to spend a night in jail for beating up some chump that tried to play Mega Man 9 before us. We loves us our Mega Man, you know.
[Via Joystiq]
'Mothership' Tales game coming to Wii in 2009
The new game is to be the latest in their "Mothership" Tales series from Namco Tales Studio, rather than a port, remake, or side story. The good news, then, is that as a high-prestige title, it's more likely to be localized. We expect that Namco Bandai will continue to focus their promotion on Tales of Hearts and the other new games, so we'll have to wait a bit for specifics on this new Wii game. We've still got Tales of Symphonia 2 to look forward to anyway.
Mark Rein: Epic seriously doesn't want to make Wii games
People should probably stop asking them about it. Seriously. We think that's what Mark Rein wants.
But, people still keep doing it, the latest being an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. When asked about Wii development, Rein busted out his Fragalator 5000 and shot the possibility down into a heaping mess of blood and guts. "That's like asking a sculptor when he's going to start painting," he said. "That's just not our medium. That's not our area of expertise - our area of expertise is the more high-end consoles and things that push technology higher. That's what we do - there's a lot more water in that well for us, when that runs dry then maybe we'd have to think of doing something else but I don't think that well is going to run dry anytime soon."
Oh well, not like Unreal Tournament would be the same with Miis anyway ...
Brawl Stage of the Week: Freezer Room
Yet that's only one element of the stage that we enjoyed -- click past the break to see more!
All-Star Cheer Squad does Wii rhythm gaming 'better than Konami has'
Movements scroll by from right to left, and players are to maneuver the Wiimote and nunchuk into each position when the movement hits the middle of the screen. The game doesn't just judge successful motions, it also awards points for successfully "locking in" each pose (presumably holding still in the target position for a short time). If that's not enough, you can get the Balance Board out and add various step positions to the mix. Cheer Squad even includes a routine editor that can save custom routines to the Wiimote.
We've never had any interest in cheerleading, but as a premise for a rhythm-action video game, it sounds surprisingly fun.
Development in the UK is the most expensive in the world
Says industry veteran (and longtime D&D nerd) Ian Livingstone. He's speaking from the Eidos camp, and isn't happy about the UK government's approach to building a sustainable development industry.In an interiew with Develop, he stated that "The Government should address the issues of skills and costs for the UK to remain competitive." Basically, it's costing way too many quid to train the young'uns up in the ways of development, and the rising costs of tea and crumpets aren't helping none too much either.
While cheaper labor markets are blitzing the competition, the UK is slowing down and becoming more expensive. It's up to the developers themselves to manage their own projects and create strong IPs, but according to Livingstone, "The Government needs to invest in this valuable Creative Industries asset or suffer the consequences."
Publishers go to where the action is, picking up the best games at the best prices, and they are shying away from the UK in this regard. Canada is apparently leading the way for the bargain basement publisher deal, and "it is up to Government to make it attractive for them to operate in the UK." No financially viable investments for publishers + no new talent = industry in trouble. Make link go now for the full interview with Livingstone.
Wild West Guns: shoot guns at the Wild West
The 1,000 Wii Point WiiWare game will support four players in cooperative and competitive modes, and will include Zapper compatibility (remember the Zapper?). It also supports feelings of guilt over the adversarial depiction of Native Americans, and rationalizations about such treatment being a staple of the Western genre. That will be somewhat less salient when Wild West Guns comes out in Japan on July 22. Maybe that's why Gameloft revealed it to the Japanese press first.
Beer Pong with less beer, more tossing, extra controversy
Here's the thing: in this case, it really did work. Not only is Beer Pong now operating under a different title, but all the references to alcohol have been removed, too. Publisher JVGames already made the change (in response, we assume, to previous protests), which resulted in the assumed rating being dropped down to E. Now, a whole new argument has arisen, thanks to Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who feels that, despite the lack of beer anywhere in the game (it's juice in them there cups), an E rating will encourage underage drinking. Blumenthal wants an AO-rating, which just ain't happening -- liquor references in games rates teen, per the ESRB.
The ESRB is having none of it, though; they smartly responded with a racing game analogy: if you pulled the same stunts in real life as you do in a racing game, they'd certainly be illegal. However, as they noted, many racing games are rated E. So why give this one, with no overt alcohol use and no illegal behavior whatsoever, a restrictive rating?
From the screenshots, we can't help but think people should have not only left this one alone, but also be celebrating this game as a PSA. If drinking makes everything look like this, we're taking the first train to sobertown.
[Via Game|Life]
