Review – Wipeout 3 (Wii U)

 Posted by  1 Response »
Dec 042012
 

Let’s start this out with a bit of honesty, coming into Wipeout 3 for the Wii U, my expectations were rather low. Low to the point where I had a good feeling this game would be trash before even sliding it into my Wii U. The third sequel in the great Wipeout franchise did not disappoint when it came to matching my expectations. It turns out that coming into Wipeout 3 thinking it’s going to be a straight up turd is actually being a bit too generous.

The basis around this Wipeout experience is almost a carbon copy of the show, you’re a person and you run through seemingly painful obstacles all while wishing you were watching MXC. That’s of course about what you’d expect from a Wipeout game but what you wouldn’t (or maybe you would) expect is the fact that there are only 10 levels to run through. These 10 levels take about an hour and half at max to complete and once you finish them, you’re pretty much out of content to dig through. Sure, you could run through the levels again but why would you? You’ve already seen everything there is to see in that poorly designed section of the game, why see it again? Your fallback option is to find someone else to play it with in multiplayer but you’re a lucky soul if you can find someone willing to dive into this disaster for more than 30 minutes. Further adding to the boredom, you can’t lose the “competition” going on while you’re running through the course. Seriously, I laid the controller down for 15 minutes and still won.

 

It doesn’t help that the controls will occasionally just break and force you to fall off the platform you’re on. I never ran into that issue with the Gamepad as handling your character was only loose and unstable as opposed to just plain broken with the Wii Remote. There were multiple times when my character would just halt in place and start to moonwalk backwards until she fell into the water below. On top of that, the timing just seemed a tad off on the jumps, like there was a delay between hitting the button and actually having your character perform the action you desire. At some point it just went beyond frustrating and turned into one big hilarious experience, to the point where I imagined that was supposed to happen, it makes it seem better.

The most obvious slight against Wipeout is its PlayStation 2 level visuals. Honestly, I’ve seen multiple PlayStation 2 games that look much better than Wipeout, mainly due to the absolutely awful textures placed upon every inch of the environment. The art style is understandably cartoony and not completely ugly when standing still but once the gears start moving, the visuals fade into a horrific abyss. But don’t even think about them improving once you go into the local multiplayer. In the multiplayer I experienced consistent frame rate drops that I didn’t think could exist and actually be shipped out in a product.

That isn’t the only fault with the multiplayer as it’s clear that many of the levels simply were not designed with multiplayer in mind. For example, you and your partner are running through a course, they hit a moving platform that slowly slides forward, you don’t make it in time so you now have to wait for the snail of a platform to shimmy its way back to you and by the time it does, your opposing player is almost a minute or more ahead of you. It’s just poor design at every turn and it doesn’t help that the main option in multiplayer is to just run through the same levels that you ran through in single player. There is a separate mode that can at least bring forth a bit of griefing fun, Trap Mode being its name. In it the gamepad holder controls the activation of the traps such as big cushion that can smash your partner, who’s running through the course using the Wii Remote, right off the linear passageway.

If there’s a few things I can squeeze out that are positive about this game, that would be the fact that the game is fully playable using only the Gamepad, which is something that I could see coming in handy with better titles in the future. Also, there’s quite a bit of dialogue in the game that is recorded by the faces of Wipeout, John Anderson and John Henson. The only problem with that is the fact that the dialogue is about as funny as their banter on the actual show. I was occasionally forced to turn the volume off because I just couldn’t stand another painfully unfunny joke about whatever they keep chatting about.

Nicely put, Wipeout 3 is one of the worst launch games I’ve ever put hands on and with a bit of luck, will be the worst Wii U game to be placed onto the market. It’s clear the development process behind Wipeout was not an easy nor progressive one. I’ll admit I was never offended by Wipeout 3, that’s the last compliment I can manage to purge forward about the short, unsatisfying experience that is this overpriced $50 experience. If you want to play a game of Wipeout, you should purchase the iPhone version at the price of 2 bucks. It’s cheaper and infinitely better than this sad little piece of work.

WII U

Graphics

25
  

Audio

30
  

Gameplay

20

Creativity

25
  

Execution

20
  

Offset

25
    

2.4
  

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Wii U: The Gaming Irresponsibly Review

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Nov 282012
 

Okay, it’s been over a week and we have been putting in some significant quality time with our Wii U game consoles. With that being said, I’d like to address a few things and also detail the pros and cons of this new system.

Common Misconceptions

Holy hell! This is the actual console!

First off, the curse of E3 2011 is still leaning heavily on this system. It seems that a ton of people I have met don’t understand that the Wii U is a brand new console, not a new controller. It’s not a new fancy portable system either, the GamePad has roughly the same range as an Xbox 360 controller. The system doesn’t play bluray discs, dvds, Gamecube games or anything other than the Wii U and Wii discs. I feel that I have to clarify this as 4 out of 5 times I describe the Wii U to someone in person, their initial response is “Oh, isn’t that the new Wii controller?”.

What is different?

After downloading the SIZABLE update (about 2.5 hours) that I had to complete before playing any games on the system, I was greeted by Nintendo’s brand new social community. While not exactly Xbox Live but way more than the Playstation Network, it’s easiest to describe the Nintendo Network as a massive visual forum that automatically creates a new community for every single title and app available for the console. Users can discuss games, get advice, post pictures or just chat with each other. I expect that this will evolve and grow as time passes, since every other online service has made significant growth since their inceptions. While this is an improvement to the horrible system used by the Wii, it still has a little bit of a learning curve to get the most out of it. I don’t love the Nintendo Network, yet I certainly do not hate it.

Once I actually jumped into a game (holy crap, MORE UPDATES?!), I got to catch my first glimpse of HD gaming, Nintendo style. This was awesomely beautiful and while up to current par with both Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, there was something worthg pointing out. On launch day, this system is up to par with the best offerings of the current generation, that means we can only expect progress from here! I experienced the entire launch day catalog and with the exception of a pair of games, was actually solidly impressed with what I saw. If you want a solid feel for some nice HD graphics, play Rayman Legends and Trine 2. If you want to get creative with the GamePad, play ZombiU or NintendoLand. Either way, there is a little something for everyone on launch day and an impressive library of AAA games to boot.

One thing to point out is that the Wii U GamePad doesn’t have a significant battery life, only lasting about 3.5 hours. This can be frustrating in certain games that can lead to extended periods of play. The charging cable is quite long, which helps alleviate some of this inconvenience but with as much movement that the GamePad requires, my patience wore thin pretty quick.

On the topic of the GamePad, it is a higly innovative controller, some of it’s uses are really unique and creative but a few others are quite lackluster. Understandably, I feel that most of the launch day titles really wanted to create a focus and awareness on the GamePad itself, rather than the ability and power of the new console. My concern with this is that a reliance on the GamePad’s touch screen seems to cheapen the overall experience. I am willing to give the mindset an early honeymoon-period pass, as devs likely wanted to play to the console’s strengths. I am pretty sure that most people will enjoy the ability to watch movies and play games from the GamePad, yet I find it a grand waste when I spend a majority of my time looking down at an 854×480 display, rather than my large HDTV that showcases the beauty of the new system.

Software

I’ve touched quite a bit on the launch day software, I don’t want to hold the system responsible either way for the quality or lack there of so we will be covering the Wii U titles on their own merit. With that being said, the launch titles feature something for everyone and NintendoLand, ZombiU, Scribblenauts Unlimited and Sonic & All‑stars Racing Transformed are all great starter games for the system. If you haven’t been able to get your hands on them previously; Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition, Mass Effect 3, Assassin’s Creed 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 are all worth getting checking out but get yourself a GamePad Pro asap, trust me!

After Spending A Week With the Wii U

Wii U Graphics…

Are we all caught up? Hopefully! After a week of playing with the console for a week, here are my thoughts:

  • I welcome the change of pace that the Nintendo Network offers. However, I don’t feel like it really brings much to the table for a core gamer.
  • One of the weakest Wii U titles is absolutely New Super Mario Brothers U. If you are considering a Wii U, you may want to reconsider making this a day 1 pickup.
  • The Wii U absolutely has what it takes to appeal to the core gamer. Games look great, play great and don’t require stupid amounts of work to play online with friends.
  • The Wii U GamePad… It’s a cool gimmick; it works well with a majority of games, I’d like to see it used less as a crutch and more as a way to enhance gameplay. As of right now, it’s the same gimmick that the Nunchuck and Wii-mote were.
  • The limited battery on the Wii U GamePad is a bummer, it gives me an opportunity to do other things after a few hours of playing. That isn’t actually a good thing.
  • The Wii U has one of the largest launch day line-ups available. Oddly, it’s the 3rd party games that shine. NintendoLand is absolutely the exception to this.
  • I really liked using my Wii U for Netflix and Hulu. The ability to watch a show on my GamePad while my family watches something on the Xbox 360 was pretty cool. In fact, the ability to control my TV with the GamePad is pretty awesome, but not a selling point.
  • By no means does the Wii U reinvent the wheel, it doesn’t even revolutionize it. My biggest concern is that the Wii U catches a case of the 3DS and takes about a year to get going. We need a flagship title (Smash Bros, Metroid, Castlevania, Zelda etc) as soon as possible. Luigi’s Mansion 2 could be that game, as could Lego City Undercover or Pikmin 3…
  • The gaming experience is equal to Xbox 360 or Playstation 3. Since those systems are pushing their limits right now, it’s going to be exciting to see what the Wii U does from here.
  • I hate the fact that the sensor bar is still an integral part of playing with a group of people. There was no other way around this?
  • UPDATES, UPDATES, UPDATES!!! It takes about 5-45 minutes for the Wii U to download updates for every single game the first time I played it!

So, here is the tl;dr – I think the Wii U is a good system at launch, but not great. It doesn’t do anything “better” than the its major competition, although it really doesn’t have to at this point.

 

 

 

Nintendo Reveals Wii MIni, Loves Canada

 Posted by  1 Response »
Nov 272012
 

After being everywhere the past few weeks due to the Wii U launch, Nintendo has decided that isn’t all it has to show for this holiday by unveiling a new Wii Mini. The Wii Mini is tallied at $99.99 by Nintendo will feature everything you need in a Wii, including:

  • Wii Mini Console
  • Wii Remote Plus Controller
  • Nunchuk Controller
  • Sensor Bar
  • Power Adaptor
  • Standard Composite Cables

Oddly enough, this deal is currently only available in Canada though it’s a rather safe bet to say it’ll expand into at least the States. It’s a tad surprising to see another SKU of the Wii appear but when you think about, I’m sure Nintendo will make a killing this Christmas off of people who don’t have the money to shell out for the rather pricey $300.00 Wii U

What say you, folks? Seems like a great gift for a niece or nephew.

Review – ZombiU (Wii U)

 Posted by  1 Response »
Nov 212012
 

Now don’t freak out when I say this but Zombies are a tad played out. I know, I know, I hate to be the one to break the bad news but someone had to do it. Because of this, it was a tad surprising that one of Nintendo’s headlining launch titles for the Wii U was a game based solely around a zombie outbreak. With the rather dull premise established, it becomes apparent that for ZombiU to be a solid title, the gamepad controls have to mesh perfectly with the gameplay. Do they do that? Yes. Does ZombiU suffer from some standard launch title woes? Most definitely.

The biggest question most have coming into any Wii U title is what exactly does the gamepad screen do? In ZombiU it very prominently features the current map (which you discover more of by hacking into cameras) and certain items you have hot keyed onto your touchscreen. You can also swipe down on the top of the screen to access your backpack. One of the best things about ZombiU, apart from the unrivaled atmosphere it sets up, is the way the gamepad controls only build upon what’s happening on screen, making things more and more intense but also more interactive.

Something else the gamepad does is allow you to scan the environment by holding L and controlling where your scanner is looking by either moving the pad or using your standard analog sticks. With scanning, you can identify all items around you, which is critical in dark enclosed areas as you have to know where a zombie is because if you don’t, he’ll be gnawing at your neck in a heartbeat. The unrivaled atmosphere that I mentioned is mostly due to the excellent design behind the gamepad controls. Ubisoft somehow made an annoying inventory management idea into a game changing feature.

Also adding to that atmosphere are some unsettling sound design cues and fantastic HD visuals. Sure, it’s nothing you couldn’t see on an Xbox 360 but that doesn’t diminish the impressive detail Ubisoft has put into the environments found within ZombiU. The art on all the enemies, though not varied, is brutally detailed down to every drop of blood on their faces. That also rings true in talking about the level design, it’s beautiful, but I’ve found more than a few repeated rooms that connect certain areas to other parts of the map. Even with those smaller issues, ZombiU still managed to establish a rich and horrifying world that you legitimately feel like a piece of.

The actual combat within ZombiU is an interesting thing to experience. A lot of the time it’s a tedious combat sequence involving you clubbing a zombie over the head with the same cricket bat around six times before he goes down. But in bigger situations, your plans have to become more elaborate and that is when things get exciting. Like other zombie related games, you have flares which will attract zombies to wherever you throw it. When you combine that with a mine, frag, or Molotov, things can get really explosive (boom) quickly.

Maybe it’s due to the played out fashion of zombies, maybe it’s because they didn’t have enough time, but the story in ZombiU is never really a thing you should pay attention to. Sure, it appears every once in a while but it only exists to open up some newer sections of the world. That being said, one very unique thing Ubisoft did with the story is never establishing a main character. This means that your current character you’re playing with is mostly irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. In all honesty, he/she will probably be dead within an hour. Then once he/she does die, you’ll wake back up in the starting zone as a whole new person. You then have to perform a corpse run and kill your zombie self to pick up all your items you worked so hard to find. Keeping items is critical as certain items only appear once throughout the game so if you lose them, they’re gone forever.

Similar to other launch titles, ZombiU features more than a few bugs that could have been worked out with more development time. Myself, I’ve ran into only three but the three I’ve hit have been pretty major. First off, it’s not so much a bug as it is poor design, but I died multiple times due to the fact that the game doesn’t load the whole map once your character enters the environment. I would occasionally attempt to sprint away from a pack of zombies and once I would be in a tight corner, I’d attempt to open a door to get away before they kill me. I was then greeted with a “loading” prompt at the bottom right of my screen that remained there for around 30 seconds before the door finally opened. I then perished and yelled a curse word at my TV.

Secondly, I’m not sure if this is a Wii U or ZombiU bug but I had one loading screen fully lock up on me. This isn’t a drastic issue as it happens to most games at some point but the kicker was that I couldn’t turn the Wii U off with the buttons on the front of the console. I could turn the gamepad’s screen off but after pressing the power button on the Wii U multiple times (and holding it down for 30+ seconds), it became apparent I had no other choice but to unplug the console from the back. Of course, I then lost around an hour of gameplay and full backpack of supplies as I was in the middle of a corpse run when it locked up.

Finally, and probably the worst one, I had the game’s single player completely stop progressing multiple times due to random bugs. The first time it was early on in the game where a mission marker never appeared for the next mission. With no marker I had no idea where to go and the mission objective never updated. The only way to fix the issue was by deleting my save and starting a whole new game. Thankfully, that was just at the beginning of the game. But the next progress killer came at literally the very end of the game. To finish one of my missions I had to blow a hole in the wall using C4 that I acquired an hour earlier and had used multiple times. But in ZombiU’s eyes, I never acquired that C4 and couldn’t blow up the wall.  Also, the C4 isn’t an item I can run out of, which also means it’s an item that appears once in the game and never again. So there was literally no possible way to advance in the game, simply because it wouldn’t recognize that I had C4.

Despite its mostly unique game design in the single player, multiplayer may be the most interesting part of ZombiU. The idea is to put the gamepad holder in the position of “Zombie King,” where you can spawn different classes of zombies on a map to simultaneously mess with the humans but also capture flags to ultimately win the game. The humans are occupied by other players who are either using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck or the nice little Pro Controller. The humans obviously attempt to capture the flags as well but also must contend with the hordes of zombies that the Zombie King is throwing at them. The most disappointing aspect is the fact that this mode is local multiplayer only, which neuters the experience in the grand scheme of things. Ultimately, the multiplayer still provides a ton of new, interesting fun.

ZombiU has its fair share of issues, that isn’t debatable. But something else that isn’t debatable is the tension and legit horror that the game manages to bring forth due to great sound design and almost flawless integration of the gamepad. ZombiU covers the full range of emotions from pure horror all the way to heartbreaking disappointment due to some truly unfortunate bugs. It’s a fine launch title but I can’t stop to think about how much better it would have been with a few more months of development time under its belt.

WII U

Graphics

85
  

Audio

90
  

Gameplay

75

Creativity

80
  

Execution

70
  

Offset

80
    

8
  

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Top 10 Tuesday: Best Nintendo Wii Games

 Posted by  1 Response »
Nov 202012
 

The Wii U is here, and what better time to look back at the best games the Wii had to offer. The Wii wound up being one of the most successful consoles of all time from a pure sales perspective, but most hardcore gamers agree it didn’t have as much to offer from a software perspective as some of the other most successful consoles like the PS2 or DS. While it didn’t have as many excellent games as it’s HD competitors, most of the Wii’s library were exclusive games, and the best the Wii had to offer was just as good as what you’d find on the PS3 or 360. So, here are what consider the ten best games for the Wii. Just one note, The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess was included on my “Best Gamecube Games” list, and since that is the better version, it won’t be on this list.

10. Sonic Colors (Sonic Team/Sega, 2010)

Judged from a purely objective perspective, Sonic Colors is not one of the ten best games on the Wii. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a good game, and one of the best Sonic games of the past 15 years, but it did have some issues, especially compared to the much improved Sonic Generations (which wasn’t released on the Wii). But, this is my list after all, and I quite enjoyed Sonic Colors. Sonic Unleashed laid the groundwork for this game, but Colors really refined the style and removed the awful Werehog stages. The main thing holding it back was the somewhat odd jumping controls, but other than that Sonic Colors was a big step forward for 3D Sonic games, setting things up for the excellent Sonic Generations a year later.

9. Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Good Feel/Nintendo, 2010)

While many were disappointed with its deviation from the typical Kirby style, Epic Yarn was simply a delightful game. The game wasn’t difficult or mechanically deep, but it’s total commitment to the visual style shines through in every aspect of the game. This game managed to be one of the best looking games of recent memory, even on the technically modest Wii. Epic Yarn isn’t about weaving some though provoking narrative or breaking the player’s will with extreme challenge; it’s a simply an amazing cute platformer with solid gameplay that takes place in a charming world with an unbelievable well realized aesthetic.

8. Wii Sports (Nintendo, 2006)

For much of the new audience the Wii introduced to gaming, Wii Sports was the Wii. While the main reason for this is the fact that grandparents and stay at home moms typically aren’t interested in things like Zelda or Metroid, it is also testament to how good Wii Sports turned out. As a means of showing what the makes the new console you just bough unique, Wii Sports was a complete success. It’s fun yet familiar mini games were perfect at introducing the concept of motion controls to both the new casual audience and more experience gamers picking up the new Nintendo console.

7. Donkey Kong Country Returns (Retro Studios/Nintendo, 2010)

After completing the Metroid Prime trilogy, Retro moved on to another long dormant Nintendo franchise, Donkey Kong. Ever since Rare was purchased by Microsoft there hadn’t been a proper Donkey Kong game, but Retro brought the series back to its 2D roots with Donkey Kong Country Returns. The game played just like the old SNES games, with fair but difficult challenge and clever level design. I look forward to seeing what Nintendo franchise Retro revives next, my hope is for Star Fox.

6. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Retro Studios/Nintendo, 2007)

I always find it both funny and disappointing whenever I hear someone say they didn’t like, or worse, didn’t even try any of the Meroid Prime games because “they turned Metroid into a first person shooter”. The Metroid Prime games are as close to being shooters as Skyrim or Oblivion. These games capture the essence and core design sensibilities of the classic Metroid, they just happen to take place from a first person perspective, and in that respect they are for more faithful to the originals than Other M. Now, Metroid Prime 3 is not the best the game in the series, but it is still an excellent experience from start to finish.

Ubisoft Reveals Gamescom Lineup, Lookin’ Good

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Jul 252012
 

While it feels like only days since E3 ended, it’s a fact that Gamescom, the gaming expo held every year in glorious Cologne, Germany, is fast approaching! By fast approaching I mean about three weeks away as the show will be held from August 13-August 15th and while it isn’t as large as E3, there’s always some spicy business that pops out from that show.

Unsurprisingly, Ubisoft will be attending, along with a huge line of other major publishers, and today Ubisoft revealed their extensive lineup that will be showcased at their booth. They are below:

Assassins Creed 3
Assassins Creed: Liberation
Far Cry 3
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Online
Shootmania: Storm
Rabbids Land
Rayman Legends
Sports Connection
Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013
ZombiU

They will also show extended demos of Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Just Dance 4, The Hip-Hop Dance Experience (Probably great), and The Settlers Online.

I, for one, cannot wait to see more Assassins Creed. While I’m already sold on the game, I just get mushy anytime I see Connor leap off of something and stab someone in the back. Some people call that a problem, I call that advancement in society.

It’ll also be good to see some more Shootmania: Storm and Far Cry, both of which many people are not yet sold on. The most important of their show may be ZombiU, however. Many people need a good Wii U game to hang their hopes on (that isn’t a Mario game) and everyone wants this to be it. But up until this point, there has been nothing shown of ZombiU that could indicate future success, and this being one of the last gaming expos until its release, unless you count TGS, something needs to happen to put this game on everyone’s radar.

That or they’ll just show what they did at E3. Probably this.

Either way, Gamescom should be a fun show this year. Expect many a news story when the show rolls around.

E3 2012: ZombiU Trailered (Nintendo Showcase)

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Jun 052012
 

While Ubisoft gave it a quick mention yesterday, Nintendo appear to have nailed core gaming on the Wii U by presenting, what looks to be, the greatest, most intuitive use of a controller ever for any zombie game. Seriously, everyone can stop with zombie games now because nothing will equate to how incredible this game looks. With the amount of stuff the Wii U controller is capable of, calling it a one piece survival tool is no lie.

Take for example sniping skills, controlled through the regular pads, it is the screen in the controller that is you scope and allows for deadly precision. Following sniper skills, we see that giving the pad a really good shake is what gets an attacking undead from off you. It isn’t the way you shake him off, it’s the way the image shakes, it looks as if you are genuinely struggling to push him away, depth we haven’t had before from button presses.

Finally, is the way the second screen creates a sense of fear while trying to hack through a door. The touch screen becomes the keypad, while the TV allows you to see over the shoulder as a hoard ambles slowly towards you, bashing the keypad to get the right code becomes a stressful experience. In short, this is the game to end all games and with the mention of one bite and you’re dead, ZombiU looks set to be absolutely fantastic.

E3 2012: Lego City Undercover Announced By Nintendo

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Jun 052012
 

It’s time to get ready for a whole new, open world lego experience with the new Lego City Undercover which will be avaliable for both of Nintendo’s flagship console. Lego games have always offered an incredibly fun experience right across the board and Undercover looks set to be the same. Taking on the role of one of the cities best law enforcer’s, this truly looks like a less serious L.A.Noire but it looks done right.

By branching into the open world environment we get to see some incredible new moves which include free running and being able to tackle your foe to the ground which will give out a hefty payout. One other interesting feature of the game is the ability to go undercover, allowing you infiltrate areas and with some costumes giving you new abilities to boot.

Over all, the blocky game looks better than ever in HD and with the plastic people looking more fluid than ever before, this is certain to be a day one purchase for anyone that enjoy’s the Lego Franchise.

E3 2012: Wii Fit U Shown Off (Nintendo Showcase)

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Jun 052012
 

One of the Wii’s flagship periphals was the delightfully dull WiiFit Board. While the gimmick wore off for most the games have kept on coming and it’s time for us to accept that motion and fitness gaming is here to stay. Wii Fit U seems to do something that it’s predacessor has failed to do which is be fun at the same time as being a workout. Rather than focusing on how fat I am, the latest tile looks more focused with actually being fun. Most of the excercises seem to be more mini game based.

The advantage of the new controller is that the touchscreen allows for you to track the mini game in progress, select which work out or game you want to try and track the all important stats. With the reinvention of the system, the new WiiFit will certainly be a unit shifter and may even have a bit more staying power than the earlier model.

E3 2012: Batman: Arkham City Armoured Edition Gameplay For Wii U

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Jun 052012
 

One of last years biggest and best games looks to be getting bigger and better than ever thanks to the Wii U controller. Thou touch screen controller gives some awesome updates to the way that we can play the game, allowing us to swipe and scroll through menus right in the palms of our hands. The built in accelerometer and gyroscope also allow for increased levels of control, especially when using weapons such as the batarang which can be controlled and tracked using the new controller.

New controls system are the kind of enhancements that the Wii U needs to bring to more games, it is the only way that older third party games can be maximised, by taking an old experience and giving it a complete overhaul when it comes to controls is where the success will lie for the console.

This will more than likely be the biggest selling, third party title on the console, competing for that top spot with Assassin’s Creed III, but in the long run, the new and intuitive controls really will ad to the experience so much more than ever before. I can’t be sure, but I think Nintendo just sold me a Wii U.

E3 2012: Mario Bros. Wii U Gameplay (Nintendo Showcase)

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Jun 052012
 

It wouldn’t be a Nintendo launch event without a brand new Mario to delve into and the Wii U outing for our favourite plumber and his friends looks incredibly impressive. The graphical updates are good and bring Mario into an HD world. It’s the 2D scroller that we have all come to love over the years, full of all the characters you would expect to see.

Eggs seem to be far more frequent than before, dishing out Yoshi variants like they’re going out of fashion, and it looks easy enough to pick up 1up’s. The biggest thing going on in the demonstration was the ability for four player coop, making Mario a super social experience like never before.While it is looking like it will be a fun and exciting game, Nintendo aren’t going to be able to survive on fun if they want to move into the realm of the more powerful consoles and do battle with the more “core” gamers.

E3 2012: Pikmin 3 Gameplay For Wii U (Nintendo Showcase)

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Jun 052012
 

Nintendo have opened their E3 presentation with the new and cutesy Pikmin 3. Thanks to the better resolution of the Wii U it is instantly noticeable that the camera angles work a lot better, allowing for a great position where you can see the Pikmin and the world around them. Everything looks fantastic, it’s bright, organic and fluid, with some new and interesting gameplay elements.

Controller wise, it is possible to play using the regular Wii controller with Nunchuck but is also totally playable through the Wii U controller. While there will be some learning curve, it is the games simplicity that will win over the majority, the ability to pick up and play is what has made Nintendo so great to have at home in your living room after all these years

Whilst taking your Pikmin around the map, there will be a whole host of challenges whether this be destroying obstacles, made much easier with the new Rock Pikmin, or collecting fruit. The game just looks fun Pikmin 3 is obviously the kind of game that you could easily lose a day playing just because of how much fun it is.

 

Gaming Irresponsibly will be bringing you updates as they are made available for the duration of E3. Stay tuned for more news and happenings from the industry’s largest convention here at GamingIrresponsibly.com! You can also follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter. 

 

E3 2012: Ubisoft Shows Of Some Wii U Titles (Ubisoft Showcase)

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Jun 042012
 

Since it’s announcement everyone has been talking about the Wii U and before the console itself has a solid release date, Ubisoft has already thrown themselves head and shoulders into the new console race with a slew of titles set for the new console when it finally arrives in time for the Holiday season this year.

Rayman Legends

Ubisoft took the oppurtunity to showcase how the Wii U can be used to do some great things by showing off the sequel to the hugely successful Rayman Origins using the console live on stage. Having several ways of controlling different characters, especially with the accuracy that a touch screen gives, has really made a difference to what developers can do with their games.

Rayman also showed that Nintendo are catching up on the multiplayer side of things with the game confirmed to offer up to five player coop in a single game. Not too shabby for such an old series and a console that many thought might still lack.

The Avengers: Battle For Earth

All we have to go one for this is a relatively short trailer but if this gets done right then we could be in for one of the few superhero/movie games that has been made and doesn’t suck. The trailer showcases not only popular heroes from the movies but spans across the whole league of super heroes and villans we have come to know and love. As well as introducing Spidey and Venom to the mix, we also got to see some of X-men tearing it up across the city.

With Nintendo seming to play catch up pretyy well when it comes to the Wii U, if this game gives us multiple story lines in an open world and nails the multiplayer to the letter, then this could not only be a good superhero game, but i could be the best super hero game ever made.

ZombiU

Ever since the Dead Island trailer, we all knew that zombie games had got something to show when it comes to original trailers and the first game announced as a Wii U exclusive definately isn’t better, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. Once again, absolutely no major details have been announced, but from watching the trailer it looks as though his could be an interesting entry to the genre and it’s going to be set in rainy ol’ London Town.

Along with these three titles, there was also this interesting shot of more games we can expect from Ubisoft for Nintendo’s latest console, hopefully we will see some more over the next few days when Nintendo give there presentation and show off the Wii U in a bit more depth.

E3 2012: Ubisoft Introduces The Wii U With Rayman Legends (Ubisoft Showcase)

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Jun 042012
 

Ubisoft have got in early with the latest console and have taken the oppurtunity to use the Wii U to show off the rather impressive Rayman Legends. Following the success of Rayman Origins last year, a sequel was definately on the cards and now we have it. Using multiple controlls with the new style of controller shows of that the system does seem to be both intuitive and responsive and Rayman is prettyy cool too.

The game features multiple characters some of which are controlled using basic controls such as the thumbsticks and the game is playable with older remotes. Some features though are totally dependant on the touch screen. This gives Rayman players the option to play as a variety of characters and the whole game offers a total of up to five players with other players being able to join a game on the fly.

Rather than forcing the coop, each character can make it through the worlds alone but it looks like a lot more fun and a lot easier if you can play with a couple of friends allowing you to make a social experience out of a classic favourite from many peoples childhood.

Gaming Irresponsibly will be bringing you updates as they are made available for the duration of E3. Stay tuned for more news and happenings from the industry’s largest convention here at GamingIrresponsibly.com! You can also follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter. 


Top 10 Tuesday: Anticipated Announcements of E3 2012

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May 292012
 

E3 2012 is less than a week away, and like my most fans of gaming, I can’t wait to see the latest on the biggest games of the year. While it will be great to see new gameplay from things like Assassin’s Creed III and Halo 4, what I really look forward to is the stuff we don’t know about yet. The following ten things are announcements or details that would make this year’s E3 outstanding in my eyes. Now, some of the things I have on this list have already been debunked or confirmed not to be present at the show, but these are things I would like to see at E3, not necessarily predictions of what will actually be there; and hey, you never know.

10. Skyrim DLC Details

Outside of the title, “Dawnguard”, we know absolutely nothing about the upcoming downloadable content for Skyrim. Skyrim was my personal game of the year for 2011, so needless to say I’m looking for any excuse to jump back in and add to my 100+ hour total. With Bethesda’s track record of outstanding post release DLC like Shivering Ilses for Oblivion, and Broken Steel and Point Lookout for Fallout 3, I have really high hopes for Dawnguard, whatever it turns out to be.

9. GTA V Release Date and Details

GTA V may have been officially announced, but we know almost nothing about it, and Rockstar has been completely silent in the months since the first (and only) trailer. Rockstar typically doesn’t do much of anything at E3, but it would be nice to get a firm release date and perhaps some actual details about the game besides the city it takes place in.

8. The Last of Us Release Date and Details

Naughty Dog has been a little more forthcoming with informing about The Last of Us than Rockstar has with GTA V, but what I really want is a release date, preferably this year. While I enjoyed the Uncharted games, there were some aspects of them that I had major problems with, so I was initially skeptical of The Last of Us. However, the more I see and hear about it, the more I really want to play it. If The Last of Us can deliver the same type of amazing writing and cinematic quality as the Uncharted games and improve or change the gameplay (mainly the combat), this could be a truly outstanding game, and I eagerly await every new detail.

7. Retro Studios’ Next Game

Retro studios is without a doubt Nintendo’s best external developer, and they have yet to make a bad game. Given that I have thoroughly enjoyed everything they’ve done thus far, I can’t wait to see what they’ve got coming next. It’s been a couple of years since their last game (Donkey Kong Country Returns), so the timing adds up for them to unveil their next project. Personally, I am hoping they’re working on a Star Fox game, but a return to either Metroid or Donkey Kong would be welcome as well. While I think it would be cool to see them do something completely new, I am betting they bring a classic Nintendo franchise to the Wii U.

6. Respawn Entertainment’s First Game

For those who are unaware, Respawn Entertainment is the development studio founded by Infinity Ward co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella after they were fired by Activision following the release of Modern Warfare 2. The studio is comprised of several dozen former Infinity Ward employees that left following the firings, and they are rumored to working on a science fiction first person shooter to compete with the likes of Call of Duty and Halo. I am not sure how much interest I will have in the game itself, given my dislike for Call of Duty, but I have been intrigued by the whole situation since it began several years ago, and I would like to see where it goes from here. As an interesting aside, the trial between West/Zampella and Activision is scheduled for during E3.

Irresponsible and Jaded: Hey Everyone! It’s Not Quite News

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Apr 192012
 

As E3 approaches, more and more pieces of news will continue to trickle down to the media.  After all, E3 is one of the biggest gaming events of the year. Therefore, in order to have big reveals for the show, there has to be extensive preparation on the part of those participating in it.  This of course, leads to the infamous press leaks.  The most recent leak is a trailer for Kratos’ latest adventure, which is titled God of War: Ascension.  I’m sure a lot of fans are going crazy over this.  I’m not.  Basically, this upcoming title features Kratos (duh!) and takes place during his service under the Olympian gods.  Yes, it takes place before the original God of War.  No, it is not God of War: Ghosts of Sparta for the PSP.  This is another prequel.

So far the God of War series has 3 main titles, 1 mobile game and 2 portable games.  If we exclude the mobile game, then Ascension becomes the sixth title in the series.  That’s a lot of titles for a series that started in 2005.  Don’t get me wrong, the God of War series is a testament to the quality of games that can be played on the Play Station.  However, I wonder why there is more excitement and coverage on a leaked trailer for an existing franchise on an existing console, than say Pikmin 3, which is a relatively new series on a brand new console.  Why doesn’t Pikmin get any love?  Is it because it doesn’t have a trailer yet?

Every console right now has a great line up (well except the Wii who is headed towards the chopping block) and each console has their signature games.  It is foolish to think that there won’t be any more God of War, Halo or Mario games.  These franchises are money making machines and are here to stay.  Then why do we act surprised when we see franchises returning time and again?

Is there another action/adventure console-exclusive title as popular as God of War III on the Play Station 3?  No, I believe there is not.  So why do we even doubt that there will be any more installments to the series?  Take a look at Nintendo, this company survives on the charity of third party developers and a back bone of strong first party titles.  It is not a question of whether there will be a Mario game, but when.  The same goes for the Xbox’s Halo series.  Master Chief’s original trilogy might be concluded, but how can Microsoft pass up on the idea of bringing back the franchise that single-handedly  made Xbox a household name?

But in this industry it doesn’t matter that we keep rehashing the same news over and over again.  It matters who get’s the news piece out first.  It is not about content, it’s about speed.  So there you have it, new announcement for God of War.  Here’s a shocker:  There will be a Zelda game for the Wii U!  Also, the moon orbits around the earth!  I know, things are getting wild in here.

Rumor: Wii U to Cost Around $300 Upon Release

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Apr 102012
 

Reports are circulating around the web that the upcoming Wii U system will retail around $300 upon its release.

The source, who reportedly works in the manufacturing and distribution of Nintendo products, released information on the cost of manufacturing the Wii U.  According to the report, the Wii U console and controller costs $180 to create along with an additional $50 for other materials and components.  Based on those figures, the report states that Nintendo will sell the system for no less than $300.

“They are cutting costs in the Wii U’s hardware to build back confidence in investors. Nintendo wants investors to view Wii U as a less risky proposition,” stated the source in an interview with Forget the Box.

The original Wii retailed at $250 upon its release back in 2006, so an increase in price for the next Nintendo system is no surprise.  Hell, it will most likely be the least expensive of the three next generation systems, so $300 isn’t too bad if the rumor is true.

Source: Gamespot

Report: Wii U Graphically “Less Powerful” than PS3, Xbox 360

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Apr 032012
 

In an interesting turn of events, reports are now circulating that the upcoming Wii U may not be as powerful as Nintendo had stated in the past.

GamesIndustry surveyed several developers who are currently developing Wii U titles and have stated that the system is definitely not as powerful as the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.  Also mentioned was the fact that the tablet like control is quite a bothersome to work with.

 

“It’s not up to the same level as the PS3 or the 360,” said one developer. “The graphics are just not as powerful.”

“It doesn’t produce graphics as well as the PS3 or the 360,” another developer stated.  “There aren’t as many shaders, it’s not as capable. Overall the Wii U just can’t quite keep up.”

When the system was revealed at E3 2011, Nintendo had mentioned that the graphical capabilities would be in line with the other two household systems.  However, it seems like Nintendo has pulled the old innovation rather than power card again, similar to that of the Wii.  So far, no comment from Nintendo concerning the study, though it would interesting to see what they have to say about this.

Source: GamesIndustry

 

Top 10 Tuesdays: Most Wanted Features for Next Gen Consoles

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Jan 092012
 

With the Wii U coming out some time later this year, and rumors flying all over the internet about possible hardware announcements from Microsoft and Sony at this year’s E3, the next console generation is within sight. At this point, we don’t really know much at all about what these new consoles will be, with very little known even about the Wii U. So, instead of speculating about what these consoles may be, I am simply going to run down 10 features I’m hoping for with the next console generation.

10. Spectator Mode

Anyone who was following the Xbox 360 in the months leading up to its launch will be familiar with this one. I’m not sure if it was ever actually stated by Microsoft or if it was just a rumor, but leading up to the launch of the system, many people including myself were under the impression that the Xbox 360 was going to have a spectator feature. The general idea is that you could simply select anyone on your friends list and watch them play as long as they were signed onto Xbox Live, whether they were playing single player or online multiplayer. This seems like it would be a cool feature, and Onlive actually has something just like this. This feature is great if you want to see a game in action before you buy it, and it needs to be implemented into all future consoles.

9. A Hard Drive With Every System

This one is aimed primarily at Microsoft and Nintendo, since Sony already accomplished this in the current generation (but obviously they should continue this trend as well). Nintendo needs to actually put a hard drive in the Wii U, preferably one that is at least 100GB, but anything higher would also be great. The current hard drive shortage due to the Thailand flood notwithstanding, hard drives are not typically expensive, and every system should come with one of decent size. This also means Microsoft better not sell any systems without a hard drive next generation. The fact that there exists Xbox 360′s that do not have hard drives forces the patch size limits to be too small, causing serious problems. Just look at the disaster with Mortal Kombat’s patch issues. NetherRealm wanted to put the DLC characters in patches for those that didn’t buy them to make sure there was 100% comparability when playing online. This was made impossible due to patch limitations, making DLC characters nearly unplayable online unless the players that hadn’t bought the characters were bothered to download an optional compatibility pack. This issue wouldn’t exist if every system had a hard drive built in.

8. Larger Disk Format

Once again Sony gets a pass on this one because they already achieved it this generation. The bottom line is, having a game come on 2 or 3 discs in this day and age is ridiculous, and it needs to stop. Swapping discs isn’t a huge deal, but it would be nice if every game simply came on one disc. It would also be great if pre-recorded cutscenes could actually run in HD and audio could be of a higher quality. All these things would be possible with larger discs, and whether the answer is that Sony and Nintendo need to use Blu Ray or just use some propriety format of similar size doesn’t really matter to me. As long as we have games on discs of 30+ GB, I don’t care what you call it.

What I Think The Wii U Needs In Order To Be A Success

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Dec 282011
 

Next year we finally get to see the first of the next generation consoles in the form of the Wii U. Details at the moment are pretty scarce and there isn’t a whole lot being thrown around in the form of rumours, this isn’t about rumours though, this is what I think that Nintendo’s latest offering needs to really compete in today’s market, what features will make it a day one buy that’s worth queuing for on day of release and that’ll stop it from dusting over within a month or two.

 
The Controller
 
Nintendo have gone for a really different controller, it looks more like a tablet computer than a conventional controller and that’s what I think we need to see. Tablets are all the rage and while as a controller it is new and intuitive, giving it some basic functionality to run music, video and DS or just old school gameboy games would make the controller alone a hit, giving consumers even more bang for thier buck.
 
For the sake of adding a decent battery, headphone jack and some internal memory, Nintendo could use the awesome, new controller to make a fresh dent into the handheld market as well as encroach on one of this years biggest markets. It doesn’t need to be the new iPad or Galaxy tab, but it would be a wasted opportunity not to make the controller do more.
 
Extra Services
 
Consoles have become more than just consoles, on demand TV, massive archives of games, movie rental, the list goes on, consoles have become media centres. Now, I know the current Wii offers some of these, but it’s collection is dwarved by that of Sony and now Microsoft. Both the other big consoles offer multiple channels on demand services and have a far bigger catalogue of movies, games and music for me to download straight to my console, the only stuff I have used on the Wii is a buggy as hell on demand service and the weather, on top of some old gameboy and N64 games.
 
With the Wii U Nintendo aren’t looking to catch up, they’re looking to throw open the doors to the future of consoles and unless the console can excel in the extras department, it risks becoming another pretty white box that sits under the tele, unused and forgotten for months at a time.
 

I Want To Investigate With The Wii!

Back Date The Big Games They Missed

 
While there is some awesome games for the Wii the fact remains that the biggest series have left it in the dark because it’s just not powerful enough. No battlefield, modern warfare, skyrim, L.A. Noire, there have been tons of new titles across the other major platforms this year which have stolen us away from Mario Kart and Zelda and these games will continue to do so for years to come.
 
Now if Nintendo can make these games available for the new console at release and a discounted price, then the console will become an even bigger hit, rather than just having what is available at the time, consumers will be able to grab some of the enormous titles that they’ve missed at a lower price and get a totally new experience from. Imagine Skyrim menus on a touch screen in your hands, allowing you to view everything up close and personal, or playing some L.A. Noire, with Cole Phelps notes allowing you to flick through the evidence properly rather than pushing a button.
 
Multiplayer Overhaul
 
In fairness to Nintendo, when the Wii launched online console gaming was still in it’s infancy but since then it has exploded into a global phenomenon with millions of players sometimes playing just one game, on one console at the same time and the Wii has been left in the dark. To be a success, games like Wii Sports need to be playable in the same way Halo is on the Xbox, a social experience right across the globe, if I buy a Wii U I want to be able to tee off a round of golf with some of my foreign friends and have a chat at the same time.
 
Multiplayer is now king, we like to be able to instantly connect with thousands of other people who share our interests more so than just throwing Mario Kart around a race track with a few unknown Europeans which is all I seem to have done online with my Wii.
 
OnLive Integration
 
For a while there has been talk of the OnLive service merging with another company to link into a console, the launch of apps for the Xbox 360 has only fuelled these rumours, with the next gen Xbox looking like the main contender, but what if Nintendo got in there first?
 
I love OnLive, the concept is incredible and the service is great, if Nintendo did choose to go down this road with the Wii U it could be a match made in heaven. As well as the huge volume of titles which is constantly growing, OnLive already has an exceptional focus on multiplayer. This partnership could kill two birds with one stone for Nintendo, OnLive’s catalogue could not only boost the titles for the system, it could also make use of the touchscreen controller thanks to the services tablet integration, which now allows players to actually play games with their Android tablet or iPad.
 
Original Classics
 
This is a hard one for any company but is also a necessity, when a new console launches it needs titles that will stun an audience, without being a rehash or a sequel. While I enjoy a bit of Mario and Zelda as much as the next guy, the Wii needs new content, they need to stop playing such a safe bet with the classics and invest in new series that can create the same buzz, which is what game development should be about, giving users a new experience that they can rely on for a decade or two.
 
So there we have it, that is what it will take to get me in line, in the freezing British weather to grab a Wii U and I really hope that Nintendo can deliver on the hype and excitement I felt when they first launched the Wii rather than leave me feeling disappointed a few months down the line once the novelty of a touchscreen controller has worn off, just as the motion controllers did a few years ago.

Speculation on the Wii U’s retail price begins

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Dec 142011
 

Recently the Australian retailer site EB Games has posted an estimated price point for Nintendo’s next console: The Wii U.  The current price listed for this console is 598.00 dollars.  The website Computer and Videogames, also known as CVG, contacted EB Games’s Media manager regarding the price listing and were told that the Wii U’s price point was “an estimated price which [EB] provide for all products where price has not yet been confirmed by the vendor.”

The Australian dollar and the American dollar are virtually equal in trade with a slight variation of about 1 cent per every dollar.  However, it must be noted that the price for games, consoles and accessories are significantly higher in Australia than in the US.  In the United states, the price of a 160 GB Playstation 3 is 249.99 US dollars (per US Gamestop).  In Australia, the price of the same console and model is 348.00 Australian dollars (Per AU EB Games).

No word from Nintendo on the pricing of its upcoming console.

Is It Time For The Next Console Generation?

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Oct 262011
 

Video games are more popular than ever before. It seems we are finally getting to a point of mainstream acceptance where video games are no longer just considered “kid’s toys”. Of course, there are still those vocal detractors who claim video games cause children to go on violent killing sprees, but for the most part, video games are part of popular culture just like movies, television, and music. Due to this rise in popularity, this console generation is one of the most successful in the history of gaming, with the current consoles having very large install bases leading to some extremely high selling games despite the tough economy. Unfortunately, this large install base seems to be deterring the major console manufacturers from releasing new systems. Nintendo is the first one jumping in, something they don’t usually do. It seems like Nintendo is launching the Wii U only because the Wii has exhausted its casual audience and is forcing Nintendo to attempt to recapture their core gaming fan base with a more powerful system. However, as far as technical specs are concerned, the Wii U doesn’t seem like a significant step forward from the Xbox 360 and PS3.

No matter which version you have, the Xbox 360 is running on 6 year old tech.

The main reason we need new consoles is simple, they are old and outdated, technologically speaking. This generation, which began in November 2005 with the launch of the Xbox 360, is now about to enter its seventh year with no new Xbox or Playstation systems on the horizon, where as most prior generations were five maybe six years. We are now seeing some of the most technically impressive games released on these systems, but for the most part visuals and performance have peaked in the last two or so years. What is really telling is that the PC, which has mostly consisted of console ports this generation, is finally starting to be the lead development platform again, with many recent games releasing looking and performing drastically better on even moderately new PCs. The obvious example of this is the recently released Battlefield 3. On PC, it features a higher resolution, much better graphics, better visual effects, better overall performance with 60 FPS as opposed to 30 on consoles, and over double the multiplayer server size. Coupled with multiple discs and a texture install on Xbox 360 and a mandatory 8 gb install on PS3, and these consoles are really showing their age.

Battlefield 3 visual comparison

Uncharted is a great series, but who knows what Naughty Dog could come up with on new Hardware.

Releasing a new system is a very risky proposition for any of three main console manufacturers. It is unlikely to make a profit for at least the first year, and it takes several years for the install base to get to the point where games would have a chance of selling in the 5+ million unit range. It is much more financially viable for Microsoft and Sony to continue supporting their current systems, where games like Gears of War 3 and Uncharted 3 are all but guaranteed to sell millions of copies. As great as these games are, they are both just more of the same. This far into the console cycle, no developer wants to start a new franchise on such old tech, feeling much more comfortable pumping out sequels for more guaranteed profits. Just look all the sequels being released this year alone: Dead Space 2, Portal 2, Dragon Age 2, Mortal Kombat 9, Infamous 2, Gears of War 3, Resistance 3, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3, Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. Most of the franchises I just listed actually began earlier in this console generation, and it would be great if we could move on to a new generation if only to stimulate the creation of new IP’s that can become franchises of their own.

Now, many may say that graphics don’t make the game, and the current consoles are more than capable of still delivering fun and engaging gaming experiences. While I do agree that polygon counts are not all that important when judging the amount of enjoyment a game can provide; I would say that graphics are only one of the many improvements that a new generation of consoles could provide. Taking another look at Battlefield 3, a major difference between the console and PC versions is the players count. Multiplayer matches on consoles max out at 24 players, where as on PC servers can be as big as 64 players. This can be a major difference in the amount of fun that can be had in multiplayer, and this is only one aspect that could be improved. Other areas of games that could be drastically improved on new hardware are anti-aliasing, frame rate, the overall scope of games, number of NPCs or enemies on screen, AI behaviors, sound quality (uncompressed audio), and the list goes on. So many people simply look at graphics as the sole defining quality of each generation, but fail to notice other, more technical improvements, that new hardware could provide. When the next generation finally does arrive, the immediate visual improvements won’t be as striking as say the transition from Super NES to Nintendo 64, but overall the gameplay and performance will reach new heights that we may not even be able to predict.

What To Expect From Tokyo Game Show 2011

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Sep 122011
 

Tokyo Game Show 2011 is just around the corner and there is some pretty epic stuff heading our way, while some of it has already been released, such as Child of Eden, there is also plenty of pre release stuff and we will more than likely see the odd announcement. So, here is a brief preview of what we should expect out of the Tokyo Game Show.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Square Enix and Disney return with Dream Drop Distance. While not a direct sequel in the series, the game will feature recurring characters and have it’s own, stand alone storyline. The game has not yet been playable at at any expos. The game will be playable at TGS with a new trailer and some details due, the game still has no confirmed release date, or rating as of yet so this could be some of the information that comes out of the expo.

The gameplay is supposed to be similar to the style that Square are using for Final Fantasy XIII Vs. which Square Enix have confirmed, will NOT feature at TGS. All the stuff rumoured from E3 2011 is actually going to be present here, not just the playability but also a new trailer.

Game Of Hell

Square Enix, mysterious project is getting new details at the expo, but what they will be still remains a mystery. The game first came to everyone’s attention when Square set up a website for the game, proclaiming it as “the new title of Hell”.

While nothing official has been released yet, they are going to be talking about it at TGS and while there is a lack of official details, it was discovered that the developers had copyrighted the title “Lord Of Apocalypse”. This led many to speculate that the game would be a sequel to Lord of Arcana. Square Enix have neither confirmed, nor denied these claims so hopefully, The Game of Hell will finally get some new details in Japan.

Asura’s Wrath

Yasha

Tokyo Game Show isn’t going to just be Square Enix’ party. Capcom will also be there, amongst others, with one of their strongest titles Asura’s Wrath. This is another entry that is likely to be playable at TGS, with fresh details confirmed to be announced, after Capcom confirmed a second playable character. With the release slated for early next year and fans having been voting whether or not the game will feature on PC or Wii U, the winner of this vote could also be announced at the show.

The game focuses on Asura, a demigod who has his powers stripped by the Gods and is seeking revenge. Yasha is Asura’s brother in law, who begins his battle after his wife, Asura’s sister, is murdered. Yasha is described as a faster character so not only will the game feature two storylines, we can also hopefully, look forward to two different gameplay experiences.

PS Vita With 30 games?

Sony have already confirmed several games for their latest hand-held venture, but those with a keen eye will have noticed that they haven’t announced 30. If the rumours floating around are to be believed, Sony will be showcasing a whole, pardon my language, shit ton of brand new titles.

The Vita will be replacing the PSP which has seen a lot of success, even getting it’s own cell phone incarnation. The Vita will outdated the PSP by featuring an OLED 5 inch touch screen, dual thumb sticks, regular PSP controls and a touch sensitive back panel. Under the PSP like exterior it will have updated guts, even featuring 2 quad core processors one of which is purely for the graphics.

New games might not be the only thing, the Vita still has no confirmed release date other than quarter 4 of this year for Japan and early 2012 for the rest of us. While this rules them out of the Christmas race for the majority of the world, a confirmed release date for the Japanese would certainly mean a huge amount of units shifted over the holiday season.

30 Games At Release And We'll Be Spoilt For Choice

Dragon Quest X

Set for release on the Wii and Wii U, Dragon Quest X is the latest addition the already successful RPG series and this time around, multiplayer is going to be the name of the game. Dragon Quest X is supposedly going to have more of an MMO feel to it, which would be a nice addition to the Wii line up and give people who want more multiplayer action, a reason to dust off the old Nintendo.

Few details about the game are available so this is a prime candidate for a whole lot of new information, with the only thing currently worth noting that the game will feature six different playable races and will take place over five continents.

Final Fantasy, Lots Of Final Fantasy

When it comes to one of the biggest JRPG series, Square Enix are breaking out the big gun this year bringing not one, nor two but three Final Fantasy games along with them.

We’ll start off looking at what will probably be the least exciting in the form of Final Fantasy Theatrhythm for the 3DS. As the name suggests, Theatrhythm will be

a rhythm based game, a deviation from the usual RPG style, players will choose a game from the series, from the original right up to XIII, each game will have three levels and difficulty will be changeable. To progress through the game, players will have to tap the screen in time with the rhythm of the music, similar to Guitar Hero.

Next up is the more anticipated Final Fantasy 0 for the PSP. Despite the first due to hit shelves, no release has been confirmed for anywhere other than Japan who will be able to pick it up on October 27th. The game will be playable at TGS, if you have time to move away from the Vita and looks pretty good. The game is said to be massive and with fourteen selectable characters, it sounds it, throughout the game players will travel from town to town, accepting missions from various sources. Each character has differing strengths and weaknesses, so depending on what each mission entails, the player will have to select the three characters whose abilities seem the most useful. Despite having a “unique multiplayer experience” the game is not an MMO.

Last, but by no means least, is Final Fantasy XIII-2. Having been given the new screen treatment just a few days ago, more details are sure to be announced at TGS. Obviously the game is a direct sequel, with the developers wanting to do some more character building. It was also confirmed in a Q and A with Motomu Toriyama that the game will rely heavily on time travel, with players having to travel through time in order to solve certain quests and missions. Despite some mixed reviews for its predecessor, the sequel looks and sounds less linear and far superior to the first part.

Is Square Enix Capable of Creating the RPG of the Year?

DMC HD Collection

One of Capcom’s biggest series, Devil May Cry, has an anniversary rolling round soon so this would have been rumoured anyway. But, with the ERSB recently having let the cat out of the bag and trailers already online, a Tokyo Game Show announcement shouldn’t be ruled out. With the attention around the series already rising, handing out some details or a new trailer could only mean good things for Capcom and would be a wasted opportunity if not.

Monster Hunter 3G With 3DS Peripheral3DS Second analog nub

Just the other day, news came that the latest Monster Hunter game for the 3DS would be changing the way you played 3DS. The attachment in question extends the size of the console but also adds a second thumb stick. This will not be essential for playing the game seeing as the developers have thrown in some new, innovative ways to control the game using the camera and changeable touch screen controls. While the game will get some attention the peripheral opens a lot of doors for the 3DS, meaning that more advanced games, the required two sticks will in the future be a possibility for the console. Perhaps Nintendo should have announced this before slashing the price, but the cut in price has still had the desired effect, boosting the consoles sales pretty well. Having only been announced days ago, the game is on course for a late 2011 release date in Japan so a showcase shouldn’t be ruled out.

Resident Evil 6

Ever since that picture turned up, apparently out of comic con, you all know the one I’m talking about, the inevitable Resident Evil 6 has been floating around the internet rumour mill. No solid details, not even confirmation have turned up from official, credible sources. But, believe the dates centred around the image and you can almost guarantee that some information, at some point will appear at TGS this year and if I’m wrong, I will purchase, cook and eat a hat.

THAT Picture

 

Nintendo Needs to do These Things to Regain Fan Support

 Posted by  11 Responses »
Jul 232011
 

It comes as no surprise that Nintendo’s industry changing, motion control fad has begun to die down. The hardcore fans have been left far behind the gaming giant’s rear view mirror for years now, and with the Wii U looking to just press the gas pedal down further, Nintendo is farther from the hardcore fan base than it has ever been. Long awaited, mega-hyped titles are few and far between, while sequels to the few great games they do have, take many years to release. The graphics seem to get more “cartoony” with each generation, as Sony and Microsoft continually blow them out in hardware specs. But what happened? This company is the one that made most of us hardcore gamers. Where did it all go wrong? I understand they are a business and that they love money, but are they really making the most out of their brand? There is more money to be made if they would just take a few cues from the fans and change a couple of things.

Top Of the Line Graphics

I know it’s hard Nintendo, but you have to absolutely make sure your systems are at least on par, hardware-wise, with your competitors. That is just business 101, make an inferior product, you will witness inferior results. The motion control thing was cool for a minute, but you shouldn’t have hung your hat on it. I am by no means discouraging innovation, but visuals and audio should have been  higher priorities than motion control, no matter how cool you thought it was. Get your home consoles up to speed.

Quit With the Crappy Exclusives

Yeah, it happened.

Honestly, how many copies of Gummy Bears Golf did you sell? Or Cold Stone Creamery: Scoop It Up? Yeah, check it out, that is a real game. And I bet the people at Cold Stone didn’t even play it. Those games have absolutely got to stop. Quit dumping money into those games that no one in their right mind would buy and put it into AAA title development, which is where you desperately need it, trust me.

Better Online Community

If the Wii U doesn’t provide a top notch online gaming community, you can kiss that system goodbye. The time for limited/nonexistent online multiplayer on your most popular titles is over. We want hardcore online Smash Bros. tournaments and I wanna smash people at Mario Kart from all over the world whilst talking sh*t in a Nintendo manufactured headset. Come on Nintendo, isn’t there something you can do about this?

Better Online Marketplace/DLC

I love old school Nintendo games as much as the next guy, but we want more, and more stuff too. We want Mii clothes, Mii Channel themes, new trailer downloads, music, movies and everything under the sun. Not having these things is like pissing away money. Do you think that people wouldn’t pay a couple of bucks for their Mii to wield Link’s Master Sword? Well they would, and you are the ones losing on the current DLC phenomenon.

More Storage

Will all these upgrades to the online marketplace, you are gonna need to provide a substantial amount of memory storage, at minimum 150GB. We want tons of classics, the ability to purchase titles at the spur of the moment, new Mii items, home screen themes, the works, and we are gonna need a place to store these things. So Nintendo, don’t even think about releasing another system with out a vast internal memory capacity.

Hardcore Titles

You have to get Black Ops and other leading games on your console, at the same level as that of your competitors. No more washed out versions of great franchises. No hand me down Silent Hill games, or a rag tag edition of Madden. We don’t want to eliminate getting a certain game on your system over others because you didn’t have “The Real” Call of Duty.

A Damn Zelda Game That Looks Real

We don’t want Windwaker. We are not all that stoked with the visual similarities it has with Skyward Sword. Can we please, for the love of everything that is holy, get Link in full 1080 HD with lifelike graphics and a more adult theme. I understand that it was a kids game. I get it. The kids that made that game popular are now 30 and want to finally hear Link say a curse word and get some blood on his tunic.

That’s it Nintendo, that is all you have to do to become relevant again. Make those changes, and you may stay a little bit longer with the hardcore crowd. If not, have fun making sub par spin off titles and anything with the name “Mama” at the end of it. I’m sure you will be just fine.

How the Wii U Controller could be used

 Posted by  No Responses »
Jun 172011
 

So the Wii U caused a stir last week at E3 but people are still umming and erring over the new controller, which is basically a tablet with buttons. Even with the news that the Wii U will be 50% more powerful than a PS3 and that it will come out in early 2012, people are still understandibly being cautious. But with the few games that have been announced for the Wii U, how could that touch screen be used?

Pikmin 3

This game has been in development hell since 2008 and we have been wondering when we will finally see a screenshot. Well we haven’t yet but we now know the game is being developed for the Wii U. Its pretty easy to see how the touch screen will be used, you will see the location from a birds eye view and circle the Pikmin you want to use with your finger and send them to the enemy you want to dispatch or items you want to pick up. This could actually be really good for the Pikmin series and make everything quicker.

Well those Wii remote batteries run out pretty quick.

Smash Bros

This is a game where we have no idea how the Wii U touch screen could be used. Maybe it could be an easy character switch screen if the Subspace Emissary makes a return but it is harder to think of anything else that could use the touch screen without being gimmicky. Maybe the action will jump to that screen, but wouldn’t that be annoying for your multiplayer friends?

No screenshots, so some nice artwork for you to look at. Hmm.

Lego City Stories

We all know that this game will basically be Grand Theft Auto for kids. But how will it use the Wii U controller? Well I’m guessing your inventory will be down there, allowing for quick switches. We also assume that it will be used as a form of sat nav, letting you add waypoints without delving through menus. You’ll probably be able to customize your Lego character through here to make it all much more streamlined. But there is still nothing special that would make you sit up from your seat here.

Need some of these in London, sort those chavs out.

Darksiders II

So this game will be used as a stop gap until there is a proper Zelda on the console, but it might give Anouma a few ideas if he is running out. Not only do we expect it to be a quick inventory page, I’m getting bored of saying that, but it might be used in cleverer ways. The controller’s bulkiness might make it an ideal shield for duels with enemies, which would make things very immersive. We also expect items like the bow to be used via the touch screen. There may also be a few puzzles using it, expect a marble in a maze with a hole at the other end.

Some grappling hook action there.

Ninja Gaiden: Razor’s Edge

So people can’t really claim there is a lack of challenge on the Wii U with Ninja Gaiden making an appearence. As well as the usual stuff mentioned in almost every paragraph before, expect shurikens to be flicked off using the touch screen. However I expect that to be an option because on the harder modes, that time moving your hand from the buttons over to the touch screen might result in your arse being handed to you in little bitesize chunks.

Expect Ryu to be part of Japan's 2012 Olympic Gymanastic team.

Ghost Recon Online

This is another game which will probably show you a bird’s eye view. We don’t expect any special gameplay from this, apart from maybe sending airstrikes down on enemies, just knowing where your enemies are so you can plan your attack on the enemy. This could be very intuitive and be one of the best uses for it, so if Ubisoft pull it off expect Activision and EA to follow suit with Call of Duty and Battlefield.

Bang Bang!

Assassin’s Creed

Guess What! I bet you there will be an inventory screen! Shock Horror! Seriously, this game will probably follow Darksiders and Ninja Gaiden in the fact it will allow you to use certain items through the touch screen to make things more intuitive. Also as stealth is an important part of the game, we expect that it will copy Ghost Recon in having a bird’s eye view available so you can plan your attacks.

We kinda need someone like Altair or Ezio to wipe out Al Gore.

Rabbids

This all depends on what kind of Rabbids game this is. If this is another mini game compilation, all bets on this, we can’t really predict how it will be used as that would be the entire game. If it was though and the game was well designed, and most Rabbids games are, it could be a good indicator how future games will use the controller. However it could be a sequel to Rabbids Go Home where you will probably tilt the controller to steer your shopping trolley and the screen be used for showing how much clutter you’ve collected.

This is actually Wales' rugby team.

Killer Freaks From Outer Space

Actually, Ubisoft have revealed stuff about this game. It is an FPS set in London, which will provide more interesting locales than the constantly reused New York setting would. The gyroscope in the controller will be controlling your viewpoint and the touchscreen being a viewfinder. It will be exclusive to the Wii U, but will it excel over the inevitable Battlefield and Call of Duty?

These aren't aliens, just girls from Soho.

Aliens: Colonial Marines

We expect similar stuff to Killer Freaks From Outer Space. Though maybe some of the vision powers the Aliens get, or is that Predator, I have no idea about the franchise, will be used on the screen. Could be interesting.

These things don't let go. Kinda like Tetris.

Dirt

Well we expect the controller to be a massive steering wheel, with the dashboard being on the touch screen. Not very imaginitive and if your like me you won’t like the tilting. Seriously, you can’t put down a good time with them.

The guys at the car wash are going to make us pay more for this.

Metro: Last Light

This FPSes will follow the same pattern of Killer Freaks From Outer Space. I haven’t played the previous Metros so I don’t know if there will be any additional extras on the touch screen, so write your own bit to this if your at all interested.

This is actually more like Birmingham.

Tekken

Fighters probably won’t be the best game to showcase the Wii U Controller, but as your saw in the Wii U showreel you’ll be able to customize your fighters in the same vein as Lego City Stories. Don’t be surprised to see combo lists down there as well like in Street Fighter IV and Dead or Alive: Dimensions.

Fashion Designers of the world now want Tekken.

Now I can understand why you wouldn’t be impressed, especially with a lot of my speculation ending with an inventory screen. But I am not a video game developer and I am sure that they will come up with many innovative ideas. So for now I will be keeping up the hope, especially with no first party games being announced, but currently, I shall not be putting in a pre-order.

The Glaring Problems of the Wii U

 Posted by  3 Responses »
Jun 122011
 

So far the Nintendo Wii U has had a bit of a rocky start thanks in part to some confusion over whether Nintendo was presenting a full-blown console, or just another odd-but-awesome addition to the Wii.  At the heels of this confusion comes a drop in Nintendo’s stocks by nearly 10% in the two days that followed the announcement. It of course turned out that Nintendo was indeed talking about an actual console, but this could have been avoided by talking more about the console and less about the controller. You have to hand it to Nintendo though since their presentation definitely turned quite a few heads, and even though many of those heads were turned out of confusion or skepticism, there really is no such thing as bad publicity.

Not only will this be able to play the next Modern Warfare, but it will be able to do it with ease and probably even be able to multi-task while its at it.

As we can see above the Wii-U looks like a small dvd player and as usual has that distinctive minimalist style that companies like Nintendo and Apple tend to lean towards. I can’t say whether it’s an attractive look or simply an uninteresting one. There just really isn’t a whole lot to say about it, but then again a machine is not held down by appearances, and the Wii-U is a device that reinforces this point. Despite its meek and smoothed out curvy look this thing is a true beast.   It’s specifications blow the competition away.

  • An AMD High Definition Radeon GPU
  • IBM Power-based Multi-core Processor
  • Supports 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i
  • Will feature internal flash memory with the option of expanding memory by plugging in a USB hard-drive, or using an SD card.
  • Four USB slots
  • Will be backwards compatible with Wii games and accessories. No word on GameCube.

It’s obviously apparent that Nintendo has learned their lesson from the Wii. Just because they are moving units by the truck load doesn’t that they are actually selling third-party games that keep their customers playing the system. Nintendo has stated that they aren’t going to do the same thing again, and that this time they are going to make sure that they focus more on the core gaming audience and third-party support, but something here has me (and many other gamers) worried about the direction that they are headed with the console.

I can't imagine playing Battlefield 3 on this thing.

 

With such an original and interesting controller Nintendo is sure to break some sales records when this hits the sales floor. It’s a video controller combined with a tablet pc, and because of this it gives the Wii-U a few different advantages over the other systems. It’s screen is linked directly to the console (of course) and allows the player to watch what’s going on inside of the game on the screen while the television is turned off or tuned into another channel. This controller is a very creative way for Nintendo to approach gaming and unique doesn’t begin to describe it’s appeal.

While this controller is certainly something original and new, it isn’t exactly what I would call ergonomic. The thing is big, bulky, and just plain uncomfortable looking. I can’t imagine playing Battlefield or any hard-core game on this thing. This is where Nintendo seems to have completely lost sight of what they set out to do. They have set out to beef up their hardware and appeal to the core gaming audience, but at the same time they are still attempting to pander to the casual gamer crowd. From what we can see here it looks like Nintendo is gearing this system up for the casual gamer crowd in much of the way that they did with the Wii.

Aside from alienating the core gamer crowd once again there is another problem with this strategy, its price-tag. One of the biggest advantages that the Wii had over its competition was that it undercut both the ps3 and the Xbox 360 by making its launch price a mere $250.00, but it’s already apparent that the Wii-U is not going to have this advantage. Satoru Iwata (the president and CEO of Nintendo) has stated that the Wii-U will likely exceed $250 at launch, which could effectively push casual gamers and families away from the system when the Holidays arrive.

Nintendo has pushed the new console in terms of hardware to appeal to hard-core gamers, but they designed the peripherals and  style towards casual gamers, while that same hardware pushed the price a little too high for many casual gamers to consider. So while Nintendo is trying to market this system towards everyone, what they may end up getting is absolutely no one.

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