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Topics - Pale

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251
TalkBack / Garfield's Nightmare for DS is Coming to Europe
« on: November 21, 2006, 12:20:58 PM »
Garfield stars in a platforming DS game that comes out in Europe on March 9, 2007.

The Game Factory Announces March release for Garfield’s Nightmare on Nintendo DS™    


  Chertsey, United Kingdom – November 20th 2006: The Game Factory today announces the UK launch date of Garfield's Nightmare for Nintendo DS as March 9th 2007.
   


  Garfield's Nightmare - a rock solid platform game with gorgeous graphics - sees everyone's favourite fat feline, Garfield, trapped in a lasagne, pizza and donut induced nightmare! A severe case of over-indulgence before bed leads to a dream so bad he can't wake up – without piecing together his smashed alarm clock to free him from his fretful slumber.  Enemies and crazy challenges litter his path so think fast and play smart to save the day – and night - for Garfield!    


  Appealing to gamers of all ages, but specifically boys and girls aged 7-12, players will be able to:  

  • Play through 16 challenging levels to find each of the four alarm clock pieces!
  •  
  • Tackle four different 3D, thematic worlds: Haunted Castle, Cloudy Realm, Lava World and Winter Wonderland.
  •  
  • Take on tough bosses of the dream world who must be conquered in order to progress.
  •  
  • Unlock hidden minigames to win the keys to a mysterious chest at the end of each level. Each mini game uses the Nintendo DS touch screen.
  •  
  • Help Garfield maintain his energy level by collecting lots of tasty food throughout the game including donuts and, of course, lasagne!


252
TalkBack / The Nintendo MP3 Player Comes to Europe
« on: November 17, 2006, 06:02:28 AM »
Europe will be getting the Nintendo MP3 Player on December 8, 2006.

UPGRADE YOUR NINTENDO DS LITE TO AN MP3 PLAYER    


  17th November 2006 – Lucky owners of the Nintendo DS will soon be able to enjoy more than just games from their favourite handheld console with the Nintendo MP3 Player. Launching across Europe on 8th December 2006. Nintendo fans can use their handheld console as a fully-fledged, high quality MP3 player.    


  With this addition, gamers now only have to carry one device to enjoy two of their favourite pastimes – gaming and music. This simple, easy to use accessory allows Nintendo fans to enjoy around 150 of their selected songs with a 512MB SD memory card*, whilst on the move. Each song’s title information will be clearly listed on the Nintendo DS screen so songs can be easily selected.    


  The Nintendo MP3 Player doesn’t just work with the Nintendo DS though, it is also fully compatible with the Game Boy Advance SP and Game Boy Micro as the cartridge will slot into the Game Boy Advance port on all the Nintendo handheld consoles.    


  The Nintendo MP3 Player launches across Europe on 8th December 2006 at the estimated retail price of around £20.    


  *The MP3 files are stored via a PC onto an SD card. The card reader and the SD memory card are to be purchased separately. The SD card is then inserted into the Nintendo MP3 Player cartridge.


253
TalkBack / Crave Entertainment Brings Poker to Wii
« on: November 16, 2006, 01:22:42 PM »
The poker game with the longest name, World Championship Poker: Featuring Howard Lederer All In, is coming to Wii "soon."

Crave Goes “All-In" on Wii Third Game in the World Championship Poker Series Coming Soon to Wii(TM)    


Newport Beach, CA - Nov 16, 2006 Crave Entertainment, a leading publisher of console videogames, today announced that the third installment in the best-selling poker video game franchise in North America, World Championship Poker: Featuring Howard Lederer "All In," will soon be available for Wii(TM). World Championship Poker: Featuring Howard Lederer “All In" is also available for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and Xbox(TM) 360.    


   


WCP: All In features some of the most recognizable and successful poker stars in the world, including Howard Lederer, his sister Annie Duke (who becomes exclusive to the World Championship Poker franchise with this installment), and Robert Williamson III. Joining the roster of this year's edition are noted international poker superstars Marcel Luske, Thomas Bihl and Erin Ness, who parlayed a victory at a Maxim Magazine office tournament into a seat at the 2004 World Series of Poker.


254
Nintendo Gaming / SD Cards
« on: November 10, 2006, 07:04:46 AM »
Hey all, I didn't get enough time to really play with it so I'm not confident enough about this to make it a news story.  Jonny is going to look into it tomorrow...

But it seems SD cards may only be usable for the photo channel out of the box.  I could not get them to work to actually store game data.  Upon reading the manual, it said that a broadband connection may be required in order to back up data on an SD card.  Does this mean the Wii has to download an update to work?  Possibly.  It's also possible I'm just an idiot and was doing something wrong.

I'm very confused about it and I can't wait for Jonny to dig deeper.

255
NWR Forums Discord / I banned somebody today.
« on: November 09, 2006, 04:22:32 AM »
Believe it or not, it's my first banning.  Some asshat thought it would be fun to site whore all over the place.

256
TalkBack / REVIEWS: Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts (DS)
« on: November 08, 2006, 01:50:24 PM »
A good concept comes up short in terms of execution.

When you see a game on the shelf based on a popular license, it's hard to know what to expect.  At the very least, fans of the license should enjoy it.  Hammy Goes Nuts doesn't really work on that front.  The main character of the game, Hammy, should be an easy target.  He is the overly hyper squirrel from the movie who says incredibly random and entertaining things, yet in the game he has a bland personality that is almost indistinguishable from the other characters.  The poor use of the license is almost made up for by a clever game mechanic, but the developer doesn't take it far enough.    


The game is made up of a series of missions that play out like a puzzle game.  The main goal of each is to create a trap for the human.  This is done by collecting objects and putting them together.  The secondary goal is to find as much loot as possible.  Your team of four characters is dispersed over the map, and you can switch between them.  There are a series of things you have to do to accomplish your goal.  You may find glue in a backpack and carry it over to a broken shovel.  After gluing the shovel back together, you can dig up a hidden key.  The key can then be used to unlock the house and get inside.  This puzzle solving could be a lot of fun, but there are two main problems with it.  Firstly, it has been dumbed down, most likely for the younger target market.  Everything you have to do, in order, is announced to you through a very specific check list and flashing icons on the map.  Regardless of how young the player is, the developers took almost all of the thinking out of the game.  If you do what you are told, you will finish fairly quickly.  Besides that, the actual tasks are repeated over and over again across multiple levels.  When playing through the game you will probably distract fifty different mice with cheese so that you can jump off of their backs.  I didn't know that using a mouse as a springboard was the only way to get up to a higher ledge.    


All of the control for the game is done using the stylus.  If you tap on a spot on the screen, the character will run there.  If you hold the stylus down on the screen, the character will continue to chase the stylus.  In order to interact with objects, you simply tap on them.  While effective at some times, when objects are close together it can take forever to actually tap on the proper thing.  The aim just feels a little off.  The character will run to a spot instead of picking something up, or he may drop an item instead of carrying it to a spot.  This imprecision doesn't really affect most of the game, but when trying for a speed run or trying to avoid deadly lasers, it can be frustrating.    


Visually, the game looks pretty good.  Characters look a lot like their movie counterparts and the top down view has 3D qualities that work well.  Cut-scenes are carried out using a video compression technology that allows for relatively pretty 3D video.  It would look great if it worked right.  There are many times where the video on the top screen is out of sync with the video on the bottom screen.  There are also obvious stutters when new speech balloons are being loaded on one screen.  Overall, it felt somewhat amateur.    


Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts is far from a well executed game, but it gets bonus points for an interesting base concept.  If the developers threw the license away and didn’t worry about it being too hard, an incredibly fun game would have been possible.  Given everything said, young fans of the movie may still love it, but experienced gamers shouldn't expect to enjoy it.

Pros:
       

  • The puzzle solving mission concept has a lot of potential

           Cons:
           
  • Many tasks are repeated over and over again  
  • Controls are not very precise  
  • The characters have no personality  
  • Way too easy

                   Graphics:  8.0
           Gameplay looks great and the FMV cut scenes look nice if you can get past some technical issues.

                   Sound:  5.0
           Boring, repetitive, and generally forgettable.

                   Control:  6.0
           Imprecision causes problems in some parts of the game and is generally frustrating.  Everything is done with just the stylus.  This may be one of those games where classic buttons would make more sense.

                          Gameplay:  6.0
           The base idea is a good one, but the execution stinks.  It’s repetitive, boring, and too easy.

     


           Lastability:  8.0
           Completing the loot collection and doing speed runs gives players more to do after they complete all of the missions.

     


           Final:  6.0
           This particular game doesn't work very well, but it would be nice to see another game with a similar base concept in the future.      


  • 257
    TalkBack / Wii Startup Disc Required for Initial System Boot
    « on: November 04, 2006, 09:06:57 AM »
    You'll have to insert a disc that isn't your favorite game when you first fire up your Wii. UPDATE: Not anymore (At least in the US).

    Update 11/10 -  The latest version of the console that we have seen does not come with a startup disc as previously reported.  The system starts up with no update required.    


    Original Story 11/4 -  Joystiq is reporting that a startup disc that is packaged with Wii is required when first starting up the system.  While the reason is unknown at this time, there are several possibilities.  Some people think it is a last minute firmware update, meaning that Wiis were being manufactured before the firmware was finalized.  There is also the possibility that it is just a tutorial disc that shows players how to get started with the system.  Given that the initial request is written to the screen in three different languages, it is possible that the disc only copies the files needed for the player's spoken language.  This would help keep unneeded information out of the precious 512 megabytes of memory in the system.    


    If the disc is more than a system tutorial (which is very likely), this would prove that the firmware in the system is modifiable in some way and that this can be done with a disc.  In order to update Wii units that aren't connected to the Internet, it is possible that Nintendo could release similar discs at retail or bundle them with games in the future.    


    For a picture of the error message, check out Joystiq's article in the related link field above.


    258
    TalkBack / Dragon Ball Z for Wii is Gold
    « on: November 03, 2006, 03:16:08 PM »
    A fighting game with 120 playable characters?  Wow!

    Dragon Ball Z(R): Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Goes Gold    


    - Development Complete on Wii(TM) Version of DBZ(R) Action Fighting Game -
       


    NEW YORK, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atari, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATAR)  announced today that development is complete on Dragon Ball Z(R): Budokai Tenkaichi(TM) 2 for the Wii(TM) which will be available at launch of the new platform on November 19 in North America.  The immensely popular Dragon Ball Z(R) series is the gold standard of anime-based video games, with more than 25 different games and over 10 million units sold since May 2002.  Dragon Ball Z(R): Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is the latest must-have DBZ(R) chapter to explode onto the Wii.  Developed by Spike, Dragon Ball Z(R): Budokai Tenkaichi 2 takes the acrobatic and intense 3D flying and fighting dynamic made popular in last year's blockbuster and elevates it to a whole new level with exciting new features.    


    "With each new DBZ title, we focus on expanding upon and enriching the gameplay experience that DBZ fans have come to know and love," said Emily Anadu, Product Manager, Atari, Inc. "Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 offers an increased number of battlefields, tag battles, a staggering character roster and an enhanced story mode to deliver newcomers and fans of the series the most complete DBZ experience to date."    


    Dragon Ball Z(R): Budokai Tenkaichi 2 overflows with features such as a roster of over 120 playable characters, 16 huge, destructible 3D environments, nine single and multi-player game modes, and the ability to trigger transformations taken straight from the DBZ movies and anime TV series.  The ultimate DBZ fighting experience for DBZ fans and Wii owners, Dragon Ball Z(R): Budokai Tenkaichi 2 delivers fast battles with more action, drama and excitement than ever before.    


    For more information on Dragon Ball Z video games, please visit http://www.atari.com/dragonballz.


    259
    TalkBack / Konductra Ships to Retail
    « on: October 31, 2006, 10:52:59 AM »
    O~3 brings us another Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection supporting puzzle game.

    O~3 ENTERTAINMENT'S "KONDUCTRA" SLIDES ONTO STORE SHEVLES    


    Colored Tiles Line Up For Challenging Touch-based Nintendo DS(TM) Puzzler
       


    SANTA CLARA, CA, October 31st, 2006 – O~3 Entertainment, an interactive entertainment publishing and distribution company, announced today that "Konductra," for the Nintendo DS(TM), has shipped to retail outlets across North America. Four different gameplay modes offer fast-paced puzzle fun for players wishing to test their mental agility. "Konductra" is a touch-based game where players can challenge one another via the Nintendo(R) Wi-Fi Connection  and battle head-to-head by matching colorful tiles and attempting to block the opponent’s progress. Players can square off against the computer, complete challenging tasks, or rack up high scores to practice for matches against the greatest puzzle masters online.    


    “'Konductra' is an accessible yet challenging game that will appeal to gamers in all walks of life," said Chris Jelinek, President of O~3 Entertainment. “Whether playing with the family, or training to play against the best, 'Konductra' offers hours of entertainment for everyone."    


    Developed by oeFun, "Konductra" challenges players to create and destroy lines with colored tiles to either earn points or attack an opponent. This unique, but elegant puzzle title offers four game modes, including Task, Score, VS. CPU, and VS. Human. In both versus modes, the objective is to beat the opponent by filling up the rival’s board as quickly as possible by destroying lines on the player’s own board and sending them to the opponent’s board. Gamers destroy lines by matching tiles and using the stylus to trace from like colored conductors running along the four edges of the screen.


    260
    TalkBack / Cooking Mama for Wii is coming to North America
    « on: October 31, 2006, 05:57:14 AM »
    Majesco will be bringing the title over early next year.

    'Cooking Mama: Cook Off' For The WiiTM Home Video Console    


    EDISON, NJ, October 30, 2006 – Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of digital entertainment products and content, today announced that it will be publishing Cooking Mama: Cook Off for the Wii™ home video console from Nintendo®. Scheduled for release early next year, Cooking Mama: Cook Off is a follow up to the award-winning Nintendo DS™ predecessor that is being showcased in approximately 10,000 retail demo kiosks nationwide in November.    


    “Since its introduction last month, Cooking Mama for the Nintendo DS has won people over with its fun, addictive gameplay and innovative use of the Touch Screen," said Ken Gold, vice president of Marketing. “Cooking Mama: Cook Off for the Wii console similarly integrates the unique Wii Remote while layering on new features-including multiplayer and a full range of international cuisine-that fans are hungry for."    


    Making special use of the Wii Remote, Cooking Mama: Cook Off is an entertaining blend of mashing, slicing, chopping and stirring as players create more than 300 real-world recipes from 10 different nations. New realistic graphics and real-time cooking effects lend authenticity to player creations and help budding chefs determine when food is overcooked. Best of all, Cooking Mama: Cook Off offers 2-player kitchen competitions to determine who can cook the best meal the fastest.    


    Developed by OfficeCreate and licensed from Taito, Cooking Mama: Cook Off joins Bust-A-Move Bash! as one of Majesco’s premier titles for the Wii. More information about Majesco’s exciting line of products can be found online at www.majescoentertainment.com.


    261
    Some one help me decide!

    262
    NWR Forums Discord / Fantasy Basketball anyone??
    « on: October 26, 2006, 06:41:10 AM »
    Is anyone interested in some fantasy basketball?  If so, join my league.

    It's at Yahoo...

    EDIT: NEW LEAGUE THIS YEAR, SEE BELOW!

    263
    NWR Forums Discord / The case against assholes
    « on: October 24, 2006, 07:31:22 PM »
    Seriously, what the hell?  There are way to many of them trying to f*ck up people's lives.

    GET OVER YOURSELF ASSHOLES!

    Ty's Funhouse, more like Pale's myspace, mirite?

    264
    TalkBack / Sony Puts Lik-Sang Out of Business
    « on: October 24, 2006, 05:32:14 AM »
    The popular online import games store is done accepting orders as of NOW.

    Lik-Sang.com out of business due to multiple Sony lawsuits    


    Hong Kong, October 24th of 2006 - Lik-Sang.com, the popular gaming retailer from Hong Kong, has today announced that it is forced to close down due to multiple legal actions brought against it by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Sony claimed that Lik-Sang infringed its trade marks, copyright and registered design rights by selling Sony PSP consoles from Asia to European customers, and have recently obtained a judgment in the High Court of London (England) rendering Lik-Sang's sales of PSP consoles unlawful.    


    As of today, Lik-Sang.com will not be in the position to accept any new orders and will cancel and refund all existing orders that have already been placed. Furthermore, Lik-Sang is working closely with banks and PayPal to refund any store credits held by the company, and the customer support department is taking care of any open transactions such as pending RMAs or repairs and shipping related matters. The staff of Lik-Sang will make sure that nobody will get hurt in the crossfire of this ordeal.    


    A Sony spokesperson declined to comment directly on the lawsuit against Lik-Sang, but recently went on to tell Gamesindustry.biz that "ultimately, we're trying to protect consumers from being sold hardware that does not conform to strict EU or UK consumer safety standards, due to voltage supply differences et cetera; is not - in PS3's case - backwards compatible with either PS1 or PS2 software; will not play European Blu-Ray movies or DVDs; and will not be covered by warranty".    


    Lik Sang strongly disagrees with Sony's opinion that their customers need this kind of protection and pointed out that PSP consoles shipped from Lik-Sang contained genuine Sony 100V-240V AC Adapters that carry CE and other safety marks and are compatible world wide. All PSP consoles were in conformity with all EU and UK consumer safety regulations.    


    Furthermore, Sony have failed to disclose to the London High Court that not only the world wide gaming community in more than 100 countries relied on Lik-Sang for their gaming needs, but also Sony Europe's very own top directors repeatedly got their Sony PSP hard or software imports in nicely packed Lik-Sang parcels with free Lik-Sang Mugs or Lik-Sang Badge Holders, starting just two days after Japan's official release, as early as 14th of December 2004 (more than nine months earlier than the legal action). The list of PSP related Sony Europe orders reads like the who's who of the videogames industry, and includes Ray Maguire (Managing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Alan Duncan (UK Marketing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Chris Sorrell (Creative Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Rob Parkin (Development Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited), just to name a few.    


    "Today is Sony Europe victory about PSP, tomorrow is Sony Europe's ongoing pressure about PlayStation 3. With this precedent set, next week could already be the stage for complaints from Sony America about the same thing, or from other console manufacturers about other consoles to other regions, or even from any publisher about any specific software title to any country they don't see fit. It's the beginning of the end... of the World as we know it", stated Pascal Clarysse, formerly known as the Marketing Manager of Lik-Sang.com.    


    "Blame it on Sony. That's the latest dark spot in their shameful track record as gaming industry leader. The Empire finally 'won', few dominating retailers from the UK probably will rejoice the news, but everybody else in the gaming world lost something today."


    265
    TalkBack / Europe gets Contact in February
    « on: October 23, 2006, 06:12:24 AM »
    Europeans will see the DS RPG, but not until early next year.

    Contact In February    


    Rising Star Games Confirms 2007 Release Date
       


    Monday 23rd October - Rising Star Games has confirmed that it will release Contact, its critically acclaimed RPG for the Nintendo DS, in February 2007.    


    Martin Defries, COO, Rising Star Games said: “Contact is an amazing title for the DS and we’re hopeful that the extra stock we’ll have available will address the demand for such a unique game. My advice to gamers? Save your money and make contact with Contact just after Christmas."    


    Contact takes the Role Playing Game genre in an entirely new direction, combining cutting-edge real-time RPG action with an involving and surprising plot. Adding in a helping of enigmatic characterisation and startling self-awareness, Contact fulfils a unique role on a similarly unique platform whilst utilising all that the Nintendo DS has to offer.    


    Full and intuitive touchscreen controls blend with extensive equipment and character progression features whilst both screens are used throughout – one for the action and one to provide a constant link with the game’s enigmatic prime mover, the ever-present Professor. With a leisurely Wi-Fi island dedicated to multiplayer adventuring rounding off the exhaustive list of features, Contact provides a role-playing package that few can match.


    266
    NWR Forums Discord / The case against 'The case' threads
    « on: October 21, 2006, 03:43:40 PM »
    What the hell?

    srsly.

    267
    TalkBack / Nintendo Reveals Japanese Accessories
    « on: October 11, 2006, 06:25:10 AM »
    Japanese price and launch details were revealed for several accessories, including the LAN adapter!

    At a recent press conference in Japan, Nintendo revealed several important details regarding Wii accessories.  The information is summarized below.  All of them will be out on Japanese launch except for the LAN adapter, which will be out sometime in the first month.    


                                                             
    AC Adapter
      JP Release: December 2, 2006
      JP Sale Price: 3,000 Yen
    AV Cable
      JP Release: December 2, 2006
      JP Sale Price: 1,000 Yen
    S Video Cable
      JP Release: December 2, 2006
      JP Sale Price: 2,500 Yen
    D Terminal Cable
      JP Release: December 2, 2006
      JP Sale Price: 2,500 Yen
    Component Cable
      JP Release: December 2, 2006
      JP Sale Price: 2,500 Yen
    SD Memory Card (512 MB)
      JP Release: December 2, 2006
      JP Sale Price: 3,800 Yen
    LAN Adapter
      JP Release: December, 2006
      JP Sale Price: 2,800 Yen


    268
    TalkBack / REVIEWS: Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2
    « on: October 11, 2006, 05:20:03 AM »
    A good fall release for the GameCube?  Believe it!

    The Clash of Ninja series has already experienced a large amount of success in Japan, where it is known as Gekitou Ninja Taisen!  Many fans of the series went ahead and imported it a while ago.  Planet GameCube also published reviews of this title, the third game, and the fourth game in the series.  I didn't get into the series until it debuted in English on Cartoon Network.  I haven't watched the Japanese version of the anime at all.  How does this game feel to a true fan of the English version of the anime?  It's a lot of fun.    


    Underneath the Naruto license is a solid 3D fighting engine.  Interestingly, the control stick works as it would in a 2D fighter.  Because 'up' makes your character jump and 'down' is used to make your character attack low, the stick can't be used to move in the 3D space.  Instead, the L and R buttons work to sidestep in the arena.  This action of sidestepping is used frequently to counter attacks by an opponent, which, along with defensive moves in general, plays an incredibly important role in this game.  Matches between skilled opponents often come down to who breaks defenses first and executes a devastating combo.  Besides sidestepping, characters will also block when the controller is idle.  When playing against rookies, you can actually set the controller down and laugh at them while your character blocks everything they dish out.    


    Special moves are facilitated by a chakra meter that fills up as you attack others or get attacked.  There are two main levels, half filled and completely filled.  As long as it is at least halfway filled, you can perform a substitution jutsu.  This is done by pushing the L or R button while being attacked.  Instead of sidestepping, your character will disappear and reappear behind your opponent with an attack.  The move is essential for breaking combos as it works even when your character is being juggled in the air.  Using it completely empties your chakra meter regardless of how full it was.  Therefore, you have to avoid using the substitution jutsu if you are trying to fill your meter up.  This makes the button choice somewhat frustrating, as a poorly timed sidestep attempt could result in an empty chakra meter.  Having a full chakra meter allows you to hit the X button and perform that character’s special attacks.  These attacks play out as cut scenes that represent each individual's special talents from the series.    


    There are several single player modes in the game, but each revolves around the same match style.  In story mode matches are separated by rather lame audio based cut scenes.  Standard mode has you fighting a set list of opponents while going for the highest score possible.  Timed mode goes through the same list of opponents, only now you try and defeat them as fast as possible.  Survival mode has you fighting one-round matches for as long as possible.  Your health is not replenished completely between matches.  All of these modes offer some variety, but they are all essentially the same thing.  Luckily, there are a few unlockable modes that change things up a bit.    


    Like any good fighter should, Clash of Ninja 2 supports two player fights.  Unlike most other games in the genre though, it also supports four player fights.  This is facilitated by a targeting system.  Each character in the fight has an arrow at his feet that points toward the person he is fighting.  Pressing the Z button switches to another target.  While this works well given the engine, it can cause players to get pummeled from behind by a player they aren’t targeting.  It is very hard to switch targets and counter the attack.  During the fight, the camera dynamically zooms in a similar fashion to Super Smash Bros. Melee.  The need to follow more than just two characters can often confuse what is left and right on the control stick.  This can cause characters to react unexpectedly when trying to move them on the screen.  Those slight issues aside, the multiplayer is still a riot to play, especially when each person involved is a fan of the series.    


    The game sports plenty of unlockable content as well.  New features, characters, etc. can be purchased from a shop for money.  This money is earned in every mode in the game.  As long as you enjoy the game, you will make the money you need to unlock all of the interesting things.    


    The game features bright cel-shaded graphics.  Backgrounds are mostly beautiful and atmospheric.  Subtle animations like falling cherry blossoms really add to the ninja feel of the title.  Characters look good, but the outlines disappear when looking at them from some angles.  These flaws are easily made up for by the near perfect animations.  One of the charms of the series is that each character has their own ninja style.  The animators for the game carried this feel over flawlessly.    


    Love it or hate it, the audio quality is identical to that of the series.  Each voice actor recorded dozens of sound clips.  Characters react differently depending on who they are fighting.  Personalities match the anime perfectly.  Everything would be great if the characters didn’t say the exact same thing every time they do a substitution jutsu.  If I have to hear Naruto say “Over here!" one more time, I may scream.    


    Overall the game is a ton of fun and it is hitting the Cube at a time when there isn’t much competition.  Fans of fighters, Naruto, or both should really think about picking it up.  With the Cube down to its last month of active releases, the highly rated Japanese sequels may never see the light of day in North America.  Don’t let this one go.

    Pros:
           

  • It feels just like the anime series  
  • It has a strong engine that will keep fans of the genre coming back  
  • The character animations are great

           Cons:
           
  • Controls in four player fights can get confusing  
  • Certain voice recordings are overused in fights  
  • I’m always using a substitution jutsu when I really just want to sidestep

                   Graphics:  8.0
           The game doesn’t feature the best cel-shading ever, but it is far from the worst.  The atmosphere and animations are top notch.

                   Sound:  9.0
           All of the English voices are there, and the music is great.  It really sounds like the anime.

                   Control:  7.5
           The engine takes some chances by adding the four player mode.  The controls aren’t perfect, but they work well enough to have fun.

                          Gameplay:  7.5
           Fans of the series will play the game for hours.  Fighting fans will likely do the same.

     


           Lastability:  8.5
           Plenty of unlockable content keeps rewarding players.  Even if there weren’t rewards, players would still keep playing it.  It’s just that fun.

     


           Final:  7.5
           While not the best fighter to hit the GameCube, it’s hard to find a reason not to pick this game up to tide you over until Wii.      


  • 269
    TalkBack / Dora the Explorer: Dora's World Adventure is Out Now!
    « on: October 10, 2006, 08:06:37 AM »
    Help Dora save International Friendship Day!

    Global Star Software Announces Dora the Explorer: Dora’s World Adventure! Video Game Now Available at Major Retailers in North America    


    Title Based on Nickelodeon DVD Release and Television Event Comes to the Game Boy® Advance
       


    NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global Star Software, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), today announced that Dora the Explorer™: Dora’s World Adventure! for Game Boy® Advance is available at major retailers in North America. The game creates a new interactive experience based on the Dora The Explorer World Adventure! October DVD release and hour-long primetime television special airing next month on Nickelodeon, the number-one-rated basic cable network. Fans of the award-winning preschool series can interact with Dora and her pal Swiper as they travel around the world to save International Friendship Day.    


    “We’re excited to launch our newest Dora video game in conjunction with this major Nickelodeon media and product initiative," said Steve Lux, vice president of publishing for Global Star Software. “We’re joining a world-class lineup of manufacturers, including Fisher Price, Random House Books and Nick Records, in bringing Dora’s World Adventure! products to retail this holiday season."    


    In the game, players team up with Dora and Swiper to return the Friendship Bracelets that Swiper swiped in France, Tanzania, Russia and China! As they journey from Mt. Kilimanjaro to the Eiffel Tower to the Great Wall of China, they meet new friends from around the world along the way.    


    “We worked closely with our partners at Global Star to ensure Dora’s World Adventure! for Game Boy Advance was the perfect interactive companion to our DVD and on-air movie," said Paul Jelinek, vice president, digital media products of Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. “From Dora’s actual voice in the game to learning to say ‘hello’ in four languages, Dora’s World Adventure! has something for Dora fans of all ages."    


    The Dora The Explorer World Adventure! DVD will be released on October 10, followed by the primetime television special, Dora’s World Adventure on Sunday November 19 from 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. The video game promotion will be included in “Stuff Ads" created by Nickelodeon, radio and online ads, in-pack in Nick Jr. fall release DVD’s, and in co-promotions with other manufacturers. The game will also be featured in the 2006 Toy Industry Association Toy Wishes Holiday Preview.    


    Dora the Explorer: Dora’s World Adventure! has a suggested retail price of $19.99. It was developed by Black Lantern Studios, Inc. and is rated E for everyone. For more information please visit www.globalstarsoftware.com.


    270
    TalkBack / Heatseeker Coming to Wii Next March
    « on: October 05, 2006, 10:23:36 AM »
    Codemasters announces a new Wii flight game.

    CODEMASTERS ANNOUNCES HEATSEEKER, AN EXPLOSIVE 21ST CENTURY MILITARY AERIAL COMBAT EXTRAVAGANZA.    


    Putting players in the pilot's seat, Heatseeker offers blow-you-away modern military air combat.
       


    Los Angeles (October 5, 2006) ­ Delivering the fiercest collection of modern military jet fighters, Codemasters today announced Heatseeker, an original title that's set to be the most explosive, destructive and exhilarating arcade aerial combat experience ever. On target for take off in Q1 2007, Heatseeker will lead its attack on Wii, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.    


    Designed to be an incredible lock-on/shake-off experience, Heatseeker reinvents missile combat to give gamers a massive rush of destruction. Set to feature an incredible collection of current and near-future military fighter jets, Heatseeker's arsenal includes the stealthy F-22Raptor, the classic F-15 Eagle, the cutting-edge F35® Lightening II®, and the aerodynamically advanced Russian SU-47 Berkut.    


    "If you like fast and furious action, and blowing everything in sight to bits, then Heatseeker is a dream come true," said Andrew Wensley, senior  producer for Heatseeker at Codemasters. "Expect the greatest military aircraft armed to the teeth with the latest hardware, big explosions, great smoke trails, and gung-ho heroics."    


    Heatseeker is a joint development project between Codemasters and IR Gurus, the Australian studio behind the acclaimed historic air combat title, Heroes of the Pacific.    


    "The Heroes air combat engine is being advanced and getting armed to the teeth with the latest military hardware," said Ben Palmer, executive producer, IR Gurus. "It's set in a realistic now-time world, that's cohesive and believable, but the speed of play will feel like lightening."    


    Heatseeker will strap players into the pilot's seat and deliver an exhilarating white-knuckle ride that'll have them clutching the joypad as  they engage in face-melting 6G turns and fight against a seemingly-impossible amount of airborne enemies. And when gamers launch a strike, they will follow their missiles as they ruthlessly hone in on their targets via the Impact Cam. Delivering awesome cinematic 3rd-person camera cutaway scenes, the Impact Cam will reveal the results of attacks in all their devastating glory from all kinds of dynamic angles, complete with jaw-dropping explosions and smoke trails.    


    With missions across the U.S., down to the Caribbean, across Antarctica and into the Far East, it'll be high-velocity combat all the way that'll see players constantly switching from predator to prey as an enemy missiles lock on.    


    Throughout the game's campaigns, players will be proving their right to fly with the best. Are they good enough to advance ahead of their fellow pilots and stay top? Can they throw their aircraft to the floor, twist and turn, and punch out counter measures as they pull as many Gs as necessary to out-manuever the missile? Basically, are players good enough to stay alive?    


    Putting players right in the center of the action, Heatseeker will deliver the latest fighters, current conflicts, black ops, grey and white missions and a constant stream of macho military radio traffic to build the atmosphere.  Heatseeker will launch Q1 2007 for Wii, PlayStation®2 system and the PSP® system. Aspiring fighter pilots can sign up for additional and exclusive briefings online at www.codemasters.com/heatseeker.


    271
    TalkBack / Catch a Mew Tomorrow at Toys 'R' Us!
    « on: September 29, 2006, 04:19:50 AM »
    Bring a GBA with your favorite Pokemon game to your local Toys 'R' Us and they will trade you a Mew.

    To celebrate the release of the new Pokemon movie 'Lucario and the Mystery of Mew', Nintendo and Toys 'R' Us teamed up to hold a special event at Toys 'R' Us stores across the US.  The event takes place between noon and 3pm tomorrow, September 30th.    


    In order to receive your Mew, make sure you bring a Game Boy Advance or Game Boy Advance SP (Game Boy Micros will probably not work) with a copy of one of the following Pokemon games.  

     It seems as though it will work like a traditional Pokemon trade using the Game Boy Advance Link Cable.  Therefore you must have a Pokemon you are willing to lose in your party at the time of the trade (You better go catch a magikarp!).  Also, make sure your game is saved at the top floor of a Pokemon center to save time.    


    If you want to get Mew on your Pokemon Emerald game, you must have the National Pokedex, which you receive after beating the Elite Four.    


    This is one of the rare opportunities to get Mew legitimately in the US.  Don't miss it!


    272
    TalkBack / Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 Comes Out Today
    « on: September 26, 2006, 09:15:58 AM »
    If I were you, I would think strongly about regarding this as a fact.

    NARUTO MANIA IS ABOUT TO DOUBLE!    


    TOMY AND D3PUBLISHER OF AMERICA ANNOUNCE THE RELEASE OF NARUTO™: CLASH OF NINJA™ 2 - BELIEVE IT!    


    Next up - NARUTO™: Ninja Council™ 2 For Game Boy® Advance October 10th!
       


    LOS ANGELES – September 26, 2006 – Twice the size of the first game with double the number of characters, NARUTO mania is expected to increase exponentially as TOMY Corporation and D3Publisher of America, Inc. (D3PA) today announced the release of NARUTO: Clash of Ninja 2 for Nintendo GameCube™ – Believe it! The sequel to the smash hit NARUTO: Clash of Ninja follows the storyline of VIZ Media’s hit anime series SHONEN JUMP NARUTO and will feature more playable characters, new locations and added gameplay features including multiplayer modes for up to four players. Also scheduled for release on October 10th is NARUTO: Ninja Council 2 for Game Boy® Advance from TOMY Corporation and D3PA.    


    “We are at the point where you can legitimately consider NARUTO a bonafide phenomenon," said Masaru Tomiyama, president, TOMY Corporation. The show has been tremendously successful on Cartoon Network and with numerous consumer products now available, NARUTO mania is sweeping North America. “In 2007, as new platforms emerge, we look forward to releasing more NARUTO video games for Nintendo systems as we continue our partnership with D3PA."    


    “In only our second full year as a publisher in North America, D3PA has experienced incredible growth and one of the contributors to our success has been the overwhelming response to NARUTO games for the Nintendo systems," said Yoji Takenaka, executive vice president and chief operating officer, D3PA. “NARUTO: Clash of Ninja has consistently ranked in the top 5 games for the Nintendo GameCube at retail in North America, according to the NPD Group, since it shipped in March of 2006 and we look to continue this successful partnership with TOMY with new releases in 2007."    


    Developed exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube by 8ing, NARUTO: Clash of Ninja 2 will offer gamers non-stop ninja style combat action for 1-4 players in which gamers may choose to play as one of 23 total available characters. All-new multi-player modes will engage players in frantic simultaneous four player battles and single-player modes will offer more gameplay choices than before with survival and timed attack modes that allow players to showcase their taijutsu and special jutsu abilities.    


    NARUTO takes place in a world where ninja hold the ultimate power. Infused with the spirit of a once fearsome Nine-Tailed Fox, Naruto Uzumaki is a ninja-in-training who is learning the art of Ninjutsu with his classmates Sakura and Sasuke. The trio studies under the instruction of their teacher Kakashi, who helps the group face dangerous and daunting tests and challenges. Through their adventures, the young ninja learn the importance of friendship, teamwork, loyalty, hard work, creativity, ingenuity, and right versus wrong.


    273
    TalkBack / REVIEWS: Mario Hoops 3-on-3
    « on: September 25, 2006, 08:05:45 AM »
    Square Enix does sports and comes out ahead.

    When Mario Hoops was first announced, many people scratched their heads.  Why would Square Enix make a Mario Sports title?  The result is a very entertaining title with the level of polish that Square Enix is known for.    


    Mario Hoops is one of the best looking DS games to date.  Character models are detailed and well designed.  Animations are different for almost every character.  Everything looks great.  The visuals only come up short in one spot, and it's an execution issue.  The game includes an exciting multi-angle replay system after great plays.  The only problem is they usually look less like a game and more like a slam dunk competition.  For some reason every character and item but the player with the ball gets removed from the picture.  Mario could unleash a huge dunk right in the face of Luigi, and the replay would make it look like he was all alone on a break away.    


    The single player modes are consistent with most of the Mario Sports titles.  There is a series of tournaments to compete in, ranging from Mushroom Cup to Rainbow Cup.  Difficulty ranges from stupidly easy to almost impossible and ramps up between the two fairly evenly.  Consistent with how Square Enix makes most of their games, Mario Hoops may just be the hardest Mario sports game yet.  The tournaments themselves are either three or four rounds.  If you lose at any level, you are free to try again without starting the entire tournament over, but you can't select new characters.    


    Besides the tournament mode, you can also play exhibition games, compete in dribble races, practice each player's special shot, or run through some tutorials.  The tutorials do a great job of explaining the rather complicated gesture-based controls.  Gestures are used for most everything, including passing, shooting, stealing, and spin moves.  The scheme works most of the time but has its problems.  Spin moves can turn into throwing the ball in the back court.  Pass attempts can often turn into shots.  The dribbling possibilities make up for some of this though.  This is the first basketball game I've played where how you dribble the ball can drastically affect your opponents' ability to steal it from you.  Where you tap the screen directly translates to where your character dribbles.  This can be used to power dribble away from your opponent while standing still, or crossing over while running up the court.  If the ball isn't near your opponent when he tries to steal it, he won't be successful.  It really feels like the next best thing to actually dribbling a ball.    


    The best part of every Mario sports title is the multiplayer.  Mario Hoops comes up a little short here.  The amount of effort put into things like your personal profile makes it seem like there were bigger plans for this title.  There is even a feature you can turn on while playing the single player mode that searches for other players over local Wi Fi.  It's hard to figure out why such a cool feature would be included if you can't play the game online.  They didn't even take local multiplayer as far as most would like.  There is a single-card mode, but it doesn't include an actual game of basketball.  With one game card you can play either dribble race or coin hunter.  Dribble race is the same mini-game as in the single player mode.  Players race to collect 100 coins as fast as possible.  This is about as exciting as it sounds.  It's fun the first one or two times you do it, then it gets boring.  Coin Hunter is a little bit better.  This mode has nothing to do with basketball.  Instead, players run around collecting items and attacking their opponents.  It's an interesting change of pace and can be entertaining.  Most people buy a basketball game to play basketball, though.    


    When two people each have a copy of the game, you can actually play basketball together.  The games can get very competitive, and it does a good job of tracking personal records.  Players can even choose what their basketball looks like.  As fun as multiplayer is, I have to wonder why you can only play against one other person.  “3 on 3" is in the title.  It would be nice to take part in some six player games.    


    It's hard not to fault such an otherwise entertaining game for the lack of strong multiplayer support.  This game could easily be better if it were online and supported six players.  It almost seems as if it was planned all along, but the developers ran into a problem at some point and had to drop those features.  Still, Mario Hoops is an innovative adaptation of the sport, and the multiplayer is worth trying, even with just two players.

    Pros:
           

  • Amazing visuals  
  • Dribbling controls are perfect.  
  • It's a great basketball title with an arcade feel

           Cons:
           
  • Controls can be inconsistent.  
  • Why can't we see other players on replays?  
  • So much more could have been done with the multiplayer modes.

                   Graphics:  9.5
           Mario Hoops is one of the best looking DS titles yet.  The only fault comes in some execution issues with replays.

                   Sound:  8.0
           Sound effects are strong, and the music is good.

                   Control:  7.5
           The best dribbling controls ever are brought down by some other issues.  The stylus doesn't do everything well.

                          Gameplay:  9.0
           The single player mode is great and the difficulty level is balanced.  This one will stay in the DS for quite a while.

     


           Lastability:  8.0
           There are tons of unlockables and some entertaining multiplayer modes.  If only it supported more players and was online.

     


           Final:  8.0
           It is a very solid package that could have been a lot better.  It's hard to fault a game for what's not there when what is there is so much fun.      


  • 274
    TalkBack / REVIEWS: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
    « on: September 24, 2006, 09:23:20 AM »
    Is it a good game or another boring spin-off?

    Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is actually the latest entry in Chunsoft's Mysterious Dungeon series, which has been involved in other game universes such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.  At their core, the games are randomly generated dungeon crawlers.    


    The game starts out great.  It asks the player a series of completely random questions.  Many of them are incredibly entertaining.  For example, when asked about about how patient I was, one of the possible responses was something along the lines of “I didn't actually read any of this because I'm just tapping the A button."  After you finish answering the questions, the game chooses the Pokemon that you will play as.  At this point I was incredibly engrossed in the game.  I couldn't wait to keep playing.    


    The game begins as you and your chosen partner start a rescue team.  You receive tasks either through the mail or from a bulletin board.  Each of these tasks takes place in one of several areas.  The areas have multiple floors and have a different floor plan every time you enter.  You can bring a group along with you, and for most of the game this will be you, your friend, and one member from your rescue squad.  Within the dungeon, the game plays like a turn-based strategy game.  Each action you perform allows your opponents to perform a similar action.  Those actions include moving, using an item, throwing an item, using one of the Pokemon's four moves, or just plain attacking.    


    Your partners are mostly controlled by an AI that you have some influence over.  You can change their tactics between things like "Stick With Me" and "Attack Enemies".  You can also feed them Gummis, which will increase their IQ.  As their IQ goes up, they will learn new IQ moves that you can turn on and off to further customize how they act.  This feature works somewhat well.  The most frustrating part about their AI is that if you leave the area that they are in, they get incredibly confused.  They seem to pick a random direction and go that way, hoping to find you eventually.  They will often run into a group of enemies that tear through them.  So much for your partners.    


    A general dungeon run (which is 95% of the game) is about as painfully boring as can be.  My Pokemon often ended up with nicknames like "ThisSucks" or "Ugh".  The worst of the missions involve searching for a specific item in a dungeon.  There is a time limit for every dungeon that is disguised as your hunger level.  You can increase this by regularly eating food of some sort.  If your hunger reaches zero, every step you take subtracts a hit point until you die.  In order to give yourself enough time to find the items, you have to fill your inventory with food of some sort.  This leads to you spending all of your money on boring consumables.  So much for buying the latest TMs or IQ enhancers.  Other missions include actually rescuing Pokemon or escorting Pokemon to a certain floor.  While better than the "find an item" missions, they still leave a lot to be desired.    


    The incorporation of the Pokemon universe is flawed as well.  Evolution, one of the most dynamic features of other Pokemon games, is completely botched in this game.  Don't let yourself get excited when your Squirtle reaches level 16.  He won't be evolving until almost the end of the game, and even then, it is only a visual change.  The statistics remain the same.  Move sets are included in the same way as the other games.  You can have a maximum of four moves at any time.  Learning new moves requires forgetting old ones.  The problem here is that PP are still required for each move.  That means that you can only perform a move a certain amount of times per dungeon trip.  The nature of the game throws enemy after enemy at you.  If you used your moves, you would run out of PP in no time.  To combat this, the developers added a normal attack that doesn't have a limit associated with it.  I want to use Fire Spin on all the enemies, not just poke them.  Too bad I need to save the precious PP for the end boss.    


    I am a huge Pokemon fan.  I really enjoyed this game at E3 and I was looking forward to reviewing it.  Too bad it came up short in almost every way.  All of the benefits of level grinding found in the classic Pokemon games are either removed or cheapened in this title.  Without anything to look forward to, it's hard to deal with the monotony of the dungeons.  I can't wait to play Diamond and Pearl so I can get this bad taste out of my mouth.

    Pros:
           

  • Answering the questions in the beginning is a lot of fun.  
  • It's just a spin-off and not a new direction for the series.

           Cons:
           
  • Painfully boring dungeons.  
  • Messed up evolution system.  
  • Barely ever get to use the real Pokemon moves.

                   Graphics:  5.0
           The sprites are colorful and fun, but you can tell this is essentially a port of a GBA engine.

                   Sound:  7.0
           The music is cheerful and atmospheric but can be repetitive.

                   Control:  8.5
           Using the touch screen stinks.  Thankfully you can use the buttons as well, and they work great.

                          Gameplay:  3.0
           Boring. Boring. Boring.  Dungeon crawling gets old fast.

     


           Lastability:  9.0
           If you actually enjoy the game you'll want to catch them all.  Most of the Pokemon can join your rescue squad.

     


           Final:  5.5
           Slapping the Pokemon franchise on top of this boring dungeon crawler couldn't save it.  Pokemon fans should just wait for Diamond and Pearl.      


  • 275
    TalkBack / IMPRESSIONS: Mario Strikers Charged
    « on: September 18, 2006, 03:00:46 PM »
    Didn't this game come out already?

    I got some time in with Mario Strikers Charged at the Wii event last week.  The first thing anyone will notice about the game is that it looks exactly the same as the GameCube version.  It has to be almost a direct engine port of the title.  The main portion of the game even controls the same way.  Upon reading the placard below the screen I discovered that if you shake the remote as you slide tackle it is supposed to make you hit harder.  I didn’t really notice any difference though.  As seen in the trailer you also use the pointer to block shots if and only if your opponent executes a charge shot against you.  This works effectively and it’s nice to actually control the goalie.  It would be nicer if they used it more though, as charge shots get harder and harder to pull off as the difficulty of your opponent goes up.    


    The main addition to the title, online multiplayer, was not shown in any form, so we will just have to take their word for it.  Most Strikers fans will tell you that that’s reason enough to pick up the sequel.  I just wish they'd do a little bit more.  If there was one bright spot to the demo, it proved that the nunchuck setup can be effective in a more traditional control scheme, as it felt just like the GameCube version.  With no release date announced, maybe the developers will add some more new things to the title in the coming months.


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