Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
Quote
Originally posted by: RocketDarkness
Ninjutsu was in Kirby Super Star. I think it was called ninja, but there's a good chance it's the same ability.
Quote
Originally posted by: pap64
THE GAME WAS AN EARLY E3 DEMO THAT WAS RUNNING ON VERY EARLY WII HARDWARE. GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULLS ALREADY.
At E3, there were a bunch of microgames playable, and all of them wouldn’t come up on a single play through. Here is a list of some of the wacky microgames I saw:
Most of the microgames were easy to complete, though rolling a ball into a small hole (like the cheap kids games using BBs) and balancing on a ball were a little tricky. After losing too many times or completing a certain number of games, the demo ended. WarioWare: Smooth Moves is sure to be a blast, especially at parties, and does require more physical activity than most of the games shown. Expect the extreme weirdness present in the previous WarioWare games to be found here.
The main game starts out in AiAi’s village, located on an island. There wasn’t a lot to do there at first, just roll around and talk to monkeys. I ran across an enemy, which spun around blocking a path. He eventually got dizzy, after which I was able to knock him out of the way. Next, I came across a set of portals, each with a stage that had to be completed in order to unlock a door. Each stage contained a Monkey Ball level, such as one where players must roll over hills. A more interesting stage had the monkey rolling down several platforms in order to reach the goal. The adventure mode was somewhat tedious, though I suppose a long adventure game can’t be fully appreciated in a short preview session.
The game features minigames, just like its predecessors. Many of these games are modifications of previous games, such as Monkey Boxing and Monkey Target. Unfortunately, these modes actually ended up making the overall experience worse. I realize that the game is not complete yet, but I have never experienced such abysmal loading times in a GameCube game. After taking what seemed like forever to load, the animated “Loading" logo actually froze, and took quite a while longer to complete loading. Even worse, after the completion of each minigame, the loading process started all over.
Super Monkey Ball Adventures serves as a reminder that outsourcing games is not always a good idea. While the original Monkey Ball games were developed by Amusement Vision, this game by Traveller’s Tales continues the latter company’s tradition of diluting a good Sega franchise. I only hope that the game improves significantly before its final release.
Virtual Console was also the only Wii station on the show floor to feature the classic controller. All of the games controlled well on the controller. The controller’s layout matched the layout of the PlayStation DualShock, with the exception of the shoulder buttons. The prototype controller featured only one fingertip shoulder button for Z, rather than the two shown in press photos and on display. Additionally, a mysterious clipping mechanism was on the back of the controller. The booth attendant was eager to point out this clip, yet when asked was it was for, he would smirk, “It’s a secret." Neither the controller or Virtual Console interface are finalized at this time. The attendant did confirm that the classic controller would not be packed in with the Wii system, claiming that Nintendo felt that not enough people had broadband so they would not benefit from owning the controller since they could not download classic games. This attendant also made it known that the Virtual Console demos were in fact running on Wii dev kits, not the actual Wii systems. Technical details such as whether Virtual Console games will run locally or remotely are not finalized.
While everything is still preliminary, it was nice to test out early ideas of how Virtual Console will work. Hopefully, the controller clip will make more sense in the future, and the other trigger will be added in order for compatibility with other games. Details on the pricing structure will also be a major deciding factor in the success of the system.
I felt that Zelda had the worst controls of any of the Wii games that I played. While not totally broken, the controls were unintuitive and often confusing. For example, unlike the demo shown at the press conference, arrows are not shot by pulling the remote from the nunchuck. Instead targeting is performed by the remote, and arrows are shot by pressing and releasing the A button. The hookshot worked in the same manner. Targeting, as most of the games shown at E3, was very sensitive. Movement was controlled with the control stick. Item switching was done by pressing the appropriate direction on the D-pad. The inventory was one of the more annoying things to activate, and the remote had to target a small icon in the corner of the screen marked inventory. The positioning of the D-pad relative to the A button makes switching between them somewhat uncomfortable. The B trigger was used for sword slashing, yet special sword moves were performed by jerking the nunchuck attachment. Overall, button assignment felt haphazard and hard to remember, being split across the two hands. It is my hope that these controls will be modified before the final release. Otherwise, I’ll probably stick to the standard controller.
The actual demo took Link through an obstacle course of sorts, allowing players to test out the various controls and items, including the newly introduced electromagnetic boots. After this, a short dungeon was presented, at the end of which players finally had a chance to battle against the Balrog-like creature shown in previous Zelda trailers. The boss battle was pretty interesting as it required players to use several techniques in sequence. First the head of the monster had to be shot by an arrow. This would stun the creature so that it wouldn’t swipe Link with its chains. Next, Link had to go behind the monster and grab his chains. However, Link isn’t strong enough to pull the chains by himself and must use the metal boots to give himself enough traction. Pulling the chains caused the enemy to fall down, after which Link had to attack his head using his sword. Once this sequence was completed twice, the demo was completed.
The graphics were no different than the GameCube game, which means that they were very nice for a GameCube game, but nothing to write home about in comparison to a next gen game. The game, as all of the other Wii games, was running in 480p widescreen mode, which is sure to please a lot of people. Nintendo still hasn’t shown us a lot of what the game will entail, mostly focusing on how the game will be played. Judging from the trailers, Twilight Princess is sure to be an amazing game. Just don’t expect the Wii controls to add too much to the experience.
As this was a demo created solely for E3, the planets were very small and most were devoid of items or life. The demo focused mostly on exploring the control of Mario and the gravitational effects of the planetoids. The atmosphere felt somewhere between Mario and Kirby games, as well as including several Zelda elements.
The controls reacted smoothly, with the analog stick moving Mario and the A button being used for jump. The Wii remote controlled a little “shooting star," which could interact with Mario and the environment. The star acted like a mouse pointer while a long trail (which you may see blurring across the screen in videos). The pointer could be used in conjunction with the B trigger to grab items on screen such as sticky “trees," which appeared similar to ones used in Zelda: Minish Cap, which were used to jump from one area to the next. The pointer was also used to spin Mario on star platforms, which launch Mario between planets, and to chain “gravity" stars which guide Mario between planets while he is floating in a bubble. In addition, the pointer could interact with enemy objects, clearing the way for Mario and to collect star shards, which Mario could pick up.
Since the entire surface of the planets can be traversed, bottomless pits as a way of dying are nearly absent. However, one planet featured in the demo was filled with holes and had a black hole at its center, which would cost the player a life if fallen into. Other blackholes and enemies provided other means of destruction.
Several classic Mario enemies such as Goombas, Bullet Bills and Pokeys appeared. The Bullet Bills homed in on Mario and this fact could be used to guide them into obstacles in order to gain access to certain locations. Several alien-like enemies were also present, some of which were reminiscent of the Deku Scrubs from the Zelda series. These enemies shot balls that had to be deflected and returned by spinning Mario. Various star-hatted Toads were also present along the way and gave advice on how to use the controls. There were plenty of coins and other collectables as well as space rabbits.
Several of the planets had two main sides, each with a different theme. Mario could simply run over the edge of one side and the camera would flip so that Mario would appear right-side-up on the other side. Not only planets filled the Mario galaxy. Doom ships, rocket ships, and asteroids of various shapes also filled the space. A Starman pattern could be seen on the large planet below. While each planetoid had a different theme, some were more interesting than others. One even appeared to be encased in a snow globe.
There were three main paths in the E3 demo, each leading to a different boss. One boss was a giant octopus that lived in a pool of lava. This boss shot multiple rocks at Mario, which had to be deflected several times in a manner similar to Shadow Ganon from the Zelda series. The second boss was a three-legged mechanical monster with an insect-like head. Mario had to climb up one of the legs to the head where Bullets Bills are fired. A Bill must be guided into a light at the top of the head in order to kill the boss.
After defeating each boss, a Star appeared and upon collection the classic Mario castle completion music played with the text “You Got a Star" (no “Star Get" this time). The camera, while not perfect, was much better than the previous 3D Mario games. Camera control was automatic, as there is no C-stick available to change the view. In the rare cases where Mario was obscured, his outline appeared on the other side of the solid object, so that he would not get lost.
Super Mario Galaxy played well, though as of right now there is a question of how useful the star pointer is, and whether that just makes the game more confusing. That said, the game was one of the more enjoyable Wii games at E3, and being a flagship Mario title, should be excellent when it’s finally released.
No damage is received upon crashing. After a short view of the crash, a crashed vehicle is placed back on the track and players must quickly mash the 2 button in order to get running again. The D-pad is used while airborne to perform a rocket boost. While the controls are intuitive and excellent for allowing anyone to pick up and play the game, control was rather loose overall, which particularly makes me question a non-gamer’s ability to actually play the game much better than a standard racing game.
The graphics in Excite Truck are pretty ugly, and they remind me somewhat of the old Monster Truck Madness games. Two stages were available, a desert stage and an island stage.
I ran into some oddities while playing the game. At one point I managed to have a cactus embedded in the middle of my truck. I kept moving forward and eventually I was able to clear the cactus. Obviously there is some work left to do on collision detection.
While Excite Truck is a decent demonstration of how a racing game can work on Wii, the game itself isn’t particularly exciting due to its sub-par visuals and imperfect control.
The first game involved balancing Bomberman on a stick by moving the remote left and right while other characters threw objects at him. The second game had a volcano shooting fireballs from the background towards Bomberman. The remote was used as a targeting gun to shoot down the molten objects before they hit Bomberman. The final game had Bomberman skating forward through a tube. Within the tube there were several obstacles and walls that had to be avoided. Pressing A made Bomberman jump while tilting the remote made Bomberman skate to the left or right.
Bomberman’s graphics were basically at GameCube-level, though that didn’t really matter for a game such as this. As I found out from Hudson, Bomberman Land was a last minute addition to the Wii booth—Hudson didn’t realize that Nintendo wanted them to show it. While the game only featured minigames, the final version is supposed to include the classic Bomberman game.
I foresee Wii having a lot of minigame collections. For better or worse, the games on the show floor, including this one, seem to indicate that the controller is better suited for controlling short simple games that anyone can pick up more than the traditional set of games. Bomberman Land has a way to go before it can join the ranks of Wario Ware or Super Monkey Ball, but the potential is there.
The only oddity, and one that I can see becoming a minor problem, is that Banana Blitz’s controls were significantly less sensitive than the other Wii games at the show. The controller had to be torqued quite a bit in order to tilt the stages, whereas other games reacted to the slightest movement. This wasn’t a bad thing, once you got used to it, but it might be an annoyance when people switch between games. Those with precise control may find Banana Blitz more easily controllable than its GameCube predecessors simply because the control makes perfect sense. Its colorful graphics, while not totally astounding, were still very nicely done and fitting for the game.
Two levels of difficulty were available in the E3 demo, easy and normal. Easy mode’s levels were pretty straightforward Monkey Ball levels, while normal mode was more difficult and made more use of the new jump command. At the end of the demo, a boss battle ensued against a giant pirate monkey. The pirate rotated his hook around the circular arena in an attempt to knock the monkey ball off of the stage. To damage the pirate, his bare butt had to be attacked by jumping into it. The pirate’s hook could be avoided by jumping, though it was a little tricky to avoid being bounced off while tilting the remote.
The game also featured over a dozen multiplayer minigames, which are likely to be even more fun with the Wii controller than the ones featured in the previous games. These games were somewhat of a cross between classic Monkey Ball minigames and the Wii Sports games, with many inspired by various sports and using the remote in a manner intuitive to each game. Hovercraft, hurdle jumping, shot put, and target shooting were some of the many minigames available.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz was one of the most fun third-party Wii games available for play, and is sure to please previous Monkey Ball fans and possibly pick up some new ones with its new control scheme.
Other than the inclusion of his stomach, Kirby DS looks and plays much like the Game Boy Advance versions of Kirby, which isn’t a bad thing. The backgrounds are gorgeous and the characters retain their Kirby charm. At least one power not seen recently makes its return in this game, Ninja. While the game doesn’t even have a name yet, the demo was quite polished and fun, and it will be interesting to see how Kirby’s stomach will come into play when the game is released.
Mario Hoops’ camera faces down the court like many 3D basketball games, rather than from the side like most 2D games. This view makes the most sense given the stylus controls. Dribbling, passing, and shooting motions make more sense this way. Running is controlled via the D-pad. Dribbling is performed by tapping the screen, mimicking a real basketball. However, this is only required to dribble faster in order to set up for more spectacular shots and prevent opposing players from stealing the ball. Your characters dribble by default without any input. Once you understand the controls, actions like passing become very intuitive; drag the stylus in the direction of the player you wish to pass to. Shooting is performed by dragging the stylus upward. NBA Jam-style steals (i.e. no fouls) are performed by dragging down with the stylus while in front of an opposing player while drags in the other three main directions will direct your player to block in that direction. The L button is used to switch between team members.
If you are still apprehensive about the game’s control, don’t worry. A Nintendo representative told me that two other control schemes will be added before the game’s release: a left-handed version of the stylus controls, and non-stylus controls. Thus, you will be able to play the game in a more standard manner if you wish.
The game’s scoring system is nothing like traditional basketball, and is instead based on style and collection of coins. A standard shot nets 20 points, while fancier shots result in more points (up to a maximum of 120). These fancier shots can be performed by repeatedly tapping while up at the basket. These moves earn coins, which are added to the total score. More coins, as well as the obligatory Mario power-ups are scattered around the court in Super Mario Kart-style question blocks, which are activated by dribbling on top of them. Items such as mushrooms, shells, and banana peels have the basic attributes as they do in the Mario Kart games.
The E3 demo featured wireless multiplayer. As the name of the game suggests, each team has three players, chosen from a standard list of Mario sports game characters.
Mario Hoops is definitely a Mario take on the game of basketball, similar to the other sports games like Mario Tennis. Thus, if you are looking for a traditional sports game, look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a wacky sports-derived game featuring the M-capped plumber and company, this game is another fun addition to the Mario sports collection.
Many of the graphics seem ripped right from the original, though characters and scenery are even more colorful than the previous game. In other words, the graphics in the game appear hand drawn, though the newer graphics appear less crayon-like than in the original. The game uses both screens for gameplay, with the possibility of action occurring on both screens instead of something like a map screen occupying one of the screens. Focus can be shifted between the screens so that players can see further up or down the level.
The major new addition to the game is that you can carry babies other than Baby Mario. Baby Peach and Baby Donkey Kong can also be carried by Yoshi, one at a time. Each baby comes with its own set of special moves, and babies are switched at stork “bus stops," where a stork will bring one of the other babies and the player is given the option to switch the baby currently on Yoshi’s back with the new arrival. Mario allows Yoshi to run, as in the original, while Peach packs an umbrella, which used for floating. Baby Donkey Kong lets Yoshi perform a Mega Man X-like dash attack, and can grab vines to climb along the underside of platforms. Different babies are required to complete certain areas.
The E3 demo featured 3 levels. Just as in the original, 30 stars, 20 red coins, and 5 flowers must be collected in each level to obtain 100% completion. At least in the E3 version, red coins did not make their characteristic collection sound, making it more difficult to recognize their collection. Additionally, most of the other sound effects sounded out of place and left something to be desired. The after-stage bonus game appeared to be rigged so that you could never play it.
The first level featured standard Yoshi’s Island gameplay with plenty of Shy Guys and other classic enemies and showed off how Peach’s umbrella could be used to float up in the wind. In the second level, aptly titled “Mario’s Fleet Feet," a giant Tap-Tap chases Yoshi, destroying everything in its path. Mario’s running ability must be used in order to outrun the monster. After this a cave full of enemies must be cleared, and the middle part cleared quickly since successful exit depends on running over red switch blocks. The third level featured a castle setting, and began with rubbery enemies that swung down from above, rotating spike balls, and lava-inhabiting Blaargs. The final boss was a giant suspended blob covered in balls. Once all of the balls were cleared, the demo was completed.
Yoshi’s Island 2’s egg-shooting controls varied slightly from the originals, and only the trigger and shoot method was available. The press and release method was not in the demo, but will hopefully be added later. A or R could be used to active the targeting reticule and throw the egg while L or X locked the cursor.
The game is also very fluid and felt much smoother than the original. Others commented that Yoshi moved too fast, but I actually preferred this; it makes control in the original seem a little sluggish. Platforming fans, particularly Yoshi’s Island fans, will likely have another great game delivered to them soon.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 deviates significantly from its predecessor. Whereas the previous game was an action game with puzzle elements, this game is closer to a puzzle game with action elements. Perhaps most surprisingly, players do not control Mario in Mario vs. DK 2. In fact players don’t exactly control any character directly, instead using a point-and-click interface to interact with the environment and Mini-Marios. The game is quite similar to Lemmings in that you must guide the mindless Mini-Marios to the goal. Unlike Lemmings, the Mini-Marios start from various locations on the screen, can be stopped, and aren’t assigned different duties. There are several, but not a huge number on screen at once.
Gameplay takes place on the lower screen, while the upper screen holds information. View of the level can be shifted by touching yellow arrows near the border of the screen. Mini-Marios are directed by touching them with the stylus and dragging in the direction of desired movement. They can be directed to jump with an upward motion. Various objects on the screen can be touched, such as switches. Additionally, pink walls and floors can be “sucked" up by the stylus and redeposited in other locations denoted by dotted pink lines. Mini-Marios must avoid hazards like spikes and fire-spitting Piranha Plants. Enemies from other Mario games also make an appearance, such as Shy Guys. The Mini-Marios can wield a pair of hammers, which act like the hammer found in the original Donkey Kong. Other Mini characters, such as Mini-DK, can actually help the Mini-Marios on their journey by putting their toy functionality to use.
The E3 demo featured three worlds, with several levels in each world. At the end of each world, a battle is fought with Donkey Kong. These battles involve shooting Mini-Marios out of a cannon in order to attack Donkey Kong. Sometimes DK is attacked directly, and other times, the Mini-Marios must knock over other items, which then fall onto Donkey Kong and deal damage.
The art style of the game is significantly improved over its predecessor. Gone are the poorly rescaled prerendered images, and colorful outlined cel-shaded sprites make up most of the graphics. The backgrounds are somewhat reminiscent of Yoshi’s Story, and the overall the game appears polished.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 promises to be a fun little puzzle game, though those looking for a direct gameplay sequel to Mario vs. Donkey Kong will be disappointed. Since it is not an action game, the game’s pace is not particularly fast, though managing several Mini-Marios on the screen at once is likely to become frantic in later levels. Though not available at the show, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 will come with a level editor. Levels can be shared with other players through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, adding much replay value to the game.
Nintendo Becomes the World's First to Offer Standard Bluetooth Wireless Game Controllers and Integrated Wi-Fi in the Upcoming Wii Console
IRVINE, Calif., May 10, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that the Wii™ game console from Nintendo will include Broadcom® Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi® technologies. Featuring the first Bluetooth wireless game controller system to ship "in the box" with a leading game console, along with the first integrated Wi-Fi solution for online gaming, Nintendo's Wii demonstrates the industry's highest level of commitment by a game console manufacturer to deliver a robust, state-of-the-art wireless gaming experience.
"The Wii game console will take advantage of the most popular wireless technologies to deliver an advanced user experience that no other competitive console can match," said Genyo Takeda, Senior Managing Director, General Manager, Integrated Research & Development Division for Nintendo. "Broadcom's ability to supply and support custom features for both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi has enabled us to provide our customers with a unique gaming experience powered by high-performance, field-proven wireless solutions."
Gaming devices are among the increasingly diverse array of consumer electronics that integrate some form of advanced connectivity, which enables users to engage in dynamic online gaming while interacting with their game consoles in new and exciting ways. The new Wii console from Nintendo is at the forefront of this trend, integrating cutting-edge wireless capabilities that transform the gaming experience. Broadcom's extensive communications portfolio and experience in enabling wireless connectivity in mainstream consumer devices has contributed to the notion amongst equipment manufacturers that wireless connectivity can enable new categories of products.
"Nintendo's visionary approach to wireless connectivity provides a compelling illustration of how Bluetooth and Wi-Fi complement each other to provide a unique and convenient user experience," said Robert A. Rango, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom's Wireless Connectivity Group. "Broadcom's leadership and ability to add custom features to our standards-based Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technologies provide advantages to product developers seeking dual mode solutions that avoid interference, while delivering advanced performance and features that no other supplier can match."
Advanced Wireless Capabilities
The Wii console is the first major gaming platform on the market to introduce Bluetooth technology as a standard feature, eliminating the cables between the console, hand-held game controllers and other accessories. Broadcom Bluetooth technology used in the controllers significantly increases the level of performance in the game controller, with special enhancements that provide low latency to accommodate the fast rate of interaction between the controller and the console.
Nintendo further leveraged the versatility of Broadcom's highly-integrated Bluetooth solution to realize its vision of enabling new and intriguing ways for gamers to interact with their games, and to allow game developers to boldly exercise their creativity to deliver captivating new gaming experiences. Enhancements were made to ensure that the wireless controller system delivers the same reliable, low-latency responsiveness that gamers are accustomed to in wired controllers. In addition, Broadcom's Bluetooth chip solution features exceptionally low power consumption, maximizing battery life to simplify upkeep and maintenance.
The Wii console also includes Broadcom's single-chip 54g® Wi-Fi solution, which provides a high-performance wireless link for playing online or multi-player games. The console takes advantage of key features including Broadcom BroadRange™ technology, which allows users to maintain higher data rates further from the access point. Broadcom's family of 54g® chipsets deliver maximum performance, coverage, security and ease-of-use, and are featured in the industry's leading brands of networking equipment, PCs, broadband modems and consumer electronics.
Both Bluetooth and 802.11g Wi-Fi products operate in the 2.4 GHz radio frequency band, introducing the possibility of radio interference between the two radio signals. To address this concern, Nintendo drew upon Broadcom's extensive co-existence experience to optimize the wireless performance for optimal simultaneous throughput of both technologies, minimizing the possibility of radio signal collisions, blocking and other phenomena that could degrade the performance of either device.
The biggest news is that Hudson is completely committed to Wii Virtual Console and is planning to re-release 100 TurboGrafx-16 games (PC Engine in Japan). While the selection of games is currently undecided, it will certainly encompass all of Hudson’s major franchises. As a preview, Bonk’s Adventure was available for play in Nintendo’s booth at E3. Hudson is also working to bring TurboGrafx-16 third-party games to the Virtual Console. There is some difficulty since many of the developers and publishers of these games no longer exist, but they are working hard to track down the owners of the games in order to re-release them. The price of downloadable games is not currently finalized, though it is likely to mirror Xbox Live Arcade game prices. While franchises like Bonk and Bomberman are pretty much guaranteed to appear, the Ys series is also likely to appear. Many of the Hudson employees are big fans of the series, and it is a favorite of the president of the company. It is not currently clear how the Virtual Console will handle previously CD-based video games, but the company believes that they will make it work.
Konami’s buyout of Hudson last year had many concerned about the future of the company. However, operations have not changed at Hudson and they continue to develop their games independently, with financial support from Konami. Hudson was Nintendo’s first third-party developer, so we were curious whether it was Hudson or Nintendo that came up with the idea for TurboGrafx-16 games on the Virtual Console, though it was apparently Konami who mediated the deal.
In recent years, Hudson has focused primarily on the cell phone game market. With limited resources, it was not economically feasible to develop many console games. Hudson is continuing their cellphone development, including new games featuring old franchises. However, with their new financial backing, the company is simultaneously planning to return to the console business in full force. While it’s not likely that we will be seeing the Japan-only Hudson remakes of classic games that were released on GameCube, many new games are under development.
Hudson wasn’t originally intending to demo Bomberman Land, but Nintendo pushed them to show it at E3. While the E3 demo featured only mini games, the final version should include both minigames and the standard game. Bomberman Land for Nintendo DS is also under development and will feature mini-games that can be played over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
Hudson’s previously uncovered flight game for Wii is well into development and its controls are operational. However, Hudson chose not to show it off at E3, as its graphics are currently at GameCube level. Hudson confirmed that the game is not the new PilotWings. The game only features airplanes, no gyrocopters or birdman suits. Hudson did say that the game could be thought of as an very expanded version of the airplane portion of PilotWings. The game will be controlled only with the remote, and is designed to be a fun, intuitive game that anyone can pick up and play.
In another surprising move, Milon from Milon’s Secret Castle is returning soon. A new puzzle game, Milon’s Star Paradise, will arrive on Nintendo DS. The new game will feature game play elements somewhat similar to the Bubble Bobble series. The main character blows colored “snot bubbles," each with different special attributes, into other bubbles in an attempt to clear the screen. Additionally, the game will feature co-operative multiplayer and unlockable mini-games.
Hudson recognizes that their fans have kept much better track of their franchises over the years than they have, and are extremely open to hearing from them. They would like to hear which games people would like to see on the Virtual Console as well as any comments regarding games. Hudson has begun to work directly with fansites to promote their franchises. The company is also exploring other ideas, such as bringing Bonk back as their mascot. With all of these new developments, there should be much more exciting Hudson news within the next year.
Each game progresses through five different challenges, each meant to assess a different part of your brain. The modes are Identify, Think, Memorize, Compute, and Analyze. In Memorize mode, I played Memo-Random where a number sequence was flashed on the screen and must be entered quickly in a calculator. I played CubeGame (not GameCube) in Analyze mode, where you are required to count the number of blocks, including hidden blocks. In Compute mode, I played Coin-parison, in which two sets of coins are presented and the player must choose the side with the highest total value. This can get tricky thanks to the dime being smaller than the nickel. I played Matchmaker in Identify mode, a game where you must find the matching pair out of several panels. Finally, I played a prediction game in Think mode, where you must figure out which block in a grid a dog will end up in given a sequence of directions.
At the end of each game, points gained in each mode are totaled and a “weight" is given that represents your brain. From observing other players, I found that most people did not rate anywhere near the “adult" brain weight. However, some of the games are confusing until you can figure out what they want, which leads to low scores in certain modes.
The game is point-and-click, and thus works well on the DS. The only real annoyance I had with the game was in regards to how inputs were processed. Correct answers are automatically scored, and answers requiring multiple digits are evaluated as each digit is pressed. Thus, if you make a mistake, you can’t fix it, though this is probably part of challenge. Even if you didn’t find Brain Age engaging, you’re more likely to have fun with this game, as it is closer to a real game.
Instead of a rails space shooter, Star Fox DS is a timed, free-flight, goal-based game. At the beginning of the mission, Fox team is given 100 clock ticks to complete their mission. On the map screen, paths are drawn with the stylus, one for Fox and one for Slippy, which direct the pilots to their destination. Players being in the lower-left corner from the Great Fox, and can fly to various labeled target areas. In addition, enemy fighter groups are also visible on the map screen. These enemies may target the Great Fox, and it is up to Fox team to defend their transport while on their mission, meaning that the group may have to stop what they’re doing in order to fly back and protect their ship.
The E3 demo featured several difficulty levels, each of which sent the Star Fox team to various locations both in space and on the surface of planets. Once in a mission area, time counts down. Several targets are designated, which must be destroyed, or the mission is not completed. Time extension items can be collected, which help in making it possible to track down all of the enemies. On certain stages, a mothership may begin to attack. Once all of the targets are destroyed, the mothership can be destroyed by flying along a designated path, in an apparent kamikaze attack on its core. However, Fox escapes unharmed.
Arwing ships are controlled simply by pointing the stylus on the lower screen (over top of the map, much like Metroid Prime Hunters) to direct the ship (there is no Y-axis inversion). Rolls can be performed by circling the stylus on the screen. Rolls as well as U-turns and bomb launches can be performed by pressing the appropriate button on the touch screen. All other controller buttons can be used to shoot the blasters. Holding the button charges the blaster as usual. At least on the demo, there was no option to change to more standard controls.
The graphics are highly reminiscent of Star Fox 64. Newer characters such as Krystal and Beltino Toad still make their appearance, with Krystal sporting a new dress. The character art has been changed to give the characters a somewhat plastic look. Translation does not seem complete as the featured text was brief and not in character. Web browsing fans may get a little chuckle as Fox’s new Arwing is named FireFox.
Fans of Star Fox have a reason to celebrate as Nintendo has shown they are still serious about keeping the Star Fox franchise alive. Not all fans may appreciate the game, since it is more open-ended than the most popular games in the series, but the game is apparently in an advanced stage, and shows much promise.
Quote
Originally posted by: couchmonkey
You haven't seen the video yet, have you?
