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This game is flipping awesome.
Hell, even the co-op mode is fun. Probably the best implementation of the Super Mario Galaxy-esque two-player mode yet, imo.
Nice. Do you think it lives up to Ubisoft's early claim that new gameplay elements and innovations are introduced roughly every quarter of an hour?
I'll probably ask for Rabbids Go Home for my birthday. The characters were always a neat concept, so I'm really glad they did that personality justice with this adventure styled design.
Nyone picking Excite tonight?! Must have impressions! If it was 500 I'd buy on impulse.
The lack of A Boy And His Blob made me sad though. Surely one of you must have bought it or at least would like to buy it imminently - I know I will be.
It's very likely that I will have my A Boy and His Blob impressions ready to go for Newscast. I'm reviewing the game for the site, and should be receiving it in the mail any day now. If I have a chance to play it significantly before Wednesday night, you can bet we'll be talking about it on Newscast Episode 5, which will be live on the site by Friday night.
The story is an original tale featuring many of the show's characters, ranging from the hero Zak Saturday and his intrepid family to villains such as Van Rook and V.V. Argost. Players primarily control Zak, who uses a claw to attack enemies and grapple in a Bionic Commando-like fashion. Unlike the classic Capcom game, though, Zak can also jump.
As you journey through the 10-level side-scrolling adventure, you also run into different family members and Cryptids who help you solve puzzles or combat waves of enemies. The Cryptids range from Zak's beloved pets, including the gorilla-cat named Fiskerton who can climb walls and boost Zak to new heights, to wild ones, such as one that can be launched at larger enemies to clear them out of the way.
Controlling Cryptids is one of the few uses of Wii motion controls, and can sometimes take you out of the game. To select one of the creatures, you have to use the Wii Remote pointer and press the C button. Sometimes you'll take control of them, while other times you're merely scanning them to reveal more information about them or unlock bonus content. There are tons of Cryptids in the game, including 30 that have never been seen before.
While the game is mostly a 2D side-scroller, there are some areas where it becomes more of a 2.5D brawler. Every so often, you'll enter a room where you can go into the foreground and background and must fight a mob of enemies. During these times, you can usually switch between Zak and a family member or Cryptid, which are usually more powerful than our 11-year-old hero.
Unfortunately, the combat devolves into button-mashing, as there are only two attack buttons, one of which can be spammed for massive damage. The game's bosses are the antithesis to the combat and are actually interesting, as they generally take up an entire room and require you to use all of Zak's different abilities.
The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun is a light-hearted side-scrolling game with some entertaining gameplay. There's not much for those unfamiliar with the series to care about, but it is a fantastic game for any video game fan that also enjoys The Secret Saturdays.
Pros:
Lastability: 6.0
There are 10 levels that add up to a few hours of gameplay. There are collectables to go back and get, but there's nothing to merit replaying the game outside of that.
Final: 6.5
The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun is a great attempt at a licensed game. While it doesn't offer too much, what it does offer is a light Bionic Commando-inspired affair with a bunch of characters fans of the game will know and appreciate.
Developed by High Voltage Software, Astro Boy is a cross between a side-scrolling beat-'em-up and a side-scrolling shooter. The marriage of the two similar genres results in a bland, ugly, and uninspired game with control issues and very few redeeming qualities.
The level-based adventure takes you through Astro Boy's earliest adventure, as detailed in the movie, and has the boy-robot fighting a bunch of generic enemies that spout off the same few throwaway lines if they can talk.
The graphics range from decent to pitiful. The only thing that looks decent is Astro Boy's character model, and that is probably due to the comparison. Everything else, such as the hordes of enemies, look like something out an early PlayStation 2 game.
The constantly scrolling shooting sections of the game suffer from the fact that Astro has no rapid fire attack. He has a laser that fires across the screen and lingers for a few seconds, but it has a bothersome delay that leaves you wide open to attack. In general, all of the attacks take way too long to execute. For the super attacks, which you can only use a limited amount of depending on the difficulty, the action pauses while you use it, but for every normal attack, the enemies get the jump on you if you don't kill them in one hit.
Those same problems seep into the brawler portions as well and then some. Astro Boy's melee attacks do little damage and can't be broken out of. So, if you use his standard move and hit an enemy, then you're left open to every other enemy on screen, who almost always have much quicker attacks. In a game that has a focus on fighting enemies, this is inexcusable.
The controls aren't too precise and you'll find yourself fighting to keep Astro Boy to stay on platforms in the brawler sections, which vastly outnumber the shoot-'em-up levels. Luckily he bounces right back up when you fall off the screen, but he comes back with less health. In the shooter levels, the controls feel better, probably because you don't have to jump at all.
The super attacks are the only source of good entertainment in Astro Boy. One of them features our robotic hero shooting lasers out of his butt. It's a devastating move and very rewarding in a humorous "I just killed you with my ass lasers!" sort of way.
The game features co-op throughout the main game so that way you can drag a friend through the miserable ride. There's also an Arena mode where you fight waves of enemies and try to get a high score. It offers a little bit of replay value, but the combat isn't too much fun, so there isn't much draw to something that just focuses on it exclusively.
Astro Boy is a movie-license miss with awful graphics, bad combat, and middling controls. Even if you loved the heralded Game Boy Advance Astro Boy game, this game still isn't worth your time because it takes those concepts and perverts them into something not fun at all.
Pros:
Lastability: 3.0
You can play this game cooperatively and get high scores in the combat-focused Arena mode, but when a large part of a game is this poor, any extra mode that focuses on that part isn't worth your time.
Final: 3.5
Die-hard fans of the character or movie are the only people that should waste their time with Astro Boy. It's primarily a brawler game, and the combat is dreadful. Everything else wrong with the game just falls into line after that.
I miss 1996.
Does the Internet not know the concept of a goddamn spoiler alert?
There are 19 different games in this value-priced game, including Shuffleboard, Skiball (called Skill Ball), Racquetball, Croquet, and Beer Pong (called Ping Toss). Each game has a simple control scheme that is easily explained by a loading screen. In addition, almost all of them have rule variations, most of which are just different score requirements (i.e. play to 15 points instead of 10).
Using only the Wii Remote, every game, with the exception of Trivia, boils down into a similar gesture that's only variation is whether you're going up, down, side-to-side, or thrusting forward. That makes every event easy to pick up, but also gives them a feeling of redundancy. For example, horseshoes and beanbags are basically the same exact game, just with cosmetic differences.
The game has some control issues in regards to the lack of feedback and precision from the gestures. The recognition of the speed of your Wii Remote movement isn't consistent. The only way to check how you're doing is by slavishly looking at the on-screen meter, which isn't a good barometer. For instance, Croquet is dependent on precision, and thanks to the game's lack of feedback, it seems like you can only tap your ball or crush it.
One of the coolest games is the 3D revamp of Root Beer Tapper. In it, you move your avatar from one bar to the next while holding down the A button to fill mugs and gesturing forward with the Wii Remote. While not quite as brilliant as the arcade classic, it's a really interesting take on it and one of the highlights of a game that seems to be just going through the motions.
The main draw of Game Party 3 is without a doubt the multiplayer, and in that regard, it succeeds. You can organize tournaments for up to 16 people or play each game separately. You can also create your own personalized avatar from an assortment of bodies, clothes, and accessories. As you play, you earn tickets which can then be used to unlock more items. Unfortunately, not every game rewards you with tickets.
Game Party 3 can be fun with friends, but in the end, the lack of variety of the game selection and wonky controls hold it back from competing with the top dogs of mini-game genre.
Pros:
Lastability: 6.0
With friends or family, Game Party 3 could be played for a while, but it has little-to-no replayability as a single-player affair.
Final: 5.0
An unvaried assortment of games and some questionable controls make this mini-game collection nothing more than an average entry in the plentiful genre.
Zelda rides along with Link on his train (which is customizable), giving him hints and storyline details. Her spirit can also be used to control suits of armor known as Phantoms. These Phantoms can be used in battle, and they can also be employed to solve puzzles and reveal secrets. The game also promises to take a closer look at the character of Zelda herself, bringing her story to the forefront for the first time.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is scheduled for release on December 7.
Link and Zelda Join Forces in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Newest Entry in Renowned Video Game Series Features Historic Team-Up for Timeless Duo
REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- It was among the most heinous incidents in video game history: In 1986, Princess Zelda was kidnapped from the land of Hyrule, setting off an intrepid rescue adventure for young hero Link. Unfortunately for Zelda, this offense has been repeated more than a dozen times since, leaving her largely out of sight while Link traversed dark dungeons and confronted monstrous enemies alone in order to save her. This time, in the new Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi adventure The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, that all changes.
For the first time in the 23-year history of The Legend of Zelda series, Princess Zelda is leaving the villainous clutches of the underworld behind and joining the adventure with Link. In The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, the spirit of Zelda accompanies Link on his quest to save Hyrule. Directly impacting game play like never before, Zeldas spirit can take control of hulking suits of armor known as Phantoms, allowing the player to direct both Link and these new allies as they battle enemies, solve puzzles and uncover secrets. Zelda also rides alongside Link on his customizable train, offering wisdom that will help players find new areas, storylines and items. The team of Link and Zelda presents countless new storyline details for fans to enjoy, including a closer look at Princess Zelda herself, one of the most iconic video game characters of all-time.
More than two decades into its rich history, The Legend of Zelda has introduced another historic first for players as Link and Zelda unite to save Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of Americas executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. Combining these unprecedented new story and game-play elements with the series innovative touch-screen interface on Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, the game is sure to surprise and delight new and longtime fans.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks launches in North America on Dec. 7. For more information, visit www.Zelda.com/SpiritTracks.
You star as Max, the little boy who finds himself on a boat on his way to the Land of the Wild Things. He is crowned king and after exploring with the Wild Things, he must help them deal with the dark amorphous creatures that are infesting their world.
You can jump and swing a scepter around with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk as you follow the titular things through different linear levels. You maneuver through lush environments by jumping and using items to carry you through the air from platform to platform. For example, you can pick up feathers and use them to fly through the air.
You attack enemies, which are primarily different varieties of bees and blobs, with your scepter. Some of the bees are more powerful than others, including ones charged with electricity. The combat is basic, but not the focus of the game.
Aside from the platforming items, there are also offensive items. You can go to a pile of rocks and use the pointer to throw them at enemies, and some bees turn into bombs that can be used to destroy larger obstacles.
Even with the bee bombs, Max can't break some barriers by himself and he must work together with the Wild Things to get past certain objects. The most charming and prevalent example of this is how Max must begin attacking a large rock or tree to get the Wild Thing to take one swing at it and break it or knock it down.
While the graphics are quite poor, there is a certain allure to the world of the Wild Things. The music also accentuates this and it gives the whole game an otherworldly yet familiar feel. At the heart of this is the Wild Things' village, which you go to after the first level. Initially, you are limited to certain areas, but as the game progresses and you collect different items and learn new abilities, you can traverse all over the village and collect even more items.
For obsessive collectors, Wild Things offers a great deal. Each of the seven Wild Things has 60 of a certain item hidden throughout the hub world and the levels. As you collect them, you unlock cheats and areas in the hub world. For example, if you collect plants and seeds for Judith, you unlock gardens that can be used to create climbable plants, or if you collect geodes for Ira, he'll break different rocks for you in the hub world. Additionally, there are close to 100 stars to collect that also unlock even more stuff.
Where the Wild Things Are is a prime example of how to make a good licensed video game. It doesn't shoehorn gameplay into the license's plot. In fact, the gameplay is fun and varied. When it comes down to it, the only shortchanged part of the game is the graphics. Aside from that, the game is a solid 3D platformer.
Pros:
Lastability: 6.0
There's hundreds of collectables that gives completists a lot to do, but the rewards aren't anything more than access to more collectables and cheats that don't compel the player to play through the game again.
Final: 7.5
Where the Wild Things Are is a high-quality movie-based game with enough gameplay diversity to keep the platforming fresh over the five-hour adventure. It has potential to appeal to more than fans of the property.
I'm surprised it has taken this long, especially after Harvey Birdman. Didn't realize that was developed at High Voltage.
This game has been getting a lot of mixed reviews. It seems to be one of those games that either clicks on you or it doesn't, especially since this isn't a traditional horror game.
Wasn't this confirmed like four months ago?
Academy of Champions has been one of my most anticipated games since I played it at E3. My impressions pegged it as "the heir apparent to Sega Soccer Slam," which is a game I consider to be one of the finest arcade soccer games ever made. My excitement for the game sky-rocketed after I interviewed Tuomas Pirinen, creative director at developer Ubisoft Vancouver. Now the game is in stores, and I'm nervous.
My expectations for Academy of Champions are very high, like as high as my expectations for New Super Mario Bros. Wii (which are astronomical). I love me some arcade soccer games, and I love playing them with my friends even more. I love those two things so much I wrote a blog about it.
I've been let down by games I've highly anticipated a few times this year (MadWorld, The Conduit, Brutal Legend, etc.), and I hope that Academy of Champions isn't added to that list. Instead, I hope it joins the exclusive list of games that met my expectations and then some (Punch-Out!!, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and A Boy and His Blob).
This blog doesn't have much of a point other than to document my pre-game jitters for what most might consider a shovelware soccer title. I hope that I can prove those naysayers wrong when I crack open the game, but we'll see.
Has anyone ever had this similar feeling of apprehension before a highly anticipated release? Was it ever for something as low key as Academy of Champions?
My parents own a Wii. They are not gamers. They will probably play nothing on the system besides Wii Sports. I know two people from work who bought a Wii simply for Wii Fit, and have bought no other titles besides Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympics. I don't consider them gamers. I think that more than 50% of the Wii Install Base are traditional gamers who are interested in traditional video games.
