Next Door Gamer

Monster Hunter Tri Monogatari

2011-09-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

Originally posted on NintendoWorldReport.com

Monster Hunter is a huge deal in Japan. I mean, HUGE! Everywhere you go, you will more than likely run into students playing in groups at a restaurant, see a business man playing on the train, or hear kids talking about it while clutching their PSPs. Nintendo is hoping to capitalize on the popularity of the series by not only bring over an enhanced port of Monster Hunter 3G (Tri G) to the 3DS, they are also going to bring the next iteration of the series to the 3DS as well. Nintendo has also developed an add-on for the 3DS with Monster Hunter in mind, for crying out loud! There aren’t many third party titles out there that can force Nintendo to make peripherals for their systems for, but Capcom’s hot title has that kind of clout.

Which brings us to the 2011 Tokyo Game Show. Monster Hunter 3G was playable for the first time anywhere this past week, and thousands of gamers from around the globe had a chance to play it. However, it wasn’t as easy as just queuing up behind a sweaty nerd in front of you, and believe me, there were tons of them, myself included!. This is my monogatari, or tale, about trying to obtain the much sought after priority ticket for Monster Hunter 3G on the 3DS.

The exhibitors set up a special priority ticket counter for some of the most popular titles and events on the show floor. This year, Final Fantasy XIII-2, the Playstation 3 version of Ni no Kuni, and Monster Hunter 3G were the titles that required one of these priority tickets to be able to play them on the floor. Monster Hunter had two kinds of tickets, one for single player, and then one for multiplayer. On both of the public days, the multiplayer demo was available in the morning, while the single player was open for ticket holders in the afternoon.

Getting the priority tickets for Monster Hunter was no easy feat. I went on both of the public days on a quest to obtain one of these elusive tickets which would give me the chance to play one of the hottest games in Japan. On Saturday, the first public day for TGS, I arrived at Makuhari Messe around 9:30 that morning, and made my way to the show floor slightly before 10:00 AM. After making my way to the massive Monster Hunter 3G booth, I was reminded by the Capcom staff that I needed a ticket to enter the line to play the game. They told me where I needed to go to get the ticket, so I naively went on my merry way. After a bit of confusion on where the priority ticket counter was located, I eventually found out that all of the tickets for Monster Hunter for the whole day had run out before the start of the show. I tried to utilize the power of my press badge to see if it could get me anywhere, but alas, there was nothing that the Capcom staff could (or would) do for me regarding Monster Hunter.

When I got home on Saturday night, I realized that Japan does not mess around when it comes to Monster Hunter. Everyone wants to play this game and only the uber-elite nerds are going to get their chance. I realized that I would have to take the first train from where I live that morning (at 5:30 AM) and take the hour and a half train ride to the convention center. I made sure to do some research as to where the ticket counter was located and made my plan of attack. I went to bed that night sometime after midnight, anxious about the next morning.

After getting a few hours of sleep, I made my way to the convention center early on Sunday morning. By the time I got closer to the Kaihin Makuhari (the station nearest to Makuhari Messe), there were already quite a few people boarding the train that were obviously on their way to TGS. When I arrived at the station and made my way outside, some people were running to towards the convention center, most likely trying to get as close as they could to doors. I ran into a bit of snafu when I go there. You see, the priority tickets were being handed out near the main entrance located in Hall 1. To access it, you had to come through the visitor entrance. Well, being a member of the media, I could not get my media pass for the day if I entered there. I HAD to go to a separate entrance in Hall 5, which was relatively far from the visitor entrance and the priority ticket counter. The only good news was that I would be able to enter the show floor at 9:30 AM. So maybe, just maybe I could either talk the Capcom staff into letting me try out the game before all of the Monster Hunter maniacs had a chance to line up, or even get to be the first person to line up for a priority ticket. Regardless, I knew I had to haul tail to the other side of the show floor to get that chance.

I had to go from Hall 5 to Hall 1. Kinda far.

Here is the priority ticket counter.

When 9:30 AM hit, the exclusive media entrance was opened, I raced down the stairs and literally ran toward Hall 1. As soon as I got to Hall 3, where the Monster Hunter booth was located, I flashed my badge and asked the Capcom staff if I could play before the doors opened. They politely told me that in order to play, I still needed a ticket. Crushed, but still with a glimmer of hope, I briskly walked toward Hall 1 and the priority ticket counter. When I arrived in Hall 1, I could see the priority ticket counter, but I did not see a way that I could enter from inside the Hall. I asked a nearby Capcom staff member how I could line up for the ticket. “Oh, you have to go outside of the show floor, and line up behind the people in the visitor line.” I explained that I was a member of the media and that this was really important, but he apologized and said there was really nothing that he could do. If I left the show floor to line up in the visitor line at that point, I probably wouldn’t have made it inside the doors until 11:00 AM. I was defeated.

I honestly did absolutely everything that I could to get the priority Monster Hunter ticket. I could have tried to stay the night outside of Makuhari Messe, hiding in some bushes or something (the site stated that lining up over night was strictly prohibited). I could have bought a visitor pass last week if the future me could have went back in time to let the past me know how ridiculous it would be to get access to the game. Despite this, being there early did allow me to get an eyes on with the game via the boxed in demo 3DS units displaying the 3DS conference video, which is available on the Japan eShop. I also got a hands on with the Circle Pad add-on. While I only had to wait a minute tops to see either of those things, later in the day, people were waiting for up to two hours just to see the videos for the game. This just further shows how ridiculously popular Monster Hunter is here in Japan.

Monster Hunter 3G for the 3DS was clearly the most anticipated title at TGS this year. If there were no priority tickets, people would have clogged up the entire convention hall. Last year, apparently the PSP version of the game also had priority tickets and was just as crazily anticipated as the 3DS version was this year. This entire experience has definitely taught me one thing - don’t ever underestimate Japan’s otaku resolve.

Tokyo Game Show 2011

2011-09-17T07:28:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. Tokyo Game Show time! While I wasn't able to make it out to any of the business days, I was able to use the power of my press pass today (Saturday) and am hoping to do the same thing tomorrow. The biggest pain in the neck was trying to play the recently announced Monster Hunter 3G for the Nintendo 3DS. Apparently, you need to pick up a ticket before you enter the hall (I guess). I arrived a little bit before 10:00 (the opening of the show) and was asking where to get them, and running around like a madman trying to locate one. After 30 minutes of searching, I found out that the tickets were completely gone even before the show started. So, that means that I'm taking the first train to Kaihin Makuhari and am going to try my damnedest to obtain one of these precious tickets.

More later. I just wanted to give a brief update.

2011-09-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

I've taken a bit of a break from here as of late, but I can assure you it isn't because I haven't been writing! No, I've been writing and doing quite a bit of stuff for Nintendo World Report. Here are a few things that I've worked on for the past couple of months for them:

Reviews
I've written a few reviews for Wii games (free games! Yay!). You can check out my review for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters and a joint review I did with another staff member for LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game. Also, shortly after I first started out on staff, I did a review for Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition for the 3DS. I'm actually pretty glad that the first couple of games I reviewed are quality titles that are enjoyable. I'll more than likely have some not so good ones in the near future, no doubt!

Podcasts
I've been a co-host on a podcast called The Famicast with Nintendo World Report's James Charlton and Matthew Walker. I've also made appearance on a few other NWR podcasts as well and have even taken up the reigns at editing. Having a Mac makes editing podcasts a lot easier than what it would have been previously, and it's just cool getting to learn something like that, too. Even though I may take sometimes 6-8 hours for an edit, I still have quite a bit of fun doing it. Here is a link to the latest episode of the Famicast that James and I recorded a few weeks back:

The Famicast 4: AKIBA LIVE

Others
I've, of course, written a handful of news articles for the site, and I've also written a few features and impressions. Here are some cool things that I've done or taken part in over the past few months:

StreetPass Video in Akihabara (April)
Pandora's Tower Impressions
Xenoblade Impressions

I also run a weekly feature called the Japan eShop Round-Up and cover the weekly releases for the 3DS eShop in Japan. Below is the most recent entry (which I update every Wednesday):

Japan eShop Round-Up

In the very near future as well, I have a feature going up talking about Nintendo Expansion ports and add-ons that have been used for them. It took a lot of work, but there is definitely some interesting stuff in there that you (and me for that matter!) might not have known about Nintendo expansion ports and/or add-ons. I'll be sure to put up some links when it gets posted.

As for further updates on here, I've been wanting to do a write up comparing certain features from EA Sports titles (namely Madden) with 2K Sports titles. I'll try to get that up here soon enough. In the meantime, kick back, relax, and enjoy some games!

Playstation Network - Free Games (Thoughts)

2011-06-05T05:34:00.000-07:00

Everyone and their mother know about the recent infiltration of Sony's online infrastructure, the Playstation Network. The service was taken offline by Sony after they discovered hackers were nabbing info and customer information. Although it took nearly a month to get back online, Sony does seems to want to win back the hearts and minds of users who had accounts and no access to PSN. Not only are they giving players the chance to have a free month of Playstation Plus service, they are also offering free games for the PS3 and PSP. Here is a list of what is available:

All PlayStation Network customers can select two PS3 games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.
Dead Nation
inFAMOUS
LittleBigPlanet
Super Stardust HD
Wipeout HD + Fury
For PSP owners, you will be eligible to download two PSP games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.
LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
ModNation Racers
Pursuit Force
Killzone Liberation

This is pretty cool. And it's for a limited time, so if you have a North American PSN account, go get what's yours. Sony Europe and Latin America have similar programs.

Source.

My First Article - A Behind the scenes look

2011-06-01T07:43:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I recently was hired by Nintendo World Report as a Japan Corespondent and help cover all things Nintendo with the wonderful team established over there. It is my first time writing for a renowned publication of any kind, and I relish the opportunity to write about something that I love.

My first article with Nintendo World Report has a bit of a back story to it that I have been meaning to share with the public ever since I did it. A behind the scenes, if you will. Here's how it all went down...

In early February, I noticed that Nintendo World Report (NWR) had posted a number of different job openings available on the site. The one that particularly caught my eye was one that stated they were looking for people who were in Japan to add on to the staff. Well, as chance had it (and still does), I was in Japan, and feel that I'm a decent writer (hey, don't laugh!), so I figured I would give it a shot.

In the past, I had tried to apply to a few different gaming publications but was ultimately ignored, and I think I know why. Lack of experience was one thing. The other was my approach. I was going at things all wrong. Before applying to NWR, I came across an awesome blog post on IGN.com from Ryan Geddes titled, How to Get a Media Job: The New Rules. This enlightening post helped me realize what I was doing wrong when applying for these kind of jobs. In short, I wasn't tailoring my resume and other job related materials for the media jobs I was applying for. This article really helped me reshape my way of thinking about applying for work, especially in the media.

Seeing the job posting for NWR coupled with the new information burning in my heart and head from the Mr. Geddes, I knew that I had to scrap pretty much all of my "templates" for applying for jobs and start from scratch. So, I took a few days doing that. Perfecting my resume with applicable information and making sure to provide some easy ways to access writing samples. With things about as perfect as they could be, I sent my resume and other required information to NWR on a Tuesday night.

When I got up the next morning, I saw that I had already received a response. They were interested. At the time, NWR did not have much coverage of an exclusive Wii RPG, titled, The Last Story. I was told that if I could get my hands on the game, and write up some impressions, I would be hired. I responded immediately saying that I'd get the game as soon as I got off of work and then get impressions to them in the next few days.

To be perfectly honest, The Last Story was my first ever RPG that I sat down and played for more than an hour in the Japanese language. I knew it was going to be touch, but subtitles and spoken dialogue really helped the experience be easier and more enjoyable than I ever could have imagined. In total, I played the game for around 11-12 hours or so, sinking about 6-8 of those hours in on a Saturday evening until about 1 AM. From there, I went to write the impressions, which took me nearly 6 hours to write and perfect. By 7 AM the next day, I had completed my draft, and was ready to let fate decide what would happen with NWR.

Well, obviously, you know the end of the story. I was hired on by NWR and created probably one of the best articles I've ever written in my life. From there, I've covered the Japanese Nintendo 3DS launch, helped form a podcast, and have written numerous news articles, impressions, and reviews for the site. This is just the beginning, and I am really looking forward to continuing to work with Nintendo World Report and the fantastic crew that we have there.

Right now, the job with NWR is strictly on a volunteer basis. That's fine. I'm an English teacher right now and Japan, and actually have a pretty good gig working directly for a local city government. That's about as good as you can get in this line of work over here. Despite this, I really hope that in a few years I can work as a writer and get paid for it. Make a career out of it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and am going to try like hell to make that happen.

I'll try to post here more often. I've just been busy with the other site and work lately, so I've let this fall by the wayside. I'll put forth more of an effort to keep this blog going for the two or three of you out there who read this. ;-)

My Nintendo 2011 Predictions Already Coming True?

2011-03-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

Back at the end of January, I made a post outlining some predictions that I had for Nintendo throughout 2011. Well, from the handheld side of things, two out of the three predictions I had are apparently going to become a reality this year.

Mario Kart 3DS was officially announced nearly two weeks ago when they unveiled the launch lineup for Nintendo 3DS titles in North America. Here was my prediction:

We all know that it exists. Nintendo has even shown videos and confirmed it. But when will it happen? I think it will happen sooner than later. Mario Kart DS hit the DS a year after the initial release of the system and has sold through 20 million copies worldwide. Nintendo will want to get this out as soon as possible so that they can maximize their profits and to ensure that they have another million seller before the end of the year. I would expect an announcement at E3 and expect the game to be released just in time for the holidays.

Awesome news, no doubt, as Nintendo gamers can probably look forward to playing the game this holiday season. Now, my other prediction about Netflix was this:

Nintendo has already partnered with them and made it possible on the Wii. And now with Netflix being possible on the iPhone and iPad, why not the 3DS? I think Nintendo of America wants to have the 3DS be a content feature oriented machine, and something like this would definitely enhance it. E3, perhaps?

While I was right with my prediction, I was a complete moron to think they would wait until E3. [/sarcasm] Seriously, though, this is awesome news for the folks in North America. The announcement came from GDC last week, and with it, Nintendo is just making it possible for one other device to be Netflix enabled, which is definitely a good thing.

All in all, predicting stuff like this is not an easy thing to do, and I can guarantee you that almost all of my other predictions will probably be nowhere near correct. Regardless, I will just sit back and wait to see what happens just like the rest of you.

I'm doing a thing...

2011-03-03T22:50:00.000-08:00

So, I haven't really been around here for a few weeks. I do have a reason for it, though. Roughly two weeks ago, I got hired on at NintendoWorldReport.com as one of their Japan Corespondents! The job doesn't pay anything, but the experience and just being able to work with this talented group of people is awesome! Since I've worked there, I already have a handful of articles up on the site. One of the ones that I am most proud of has got to be my impressions for The Last story. Check it out, if you feel so inclined. I think I'm going to post a story on here with a sort of "behind the scenes" look on what it took for me to produce that article, as it is an interesting story...Or at least, I think it is!

I'll try to keep this blog updated as much as I possibly can. In the meantime, if you want to check out some of the stuff I've written for Nintendo World Report, feel free to check my staff page. Until next time, this is your friendly next door gamer signing off.

The Last Story - Finding my copy!

2011-02-20T01:58:00.000-08:00

The Last Story is the latest work from famed Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and his company Mistwalker. The game is Wii exclusive and was released on January 27th. The game has been met with praise from Japanese media as well as gamers. While the game is not breaking any sales records, it is still selling at a steady pace. With it being about three weeks after the initial release, I figured that most of the people who were dying to pick up the game would have done so by now, and there would be plenty of copies at electronic stores and game shops. Well, I was wrong.

Last Wednesday, I embarked on my mission to find a copy of The Last Story. The town I live in is outside of Tokyo and it is usually pretty easy to find newer releases. I first went to a place called Yamada Denki. It's a great electronic store here in Japan and the branch in my city usually has a pretty good selection of games. To my dismay, they didn't have any copies of the game! Thankfully, there are a number of electronic shops and game stores in the area, so, I moved on to the next place. As I walked in to the shop and scanned the shelves, I noticed that they had both new and used copies of the game. So, I grabbed the case and made my way up to the counter. The store clerk proceeded to inform me that they were completely sold out of the game, both new and used. As to why they had the cases displayed on the store shelves will forever be a mystery to me, but nevertheless, I moved on.

After going to four different stores, I finally found what I was looking for at a local Toys "R" Us. Not only that, but the game was 10% off as well. Not bad.

So, what did I learn from this experience? Check Toys "R" Us first, because the place is a ghost town when it comes to people buying games.

Nintendo 3DS Wall - Akihabara

2011-02-13T02:23:00.000-08:00

Gamers in Japan who want to take a peek at the Nintendo 3DS early are again in luck. In Akihabara Station in Tokyo (also known as the "Electronic Town" and home of the otaku culture in Japan), Nintendo has installed a Nintendo 3DS preview wall. While onlookers might not have a chance to play the games themselves, the preview wall gives onlookers a chance to experience stereoscopic 3D without the need of glasses.

Source: http://www.true-gaming.net/home/18887

Super Mario All-Stars (Super Famicom)

2011-02-10T23:05:00.000-08:00

I just so happened to come across a copy of Super Mario All-Stars (or Super Mario Collection here in Japan) at a local recycle shop located in the city where I live. This boxed copy of the game ran me around 1,500 yen (about $18) and not only in pretty good shape, but also came with the instruction manual and other contents included from the original release of the game. For your viewing pleasure, please take a look...


Super Mario All-Stars (Super Famicom)


Super Mario All-Stars (back)


The whole package.


Card detailing controls for Mario 1-3.

Card detailing controls for Super Mario USA (Mario 2 in North America).

Nintendo Fitting My Bathroom (Part 2)

2011-02-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

This is a continuation just showing the kind of materials that I am using to transform my bathroom into a jungle from Donkey Kong Country. In the following video, I just go over what I am using to make this possible.

As it stands right now, I am about 50% complete on the project. I will get an updated video to you as soon as humanly possible.

Nintendo Fitting My Bathroom (Part 1)

2011-02-05T08:53:00.000-08:00

So, I recently talked a bit about basically turning my dull bathroom into something awesome by sprucing it up and making it Nintendo themed. The following video just shows what my bathroom looks like before I made the changes and also explains what I'm trying to do with it.

More to come soon!

Nintendo-fitting...

2011-02-02T05:03:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, I was thinking extremely hard about how I want to decorate my apartment. Should I try to go with the single guy, manly kind of look? Retro? Flowers and doilies? While I was really considering going with the latter of the choices, something stuck me. Something that should have been unbelievably obvious, but for some reason or other, it wasn't. I didn't need to look at a home decorating magazine to help me decide how I should spruce up my room. I came to the conclusion that I am going to "Nintendo-fit" my apartment. Starting with my bathroom. At this very moment, I am about 50% complete with the bathroom, missing a few crucial parts of my theme. I am going to upload a video of a "before," which also contains me describing in detail what I am trying to accomplish with my interior decorating.

As lame as it sounds, this has actually been quite a bit of fun. Just figuring out how it's all going to work and then experimenting with this and that. I'll be posting more about this very soon at that time you can catch a glimpse of what I am trying to achieve.

Super Mario All-Stars (Wii) -

2011-02-02T04:42:00.000-08:00

When I first heard last Fall that Nintendo was going to release a special, limited edition release of Super Mario All-Stars for Mario's 25th Anniversary, I was honestly pretty excited. Nintendo was going to hook their fans up not only with a the stellar Super Mario All-Stars package, they were also going to include a soundtrack spanning the entire series and also a booklet showing off some great art from the Mario series.

Fast-forward to the release. While Nintendo did do everything they said they would, as most have probably found out by now, the package itself is pretty underwhelming. The soundtrack is about half a dozen tracks from the Mario series (usually about one track from each of the console games), while the other half is nothing more than two second sound clips from the beloved franchise. The book, while featuring some decent pictures does not do Mario's 25th birthday justice. And perhaps the most pathetic piece of the package itself is the game. Sure, it's the same great game that most of us played nearly two decades ago. But this game is faithful to a fault. For crying out loud, Nintendo did not even go in and re-do the control tutorials for the game - it's the same exact stuff that you saw in the SNES version. EXACTLY THE SAME.

I read about all of way before I actually went out and bought this thing. I just told myself, "Well, it is a LIMITED EDITION version of a game. And the asking price isn't steep. Why not have a piece of Nintendo history?" Well, the game has been out for a few months now, and this "limited" piece has already sold through nearly two million units worldwide and I even recall that Nintendo is considering extending production on the game as well. While it's totally a disservice to hardcore Nintendo fans, this "special release" is a good move for Nintendo - slap a virtual console game on a Wii disc, throw in a few cheap extras, make millions. It's definitely a good business strategy, but damn, like many other Nintendo fans out there, I was hoping for something more.

Nintendo in 2011...

2011-01-29T10:37:00.000-08:00

The Big N has been part of my life for over two decades, and while some of their competitors do a lot of things right and get me pumped, my gaming heart and soul really pines for any and all things Nintendo. With the upcoming 3DS, I think 2011 holds a lot of promise. Nintendo is going to be putting 3D technology into the hands of millions of people which will prove to be pretty exciting. Not only that, but Nintendo is obviously going to make boat loads of money off of the device.

The 3DS is a push into the future for Nintendo handhelds. But what about the Wii? Aside from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, things are looking pretty bleak when it comes to first party software in 2011. With a new handheld coming to the market and an aging console on it's last leg, it is definitely going to be interesting to see what Nintendo is going to do throughout 2011. What in the world IS Nintendo going to do for the rest of the year on both fronts? Well, let's take a look at what we know so far...

Handheld

Nintendo 3DS Launch

Japan
February 26th
MSRP: 25,000 yen

Europe
March 25th
MSRP: Determined by retailers

America
March 27th
MSRP: $249.99

The 3DS is coming out in a few short months and is hoping to capitalize on 3D by bringing it into gaming and attempting to make the technology accessible to more people. The 3DS is a really great idea and will definitely find it's way into millions of peoples hands by the end of this year. We already have a pretty good idea about titles coming within the launch window, and even some titles scheduled for the summer (Kid Icarus, for example), but we really have no idea what Nintendo has in store for the rest of the year. I have a few predictions for software and just general things about the 3DS that I think could happen before the end of the year.

Mario Kart before the end of the year

We all know that it exists. Nintendo has even shown videos and confirmed it. But when will it happen? I think it will happen sooner than later. Mario Kart DS hit the DS a year after the initial release of the system and has sold through 20 million copies worldwide. Nintendo will want to get this out as soon as possible so that they can maximize their profits and to ensure that they have another million seller before the end of the year. I would expect an announcement at E3 and expect the game to be released just in time for the holidays.

Smash Bros. Announcement for 3DS

Honestly, why not? I have honestly not understood why Nintendo has not done this sooner on the GBA or even the entirely more capable DS. I think the slide pad and the control layout for the 3DS will lend itself pretty favorably to a portable version of the beloved Nintendo fighter. I think it's entirely possible that we'll get some kind of announcement this year from Nintendo.

Netflix for 3DS

Nintendo has already partnered with them and made it possible on the Wii. And now with Netflix being possible on the iPhone and iPad, why not the 3DS? I think Nintendo of America wants to have the 3DS be a content feature oriented machine, and something like this would definitely enhance it. E3, perhaps?

Final Note

Nintendo is going to sell boatloads of 3DS units and make even more money than they can count. I personally think that the asking price is a little bit much at $250, but that is not going to keep me from buying one, more than likely at launch. Right now, there are just so many things that we DON'T know about it. Particularly the online infrastructure. We do know that Nintendo is making one friend code of the system, not one per game, as they did last generation. That is definitely a step in the right direction, but frankly, I'm not sold. With the way Nintendo handled online this generation with the DS and Wii, there was just so much that they DIDN'T do that it was just painful to go through. Wii Connect 24 was a joke on the Wii and online support was spotty at best. I don't think that Nintendo will look at the competitor's online service (Live, PSN) and try to enhance it. I like it when Nintendo is creative and comes up with their own thing, but my God, I just hope that they are more serious about online with the 3DS. Things look promising, but they also did before the Wii launched...

Nintendo will have some pretty stiff competition again this time from Sony, who just recently revealed their uber-powerful, NGP - Next Generation Portable (aka PSP2). Of course, this is nothing new as they "squared off" against Sony back in 2004 with the original DS and PSP. The game changer this time around come in the form of something that people carry with them on a daily basis - mobile phones. Back in 2004, who in the world would have imagined that gaming in the mobile realm would have been anything like it is today? With devices like the iPhone, iPodPSP, but also with the tons of other options out their in smart phones and iOS devices.

Home Console

Wii

The Wii is on it's last leg. There is no doubt about that. What does Nintendo have on the docket for 2011 for it's aging home console? Other than The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, not much. One interesting thing that I was reading about recently was some news that came out of a Nintendo investor meeting on January 28th that shed some light on a few games that are supposedly set for 2011 launch. A new side scrolling Kirby (in development by HAL Labs) as well as a Rhythm Heaven game and possibly a new Pokemon game are in the works for the Wii. Also, curiously a completely new IP, titled Pandora's Tower was announced and is set to be released this Spring in Japan.

Japan also JUST saw Mistwalker's new RPG, The Last Story, hit store shelves on January 27th. The game is published by Nintendo, but unfortunately, there is no word as to whether or not the game would be making it's way to the West...

Outside of the rumblings from Japan, what else can gamers expect in 2011 for the Wii? In light of the recent news, I have a few predictions...

Kirby Coming out for the Fall

...For the second year in a row...Not that it's a bad thing. Kirby's Epic Yarn is a completely different take on Kirby than was ever really done before. Mostly that's due to the title not really even being a Kirby title at the start of development, but that's another story. I don't think this will be Nintendo's BIG title for the Wii this holiday season, but I think we can expect it in September or October. Considering how popular 2D platformers have been for Nintendo for the past two holiday seasons, I can see another Kirby title doing relatively well.

Zelda for early Fall/Late Summer

I love the Zelda series, but I do not know if the series has as much as pull as it has in the past. I don't think that Nintendo will try to go head to head with other hardcore games that will launch in the mid-November window like they have in the past. Why? Because the kind of gamers that will buy a Zelda game more probably have more than just a Wii and are interested in what the competition brings to the table. For Nintendo to get the maximum amount of people purchasing the game, an earlier release is a good idea. The game will sell millions, regardless. I just think they can sell MORE if they release it earlier.

Some kind of surprise Wii game

We saw it last year and I would venture to bet we will see it again this year. Nintendo needs to have something that will ensure them a holiday hit, and with everything that we know right now, I honestly don't see one. I think they'll announce one last hurrah for the Wii at E3 that gamers of all tastes and skill levels can get into.

Wii successor?

We know that Nintendo is working on another console. They are always working on something. I don't think, however, that they are ready and willing to show the public what it is they are working on for their next generation console. I don't think there is any way in hell it will be coming out this year, though. I do think that Nintendo will tease it at E3 or possibly sometimes shortly thereafter. Remember when Nintendo first teased the Wii as "Revolution?" I think we can expect something like that, but maybe not as blown out of the water.

Final Thoughts

The Wii still has a little bit of life left in it. 2010 was a pretty good year for Wii owners, and will definitely be difficult to follow up. I have faith in Nintendo, though. I remember the dying days of the N64. In 2001, with the Gamecube looming on the horizon, Nintendo still brought us the likes of Paper Mario (and hell, Rare brought us Conker's Bad Fur Day!). Nintendo still has a few tricks up their sleeves.

Wrap Up

I'm looking forward to see what 2011 has in store for Nintendo, and gaming in general. The 3DS is going to be awesome, Sony's NGP looks phenomenal, and the home consoles have some great software coming out. We obviously know a lot about what is going to come in 2011 but I expect to see some surprises along the way. It's fun to think and predict what will come about in the months to come, and keep in mind, most of what I've talked about above is nothing more than that - predictions! I could be (and probably will be) dead wrong on a lot of that stuff. In the meantime, we'll just have to stand by and see what the future holds.

Nintendo World 2011 - Resident Evil: Revelations

2011-01-11T05:04:00.000-08:00

Not too terribly much is known about the upcoming Resident Evil games for the Nintendo 3DS. We do know that there are two of them - Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D and Resident Evil: Revelations. The games take two very different directions, with Mercenaries mainly focusing solely on game play and Revelations featuring a rich story that is supposed to be taking gamers back to the root of the Resident Evil series, survival horror.

Capcom and Resident Evil were in full force at Nintendo World 2011. There were two large booths, each of which featuring over somewhere between 15-20 3DS units (roughly 30-40 units). I was honestly surprised to hear that Capcom was showing off Revelations, when according to Famitsu, the game is only slightly over 20% completed, where on the other hand, Mercenaries is somewhere over 70%. Nonetheless, it was still something I was looking forward to. And not only did I have a chance to play the demo of the game, as a "thank you for playing" gesture of kindness, Capcom offered some limited edition Resident Evil card that features artwork for both the Mercenaries and Revelations. There was apparently no limit to how many of the cards you can pick up, either, as I ended up picking up two after playing the demo two times.

Both sides of the Resident Evil (Biohazard) cards

As mentioned above, Capcom has went on record saying that Resident Evil: Revelations is going to take the series back to the survival horror roots. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely adored Resident Evil 4, and I even enjoyed playing Resident Evil 5. With those games, obviously, there was a lot more focus on action and also just surprising the gamer, not necessarily trying to scare them, or creep them out in the way that past Resident Evil games may have done. After playing the Revelations demo at Nintendo World, Capcom is definitely on the right track.The level that Capcom chose to show off was set on a grimy cruise ship crashing through a merciless storm at sea. The demo puts you in control of Jill Valentine as you explore a small portion of the ship.

Like I said above, there are many elements that are just taking the series back to the survival horror genre. The atmosphere is just down right spooky and had me going as slowly as I could around every corner. There were little things that just leaped out at me as I was exploring. For example, rats bursting out of an air duct and some bats crashing through a window. These things did not hurt you, but it definitely added to the tension that something bad was definitely definitely coming up. The demo was a bit linear, but honestly, how the hell else can you make a demo? Some areas of the ship were blocked off, so it required you to find another way around. The first encounter with an enemy is just downright creepy. This white-ish tinted creature emerges from a bathroom stall as you are trying to make your way through. The creature reminded me a lot of the "gray alien" type of monster that you fought in the later parts of Resident Evil 4. Similarly, these creatures slowly make their way towards you and take quite a few shots to bring down. Not long after you defeat the first one, you are on your way deeper into the ship when you suddenly hear a blood curdling scream, and see one of the creatures attacking and destroying somebody on the other side of a pane of glass. When you walk into the room, the door you entered will no longer open, and as soon as you shoot at the creature, he, and the recently "transformed" man make their way to you. After you unload on them and take them out, the demo is finished.

In terms of controls, the game feels very similar to Resident Evil 4 and 5. All of the movement is controlled with the slide pad. To run, you simply hold the "b" button. You can do the quick turn by hold "b" and pushing down on the slide pad. You take out your gun and aim with "R," and shoot with the "Y" button. It is interesting to note that when you go into the "aiming mode," the game switches to a first person view. I have read previously that you would possibly be able to move while in this view, but for the life of me, I could not get it to work in the demo. You can use the slide pad is one way to aim (and allegedly, you can use the stylus to aim as well, but I didn't try it) With the touch screen, you are able to move the camera slightly to potentially peak around corners to check for upcoming enemies. I think it works out just fine, especially given how the buttons are set up on the 3DS. There is almost no way to emulate a "dual analog" set up, nor would I like to see this tried without another physical analog stick.

Visually, the game is very impressive. It looks very similar to how RE5 did on the PS3 and 360. The small screen can hide the imperfections of the engine, but obviously, if this were blown up onto a bigger screen, it would more than likely not look so crisp and nice. The 3D with the game isn't bad. It's definitely not the best use of the 3D technology that I've seen at the show, but it's still pretty impressive.

With my two visits to the booth, I had a chance to actually play through the entire demo four times, once on my first play through, and three times on my second. The game is a lot of fun and really shows what the 3DS can do visually. I am excited at the prospect of Resident Evil returning to its survival horror roots and hope that this game stays the course and delivers.

Nintendo World 2011 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

2011-01-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

Zelda. The meat and potatoes of Nintendo franchises. Ocarina of Time is one of my favorite games of all time. When Nintendo re-releases the title, I buy it. I swear, I have nearly every release of Ocarina of Time. Three copies on the N64 (1 gold US, 1 gray US, and one gray Japanese cart), Ocarina of Time/Master Quest disc on the GCN, the Zelda Collector's disc on the GCN, and of course the Virtual Console release on the Wii. Nintendo relies on suckers such as myself to buy these re-releases time and time again. With the release of the game on the 3DS, this is the first time Nintendo will be giving us something extra in the game since the Master Quest release back in 2003. While there might not be too much extra in terms of new content (at least nothing is confirmed yet), seeing one of my favorite games completely remade and brought into 3D is an exciting prospect and one of the main reasons I made the trek to Nintendo World 2011.

The Ocarina of Time booth at Nintendo World was by far one of the most popular. I think the shortest wait time I saw for the game was 90 minutes. While some of the other big games such as Nintendogs + Cats, Kid Icarus, and Resident Evil had two "booths," for some odd reason, Nintendo limited Ocarina of Time to just one small section. Whoever planned this out should have actually used their brain. Of course Ocarina of Time is going to get a lot of traffic! If they were to have had two areas to play the game, the wait times could have been drastically reduced. As it was, myself and many other gamers had to wait around two hours to get a chance to play. Let me tell you, two hours of waiting seemed like an eternity. Thank God the Nintendo Music Live stage show was going on at the time so I had some cool live Nintendo music to listen to.

After the excruciating wait, I finally got my hands on Ocarina of Time in 3D. There were three different levels in the 5 minute demo I could choose, but I opted for the Kokiri Forest area. Let me start off by first saying that the 3D effects in OoT are probably some of the best that I saw on the show floor. Everything was just smooth and very well done. The upgraded visuals look pretty fantastic in the game as well. All of the characters and areas have been spruced up significantly and look a lot better than they did with the original Nintendo 64 release.

The controls are pretty straight forward and easy to get used to if you've played a Zelda game in the past. I really like the slide pad on the 3DS and it feels pretty comfortable to move Link around with. One of the new control aspects introduced in this new iteration is while in first person view, you can move around the 3DS unit to control the camera. It's completely optional, as you can of course use the slide pad to move it around as well. Honestly, I really was not too terribly impressed with it. I will cut Nintendo some slack on this, though, as I was tethered to a demo kiosk and had somewhat limited range of movement. It's a cool idea, but I honestly don't see a practical use for it. You can also use it when aiming projectiles, such as the slingshot, but I don't see how this method will work faster and move efficiently than the traditional method. Also, if you are trying to move the camera in this method, it can have an effect on the 3D, causing it to blur if you hold it at an angle. Again, I think that if the unit was not tethered down, this would not have been as much of a problem.

There really was not a lot to do in Kokiri Forest. I wandered around, throwing rocks and cutting down plants and signs with the sword. In the demo, you start out with the sword, but you can still go through the boulder "maze" to get the same exact sword that you are carrying. As I mentioned, the 3D effects in OoT are probably some of the best on the show floor. Aside from the issues that you can potentially have while moving the system around to control the camera, I never had any other issues. The 3D most definitely ads depth to the experience and has the ability to get you more immersed into the world.

Ocarina of Time in 3D is pretty solid. Of course, I wanted to play more, but with the show only being around seven hours long each day, I did not want to spend four hours standing in line for merely 10 minutes of game play. It's a pity that it's not going to be a launch title in Japan, as this is the title that I am looking forward to the most.

Nintendo World 2011 - Hands on Nintendo 3DS Camera

2011-01-09T05:14:00.000-08:00

Like it's predecessor the DSi, the 3DS comes fully equipped with a front facing camera as well as a camera on the back of the unit. The biggest difference between the two is that this time, as the name of the unit hints at, pictures can be taken in full 3D. I know that I'm not the only one who thinks this, but the 0.3 mega pixel camera that was found in the original DSi was, quite frankly, pretty terrible. My family had a digital camera about ten years ago that saved pictures on floppy discs and I think it might have rivaled the quality of the DSi camera! To be fair, Nintendo was not trying to make a device that is going to be known for it's photo taking prowess. It is a gaming device first and foremost. I can honestly say that I was still surprised to see that Nintendo did not put a better camera into the 3DS.

We can all go on and on complaining indefinitely about the poor quality of the camera on Nintendo's handheld, but it boils down to one question - Does the poor camera have any effect on how you will enjoy your games on the 3DS? Not really.

Nonetheless, I was not expecting a whole lot before I actually tried the camera out for myself. Waiting in line for twenty minutes, I saw numerous families enjoying taking 3D photographs as well as creepy guys like myself taking pictures with the cute staff girls working the booth. When I got my chance to actually get the 3DS in my own hands and take a few pictures, I was pleasantly surprised. The effect works extremely well while taking pictures. My only complaint, and it's a pretty big one, is that the poor quality of the photos themselves made me strain my eyes. I am assuming that it is because of the low resolution of the photos, but it was not a good first impression to have for the 3DS (as it was my first time ever to try out the device). I walked away hoping to God that the other games on the floor would not do the same. I can assure you that they did not, however I was worried for a little bit. It's not that the 3D effect does not work well with the camera on the system. It works brilliantly. I was just hoping Nintendo would have upped the resolution of the cameras to at least 1 mega pixel. Surely, I'm not the only one.

Nintendo World 2011 Japan

2011-01-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

Like many Nintendo fans, when I first heard the news that Nintendo was making a 3D Nintendo DS, I just absolutely had to see it with my own eyes. Lucky for me, Nintendo put together Nintendo World 2011 as a free public event here in Japan showcasing the upcoming glasses free 3D handheld. You can read about the 3DS all you want, but truth be told, you have to play it to see what all the fuss is about.

Having bought nearly every Nintendo console/handheld at launch for the past decade, I was just waiting to have Nintendo floor me with their next attempt to change the gaming world. Why should the world be excited about the Nintendo 3DS? Does this thing work? Not only that, but does it work well? In short, yes to all.

At the show, there were around 16 exhibits and I had a chance to get my hands on an overwhelming majority of them. Here is a list of what I got to try out:

3D Camera
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Nintendogs + cats
Winning Eleven 3D Soccer
Biohazard (Resident Evil) Revelations
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Super Street Fighter IV 3D
Pilotwings Resort
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Ridge Racer 3D
Dead or Alive: Dimensions

Between the stage events, waiting time to play Ocarina of Time 3D and playing the crap out of all of the demos that I could, the 3DS did leave me pretty impressed. There are, however, a few aspects of the system and some features that I am a bit disappointed with which I will go in to in a later post. First, here is what the launch line up looks like in Japan on February 26th:

nintendogs + cats (Nintendo)
Ridge Racer 3D (Namco Bandai)
Winning Eleven 3DSoccer (Konami)
Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (Capcom)
Samurai Warriors Chronicles (Tecmo Koei)
Puzzle Bobble 3D (Square Enix)
Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D (Ubisoft)
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle (Level-5)

It's really nice to see the third party love, but as you have probably noticed, some of the big name titles from Nintendo are missing. Apparently, we will have to wait until later on in the spring to pick up the likes of Ocarina of Time, Pilotwings Resort, and Kid Icarus some time later this year. Also, it looks like Capcom will not have Resident Evil Mercenaries ready for launch, and also has no approximate release date for Resident Evil Revelations either. I am a bit disappointed.

According to rumors, the pricing of the Nintendo 3DS software in Japan is going to be a bit on the steep side. Games are going to range from 5,800 to 7,800 yen (which at this very moment is roughly $70 to $94). While I don't think that the prices in North America will be nearly as high, I would be willing to bet that they'll be more than the $30-$35 that most DS games go for now. Still, nothing is confirmed as of right now, though, just speculation.

Over the next couple of days, I'm going to be putting up some impressions of the demos that I had a chance to play. Overall, I can say that the 3DS is a pretty solid system and the 3D effects are amazing in most of the games. It's only a few months away folks.

Japanese Release Schedule

Radio Free Nintendo: Doin' it Live...for the Kids!

2010-12-02T05:27:00.000-08:00

Around the end of October, I was browsing through various Nintendo related podcasts on iTunes when I just so happened to come across one called "Radio Free Nintendo." Up until that point, I had been listening almost exclusively to the IGN.com podcasts, but am finding recently that while the podcasts are informative, there really is not a whole of a meat to them. For example, listen to any of the recent IGN Nintendo podcasts. They run about an hour long but gaming content probably barely takes up 50% of the whole podcast. The rest of the time, the guys are joking around or talking about non-gaming related information. Sometimes I can really enjoy the joking and things like that, but man, most of the time when I sit down to listen to a game related podcast, I want to hear about GAME RELATED CONTENT. Imagine that!

So, to get back on track, that was the whole reason why I sought out a new podcast to listen to. After listening to the podcast from Radio Free Nintendo, I was blown away. Not only are the podcasts nearly two hours long, the Radio Free Nintendo team really focuses on gaming and all of the many facets that come along with it. It's just a really well put together show and an absolute joy to listen to.

Which brings me to my next point...Saturday, December 4th starting at 11 AM CST, the Radio Free Nintendo (RFN) guys are hosting a live podcast featuring (obviously) the regular members of the RFN podcast, Nintendo World.com support staff, special guests (people from the gaming industry, specialists, and former IGN Nintendo editor, Craig Harris!), and even you, the listener. Why are they doing this event? They are trying to raise money for a charity called Child's Play and they have a goal of raising $5,000. What does Child's Play do? Well, basically with the money they raise, they make donations of games, books and toys to children at hospitals who have some kind of chronic illness. So basically, this charity takes what would be an extremely boring and awful time for kids in the hospital and make it a little more bearable for them. Awesome.

Basically, this even is going to work kind of like a telethon of sorts. If the RFN team hits certain goals every hour, they will extend the show for another hour. They're going to be doing this for a maximum of 12 hours straight and hope to keep things fresh with the guests, a variety of topics, and direct audience participation through voice calls via Skype.

I'm pretty pumped about the show myself. And not just because these guys put on one hell of a show every week, but also because this is a great opportunity to help out some kids who are in a terrible situation. It might not be much, but I'm sure they'd appreciate it. You can find more about the upcoming live podcast here, where there are also instructions on how you could donate (if you like), however, if you're broke like a joke, then just sit back and enjoy the entertainment.

Also, a word of warning straight from the guys at RFN:

***If you are new to RFN, please be advised that the show contains explicit language. We're doin' it for the kids, but the show itself is for grown-ups.***

Madden NFL 11 - Madden Moments

2010-12-01T07:16:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I recently purchased Madden NFL 11 for my Xbox 360 recently. While I had a ton of fun with the somewhat botched Superstar mode, I decided that it was time to move on and try something different in the game. I went back to something that I initially started playing pretty much after I popped the game into the system - the Madden Moments. If you have no idea what I'm talking about with Madden Moments, let me just give you a very brief description. Basically, these are some nail-biting intense moments that happened in games in the previous year (for example in this year's version of Madden, these are events that happened in the 2009 NFL season/playoffs). Your goal is to usually pull back from some kind of deficit, to hold an offense from scoring, or to just do a specific action to get through it. While a majority of these are actually pretty easy, there are a few that provide quite a challenge. But let me tell you, there is really nothing more satisfying than to defy all odds and come out and beat some of the crazier challenges.

One of the crazies and most difficult ones in the game is actually the final one, which is titled, "Super Bowl Sunday." This puts you in the role of Peyton Manning and the Colts as you are down 31-17 to the Saints, there 50 seconds left on the game clock, and it's 4th down and goal. You NEED a score or the game is finished. In reality, the Colts were not able to overcome this ridiculous hurdle and the Saints went on to win the Super Bowl. In this Madden Moment, you have the chance to mount the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. If you don't know what you are doing, this moment is dang near impossible and probably the hardest one in the game. Getting the initial score is not really a problem considering that you are on the 5 yard line. It's after the score and the extra point (or two point conversion, if you're bold) where the insanity ensues. By the time you are ready for the kickoff, there is around 45 seconds left on the game clock. Nine times out of ten, going for the onside kick WILL NOT work in this game. And to make matters even more frustrating with onside kicks in this iteration of Madden, you cannot control the pointer where you want to locate the onside kick. This would make onside kicks a bit easier and more predictable, but perhaps doing this kind of keeps the game a bit realistic. At any rate, after playing this particular moment for around an hour straight with no luck, I turned to my good friend the Internet to see what kind of advice I could get. I tried numerous "sure fire ways" to recover onside kicks to no avail, and then I came across the following video:

If you check it out, the creator of the video gives you a pretty sure fire way of getting through the moment with your controller still in one piece. He has a sure fire way of getting a touchdown AND and extra point on the first drive. How? Simply by running a "strong toss" pitch to the right. The person in the video said that this play will work EVERY TIME, but I can attest that I did happen to get stuffed a few times while going for the touchdown and the two point conversion. Still, by using this play, the chances are pretty high that you will get the touchdown and conversion. After the conversion, there really is no need to try for the onside kick, because honestly, you probably are not going to get it. Once the Saints start with their first possession, they'll more than likely run the ball up the gut to start the clock running. In this situation, you only have two timeouts, so, things look pretty hopeless...But, as the user points out in the video, there is a way to get the Saints to do something pretty stupid. If you line up in a field goal block formation, they will audible out of the QB Knee and more than likely try a passing play. Why? The only logical reason is in fact, illogical - the computer thinks they can sneak a pass over you because of the formation you chose. Thank God for audibles, though. Once you call one, and block a pass, you stop the clock. If you do this a few times, you get the ball back with maybe around 20-30 seconds left on the clock. From there, it's all up to you to drive down the field and score a touchdown. While the method is a bit cheap, it's not as if you are turning the CPU AI all the way down for a cheap victory. Even with this "easy" method, it's still pretty challenging to get to work. Kudos to TeamDRKA, the guys who uploaded the video.

The Madden Moments are incredibly fun and can be incredibly challenging at times. It has been a while for me to play a game and get frustrated to the point where I want to throw my controller through the television screen. I welcome the challenge. One thing, though, I wish EA would do with Madden Moments in the future is perhaps add some "moments" from years and years ago. I realize that this might not be possible with licensing and that kind of thing, but there are obviously tons of amazing games that could be added to this mode. I'll keep on dreaming, though.

Public Nintendo 3DS Showcase in Japan - January 8-10th

2010-11-28T05:31:00.000-08:00

Nintendo is going to hold a public showing for the upcoming 3DS in Japan. The event will be held at Makuhari Messe convention center (the same place Tokyo Game Show is held) on January 8-10, 2011. Admission is also free.

So, with this in mind, you can bet your your Wii balance board that I'll be attending to get my hands and eyes on the 3DS just to see how amazing the technology really is. Fortunately for me, too, that is the tail end of my winter vacation. You can count on some updates shortly after attend.

Source

Madden NFL 11 - Superstar Mode

2010-11-18T07:02:00.000-08:00

I am a pretty big fan of American football. I'm an even bigger fan of American Football games. Unfortunately at the moment, there really are not a lot of options when it comes to purchasing a gridiron game. As of right now, publisher Electronic Arts has exclusive rights to the NFL license up until 2012. What does this mean? If you want to play an American football game, EA and Madden are the only way to go. While one can easily argue that the lack of competition doesn't really help spur new innovations in the franchise, we'll shelve that thought for now and save it for another time. The main thing I want to focus on here is the Superstar mode in Madden NFL 11.

Superstar mode was introduced to the Madden series in Madden NFL 06. If you are not familiar with the game mode, basically, it allows you to create a rookie and watch him progress through the NFL. In the earlier versions of the game, you took control of the player in workouts, an IQ test, practices, and of course the games. Also in the earlier versions, you had the ability to choose your own agent and even go on to make statements that could make you popular or a complete jerk. It was all pretty well done and added kind of a quasi-story mode to the game.

In Madden NFL 11 there is a ridiculous amount of this missing from Superstar mode. In this year's iteration (possibly last year's as well - I missed out on it), basically, after creating the look of your character and setting his attributes, you take the IQ test (which is pretty simple) and then get drafted. In the earlier games, you would be invited to attend different training camps of the teams that were interested in you. That's completely gone. You used to be able to do various training activities during the off-season to increase your stamina, strength, and what have you - again, completely gone. You can no longer choose your agent. Now, your agent is a faceless nothing that you can spout of ridiculous comments to that don't amount to anything. For example, you have about three options when "talking" to the guy:

"Tell everyone I guarantee the playoffs this year!"
"We're going to destroy our next opponents!"
"I gotta go!"

As sad and pathetic as that sounds, it really never gets any deeper than that. It doesn't matter which one you choose, either. Using your agent in this year's Superstar mode is just a waste of 5 seconds of your life that you will never get back.

When you get drafted, you are immediately put into a starting position. Are you a running back and just got drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars? It doesn't matter that you have a 72 rating, you are going to start over Maurice Jones-Drew. Are you a mediocre linebacker drafted for the Dallas Cowboys? Well, somehow you are going to be starting over Demarcus Ware. It is unrealistic and is something that needs to be fixed in future versions.

When it comes to playing the actual games themselves...Where to start? Well, the core game play mechanics are in place and if you have played Madden game in the five years, you should know what to expect. Simply put, the game controls pretty well. There are a ton of other things I have complained about (and will complain about in just a few moments here), but EA has never failed to deliver when it came to controls. One thing that EA did take away this year was the "turbo" button. They replaced it with what is called the "locomotion system" that focuses the players acceleration and momentum, which essentially helps to make the game more realistic. It feels pretty good, generally works pretty well, and does give an added sense of realism to the game.

One other options that gamers have in Superstar Mode is the ability to simulate through parts of the game when your character is not on the field. While this definitely helps speed games along, gamers also have the option to control all aspects of the game. While this is a nice inclusion in the package, I felt that it was a bit limited and doesn't really reflect the same kind of game play that you would find if you are playing the game outside of the Superstar Mode. For example, when you handoff to your running back, you still are not in control. I don't know about you, but when I hear the term, "player control," I assumed that I (the player) WOULD BE IN CONTROL.

Play calling is very frustrating. My character is a quarterback, so thank God I can make changes at the line of scrimmage. The coaches make some pretty good choices about 60% of the time. Then there are occasions when they're calling for a hail mary when you're on your opponent's 12 yard line. There are tons of other examples I could give you that would make you cringe, but I'll stop right there. A majority of the time, things are okay. It's that other 40% of the time that things can get down right annoying. Honestly, during any given game, I probably audible out of about half of the plays that are called.

One other minor gripe I have, too, is in regard to the player celebrations. In the other game modes, you get to see every celebration that is made after scoring, making a big play, etc. In Superstar mode, these are sometimes cut short, especially if you have just scored. The game automatically switches to the super-sim mode and makes it so you can't see your guys celebrate. It doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but if your character is a quarterback, for example, and you just eclipsed the single season throwing touchdown record, you can't really enjoy it - it gets cut off before you realize what just happened. Sure, this is just a minor gripe, and probably a way to remedy this would be to switch to "Player Control" mode if I think I'm going to make a touchdown. OR, EA can just fix it in the next iteration so we don't have to worry about it.

The AI of your teammates are borderline mentally challenged from time to time. Being the quarterback on the team, I cannot emphasize enough how frustrating it is to watch your running back miss a wide open hole in the defense only to gravitate towards the defenders for only a short gain or a loss. This happens with your receivers as well. I swear, it is almost as if they are magnetically attracted to the defense. In my opinion, this happens WAY more than it needs to in the game and in key situations, it can really screw your team up or even cause you to lose games. They are not ALWAYS making stupid plays, but it just seems like they are dumb enough for you to notice their misgivings.

Superstar Mode in Madden NFL 11 is definitely broken. One thing that is being brought up by the Madden faithful is that EA is supposed to be working on a completely revamped Superstar mode for Madden NFL 12 and that the reason why this year's mode was so lackluster was because they were busy revamping the franchise mode in the game. Whether this is true or not, I really hope that something is done next year. Superstar Mode in 11 is playable. Heck, I'm in my 5th season with my character! But there is just so much more that can be done. You would think that they would have at the very least left what they had in previous versions, but for whatever reason this just didn't happen.

Rockstar's Next Big Game

2010-11-12T19:43:00.000-08:00

Are you a big fan of Rockstar's open world games? If you are, chances are that you have heard about their upcoming title, L.A. Noir. Taking place in a fully recreated Los Angeles from the late 1940s, you are put in the roll of a detective trying to solve a series of murders and crimes. All of this, of course, is taking place in an open world (ala GTA) and in a (as the title suggests) "noir" type of setting. Rockstar recently released a trailer for the game, which can be found below.

More L.A. Noire Videos

L.A. Noir is scheduled to release in the first half of 2011 for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Developer Team Bondi, founded in 2005, has been working on the title for a number of years. The founder of the team, Brendan McNamara, was involved with Sony's The Getaway, an open world game putting the gamer in the role of a police officer and an ex-bank robber in present day London. Judging by what we have seen in the trailer and based on the reputation of The Getaway, L.A. Noir is should shape up to be something special.

Overkill Sequel On the Way?

2010-11-11T04:19:00.000-08:00

The House of the Dead: Overkill is a unique and amazing title. While there might be some technical blips here and there, the game really was (as stated in one of the initial trailers) "the hardcore that you've been waiting for" on the Wii. If you like uber-violent, bloody games and don't mind hearing the f-bomb dropped a ridiculous amount of times in the span of 30 seconds, this is a game for you. And if you haven't picked it up by now, you can find it online for under $20, so by all means, go and do so as soon as possible? Why? Sega and developer Headstrong games are rumored to be currently working on a sequel to Overkill that is set to launch in mid 2011, giving you another reason to dust off your Wii for another romp through the world of House of the Dead.

If you are interested in reading more about the game, check out my review.

Your friendly Next Door Gamer awaits more information about this game and longs for a chance to play another great hardcore title on the Wii.

via IGN.

New Xbox 360 Dashboard Update Coming November 1st

2010-10-31T05:15:00.000-07:00

Originally, the next Xbox 360 Dashboard update was scheduled to be available to gamers on November 4th, alongside the release of Microsoft's upcoming Kinect. Well, this weekend Microsoft sent out a notice stating the the new update is coming on November 1st. You can take a look at the notice below. I'll be sure to download the update tomorrow and let you all know how it is.

Alleged PSP2 (PSP Phone) Leaked

2010-10-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months, there have been many signs pointing to the existence of a successor to the Playstation Portable. Most of this news is not pointing to the "PSP2" as being merely a follow up to Sony's handheld, but even the possibility of it being a phone. While nothing is confirmed, in a recent interview with CNN, a Sony executive even went on to say that the PSP could definitely benefit from wireless connectivity through a mobile phone provider. He also talked about the current model for the PSP (which can connect to Wi-Fi) does not quite fit Sony's vision for digital distribution of media and games, whereas something that could connect anywhere could help them fully realize their goal.

What about the device itself? Well, the guys over at Engadget allegedly have proof of the existence of the PSP Phone in picture form. Check it out.

via Engadget

Here is all of the information that is available about the device at the moment:

- Custom Google Android based operating system
- "Sony Marketplace" to purchase games and media
- 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 mobile Processor
- 512 MB of RAM
- 1 GB of ROM
- 3.7 - 4.1 touch screen display
- camera with LED flash
- touchpad slider (in between control pad and buttons, could function as virtual analog sticks)

If this information is true then this iteration of the PSP is going to be pretty amazing. At this point, though, it is not perfectly clear whether this is the PSP2, or this is basically a PSP Go with a new operating system and the ability to make phone calls. Here are some thoughts that I have had about Sony's next handheld.

PSP Phone - Minus the "Phone"

This is going out on a bit of a limb, but what if the device is not a phone? What if it just simply uses phone networks to connect for online gaming and purchasing/ downloading content? This would definitely be a possibility, but looking at 3G networks in America, would they be able to support such a device? While it might not be possible to download an entire PSP or PSP2 game over a mobile phone network in a timely manner, playing online and purchasing songs and some movie files is a possibility.

Apple's iPad and also the vast array of netbooks and USB internet connectors that can be used on mobile networks today show that obviously, not all devices have to be used to make phone calls. Of course, though, given the size of the PSP Phone, I honestly do not see why Sony would not make a version that would be able to send and receive phone calls, especially if it is already connected to a network.

PSP Phone Appeal

The PSP Go, while compact and a pretty advanced and cool device, one of the biggest disappointments of the PSP Go is the fact that gamers could not play or transfer games they already bought on UMD. Sure, there was still tons of games and media available at their fingertips, but most sane people do not want to pay for something that they already bought and probably still have. Will the PSP Phone suffer the same fate? If it is indeed a PSP upgrade, there are going to be plenty of gamers out there who might want to play the games they already bought on UMD. On the other hand, if the device is a successor to the PSP, the backlash might not be as bad as new PSP2 games are available exclusively through downloads only.

And what about with non-gamers? What will they think about a PSP Phone? There are a number of smart phones available on the market, many of which are getting easier to use and drawing in mom, dad, and sometimes even grandma and grandpa. Will a PSP Phone have that same kind of appeal? I kind of have my doubts. Why? The first time that mom/dad/grandma/grandpa/great uncle Ted lay eyes on the the controller layout of the phone, they would probably reconsider purchasing it. Obviously, a PSP Phone would do a hell of a lot more than playing games, but how can you convince an audience who is not interested in gaming? It's a tough sell, no doubt. Gamers and tech junkies are what would seem to be the obvious targets for this phone.

Network

From the picture above, you probably noticed the "No SIM card" message on the screen. Does this mean that the PSP Phone will only be able to work on GSM/UMTS networks and not with CDMA? It's hard to tell. Of course, it is possible for devices to support both technologies. To determine this, let's take a look at the markets that this device will be coming to. In Japan, a majority (if not all) of mobile phone providers use UMTS/GSM technology (SIM cards). In Europe, CDMA is scarce (maybe even non-existant). America - of the four big name companies in America, the majority of the business goes through AT&T, who uses GSM/UMTS, and Verizon who uses CDMA technology. Looking at the worldwide picture, having a GSM only based device seems to be the most financially feasible thing to do. Then again, the 90 million customers of Verizon might not be willing to make the switch to AT&T for one device. The American market is pretty large, and having a PSP phone that can do either technology, or even having two separate SKUs would be advantageous for Sony to get the new device in as many hands as possible.

Price

Another thing that totally killed the PSP Go was the ridiculously high launch price of $250. Hell, at the time of the PSP Go release, for $50 more you could have bought a PS3! I don't know what it is, but Sony has really dropped the ball recently when it has come to price points of their new gaming devices (hello? PS3 launch price of $499 and $599? Ludicrous.). I hope that Sony has learned from these blunders and sets the price a bit lower so they can be competitive. Of course, too, we might be able to see the device subsidized after signing a contract with the mobile phone company.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whether it be a PSP Phone, PSP2, or all of it rolled into one, Sony is definitely working on something. It is only a matter of time before they spill the beans and let us know what's going on. Your friendly next door gamer waits with bated breath.

What do you think? Please feel free to chime in with comments below.

New Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Story trailer

2010-10-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

In 2007, the first Assassin's Creed helped set up Ubisoft with an ultra cool open world experience taking place in antiquity. In terms of scope, the game was massive and really showed what the current generation consoles were capable of. If you have played the game, just think about the first time that you rode in to Jerusalem and saw the massive city before you. It was ALL there - no load times in different sections of the city. Everything was accessible. While the first game wasn't perfect, developer Ubisoft Montreal went all out on the sequel and added new elements to the series such as a monetary system, improved battle controls, and even the ability to own property! Brotherhood is also not simply continuing the story of Ezio from Assassin's Creed II. The developer has added a new multiplayer function to the game to spice things up a bit. The game is shaping up very well and I personally cannot wait to get my hands on it. For now, here is the latest trailer featuring some elements of the storyline. Enjoy!

More Assassins Creed: Brotherhood (Limited Codex Edition) Videos

PS3 Netflix not only console on block to lose disc

2010-10-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has had it from the beginning. Sony just got it today. And guess what? Netflix is now available on the Wii without the disc as well. Users can now download a free channel on the Wii Shop Channel to have access to this feature.

So, this is definitely good news. The whole disc thing was pretty annoying, which is the main reason why I reverted to mainly using the Xbox 360 for the Netflix service (unfortunately, being outside of the US now, there aren't too many EASY ways for me to have access to the service any longer!). If you are living in the United States and have not had a chance to experience the pure joy that is Netflix, please, by all means go and do so. The subscriptions start as low as $8.99 per month and that is including an unlimited amount of streaming content as well as the ability to rent one disc at a time via snail mail.

Streaming Netflix on the Wii isn't bad, but with the lack of high definition content due to the Wii's technological limitations, utilizing the service elsewhere is recommended from your friendly next door gamer.

via CNET

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare

2010-10-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

Check out the awesome new trailer for Red Dead Redemption's upcoming downloadable content, the Undead Nightmare pack. While there is no specific release date, the price for this will be 800 Microsoft points on Xbox Live Aracde and $9.99 on the Playstation Network. This add-on includes a new single player campaign as well as new multiplayer modes, weapons, zombie creatures and a new location.

More Red Dead Redemption -- Undead Nightmare Videos

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!" (Crazy Taxi related)

2010-10-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

For a short period of time, the Dreamcast was king of the consoles, the "hippest" and most powerful game console to own. For crying out loud, it was even featured in Nelly's music video for E.I. (check it out if you don't believe me!). Granted, this period of time was short lived, but despite it's short life cycle, the Dreamcast had some pretty great games and great ideas that are implemented into consoles to this day. Crazy Taxi is one of those unforgettable games from the Dreamcast era that can still be fun to play through even now. Sure, the game is not without it's problems, but it's still a lot of fun to play.

Thankfully for gamers that have a taste for things Dreamcast, Sega has started to release Dreamcast classics, starting with Sonic Adventure in late September. Crazy Taxi is set to hit the Playstation Network and Xbox Arcade on November 23rd (24th in Europe and Australia) and is priced at 800 Microsoft points and $9.99 on PSN. This remake will feature all of the original content found in the original Dreamcast title along with HD 720p and widescreen support, leader boards, and trophy/achievement awards. November 23rd, hurry up and get here!

via M&C

Eeek...New Panasonic Handheld...

2010-10-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

Last week news popped up across the net that Panasonic is planning to release a new handheld titled the "Jungle." What sets Jungle apart from other existing handhelds? The focus of the machine is online gaming and MMORPGs. Based on information floating around about the device, here is what we can expect from it:

- Clamshell design
- Full QWERTY keypad
- Touchpad, d-pad, shoulder buttons
- Amazing screen resolution (quoted by a test gamer as, "...bananas. Everyone was freaking out about it."
- Rumored HDMI port
- Wi-Fi (obvious) and possibly ability to connect to a 3G network
- Possibly running a Linux OS
- Price point somewhere between $200 to $400

None of this is 100% concrete, but you can check out a somewhat cryptic video on the official (I guess) website for the handheld here.

My Thoughts

My initial thought was, "What in the world is Panasonic thinking? Who is going to buy this thing?" It is one thing to try to jump into the handheld market at this point in time to compete with Sony and Nintendo. It is a completely different thing to come in and do it with a handheld that only appeals to a small niche of the gaming community.

One of the biggest trends in the gaming industry at the moment is to have a device that can appeal to not only just the hard core gamer, but to everyone. This generation, Nintendo started it with the DS, continued it with the Wii, and now Sony and Microsoft are doing it with their consoles as well. Jungle is the antithesis of all of this. It is a device that mostly hardcore gamers would like, and of the hardcore gamers out there, gamers who enjoy online gaming and MMORPGs. And this is assuming that that subset of gamers would be willing to fork over the money to play their same games on a smaller screen outside of the house. Given the small audience of appeal, this things is almost destined to fail. I think it's cool that Panasonic is giving this a shot, but my God, to compete in the handheld market against the likes of Nintendo, Sony, and Apple, they are going to have to do better than this.

via gizmondo

Prince of Persia Trilogy HD

2010-10-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

Recently, a number of different companies are cashing on re-releases of games from last generation. Nintendo has done it on the Wii with "New Play Control" series which are basically Gamecube games that have added motion controls and usually feature some kind of graphical improvement, such as 16:9 support. Sony has released the God of War Collection and has announced the Ico/Shadow of the Colossus Collection, which basically puts the classic Playstation 2 titles on one Blu-Ray disc and ups the ante in the visual department by including 720p support.

Well, you can add one more company to the mix. Ubisoft has just announced that the Prince of Persia Trilogy (Sands of Time, Warrior Within, and The Two Thrones) is coming exclusively to the Playstation 3. The updated Prince will feature 720p support, updated visuals (improved textures, anit-aliasing, etc), as well as 3D support all on one Blu-Ray disc. Sounds good, right? Not if you live outside of Europe! We are going to have to hit the import stores, boys, because as of right now, the title is a European exclusive.

Prince of Persia Trilogy launches on November 19th and will retail for £29.99.

via IGN.

Retro Studios - I have a beef...

2010-10-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

For those of you that do not know, here is some background about the developer, Retro Studios before I go any further:

Founded in 1998, Retro Studios is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo Company, Ltd. We’re a state-of-the-art team working closely with our partners in Japan to bring cutting-edge games to Nintendo platforms such as the Wii™.

Our team is composed of industry veterans and leaders with decades of experience creating compelling games for the global market. The award-winning Metroid Prime™ series reflects our passion, creativity, and dedication to excellence, and we’re working hard to ensure our future titles uphold the industry-leading Nintendo standard of quality.”

- Retro Studios

So, these are the guys that are behind the Metroid Prime series and are currently finishing up development on the upcoming Donkey Kong Country Returns for the Nintendo Wii. For any of you who have played any of the titles in the Prime series or have been following the latest entry in the Donkey Kong Country series, you know that this is not only a development team that is full of talent, but it is also a development team that is allowed to take these precious Nintendo franchises and make them their own. There are not very many developers out there who get this kind of opportunity. While Retro is always more than up to the challenge and for the past decade has done nothing but deliver, one has to wonder what the company is capable of outside of the restraints of an established Nintendo franchise.

Back in the early days of the Gamecube, Retro was not only working on Metroid, but they also had a few original ideas that they were churning up. It was a pretty wide variety of games, as well. Here are some of the games that they were working on before they had to work exclusively on Metroid Prime - NFL Retro Football, a Car Combat game, and an action RPG called Ravenblade. While it is a pity that none of these games got to see the light of day on the Gamecube, this did enable Retro to make one hell of a game with the original Metroid Prime.

I guess my beef is not necessarily with Retro Studios themselves, but rather Nintendo. Retro has not had much of a chance over the past ten years to work on anything completely original. I'm sure they had their say for certain aspects in their collaborated titles, but I truly wish that gamers had a chance to watch the developer shine with their own ideas and stories. I guess you could argue that since the studio IS "a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo" that they do not have a lot of say in the matter. Still, I know that there are many gamers out there, including this one, who would like to see tackle a project that is completely their own.

Nintendo September 29th Conference - Software

2010-09-29T00:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the video from the conference highlighting the 3DS software and hardware. I really suggest checking out the hardware one. It gives you a pretty good idea of what the system is capable of. One thing I noticed when watching it as well in regard to the home button, not only can you check out simple gameplay statistics, it appears that you can even browse the internet if you want to. Pretty cool. There are also a few other links I've throw in down there for your enjoyment.

3DS Hardware Concept Details Video

3DS Software Lineup (movie)

3DS Japanese Homepage

Nintendo September 29th Conference - 3DS Details

2010-09-29T00:13:00.000-07:00

Well, September 29th is here and Nintendo has shed some light on the pricing, launch date, and a few other details about the upcoming Nintendo 3DS. Here is what we learned from the conference...

Release Date: February 26th, 2011 (Japan), March 2011 (outside of Japan)
Price: 25,000 yen
Colors: Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black

Other 3DS details

- 3DS will utilize Mii characters as well as a the exclusive Mii Studio
- "tag mode" - if your DS is in sleep mode, it can communicate wirelessly with other systems
- multi-tasking - i.e. you can pause in game and then check out your "Memory Notebook" to check playtime, etc.
- bundled with 2GB SD card
- Wi-Fi enabled
- Nintendo is partnering with Fuji TV in Japan for distribution of 3D videos to the handheld
- GameBoy and GameBoy Advance Virtual Console
- 3D classic game Virtual Console

I was thrown off with the Gameboy Virtual Console being announced, especially considering the state that the Virtual Consoles is in on the Wii right now with hardly any games getting released for it (at least outside of Japan!). At any rate, no word as of yet from Nintendo in any of the other regions about a specific release date.

via IGN and Aussie-Gamer.com

Zelda Overhaul

2010-09-27T04:53:00.001-07:00

The Legend of Zelda series is one of the most popular series in the gaming world today. Link has been through many adventures in his nearly two decades of life, spanning numerous consoles and handheld systems. An overwhelming majority of the time, Zelda games are met with praise from the gaming press. Over the years as well, the games have continued to grow more and more epic, providing gamers with richer stories as well as more game play time. While Nintendo has built a winning formula with the Zelda series, there are many gamers out there (this one included) that feel that the series has become a bit stale and is in need of a re-envisioning. With the upcoming Wii Zelda entry, Skyward Sword, I will go out on a limb and say that not much seems to be changing in terms of formula. Of course, with the game not even being available at retail yet, it is a bit difficult to back the claim up, however, I think something needs to be done to make the series fresh again. Here are some questions that I that I think we should ask ourselves about the Zelda series: What are some of the things that are consistent with the most recent Zelda games that need to be changed? What can be done to make the Zelda series fresh again? Will Nintendo make any changes to the Zelda series?

Let us start with the first questions...

What are some things that need to be changed?

Like all of you know, the Zelda series has been around for a long time. Primarily, the game is about obtaining new items to aid you on your quest, defeating large and/or difficult bosses in one of many dungeons, and of course, saving the princess. These are the core elements of the Zelda series. Recently, though, there are a few other consistent elements that have been going on for simply too long and if they were cut out of the series, it would not be a loss.

Music System

Introduced as a core part of Ocarina of Time, music played a huge part in the story and aided in the gameplay. In nearly every Zelda game since Ocarina, there has been some kind of musical element that is pushed into the main part of the game. While this does not intrinsically "break" the series or any of the games, it is something that has been used for over a decade in Zelda games and doesn't necessarily have to be there to ensure success.

Alternating Worlds

This goes back to A Link to the Past, starting with the introduction of both the light world and the dark world. Ocarina of Time had present and future (young and older Link). Twilight Princess had the Twilight Realm. Why can't normal Hyrule just be overrun with bad guys and go from there?

More Freedom and Customization

Looking at what Nintendo's competition comes up with, I think Nintendo should step up to the plate to try to compete with games like Fable and Oblivion. In terms of side-quests, customization and even things to do in general, these games have taken what the Zelda series initially created and made them better. The latest console entry in the Zelda series, Twilight Princess was probably the most expansive and detailed Zelda game to date. However, there are other games out there where you can simply do more and might even have more fun doing it (collecting a million bugs to unlock a a toothbrush is a bit tedious, right?). Simply put, Nintendo should look at what the competition is doing, and try to one up them.

What can be done to make the series fresh again?

Well, aside from what I typed above, here are some things that would breathe new life into the series...

Voice Acting

Some of you may say, "But Link is never supposed to talk!" You know what? That is perfectly fine. But, does that mean that the other denizens of Hyrule have to be mute? Nintendo can no longer use the excuse that kept voice acting out of the Zelda series back in the Nintendo 64 days. Limits to cartridge sizes and the technology kept this from becoming a reality back then, but now, fast forward to a generation of gaming where voice acting is nearly standard. It is a complete mystery as to why the Big N almost refuses to add such a feature. Yeah, it would take more money and development time, but the final product would be much more well rounded and appropriate for today's generation of gamers.

Deeper Story

While Twilight Princess offered one of the deepest story lines in the history of the Legend of Zelda series, it still pales in comparison to other what other development teams have come out with over the years. I'm not even talking about this generation. Here are some games from last generation that wipe the floor with Zelda in terms of depth of their stories: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Grand Theft Auto (San Andreas, Vice City, III), Fable, and Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3, Shadow of the Colossus. And these are just games from last generation! I am fully confident that Nintendo is capable of producing an award winning story that can tug at the heart strings of the player as well as give them the feeling of empowerment. Also why not throw in some darker elements as well, while they're at it? There are so many things that Nintendo can do with the series. It seems like a waste that Nintendo does not try to make Zelda a deeper product. Gameplay is important, and that is something that Nintendo has done well with the Zelda series for nigh two decades. Gaming is evolving. Nintendo needs to evolve, too.

Visual Style - Stick with Cel-Shading

Okay. I know there are a ton of gamers out there who abhor the style of visuals that were found in The Wind Waker. While I personally thought they were impressive and well done, I think that Nintendo could expand upon what they did in the past and make something even more impressive. I mean, just look at what some other developers have done with cel-shaded games over the past decade. Madworld, No More Heroes, Okami, and even Prince of Persia (2008) were all amazing well done. Just think of playing an anime or cartoon. Things could still be semi-realistic and stylistic at the same time. I don't care if we're talking about a new title on the Wii or some next generation Nintendo console, it can potentially be epic no matter what the platform.

Will Nintendo make any drastic changes to the series?

As much as I would like them to, I honestly do not think that Nintendo will. Heck, in regard to the upcoming Skyward Sword, Miyamoto even went on record saying that, "I don’t think it’s going to be that radically different." Nintendo does not seem to care what other developers are doing and continues to go upon their own merry way. Obviously, Nintendo is a business, and they know what is safe and what can make them easy money. The current Zelda formula works and works pretty well in terms of sales. People always buy Zelda games and I would be a liar if I were to say that I was not interested in purchasing the upcoming Skyward Sword for the Wii.

I think Skyward Sword does look like it will be a pretty fun game. Wii motion plus support, a new visual system inspired by Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne, and the shroud of secrecy around other details about the game make it difficult to pass any final judgments. It is unfortunate that the MAN himself, Shigeru Miyamoto even went on to make a disappointing statement such as the one above. When it comes down to it, gamers have been playing the same game for over a decade. Yeah, the graphics have got better and the stories have changed a little bit, but players deserve something more from Nintendo. Fortunately for gamers (and not so fortunate for Nintendo), players can find games of a higher caliber elsewhere.

I know I am not alone on this, but I truly wish that Nintendo would push the boundaries again with a Zelda game. I wish they would make something that can set standards for the gaming industry as a whole as they once did with the original Legend of Zelda and Ocarina of Time. Gaming is evolving. Nintendo and the Legend of Zelda series have usually been a part of that evolution. In the near future, will Nintendo and the Zelda series surprise us with a new game or innovation that is implemented in numerous games in the future? Or will they continue on the road of mediocrity?

Wii Remote Plus?

2010-09-25T04:32:00.000-07:00

Remember when the Wii was first announced and the preview videos were showing nearly 1 to 1 motion controls? Of course, initially this was not the way that the Wii remote worked. Nintendo remedied this when they introduced Wii motion plus in the summer of 2009. Well, it now appears that Nintendo is taking it a step further. In a game listing for Fling Smash, a "Wii Remote Plus" is listed as being included with the game and shipping on November 7th with a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Finally, gamers are getting the Wii remote as it should have been from the very beginning. As you can see, the design itself is nearly identical to the standard Wii remote, sans the half circle at the bottom of the controller by the Wii logo. For those of you that have already spent a ton of money on Wii controllers, Wii motion pluses, etc, it is kind of a pity that this did not happen earlier. However, for new adopters of the console, this definitely makes it a lot easier and less complicated. More as it develops.

Via Kotaku.

Nintendo 3DS Announcement

2010-09-24T23:02:00.000-07:00

IGN reported that on September 29th, Nintendo will hold a press conference to reveal more details about the Nintendo 3DS, presumably about the release date and price in Japan. Considering that for the past two years Nintendo has done similar announcements for both the DSi and the DSi XL - giving details about both the release date and price (in Japan at any rate). The guys over at IGN are predicting that the new handheld will hit store shelves in Japan before the end of 2010. I would say this is a pretty accurate prediction, especially when bringing back up how Nintendo handled the DSi and DSi XL launches. At any rate, with Nintendo's initial announcement at E3 claiming that the 3DS will be in stores by March 2011, gamers do not have that long of a wait.

While IGN's article covers predictions for system cost, features and the like, one thing they did not really discuss was what they think the cost of the software would be. Let's think about the current generation of consoles before they launched, in particularly the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Software for the Gamecube, Playstation 2 and original Xbox was generally right at $50. With high definition gaming coming into the equation, developers claimed that with the increasing cost of making games in high definition, they needed to find a way to compensate. Thus, they raised the suggested retail price for games from $50 to $60. Will developers do the same for 3DS games? I don't see how the price for developing a 3D game WOULDN'T cost more than a non-3D game. It's possible that we could see higher price games for the next DS. Probably not much of an increase, though. Right now, games on the DS hang around $30-$40. It is entirely possible that early adopters will be paying $40-$50 for 3DS games. Will it be worth it, though? I certainly think that it will. 3D technology is still pretty early on, but a device like the 3DS will most certainly help bring 3D into the mainstream - and without the glasses nonetheless!

September 29th is only a few short days away. Nintendo may a few things up their sleeves yet.

Shadows of the Damned

2010-09-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Suda 51, creator No More Heroes and Killer 7, and legendary Resident Evil creator, Shinji Mikami are teaming up on an upcoming third person shooter titled Shadows of the Damned. The title is set to be published by Electronic Arts and will release on the Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2011. The trailer shown off at the Tokyo Game Show is pretty intense and looks like it will offer gamers a bloody good time (lame pun intended). Check out the trailer for yourself. Personally, with these two guys behind the helm, I don't see where this game can go wrong.

More Suda51 Horror Project [untitled] - (Xbox 360) Videos

ICO/Shadow of the Colossus Collection on PS3

2010-09-16T06:22:00.000-07:00

Well, they've finally done it. At the Tokyo Game Show this week, Team ICO went on to confirm that ICO/Shadow of the Colossus Collection (similar to the God of War Collection) is on it's way to the Playstation 3 next year. Here are some of the things we can expect in the upcoming title:

- HD support
- up-scaled textures
- steady 30 fps re-framed for widescreen support
- trophy support
- 3D support
- due in US and European Markets in Spring 2011

Now we can finally breath a sigh of relief and retire our PS2s! Here's the trailer, courtesy of IGN.

More Ico / Shadow of the Colossus Collection - (PlayStation 3) Videos

Story via IGN.

Halo: Reach?! The poor man's answer...

2010-09-14T04:27:00.000-07:00

Coming back to Japan has been a trying time for me. Leaving family and friends behind back home is never a fun thing. But what makes it even worse, the overwhelming majority of my game collection is back home just sitting there without me! Fortunately for me, I did manage to bring a few of the "kids" with me...

Where does Halo: Reach come into the equation? I mean, the game just released a few hours ago, and I've definitely been in Japan for more than just a few hours! While it would be nice to have a sit down with Halo: Reach (especially based on all of the positive reviews and impressions that I've been reading), I have to settle for something a little less, but still pretty good. The poor man's answer to Halo: Reach? Just bust out some Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 after not playing it for nearly 6 months!

It's been pretty refreshing, especially compared to how the game was the last time I played. When I was playing regularly back in February or March, Modern Warfare 2 started to take a turn for the worse online and I don't think it was just me. There were extreme cases of lag, host migration every 5 minutes, and just a ton of other problems that were just not being taken care of at the time. I can report that now, things are all up to par and working as they should be creating an enjoyable experience even if you are getting skunked every round. Of course, if you have the means and the desire, go and get a game like Halo: Reach. But, if you are like me, why not stick around with a solid game like Modern Warfare 2 for now?

*Note: Yes, I realize that there are people out there that may consider what I'm saying is blasphemous to the Halo gods that be. For that I apologize and offer a simple explanation, "I'm just a simple man trying to make his way in the universe." (- Jango Fett, AotC). Oh, and n0H moNiEz make this a good choice for me!!! :-p

Dreamcast Day 2010

2010-09-09T04:58:00.001-07:00

Yes, yes. It's once again Dreamcast Day in the United States. Today marks the 11th year anniversary of the Sega Dreamcast releasing in America. Last year, the 10th year anniversary, I didn't even have a chance to *gasp* play a Dreamcast in celebration. This year looks like it's going to be more of the same. My Dreamcasts are sitting in America (all three of them) while I am here in Japan again. Coming here has allowed me to fulfill a dream that I've had for the past decade. So, you know the little game called Shenmue on the Dreamcast and how it takes place in Yokosuka, Japan and how Ryo is constantly running up and down a street called Dobuita? ...Okay, so maybe you didn't know about the last part. That's just fine. My whole point with this is simple. I made the pilgrimage last month to Yokosuka and walked the very streets that Ryo Hazuki walked. Bought soft drinks, visited the same convenience store that he frequented, and even got to fight some of the same bullies that Ryo destroyed...

In all seriousness, I did get to visit Yokosuka and see the streets that Ryo would have walked all those years ago. I'll save the details for a later entry and leave you with an awesome clip from Shenmue. If you don't have a Dreamcast, sit back and Enjoy.

Black Wii Finall Coming to North America?

2010-04-28T17:09:00.001-07:00

It definitely appears to be the case according to the guys over at Kotaku. Apparently, some Gamestop employees let it slip that the Big N is planning on releasing a black Wii on May 4th in the North American market.

Come on, though. Nintendo released the black Wii in Japan last August and they're just NOW releasing it here? If you ask me, Nintendo should have stayed true to the rainbow...

Well, at least now there is another option when picking out your Wii...if you don't already have one yet...It's a shame, though. The lime green Wii matches my new eye shadow.

Story via IGN.

Red Dead Redemption - Multiplayer

2010-04-24T15:07:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you guys, but I've been looking forward to Red Dead Redemption ever since it was first announced. With the game more or less being a mix of the Back to the Future III and Grand Theft Auto, what's not to like? ...Okay, so you can take out the flux capacitors and Delorean, and you still have a pretty amazing looking game. Recently, Rockstar released a trailer showing off the multiplayer modes in the game. Check it out. It looks like a lot of fun.

Red Dead Redemption hits the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 18th.

Wii Streaming Netflix in the US

2010-01-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

You want to watch streaming videos on your Nintendo Wii? Nintendo listened to your plight. While Japan has had streaming video service for the Wii since summer 2009, Nintendo is finally offering the service in the U.S. of A. this spring. Is this a step in the right direction? I'll give the nod to that. With the Wii being the console of the non-gamer, something like this is overdue and should have been hashed out months ago. Kudos Nintendo. This is something that just makes sense for Nintendo to have done on their consoles, especially considering everything they are trying to acheive with this console. They want a console "for the people," not just the hardcore gamer. I would definitely say they're doing that.

How does it work on the Wii? IGN.com reports that "Wii owners will be able to subscribe at a minimum $9 monthly cost, and like Sony's PlayStation 3, will require a Netflix DVD to be inserted into the console before playing, which will ship to owners at no additional cost." Of course, with the highest resolution on the Wii being 480p, Wii owners will not have access to streaming HD content, which is a constant complaint among the hardcore Wii crowd. Well, sorry fellas. There is absolutely nothing that can be done about it.

Source.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - 11 years

2009-11-23T21:20:00.000-08:00

It was this day 11 years ago that gamers were graced by the presence of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The game not only revolutionized 3D gaming, it was also one heck of an entry into the Legend of Zelda series. As a nod to the game, pop it in at least to see the opening sequence. Or how about a moment of silence? Or you could tell me that you did both, and I'll die a happy man.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii - Launch

2009-11-21T23:10:00.000-08:00

How long have we been waiting for this game? Well, honestly, not too terribly long. Ever since it debuted at E3 this past summer, Nintendo fans have been waiting in anticipation to see what the Big N is going to do with the beloved Mario franchise on the Nintendo Wii. This time around, they were not about to get another 3-D Mario, but a Mario title that went back to it's 2-D roots, ala New Super Mario Bros. Wii. In the hustle and bustle of holiday season 2009, did the new effort from Nintendo stack up?

Well, I'm here to tell you about my experience last weekend at the launch of probably the most anticipated Nintendo title of the year. So, last Saturday night, I again, headed over to Walmart slightly before the midnight release on November 15th of New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Was I expecting tons of people to be at the store waiting for the game to release? No. But what I came across what a lot different from what I expected. Like I mention in my previous entry, the city that I live in isn't tiny. It's a respectably sized city in central Illinois that drew in quite a few people for the Modern Warfare 2 release earlier that week. But the Mario release - nobody other than myself. I even checked out the nearby Gamestop, which was closed and apparently had no special midnight release for Nintendo's hottest title of the year.

Should I be surprised, though? Aside from the E3 showing, I haven't really noticed Nintendo going out of their way to promote the game. Sure, I've seen ads here and there, but we have the typical Nintendo effect, where they know the game will sell regardless of them advertising it or not. I guess it really doesn't matter. Like I was getting to, I was the only person at said Walmart who picked up the title at midnight, but you know what? I'm not disappointed with the final product. Playing the game on one-player mode is pretty solid, and playing the game with you friends is even better. It DOES, however, seem pretty weak that Nintendo opted to NOT add in an online mode to the game. While Nintendo claims it's due to system limitations, it seems more or less to me (and many other gaming publications) to be a bit of laziness on Nintendo's part. This is a game that screams online play - especially in a world where online play is becoming a mainstream of the gaming industry.

I have put a good amount of time in to New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but have yet to beat the game. It's an amazing entry to the Mario Bros. universe, but I can't help but be disappointed with Nintendo's implementation of the launch here in the United States. It doesn't matter, though. The game will go on to sell millions.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Launch

2009-11-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

So, I'm a bit late with this update seeing as this game did indeed come out a week ago. Nonetheless, here we go with the update.

Perhaps one of the most anticipated titles of the year came out last week on November 10th, and yours truly was on the front-lines at the retail stores to snag a copy of developer Infinity Ward's latest entry into the Call of Duty franchise. There was plenty of blood, sweat, game posters, and energy drinks to go around, though, which was fine by me. Having just played through the first Modern Warfare over the summer (blasphemy, I know), I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next incarnation of Call of Duty. As much as I wanted the awesome Prestige Edition (complete with night vision goggles), there was just no way I could afford it at $150+ MSRP. So, I was obligated to either pick up the Hardened Edition (steel case, art book, and download code for the original Call of Duty) for $79.99 or the standard edition of the game for $59.99. Decisions, decisions...

Unlike many gamers out there as well, I did not reserve the game, meaning I would have to face the hoards of gamers lined up at Walmart for the game at the midnight release. Fortunately for me, I live in a somewhat smaller town, so that ended up not being so much of an issue. And, this being my first midnight release in nearly 3 years (with the last one being for the Wii console, I believe), I enjoyed the "thrill of the hunt." I made it to Walmart around 11:30 PM, and found a modest line in the electronic section. But, seeing as it IS Walmart, and the fact that I own both the PS3 and Xbox 360, there was going to be plenty of copies to go around.

About ten minutes before midnight, the store attendants started passing out game posters for the game to all of the people standing and waiting for the stroke of midnight. I'm always down for a bit of swag! Come midnight, the registers in the electronics department opened up, and seeing as I was apparently one of the only guys in line to be paying with a debit card, I was in and out before anybody else. As I exited the building bustling with excitement, game in hand, I looked over to a nearby Gamestop and saw an extremely long line extending a good ways outside of the store. "Those poor souls," I thought. "Most of those guys are probably just waiting out for a reserved copy of the standard edition, which they can pick up at Walmart RIGHT NOW and be done with it." Oh well. Outside of the Gamestop, they had a cool military vehicle to help celebrate the launch of Modern Warfare 2. That would have been enough to keep me waiting.

Overall, pretty eventful launch, and I got out of it pretty luckily. The game itself is amazing, and I just cleared the campaign on regular last Friday, and am working on online multiplayer and the spec ops mode in the game as well. I love game launches and was more than happy to be a part of the biggest game of the year.

Dreamcast Day - 9/9

2009-09-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

Even though it has been a while since I've posted on here, I have been looking forward to September of this year for one simple reason - the ten year anniversary of the release of the Sega Dreamcast in North America. For the past few years, I've been celebrating the day with at least a few games of NFL 2K, or at least giving Shenmue a few hours or so. How about this year? Well, through a terrible set of circumstances (all of them related to work and/or people at my work place), I was unable to enjoy my Dreamcast Day like everyone else. Of course, I donned my Dreamcast t-shirt at work and tried to explain to everyone the significance of this great day in history. Well, unfortunately, it wasn't a good enough reason to get off of work early.
So what's the moral of this story? Call in sick or plan to take a vacation day when the 20 year anniversary rolls around. That way, you won't be stuck in a situation like I was. Let 9.9.99 live in your memory forever...Or something like that. Game on, guys.

Your friendly Next Door Gamer,

Dan

Now Playing - Gaming Drought Edition - 07.24.09

2009-07-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a good couple of weeks since my last update, and to be perfectly honest, on my end of things, I haven't been doing too many gaming related things. After having just started up a new job recently, I've unfortunately only allotted a little bit of time here and there to even do anything gaming related. I did manage to finally get through Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and after having picked up the game in late May, that's quite a feat for me considering how long it usually takes me to play through games.

In terms idea for a few blog posts, I have a few interesting ideas floating around in my head that need to get and quit driving me mad, one of which is a bit about the N-Gage and how it relates to gaming today. At any rate, my goal is to hopefully get that out within the next week. We will see how it goes. Until next time, happy gaming.

Playstation 3 Backwards Compatability Fix on the Horizon?

2009-07-03T15:28:00.001-07:00

When the Playstation 3 first hit the store shelves, the ability to play your Playstation and Playstation 2 games were a reason to not throw away your favorites from yesteryear. This left a decade worth of titles that you could still enjoy without having to break out your old consoles every time you had the itch to play a classic. Unfortunately, this feature is only enjoyed by a limited number of PS3 owners, as Sony opted to take out the ability to play PS1 and PS2 games from the PS3. The reason? It was mainly a cost thing, as the original PS3 units had this built into the physical hardware. A little bit later on, Sony released a few versions of the PS3 that could do the same thing, but this time it was through emulation. Now, it is completely axed from the system. However, this could change in the near future.

Recent rumors report that Sony is working on a way to fit this hardware emulation back into the Playstation 3 through software. Nothing right now is really concrete, but something like this shouldn't be that expensive for Sony to pull off. Whether it will come as a firmware update, an optional upgrade that you can buy, or even if Sony just starts putting PS2 games on the Playstation Network for purchase, it will be interesting to see how this develops. Personally, I'm keeping my fingers crossed so that I can play upscaled versions of my PS2 games on my 80 GB PS3. More as it breaks.

Story via Ars.

Metroid Prime Trilogy Wii Box-Art

2009-06-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

Here is the box art for the Metroid Prime Trilogy, which is due out in North America August 24th. Sexy.

Via IGN.

iPhone 3.0 OS upgrade

2009-06-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I'm a proud new owner of a 16 GB iPhone 3G. Well, last week saw the release of a new OS for the iPhone 3G (which is also implemented in the new iPhone 3Gs). Here are some new things that are included in the new 3.0 update for the iPhone/iPod Touch:

- The ability to cut, copy and paste
- A landscape keyboard
- The ability to send MMS messages
- The ability to download videos from iTunes directly to your device
- Internet tethering
- The ability to log in to your Youtube account

These are mainly the features that I was really wanting to get my hands on after the update. But you know what? After two attempts to download the 3.0 update, I've been left with a nearly bricked iPhone. I'm assuming I didn't do anything wrong. I just tried to do the update, and after it got to a certain point in the process, I received a "1604 error" and could go no further. At this point, my iPhone had no operating system, and I had to figure out what in the world I was going to do next.

Apple doesn't make fixing mistakes on their devices easy, either. At least not this early after the release. I had to scour various message board to figure out how to get my iPhone operational again. After about two or three hours of searching, I found a place to download the previous version of the iPhone OS and how to install it back on my iPhone. It sounds pretty easy, and it is once you know what you're doing, but figuring it out initially is very frustrating. Like I said, I've tried updating to the newest operating system two times, but to no avail. The second time around, the whole process, with the error as well as putting the older OS back on my iPhone only took around 45 minutes. That's not bad, but I am finding myself becoming very angry about my (or my iPhone's) inability to rock out with 3.0. I'll probably try it again later this week and hopefully Apple has some resolutions or ways around my error, or that it will just update without the error in the first place.

As a side note, though, I absolutely love my iPhone! I'm just the guy who wants to keep up to date with his technology and not being able to have the new standard operating system for my phone is very irritating.

E3 2009 Aftermath - Microsoft

2009-06-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

E3 2009 Aftermath - Sony

2009-06-09T23:50:00.000-07:00

Another E3 has come and gone and we are all filled to the brim with all sorts of new information. At the show, there were a ton of announcements and unveilings made for all of the consoles. Some of these were ground-breaking and amazing, while others could have been better. For those of us that did not have a chance (or the money!) to make it out to Los Angeles for the show, the most important aspect of the whole event had to be the press conferences that happened earlier in the week. This post is going to primarily focus on the big press conference from Sony. You can check out my blog on Nintendo's show here, and my Microsoft blog later this week. For now, though, let's take a look at some of the highlights from the conference...

PS3

The game that I am most excited about for the PS3 has got to be M.A.G (Massive Action Game). After hearing about the game last year, which boasts 256 player online battles, this game is indeed massive. Here is a video of the demo that was shown on the Sony stage during their media event. It will give you a pretty good idea of what the game is about.

Another big announcement for the Playstation 3 came from the guys at Square-Enix. Last year they shocked the gaming world by announcing that would be arriving on the Xbox 360 which made it the first time a main entry in the series has appeared on a non-Sony console since the SNES days, Final Fantasy XIII. Final Fantasy fans might not want to throw away their PS3s just yet. At the show, Square-Enix announced that Final Fantasy XIV Online is coming exclusively to the Playstation 3. The game, however, is not part of the main series, though. Final Fantasy XIV Online is a massively multiplayer online game and is more or less a sequel to Final Fantasy XI. The PS3 at the moment is the only console that you will be able to play the game on, however, it appears to be hitting Windows as well. Take a look at the trailer below to check it out.

Sony Computer Entertainment is also looking to capitalize on the LittleBigPlanet's adage of "Play, Create, Share." Mod Nation Racers can best be described as a LittleBigPlanet racer. The game has a strong emphasis on customization. Not with just your character or your cart/car, but with the ability to make levels as well. During the E3 presentation, the guys demonstrating the game made a complete level in about five minutes. And it wasn't junk, either. It was pretty amazing looking. It might look childish or even stupid to some, but honestly, that's what I originally thought about LittleBigPlanet after first looking at it. I'm going to give this game a chance as it seems to be in pretty capable hands. Take a look for yourself at the game. It looks like a lot of fun.

Some other games from the show that I'm keeping my eye on...

Assassin's Creed 2
Developer: Ubisoft
Release Date: November 17, 2009

The next game in the Assassin's Creed series hits consoles this holiday season. The setting now is in Italy during the Renaissance. You have a few more weapons at your disposal this time around as well as some new abilities. Also, if you play the PSP version, Assassin's Creed Bloodlines, and link up to your PS3, you can unlock a few extra weapons.

Gran Turismo 5
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Release Date: TBA

With about a billion cars available in the game, it's not wonder it's taking the guys at Polyphony Digital so long to pump this game out. On a serious note, though, the trailer shown at E3 this year unveiled even more licenses to the Gran Turismo series this year, including NASCAR and WRC (World Rally Championship). Not only that, but for the first time in a Gran Turismo game, cars look like they will be taking damage this time around. Sony was mum on release date information, though.

God of War III
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: 2010

Join Kratos in his quest that undoubtedly deals with death and destruction. During the E3 demo, I saw Kratos cutting through tons of foes and even ripping out the innards of a centaur. It was pretty gruesome stuff but it looked amazing visually and like a blast to play.

The Last Guardian
Developer: Team Ico
Release Date: 2010

The latest game from the guys at Team Ico looks absolutely stunning. With Ico and Shadow of the Colossus being absolutely amazing games, there is no doubt in my mind that The Last Guardian will follow suit. You must take a look at this trailer.

Agent
Developer: Rockstar North
Release Date: TBA

Agent is a Playstation 3 exclusive from Rockstar that is set in the 1970s and deals with counter intelligence and espionage. Sony's Jack Tretton believes that this game will have the same impact (in the industry?) as GTA did. That's a pretty bold claim, but I'm excited to see what Rockstar will put together with this game.

Playstation Motion Controller
Release Date: Spring 2010

When I first saw it on the during the conference, I was taken aback. "Is Sony really doing this?" I though. Yep. They are. And not only are they doing it, the demo that they ran on stage during their press conference was pretty dang impressive. While they didn't show any games per se, the demos worked wonderfully, even better than the stuff Nintendo is showing with Wii MotionPlus. It'll be interesting to see how developers react to this new peripheral and how many of them will make use of it. And by all means, check out the stage demonstration here.

PSP

The one thing that impressed me the most about Sony during E3 is the fact that they have a sense of humor. As most of you know, the news was leaked the week before E3 about the evolution of Sony's handheld called the PSP Go. Even though we knew nearly everything about the device, of course Sony couldn't abandon showing off the thing. The PSP Go is a slick device, looking to be about the size of an iPhone/iPod Touch. It has 16 GB of internal flash memory and can be expanded via the a memory stick micro port. The device does not use UMD discs. Instead, the system utilizes the Playstation Store to buy games and media and the flash memory is used to store games, music, videos and pictures.

What does this mean for all of your old PSP games and videos on UMD? Will you be able to somehow get that data to your PSP Go? And is Sony abandoning the older PSP models. At the moment there really are no official answers to the first two questions. As to the latter, Sony stated that the PSP Go is not intended to replace the PSP 3000 and that Sony is not cutting back support from it anytime soon. PSP Go will be released on October 1 and retail for $249.99.

Perhaps the biggest title show off for the PSP this year was the portable version of Gran Turismo. While many thought the game to be dead, Sony surprised us all (not at the show, though) letting us know that the game was still alive and is doing pretty well. Gran Turismo features 800 cars and will be available on October 1st on UMD and via the Playstation Store on the PSP Go. You can take a look at this stunning racer in this video.

There are also some other pretty cool titles coming out for the PSP later this year and early next year. Here are some of the games that I'm particularly looking forward to:

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Developer: Kojima Productions
Release Date: 2010

Peace Walker takes ten years before the events in Metal Gear Solid 3 and pits Solid Snake in Costa Rica on a mission to stop an invading military force. Check out the trailer here.

Resident Evil Portable
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: 2010

Not much was really shown on this title other than the fact that it exists. Seeing a new Resident Evil title on a handheld game system is pretty cool, though.

LittleBigPlanet Portable
Developer: Media Molecule
Release Date: TBA 2009

Remember a little game called on the PS3 last year called LittleBigPlanet? Well, it's back, and this time in portable form. This iteration is not just a simple port - it is it's own unique game. This version also looks to support user generated content, so the possibilities are endless.

Conclusion

PS3

The thing that really blew me away the most had to be the Playstation Motion Controller. Sure, Nintendo has been giving us motion control (sometimes) for a few years now, but it's just now getting to the point where it's something beyond waggle. With the demos that Sony showed on stage, the technology seems to be very responsive and easy to use. I can't wait to see what developers will do with the peripheral, and luckily, we only have to wait until Spring of next year to find out if all goes according to plan.

As far as games go, The Last Guardian is at the top of my list when it comes to PS3 titles. I really enjoyed the crap out of Shadow of the Colossus and can't wait to get my hands Team Ico's next masterpiece. Also, the inclusion of the NASCAR and WRC licenses in Gran Turismo 5 seems like a pretty big addition. Kind of surprising, actually. The guys at Polyphony Digital don't screw around with this kind of stuff, so I'm looking forward to see how it all works out in the end.

PSP

The PSP Go is a pretty amazing piece of hardware. I really like the direction that Sony is taking the PSP. While it kind of screws over current PSP users who have a wealth of UMDs (as of the time of writing, there are no details as to how or if you can somehow transfer your games to the Go), Sony is helping push digital distribution.

Sony had one heck of a good showing at E3 this year. The PSP Go, PS3 Motion Controller, and the numerous exclusive PS3 titles show that Sony really means business. Also with a strong line-up for later this year and early next year, Sony might be able to entice people into picking up PS3s and PSPs.

Wii Sports Resort Supporting Online

2009-06-09T12:08:00.000-07:00

Well, this news is coming out of Europe, and as you can see, there is some kind of connection with WiiConnect24 and online. Until there is an official announcement, we'll just have to keep out fingers crossed. It seems silly not to include some kind of online mode in the game. At the very least online leader boards! It almost seems at times that Nintendo doesn't even want to support any of the options (namely online and Wii Speak) that are readily available to developers. Prove me wrong Nintendo.

Story via GoNintendo.

E3 2009 Aftermath - Nintendo

2009-06-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

Another E3 has come and gone and we are all filled to the brim with all sorts of new information. At the show, there were a ton of announcements and unveilings made for all of the consoles. Some of these were ground-breaking and amazing, while others could have been better. For those of us that did not have a chance (or the money!) to make it out to Los Angeles for the show, the most important aspect of the whole event had to be the press conferences that happened earlier in the week. This post is going to primarily focus on the big press conference from Nintendo, with other blogs regarding Sony and Microsoft later this week. For now, though, let's take a look at some of the highlights from the conference...

Wii

There was a lot of hype for Nintendo's presence at E3 this year. There were a number of games that were rumored to be shown at the event and Nintendo's president, Satoru Iwata, went on to say something along the lines that Nintendo's showing at E3 was going to completely amaze the Nintendo hardcore audience. While those were not his exact words, Nintendo had a lot to live up to, and with the bar set that high, it seemed inevitable that Nintendo would not attain their goal. Nevertheless, the Big N did have a few surprises up their sleeves. Here is a video of three of the best titles unveiled during the Nintendo press conference:

New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Metroid: Other M look pretty amazing. While it had been rumored that a Galaxy 2 has been in the works, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Metroid (developed by Team Ninja, the guys responsible for the recent Ninja Gaiden games) kind of came out of nowhere. There is no doubt in my mind that all three of these games will become some of the must own titles for the Wii. And luckily, we don't have to wait too long to get our hands on these games, either. New Super Mario Bros. Wii is coming out this holiday season and Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M are coming in 2010.

Of course, one other big thing that Nintendo focused on during their conference was Wii Motionplus and their Wii Sports Resort which makes full use of the new peripheral. Nintendo finally showed off some of the other games that will be included in the package. During the conference, archery and basketball were extensively demoed, giving us a pretty good idea what to expect out of the technology and the game itself. Even though Wii Motionplus hits the shelves today for use in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, Grand Slam Tennis, and Virtua Tennis 2009, Wii Sports Resort will come to North America on July 26th. Here's the trailer for Wii Sports Resort:

Speaking of Wii Motionplus, Ubisoft announced that Red Steel 2 will not only make use of the Wii Motionplus peripheral, but that you cannot play the game without it. This is a pretty bold move on the part of Ubisoft and at the same time it shows how serious they are about Nintendo's new peripheral. Now all Nintendo has to do is make sure that Wii Motionplus gets into the hands of Wii owners.

Here is a quick list of some other Wii titles that were mentioned at (or before) the Nintendo Press Conference:

Wii Fit Plus
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: Fall 2009

This game is more or less an expanded version of the original Wii Fit. This time around, there are more games and more exercises. More importantly, though, the game will now feature the ability to choose 20, 30, or 40 minute workout routines. You can also set up your own customizable workout routines in Wii Fit Plus and focus on fitness goals or certain target areas of the body. And perhaps most important of all, you can now weigh your dogs and cats. You can check out a trailer here to get a better idea of what to expect.

The Grinder
Developer: High Voltage Software
Release Date: TBA 2010

The Grinder is an online cooperative first person shooter with up to 4 player simultaneous play. Developer High Voltage Software pits players against hoards of vampires and werewolves and is really pushing the Wii hardware on all kinds of levels. The game is semi-inspired by and very similar to Left 4 Dead. You can see the first trailer here.

Gladiator A.D.
Developer: High Voltage Software
Release Date: Q1 2010

"The concept of Gladiator A.D. is to recreate the brutal fighting and the high tension of the gladiatorial arenas in ancient Rome." High Voltage Software is looking to fill the gaps in the Wii library, which is relatively free of bloody, combat filled games. To read more about the game and the concepts behind it, check out this interview that IGN Wii had with the developer. Also, be sure to check out the trailer, too.

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: Fall 2009

The latest from Capcom in the "Vs." series, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is now officially coming to North America. While initially it was thought to be impossible to bring overseas due to licensing issues, it's now going to happen. This is no Street Fighter IV, but for a console that has a lack of serious fighting games, this is a welcome addition.

Wii Vitality Sensor
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: TBA

Put your index finger in this thing and it will tell you your pulse and then uses that information to chart how nervous or how focused you are. There were no games shown off with the device nor were there any hints at what games it will be used in. This device could be similar to a device that was shipped with the Japanese version of Tetris 64. The game shipped with a "bio sensor" which clipped onto the player's ear and measured their heart rate. Depending on the heart rate, the game would either speed up or slow down.

Nintendo DS

Nintendo didn't give the DS the short end of the stick at the show either. A number of fun and exciting titles and applications were announced to be on their way soon to Nintendo's handheld. They still packed some surprises in the show, as well. The announcement of Golden Sun on the DS is one of them. Another game looks to destroy what GTA tried to do on the DS - C.O.P. The Recruit from Ubisoft. Both of these games look incredible for DS titles. You can check out trailers for both titles below.

Also Nintendo announced that the DSi will be able to connect to Facebook. Not only can you check out your Facebook page, but you can also upload photos from your DSi. Kinda neat. Nintendo also announced a few other titles that are currently on the way. Here are some of the games that looked good:

Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Developer: Alpha Dream
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Q3 2009

The next game in the Mario and Luigi series continues on the DS with Bowser's Inside Story. The game involves everyone's favorite brothers getting inhaled by Bowser. While inside, the brothers beat the living crap out of anything and everything inside of the king of the koopas. You can see a trailer here.

WarioWare: DIY (DSi Ware)
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: TBA 2009

If you've owned a Nintendo handheld in the last decade, chances are you've at least heard of WarioWare. Well, it's back, and this time, you are in control of creating your very own WarioWare experience. Not only that, but you can share your creations with other WarioWare: DIY owners over Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection. You can see more about the game in this video.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again (DSi Ware)
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: June 8, 2009

This is another title in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series that started out on the GBA. The game apparently plays identically to the older titles, except this time around, Nintendo has a heavy focus on user creation. The game allows you to create levels and upload them over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Conclusion

Looking at all of the things highlighted in this entry, it would seem that Nintendo had a pretty good show. I guess overall they did, however, Microsoft and Sony just had a lot more exciting things to talk about. Not only that, but it seems that Nintendo was holding back a little bit as well. Where was Pikmin 3? What is Retro Studios up to? Why in the world did Shigeru Miyamoto NOT show off the new Wii version of Zelda? And why did Nintendo not make use of their handheld library and offere a handheld Virtual Console for the DSi? Nintendo does things at their own pace but it still seems to me that showing these things definitely would have strenghtened their showing this year at E3.

Also, about the conference itself...While it was a dramatic improvement over last year's disastrous, soccer mom oriented lunacy, Nintendo still fell short of the mark. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata practically promised that Nintendo fans would be blown away by the show. I'm a Nintendo fan, and I wasn't completely blown away. I'm excited about Nintendo's upcoming games, as well as games coming from third parties. I'm just disappointed in what Nintendo didn't let us know last week.

Wii Color Variation Coming

2009-06-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

Nintendo will begin to offer the Nintendo Wii in another color other than white. On August 1st, Nintendo in Japan will release a black Wii accompanied with a matching black Wii remote and nunchuck. Not only that, but the Classic Controller Pro will see release on August 1st as well. Take a look at the pictures and be jealous.

Story and pictures via IGN.

Perfect Dark (N64) on XBLA Confirmed

2009-06-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

In early April, a number of gaming website and blogs picked up on a particular photo posted by Rare that was intended to show off new Banjo Kazooie themes for the Xbox 360. In a photo of one of the Rare employee's "blade," a picture of Joanna Dark (from the N64 version of Perfect Dark) under the "latest games." Here's a look at the picture again:

At the time Rare neither denied or confirmed anything on the matter...Until now. In a recent Twitter post, Microsoft's Major Nelson said that, "Just saw Perfect Dark on XBLA running 1080p. It is coming to XBLA this winter." At the moment, that's all that's all there is to know about Perfect Dark coming to the 360. I'll be sure to keep you guys posted if I see anything else. Hopefully, there will be an online multiplayer mode included so I look forward to getting blown into oblivion.

Story via IGN.

E3 2009 - My First Short Impression

2009-06-02T22:04:00.000-07:00

Keeping an eye on E3 has been something I've done for the past decade. For me, it reminds me of what Christmas was like in my childhood. The excitement of tearing into the piles of presents and being utterly surprised by what I found inside is something that could almost never be replaced. E3 now fills that void in my life, and with the show returning to it's former glory, Santa Claus is sitting his enormous backside on my living room couch.

Just as an update, I still have yet to watch the Microsoft Media Summit video, however, I did manage to watch the Nintendo and Sony conferences live today. While there is definitely a ton to talk about, I'm just going to keep this relatively short and elaborate in more focused entries later on this week. But first and foremost, I really want to give a shout out to Sony for putting on such an amazing show. If it wouldn't have been for the PSP Go announcement getting leaked early, their showing at E3 would have completely and utterly destroyed anything else that came from the Nintendo or Microsoft camps. Even though we already knew about it, I was still pretty interested in the PSP Go. Sony was pretty classy about the whole leak, of information, too. They didn't try to pretend it didn't happen. They made light of it and even kind of joked around about it during the conference. I'm pretty excited about Gran Turismo, SoulCalibur, Assassin's Creed, Metal Gear Solid Peacemaker and Little Big Planet for the PSP. Another little game for the Playstation 3, entitled Mod Nation Racers looks pretty amazing as well. In the game, the same philosophy that was behind Little Big Planet (Play. Create. Share) is being implemented into a racing game.

And then the thing that caught me a little off guard with Sony - the Sony motion controller. Nintendo has done it. Microsoft is going to do it. Sony is joining the fray but seems to be one upping both Microsoft and Nintendo with their technology. With the use of the Eye Toy (I'm pretty sure it was the Eye Toe) and a Playstation motion controller (it looks like a small black baton with a ball on the top), Sony is looking to deliver true one-to-one motion control and, in the demo, seem to do it pretty well. Obviously, I don't have a chance for hands on at this point in time, but I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for this and see what developers will do with it.

Nintendo's show, though veiled in the usual Nintendo secrecy, was a little underwhelming. The Big N showed off some pretty cool titles at the conference (New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Galaxy 2, and Metroid Other M), some things, such as the Wii Vitality Sensor, just seemed a little pointless. At this point we don't know too much about the thing other than the fact that it can read your pulse and maybe do a few other things. Well you know what? Nintendo had a device like this that they used in an N64 version of Tetris in Japan. What the crap Nintendo?! I guess it wasn't a bad showing for Nintendo. It just seemed that NCL really hyped this up to be a complete blowout.

I still have a ton of impressions that I have to read from all over the net to help get a better picture of how all of the games are played. Also, I need to take a look at the Microsoft media summit to see all what they were trying to do with their motion control scheme. And if you haven't noticed, I'm a pretty big Nintendo fan, so I would be a liar if I said that I was impressed with their conference this year. With that said, maybe because I'm a Nintendo fan, I am incapable of being happy with what they are doing and have to find something to complain about. As of right now, it seems like Sony has had one heck of a showing. I still want to read more about Microsoft, especially about their motion controller. There will be more updates later on this week. You can find a variety of E3 videos here. Cheers.

- Danny, your Next Door Gamer

E3, iPhones, and HDTVs

2009-06-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

As I type this, Microsoft's E3 2009 media briefing has been kicked off and E3 as we know it is in full swing. While I know the last few months have been a bit slow here at Next Door Gamer, I'm really going to try harder to put up several posts a week. And E3 seems to be the perfect time to do it, too. With the PSP Go info leaked, I'm still curious to see what else Sony has in store for the show. Also with various rumors across the Internet about what Nintendo and Microsoft have to unveil this could be a pretty exciting E3.

As I mentioned, I haven't wrote as much recently, mainly due to just trying to get settled in after moving back to the US. However, things are starting to normalize. I finally bought a cell phone - and not just any phone ladies and gentlemen. I bought the ever so amazing iPhone 3G and I'm enjoying it quite a bit. Actually that's what I'm using to type up this update. Not only do I now have better access to friends and family, I once again have access to the HD realm. Last Thursday I bought a new 32 inch Toshiba flat panel HDTV. So now, I feel nearly complete. As soon as I start updating on a more regular basis here, I think things will be back to normal.

New Lord of the Rings Games for the Wii

2009-05-21T21:30:00.001-07:00

Awesome? You tell me. The IGN.com Wii channel ran a story about a report from the Entertainment Software Association which revealed that a new Lord of the Rings game, entitled The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, is going to be at E3 this year. Here's what the ESA said in the report:

The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest is the first Lord of the Rings videogame created specifically for kids and their families with accessible gameplay set in a friendly, colorful rendition of Middle-Earth. Players assume the role of Strider and embark on his greatest quests from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The game offers authentic, action-oriented sword fighting, lancing and archery that all ages can play together.

Without trying to sound too much like a pessimist, usually games that are "created specifically for kids and their families" or have the words "friendly" and "colorful" in the description do not bode so well when it comes to quality. The Lord of the Rings is all about an epic story coupled with epic fighting. Not only that, but the novels and the movies have deeper themes dealing with friendship and death. I honestly don't see how Warner Bros. Interactive is going to pull this game off without it totally ruining any and every essence of what made the books and movies so good.

It's still a bit early to be calling the game a turd, though. For all I know it could end up being one of the greatest games that has graced any console, period. But, I seriously have my doubts. And if this game is a turd, I hope that the kiddie coat of paint doesn't dupe any unsuspecting parents to give publishers money for something that probably shouldn't exist in the first place. That's pretty harsh, but these kind of games usually do not have a very good track record. With E3 around the corner, we'll at least get a peek at this game soon enough and see what Warner Bros. Interactive is throwing at us.

Majora's Mask on North American Virtual Console

2009-05-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

While gamers in Japan and PAL territories have been enjoying the N64 classic, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for well over a month now, North American gamers have been waiting quietly for Nintendo of America to give the game the green light. Well, they finally have. Majora's Mask is now available marking the 300th release on Nintendo's Virtual Console in the United States. Unlike the version found on the Nintendo Gamecube Zelda Collector's disk, this version is perfectly emulated and does not have the same errors and glitches that somewhat hindered the experience on the Gamecube.

Majora's Mask is 1,000 Nintendo points.

Goldeneye on Virtual Console Closer to Reality?

2009-05-14T11:07:00.001-07:00

Is the Rareware Nintendo 64 classic, Goldeneye, coming closer to a release on the Wii Virtual Console? Well, probably not. In a recent interview with the Official Nintendo Magazine, Goldeneye designer Martin Hollis mentions that he would love to see the title on Nintendo's download service. Hollis says, "There's always someone with some exclusivity agreement, so there's lots of lawyers... I'm not going to hold my breath. I'd love it to happen, but I can't see it."

And there you have it. Legality issues are the only thing keeping Goldeneye from seeing a re-release on either the Virtual Console or Xbox Live Arcade. For now, we all have to keep a firm hold on our cartridges.

Source.

Factor 5 - Finito

2009-05-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

Long time developer, Factor 5, best known for the Rogue Squadron series, announced that they are shutting their doors due to financial problems.

We are sorry to announce the closure of the San Rafael-based Factor 5, Inc. studio, but the obstacles created by the sudden bankruptcy of Brash Entertainment for the continuation of operations have turned out too great to overcome in the current economic climate

Factor 5 GmbH, which has been creating games since 1988 with its headquarters in Cologne, Germany, is entirely unrelated to Factor 5, Inc. and the circumstances surrounding Factor 5 Inc.'s recent challenges. Although we are saddened by Factor 5 Inc.'s situations, our corporation will remain unaffected by these developments and has has partnered with both old and new friends in the industry who will reveal our upcoming projects over the next months.

We would like to thank everybody on the publishing and development side who have supported us through the last 20 years and continue to do so. The current transition of the games industry is challenging, but as with transitions prior there is more opportunity than ever for independent developers out there.

Achim Moller, CEO Factor 5 GmbH

On a personal note, I was a pretty big fan of Factor 5 and the way that they really pushed technology, especially on the Nintendo 64 and on the Gamecube. It's a pity to see such a devoted, talented group go under, but, with the amount of passion that these guys have for gaming, I wouldn't be surprised to see them figure some way out to hang around. Next Door Gamer will keep you posted on the situation.

Source.

Absence

2009-05-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

As you might have noticed, I have not written something for a good couple of weeks now. That is because I have been in the ever so busy process of moving. And not just a simple move down the street to a new place. I'm talking about moving internationally. I moved from my humble abode in Japan back to the land of my forefathers (and foremothers, if you will) in America. I'm still getting settled in here and do not always have access to the internet with my computer. Rest assured, as soon as that problem is solved, you can expect regular updates.

Until next time, game on.

- Dan, Your Next Door Gamer

Final Fantasy XIII Demo - Hands On

2009-04-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

April 16th was a significant day for Square-Enix and Final Fantasy fans across the globe...well, at least across Japan. On that day, Square-Enix released the "trial version" of Final Fantasy XIII packaged with the new Blu-Ray version of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children "Complete". This is not to be confused with the other SKU, Final Fantasy VII Advent Children (minus the "Complete"). Now that we got that subtlety out of the way, let us take a look at what the "Complete" package comes with.

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children "Complete"

The "Complete" version ships with two hard plastic jewel cases, which are held in a plastic sleeve that features cover art from Advent Children. These cases are different from the game cases we have seen in recent years. These are more akin to CD cases but are still a bit larger, so, if you end up cracking your case, good luck on finding a replacement! That's really my only gripe about the packaging. I think it looks fine, but I don't particularly care for the hard plastic jewel cases.

The jewel case compared to PS3 and DVD cases

The FFXIII demo disc contains the playable Playstation 3 demo for the upcoming game as well as trailers for Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PS3) and Final Fantasy Agito XIII (PSP).

Next, let's delve into the demo itself...The demo starts off following a futuristic train that is traveling through a beautifully rendered valley. After showing off this beautiful scenery and the cool train, the camera take you inside. Here we get a look at the main female character, Lightning (the sassy-looking red head seen in the trailers), and her accomplice Sazh, a middle aged man with a large afro (in which he houses a baby chocobo). The action kicks off pretty quickly as Lightning and Sazh free some quarantine victims on the train and proceed to kick the living crap out of all guards aboard. The train happens to be traveling to a city, and by the time it arrives, a battle appears to be already be in progress. Futuristic ships are blasting away at the train as guards are shown in fire fights in various locations around the area. It is all very well done and looks gorgeous. The character models are brilliant and the environments and vehicles look great.

Not long after this, the first battle of the demo occurs. It just so happens that you are put up against a very formidable looking creature with spinning saws on it's arms and a long scorpion-like tail. From here begins the battle system tutorial. The system is pretty easy to use. In FFXIII, the battles are all done in real-time. So, once your action gauge is full, you are free to do your action. Your action bar has three sections, so for each section, you can choose an action. In battle, there are three different types of actions you can choose. Now pardon me, but my Japanese isn't perfect, so I can't read EVERYTHING in the game. The first action would translate as "skill (attack)", the second is some other kind of attack, and the third has to do with items/healing. So during a battle, you go in to one of the actions menus and then can choose you want to do. In the demo, nearly all of the actions use one section of your action bar. However, there is a "Fire" attack that takes all three, and is a bit more powerful. So, during the battle, for example, if you were wanting to attack an enemy, you might choose physical attack, physical attack, and fire. After choosing that, you press triangle and your character will carry out the actions. It's pretty simple.

Lightning

The first part of the demo puts you in control of Lightning. Accompanied by your Afro-headed partner, you make your way through a part of the city and eventually arrive at a boss like character. The battles themselves are pretty easy. You are only in control of one character (in this case Lightning) while the computer is controlling your partner. In battle, your computer partner does a pretty good job at making sure that you don't die, as they will heal you if your health gets down low enough. It seems that in this demo you would have a pretty hard time dieing unless you really, really tried. Actually, each time you enter a new battle, your health is replenished completely. This kind of takes away the frustrations of having to worry about saving potions and healing at strategic moments in the game.

Also, at an early portion in the game, there are options as to how you want to control the camera. While I didn't try them all out, the first camera set-up options seemed good enough. My only problem with the controls is that they make it seem that the character is moving a little too fast. The camera also is a bit too zoomed in for my taste. It all works, but it's just a minor personal grievance. I'm just picky.

The second half of the demo puts you in control of a guy named Snow, who is blonde, scruffy, and a pretty rough guy. While Lightning makes use of a gun/sword, and Sazh dual wields some pistols, Snow goes after enemies with his bare hands. This section of the demo doesn't really show any interaction between Snow and the other two. It's kind of it's own scenario amidst the chaos of the battle going on in the city. Controlling Snow, you and two other computer controlled freedom fighters make your way through a front of enemies to free some of your friends. After one last boss battle, the demo ends, and let's just say that not of your freedom fighting friends survive the aftermath.

Snow

Final Fantasy XIII seems to be shaping up very well. Visually speaking, the game is spectacular and really shows what this current generation of consoles can do. Cut scenes blend seamlessly into gameplay situations and the fighting system works very well. The characters are pretty likable and also somewhat mysterious. Square-Enix is crafting something pretty special with XIII and with other the iterations in store as well (Versus, Agito, etc). As with all Final Fantasy titles, XIII seems as epic as ever, and with Versus and Agito also in store, gamers can look forward to an even deeper experience in this universe.

Should you import this? Well, the demo is relatively easy to get through, but could be a little difficult if you don't know any Japanese. You might find yourself a bit confused as to what is going on with the story, as well. The North American release hits the shelves this summer in June. I would suggest waiting so you can fully understand what's going on and also not have to worry about paying the price of a new spleen buying a copy off of eBay.

Key Nintendo Property by the End of 2009

2009-04-16T05:45:00.000-07:00

In a recent interview with cnbc, Dan Dematteo, Gamestop CEO, reveals that Nintendo has something big for gamers this holiday season.

"We think there will be a Nintendo key property coming out by the end of the year," he says. "They haven't given us any insight, but they have told us to reserve [shelf] space."

Details are not very forthcoming at the moment, but this could mean anything. Could Nintendo be referring to Pikmin 3? Or what about a Nintendo DS version of Super Smash Bros.? Perhaps gamers will finally get to see a Legend of Zelda title built ground up for the Wii. At this point, who knows? And, as it is that time of the year, we can only "wait until E3" for the answers to emerge. This year's E3 is in early June.

EA on Wii

2009-04-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

Love it or hate it, Electronic Arts is one of the biggest and most successful companies in the video game industry. EA isn't picky about what consoles they support either, which is pretty obvious as gamers can find EA games on nearly every console on the market today. While last generation saw heavy support from EA for the market leading Playstation 2 (and nearly the same support on the original Xbox as well), Nintendo's Gamecube would always get the short end of the stick with EA products. Whether it be Madden, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings (the games based on the movies), or Medal of Honor, Nintendo's purple little lunch box that could was often the victim of PS2 ports that didn't always work as well on the Gamecube's unique controller.

Fast forward to 2009, a generation after the Gamecube. Nintendo's Wii is experiencing great success in all territories and isn't showing signs of slowing down very easily. Throughout the two and a half year life span of the Wii, Electronic Arts has been a consistent supporter of the Wii. Most recently, however, the company seems to be taking the Wii more seriously than ever. Not only are they pushing new innovative products on the Wii, they are even cutting back on the release of products (NCAA 10) that they feel aren't up to certain quality standards. It might not sound like much, but let's take a look at some of the things that are on the horizon from Electronic Arts and how they will not only benefit EA's profit margins, but also Wii owners looking for some serious fun.

EA Sports Active

If you were a fan of Nintendo's Wii Fit, you might want to look EA's direction with their upcoming fitness title, EA Sports Active. This is a completely different experience from what you would normally get from EA Sports. Like Wii Fit, EA Sports Active has you getting off of the couch and burning some calories. While both games have the same object of wanting to get the users at least somewhat in shape, they both go about it in very different ways. Wii Fit focuses a lot on balance and coordination, or what EA Sports President Peter Moore described (in a Gamespot interview) as a more "Eastern" approach at exercise. EA Sports Active is more of a "Western" approach and focuses more on high impact exercises and with more of a weight-loss focus. Here's a kind of cheesy trailer to give you an idea of the kind of things that they're doing with this game.

EA Sports Active does make use of Nintendo's Balance Board peripheral, however it is not needed to get the most out of the game. The game ships with a pouch for the Wii Remote and/or nunchuck, as well as resistance bands and a nutrition book. While one could say that EA is just simply trying to capitalize on Nintendo's success with Wii Fit, you can't really say that they aren't putting their best foot forward with the product. This is just one example of how EA is going beyond the status quo with the Wii.

Wii MotionPlus Support

EA is probably an even bigger supporter for Nintendo's upcoming peripheral Wii MotionPlus than Nintendo is themselves! As a matter of fact, EA's Wii MotionPlus games (Grand Slam Tennis and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10) will be on the market nearly a month earlier than Nintendo's own Wii Sports Resort, the showpiece title that is really supposed to show off what the new peripheral can do. As a result of this, Nintendo has opted to sell the peripheral early (June 8, MRSP $19.99). With Electronic Arts' clout, something like this almost seemed like it would be a no-brainer. If a company is wanting to show how amazing a Nintendo piece hardware is, why in the world shouldn't Nintendo let them?

Not only is EA just simply supporting the new hardware, early reports and hands on impressions have been generally positive about use of Wii MotionPlus in Grand Slam Tennis and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. That's always a good sign.

Madden 10 Wii New Art Style

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about a statement that EA gave that talked about a new art style for Madden 10 on the Wii. If you've been living in a dumpster for the past two weeks, or just don't really pay attention to gaming news, here's what was said:

Madden NFL 10 on the Wii^TM introduces a unique, genre-defining art style that will raise the bar for sports games on the console. Completely redesigned and built from the ground up, Madden NFL 10 epitomizes what fun looks like on the Wii and will deliver a social, dynamic experience for the entire living room.

While EA has still been pretty quiet about what they are going to do exactly, this is another indication of their commitment to Nintendo's platform. This new style could end up being something that nobody likes. But EA isn't that stupid. Surely this new style will appeal to some group of gamers. Regardless of the direction they take, seeing that the company is willing to completely redesign a usual cookie-cutter title like Madden shows EA's pledge to Nintendo is genuine.

These are just a few examples that show the commitment that EA is putting into their Wii products. Whether it be supporting Nintendo's peripherals, introducing completely new products, or re-envisioning old products, EA is really a leader in showing what can be done on the Wii. Their track record may not be perfect up to this point, but at least they are actually putting some effort into their Wii titles.

Wii Motion Plus Officially Coming this Summer

2009-04-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

All the mystery surrounding the release of Nintendo's upcoming Wii Motion peripheral can be put to rest. Nintendo finally announced that Wii Sports Resort along with Wii Motion Plus will be available this summer, with a Japanese release in June and in other regions this July. While Wii Sports Resort is supposed to really show off what this new peripheral can do, it's interesting to note that other third party companies (particularly Electronic Arts with Grand Slam Tennis and the next iteration of Tiger Woods) have taken an active interest in implementing Wii Motion Plus functionality into their games and are looking to top what Nintendo's internal teams are doing. That's pretty reassuring and we can only hope that other developers will follow suit and look to intelligently use this new peripheral in upcoming titles.

No pricing for Wii Sports Resort or the Wii Motion Plus peripheral is available at this time. If you have no idea what Wii Motion Plus is, you can check it out here.

N64 Perfect Dark coming to Live Arcade?

2009-04-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

In a recent posting of new Banjo Kazooie themes for the Xbox 360, Rare included a photo of one of their employee's "My Xbox' blades. On this particular blade is a picture of Joanna Dark. But this isn't the Joanna Dark from the Xbox 360 Perfect Dark Zero. It's a picture of a the manly/butch Joanna Dark from the Nintendo 64 version of the game.

The IGN.com Xbox 360 team contacted Microsoft and asked about the picture in question and about the possibility of the original Perfect Dark coming to Xbox Live Arcade to which they replied, "we have nothing to announce at this time."

Last year, Rare released the original Nintendo 64 version of Banjo Kazooie on Xbox Live Arcade with slightly updated visuals a few other aesthetic changes. If the original Perfect Dark makes it's way to Live Arcade, there does not seem to be any reason as to why Rare would not do the same kind of upgrades.

Madden NFL 10 Wii Receieves New Art style

2009-04-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

When Madden NFL 07 launched on the Wii, I will admit that I was a little disappointed about the game visually. What EA had done was essentially took the Gamecube engine of Madden and added Wii motion controls. But, building a whole new graphics engine would have taken some time and the developer also had to worry about getting the controls for Madden working pretty well before launch. Doing both at the same time would have been a little taxing. The final product wasn't a bad game at all. It was actually pretty fun. Was it better than the Xbox 360 or PS3 version? In my personal opinion, no. The controls weren't perfect and did take some getting used to. However, it was a good first attempt.

Fast forward to 2009. While the subsequent Madden titles have improved in terms of controls on the Wii, the visuals are still only slightly better than what was done on the console in Madden NFL 07 at the launch. Even then, the visuals were nothing to write home about, being only slightly better than what could be found in the GCN/PS2/Xbox versions of Madden. As a matter of fact, I personally found it pathetic that the Wii version's visuals were based off of a last generation game engine that has been in use for eight to nine years! Come on! It's obvious that the Wii isn't as powerful as the other current gen systems, but it is entirely more capable in terms of visuals.

A few days ago, God himself seemed to be smiling down to Wii owners...well...maybe just Peter Moore, president of EA Sports, was smiling down at them at least. Apparently, a whole new visual style is in the works for Madden NFL 10 on the Wii, scheduled to release August 14th in North America.

"Madden NFL 10 on the Wii^TM introduces a unique, genre-defining art style that will raise the bar for sports games on the console. Completely redesigned and built from the ground up, Madden NFL 10 epitomizes what fun looks like on the Wii and will deliver a social, dynamic experience for the entire living room."

It's about time! I was one of the fools actually thinking that EA would have done this with Madden NFL 08 on the Wii. I mean considering that they pretty much had the controls down after the 07 version, why not have an overhaul on the visuals? Apparently I was not on the same page with EA with this opinion. Anyway...This announcement has me both excited and a little scared at the same time. I think it's great that the Wii version is going to have, "a unique, genre-defining art style." But, the comment about Madden 10 on the Wii being set to "deliver a social, dynamic experience for the entire living room" leaves me wondering. Does this mean Wii owners are going to see a My Sims Madden or something? Blech. I really hope not. The more I read through that statement the more apparent it becomes that the Wii version will not feature photo realistic graphics or even anything resembling past Madden iterations. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. We'll just have to wait and see what EA is cooking up.

Resident Evil 5 - My Hazardous Misconception

2009-04-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

The other day I went over to a friend's house and brought along with me my copy of Resident Evil 5 for the Playstation 3. I can shamefully say that having bought the game since around March 5th (the Japanese release date), I have only played for a grand total of about 15 minutes. I don't know what it was, really. Before the demo came out, I had this game pretty hyped up in my mind. I am a huge fan of Resident Evil 4 and have been drooling in anticipation to see what kind of awesome additions Capcom could bring to the series with this installment. Then, I played some of the Resident Evil 5 demo that was released in late January on Xbox Live. Granted, I didn't put a whole lot of time into the demo, but the wind was really taken out of my sails. I didn't think that demo was horrible, but to me, it just seemed too much like Resident Evil 4. From the menu sounds, villagers, and even the chainsaw guy, it just wasn't what I wanted in a sequel.

So, at my friend's house, I think we both really wanted to play Resident Evil 5, but for me at least, just the thought of starting the game was a little daunting. Especially after having a somewhat sour taste in my mouth from the demo. After playing some other games for a couple of hours, we finally decided to pop in RE5 and give it a go from the beginning. It started out a bit on the rough side. I went in to the experience with the thought of fighting against the "tank-like" controls and was just expecting gameplay in general to be a hassle. Surprisingly, the more time that my friend and I put in to the game, the more we found ourselves enjoying it. While the controls might seem to be a bit of a relic of the past, they work for the most part in this game. And the two boss battles that we encountered were pretty cool, albeit a little bit easy to figure out and win.Obviously, one of the other reasons to play the game was for the story, and without giving anything away, things were getting interesting even in the two to three hours that my buddy and I put into the game. The play through totally changed my perception of the game, and now I actually want to play it, whereas before, I felt somewhat obligated to play it.

I still have quite a way to go before I beat the game, and actually, I'll have to replay what I did the other day because I wasn't playing on my PS3. It's okay, though. I really did enjoy the bit that I got to play. I started off with misconceptions of this game before getting into it, especially when it came to the controls. I think that if Resident Evil 5 were to have identical controls to a game like Gears of War, it would just be way too easy and probably not as fun. I know that there are other control types available in the options menu, but they just don't feel quite as good for the game as the default controls. At least in my opinion, anyway.

So far, Resident Evil 5 is a pretty enjoyable game. Regrettably, I made a misconception early on that kept me from enjoying the game sooner than I should have. So, if you enjoyed Resident Evil 4 or the Resident Evil series in general, don't be an idiot like me and ignore RE5. Get it now. You'll probably like it.

Now Playing - 03.29.09

2009-03-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

Wii Fit (Wii)

I've actually been hitting Wii Fit pretty hard this week. With a lot more free time at my disposal, I have kind of ran out of excuses to NOT at least put 20 minutes into a workout. I still keep it pretty simple. I mix up some balance games, yoga, and strength training. The old muscles are feeling a bit sore, so that's a pretty good sign. Before this past week, I was getting pretty lazy when it came to my personal fitness. Partially because I was genuinely busy. When that happens, I tend to eat out more and pretty much don't do anything physical. Anyway, it's been a good week for me and Wii Fit.

Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 (Wii)

I was really wanting to play something this past week when I suddenly remembered Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 was sitting on my shelf. I wanted to ease myself into the game, so first off, I have been playing through the "Arcade" mode in the game. The mode is pretty self explanatory - the player has no control over the character movements. You are only controlling a reticle on the screen. In this mode however, you do need to make sure you have a nunchuck handy because some of the weapons require it. It's kind of interesting how it can be used. For instance, when you are using the mortars in the game, you use the nunchuck to control the horizontal position of the projectile. To control the trajectory, you move the joystick on the nunchuck up or down. When you have it in the desired position, you pull back with the Wii remote and launch the mortar. Kind of cool.

After a good 3 or 4 hours, I made it through the Arcade mode and think that I'm ready to get into the Campaign. Going through the Arcade mode has given me a pretty good idea of where to go in each of the levels, so perhaps the Campaign mode won't be as menacing as it seemed before. I'll give it a go.

Future of the Virtual Console

2009-03-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

Nintendo has done a pretty good job with the Virtual Console up to this point. Having the ability to choose not only just the old school games from Nintendo's massive library, but also the games from other non-Nintendo consoles is wonderful. In my childhood, my brothers and I grew up on Nintendo consoles. The inclusion of the Genesis, TurboGraphix 16, Neo Geo, etc, are great because I can now experience classic games from those consoles from the comfort of my own Wii. While I think the Virtual Console is definitely off to a great start, the recent Wii firmware update not only adds a new Virtual Console system (Virtual Console Arcade), it also gives Wii owners the option of utlizing a 32 GB SD card on their system. With that in mind, the doors for some other great consoles coming to the Virtual Console could be a reality. Here's what I would like to see...

Sega Saturn

There are at pretty good number of Sega Saturn games that a lot of gamers missed out on in the mid to late 90s. Games like Panzer Dragoon 1 and 2, Daytona USA, Burning Rangers, Nights: Into Dreams, Panzer Dragoon Saga, House of the Dead, Virtua Fighter 2, Radiant Silvergun, and Virtua Cop are a few titles that Sega could throw up on the Virtual Consoles. They could list them at 1000 points each, on par with the N64 games. With a game like Panzer Dragoon Saga, which was released in extremely limited quantities in Europe and North America, how awesome would it be to have it running on your Wii?!

Sega Dreamcast

I loved the Dreamcast. Sonic Adventure, House of the Dead 2, Soul Calibur, Power Stone, Crazy Taxi, Samba de Amigo, Capcom fighting games, Seaman, Jet Grind Radio, Shenmue, Ikaruga, Sega Bass Fishing, and Skies of Arcadia are a few pretty good games that Sega could make available. As for pricing, hmmm...Maybe Nintendo would go with listing them somewhere between 1200 and 1500 points. Some of the games are available on other systems right now, but it would just be nice to have all of your favorites on the Wii...And as nice as it would be to have the 2K sports games up on the Virtual Console, it is just something that would probably never happen with licensing being the main issue here. It would be cool, but there is just no way.

A few other consoles that would be interesting to see on the Virtual Console...

Sega 32x
Sega CD
3DO
and what the heck...Atari Jaguar

With the potential storage for the Wii up to 32 GB now, games for these systems are possible to fit on the system. Saturn and Dreamcast games, especially the multi-disc games would obviously take up a considerably larger amount of room. Heck, this is even more of a stretch, but what about GCN games being made available for download onto the Wii? I'm no genious when it comes to this sort ot thing, but compression technology is better today than what it was a decade ago. It's possible that multi-disc Dreamcast/Saturn games and Gamecube games could work on the Wii. But, if I were a betting man, I definitely wouldn't go all in waiting for this to happen. Now with the Wii nearly on par with the competition in terms of storage capacity, what would Nintendo or the other companies have to lose?

Wii Storage Solution Arrives

2009-03-26T05:32:00.000-07:00

While Nintendo President Satoru Iwata was giving his keynote speech at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco on Wednesday morning, Nintendo rolled out a Wii firmware update 4.0, which not only makes it possible for the Wii to read up to 32 GB SDHC cards, but it also allows users to play games (and use channels) from their SD cards. The games don't run directly from the SD card, though. After you launch the game from the SD card menu, the system checks to see if you have enough free space on your Wii system. What the system is doing is copying the data over temporarily to the Wii console. If you have enough free space, it will launch the game immediately afterward. But if you find your Wii internal memory to be completely full during this process, there is an auto manage system that can take care of everything. No longer do you have to sit down and spend long tedious hours (okay, maybe not hours) clearing out room for new Virtual Console games, Wii Ware titles, or new channels. The auto manage process can do it for you.

To many Wii owners this update was long overdo and it's great to see Nintendo finally take the initiative and heal this hurt that has been plaguing the Wii since it's launch. Using a 32 GB SDHC card, Wii owners should have more than enough room for the remainder of this generation. 2009 is already getting off to a pretty good start for Nintendo and this time around the hardcore game isn't being left in the dust.

Jack Thompson Strikes Again

2009-03-24T06:25:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought Jack Thompson was content enjoying an endless game of backgammon with retirees down in Florida, he is back. And this time, he is going straight to the President of the United States to try and get things done. Instead of just trying to simply prohibit violent video game titles from getting into the hands of minors, Thompson is revamping his strategy and is hoping to get these "murder simulators" off of the market completely in the United States.

This plan for a nationwide ban comes on the heels of a deadly school shootout that occurred in Germany only weeks ago leaving 13 people dead, including the assailant, who committed suicide. Shootouts and rampages like these are awful and the reasons behind why they are done are never really clearly answered. Jack Thompson's immediate attack on the video game industry in light of this rampage seems a little ridiculous. Okay, so it is very possible that the young man who committed this foul deed did play violent video games. Was it the violent video games that made him go out and shoot these students? No. There are other things that need to be taken into account. Upbringing, life at home, friends (or lack thereof). There is a lot more to these things than violent video games.

And now the real kicker. Jack Thompson is wanting to have violent video games banned completely in the United States. It really almost doesn't matter because there is just about no way that will come about. In his letter to President Obama, Thompson asks, "one father to another, to take the bold moves necessary to get these murder simulators out of America. We have more guns than people in this country. We are training our teens to be Manchurian Candidates to use them and to author what will be more Columbines, more Virginia Techs, and more shattered communities." Simply taking these "murder simulators out of America" won't stop this kind of violence from happening as long as there is somebody out there with a a chip on their shoulder and access to weaponry.

Jack Thompson, you insane!

Game Developer Conference 2009

2009-03-23T05:14:00.000-07:00

In just a few hours, the game developer conference will kick off today in San Francisco. Generally speaking, usually a lot of big announcements are not made at GDC, but I really hope that we will hear more about some of the following...

PS3 price drop - With Sony's current position in the market, it would be almost silly not to at the very least announce a price drop. Yeah, I know a Blu Ray player and a video game console rolled up into one is a pretty good deal for $400, but try explaining that to the people that would much rather pick up an Xbox 360 or Wii. Sony has a great lineup this year. A price drop could do nothing but benefit them.

Wii Motion Plus Release Date - Nintendo has been mum when it comes to details for their upcoming peripheral. While Electronic Arts is touting the use of Wii Motion Plus in their upcoming Grand Slam Tennis and the latest iteration of Tiger Woods, Nintendo hasn't really given us much to talk about. They showed off Wii Sports Resort at last summer's E3, but that's about it. Perhaps with third party Wii Motion Plus titles coming soon Nintendo will spill the beans on the release date

Netflix on Wii - There have been a number of articles written over the past month or so pointing to the likelihood of Netflix coming to the Wii. With some execs and websites posting interesting stories pointing to this becoming a reality, nothing is certain at this point. Will Nintendo let the cat out of the bag?

Getting hopes up of big announcements coming from conferences like these is usually a pretty disappointing thing. The Game Developer Conference's main purpose is for developers to share and express ideas that can essentially move the industry forward. Ground breaking announcements are usually best saved for private shows or the ever so illustrious E3. We'll wait and see how things go this week.

Panasonic Q - DVD Gamecube

2009-03-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

In late 2001, when the Gamecube was just barely a year old, Nintendo, in collaboration with Panasonic, released the Panasonic Q to the world...well...to Japan. "What in the world is the Panasonic Q," right? Well, essentially this is a DVD Player/Gamecube that a Japan only release. While now it might be a little useless in the world of Blu-ray and digital distribution, back in 2001, for me, this was one of those, "I would SO buy that if I had the money!" things. Well, as chance would have it, I had both the money and the luck of seeing on of these bad boys at a local game store relatively close to where I live here in Japan. Take a look at the some glamour shots...

Pretty sexy, right? Yeah, and it's all mine, so quit fantasizing!

I was pretty lucky when it came to finding the Q. I found it at a shop in October 2007, however, at the time I just simply didn't have enough money to buy it. I visited the same shop a number of times from that point and was constantly taunted by this amazing machine sitting on the store shelf waiting for somebody to take it home. Well, that day finally came in late January of this year. The price really isn't that bad (considering the retail price for this Gamecube used to be over $400), and in the end, I shelled out 18,000円 ($180) for it.

The condition of this particular Q isn't perfect, though. The box is in semi-decent shape, and the console, Gamecube controller, and remote control are pretty much impecable. The biggest problem with this unit is with the disc tray. Unlike the standard Gamecubes from Nintendo which are equipped with a top loading disc tray, the Panasonic Q has a front loading slot disc tray similar to what is used on the PS2 and Xbox. Well, the one on my unit doesn't open. Well, it opens, but I have to pry it open a little bit before the mechanism will work properly. It's a real pity, but for the price, it's not that bad.

Like mentioned above, the Panasonic Q is capable of playing DVDs as well as CDs. The system also features a small backlit LCD panel, Dolby 5.1 support, a chrome finish on the front of the unit, and really cool blue backlit controller ports. The system is also quite a bit larger than the standard Gamecubes, most likely due to the included DVD player. It's a really cool console to have and would have been even cooler to have five years ago. The unit is limited to playing only region 2 DVDs and Gamecube games and I have no idea where to buy a component cables (d-terminal in Japan...a little different, but the same quality picture) for the bloody thing. Oh well. The main reason I bought the Q was basically to keep it as a collector's item just to show off to my geeky friends who can appreciate this kind of thing.

Adult Animal Crossing Fans = Pedophiles?

2009-03-18T06:41:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought your kids were safe and nestled under the tender and loving care of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, think again. While the ESRB and retailers attempt to keep inappropriate material from getting into the hands of minors, the system doesn't always work out the way we would all hope. Take for instance the following accusation made by a Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force member, Andy Anderson as reported by Game Politics.

"There is no reason an adult should have [Animal Crossing: City Folk]," says Andy Anderson, Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force...

...Anderson says adults playing "Animal Crossing" and similar games are likely doing it for the wrong reasons."

Wow. Just wow. Words cannot describe how flat out wrong this guy is about the game. As a long time fan of the Animal Crossing series, and as an owner of every iteration (I even own the first Japanese N64 release of the game) except the new Wii version, statements like this are just plain stupid. While it is true that pedophiles could thrive off of the kiddies populating City Folk, Nintendo doesn't exactly make it easy for them. Friend Codes are a huge hassle for everyone, but this also means that it would be harder for these pedos to get at some kids. It's not impossible, but Nintendo was really covering their bases with the Friend Code system.

After the initial story was posted, Crispy Gamer caught up with Missouri television station KMIZ (the people who originally posted the quote) and did a follow up about the above Anderson statement. Here is what they had to say about it:

"I think Detective Anderson’s comments did take the story down an unintended path. We decided to do the story to let viewers know children had been contacted inappropriately through the game. It was not intended to be an indictment of the game or a smear piece on any form of interactive entertainment.

The point of the story was to make parents aware so they could decide whether or not they needed to keep a watchful eye on their kids’ activities. The reporter even wrapped the story up by stressing police were not putting this information out to make people paranoid rather trying to make them aware. Upon reviewing the story, I fear much of the intent has been lost because of the comments we allowed into the story."

Shouldn't parents be paying attention to what their kids are playing anyway? Do we need MORE groups and entities telling parents to do their job?! Pedophiles COULD make their way onto the streets in Animal Crossing City Folk, but as long as parents are at least sort of paying attention to what their kids are doing online, it shouldn't be a problem.

Now Playing - 03.17.09

2009-03-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

Wii Fit

My weight is going up. And I keep going out in the evenings not helping this out at all. Having friends is great, but if I want to remain friends with that little balance board in Wii Fit, I should lose the living friends and make the switch to digital!

...I've been so busy as of late, Wii Fit is about the only thing I've had time for. I have Biohazard 5 - I've only played about 45 minutes of it. I have Gears of War 2 - I only got through the first few chapters. And on top of those two games, I still have a ton of games in my backlog that I need to get working on. Being at the stage after completing a game is never a good thing for me as I'm so indecisive about what to play next. But, that will come.

In roughly two weeks, my job will be finished, and I will start the beginning of about a month (or greater) long vacation. I look forward to sleeping and gaming. Until then, I'll fit in the little bits when I can.

Digital Distribution Coming this Year to the Wii?

2009-03-14T07:12:00.001-07:00

The president of digital media at Lionsgate, Curt Marvis, seems to think so. In a recent interview with Variety, Marvis had this to say about the matter:

"The thing that is clearly a force in digital are the game devices. I think when we see the Wii come into the market with the ability to stream movies, which I think is maybe going to happen as soon as this year, I think that’s going to be a big marketplace for digital distribution."

While the Wii does not have significant storage room for any kind nearly any kind of television episode or movie, streaming media is something that could definitely be pulled off on the system. And as of right now in Japan, Nintendo is already working on something kind of similar through a deal with a company called Dentsu (the owners of Pioneer). Dentsu went on record saying that it's very possible that Wii owners in Japan can look forward to the likes of Bleach, Ghost in a Shell, and other new content created exclusively for the service. With this in mind, that possibility of a similar announcement for the North American market seems all the more plausible.

This is pretty exciting news and would give the Wii even more appeal than what it already has. While the Wii is not capable of HD output, 480p still isn't that bad...And now if Nintendo would only release an laserdisc add on for the Wii!

MadWorld - Parent Groups Already Raising a Stink..

2009-03-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Not even 24 hours after the release of MadWorld for the Nintendo Wii, the National Institute on Media and the Family's president, Dr. David Walsh, had this to say about Sega's bloody brawler: "In the past, the Wii has successfully sold itself as being the gaming console for the entire family and a way to bring family-game nights back into people’s living rooms...Unfortunately, Nintendo opened its doors to the violent video game genre."

So there we have it. Already this game is being pushed into the spotlight because of it's violent nature. Of course this is a game that should not be played by kids. And as this article states, there are a few things that parents could do to prevent a game like this getting into the hands of their kids. Here are just a few things that parents could try to do...

Inform themselves about the game ratings system. While it might be a bit different from the movie rating systems, it's not all that difficult to understand. All parents have to do is read the box of the game that their kids wants. Is that so hard? And also, with these ratings, these games shouldn't be getting into the kids' hands from retailers, but obviously, they can't always be counted on. Learning at least this aspect of video games would be beneficial for parents who are concerned about little Johnny getting an ultra-violent game like MadWorld.

Set the Parental Controls on the Wii. Nintendo put this option into their machine for a reason, so why not use it? Sure, kids these days are smart and might even try to spend all day when mom and dad are at work to figure out the PIN, but come on! This is at least a pretty easy precautionary measure that parents can take to prevent M rated software from being played on their Wiis.

Monitor what their kids are playing! If the parents are truly concerned about what their children are playing, why not at the very least take a look at the games that the kids have lying around? Usually from box art and the game description, you can get a pretty general idea of whether or not the game is suitable for your youngster. It really isn't more complicated than that.

These are just a few common sense things that parents should be doing anyway. Do we really need watchdog groups pointing out that violent media exists on the Wii? Not really, especially considering that the ESRB is already pointing out this information via the rating! What more can they do? And as for the statement by Dr. Walsh where he said, "Unfortunately, Nintendo opened its doors to the violent video game genre." Well, let me tell you something doc. It's not like this is the first violent game to ever hit a Nintendo console. Over the past two decades, there have been a number of violent games that have appeared on Nintendo consoles. Even this generation has seen it's fair share of violent titles. For crying out loud, last month, one of the must vulgar games on the market today was released on the Wii in the form of The House of the Dead: Overkill! And of course, let's not forget Manhunt 2, No More Heroes, Scarface, The Godfather, and so on that have been released on the Wii.

Violent games are out there because there are people that want to play them, regardless of what consoles they own. While it is true that the Wii is traditionally targeted towards the family, who's not to say that there is somebody in your family who doesn't enjoy cutting and beating people into a pulp? With that said, groups such as the National Institute on Media and the Family seem redundant in their mission. The video game industry has a ratings board that attempts to keep inappropriate titles out of the hands of kids. If these parent groups have some issues, take it up with the ESRB or the developer and stop blaming Nintendo directly.

Madworld envy

2009-03-10T06:39:00.000-07:00

You know, usually I'm glad that I live in Japan when it comes to gaming related things. Today is a bit different, though. In North American, the amazingly gruesome Madworld is hitting store shelves today. I'm dieing to play this game, but it looks like one of my last hopes is to go into Akihabara in Tokyo and look for in import version from the States and pay upwards of 8,000円 ($80) for the thing. Either that, or I can scour the Internet and find a place that ships to Japan for a reasonable price.

*sigh* It will be mine.

New Resident Evil title for the Wii?

2009-03-09T06:09:00.000-07:00

Rumors have been flying all over the place for the past few days about a new Resident Evil title coming to the Wii. At a recent Capcom event in Toronto and after being asked the question about a Wii version of Resident Evil 5 (Joystiq), Capcom's Associate Product Marketing Manager, Matt Dahlgren said that, "...Nintendo Wii fans will be very happy very soon," and left it at that. Now it is believed that Capcom will be making some sort of announcement on March 12th about this upcoming project. Some rumors put the upcoming game to be a Code Veronica Wii-make, but for now, nothing is really certain.

Well, the worst case scenario would be Capcom announcing that current Japan exclusive Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil Wii-makes are coming stateside. A better scenario would be that of a Code Veronica or a Resident Evil 2 remake. But personally, I am hoping for a completely new game, but am not really getting my hopes up for that. March 12th is only a few days away, so let's keep our eyes peeled.

Now Playing - 03.08.09

2009-03-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

Wii Fit (Wii)

Wow. This week was pretty horrible when it came to my personal fitness. I only exercised maybe once this past week and on Tuesday night, I went out for a few drinks and food with some friends. Not good on the old waist-line. Good thing I have the Big N to keep me in check. Hopefully this coming week will be better.

Biohazard 5 (PS3)

I just bought Biohazard 5 yesterday and have yet to really sink my teeth into it. My expectations are not set as high as they were before I played the demo, so now, I think I'm giving the game a fair chance and not over-hyping it.

Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360)

I just started up the campaign mode with a friend of mine this weekend. We didn't get too far in yet, but it looks to be more of the same - and that's good! I'm looking forward to delving deeper in to see what my boys Marcus and Dom are going to do.

Biohazard nabbed...

2009-03-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

So, just a quick update. I bought Biohazard 5 yesterday, but have not really had a whole lot of free time to play the game. One cool thing about the disc though, is that it "includes" a video. So, when you have the disc in, of course you can go to the "game" icon and boot up the game, but you can also go the "video" icon and watch the videos that are included on the disc. There are two of them, a "Making of" feature and something else that I didn't take the time to read. I for one, really like the inclusion of things like this in games and it's sad that we don't see more of this.

Anyway, I'm hoping for the best with this game. I'll keep you posted whether you like it or not.

A Boy and His Blob - Wii-bound

2009-03-05T04:59:00.000-08:00

The most recent issue of Nintendo Power revealed to the world that a new version of A Boy and His Blob is on the way to the Wii. The game is being developed by WayForeward Technologies (Contra 4), published by Majesco, and will be completely 2D. In an interview with IGN Wii, the developer said that this game is not going to be a remake of the Game Boy or NES versions released nearly two decades ago, but rather they are making a game that is "inspired by" the original title. Basically, the idea of the game is pretty simple. Playing as the boy, you will come across various obstacles that, as the boy, you just cannot overcome. That is where the blob comes in handy. He can transform into a ladder to get you to a higher area or he can turn into a hole to help you progress further into the level. Though I have not played the original, the developer is basically taking the ideas that were found in that game and reusing and expanding upon them.

Here is a video to give you an idea how the game will play and how it will look visually...

The characters in the game are all hand drawn and the developer is opting to use a more traditional style of animation. While it will take more time to get the project out the door, the results can already be seen in the early video with the extreme fluidity that can be found in the animation. Sean Velasco, a member of the development team and also a die hard fan of the original A Boy and His Blob, said in regards to animation that "Our goal with this game was to make it look like an animated movie, and I'd say it's a success!"

In terms of control, WayForeward is not going to implement IR or motion at all. "This game has no waggle or IR of any kind. You play with the Wii Remote + Nunchuk or the classic controller. We are also looking into GC controller support. From the beginning, we wanted this to be a gamer's game. However, the controls are also very intuitive for the family crowd."

I'm actually looking forward to this game and I'm glad that WayForeward is not going to dumb this game down to the point where it would way too easy for hardcore gamers. In the interview, they say that they have found a good balance for gamers of all backgrounds. I certainly hope so and sit in anticipation for more news on their progress.

A Boy and His Blob is tentatively scheduled for a third quarter 2009 release.

Resident Evil 5 - My rant

2009-03-04T04:29:00.000-08:00

Ever since I finished Resident Evil 4, I have been waiting for more Resident Evil action. I guess in a way, the Wii release of RE4 helped subside my desire, but as soon as Resident Evil 5 was announced, I began to dream and hope for the best. How could this game NOT be good, right? Capcom did such a wonderful job with Resident Evil 4. They made it a fresh new experience for gamers and really helped breath new life into the series by fundamentally changing the way the RE games were played. Capcom made one of the best games of last generation with Resident Evil 4. Maybe that's why the sequel has so much riding on it.

After playing the demo of RE5 on the 360, I couldn't help but walk away disappointed. Simply put, the game is just TOO much like Resident Evil 4. What seemed fresh and great 4 years ago feels a little dated now, at least in terms of control. Of course, the setting, and story is different than RE4. The addition of co-operative (online) play is very welcome, too. But personally, I just cannot get past the similarities between the two games. I mean, come on! There's even a new chainsaw guy in this game, too! What made RE4 so great was that it was so different from it's predecessors. It kept you guessing at what was next to come. Of course, with the full retail version of RE5 set to hit stores on March 13th in North America (and on March 5th in Japan), there's no reason to count the game out just yet. I can only hope that the story will take us to new and unexpected places. I also can only hope that there will be interesting twists and turns that await us as well.

Now Playing - 03.01.09

2009-03-01T06:39:00.000-08:00

Wii Fit

I was doing nothing but gaining weight this past week. However, when the weekend rolled around, my weight started to come down. I was pretty lazy this week when it came to the exercises as well. I think I might have only done them one or two days last week. Pathetic! Oh well. Like every week, I'll try to step it up a notch.

...Having recently played through The House of the Dead: Overkill A TON over the past two weeks, I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to move on to next. I still have quite a few games to play through across all of my consoles, so choosing is never an easy task. I think I will probably still play a little bit of Overkill here and there, though. I really love the story and the game is just easy to jump in to if you want a quick romp through something...But yeah...Maybe I'll try to get in to No More Heroes or Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 on the Wii. We will see.

Anyway, in the meantime, check out this cool video for MadWorld, the upcoming Wii blood bath from Sega. Tootles.

The House of the Dead: Overkill (Wii) - Review

2009-02-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

The Hardcore game that Wii owners deserve...

(updated 02/15/11)

It is fair to say that early on in the Wii's life cycle, Nintendo's little white box that could was a bit lacking in terms of content geared specifically toward the hardcore gamer. Sega was one of the companies that looked to remedy this in 2009 when they stepped up and published three titles targeted at this subset of gamers. The three titles were Madworld, The Conduit, and The House of the Dead: Overkill. The House of the Dead: Overkill will be the topic of discussion here. If you are not familiar with The House of the Dead series, here is a really basic rundown of what to expect. The game is an on rails light gun shooter. Your objective is to shoot as many zombies as you can and try not to die while doing so. It's as simple as that. The basic objective remains the same in Overkill, as well. The game puts you in the roles of Agent G and Detective Issac Washington. You are hot on the trail of the notorious Papa Caesar and are desperately trying to stop the sudden outbreak of mutants (zombies) in the area. As you progress further into the game, you realize that there is a lot more to deal with than you initially thought when setting out to stop Papa and his band of mutants.

As mentioned above, The House of the Dead: Overkill is an on rails first person light gun shooter. Using the Wii remote, you control an on screen reticule to aim and mow down any and all mutants in your path. Basically, if you have played a House of the Dead game in the past, you know what to expect. Tons of zombies, blood, and violence. However, unlike some of the past House of the Dead titles, Overkill has different take on the series. The style of The House of the Dead: Overkill is reminiscent of the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez film Grindhouse. The game has a kind of "old-film" filter that gives it a very gritty and stylistic feel, almost as if you are watching an old B-movie. The style is very unique and helps give the game a lot of character and appeal.

The visuals under the stylistic filter look very nice and give the game a unique feel. On top of this, the character models look nice and animate pretty well. You will be satisfied to know that the regular enemies in the game take damage and lose limbs after you unload on them. It is very easy and satisfying to do so as well. As you advance further into the game, you will come across more gruesome enemies and bosses. Honestly, some of the boss characters are alarming, incredibly abnormal and have the potential to offend you as much as the Iwata laugh.

While the creepiness of the bosses might get to you, they're usually pretty easy to take down as are most of the other enemies. It's all about realizing patterns rather than just going crazy and shooting the crap out of them. When it comes to non-boss enemies, there are instances when enemies will just stand right in the line of fire and allow themselves to get blown away. However, more times than not, these same enemies will bob and weave out of the way of your bullets. There is a pretty good variety of enemies in the game, each fitting the themes of each stage. It was interesting to see what developer Headstrong Games came up with for the game.

Even though the visuals in Overkill are pretty good, there are still issues of slowdown throughout the game. Blood splatters and limbs flying everywhere are more thank likely the reason for this. However it is not enough to ruin the game experience, but it is noticeable and can get annoying at times. This usually occurs after you kill a mutant or sometimes can happen when a mutant is about to appear on the screen. Like mentioned above, it is noticeable, but it does not really take too much away from the gameplay.

Getting back to the gameplay aspect of Overkill, the game gives you a few different modes to gets your hands on. There are three main modes to play in the game - Story Mode, Director's Cut, and Mini Games. Story Mode and Director's Cut feature the main portion of the game and allow the player to go through the stages in single player or co-operative play. They are mostly the same thing, but the Director's Cut proves to be a little more difficult and has slightly different content than what is found in the standard Story Mode. The Mini Games section is composed of three different mini games. The first, titled “Money Shot II” challenges the player to a carnival style shooting gallery with moving targets. There are normal red and white targets moving across the screen, faster blue and white targets worth more points, and then bombs that take away from your score. “Stayin' Alive” puts the player up against wave after wave of mutants where they try to stay alive before the timer counts down or before they are killed by the incoming hoard. In “Victim Support,” there are a number of civilians who are trying to escape a mutant infested area. It is the players job to protect them from the mutants. Each of the three mini-games support up to four players locally. These mini games are entertaining and give gamers another a reason to come back to Overkill.

In the Story Mode and Director's Cut Modes, you have the ability to purchase and upgrade weapons. The funds for purchasing the weapon upgrades are gained by getting high scores and beating certain preset challenges in the game. Throughout the levels are grenades, health packs and a “slow mo-fo mode” pick-up, that once shot, slows down time for a few seconds. Also scattered throughout the levels are golden brains that you shoot to gain points. There are also civilians to save that will score you some extra points. To gain more points, accuracy is your friend. If you chain your kills without missing, then you can gain more points per kill. It's a very good addition to the game and helps encourage the player to not just shoot madly all over the screen for kills. Not only can you make money for the weapons and weapon upgrades from these high scores, you can also unlock a variety of different "Memorabilia Extras," which consist of videos, music, images, and 3D models. These are definitely some challenges to keep you coming back for more of Overkill.

Perhaps where The House of the Dead: Overkill shines the most is in the realm of sound. The game features a variety of original music that fits perfectly with the game. It also features some top notch voice acting that is both funny and perfectly executed. Previous House of the Dead titles endeavor to be somewhat serious in terms of content. Overkill does exactly the opposite. The story is pretty stereotypical for the series, but the dialogue is full of intended humor and wit. With the constant "Mother F'ers" and other vulgar language, you will either be deeply offended, or laughing like crazy because of how ridiculous the experience is. It seems that the whole point of the story, nay, probably the game as a whole is to be as offensive as it possibly could. By the time you complete the story, you are going to be pretty shocked at the different twists that this game has. In a nutshell, this is definitely a game that is aimed at a hardcore crowd, but even out of that crowd, not everyone will be able to appreciate the humor and the direction that the developer Headstrong Games was trying to achieve.

The House of the Dead: Overkill is the hardcore game that Wii owners deserve to treat themselves with. The gameplay is fun, the story is hilarious and disturbing, and the voice acting is just great. While the game does suffer from some slight occurrences of slow down at times and easy boss battles, Overkill remains very playable and enjoyable. It will probably take you five hours or less to beat the game, but coming back for high scores and unlockables will take a bit more time than that. All in all, The House of the Dead: Overkill is not likely to be a game that you will get your mom to play. It is, however, a solid, entertaining title that will provide a few laughs, some fun, and is an offering that any hardcore gamer should welcome to their Wii collection.

Summary

Pros
+ Great voice acting.
+ Awesome soundtrack.

+ Weapon upgrades and unlockables are a reason to keep coming back.

Cons
- Occasional Slowdown
- Easy boss battles

Score: 8.5 out of 10