Metroid Prime 3 Preview

Computer And Video Games has posted an awesome preview of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption here. If you don't already know, I am a crazy-go-nuts Metroid fan, and the two Prime games are among my favorites of all time. Prime 3 already sounded incredibly promising, but this preview ups the ante quite a bit! Woohoo!

Blocks Are Fun!

I know I have mentioned my passion for Legos before, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up...

I received a couple more Batman Lego sets for Christmas, including Arkham Asylum and a second Batman/Two-Face set. Since I already owned one of the latter, I decided to try something I had been considering; building my own mini-scale model of the Tumbler, the awesome vehicle featured in Batman Begins.

Considering the limited supply of pieces I had to work with, and the goal to make it as accurate as I could, I am rather proud of the results! More pictures of it can be seen here:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?m=batmyke

Hiatus

Hey gang, just fyi, I will be taking a *gasp* gaming hiatus for the month of January. I know this sounds INSANE, considering the recent arrival of Wii in my home as well as the wealth of awesome DS games out right now, but nonetheless, I will not be playing for one month.

I am doing this because I feel the need to focus more heavily on other things right now (see my other blog, Solus Invictus), but rest assured that I will probably still post to some extent during this month!

A Word About Reviews

Just a couple of thoughts here...

I've noted, as have many others, a disparity among many reviews for Wii titles. Where games like Zelda have come out with solid and consistent numbers in the 9's, other very good games have received everything from 3's to 8's, depending on who reviewed them. This is pretty strange, in my view, and also unprecedented as far as I know.

So, what's causing this? I have read terribly negative opinions of things like Wii Sports Boxing, only to later read blog posts that state that the game is really quite good, but you have to spend some time learning it and working on it. I've read everything about Red Steel from "It SUCKS!" to, "Must Have". Even Excite Truck, which I can't really find much fault with, has had it's share of stinker reviews. What's going on? Have the critics lost their minds? Do these titles change dramatically in quality as they get out there more?

Neither. The reality is, this disparity between poor and good reviews of Wii games reflects something that many of us already know; Wii is changing things, often times dramatically.

When a critic picks up the Wiimote and Nunchuck to try a new title out, right now it doesn't matter how seasoned a gamer they might be, or what other platforms they have played the game on. It doesn't even matter how much they have played Wii titles at this point; the fact is, they cannot really be prepared for what new things the game may ask of them. Will they be waggling the Wiimote around a lot? Will they be comfortable aiming a gun with the pointer while moving with the nunchuck? Will they quickly and easily adapt to new styles of play? There are so many more factors at work here than with games on the competing systems, it's really ludicrous to go into a review with any kind of expectations, except to ask, "Am I having fun?".

So, forgive me if I sound like a raving fanboy (which I am) when I give higher marks to many of these titles (see Rampage) than some do, but I really believe that one must try to be devoid of preconceptions when reviewing these games.

A Nice Surprise!

Christmas day, we drove up to Santa Barbara to be with my family and exchange gifts. We had already spent Christmas Eve with my wife's fam, and I scored some great gifts, but none game related...

So, my brother Brian, who is a gamer, got me something unexpected and also really fun! I opened up his gift to find *drumroll, please* Rampage: Total Destruction for Wii!

Now, I hadn't planned on purchasing Rampage, as it was poorly reviewed (across the board) and my play impressions of the Gamecube version were not good. I am, however, a gracious gift receiver and thanked my brother sincerely for the gift.

The next day, I popped it in, to give it the old college try, and was very pleasantly surprised! While the visuals are nothing to jump up and down over, and the gameplay is very straightforward (it is Rampage, after all), I found myself truly enjoying the silly fun it offered! The addition of motion controls to a crazy arcade brawler of this kind breathes new life into it! I especially like swinging the remote downward to smash both fists into the ground... very satisfying.

Add the fact that the game offers multiplayer for four, over 40 selectable monsters (I like the shark/man) and both the original Rampage and Rampage: World Tour to play, and you've got a pretty cool little package, albeit not "triple A" material.

Again, no depth whatsoever, but who's looking for it? If you can find this one used or on sale, and you just want some mindless goofiness, give it a shot!

Wii: The Goodness Keeps On Coming!

I was away yesterday, enjoying the Happiest Place On Earth... I wondered, somewhere between Tomorrowland and Frontierland, what a Nintendo theme park would be like. Not the "Nintendo Amusement Park" some folks have seen on the net, but a true, Nintendo sponsored park, with all the quality and trappings that the Big N could bring...

I digress. Some great things have come to pass concerning Wii this week, as well as on the DS. I don't have time to write about them in detail, so here's a quick list:

1. Wii forecast channel can affect gameplay; first example? Madden NFL 2007. I guess the folks at EA Tiburon knew this was coming, so they set up Madden to use real weather info in their game, if you prefer! Nice! I wonder what this could mean for games like Animal Crossing....

2. Rumors of Metroid and Mario delays for Wii are apparently unfounded, as NOA president Reggie Fils Aime stated that Metroid Prime 3 would still be released in early 07 and Mario by the end of 07.

3. Rumor has it that we may get a free treat from Nintendo on Christmas day. No one knows exactly what, but speculation is that Super Mario Bros. will be available on the Virtual Console.

4. EGM is reporting a rumor (grain of salt) that Namco/Bandai will be bringing new Katamari Damacy games to all next gen platforms, including a unique version for Wii! If you've never played Katamari Damacy, you owe yourself a shot at this quirky, fun title. I got hooked back when I owned a PS2, and I've always regretted that the game didn't come for Cube...

5. Square Enix continues to show love to Nintendo; Dragonquest IX will appear ONLY on Nintendo DS. This, alongside the Wii exclusive Dragonquest Swords and DS exclusive It's A Wonderful World (not to mention the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles games for both), would seem to indicate that the third party tide is turning...

6. With the Forecast channel out already, what else can we look forward to in the way of Wii extras? Well, the Opera web browser trial is hitting in just two days, Dec. 22nd! The full version will apparently be available in March, for free until June and for a mere $5 afterward.

Lotsa good stuff! Yahoo!

Weather or not to Wii...

THE BLUE LIGHT IS ON! THE BLUE LIGHT IS ON!

I awoke this morning and walked out into my living room to find the delightful pulsating blue LED light on my Wii glowing... This means I have a message, so I powered up and went to the message board, and, as I suspected, Nintendo informed me that I could perform a system update to receive... (drumroll, please)

THE FORECAST CHANNEL!

That's right, the marvelous Wii Forecast channel is now up and running, just in time for our family trip to Disneyland! I'd write more about it, but we have to get on the road and ride Pirates of the Carribean at least 3 times...

A Pleasant Diversion

I'm not a huge online gamer. That is to say, I'm not very into online games (not that I'm not a giant, obese, fat player of online games. I mean, I'm NOT a fat, obese gamer, but the point is, that is not what I was referring... nevermind).

Despite my lack of fondness for online games, I do occasionally stumble across something that captures my attention like nothing else has before it, and once in a while it is an online game!

Meet flOw. I know it's been around for a while, so forgive me if you've seen it, but I have only recently discovered the joy of playing this little school project, and it is sublime. flOw casts you as a strange creature, swimming in what could be an ocean, or just as easily the atmospheres of an alien planet. You simply move the mouse to direct the creature, and you eat other creatures to grow. You descend to deeper levels by eating the red marker, or ascend by eating the blue one. As you descend, sometimes you encounter other creatures that also try to eat you...

Anyhow, it's definitely worth a try. Click the link on my sidebar to give flOw a whirl...

The Triple "R" Threat

Once again, I find myself LOVING a game that has received mixed reviews from many members of the press! Rayman Raving Rabbids might be quirky, shallow and (more significantly, it seems) not a platformer, but it is FUN!

Seriously, I didn't think anything was going to supercede Wii Sports in terms of getting me up off of the couch and making me move, but RRR did it. If you don't know, Raving Rabbids is essentially a mini-game collection, loosely built around a simple Gladiator style story. Rayman is captured by the Rabbids (bunnies), who have plotted world domination for a long time, and he is forced to participate in all kinds of weird contests a la Gladiator.

You find Rayman locked in a cell at the games' beginning, and you can choose to go out and participate in the challenges by approaching the cell door. Each arena level has four challenges, represented by gates, and one giant gate that leads to a "boss" challenge and the next arena level. Only three of the regular challenges need be completed to advance, but succeeding at all four will win you new costumes and music tracks, which can be played in your cell.

Some of the challenges get repeated, like the point and shoot game (remeniscent of Time Crisis or Area 51, but funny) or the dancing game, but they are altered enough to keep things interesting. The shooting game, for example, changes venues, from an old west town to a tropical beach resort, there are several different environments to play in.

The best thing about this game, I would say, is the unique uses of the wiimote and the HILARIOUS behavior of the Rabbids. There is a multiplayer mode, which mostly involves turn-based play through the challenges (there are a few that are simultaneous multiplayer), offering versus, score co-op and timed co-op.

If you enjoy a game that is just plain old fun and especially if you have new gamers or kids in the house, pick this one up!

Steeling Third

I have posted concerning two of my game purchases at Wii launch, but what of the third? What of Ubisoft's controversial FPS, Red Steel?

Truth be told, I wavered a bit during the months leading up to Wii Day where this one is concerned. Early images, videos and reports made me thirsty for this title, because of the sheer level of style and also many control innovations brought to the game.

Then, the Game Developers Conference and E3 hit last Spring, and the press pretty much panned (sorry for the aliteration) the game, citing poor controls and somewhat sketchy graphics. I removed Red Steel from my pre-order list, but some lingering hope remained, as Ubisoft promised that they were still tweaking the controls.

As launch day drew near, reports of a near-final build came out, and the press renewed my hope that Red Steel would be a worthwhile purchase. Ubisoft had indeed re-worked the control scheme, to better represent sword movement and to offer three levels of aim sensetivity. I promptly put the $5 deposit back down to own the game at launch.

Now that I own the game and am playing through it, I am happy to report that I feel my hope was justified. I know that some members of the media have continued to decry this game as 'broken' and 'unfinished', but I just cannot agree. Even some of my friends, who tried the game out without a purchase, told me they were disappointed, but I have truly found it enjoyable, engaging and well-designed, for the most part.

Here is the breakdown:

1. Style - Red Steel is oozing style. The visual presentation of the game, from the menus to the in-game graphics, speak Japanese Action Movie. Ubisoft stated early on that they would set out to make this game from the viewpoint of the "Gaijin", the outsider, as they view Japanese culture, and I think they have succeeded. The whole concept of the Yakuza is foreign to us Westerners, and this is well illustrated by the story. Although there isn't tremendous depth in the plot or the characters, this is an action game, not an RPG, so I have no complaints. The greatest use of style, I think, is in the environments. While not the most interactive or destructible, many of the areas you encounter are beautifully designed and make excellent use of lighting, texture and color.


2. Play - Though there have been gripes about the control scheme in Red Steel, I have to give Ubisoft props; they took a huge risk and developed an original game for Wii launch, using a control scheme that is new and untested by the masses. That is no small feat, and the benefits are already evident, as they are releasing their second Wii FPS this week, Far Cry: Vengeance. Early reports are that Vengeance improves dramatically on Red Steel's controls, so as an excersize in development, Red Steel is already a success. Most players will need a few minutes playtime to get adjusted to Red Steel's controls. Sometimes the aim will go a bit buggy, and your character will spin in place if you accidentally aim off screen. This is an oversight, but not so vast that it detracts from the game experience. Aside from this, I find the FPS control to be very responsive and sensetive. The sword control, however, needs a bit more work. When fighting a Yakuza, I have no trouble at all parrying attacks with my short sword (unlike many members of the press, apparently), but I did have trouble early on with the long sword. I did check out an option to change the sword control from long strokes to short ones, and I have done much better since.


3. Versus - On Thanksgiving I had the chance to try 4 player versus out, as my brother had brought two more Wiimote/Nunchuck combos with him. The verdict was a bit divided, as the other guys playing had never laid hands on Red Steel before. Some were aiming wildly all over the place, others were struggling with strafing and turning. We played several matches, and when everyone was finally getting used to the control, it started to get fun. I read one comment in a review that the multiplayer is reminiscent of Goldeneye 64, and I have to agree, except without the bad framerate, and no bots. There are fun character choices, decent level design and just overall mayhem. The thing that stands out the most to me is "Killer" mode. This is the unique mode in Red Steel where your remote rings like a phone and you receive a unique objective. I didn't know that everyone's remote would ring, and that it would continue several times throughout the match! This makes for a pretty cool new way to play, although I think it does need some work.

So, there you have it; Red Steel isn't my favorite game on Wii, but I still recommend it to anyone who wants a decent FPS with a fun multiplayer mode. Controls are somewhat on the rough side, but I can forgive that in a first-gen launch title. I think FPS will only get better from here on out...

Exciting

While there seem to be a number of titles for Wii that have received justifiably poor reviews at launch, there are several that have been panned by some critics, but given decent scores by others. Following are my thoughts and impressions concerning one such title, Excite Truck from Nintendo.

Excite Truck was one of three titles I picked up at launch, and while it hasn't sucked away so much of my life as Zelda, it has logged a pretty decent amount of time in the glowing blue slot... First off, let me state that I am not a huge racing title fan, or at least, not a fan of racing sims, such as Gran Turismo or Forza. I prefer arcade racers, if any, and am definitely partial to games like Mario Kart, F-Zero and Burnout.

And I guess that is why I find Excite Truck to be such a fun title! Really, it takes some of the best elements of those titles and blends them into an adrenaline-pumping, gotta-get-an-"S"-on-this-track, how-many-trucks-can-I-unlock? package. Here are the highlights, in bullet-point form:


- Tracks: There are only five or six locales in Excite Truck, but each is unique and well-designed. Not only that, but there are multiple course variants in each locale. I am not finished with the whole game yet, but I have unlocked 15 tracks in Excite mode, and there another 5 available in Super Excite mode, not to mention the Mirror Mode flipped tracks that become available when you score an "S" ranking on all tracks (That's 40 tracks, if you count the reverse tracks).

- Trucks: The variety of vehicles is quite decent, for an arcade racer. The trucks and buggies available are un-licensed clones of very recognizable cars, from the Dodge Ram to a Hummer (no, not an H2 or H3-a REAL Hummer), and they all have differing driving characteristics, including speed, boost, grip and acceleration. When all are unlocked, you get something like 20 trucks, including, I have read, a monster truck that becomes unlocked after all paint jobs are unlocked for the previous 19! Which brings me to the paint jobs! I was content with the prospect of earning 19 trucks when I saw the silhouetted shapes on the selection screen, but after playing a while, I managed to earn an "S" ranking three times with the first truck, and was rewarded with an alternate paint job, complete with striping, some sponsorship decals and extra crash bars and lights. Very slick! In addition, a third paint option becomes available after 10 races are won with any truck...

- Tricks: Boost is the name of the game. You can hold down the D-Pad to boost, but if you press it too long, the temperature gauge on your screen hits the red zone and your truck will overheat. Thus, keeping the boost going without over-doing it is critical. In addition, you can earn boost by performing various tricks, such as Turbo Jumping by tapping boost right after you leave a ramp. Tricks also earn you stars, by which your race performance is ranked. Drifting around a turn, for example, gets you stars, and the longer you drift, the more stars you get, maxing out at 5. The same is true for big air, jumping through rings, dodging trees at high speed, etc. In fact, if you race well, it's possible to earn a high ranking without winning the race! Many critics have called this trick system "tacked on", I think largely because the only air trick is a 360 or 720 degree spin, but I disagree. When you play Excite Truck, you find yourself constantly trying to get 5 star awards, because it's all about your ranking.

So that is the bulk of the game. There is also a Challenge Mode for single player, which offers three challenges on two tracks each. They are Ring Mode, Gate Mode and Crush (my favorite), and my only gripe is that none of these are available in Versus (PLEASE add this, Nintendo!). The games' graphics are actually quite good, although I haven't played it in 480p yet, and the control, once you get used to it, is very responsive and tight. Add to all of that the custom soundtrack option (with an SD card inserted) and I really think Excite Truck is one kickin' racer.

Now if only we had online...

Zelda Awesomeness

Let's get one thing straight; I am definitely biased. I have owned virtually every Nintendo system ever made (with the exception of Virtual Boy - get it?) and am absolutely partial to the Big N's games and hardware.

Okay, now that we've established that, let me say this:

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS IS THE BEST GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED!!!!!!!!1

Yeah. 15 hours in, only two dungeons finished (out of 9) and no time spent on side quests, and I can say with complete veracity that I've never played better. Every aspect, from control to character development, has me mesmerized. True, the visuals aren't completely "Next Gen", but that takes nothing away from the amazement that this game produces.

I would say that, aside from the phenomal new control mechanics (sniping enemies with the bow is sheer bliss) and the excellent level design, Twilight Princess ups the ante over previous Zelda titles with its epic and immersive storyline. I remember being moved by Ocarina of Time and shocked by Wind Waker, but Twilight Princess brings a new level of emotional connection to the characters, in part due to better animations and facial expressions.

So, congratulations, Nintendo, Miyamoto and Aonuma; you have succeeded. You have built the greatest Zelda game ever, and possibly the best video game ever.

Turkey Day Shenanigans

So, like many of you out there, I picked up a Wii on the 19th, and I've truly been blown away. My own expectations were quite high, being the rabid fanboy I am, but Nintendo has outdone themselves once again.

But more on that later...

Thursday, we had about 30 people in our home for Thanksgiving Day Dinner, including some of my family, some of my wife's family and a few friends. The age range spanned between 2 years and 65 years. There were only 4 self-proclaimed gamers present, including my brother and two cousins, and there were more women present than men...

I set the Wii up in the main living room after a while, knowing it would draw some people to it. After all, in the few days I had owned it, my wife had already played some baseball and tennis, without being dragged into it! Both of my boys had taken to Excite Truck and Wii Sports Baseball, and my brother reported that both of our sisters and our niece had all been asking to play as well (he picked up a unit on launch day, too).

I was totally unprepared for just how big a hit the Wii was going to be, however, as we started up with Wii Sports Tennis. At first we had the usual suspects trying it out, including the core gamers and a few casual or non-gamers. But after we started bowling, everyone got involved. In a short time, my own father in law (not a gamer, pictured below) was throwing strikes and spares, and soon afterward, my wifes uncle, a self-professed ANTI-gamer, was rallying at tennis! I couldn't believe my eyes.



True, neither of these older guys is likely to go out and drop $250 on a system. But to have the entire family playing together was truly a testament to Nintendo's strategy with Wii. And, I did receive one check that day, from a couple of friends who haven't played games in over a decade, to go and purchase a Wii for them as soon as possible.

Blue Ocean!

TEH AWESOME!

First off, sorry for the long delay between posts... I guess frequent blogging just ain't my forte!

Last night two friends of mine and I hopped into the bat-cruiser and hit the freeways to make our pilgrimage to San Diego, where we attended the latest stop on the Nintendo Fusion Tour! Needless to say, we were there for one reason, and one reason alone - THE SLEEPING! I kid, I kid! We were there for Wii, of course (yes, I avoided a terrible pun...must be losing my touch)!

We arrived later than I planned, about 5:30 pm, and I was concerned, as there was a block-long line outside the venue, a little rock club named SOMA. But apparently my concern was unfounded; about ten minutes after we got in line, everyone began filing forward and into the theater, where we were told to go straight ahead for the bands, or down a hall to the right for Wii games (no DS kiosks were set up at this stop - apparently not enough level floorspace). My buddies and I stopped first at a counter where we could enter a raffle for a signed DS Lite, grabbed some minor swag (guitar picks, mini-buttons and a keychain) and made a beeline for the Wii room.
The room was basically a gutted movie theater room with five Wii kiosks at the front end, and the lines had already begun to form at each station. The games on display were the same bunch almost every Fusion Tour report has mentioned; Wii Sports Tennis, Wario Ware Smooth Moves, Wii Play Shooting Demo, Excite Truck and Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess. I had already made up my mind that if the line looked reasonable in length, I would head straight for Zelda, and so I did.

I must say that I'm so glad I made that decision; even though I was privileged enough to play Twilight Princess on Gamecube two E3's ago, trying it out with the Wiimote and nunchuck is an incomparable experience. I'll write up my full impressions and a few noteworthy details in my next post.

I only had to wait about an hour to play Zelda, and the bands, which had been playing in an adjacent room (we could see and hear them through a glass-less window between the rooms), had progressed up to the second to last act, Relient K. I happen to like them a lot, so I sort of paid half-attention to them and half to the rest of the Wii games in the room.

The lines were still present, but those for the Wario Ware and Wii Play kiosks were shortest, so we got in the queue for those. I chose Wario Ware, shedding a tear for my lost opportunity to try Excite Truck (looks outstanding, by the way), and soon enough got a shot at the zany micro-game title. The game is great fun, as are all of the Wario Ware titles, and I really got into the creative ways they used the Wiimote. One of my buddies pointed out, however, that the game did seem to lack a bit of polish; some games used the rumble, while others did not, and it didn't make much sense to us that the feature was missing in some places. Hopefully Nintendo will iron this out before the game launches in the Spring.

By this time, Relient K was winding down their final song, and we knew that the Fusion Tour staff had instructions to shut down the Wii kiosks before the headlining band, Hawthorne Heights, came on, so we called it a night. Driving back home to the desert, all three of us wore smiles of contentment on our faces, knowing that we were among the few fortunate souls to have tried Wii out before its launch.

Winging It

Okay, you may not be into handheld gaming; heck, you may despise all Gameboys, NeoGeo Pockets, Gamegears, etc. But the truth of it is, if you haven't given the Nintendo DS a try, you are seriously missing out. I know some of you are die-hard PC gamers, and the mere thought of purchasing a console, let alone a handheld system, makes your spine shake like a suspension bridge in a 7.5 quake, but you are mistaken, my friends!

Since jumping on the DS bandwagon (right at launch, of course), I have had nothing but pleasant, enjoyable and often addictive gaming experiences with it. I am pleased to say that the latest outing, Starfox Command, is no exception!

I picked up the latest installment in the canine-goes-dogfighting (get it?) series last week, and I have had little time or mind for anything since! The controls take a moment of getting used to, as you can only use the stylus for your flight control, but after a brief adjustment period, I found myself very much hooked. The game is all air combat, which remedies the flaws of the last two Starfox titles on Gamecube, and there is a new turn-based strategy element that breathes new life into the game. This, combined with great visuals, excellent control, a plethora of pinatas (characters) to unlock and play as and both local and online wifi multiplayer make this a MUST HAVE! If you have a DS, go get it (and I'll look forward to shooting you down on WiFi Connection), and if you don't, you should be shot.

Well, at least bludgeoned.

Time to try again

Okay gang, sorry it's been soooooo long! Now I'm done with school (yay!) and starting a new job soon (also yay!), so hopefully we can keep this thing going...

Keep your eyes and ears peeled (and unplugged?) for plenty of gaming news here in the next few days and weeks; there's tons of stuff about to break all over the web, and I'll be linking to it and offering my thoughts, as usual!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I found these bad boys (and girl) at the LEGO store in the Glendale Galleria mall on Sunday as we drove home from Santa Barbara. Couldn't resist... If only the Dark Knight had been available as well!

More fun stuff

As many of you know, one of my other great passions is Lego building sets. Especially Star Wars (and now, Batman) sets. Well, I couldn't resist posting this picture, as this set was just announced...

SHINY... SO SHINY...

Can't...stop...looking...at it!

Okay, I know everyone and their mom has already posted pictures of their precious DS Lites all over the intraweb, but I couldn't resist... I picked this baby up, pre-paid, at my own Game Crazy store last night just before closing. I must say, the pictures and descriptions don't do it justice. The Lite is so much slicker and sexier than the "Phat" DS, and the difference in weight, size and screen brightness is just INSANE! My poor Mario Kart Red DS will now be relegated to Nintendogs sessions for Hayden and Sudoku for my wife... until I get a Lite for them!








Notice some of the nicer details; the AC adaptor is grey, not black, so easily distinguished from older adaptors. White would have been nice, but oh well...
Extra white stylus is included, just like an extra grey stylus was included with previous DS models. The packaging itself is just great; very Apple, as many have noted.

Alright, enough posting... time to play!