In this post:
1. Basically, everything that you need to know from the world of games from the past couple of weeks, part one.
Where to start? From the top, naturally…
- Obviously, the biggest news from the past couple of weeks has been the iPad. And I think I’ve pretty much said everything that I’ve needed to say as far as that subject is concerned, both here and over at Heavy. Yet ultimately, my two cents means nothing since I’ve yet to actually test-drive the device. Hence why this hands on report from Mike McWhertor is quite enlightening.
Equally unimpressed was Nintendo’s head honcho, who scoffed at the fact that it’s simply a bigger iPod Touch and offered nothing really new. Which I totally agree with, but it still seems a tad bit silly coming from the guy who just made another billion from yet another version of the DS, expect it’s just bigger (i.e. the DSi LL). Plus, dude’s just jealous that the App Store blows away the DSiWare Store by like ten billion percent.
But what really matters is what those who make iPhone/iPod Touch games think of it, at least the good ones, since they’ll be the ones to justify its purchase for many. Including myself; when all is said and done, I’ll probably end up owning the device someday (hey, I thought the PSP was a piece of crap, but I eventually got one… though my opinions has not differed all that greatly). And according to indie gaming’s justice league, the overall feeling is that it opens the door to a great deal of possibilities, at least gameplay-wise. The funniest thing is hearing everyone become a tad bit less tight-lipped when it comes to size of the current devices’ screen and how too damn small it is (again, as much as I love Eliss, it’s almost impossible to play because your fingers cover up so much of the action).
Though on the not so positive side, which wasn’t touched upon much in Brandon’s summation, but was easily found in the one place where everyone goes to complain, i.e. Twitter, is how many are less than sold on Apple’s notion of an “app gold rush”. Aside from wondering if the device will actually do well (as stupid as I think it is, I’m certain it’ll be successful… later down the road, when bare essentials are finally added, like a camera and multi-tasking), one has to also consider the impact it’ll have on the existing App Store, which is already beyond inadequate.
Actually, the only opinion that truly matters belongs to Pee Wee Herman! Anyhow, even I’m sick and tired of all the iPad talk at this point. Moving on…
- Hey, did you hear? Mass Effect 2 came out recently…
… Via Lost Levels.
- Though once again, when it comes to advertising a game’s release, no one does it better than the Japanese.
- The situation at Rockstar San Diego continues one, with the IGDA recently issuing a public statement regarding the need for an investigation and end to the deplorable conditions that led to the wives of those employees calling out for help. And the official response?
Well, in addition to that stupid piece of wallpaper, it would seem ultimately that HQ could give a rat’s ass. You’d think that they would at least issue a diplomatic “we’re looking into it” statement, but not even. Worst of all are all the defenders, who like to shrug the situation off by stating that this is simply how business is done. Like that’s a valid reason?
- I really hope that everyone got the chance to pick up Critter Crunch when it was half off a few weeks ago. But if not, still get anyway, cuz it’s awesome! Anyhow, even though it’s old, I’m still passing along this pic since I’m a fan of (old school) National Lampoon…
- Time once again for another installment of Iwata Asks! This time the topic is the handheld Legend of Zeldas, and among the many nuggets of information is how Link’s Awakening was inspired by Twin Peaks, and how the very first game for the NES’s second quest was the result of an accident!
- Metal Gear Solid: Piece Walker has finally been unveiled, and… it’s a multiplayer jigsaw puzzle. Okay…
- And yes, I’m still very much interested in Dead Or Alive: Paradise, even though it’s been categorized as “creepy” by the ESRB.
Actually, they just did an about face. But still…
… Though I’m most interesting in checking out how Rio, that poster chick, will turn out. As some might already know, she’s the star of a line of pachinko games back home…
… Hopefully the transition from 2D to 3D won’t be too awkward, but then again, the DOA girls personify that world with a capital a.
- Rez HD is coming to the PS3! Maybe. Provided if people are interested, and that’s precisely what Q Entertainment is trying to find out.
- As most folks know already, Mega Man Zero 1-4 for the GBA is getting collected for a single DS card release. Which is obviously quite neat, though I’d much rather have a third Mega Man XZ personally.
- And here’s a trailer for the Super Street Fighter 4 anime that’s supposed to come out when the game does in Japan, I believe as a downloadable in game?
- Plus, some folks might find this cute, even heart-warming, while others might find it cheesy, even offensive: a bunch of Street Fighters lending aid in Haiti…
- Heavy Rain keeps making more and more headlines as the release date steadily approaches, which I guess is very soon? Honestly, I can’t be bothered to find out the exact date. I mean seriously, people actually want to play this?!?! Granted, the interface seems really cool, but much like how I felt the same way about Killer 7, this too looks to be like complete sh*t.
Yet regarding my long-standing disdain for K7, I still love Flower, Sun, and Run, plus No More Heroes, especially part 2! Funny, huh?
- So what happens when you release a revamp of a system that no one cares about, but it too goes ignored? You re-launch the revamp. It’s a Sony!
- Okay, forget the iPad, the Rockstar wives controversy, all that jazz: the real big news is that Death Smiles is coming to America! Yes, yes, YES!!! Siliconera has some of the details, but not all of them, like price, but as if it actually matters. Even if they go for $60 (which is highly doubtful), it’ll still be cheaper than importing the sucker, let alone the price of a Japanese 360.
As for release date, all we know is sometime during the summer… not sure why they can’t push it sooner, but whatever. My only fear is that the box are looks as mangled as the US release of Senko no Ronde, but I have a tad bit more faith in Aksys than Ubi Soft!
- May as well make Siliconera our first major stop since we’re already here; once again, it’s a great place to learn more about visual novels, such as their barriers to entry.
- Hey, Leona is coming to Metal Slug XX! That’s kewl.
- I’m fairly certain that Siliconera was the very first to break news of After Burner Climax coming to the home. It won’t be anywhere as cool as the arcade game, sans the amazing cockpit (which I’m so glad to have been able to experience in Japan), but hey, something’s better than nothing!
- It’s Mario Kart, but in the real…
- The latest from the folks behind Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman might be the flat-out neatest looking PSP game ever. Seriously, watch the video, the art style is INCREDIBLE.
- If you’re like me, you could ultimate not give a flying f*ck about the Xbox Game Room initiative, but this post is still worth checking out, especially if you’ve never heard of Jail Break. Again, just watch the vid, you will not regret it.
- You know, I’m kinda interested in that DSi BlazBlue game, now that it appears to look like Rakugaki Showtime.
- I’m honestly surprised it’s taken Namco this long to go ahead with Pac Man themed pizza parlors. And yay, a pizza pie served with a slice missing.
- Good news for Virtual Console fans! Not only is the Castlevania/Dracula X: Ronde of Blood finally coming to the US, in the undetermined near future (though hopefully soon), but Mega Man 4 as well, at least in Japan. Though you can count a stateside release not long after (as far as I’m concerned, it’s by far the most underrated of the original Mega Mans).
- Back to Aksys and any questions as to how they’ll be pushing Death Smiles, after watching this promotional video for the North American release of Cho Aniki, any lingering concerns has been tossed out the window! It’s definitely in good hands.
- Even though the sprites in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum do not look redrawn at all, but simply given the soft filter treatment, I’ll still get it if it comes to the States.
- And at long last, Fret Nice comes out this Thursday! But only for the PS3. Which sorta sucks since all my guitar controllers are for the 360. But according to Siliconera, a XBLA version is still on the way. Whew!
- Some details regarding Metroid: Other M from the series co-creator. This new game will apparently explore the “human side” of Samus, which certainly explains the soft piano music that can heard at the official website. Because that’s what all women sound like on the inside.
- As much as I can’t stand hospital shows (it’s a long story, but I just think they’re retarded… no offense to fans of House or Scrubs out there, the latter I have issues with due to it’s comedic values, or lack thereof, but that too is for another time), and as much as I have not been able to get into past Trauma Team games, this latest one simply looks awesome. For perhaps obvious reasons…
- After seeing James Kochalka live this past weekend, it just hit me that I haven’t been to his site in ages. And after going through the archive, I stumbled across this…
– Here’s a pic that Katie took, featuring a subway construction sign and the ghosts from Super Mario…
- Before there was the Angry Nintendo Nerd, there was this guy, playing Nightmare on Elm Street for the NES, wearing a Power Glove modified to be Freddy’s glove…
… I loled.
- And this little kid’s top five list of the best shumps on mame is surprisingly decent!
- It was here yesterday, I swear it: a bunch of rap/Final Fantasy 7 mash-ups.
- If you’ve ever wanted to create a super accurate mini Beatmania arcade unit for your animu figures to blow some steam off with, well, here’s your chance…
- Not exactly sure what this is either, some kind of group activity or meme going on at Pixiv that has people creating their own DS screenshot mock-ups…
… Yeah, a lot of them are like that unfortunately.
- Via Tumblr; hey, guess Athena was the original moe blob!
- And via Twitter…
- This is what happens when you fry an Atari 2600 game…
- I always give Select Button a ton of sh*t (and much of it is completely valid), but every once in a while, it digs up some real gems. Course, I’m a sucker for anything Harvester related.
- Time for two wacky hardware modification videos from Japan: the first features an old Mega Drive that’s been retrofitted with remote controlled powered wheels! And the second is a very throughout explanation of a Dreamcast that has PC guts (to play PS2 games).
- Speaking of Sega, and according to Kotaku, the Xbox could have helped the Dreamcast stay alive. But alas, it was not meant to be. Though it does reaffirm the notion that Microsoft’s console was the DC’s spiritual successor.
- All right, the next major stop is the always awesome Tiny Cartridge! For those who haven’t been keeping up (since every post is practically gold, which is no easy feat given the frequencies of it’s posts), I’m here to lend a hand. First we have just a cute pic of two identical in Japan playing with their DSs…
- So there’s a 100 page (“or so”) graphic novel in the works that recounts the important moments and personalities in the history of Nintendo…
- Thanks to TC, I am now a better person for being aware of the glory that is Takahashi Meijin. Be sure to also check out his amazing ode to Bomberman. Honestly, as much of a creative genius Shigeru Miyamoto might be, this guy still seems twenty times more fun to hang out with.
Here’s one last Meijin video, this one featuring some head-to-head Star Soldier action!
- Count me down as a person that absolutely would love to see a Moon remake.
- Ever heard of an old Famicom game called Mr. Gimmick? The most important thing to note is the absolutely kick-ass soundtrack.
- Here’s a little something for you DS owners that also happen to be fans of Spirited Away!
- For you chiptunes fans out there, a bunch of super essential links.
- And speaking of Game Boy music, Saitone has a song in Pop ?n Music for the Wii!
- And speaking of the Wii, at long last, Fatal Frame 4 in English. Though no thanks to Tecmo I’m afraid; why in the hell they decided to pass on releasing that one here and instead passed along a crappy port of the PS2 Rygar is beyond anyone’s guess. Also, when the hell is the NES version coming out for the VC? The arcade version totally blows in comparison.
- Yeah, I wondered about Jimmy Fallon being in Dark Void Zero as well.
- A Famicom game that’s about Famicom games? Genius…
- And an iPhone stuck instead an GBA? That’s cool too.
- Once again, was not the biggest fan of Muramsa the game, but the art, that’s another story…
- I would definitely play Monster In The City…
- Word on the street is that those Pac Man buns are not so hot. Big surprise, they didn’t exactly look appetizing. Meanwhile, these Dragon Quest Slime buns look totally delicious!
- So Tommy Tallarico had his very own custom NES cart that simply produced sound? And it was found at a flea market? And a precursor to the Nintendo Synthesizer Cartridge?
- Hey, Maestro: Jump In Music is coming to the US, as a DSiWare release! Maybe. At least its chances are far stronger than any of the budget shmups also featured in that same post.
BTW, here’s a better look at one of the games featured, Assault Buster.
- I for one am on the look out for the Chinese DS knock-off that’s just $11. I’m pretty sure I can do better in Chinatown.
- I love how retro gaming has become the ultimate fashion/lifestyle/furniture accessory. Expect to see stuff like this a LOT more in the near future…
- Hey now, Suicide Girls just did another goofy video game themed photo set, this time centered on Silent Hill. Nothing is gonna beat the one with just some nerdy chick that’s just naked, wrapped in GameCube controller wires, or the two girls making out while playing the NES. Keep is simple, people.
- I enjoy video game fan art as much as the next person (actually, about twenty times more so), so these No More Heroes pieces are great and all, but the last one in particular is… not exactly accurate. Unless it’s a before pic (note: you have to be familiar with the first game to know what I’m talking about).
- Yet another budget shump coming out for DSiWare has the system being held upside down, to accommodate a second player. Seems kinda tricky to actually play, but interesting nonetheless.
- At long last, the identity of the guy who created that wacky Super Mario fan art featuring Larry David, finally revealed!
- And dear God, WarioWare DIY cannot come soon enough.
- As previously noted, the animu in No More Heroes 2 is simply awesome, and here’s a taste. Sure GTA4′s is worth a few laughs, but in terms of pure authenticity, there’s really no comparison.
- It’s not everyday that you see Parodius fan art…
- For those who might be interested, a look at Tokyo’s Pokemon Center over the years…
- Also via Figure.fm, some might recall one person’s positively mind-blowingly epic video game collection that made the rounds all over the place (like over at Heavy for example). Well, here’s even more pics…
… Did everyone spot the Nintendo Light Telephone?
- Meanwhile, everyone at the Danny Choo portal is posting their last day of the convention’s best to be included in the new Otacool 2, which will center on cosplay. Here’s Danny’s favorites thus far; most of them are kinda “eh” in my book, except for this chick dressed as Ashlotte from Soul Calibur 4…
… Also the dude as Kamen Rider is equally fantastic.
- On a similar note, and via UK Resistance, I’ve just got two words: oh boy…
- May as well look at what’s happening in the world of game inspired toys and figures; for starters, yes, the new Layton figure is positively drool-worthy…
- A while back I mentioned a statue based upon KOF’s Vanessa. Well, here’s a closer look at the somewhat NSFW piece.
- I’d much rather have Kasumi, but this Ayane figure looks quite nice regardless. Then you have this one, from Ninja Gaiden; while I like the look of her better here, I simply cannot stand her goofy attire in the game…
- Wonder Festival 2010 is just around the corner, and as expected, there’s gonna be a ton of amazing stuff to gawk at. Like…
The highlight of this second round would easily have to be Big Boss of course…
But that’s not all! You’ve also got these, including…
- For those of you who enjoy Bayonetta, rejoice!
- Heh. Battletoads.
- Here’s something I should have snatched right away; Tomopop recently had a big gathering of assorted figure pics, and it included some shots of a custom Raidou Kuzunoha that looked totally awesome! But for whatever reason, the post was deleted. So all I can share are these smaller versions, from a screencap (thank goodness Google Reader can still access deleted blog posts)…
… There was also a very nice looking custom Mitsuru Kirijo as well. Bummer.
- I still say the greatest video game mecha of all time is Metal Gear Rex, though Lost Planet’s PTX-140 is most certainly the runner up…
- Thus far, virtually every Mega Man action figure has basically blown (the Vile one doesn’t count because it’s a custom figure). But this new line has lots of promise!
- It sucks that leader-boards are not supported via the Wii, but for your Bit.Trip fans out there, have no fear, Commander Video is here to your rescue!
- Via GamOvr, holy sh*t, Typing of the Dead is coming to the Mac!!!
- Words simply cannot do this image any justice…
- Same with this…
- I’m always a fan of video game themed furniture, even when it’s as silly as it is functional (usually more so)…
- If you’re one of those that believe the graphics in Street Fighter 4 could have been so much better, and perhaps was till something stupid happened, guess what? You’re basically correct.
- It’s such a shame how Sim City used to have soul, till all the while people moved in.
- Oh God, please make it stop. Enough with the crappy homebrew games for the Dreamcast already. Just let it go people, let it go.
- Even though I seriously need more than one button when playing games on the Mac/PC, this clear Atari-styled stick is still quite nice…
- I definitely would have purchased this custom Radiant Silvergun Sega Saturn joystick if I actually had the game. But one day!
- Via pixelstyle, not sure what the hell it is, but it’s beautiful nonetheless…
- As well as this…
- Time to wrap this entry up (the best of Sankaku Complex and GameSetWatch will have to wait I’m afraid), with one last video. I’ll let the author explain this one:
