By my definition, any time a new game in a series rejects technological advancements and changes in "mainstream" gaming trends, that's a rebirth. Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, Mega Man 9, and of course Konami's own ReBirth series on WiiWare are the best examples, while Bionic Commando Rearmed, TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled, and New Super Mario Bros Wii don't quite fit the bill.
Trying to win over new gamers with polygon-based graphics and techno remixes isn't what a rebirth is about. A true rebirth can't do anything to remind the player that they live in the age of the polygon. Instead, the game must transport the player backward, allowing them to feel like they've traveled ten, twenty, or even thirty years into the past. If you don't feel "born again" into a prior era of videogame history, then you're not playing a rebirth game.
This is the sort of thing I think about when I'm driving in my car or waiting for my bread to toast. I don't think about the economy, or my cholesterol level, or my receding hairline. I think about which videogames could best help me forget about all that "grown-up" garbage. Hit the jump for the games I think could best do the job.
[Note: I finished writing this post last week. The fact that more than a few of the games here can also be found on Jim's Ten classic games that didn't age well post is entirely coincidental.]
""I mean, can you imagine a new Viewtiful Joe game with Street Fighter III-quality graphics"
I could, but it would make me sad that would never ever happen, despite it being the best game ever if..."...
IGN just put up an interview with the team behind Project Monster (working title), the new game from the developers of Henry Hatsworth. The game is about a young girl who takes a monster under her wing, who returns the favor by helping her beat up other monsters and their kids; sort of like A Boy and his Blob but with less jelly beans and more wanton violence. That's just my take; the developers mention other influences, namely Pokemon, Metroid, Mega Man, Castlevania, and "fighting/beat-'em- ups". To quote them directly- "The game's core mobility, intense combat, and inspiration from gaming's historic greats all blends together to create a package that feels polished and rewarding".
Sounds like they've got the right idea, and so far, things are looking good too. The sprite-based graphics look better than the already respectable stuff found in Hatsworth, and nearly as good as the top-of-the-line sprite-work of that upcoming Shantae DSiWare game. Project Monster has no announced publisher yet, but I'd wager it's just a matter of time before it does.
[Editor's Note: We're not just a (rad) news site -- we also publish opinions/editorials from our community & employees like this one, though be aware it may not jive the opinions of Destructoid as a whole, or how our moms raised us. This article is part of our Monthly Musing series: this month's theme is "nothing is sacred." Want to post your own article in response? Publish it now on our community blogs.] There are tons of great reasons to pay attention to Askiisoft's indie sidescrolling platformer Tower of Heaven: it's a well-designed and tightly focused game with interesting mechanics, a charming Game Boy color palette, and an absolutely killer chiptunes soundtrack. If you haven't played it yet, download it here—depending on your skill level, it won't take more than a few hours to complete.
But, then again, there are tons of well-designed games out there, and you can find chiptunes anywhere.
The real reason to check out Tower of Heaven is that, thanks to a truly inspired rules mechanic, it proves that nothing is sacred: not Shigeru Miyamoto, not your conception of a platform game, and not even God Himself.
The trailer for Alientrap Software's physics-based action-shooter Capsized has been making the rounds for about a week now. I'd made a mental note to post it already, but I got distracted by something shiny. Seeing it resurface on TIGSource reminded me of how fun it looks, and since pretty 2D shooters never go out of style, I don't mind posting what some might consider to be "old news." If it's new to you, enjoy.
Capsized is the newest effort from indie developer Alientrap, previously known for Nexuiz, a freeware FPS. The transition from first to third person seems to have gone smoothly—at the end of the day, Alientrap is still just making games where you bullets in people's faces, no matter the perspective. In any case, the game looks like a lot of fun, and the trailer seems to hint at some environmental strategies at play: you can use your jetpack and grappling hook to pull down logs and boulders, for example. Programmer and co-designer Lee Vermeulen offers this little tidbit:
"The new trailer shows off the fast physics based gameplay of the platformer, along with it's stylized art and unique setting. The game will focus on fast-paced action along with physics-based puzzles, as the player attempts to exit the strange alien planet.
While, mechanically, Capsized has only the most tenuous link to Nathan Fouts' own indie shooter Grapple Buggy, I can't help but compare the two. While Capsized's palette is more subdued compared to Grapple Buggy's lush and vibrant landscapes, both games suggest that the planets on which they take place on are actually alive as you navigate through alien flora and fauna. Compared to the dark, remote isolation of games like Metroid, it's a different feel altogether.
In any case, according to Capsized's official site, the game will hit Steam and Xbox Live Arcade in 2010. For your viewing pleasure, there's also a gallery of four screenshots below.
Nick found Capybara Games' PlayStation Network debut Critter Crunch, a colorful food-chaining puzzler, to be "one of the best values in puzzle gaming you'll find this year," but, so far, sales have been disappointing. I'd hate to see a good game go to waste, so I'm going to jump on the chance to plug Offworld's recent look into the game's art direction, artists, and development process.
Although the trailers for Critter Crunch have already made the rounds on the internet, Offworld's collection of concept art and early sketches are as enlightening as they are beautiful. It goes without saying that Capybara put a lot of effort into Critter Crunch's presentation (as well as its "solid gameplay mechanics," again per Nick's review), but you might be surprised to know that all the art was done by "two rad dudes": Nick "Qiqo" Stefan did the character animation and Sylvain "Sylve" Coutouly the background art. The only glaring omission from the gallery? The Mr. Destructoid–style Biggs, of course.
In an effort to boost sales and spread the word, Capybara are releasing a Critter Crunch demo that should hit the PSN later today. However, if you want a sneak peak into the development process of one of PSN's best indie titles or an excuse to have Critter Crunch placed firmly on your radar, be sure check out the gallery here.
When we last left Edison Yan, artist for 5th Cell's Scribblenauts, he was drawing the casts of the Street Fighter franchise and Final Fantasy VII. Observant readers noticed that Yan had skipped Seth, but he's since been added to the mix (and Yan might have to add T. Hawk and Juri as well, if these Super Street Fighter IVrumors pan out).
Well, Yan's been busy in the months leading up the release of the well-received Scribblenauts: he designed the cover of the August issue of Italian Nintendo Power; posted an alternate cover for Scribblenauts on his personal blog; contributed to UDON's DarkstalkersTribute with a piece called "The Succubus Queen" featuring Felicia, Morrigan, and Hsien-Ko (also check out Paul Robertson's piece); and re-made the cast of Final Fantasy VI in his trademark style.
Scribblenauts may have some issues, but its art isn't one of them. I really like Yan's style, and I find myself re-using certain items just because I like the way they look (the pterodactyl, polar bear, and tiger, for example). If you like Yan's style too, thank Final Fantasy VI: "This Final Fantasy VI set is probably my favorite set of the bunch because it's one of my favorite games of all time. This game inspired me A LOT and had everything to do with me getting into concept art for videogames in the first place," he says.
I particularly like the Kefka and Shadow/Interceptor characters, and, though I didn't think it was possible, Yan managed to make moogles even cuter.
Be sure to check all of Edison Yan's art, videogame-related or not, on his blog. Kupo!
If you didn't listen to Podtoid 114, you might've never heard of Klei Entertainment's Shank. Since it doesn't have a publisher or a platform (although I did demo it with an Xbox 360 controller) and was only announced at PAX a few weeks ago, that's quite alright. For a quick look at Shank's pedigree, keep in mind that Klei also developed both Eets games (for which they received an enormous grant from the Canadian government) and N+.
So, yeah, Shank. It's kind of like that episode in Season One of Arrested Development when GOB gets himself thrown in prison as a publicity stunt so that he can escape the next day. His plan goes awry when he gets shivved in the back by White Power Bill. In the show, you're supposed to empathize with GOB because he has daddy issues.
In Shank, you play as White Power Bill. Without the neo-Nazism.
With the success of Level-5's Professor Layton series (thanks, Lisa Kudrow!) it's not altogether surprising that other puzzle games, like Nivel21's upcoming Rotor'scope: The Secret of Endless Energy, might take a few pages from its book. Like Layton, Rotor'scope takes place in a vaguely neo-Victorian setting (the game starts when the protagonist's father is killed in a zeppelin accident, for example) and its puzzles are strung together by an overarching narrative.
That, however, is where the similarities end.
I got a chance to play Rotor'scope during Microsoft's Dream.Build.Play competition at PAX a few weeks ago, and while I only played for a few minutes, I can confidently say that pigeonholing Rotor'scope as a Layton clone (which was, admittedly, my snap judgment) is uninformed and lazy. Where Professor Layton tackles several varieties of brain twisters, Nivel21 have created one dastardly puzzle that gets tweaked and modified throughout the game. There's a trailer after the break that will show you what I mean.
Given that the Dream.Build.Play booth was in the middle of a crowded show floor, it was relatively easy to guage other writers' and attendees' reactions to Rotor'scope. Most people seemed to be pretty dismissive of the game, but a Doctor Who–inspired, steampunk puzzler can't be all bad, can it?
It's actually not bad at all. Find out why the game won thrid place (and $10,000) at this year's Dream.Build.Play after the jump.
It was one of two games not to win an award at the competition but, given the fact that it's only been in development for two months, its selection as one of six finalists is impressive nevertheless.
It is a side-scrolling platformer with a subdued art style, aboslutely no violence, and very few power-ups.
I played six games at this year's Dream.Build.Play competition, but there was only one that prompted me to show it to my girlfriend. That game was Morsel's Kaleidoscope.
Of all the upcoming indie games created with Microsoft's XNA tools, Dean Dodoril's Dust: An Elysian Tail is perhaps the best known. This is because a.) it's beautiful and b.) Dodoril's lupine protagonist (the eponymous Dust) provides easy fodder for furry jokes.
Last week, Dust was a part of Microsoft's Dream.Build.Play competition, competing against the best unreleased, XNA-created games out there for a chance at $40,000 (which Dodoril won handily). The six finalists were playable at PAX last week, and I had the good luck to spend a few hours Saturday morning checking them all out.
I started off with Dust, and the only reason I stopped is because I had five other games to play and a growing line behind me.
The Destructoid community has long been following the development of user Agent MOO's game, Agent MOO: Maximum Overdeath, for a very long time now. Today, the game sees its release on Xbox Live's Indie Games channel.
The 2D deathmatch shooter features multiplayer for up to sixteen combatants, 4-player local split-screen play and five maps. You can rain death on your enemies using either your potent armament or by running enemies over in the game's vehicles. It even has seventeen playable characters -- including our very own Mr. Destructoid, who even appears on the game's cover art (!) -- and a soundtrack by Dtoider GuitarAtomik's musical project, I KILL PXLS. Awesome.
The game is available for 240 Microsoft spacebucks. I would heartily suggest everyone run to their consoles -- or this handy link -- and support it. If you're hesitant (you fool!), you can check out a trailer of the game here.
"Cataract: Which is why I gave him the opportunity to let me try the full game before passing final judgment. But from your comments the only redeeming quality it has is that it was made by your ..."...
Anyone beat last week's mind teaser yet? Didn't think so. Okay, no more games until we get past that hellacious hurdle -- see you next week!
Okay, okay, okay. I'm not that cruel. But I am cruel enough to introduce you to the GROW game series. Not just one of them. Not just the hardest one. ALL of them. Dtoid reader and fellow mind teaser master Cough reminded me of a wonderful flash game series I had forgotten all about. Since the first time I played a GROW game there have been at least half a dozen new additions to the series and I spent this whole past week beating them one by one. Trust me when I say this game series contains some of the most pleasing puzzles on the Internet.
Here's how they work: The whole game consists of only six, eight, ten or more buttons, and all you have to do is click on them in the right order. At first you assume you're about to powerhouse a simple puzzle, but then you quickly realize six buttons means six factorial, a.k.a. "6!", which means 6*5*4*3*2*1=720 possible paths to the end, with only one rewarding you with the "correct" outcome. To help you find the intended ending, each button levels up if certain buttons are pressed after it correctly, and you watch an elaborate animated scene unfold in front of you as you try to figure out if you're getting warmer or colder. If a button reaches its max level, it usually either means you clicked it too early, or you were supposed to click another key button before this button, causing its environmental effect to be completely useless.
To say anything more than that would ruin the fun. In fact, I don't even recommend checking out the screenshots below. The majority of the fun comes from seeing how much detail can be sucked out of just a boring sphere or cube environment as an entire community grows and expands. Hit the jump for the full list of GROW game links from EyezMaze.
Got any flash game suggestions for next week's Monday Mind Teasers? Email me or leave the suggestion in the comments and I'll put it to the test!
"Are Archwright and I the only ones who could never really get attached to these? I mean, I'm truly fascinated by the way the objects interact, but most of the logic involved in getting to the end..."...
[Art Attack Friday is your weekly look at videogame fan art created by a talented artist.]
Let's be honest here: calling Jalonso's pixel pushing "fan art" is a bit misleading. Looking at his work, you can tell that he's a fan of games for sure, but his art is a little different than just drawing pictures of Link and Samus (not that there's anything wrong with that!). To boot, unlike many of the artists featured on Art Attack Friday, Jalonso has done a bit of commercial art -- and it shows, since his pixelart is incredibly badass.
There's more from Jalonso after the jump: why he only works on games he's invited to join, pixel art as a hobby, and some of his commercial projects (featuring The Protomen, of all people).
Before you go any further, I should warn you that our gallery has a bad habit of squishing and squashing pixels. To get a real idea of how good Jalonso's art can be, you'd do well to check out Bugpixel, his personal site and gallery.
The great thing about conventions is that news moves at lightning pace: this morning, Jim brought you guys a new gameplay video from The Behemoth's "Game #3." Well, a few more have hit the internet since then (thanks, GameSpot), and I'm happy to share them with you.
In the four videos embedded after the break, there seem to be at least three different game types: A Smash Brothers-like deathmatch; a graffiti mode that involves coloring blocks and collecting gold coins; and some sort of angel-basketball game you saw in Jim's earlier post. All these modes were detailed a few months ago, but it's nice to be able to put a face on some of them.
So far, the game has only been announced for Xbox Live Arcade, but Behemoth have already said that their future projects could go multi-platform (here's looking at you, Castle Crashers).
For a little more info and a quick chat with Behemoth artist (and all around swell dude) Dan Paladin, be sure to check out Colette's interview.
When I read the "word" BlazBlue, I immediately hear Bill Cosby in my head babbling a "BlazemBlazblueBlippityBLOP". Did Bill Cosby ever actually say anything like that, or is that something we just believe due to the antics of his many impersonators? There are still so many Bill Cosby impersonators in the world; the mind reels at the sheer magnitude of their shared irrelevance. I wonder how many of them have taken to diversifying their special talent into impersonating Barak Obama? There is likely to be a lot more money in that pursuit, as Cosby hasn't had much cultural relevance in the past twenty years or so, and Obama's like, totally the president and stuff.
Oh yeah, BlazBlue- It's awesome. The review lies just beyond the fold. Hit it!
The end of July is going to be a good time for fans of 2D fighters: the genre has seen a resurgence in popularity over the past couple of months, and SNK's King of Fighters XII is only one of many high-profile releases this summer.
According to KOF12's Twitter feed, Ignition Entertainment will be bringing the brawler over to the States on July 28, one day before Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom 2 hits XBLA and PSN. And how's this for weird: We're getting King of Fighters XII two days before Japanese audiences, which probably means the world is about to explode.
Since there's only so much you can really say about release dates, here's a fun fact: The artwork for King of Fighters XII was all hand-drawn and each character took 18 man-months to create. The team faked the lighting by using different sprites, depending on where characters were on the screen. Another fun fact? The PS3 version of the game will support clans.
And, hey, to make this post worth your while, I embedded two gameplay montages that Ignition PR were kind enough to send over. The e-mail mentioned that they featured "devastating Sousai (deadlock) counters, critical counter attacks and guard attacks," but I don't know enough about the series to be able to find those in these videos. I like the art and explosion effects, and I like making people beat each other up, but I know that I will never, ever be anything more than a below-average fighter.
"I know you won't read this but you guys obviously don't play MvC at even CLOSE to high level.
The ridiculous combos and screen control needed to maintain lockdown and high damage output are quit..."...
Besides Arc System's Guilty Gear XX Accent Core (which is already two years old) and a spate of Naruto-licensed games, the 2D fighter Renaissance seems to have curiously skipped over the Wii. The exception to the rule, of course, is Capcom's Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars.
As the company moves to corner Wii owner's need for fighters (and no one else's), it's trying it's best to keep a steady drip of info coming out for the title. To that end, they released two new gameplay videos today featuring Capcom's Morrigan (from Darkstalkers) and Saki (from Quiz Nanairo Dreams) facing off against Tatsunoko's Doronjo and Yatterman-1 (from Yatterman). The videos are after the jump, and you can see some character models in the gallery.
Since I'm a filthy Westerner, I only recognize one of those characters. Whoops.
What I do recognize, however, are beatiful 2D sprites 3D models and frantic gameplay that I will never have the eye-hand coordination to fully understand. I also recognize that (spoiler alert) the Capcom team gets the hell kicked out of it in both videos.
In any case, Jonathan's review was pretty positive, so if you haven't imported Tatsunoko vs. Capcom yet, you can look forward to its Winter 2009 U.S. release, preferably with this arcade stick.
Luc Bernard's first iPhone game, Mechos Wars, is doing pretty well with the critics and the kids. I haven't played it myself, but I hear from very reputable sources that the game is a solid example of the turn-based military strategy genre. That gives me even more hope for Steam Pirates (temporary name), Luc's next iPhone game, currently in pre-production.
The game is planned to be an RPG, set on the high seas, featuring painted backgrounds and hand-drawn animations. That's definitely good news, but even better is this reveal of the game's pirate-skeleton-spider-lookin' ladies; one part Monkey Island, one partCastlevania's Arachine, and altogether awesome.
Maybe I'm just a sucker for pre-production art, but this game is looking nice so far. For more, hit the gallery, and stay tuned to Destructoid for all the latest updates on games by Luc Bernard (and other people).
Bored of Street Fighter IV and too cheap to buy BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger? You may want to try Vanguard Princess, a freeware, 2D fighter with an all-girl cast that was quietly released last week. The credits point to someone named Tomoaki Sugeno who, according to his MobyGames profile, has worked on some King of Fighters titles as well as Resident Evil 3.
The 2D sprites are as crisp as any I've ever seen and Vanguard Princess seems to have already established itself as a surprisingly deep, albeit chaotic, fighter. I haven't played it yet (mostly because it kind of seems like a pain in the ass to install properly), but there are already tons of gameplay videos online, even though it's been out for less than a week. As far as I've been able to gather, each character controls differently and there are tons of loli assist characters to help you out.
If you read moonspeak, you can check out Sugeno's official blog, and you can download the game here (click the blue button). To get it running, follow these instructions. And, to get you started off on the right foot, check out a move list, here.
Hit the jump to see a gameplay video, and check the gallery for some screenshots.
I've never really understood launch trailers, although they've become an industry standard. Take, for example, the BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger trailer (below the jump) that was released yesterday, to celebrate the game's successful launch on the Xbox 360 and PS3.
The ARC Systems Works-developed BlazBlue (that's pronounced blaze, not blazz) isn't exactly a mainstream title: either it's on your radar or it isn't. The only type of people that even see launch trailers are people who read gaming blogs; and if you read gaming blogs, then you probably already know enough about BlazBlue. If you still don't give a sh*t about BlazBlue or Arc Systems, a launch trailer isn't going to compel you to run out to Wal-Mart or GameStop to pick it up.
Nevertheless, launch trailers serve as a nice reminder of BlazBlue's features -- online multiplayer, the ability to spectate other matches, 2D sprites in full HD -- and its special edition goodies -- a soundtrack and in-depth strategy guide. As SiliconEra notes, the trailer doesn't even mention one of BlazBlue's coolest features: it's one of the first games since Lair to use PSP Remote Play. The trailer also doesn't mention the absolutely awful DLC that's already hit the Xbox Live Marketplace.
In any case, the game's sprites look great and I'm sure hardcore fighter fans will snap up this spritual successor to Guilty Gear, even if none of the characters are sexually ambiguous. The game came out yesterday: are any of you getting it? And, if you have, is it any good?
"got it for my triple (PSN - Kamelot) and its freakin sweet. Accessible for beginners (assuming you've got other beginners to play against) but provides alot of depth just like GG. also the extr..."...
Yesterday you checked out the third installment in our Boy and His Blob series, Caves, and if you're really excited about the game, you might have watched the Swamp and Forest level walkthroughs too. We finish the series today with our walkthrough of the Gearworks level, and you guys get yet another chance to jump in the comments and discuss whether the boy's voice is adorable or annoying. I vote adorable, but that's no big shocker.
A big thanks to Sean and everyone at WayForward who graciously allowed us to visit their offices and took the time to play through these levels for us. We really appreciated it! By the way, if any of you happen to be Shantae fans wishing for a sequel, you can make your voice heard at the WayForward website -- go vote if you want one!
Well, judging from your response yesterday, you really seemed to enjoy our first installment in the Boy and His Blob video series. Today, WayForward Director Sean Velasco will take us through the Swamps level of the game (which he says is one of his favorites). In this level, we'll see Boy and Blob do a little puzzle solving, and Sean confirms the release window and format for the game (yes, it IS a full retail release and not a WiiWare game!).
Hit the jump and check out chapter two in our A Boy and His Blob video series. I hope you enjoy it!
Like many games developed by small Japanese studios, Vanillaware's Muramasa: The Demon Blade has something of a shaky history. Questions about whether or not it would be imported, and by whom, created quite the kerfuffle among Western hopefuls. It only got worse when the game played publisher musical chairs a few months ago, bouncing from Xseed to Ignition Entertainment, who now have the rights to publish the game in North America.
Given the amount of hype and positive press Muramasa has been getting (Burch 'n Davis' ho-hum E3 impressions notwithstanding), Xseed ought to be a little bummed about dropping the title. However, it seems that, quite the contrary, losing Muramasa allowed them to publish other Japanese titles in the States.
“As much as it hurts to lose Muramasa that does open us up to give more resources to other titles. That gave us a little more energy to focus on securing Fragile and other titles as well," explained Ken Berry (Director of Publishing at Xseed), speaking with SiliconEra at E3. “In the end when it comes down to the consumer: they are still going to play Muramasa. It’s still going to come to North America. We’ve gone out and gotten a title like Fragile, which I doubt any other publisher other than Namco Bandai USA themselves could have licensed for the US.”
Often times, video game companies like Capcom and Atlus give us little figures or plushes that tie into their upcoming releases, but this might mark the first time a company's ever created something amazing in the vinyl department. The fine folks at Aksys Games, who are publishing BlazBlue here in North America, sent us a little e-mail this morning featuring news on this amazing Mighty Mugg of Noel Vermillion, one of BlazBlue's 13 fighters. Noel is their second prototype BlazBlue toy, with the first being a plush of plushie of the game's catgirl, Taokaka.
There's a catch, though: they're only going to make the figure if fan demand is high enough. To that end, they've posted a news item up on the Aksys Games' Web site. So if you really want this Noel Mighty Mugg, go forth and let them know by leaving a comment.
With all the fancy 3D games and their complicated controls coming out lately, sometimes it is nice to see something with some clean, simple sensibilities in mind. This refreshing, retro way of thinking is never more evident than in the just announcedNew Super Mario Bros. Wii.
When I first heard the announcement of this game at yesterday's Nintendo press conference, I have to admit, I was a little nervous. Because of its decidedly uncreative name, I thought New Super Mario Bros. Wii was nothing more than an upgraded port of the Nintendo DS version of New Super Mario Bros.
Luckily, I was wrong, as New Super Mario Bros. Wii is in actuality a brand new 2D Mario platformer with similar, but much shinier, graphics and some of the same tried, true, and fantastically designed gameplay of the Nintendo DS original. Even better, this new game allows for four-player simultaneous play throughout its many, classic Mario levels.
I will be back with my hands-on impressions of this remarkably charming and super fun game later today. For now, check out the above trailer that reveals two new Mario power-ups (propeller helmet and penguin suit!) and look in the gallery for some beautiful screens.
Who would have ever thought New Super Mario Bros. Wii was going to be one of the most exciting (and most entertaining) games at E3?
"maybe its me but i actualy didnt liked the new super mario ds that much.
i alway wanted a new 2d mario for ages, but somehow i was disappointed with the 2d ds one
i felt that the controls where a..."...
Anthony and myself hit the show floor today, and we went -- as the kids say -- positively buck wild. We hit the sizable Nintendo booth first, forcing our hands onto every controller in the immediate area and playing whatever game they happened to be attached to.
Being reasonably big fans of Vanillaware, Anthony and I were excited to try out Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Two protagonists were available of differing sexes. Obviously, I played through the demo as the woman.
Hit the jump for our impressions of the game, delivered in a slightly different format than what you may be used to.
"The game has 2 difficulty levels, and 3 once you beat it on hard. The hard mode is the enemies will be do the damage based on % so no matter how strong you get , the enemies can still kill you in..."...
We're so used to looking at high-end 3D graphics laced with the latest digital effects, so these new screens for the upcoming PlayStation 2 role-playing game Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy kind of took us by surprise. They're lush and colorful, with anime-style 2D characters set atop a 3D world. Nice for a change, eh?
The sequel to Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis and the cousin of Atelier Iris, Fall of Alchemy gets some new game play with its fancy graphics. It's a turn-based affair that lets you switch in and out both attackers and supporters during battle. There are two storylines for two main characters to add some replay value, with choices in story branches determining which ending you'll see. Players will also be able to search the world for materials to craft over 100 items.
NIS America says that they are prepping Mana Khemia2: Fall of Alchemy for fall of this year on the PS2. For now, there are twenty lovely screenshots in our gallery to keep you busy.
Crimson Gem Saga is one of those games that we know looks good, and these hot new screenshots are further proof.
This game follows Killian von Rohcoff, a guy who gets his ass kicked and his wallet stolen, and then somehow ends up in a crazy story that involves something called the Wicked Stone. Doesn't that sound like an older RPG opening? What a contrast from the super-involved RPG stories we've been seeing lately, though.
We know CGS is a JRPG with turn-based battles, very pretty art and design, and is coming to the PSP in May. Other blurbs hint at things like "ambush attacks, combo chains, and special attacks," but they still don't give us much to go on. It's part of the Astonishia story line, but don't let that hold you back. What do we know? We do know that there will be talking: Atlus recorded over 1,000 lines of dialogue for this game, a North American exclusive.
For now, set your eyes on some lovely 2D in our gallery below.
PSP owners, does this RPG look like your kind of thing? If it plays as good as it looks...
This is creepy. Through the mystical force of the Internet, we here at Destructoid have discovered a video so awesome it has the power to magically control your finger to hit the Caps Lock and immediately type exclamations like “OMG!” and “DO WANT!” in the comments. I know it’s hard to believe, but you have to trust me on this.*
Mixing 2D sprites with dizzying 3D environments, YouTube user wartwartx has created an incredible 2.5D update of NES classic Mega Man 2 that really needs to be seen to be believed. Sadly, only one level (Metal Man) is on display, but, again, it is awesome enough to unleash its retromazing power over anyone that watches it.
Don’t believe me? Hit the jump and let us know what happens. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you. IT’S INTERNET MAGIC!
*If you are a diehard fan of retro games, the video may also result in intense salivation and a tightening of your pants.
A note to developers: this is how you remake a classic 2D NES game on current-generation consoles.
Just a couple days ago, it was revealed that a remake of A Boy and His Blob would be hitting the Wii sometime in the future. Now, two new gameplay videos of the game have just been revealed courtesy of IGN. (Pause for dramatic effect.) And they look absolutely gorgeous!
I don’t even know where to begin! I love the design of the two main characters, I love the hand-drawn art style, and I especially love how it looks like players won’t have to memorize what each flavor of jelly bean does anymore, care of the video’s featured jelly bean-selection-wheel-of-death (that’s what I am officially calling it). Yes!
And not to focus too much on the look, but, seriously, could this game be any prettier? In nine months, don’t be surprised if this game gives birth to a cute little sequel that likes to say “amazing” a lot.
Hit the jump for another video (focusing on the remake’s city level) and let us know what you think. Yay? Nay? Meh? Pancakes?
"Designer like ,Burberry handbag, Hermes bags, , Tiffany bag, Christian Dior bags,, Chloe handbags, Dolce & Gabbana bags,Fendi handbag, and are available at our site. All sold by thereplcabags...."...
The arrival of Guilty Gear: Accent Core Pluswas inevitable. Us Guilty Gear fans will latch onto to just about anything that manages to make its way over here, save for Isuka and Dust Strikers. Oh, the horrible memories.
But let's ignore those! There's a fairly simple reason why you should buy the update to Guilty Gear: Accent Core: It has a story mode. The story mode, apart from being a new mode to play through, helps flesh out more details about the characters' backstories, and all the cutscenes are fully voiced, which is a nice treat.
The game will be coming out on Wii, PSP, and PS2. When the game was originally ported to the PSP, they added in a 3 on 3 tag team battle mode, which seems to be in all three of these versions coming over. While this is the end of the Guilty Gear line for now, at least it's a good showing.
That is some hot sh*t right there. Trine is a 2D platformer just announced today which will be coming to Playstation Network and PC next summer. In it, you will switch between three different characters, each with their own skills, to solve puzzles and traverse some really gorgeous looking levels.
The video we have in the player really doesn't do it justice. You can see how fluid the animations are, but a lot of the detail in the characters and environments are a bit fuzzy. Trust me when I say that there's some real detail going on there.
I'm trying not to get too excited, as the summer is a seeming eternity away at this point and a lot could go wrong. If this trailer is any real indication of how levels are going to be designed, however, this could be one hell of a game. It reminds me of The Lost Vikings without the multiplayer component (which, I'll admit, was a major selling point).
Venture past the jump for some more details in a handy press release, including info on the different characters and how they interact with the game world.
Being an incorrigible cynic, I had already written Prinny: Ore ga Shujinkou de Iinsuka? off as Japan-only fan service. Thankfully, the fine doods over at SiliconEra have proven me wrong, and given me a renewed hope in humanity: It seems like NIS America will be publishing the Prinny-centric 2D action game.
Jack Niida, the Marketing Manager for Nippon Ichi Software America, confirmed Prinny's stateside debut in a recent interview, adding that the game will be difficult:
Yes, NIS America will publish the Prinny action game. We haven’t figured when it will come out just yet, but look forward to it. So far, the hard mode on that game is one of the most challenging action games ever made.
For those of you in the dark, Prinnies are the emblematic penguin-esque denizens of the Disgaea universe. When people die, they are sometimes sewn into Prinny bodies and reincarnated, living out the after-life as slaves, soldiers, and merchants until they can be redeemed. Prinnies also happen to explode when thrown, which is as macabre as it is amusing.
Furthermore, NIS is making a Prinny-themed 2D action game for the PSP that revolves largely around retrieving some lost desserts. The title roughly translates to Prinny: Is it Ok if I'm the Protagonist?
Hopefully, Japanese publishers will begin to realize that there's a small, but marketable, group of filthy* weeaboos over here that would be more than happy to save some of their pocky money to buy games. You hear me, Capcom?
We've been going on and on about Oboro Muramasa Youtouden for about a year now. Vanillaware's Wii action title has had us hoping for a US release ever since we first laid eyes on it, and now it looks like our 2D dreams have come true.
Xseed and Marvelous are tag teaming on Oboro Muramasa Youtouden to bring it to North America. Their first order of business was a renaming, so now it's called Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Siliconera says that the team is also hard at work bringing over other titles like, Lux Pain and Flower, Sun, and Rain.
As beautiful as Muramasa is, we still don't know much about the game play. That will change next month when we finally get our hands on the title at TGS 2008. Look forward to our report.
I know: the text is in Japanese, the pictures are blurry, and there's only one page to look at. It's all we've got for now. But it's enough to get fans of Nintendo 2D platformers excited, myself included.
Wiifanboy points us to a leaked fact sheet that managed to sneak out onto the internet only one day after Nintendo's newest 2D platformer, Wario Land Shake, was revealed in Japan. So far, the word is that this 2D action game will feature cel-shaded characters and hand-drawn backgrounds and art.
The folks at NeoGAF used their decoder rings to reveal that there will be 20 stages in various vistas (desert, jungle, ocean) where you'll get the chance to use vehicles like rockets and submarines in gameplay. And, if you couldn't guess by the name, shaking the Wii Remote will permit special actions like rattling enemies for coins or unlocking secret locations.
For now, all we know is that this title will be released in Japan some time in 2008, and it will cost 5,800 yen ($50). Oh, and that Wario is the star.
Hit the jump to see the full fact sheet.
Does this title interest you? Do you remember the first Wario platformer?
As a stanch defender of Loco Roco, junkie for Tim Burton/Jhonen Vasquez inspired visuals, and life long fan of the indie game scene, I must say that this vid for World of Goo has my interest piqued. Due to delays around the newly announced Wii version, the game's release date has been changed from February 14th, 2008 to "coming soon". Could 2Dboy's plan be to distribute the game via the WiiWare service, which is rumored to launch world wide in March, 2008? Time will tell.
It seems the Wii is quickly becoming the choice for the new generation of indie games about blobs of goo. That's a choice I can stand behind.
Just one Xbox Live Arcade release is scheduled for next week, but it's a good one: Metal Slug 3 (800 Microsoft Points).
Before you say anything about the price, remember that Metal Slug 3 was also released as a stand-alone game for the original Xbox, so while the Live Arcade port might not be as cheap as other 2D games that have been ported to the service like Sonic the Hedgehog, it's not a complete rip-off.
If you've never played any of the Metal Slug games before, then what's wrong with you? The series has always been extremely fun and bizarre. For instance, when you come into contact with another zombie in Metal Slug 3, your character becomes undead and can vomit a river of blood across the entire screen. Awesome, huh?
The XBLA version of Metal Slug 3 will be online-enabled so you and a friend can help each other tackle the game's huge bosses over Xbox Live. Does that sound like a good deal or are you going to pass on this one, Dtoiders?
After months of beating the game intoyourskulls, Aquaria is finally on track for a firm release date: Just a week from now, which slips the game into Bit Blot's promised 2007 release. In the week leading up to the drop, the devs plan to show off screens, artwork, music, and other behind the scenes information, all culminating with a free demo and, of course, the full version priced at $30 for a download.
Having been eagerly anticipating the everloving crap out of this game for months, I'll do my best to get some impressions of the game as soon as it's available. Support indie development and check out the demo when it drops at Bit Blot's Web site. I will so miss these regular outpourings of completely unhinged anticipation.
Big ups to community dynamo Lukich, who beat me to the news -- good thing, too, else I might've missed it. Thanks, yo.
Koji Igarashi leads a busy life. When he's not breathing new energy into neglected classic games like Rondo of Blood, he's touring the world, fedora poised perfectly atop his head somewhere between arch-ironic and humble sincerity, vampire-whip in tow. After helping create one of modern gaming's undeniable classics, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, he could have thrown in the blood-stained towel and called it a night. Unsatisfied with simply resting on his laurels, he's plugged ahead, creating a safe-haven for 2D gamers, with his perfected platformers and intricate worlds filled with subterranean cults and blood-sucking mythology. He's also been hard at work brainstorming ways to execute the game's leap onto next-gen consoles, while avoiding the pitfalls of Castlevania 64 and the PlayStation 2 iterations.
When I get the opportunity to meet people I admire, I do my best to keep a stoic facade, no matter how much my inner southern belle giggles with excitement. However, when our star photographer Charlie Suh and I ran into Iga-san backstage at the Video Games Live concert, we broke down and had a tiny cry fest. If you've ever seen Steel Magnolias then you've got a good idea of the histrionics involved. It was shameless. Good news is we managed to squeeze in an interview with the laconic legend. I pulled myself together enough to get some hints for you guys about the upcoming change in the game's art style, as well as the next evolution in the series.
Grab a tall glass of orange juice and hit the jump to read our miserable pile of secrets.
"Obviously sarcastic, but #1 isn't terrible in certain situations. In team games where nobody on
your team has any sense of direction, sometimes a confident player giving orders can pull t..."...
A couple of weeks back there was an announcement (along with some early screens) that Vanillaware, the makers of the confusing to play, but easy to look at 2D RPG Odin Sphere, was releasing a very similar looking follow-up game exclusively for the Wii. The game is tentatively titled Oboro Muramasa Youtouden and looks to be more action-oriented than its accomplished older sister, but just as gorgeous (if not more so).
Well, now the game has finally been seen in action and, if the above TGS trailer is any indication, appears to raise the graphical bar for anything appearing on the Wii yet.
If you are even remotely a fan of classic 2D action games (especially ones starring ninjas), this looks to be a must-have title. Heck, I will even go so far as saying this game has the early potential to sell systems to some of the more “serious” gamers out there that may have so far passed on purchasing a Wii.
I am pretty much in awe. No more words are necessary. Back to watching the unbelievably beautiful trailer yet again …
"I'll be in the lines.
Of course this is a metaphor, since we hardly have specialized video game retail stores in Brazil, much less lines in front of them."...
Guilty Gear: Accent Core is the latest revision of, technically, the original Guilty Gear. Guilty Gear X, Guilty Gear XX, and all the other games in that direct line, have been revisions and updates to the series, sometimes adding to the storyline, while other times introducing new characters -- but always, the game aims to balance and re-tool the gameplay.
Accent Core is no different. There have been heavy updates to the series since X2#Reload, both in the character moves and in the artwork. In the review contained within, I'll tackle both the updates that affect the veteran players, as well as how the game stands up as a whole for those who are looking to take their first dive into Guilty Gear.
Tucked away at the very back of the Barker Hangar at this year’s new and “improved” E3 was a small section dedicated to some upcoming indie games. From my little play time with a handful of these gems, I must say that some of them were miles more original and promising than most of the high profile games being displayed front and center on the show floor.
One of the indie titles that stood out the most was Braid, an odd (but completely engrossing) puzzle/action/platformer hybrid starring a guy in a business suit on a quest to save a princess in a wide variety of fantasy worlds. Most noticeably, the game sports some beautiful, hand-drawn 2D graphics that are displayed from a sorely missed and breathtaking Lode Runner-esque vantage point (translation: far away camera) that allows the player to see more of the game’s lush vistas.
In the game you must solve puzzles, fight beasts, and manipulate the game’s brilliant use of time (its effect on you changes in every level) to reach the goal on each side-scrolling level. And, honestly, although the game looks amazing (see what I mean in the gallery below), you really have to witness it all in motion; the animation is so smooth that each sprite takes on a life of its own.
Needless to say, I was more than excited to hear the recent news that Braid will be coming to XBLA in early 2008. With this and the awesome Rez HD and Ikaruga news, XBLA is looking better (and more refreshingly retro) each and every day.
[Via the official Xbox Web site -- thanks, GoldenDonut!]
ENOUGH ALREADY. We get it. Let's agree to disagree and move on, shall we? Last week's episode is over, we've all made up and baked cookies together, and at the end of the day, we love most of you chilluns and it hurts us to see you lobbing grenades and poking each other in the eye. Besides, your uncle Topher carries a backpack full of rabid puppies, and if you think I won't open that m*therf*cker right up ...
Ahem ... anyway. New show!
You want fighting, you've got it! While the haters are busy arguing with themselves in the episode 14.5 comments, we'll be talking about classic 2D fighting games. Capcom, SNK, beat-em-ups, you name it. No, really ... you name it. Hit the comments and tell us about your favorite brawlers. Dyson, Chad and I will be bringing back the love tonight with a special guest and an hour(ish) full of bone-breaking nostalgia for your listening pleasure. Shoryuken!
" was the best beat-em-up I've ever played so far, still got it (with teh shiny case!). Darkstalkers 3 was a good laugh, loads of good characters. Mortal Kombat 2 was the best of the MKs."...
I don’t know about you, but, honestly, I’m already sold. Amazing developer? Check. 2D? Double check. On the Wii? AMAZING! Ninjas? *head explodes*
Vanillaware, a company that is to sprite-based graphics as Pixar is to computer animation, has announced some early details on a brand new 2D side-scrolling action game for the Wii.
Tentatively titled Oboro Muramasa Youtouden (loose translation: Chad is so Happy), the game takes place in feudal Japan as players fight samurai warriors and celestial Gods at a variety of different locales (ancient temples, grasslands, cities, etc.). In addition, the game will feature two playable characters: Momohime, a young girl who wields a katana, and Kisuke, a ninja boy with a case of amnesia.
Check out the gallery below for some gorgeous Famitsu scans and see why I am drooling all over my desk.
Please come to America, beautiful videogame. Pretty please?
"Oh I want this!!!! It will be like a remake of either Ninja Spirits on the Turbo Grafx 16 or Kenseiden for the Sega Master System.
For the Wii?! WTF?! They better make this for Xbox Live Arcade..."...
Wait. Wait. I know you've played this game. In fact, I hope you've played this game. I hope you've played both Earthworm Jim games, and you love them to death.
I also hope, however, that you don't realize just how original, unusual, and cross-genre the sequel to Earthworm Jim really was. If you can truly fathom just how incredibly clever the mishmash of puzzle solving, platforming, action, racing, and old Game and Watch titles that comprise the entirety of Earthworm Jim 2 are, then this forgotten game article might feel a little bit redundant.
However, I feel relatively confident that the majority of those who have played Earthworm Jim 2 really don't understand just how incredible it is. A side-scroller that refuses to stay in one videogaming genre for more than a level at a time, Earthworm Jim 2 is a classic, by any standards.
A few weeks ago, I said that my three favorite SNES platforming games were Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, and Aladdin. The only reason Earthworm Jim 2 isn't at the very top of that list -- and I do mean the only reason -- is the fact that to call Earthworm Jim 2 a simple platforming game would be like calling Scarlett Johansson "kind of attractive."
07 Commander -- this game looks awfully familiar to me. The level design, the enemy design, the speed at which the enemy attacks. I mean, some of it's hard to judge from the YouTube quality video, but I can't help shake the feeling that I've played this game before...This game really looks a lot like an unabashed ripoff of Metal Slug, one of the greatest run n' gun games of all time. I went and dug up a description from IGN:
As the gun-toting hero Storm, you must put an end to an evil organisation called Rattlesnake in this side-scrolling blast-a-thon. Of course, you get to do this with a range of heavy weaponry, with plenty of different weapons and pick-ups that each have its own attack method and power. Plus, some guns can be used to find secret items. Alongside the main action-packed adventure mode, there are a variety of touch screen mini-games.
Sounds like we have trouble, here. Meet me at camera 3.
[Via GoNintendo. Thanks to CTZ for the better GameVideos quality!]
From time to time, I love to play devil's advocate. Such an opportunity came across recently, and so I wanted to turn it into a full-fledged post. This week, I'm delving into the depths of /bridget/ itself, in an attempt to argue the heterosexuality of Bridget.
Now, I know that everyone's gay for Bridget. It's a given fact. It's right along there with the bombing of Hiroshima and the giganticness of CheapyD. Soon, it will be incorporated into history textbooks. This, though, does not mean that Bridget is a homosexual. We all might just be "weird people," as Bridget would put it.
While I'm still upset about the game, I'm glad that Famitsu did an interview with Daisuke Ishiwatari regarding Guilty Gear 2 a little while ago. They got a set of screens from the game to show, which were mildly interesting. Now, though, High-Score Online has gotten a hold of a set of new images from the game.
Some of the details that came from the Famitsu stuff is that you'll be able to do some of the cool Guilty Gear stuff like move cancels into combos, in an attempt to move all the bells and whistles of the 2-D fighter into the 3-D realm. The interview was a little above my head, so I couldn't pull too many details. Give it a watch, though, if you can speak some Japanese.
As a Guilty Gear fan, I just wish that I didn't have to stick through this game playing as Sol. I'm sorry, but he's just one of those characters that I can't care about, but since he's one of the "balanced starter characters," he gets a ton of play, and therefore is the headliner in this game. Ah well. Time to go back and cry about it in the community blogs.
"Where the hell is my Chipp Zanuff at? Or Faust? COME ON YOU GOTTA HAVE THE DOC!
@Lord_Satorious
haha, 3D Bridget, looks like the gay gamer pop. will be increasing."...
I refuse to let this game sink out of your collectiveconsciousness. Before I'm through and the game is actually released, I intend to have all of you beating down doors like the bloodthirsty dead demanding the game's release on XBLA, or simply demanding the game, period. In this video we can see Aquaria running on Linux (give us a cheer, nerds!) and get a bit of insight into the game's UI, minimap, and other little tidbits to tide geeks like me over until its eventual release.
Good lord, it looks pretty. And polished! Just look at that ability system! Listen to that music, the voiceover! Adopt a fiery disposition and a pitchfork, kill who you need to, and start showering Bit-Blot with cash so we can stave off the death of creative 2D gaming for just a few years longer.
In some nice "where the f**k did that come from?" news, it appears that Agetec will be localizing and publishing Fire Pro Wrestling Returns for the PlayStation 2 in both North American and European territories. Hopping on a "hardcore" Fire Pro forum, localization producer Mark Johnson announced the news, along with a public call for help from long-time fans of the series to keep the game "as authentic as possible."
Fire Pro Wrestling Returns is the last in a long-standing series of 2D Japanese-language wrestling titles, which date back to the PC Engine era. Applauded by fans for its focus on strategy and timing, the series always stood out for having huge rosters (including real wrestlers with fake names and pallet swaps to avoid copyright issues), tons of maneuvers, and a robust create-a-wrestler feature.
This would be the third time North American would see Fire Pro titles -- two titles, Fire Pro Advance and Fire Pro Advance 2, were released for the Game Boy Advance a few years back. Johnson is positive that Fire Pro Wrestling Returns will find success in the States, especially if it's released at a low price point.
As a fan of the series (I purchased a Saturn only so I could play Fire Pro Wrestling S), I can say that there's really nothing like a six-man, barbed wire, exploding steel-cage battle royale to really clear your sinuses.
After hearing the painful announcement of the bastardization of my favorite 2-D fighter, Capcom has announcedBasara Cross, a new 2-D fighter that will make me forget about Guilty Gear 2 just a little bit. This is, of course, the "new 2-D fighter" from Capcom that we talked about earlier in the month.
For those of you here in the States, you might remember the game Devil Kings, or Sengoku Basara, which this game is based off of. So, they've taken a 3-D brawler and turned it into a 2-D fighter...the exact opposite of Arc and Guilty Gear. Does anyone else sense the irony?
Well, as you can see from the scan (check it out in full-size below), it looks like the characters are taking after Guilty Gear for their extreme looks. Especially that guy with the giant ring. That'll be interesting to play with. All in all, we've got the 10 characters in the scans and the fact that the game should be coming to the PS2 and the Wii as some information.
Please, God, let this be awesome. I'm banking on it.
"I bought devil kings and while it wasnt as good as it should have been. I played it like crazy. I love fighting games so this is a must buy for me. "...
A while ago, I made a small mention in the community blogs about a special announcement from Arc Systems regarding the Guilty Gear series. While it wasn't the anniversary collection that I was hoping for, IGN points to the new issue of Famitsu, which says that it's Guilty Gear 2 is what the special announcement is. From their description, though, this is nothing like the previous games:
Action sequences feature what's referred to as "melee action," with players facing off against multiple enemies on the battle field. However, even though the game is no longer jsut one on one fights, you can look forward to all the aerial combos and super moves that you've come to expect from the series.
In addition to the combat, the game includes a strategy component. During battle, you can open up a briefing window. From here, you can plan your strategy for the battle field as a whole, placing orders for new units and sending orders to your current set of units.
You're playing through the game as Sol, and trying to destroy an enemy fortress known as "Master Ghost." More than anything, this sounds like Guilty Gear Isuka's 2-D sidescroller portion, combined with the "more than one enemy" bit that was in the arcade mode. As of right now, about 85% of the game is complete.
I'm anxiously waiting for scans of this issue of Famitsu (so please send them to the Destructophone!), so that I can be alleviated in my worries that Guilty Gear 2 is just going to be another Isuka.
There's also some talk about the fact that the game is coming to the Xbox 360, and does this really mean much. As a Guilty Gear fan, I say no. I've been playing X2 #Reload on the original Xbox for a while, and it handles well -- on the 360, the game should continue to handle just fine, and the online capabilities of Live will definitely support a strong competitive environment. Plus, Microsoft could have been courting them, so this will likely sell a few more 360s over in Japan.
[Thanks for the tip, Adam!]
[Update: GodLen provided us with a good-quality scan of the Famitsu page]
Finally, the most recent edition of Guilty Gear is coming over to the US. Aksys Games has announced that they will be bringing the fighter over in both PS2 and Wii flavors. As of right now, the game is slated to be released in the Fall of this year.
So, why should you buy Accent Core? Well, if you're a Guilty Gear fan, then it's just an automatic purchase. For the rest of you, the game will be featuring re-recorded voicework, some new artwork, and the ability to make a fool of yourself by playing with the Wii waggle controls.
So, once a firm release date has been announced, expect me to harass the rest of the review crew into buying the game. The game hasn't been rated by the ESRB, but I doubt that it'll run into any problems -- unless they have a problem with Bridget, forsomereason. (For those who really don't know, Bridget is never worksafe.)
Check out the press release with a full mention of the additions after the jump.
[Thanks to tip-a-holic Joe Burling for pointing this out!]
The other day, this video of some bugs in the console version of Guilty Gear: Accent Core was brought to my attention. Watching the video, there are some pretty serious bugs in the game. To name a few:
-Bridget's punching bear moves forward instead of the normal backwards-only -Johnny's range attack and specials don't work properly -- they'll miss or have too far a range. -Game freezes at certain points -Able to guard out of Venom's sphere grab
There are other things in the video that strike me as off, but I don't know the specific moves for the characters to pinpoint what exactly is wrong. The PS2 version has already been released, and so it looks like there'll be some problems for those wo were planning to import the game. The Wii version doesn't come out until next month in Japan, so they'll have some time to fix the problems for that, and hopefully put out a "fixed" version of the game.
It's bad when software is buggy, but it's especially bad for a fighting game -- a regular tournament game at that. You've now got glitches that are bad enough to prevent home-tournament play. Let's just hope this is fixed for the U.S. release now, too.
"Yeah. I don't know...
But as far as playing on the Wii is concerned, I think the Classic Controller might be one of the best controllers I've ever used. It's truly underrated.
It has yet to be ..."...
By request of Dtoid Army member and resident Gary Coleman lookalike electro lemon, I bring you this week's forgotten game -- Yoshi's Cookie.
A puzzle game combining two decidedly dissimilar things (namely, Yoshi and baking), Yoshi's Cookie, while not as ingenious as Tetris nor as charming as Dr. Mario, nonetheless retains a certain allure even today, nearly 15 years after its release.
Want the lowdown on this 16-bit testament to gluttony? Hit the jump.
No doubt you've heard plenty about Odin Sphere in the last week, with the gamut of reviews ranging anywhere from ungodly terrible to 100% perfection. As Gamasutra points out, Odin Sphere has proved to be something of an anomaly in gaming review circles. It's a smattering of gameplay from several traditions of the industry's history and, most notably, one of the few sprite-based 2D side-scrollers we're bound to see for a long, long time. So how does this artistic heavyweight stack up for your Destructoid editors? Behold and tremble, dear readers, it's the Destructoid Review!
Before we get started, I got some notes for all y'all. We're changing a few things in our review routine, the most notable of which is our schedule: with any luck, you can look forward to a review a week from Destructoid's dedicated review crew, a crack team of bitter, curmudgeonly gamers hellbent on forcing their tastes and opinions upon you. At present, the squad includes the good Rev. Anthony, DMV, your favorite Linde, Chad Concelmo and Nick Brutal.
Additionally, we've changed up our rating system just a smidge. On top of the standard score to be delivered by each individual editor, we're also offering up our opinions on a buy it/rent it/forget it scale, to give you a better idea as to whether or not a game is worth taking the plunge, or if it merits a little caution -- the kind of notion that might get lost in a simple 1-10 score. We'll also be offering final Destructoid review scores at the end of each write-up, a figure averaged from the editors' individual scores, topped off with some shiny new graphics courtesy of art hero Hushgush.
All that being said, hit the jump and dive into our inaugural trainwreck: Atlus' Odin Sphere!
With this control scheme, you use the nunchuk analog stick to move your character and guard. The nunchuk and Wiimote can be shaken to perform standard attacks. You perform specials by holding buttons while shaking.
Just...imagine that. I can understand this sort of flailing around for Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, but Guilty Gear is so fast paced that trying to actually play, and pull of some of the more intense combos, are going to be very awkward to pull off. At least this means that for all those who will own the Wii version, they'll be able to put up some hilarious Youtube videos.
Now, why am I kvetching on the front page about this? I really don't think that this fighter should be on Nintendo systems. Sorry, but between this and Dust Strikers, Sammy should keep this on the PS2/3 or 360, unless a nice arcade pad comes out for the Wii.
Now, if a fighting game was designed based around the Wii controls, that could lead to some interesting results. Are you thinking of what I am? C'mon designers -- I'm looking forward to a Wii-specific fighter, whether it be 2D or 3D.
"@Brad - Point taken. But I wasn't coming after you. You should've been my example for "It seems to me that unless X and Y change, this game is going to suck", you know, the levelheaded approach..."...
I love Guilty Gear. So now we've got the official word that Guilty Gear: Accent Core is coming to the Wii. My only hope is that Sammy Studios doesn't screw up the controls for the game on the Wii. Right now, t's been announced that you can use the classic controller or the Gamecube controller to play the game.
So, for right now, I can say: thank God. I'm a D-pad player for fighters (that's why I can't enjoy 3-D fighters all that much), and so this at least gives me a chance, using the classic controller. I am interested in seeing how the Wii controls will work, though. I hope this still means that the game is coming to PS3 and/or 360, so that I can play with a more enjoyable controller.
For those Guilty Gear fanatics, what are your thoughts about the game on the Wii? Where else should it be?
"~also should be noted that ac is not supposed to be a furthering of the story for gg, nor was slash.
gg is moving more and more into the pro circuit of gaming like many fighting games in japan ..."...
Little-known fact: despite the upswing of next-gen hardware, a few great games are still waiting in the wings for the PS2. For those of you still deeply entrenched in last-gen or just looking for some, y'know, games to play on that PS3, Atlus' Odin Sphere is due out on May 22nd, and looks to be shaping up pretty damn well. This video, courtesy of Famitsu, showcases the game's stunning 2D sprite-based beauty and a taste of its action RPG gameplay. If it plays half as well as it looks, we should be in for a wild ride.
Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press living the dream since March 16, 2006
4:00 PM on 11.14.2009, 
![Guilty Gear 2 finally announced! [Update] photo](http://www.destructoid.com/elephant//ul/35692-guilty-gear-ac-bridget-chip.jpg)
The ultimate PC gamer to-do list
Think L4D2 is an expansion? You're a f*cking idiot 
The Memory Card .76: Brotherly love
The Zen of Gaming: What games chill us out
Do the wrong thing: Breaking Sasha's promise
A spotter's guide to videogame bosses
My sexy, nerdy, fertility boosting ReBirth wish list
Revisited: the ending of Prince of Persia is broken
The Memory Card .75: The blind fighting the blind
Game SERIES Debate to the Death! The Legend of Zelda
Attention, everyone buying L4D2: I have dibs on Ellis
Does sexual orientation have a place in games?
The art of Once Upon a Pixel: Katamari Damacy
How to respond to a videogame review
Ten 'classic' games that did not age well
Attention, everyone buying L4D2: I have dibs on Coach
The Memory Card .74: Crono's trial
Attention, everyone buying L4D2: I have dibs on Nick
Why the Left 4 Dead survivors may secretly be infected
