March 2005

Gradius V

March 21, 2005

PlayStation 2 / Reviews / by Chris Rasco Make a comment! / Tweet it!

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/gradiusv/cover.jpg[/floatleft]The relationship that I share with games that fall into the shooter genre is dysfunctional at best. The way things seem to work is that even on the easiest of difficulties I try my hardest and the game ends up overcoming me with a measly little wave of bad guys. Despite my apparent lack of skills in playing these types of games, I love them.

[i]Gradius V[/i] is the latest game to be based on the ancient [i]Gradius[/i] franchise. The roots of this series go back a long way, and [i]Gradius V[/i] does a fantastic job of capturing the nostalgic feel of a true arcade shooter while staying true to the [i]Gradius[/i] series.

Like most shooters, the plot is very thin and you are thrust right into the action (although there is an irritating cut scene before the second level that you cannot skip and are forced to watch each and every time you play the game).

[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/gradiusv/ss04_thumb.jpg[/floatright]Prior to beginning the game, there is one very special item in the config menu that you need to know about. This item is called Revival Start, and it is your enemy. When you die with Revival Start on, you are stripped of your power-ups and you start back at the last checkpoint. This makes the game about 100 times more difficult and frustrating. With Revival Start off, you lose your power-ups but still have a chance to recollect any multiples you may have earned. I will get to multiples and power-ups in just a moment.

Before I touch on the power-ups and things that make it possible to play [i]Gradius V[/i], I want to touch on the fact that this is one tough game. In fact, I would be willing to bet that unless you possess some freakish skills at the art of shooters, it will probably take you a good 10 or 20 times before you get anywhere near the end of the game. Due to the arcade ties, you start out with a number of credits or continues. Once these credits are gone, so is your shot at beating the game. The upside to this dilemma is that for each hour you log (and make sure you turn auto save on), you earn an additional credit to play. After eight to 10 hours of play, you should have enough continues to reach the end. After 17 hours of play, you will unlock free play, which is unlimited credits.

In my opinion, power-ups are what make [i]Gradius V[/i] a lot of fun. There is just something about lasers firing all over the screen that makes me want to keep playing. While I would say that half of your success in [i]Gradius V[/i] depends on hand-eye coordination, the other half depends on your ability to properly use your power-ups. As you start the game, you are given an option of choosing one to four types of ships. The type of ship you choose determines how your power-ups will affect your firepower and your multiples (i.e. invincible orbs under your command that greatly increase your firepower). In the Type 1 configuration, your multiples trail behind you, but pressing the multiple button (R1 by default) will lock them into place. This can be handy for concentrating all your firepower into a single place for boss fights or spreading them out for a wide beam of shooting. Type 2, by far my favorite config, still has the multiples trailing behind you, but holding the multiple button allows you to control the direction of fire for the multiples. This is the best use of your multiples for boss fights and areas where enemies are coming from all directions. Type 3 spaces your multiples above and below you. Using the multiples button increases or decreases the spacing between the multiples. Type 4 has your multiples rotating around your ship. You will need to experiment with each configuration and see which works best for your style of play.

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/gradiusv/ss09_thumb.jpg[/floatleft]You max out with four multiples, and upon death it would be wise to gather up your floating multiples while you are still invincible. The tricky part is obtaining power-ups and multiples. In order to activate the different power-ups, you have to collect a certain number of power-up capsules. Speed Up requires only a single power-up capsule, while a Force Field requires six. Collecting each additional capsule will highlight the next available power-up, and once it reaches the end, it will roll back over to the beginningA

Atelier Iris ~Eternal Mana~ – NIS Prepares Something Completely Different

March 20, 2005

Features / Interviews / by Ryan Sharpe Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Atelier Iris ~Eternal Mana~ is a bit of a break from what players have come to expect from titles released under the Nippon Ichi label. Instead of a game that is easily identifiable as one of pure strategy, Atelier Iris is instead more of a hybrid, bringing elements of strategy and action to a Role-Playing Game. To get a better understanding of what this will mean for gamers, we sat down with the folks at NIS America to talk about Atelier Iris ~Eternal Mana~, which is expected to be released this summer.

Snackbar Games: A lot of esoteric games seem to come out of NIS that otherwise would never see American soil. What has enabled NIS to be so gung-ho when even major developers are often afraid to port games even slightly deviating from the mainstream overseas?

NIS America: First, let me thank you for this great interview opportunity. We at NIS America really appreciate eToychest.

We believe that major developers steer away from non-major titles because of cost issues. Thanks to our company’s small size, we can make a profit from a game without selling millions. However, it’s not so, for many big developers and that is why we believe bigger companies avoid smaller titles. Being small has its own advantages and this is just one. Our flexibility to respond to market and fan demands is what keeps us alive.

SBG: What kinds of demographics are you shooting for with Atelier Iris?

NIS: Our demographics for Atelier Iris are strikingly similar to Makai Kingdom, Disgaea, and Phantom Brave. Those who appreciate a well-made, solid RPG with a little taste in Anime/Manga will certainly love Atelier Iris.

SBG: While most developers have eschewed 2D sprites for 3D polygon models, NIS has kept to sprites in games such as Disgaea, La Pucelle: Tactics, and now Atelier Iris. Why is that? Do you find sprites lend themselves more to whimsy and fantasy than polygon models?

NIS: We love polygons too and I see the future of games and even anime to be in some form of polygons, whether it’s cel shaded or not. However, for the current moment we believe that 2D is the best form of expression for our titles. Creating a great looking 3D cel shaded anime style graphics, like the recent anime movie Appleseed, costs a lot of money, and I mean A LOT. Plus, both media and hardware capacity of game systems are not up to par to create such stunning 3D graphics that can represent A

Shadow of Rome

March 18, 2005

PlayStation 2 / Reviews / by Matt Karam Make a comment! / Tweet it!

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/shadowofrome/cover.jpg[/floatleft]The time is 44 B.C., and the Roman Empire is in a state of turmoil. Caesar has been assassinated, and the wrong person has been accused. The general of the Roman army has become a gladiator. He begins fighting in smaller city arenas, but his drive to succeed takes him to the Coliseum for the final matches. Surprisingly enough, I am not talking about the movie [i]Gladiator[/i]. I am referring to [i]Shadow of Rome[/i], which is, from start to finish, an extremely beautiful game. Yes, the premise sounds exactly like [i]Gladiator[/i], and for the most part it basically is (heck, there is even a scene where General Agrippa, said gladiator, yells “Are you not entertained?” to the crowd). But to steal a line from Cone, if you’re going to rip off a movie, at least pick a great movie. And Capcom did just that.

I’ll explain the story in a little more detail. Agrippa, the Roman general, has led his armies to victory against the Germanic tribes and is on his way back home. What the general does not know, however, is that back home, Julius Caesar has been assassinated, his last words being “Et tu, Brute?”, and his father Vipsanius is being accused of the murder. As Agrippa returns home, his friend Octavianus warns him that his mother is on trial for a public execution. Agrippa tries to stop them, but he falls short and sees his mother die right in front of him at the hands of Decius, the new Emperor’s right-hand man. A girl of unknown origin named Claudia helps Agrippa and Octavianus escape, then together the three hatch a plan to save Vipsanius. Claudia suggests that Agrippa become a gladiator (her brother Sextus owns a gladiator stable), as the winner of the Coliseum games gets to slay Vipsanius, leaving a chance for Agrippa to save him if he himself wins. Agrippa agrees, and meanwhile Octavianus sneaks around the Roman Senate searching for clues to the true killer’s identity. I say that the game is like [i]Gladiator[/i], and fundamentally yes it is, but the game is more like an imaginative take on Shakespeare’s [i]Julius Caesar[/i]. The events of the story pan out very nicely, and the battle that is the culmination of all events at the end of the game is fantastic.

Naturally, with two stories going on at once (that of Agrippa and that of Octavianus), you can expect the game to split into two partsA

Makai Kingdom – Nippon Ichi Talks Strategy

March 18, 2005

Features / Interviews / by Roger Helgeson Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Nippon Ichi has quickly become a company that many equate with being one of the best in the console gaming industry with regards to creating strategy titles. Ever since Atlus published Disgaea: Hour of Darkness for the PlayStation 2, fans have been lining up to see what this developer has next in store. This summer the company, who now is responsible for publishing their own titles, will release Makai Kingdom for the PlayStation 2, and as expected, anticipation is at a fevered pitch. So when the opportunity arose to sit down and speak with Yoshitsuna Kobayashi came available, we jumped at the chance.

eToychest: First, let me thank you for agreeing to speak with us about Makai Kingdom. Before we begin, can you tell us a little about yourself and your role on this the project?

Yoshitsuna Kobayashi: My name is Yoshitsuna Kobayashi and I am the executive director of Makai Kingdom. Please let me thank eToychest for this wonderful opportunity. For Makai Kingdom I overlooked the entire process of the development from the planning stages and took part in the actual game programming.

SBG: It seems that previous NIS strategy titles follow a certain progression – they all retain certain elements of previous games, but diverge in some rather significant way. What is the most significant difference between Makai Kingdom and previous games such as Disgaea or Phantom Brave.

YK: Being able to create your own kingdom and inviting(summoning) them onto the battle field is the biggest change made. Also we can’t forget to mention that A

Just call me…

March 18, 2005

News / by Chris Rasco Make a comment! / Tweet it!

King of Gradius V. I have become increasingly good at this game which contradicts all previous experience between me and side scrolling shooters. Someone check outside to make sure the sky isn’t falling.

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