December 2009

Naruto Shippuden: Legends: Akatsuki Rising

December 9, 2009

PSP / Reviews / by Justin Last Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Naruto is a mixed bag when it comes to video game translations. The Clash of Ninja games on the GameCube were great for four players, and Naruto: Rise of a Ninja on Xbox 360 was enjoyable (and gorgeous to boot) as well. Unfortunately, for every one good Naruto game there are three of four mediocre ones, and Naruto Shippuden: Legends: Akatsuki Rising for the PSP is one of the latter.

Story will be unimportant to all those who don’t follow the anime, but it is standard beat-em-up fare anyhow. Naruto returns home after a two-year training session with Lord Jiraiya to find that trouble is waiting for him. Friends need rescuing and the town needs all members of the Akatsuki ninja clan removed from the streets. Levels follow a normal beat-em-up style: beat up thugs, move a little, beat up some more thugs, move a little more, beat up a boss, do it all again on the next level. In addition to these linear scenario missions, players can take part in ranked side missions in mission mode. Side missions play just like scenario missions, but the benefit lies in keeping your upgrades from mission mode upon returning to scenario mode. Akatsuki Rising also features a multiplayer battle mode, but ad-hoc multiplayer is all that is supported so finding willing combatants isn’t really worth the effort.

The glut of available modes is a little bittersweet because most beat-em-ups, even good ones, are severely lacking in the replay department. If Akatsuki Rising had satisfying or challenging combat this would be a great PSP title for fans of Streets of Rage 2 and its ilk from console generations past. Sadly, Akatsuki Rising is not that game.

Akatsuki’s visuals and sound effects are crisp and exceedingly close to what is presented in the anime. This is a big plus for fans of the show, which is good as they are the only ones out there who will likely enjoy the title.

Pros: Good number of play modes, visuals and sounds faithful to source material

Cons: Unsatisfying combat

Plays Like: Streets of Rage 2, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja

ESRB: T for cartoon violence, mild suggestive themes 

 

Astro Boy: The Video Game

December 9, 2009

Reviews / Wii / by Chris Rasco Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Astro Boy has a long history that stretches back to the early 1950s in Japan where it debuted in manga form with a television series not long after. Most recently, the property saw a silver screen release with an accompanying video game that is loosely based on the original storyline.

Being a complete newcomer to the Astro Boy story line, I was surprised to find just how much of a departure the most recent version was from the original story. The story takes place in Metro City and takes us on a journey where a great scientific discovery with the capturing of the blue and red cores of The Fifth Element. Along the way, the son of one of the scientists is killed in a terrible accident and, in an effort to bring back his son, Astro Boy is created. Walking, talking, and acting like the boy he was modeled after, Astro Boy is ultimately rejected by his creator. The story continues as Astro Boy seeks to find his place in the world.

The video game, while sharing a very similar story to the movie, included settings and areas that didn’t directly appear in the film. It was close enough that it complimented the movie quite well from a plot and story standpoint.

Upon beginning your game you are given an option to select the control scheme you’d like to use: Standard or Motion. The two control schemes differ very little and ultimately I preferred the Standard control scheme even if the 2 affected actions utilized buttons that weren’t the easiest to use in-game.

Astro Boy features a nice “2.5-D” graphics system that shmup fans will find familiar. Much of Astro Boy plays just like a side-scrolling shooter, but there’s some action/adventure in the mix. The graphics were definitely not as crisp as I would have preferred, but were acceptable.

There are 2 gameplay options available in Astro Boy: Story and Arena. Story mode allows either a single player or 2 player cooperative play. This mode wasn’t terribly long, but was adequate given the price. The Arena mode pits Astro Boy up against wave after wave of enemies. After defeating the hordes of bad robots, your score is tallied and added to the high score list. Arena has ground and sky levels and features 1 or 2-player support with several difficulty levels.

My initial thoughts were that the controls felt very stiff and clunky, and I really didn’t enjoy anything about the game. I did revisit it with my kids and had a much better experience the second time around. We’ve played it both in single player and co-op several times since completing it, and it ended up being quite an enjoyable experience.

Astro Boy isn’t a blockbuster title, but it doesn’t pretend to be. It’s a movie tie in game that does a good job of extending the theatrical experience while delivering decent gameplay that is suitable for a wide variety of gamers; my five-year-old played through several levels on his own. It definitely falls short in the graphics department, but in the end it delivers a quality experience. If you’ve got little ones that liked the Astro Boy movie it’s a no brainer, but for most it’ll fall into the budget title realm.

ESRB: E10+ for Fantasy Violence and Violence fictive. It’s your usual action adventure fighting.

Pros: Fun to play. Easy for the kids to enjoy.

Cons: Graphics are not great. Story was somewhat short.

Plays Like: Standard side-scrolling adventure game with a little schmup mixed in there.

 

Snackbar Speculator: Back to the Future

December 6, 2009

Features / Speculator / by Shawn Vermette Make a comment! / Tweet it!

We’ve finally got some results on some of the rumors we’ve posted in previous editions, so before getting to this week’s rumors we’ll give you a rundown of the results along with our hits or misses.  Since this is the first time we’ve had confirmations, here’s how we keep score:

True: Guess – 50

False: 50 – Guess

Sticking your neck out with a 5% or 95% score is risky, as is should be.  50% is lame.

Cross-game chat to be present in next PS3 Firmware update

Well, next update came out, and it didn’t show any sign of having cross-game chat.

Andrew Passafiume 95% = -45

Graham Russell 70% = -20

Shawn Vermette 65% = -15

Facebook integration to be present in next PS3 Firmware update

This rumor turned out to be true, as the same update that did not have cross-game chat had Facebook in it.

Andrew 85% = +35

Graham 60% = +10

Shawn 95% = +45

Phoenix Wright coming to the Wii

This was decided almost as soon as we posted it, as Capcom has confirmed that ports of all three Phoenix Wright games are coming to WiiWare early next year.

Andrew 25% = -25

Graham 60% = +10

Shawn 25% = -25

Current standings:

Shawn: 5  

Graham: 0

Andrew: -35    

Now, on to the rumors.

 

Scribblenauts 2 drawing on Wii, DS, and PC

Scribblenauts was a small indie title going into E3 and a media phenomenon coming out. Now there are rumors that Scribblenauts 2 is in production. Not only that, but it is rumored that Scribblenauts 2 will be coming to the Wii and PC in addition to the DS this time around.

Andrew: This seems like it is inevitable. Knowing how successful the original title was, despite its shortcomings, is a clear sign that people loved the concept and want to see it go even farther. I think this title, like a lot of DS to Wii games, is a very easy transition. A PC version seems unlikely, but it could work just as well as a Wii version, so I can’t see why not. 75%

Graham: The main shortcoming in Scribblenauts was the controls.  The Wii and PC both offer the potential for a more suitable scheme, and yes Shawn, people buy PC games.  Especially quirky stuff.  I’m hoping for a Steam release.  Regardless, a sequel is what 5th Cell needs to fix the issues with the original, and I’d love to see some multiplayer of some sort. 65%

Shawn: The only thing about this rumor that sounds iffy to me is the PC edition. 5th Cell has already said they want to make games for systems other than the DS, and Drawn to Life 2 was made for the DS and Wii. A PC edition would work, but I’m not sure that enough people purchase PC games anymore for it to be worthwhile anymore. 90%

 

 

 

WiiHD coming in 2010

Nintendo is being frank about the relatively slow sales of the Wii this year, with Iwata saying the Wii had “stalled”. There have been rumors of a “WiiHD” for awhile now, but with it being publicly acknowledged that they aren’t happy with the performance of the Wii, it is now being rumored that the “WiiHD” is closer than many would think…next year, in fact. Is it possible that this rumor will finally get answered one way or another?

Andrew: This is one rumor I am completely on the fence about. On one hand, the market for the WiiHD might not even be there. The people who actually care about it seem to only make up one small part of the Wii’s entire audience. But on the other hand, it could become an even bigger success than the original Wii if marketed correctly. I’m still completely unsure, and Nintendo is a company that continues to surprise us (for better or for worse). 50%

Graham: I can’t see there being a WiiHD.  At all, really.  Yes, Nintendo will have a followup console sooner or later, and it’s possible they’ll keep the framework for backwards compatibility.  But releasing a HD system with no other upgrades would just confuse the market of casual gamers they created and rode back to the top of the industry on.  Also, the whole WiiHD concept is one of those Pachter-isms, and…I just don’t know why he’s become this authority. 5%

Shawn: I fully believe Nintendo will release a “WiiHD” at some point in the near future. I just don’t believe it will happen next year. Nintendo has enough first-party games coming out next year to support the Wii for one more year, but after that I just can’t see how Nintendo can keep the Wii afloat after that unless the third parties finally figure out how to make good games for it. 25%

 

 

 

Logitech to offer UMD accessory for PSP Go

The PSP Go has had many detractors since it was announced that Sony would not offer any kind of conversion program for owners of UMD games who bought a PSP Go. However, one company may be taking advantage of this lack of conversion. Rumor has it Logitech is working on an accessory for the PSP Go that would enable the PSP Go to play UMD games. Given the furor over the lack of a UMD drive in the Go, it seems there would indeed be a market for such a device, but is it really being produced?

Andrew: This has to be the dumbest idea a company could have ever thought of. I think a lot of people who bought a PSP Go knew what to expect, they knew they could not play their old UMD games on it. Even if they didn’t, I’m sure the entire point of it was complete portability. To have all of your games, music, movies, all right there in the palm of your hand and hassle free. To release a bulky attachable UMD device not only ruins the purpose, but could also just make you want to go back to the original PSP. 10%

Graham: Is it a dumb idea?  Yes.  Do I think someone would still make it?  Absolutely.  Is it Logitech?  I doubt it.  For one thing, they’ve never been one for niche products…they’re an accessory titan and they cater to the mass audience.  Also, well, they put out a statement saying, and I quote, “This is not something that our company is working on.” 5%

Shawn: Unlike Andrew, I actually think this idea has some merit. Logitech makes more, and better, accessories than even the first party companies do. I wouldn’t be surprised if Logitech has perceived a need that Sony refuses to even admit exists. Most PSP Go owners probably realize that the PSP Go won’t play UMDs, but at the same time, not having the ability to buy them greatly increases the amount of money they have to spend to buy games digitally. My hesitation for this rumor is whether or not enough people even bought the PSP Go for Logitech to bother making this accessory. 60%

 

 

 

Preview: Max and the Magic Marker (WiiWare)

December 6, 2009

News / by Graham Russell Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Denmark-based developer Press Play recently gave us a look at a preview build of Max and the Magic Marker, an upcoming WiiWare platformer.  The concept is simple: Max traverses areas, collecting items and avoiding enemies with the help of a Magic Marker drawing shapes that Max can jump on or kill baddies with.

It comes off as a cross between Crayon Physics and LittleBigPlanet, and it’s quite charming. READ MORE

Left 4 Dead 2

December 6, 2009

Reviews / Xbox 360 / by Andrew Passafiume Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Whether or not you thought we needed a sequel so soon, Left 4 Dead 2 is here. And with it comes a brand new setting, four new lead characters, and plenty of other additions that make the first feel like more like a demo than the full experience. 

The gameplay is just as you remember it. Your goal in each campaign is to get from point A to point B, doing different objectives along the way to clear your path and eventually get to rescue. The concepts are the same, but with some radical new additions to the game, there are plenty more reasons to revisit each campaign. 

Your A.I. buddies tend to not be too helpful, so we recommend playing with other human players. The co-op, especially with four people, is still just as addictive as it was in the first, and all five of the campaigns show a lot more variety than first’s.

There are several new additions to the game, but let’s start with the enemies. In every level, there is a new common infected scattered among the rest. In the Dark Carnival level, you have zombie clowns. In Parish, there are zombies in SWAT armor. They generally are a bit harder to take down than the normal zombies, but you will find yourself mowing them down pretty quickly in time.

There are also three new specials that can be just as dangerous as the original’s. Spitters shoot deadly acid at you and your allies. Jockeys jump on top of you and try to steer your character towards any kind of danger. And then chargers, well, charge at you and continue to slam you into the ground until you are rescued.

There are also new zombie-killing tools available as well. First, melee weapons are now in the game, and there are a lot of them, from a frying pan to a chainsaw. These replace your standard pistol and can be pretty useful in tight situations. Sometimes they can become your prime weapon during key zombie horde attacks. There are also new variations on the guns, and stuff like incendiary ammo that can very handy when taking on waves of zombies.

There are also other multiplayer modes outside of the co-op campaigns. There is versus, which pits a team of survivors against four players playing as the special infected, and a survival mode which is just as it sounds: survive as long as possible. The new game mode is scavenge, which has you trying to collect as many different items as possible before being wiped out by the infected. It’s addictive and might be the new preferred mode of play among many players.

Overall, Left 4 Dead 2 is a lot like the original, but with a enough improvements and new additions to keep you coming back for more. It is one of the best shooters of this year, and it will be one you continue to come back to for many months.

ESRB: Rated M for mature; rated for blood and gore, intense violence, and language

Pros: Amazing co-op; all five campaigns show more variety than the original game; new additions to the game are welcomed; scavenge mode is addictive; the A.I. director offers more challenge and ways of altering the levels

Cons: A.I. allies are still not too helpful

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