De Revolutie van de Afsmelting van het kwik

Verheug me, gamers, over is uw lange wachttijd. Wij? ve gezien een paar havens van De Afsmelting van het kwik since it premiered on the PSP last year, but of all those only the Wii version seems perfectly suited to its choice of console. Ja, eerder dan knopen die tot het gekke draaien van het controlemechanisme of de draagbare console leiden (ga, toelaten het, deed iedereen het), dit keer wordt u om dat lastige blob van kwik te bewegen gebruikend de beruchte motiesensoren die een norm in Verre Wii komen.

Het spel is een duidelijke haven, maar voor een keer dit werk binnen Revolutie? s gunst. Elk niveau ziet u moetend bovengenoemd kwik van A aan B die, die vallen vermijdt en manoeuvreren van diverse handige gizmos met inbegrip van een teleporter gebruik maakt en airbrushes. U kunt uw blob zelfs verwarmen of koelen, toevoegend een andere afmeting aan niveaus. De incarnatie Wii voegt ook een paar nieuwe niveaus toe en schuifelt anderen rond een beetje, enkel om om het even welke wenk van monotonie uit te achtervolgen het venster. Dit soort zorg en aandacht is zeker om zelfs nog meer ventilators te winnen.

The best thing about this game is the intuitive nature of the controls. Yes, if only one game were meant to be on the Wii, this is it. It?s an odd but satisfying feeling to rotate the remote and watch the mercury begin to shift in the same direction. Because of this, it takes mere seconds to figure out how to play. The graphics are identical to previous versions, with the realistic metal surrounded by an almost cartoonish HUD and environments which lack the realism of the original. On the other hand, the game itself is not as hard as the original either, so that can only be a good sign.

Given the number of Wii titles currently assaulting gamers, Revolution could easily be missed, but it?s actually one of the best titles to be released and could seemingly have been designed exclusively for the Wii if not for its prior appearances on the PSP and PS2. Even if you?ve played it before and have nailed the levels, there?s still plenty here. It?s the kind of game with high replay value. Every serious Wii owner who wants to see what their beloved console is really capable should definitely give this a go.

Last Chance to Win Halo 3

October is almost out the (spooky) door, and that means that we’re about to?draw a winner for our Halo 3 Legendary Edition.??If you’ve not signed up for our free email digest, you still have a few hours to get in on this most?excellent prize. Read more

Armageddon Empires [Indiescene]

Some games require a huge buy-in. You need to invest a lot of time learning the system, understanding the interface and reading the documentation over and over. The problem with this, of course, is that the payoff may not be worth it. Beyond the learning curve could be great indie gems like Dwarf Fortress or Dominions 3, but you need to either find a walkthrough or commit to the self-education. Who wants to do that?

This is the dilemma facing Armageddon Empires, a new post-apocalyptic wargame from Cryptic Comet. It?s an old-fashioned game in many ways, most significantly in how you will need to read the freaking manual to get started. There?s not a lot of in-game help for you. There?s not a lot of clarity on when you need to right click and when you need to left click. The drag and drop tool is fussy, too.

But you?ll forget all of this once you master the system. Armageddon Empires is a game of exploration and area control. You explore hexes to uncover enemies and resources. As expected, you spend resources on bringing new units to field, but there?s an original twist here. You can also spend these resources on dice before each turn, high rolls determine who gets to go first. The person who goes first gets more action points. So do you save those green resources to move your hero from your hand or spend them on the chance of points you can use to buy more cards?

This either/or decision making is everywhere in the game, potentially turning the tide of battles by spending ?fate points,” making an intimidating game quite intuitive once you get the basics in hand. It helps that the setting is familiar enough to not throw up too many barriers to understanding. Air, artillery, infantry, zombies, cyborgs, etc. Nothing that your standard geek can?t manage.

Armageddon Empires rises above the crowd, though, because it is a surprisingly sophisticated wargame. Your armies will start with a couple of units at most, but eventually you will need to manage their composition carefully. Air strikes will need to be timed to even the odds, all the while costing you precious resources which are rarely in high supply. Like the best strategy titles, Armageddon Empires expects you to balance the needs of the moment with the promises of the future, but it never makes you feel like everything is riding on an early turn or a single fateful decision.

Of course, a large number of you will just give up early in the demo. Those of you that stick around will be treated to one of the best new old strategy games in a while.

Assassin’s Creed Gone Gold

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Spyro Gets a New Gig

Film adaptations of games have a lengthy track record of sucking. Even the ones considered good by some (see Resident Evil) are considered to be awful by others. Will CGI break the trend? Read more

New Wii Shop Channel Games: 2007.10.29

Yesterday Nintendo added three new retro classics to its Virtual Console client in the Wii Shop Channel. The titles can be purchased using Nintendo?s Wii Points system which can be purchased through the Wii Shop Channel or through a retail outlet carrying Wii Points Cards. Read more

45 Rock Band Tracks Announced

EA released the list of tracks that players can jam on in the forthcoming Rock Band release. Using the magic of Copy and Paste, we’ve listed that same list for you here. Enjoy! Read more

Jam Sessions

From the “I never thought they’d localize this” file comes this surprisingly full-featured guitar simulator from Japanese developer Plato and North American publisher Ubisoft, based on the Japanese title Hiite Utaeru DS M-06.

Jam Sessions isn’t a ‘game’ so much as a ’sound toy’ - think Electroplankton but far less experimental. Players first assemble a ‘chord palette’ out of over a hundred authentic guitar chords each of which corresponds to the D-Pad (or action buttons for southpaws). Using the left or right trigger buttons to shift palettes, players can have access to up to 16 chords at a time.

The actual ‘play’ mode shows the chord palette on the top screen of the DS, and a single ’string’ on the bottom. Using the stylus (or a guitar pick, or a thumb), players ’strum’ the string (while pressing a corresponding chord button with their other hand) to produce - yes - music. Once players adjust to the system, they can play any number of chord-based songs to their heart’s content. This means, however, that the realm of lead guitarists (solos, melodies, and the like) are not an option. Most guitar players will point to this as the game’s greatest shortcoming. Players are also “limited” to the chords available. There isn’t a method to create custom chords or power cords, but most will find the available selection more than adequate.

Song Mode includes several built-in tracks with a wide ranges of genres; from Bob Marley to Johnny Cash and even some Death Cab and Avril Lavigne thrown in for good measure. These pre-built chord palettes (and accompanying chord guides with lyrics) allow you to play the songs on your own. Half of the songs include demos so that players can hear the proper tempo. However, these demos are hampered by the lack of anything representing a vocal track (one of the few features in Hiite that wasn’t included in Jam Sessions as opposed to vice versa), and Song Mode doesn’t have any method of making players play the correct stroke rhythm. So, while this mode will pose challenges to players who haven’t picked up a guitar (or a Guitar Hero controller, for that matter) in their lives, seasoned guitarists will enjoy being able to rock out to Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” and other classics.

Significant improvements to the original include 7 unique effects pedals such as distortion, delay, flanger, and tremolo, each with their own settings. Players can also record their pieces for playback (with the ability to store up to five at a time). Audio options have been updated to include a specific output setting for guitar amps. Superficial improvements include several dozen backgrounds and string animations, which are a welcome change from the unappetizing gradients available in the Japanese version.

Jam Sessions is available in three flavors - the standard edition, a special Best Buy-only edition that includes three more tunes in Song Mode, and a Performance Bundle (MSRP $69.99) dated for December that includes a mini-amp. While the casual gamer will likely want to give this a pass, musicians of all stripes will be interested in finally being able to put their DS to productive use, whether on-stage or in the recording studio.

Ecco the Dolphin [Retrograde]

There?s a wave of nostalgia ? pun intended ? when loading Ecco the Dolphin for the first time. It?s been fourteen years since this charming swim-em-up enthralled Genesis/Mega Drive gamers across the world. Released under the banner of the Sega Vintage Collection, Ecco the Dolphin is a welcome inclusion to a growing range of titles perfectly pitched to a generation who grew up with Sega, myself included. For me, this was the game which prompted the purchase of a Mega Drive all those years ago.

For those of you who missed it the first time round, the story goes like this: Ecco is a happy-go-lucky dolphin until the day a mysterious whirlwind rips his pod and most oceanic life from the seas. Alone, the young dolphin must travels the seas, explore the past and even travel to another world to rescue his family. He must find an ancient whale, battle alien denizens and the sentient ancestor of life itself before going one-on-one with an alien queen. Powerful stuff, eh?

For the most part, time has treated Ecco well. While the graphics and music are true to the Genesis incarnation, it?s a shame to have to say that for this re-release the graphics were not at least upscaled. Like Sonic, the game is played against a blue border, and modern HD TV?s manage to make each pixel painfully clear. This is the kind of game where you don?t sit too close to the screen, but it is still well worth purchasing.

Ecco remains one of the best examples of mid-nineties gaming. The plot is strong, and the levels are a genuine challenge. The XBLA incarnation even offers the ability to save the game, mid-level, a blessing to anyone who had to try and remember the passwords the first time round. Like most ports to the 360, Ecco comes with Achievements, although in this department, they are painfully lacking and oddly random, from completing the Undercaves to finding hidden statues left over from the original game in Jurassic Beach. However, playing Ecco is not about Achievements, and anyone who does unlock one is bound to be more interested in their ocean adventures than in a few measly points. Where else do you get the chance to explore Atlantis, travel through time, and listen to the song of the ocean?

Ecco?s biggest pull is with its previous audience. Given that, I?m pretty sure it won?t be too long until more Genesis titles including the even more gorgeous sequel hit Live Arcade. If you remember Ecco then this will be gaming heaven, and if you don?t, it?s high time you tried this true unsung classic.

Heavenly Sword

Heavenly Sword has been a long time coming, teasing us with promises of a luscious game, amazing graphics, atmospheric music and a compelling story. It manages to fulfill this quota but also manages to be fundamentally broken. Blasphemy, I know, given the game?s exalted status as the reason to purchase a PS3. Unfortunately, Nariko?s adventures feel a little too much Onimusha and not enough God of War.

Nariko wields a sacred blade known as the Heavenly Sword which will sap the life out of any mortal who uses it. Accepting of her demise, Nariko?s only desire is to destroy the evil King Bohan before the blade takes her life. The blade has three styles of attack which allow Nariko to devastate enemies, all of which give players an opportunity to mash buttons.

The setting is a beautiful world that seems to mix everything from Hindu temples to streets lined with sakura blossom trees. This is also reflected in the gorgeous soundtrack that blends aspects from various parts of the world, from Japan to deepest India. There?s no denying that Heavenly Sword is beautiful, the graphics and facial animations are completely mind-blowing but this doesn?t completely detract from fundamental issues ? nay flaws ? with its design.

For starters, much like Onimusha, Nariko is limited in where she can go, guided by invisible boundaries and annoying camera controls. She can throw enemies off cliffs but is prevented from stepping off herself. Even worse, important actions are triggered by pressing the appropriate button, normally X, while the game also uses combo sections where you must press the right sequence at the right time in order to survive. This is an unfortunate trend in modern gaming which is overused. The final nail in the coffin is the complete and utter lack of a jump button, an almost impossible thing to conceive in this day and age and which makes boss fights more difficult than they should be.

They are difficult, almost impossibly so. Take Whiptail, a siren-like mistress of water. In terms of fighting, this encounter is one of the hardest but it’s also the most graphically lacking in the game. Nariko must get in close to attack but Whiptail sends devastating ? and badly animated — waves as long range attacks. Due to a lack of jumping ability, timing must be exact for Nariko to block using her blade. Even worse, Whiptail’s health periodically replenishes and there are no chests to crack open or any method of restoring your own health. If death doesn?t immediately take you, the fight soon becomes impossibly long with the odds heavily stacked against you.

Almost as an afterthought, there is some utilisation of the SIXAXIS controller in completing puzzles, although it does work rather well once you get the knack. A prime example is having to throw a disc, Frisbee-like, off various obstacles until you hit the target. The first person view really assists in completing what would otherwise be an irritating exercise.

Playing Heavenly Sword, it?s nigh on impossible not to want to give it a high score just for the stunning graphics, compelling storyline, acting, music and facial animations. If games were judged only by these factors, it would be our game of the year. Sadly, life just isn?t like that and Heavenly Sword will ultimately disappoint many who have been waiting with baited breath for it?s long overdue release.

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