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June 17, 2010

Under the Radar – FlingSmash

Filed under: News Feed — Tags: , , , — Jamie Love @ 9:24 am

FlingSmash
I feel bad for not having already listed FlingSmash along with all the other side-scrolling joy Nintendo managed to haul out to the show this week. Plus the game has one of those great pitches, specifically that this is what you get when combining tennis and pinball.

On the list of small design tidbits you don’t hear very often, FlingSmash also sympathizes with left-handed players and the game can position play from the left side of the screen – which would mess me up, but I’m certain some southpaw reading this will appreciate the thought.

Keep in mind you’ll need to get yourself some Wii MotionPlus if you haven’t already, which after this week is getting a lot harder to avoid.

Catch some video and art after the break.

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June 15, 2010

Pre Hands-On Epic Mickey Love

Filed under: Editorial Rants — Tags: , , , , — Jamie Love @ 10:24 pm

Disney's Epic Mickey
This is my favorite screenshot of the day, the Steamboat Willie 2D side-scrolling surprise I wasn’t expecting. Before E3 began it was clear that Disney was pushing Epic Mickey with plenty of resolve, but this one sequence made me forget the uncomfortable reaction when footage released last year – when I thought the game was looking at best like a decent N64 title.

It’s clear when Warren Spector talks about the project that he loves Mickey Mouse more than I ever will, but he’s already made a believer out of me before I’ve laid my hands on it, and I wanted to revel in that a bit.

That sounds a bit crazy, but really, if he convinced Disney on a world of choice based on whether we create to solve our obstacles or simply erase them, and on the stark and incredibly slick marketing already on display, than how can I resist? They even call it Disney’s Epic Mickey now, and stuck with the Wii exclusivity I really wasn’t expecting to hold out.

Again that sounds a bit silly of me, but this E3 is full of earnest surprises, and that Disney could bring this type of title to the show sincerely surprises and impresses me. That I’m feeling a bit of the strange magic I only vaguely remember when I first saw Mickey on the Sega Genesis is probably also a factor.

They’ll be plenty more to say about the game this week, for now I’m just going to fantasize a bit more about jumping into old cartoons via film screens.

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June 4, 2010

NOE Recommends More Wii in Your Diet

Filed under: News Feed — Tags: , , , — Jamie Love @ 4:27 pm

Play Wii
Not Surprisingly, Nintendo of Europe thinks you should play more Wii, and is trying out the new slogan on their website “Play Wii and warm your gamer’s heart!”

It was kind of hard not to laugh since that sounds like the silly type of thing I might say on the right day. To back up the heartwarming argument, they’ve put together a promotional video of first and third party releases – admittedly I have a weakness for videos that slap together lots of great game footage.

I think it’s safe to say that Nintendo’s console is warming more hearts than it’s icing over these days, and this type of video is definitely aimed at the gamers Nintendo was accused of ignoring not more than a year ago.

Catch the video after the break and let me know what you think.

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June 3, 2010

Your Earth Seeker Art Break

Filed under: News Feed — Tags: , , , — Jamie Love @ 1:18 pm

Earth Seeker
Famitsu was good enough to put up some first look images for an original Wii title called Earth Seeker this week. In development by Crafts & Meisters, word is that the game is an action title scheduled to be released in Japan this Winter.

If the developer can convincingly translate the tiny bit of art being shown, I’d gladly get on board for whatever monster battling situations the game has to offer. Based on what I’ve read so far with Guardian creatures and environmental hazards, the game actually sounds like some potentially amazing apocalyptic Pikman title – so set your fingers to crossed for me.

You can catch a glimpse of some artwork after the break, which is what instantly grabbed me.

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June 2, 2010

Review – Super Mario Galaxy 2

Filed under: Reviews — Tags: , , , , , — Jamie Love @ 12:30 pm

Super Mario Galaxy 2
Anyone who really believes that Japanese game design has a declining role against the success of Western game development needs to dunk their head in a pool of water – specifically the floating pools of water suspended in the air, rotating between connections with other pools as Mario attempts to swim toward the next checkpoint. Somewhere along the way players will also be hitting switches that alter the directional force of gravity while trying to grab a star, and the significance of a rare second mainline Super Mario title during a single hardware cycle becomes as clear as those small floating cubes of water.

Within Mario’s Galaxy, anything can and will happen. And what’s truly surprising is the depth of logic at play while navigating the sea of sudden possibilities that shows the complete lack of inhibition proving one of Nintendo EAD’s greatest design strengths.

For some a building is a place where action takes place around or within. In Super Mario Galaxy 2, bricks break free of structures to create pathways toward star portals, launching players through the roof and into the sea of stars overhead.

Short on filler and stuffed plump with that type of energy, the results are often extraordinary.

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May 23, 2010

Treasure Talks Sin & Punishment 2

Filed under: News Feed — Tags: , , , , , , — Jamie Love @ 9:22 am

Sin & Punishment 2
North America might be getting Super Mario Galaxy 2 today, but my wait for Sin & Punishment 2 continues for one more month – sadly no European readers have invited me over for a grind session to date. Where’s the love guys?

We get the game on June 27, which convienantly falls the day after my birthday – so while I’m impatient I’m also touched Nintendo worked that out for me. What we can borrow from Europe in the meantime is a developer interview with Treasure, which offers up some more concept art via quick edits and some words from my hero, artist Yasushi Suzuki.

Treasure President Masato Maegawa also puts in an apperance, and we get the shocking story about Nintendo feeling that the first test version of the game was too easy.

Catch it after the break.

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April 25, 2010

Lazy Sunday – Hunting The Great Jaggi

Filed under: Editorial Rants — Tags: , , , , , — Jamie Love @ 1:00 pm

Monster Hunter Tri
I’ve been feeling out Monster Hunter Tri’s offline offerings this week, certain that I’ve fallen miles behind plenty of other players, but taking it in stride while grinding through Guild quests that slow expectations through some typical “go-fetch” requests, which have had plenty of influence in keeping my sessions with the game on the short side.

Gathering mushrooms, retrieving a few bits of monster guts, killing off a handful of smaller beasts – the game assures the player this is all essential training for up-and-coming hunters, likely to the aggravation of veterans, and leaving me at first rushing through those tasks without striking any hot sparks simply to raise my rank.

It wasn’t until accepting the challenge of hunting a Great Jaggi last night that my outlook started to improve. This was the first solo quest that really made me consider there might be more to this hunting business, specifically in the act of living outside the village, sent to an outpost to survive while tracking a reasonably cunning beast.

I say reasonably because, like most videogame beasts of burden, the Great Jaggi likes to charge in head first, striking out at me and swinging its massive tail to knock me off my feet, all to give a chance for the many smaller Jaggies and Jaggia summoned by the commotion and call of their Alpha to feast on my fallen flesh.

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