E3 had only been going for a day, and yet, it felt like we were all overwhelmed by the sheer number of announcements from both Sony and Microsoft, and while the internet argued (and still is) over which one did better, we were witness to the last of the Big 3; Nintendo.
And just like the previous 2, a slew of announcements were made, but really most of it were things we had already expected, plus some eShop titles.
In any case, for those who missed it, here is the rundown, first, for Wii U:
Super Mario 3D World – For the first time a 3D Mario title with multiplayer capabilities, it will be developed by the same team that worked on Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS, it will allow for use of 4 characters which include Mario, Luigi, Toad, and for the first time in over 2 decades; Princess Peach, a new Power-Up: the Cat Costume was revealed, seemingly adding some new level of gameplay with it. Scheduled to launch this December.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze – The only real surprise this E3 for Nintendo was this game, marking the return of character Dixie Kong, Retro Studios takes on this series once more, attempting to bring more Donkey Kong the Wii U, with an improved graphical look, this game is set to be released this November.
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD – An improved version of the original 2002 hit for the GameCube, bringing new items such as the Tingle Bottle, which allows to send messages to Miiverse by using a bottle and dropping it in the ocean, also faster sailing mechanics. Scheduled to launch this October.
Mario Kart 8 – Apparently ditching the silly titles for good, this new game adds a new gameplay element with anti-gravity, and marks the return of bikes to the series, will have great online integrated to Miiverse. Available Spring 2014.
The Wonderful 101 – Created by Platinum Games, this title focuses on combat between Wonder-Red, and the group of heroes working for him, using them to attack enemies while looking and sounding like a classic superhero comic book. Launching September 15.
Bayonetta 2 – Also developed by Platinum Games, showing the main character’s new look as well as some combat, looking as chaotic as ever. Game launching 2014.
“X” by Monolift Soft – Aiming to be an open world title, and adding the ability to control humanoid robots, this title that is being developed with Xenoblade experiences to mind, seems to aim for a higher bar than that title. Available 2014.
Wii Party U – A party game, involving different tabletop games, this Mario-partyesque game will launch this October.
Wii Fit U – Just what it sounds like, set to be released this December.
Nintendo 3DS:
Pokemon X Version and Y Version – For Nintendo 3DS, the biggest news is about Pokemon, that will release this October, the game has revealed the already speculated Fairy type, which will become the 18th type in the series.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds – (Not shown on the stream) A nice throwback title to the prequel of A Link to the Past, in this title, Link will be able to travel along the walls, allowing for different tactics to puzzles. Out this holiday season.
Yoshi’s New Island – (Not shown on the stream) Offering a variety of art styles, Yoshi returns in his 3rd adventure for the Nintendo 3DS. Out this holiday season.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team – The 4th game in the Mario and Luigi series, this will add the ability to jump into Luigi’s dreams, game out August 11.
Outside of those, there were also quite a few third party tittles glossed over, here are the tittles that you may have missed:
Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag – Ubisoft – Wii U – Oct. 29
Batman: Arkham Origins – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment – Wii U – Oct. 25
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment – Nintendo 3DS – Oct. 25
Deus Ex: Human Revolution -Director’s Cut – Square Enix, Inc. – Wii U – 2013
Disney Infinity – Disney Interactive – Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS – Aug. 18 (still making titles for the Wii?)
Disney’s Planes – Disney Interactive – Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS – Aug. 6 (DS too?)
Just Dance 2014 – Ubisoft – Wii U, Wii – Oct. 8
Rayman Legends – Ubisoft – Wii U – Sept. 3
Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment – Wii U Nintendo 3DS – Fall 2013
Shin Megami Tensei IV – ATLUS (Index Digital Media, Inc.) – Nintendo 3DS – July 16
Skylanders SWAP Force – Activision Publishing – Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS – Oct. 13
Sonic Lost World – SEGA – Wii U, Nintendo 3DS – Holiday 2013
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist – Ubisoft – Wii U – Aug. 20
Watch Dogs – Ubisoft – Wii U – Nov. 19
Well hope nobody was disappointed. Ericyo and I, are very excited for some of these upcoming games and had a great time working to bring you, the audience, as much information on Nintendo as possible. We will continue to do so in the future.
Today, Nintendo aired their conference online, aimed towards both the gamers and the media, the conference was rather short, and rather unimpressive in comparison to Sony, but it did end not with a bang, but with an explosion.
After the smoke cleared, we got a first look on Super Smash Bros, set to be released for both Wii U and 3DS next year, showing some minor gameplay along with 2 newcomers to the series: Megaman, and Animal Crossing villager.
Trailer suggests a cel-shaded look for the 3DS version, while the Wii U seems to have character more akin the original Wii version, differences haven’t been really pinpointed, but we will keep you informed as we receive more information.
The game is set to be released next year, with no specified term.
IPod Touch, Only One of Many Forms of Second Screening.
Now, this is only my opinion on the matter and even though I’ve only had one form of “Second Screening”, this is going to be my overall take on it, going from TV and iPod connectivity alone and do not reflect the obvious differences of the Wii U. After the first hour of a 3 hour episode of WWE Raw, I’ve got to say that I’m not impressed with the first experience.
The Good:
The idea of having behind the scenes videos during commercials is the best thing any company can do during shows, live or otherwise. What is normally bathroom breaks, is me awkwardly walking to the bathroom with my iPod and Tritton Kunai headset as I am keeping a eye on show content. During the live portion of the show, the app is continuously updating with polls and tweets from the fans as I browse the app after the video abruptly cuts off for reasons beyond my control.
The Bad:
The content that updates while the show is going on, actually kept me from watching a Pay Per View quality match. I was too in depth with what the WWE Universe (Stupid Fans as Glen Beck puts it.) that I completely missed parts of it, and was super happy that they replayed the dive that Danial Bryan did mid match. This is the only downside to the entire second screening experience, as I have not yet dove into the other realm of watching while a episode of “The Walking Dead” is on.
What Did I Get From Popping My Cherry?:
Second screening is pointless. I’ve heard people talk about this awesome experience as people tweet, Facebook and interact with friends about what they are watching, but the only thing I’ve gotten out of it was a poor excuse to promote a app, and whore out their wares from their website.
As Far As Gaming Goes:
With the most recent updates to the Playstation 3 and the PSVita, they added the ability to play ranked and player matches on Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and Street Fighter X Tekken from your PS Vita to the console counterpart. Does anyone remember the Dreamcast VMU’s and the ability to have stats of your Madden, or Ready To Rumble matches on it? I do, and as shitty as it was, we loved it when we could take it to school and breed Chaos in the middle of study hall. What about using the PSVita for the ability to see your stats in sports or RPG titles? No one will ever think of it, because Sony is using the Vita as a handheld and not as a potential platform for a killer gaming experience.
What is your thoughts on the ability to have a “Second Screen Experience” and where do you think It can go with gaming in the next generation? Tweet me @CupcheckGE
The type of game that keeps you entertained for hours. EA’s Tetris Blitz takes an already addictive game and adds a fun new twist. I played for an hour without even realizing where the time had gone. Swipe controls make it faster and easier for mobile game players to enjoy this 80s classic.
A two minute time frame to snatch as many points as possible. Similar to Bejeweled, you gain points per line that you complete. Power-ups can be bought with coins you receive based on your overall score or they can be purchased. The more power ups you use the higher your score will be. Some cool power ups include a cascade of Tetris blocks, known as minos that drop to fill in gaps or one that swipes all minos to the one side of the screen.
By forming lines you fill up a frenzy bar at the bottom of your screen. Once you fill the bar you go into Frenzy mode which is like a bonus round where cascades of blocks form huge combos and lines are worth double the points. This is where you will get the most points for your overall score.
Like most iOS games it often feels like a money grab. You have to pay gold coins every 2 minute game, to buy power-ups and upgrades, to spin a wheel to win random prizes alongside with many ads and prompts to share with your friends on Facebook. With one single game mode that ends so fast, the price for coins even after even being given many during the game doesn’t quite seem fair and you do run out quickly.
If you can soldier through the obvious need to snatch at your wallet you will find that the game is very entertaining and includes great graphics along with new renditions of the original themes. Not exactly the classic game itself, Tetris Blitz offers a fun, on-the-go, easy to play mini game for anyone who loves a good round of Tetris.
For a while now we’ve heard about this new gaming tablet coming out, the Wikipad Android gaming tablet. Now when we first heard about the tablet it was going to have a 10 inch screen which some people were not too kin on, so what did the company do? They did a couple of changes to enhance the Wikipad
The refinement came from a “technical issue with the controller,” said Wikipad managing director Fraser Townley, which the company was afraid might lead to returned units. The delay for the controller retooling then pushed the timing of the Wikipad’s launch up against the end-of-life cycle for the 10-inch panel. That prompted the switch to the 7-inch screen. The company says that a 10-inch model is still forthcoming, although the timing and price are both to be determined. Why don’t we take a look and what’s new to the Gaming tablet
Design
Just over four months later, the company is once again preparing to release the Wikipad. Since then we see a major design difference, from a 10-inch screen to a 7-inch version. The smaller screen also brings a new price tag, dropping the launch Wikipad to $249 from $499 big difference. The Wikipad is the only tablet to possess the unique combination of truly show off video game experiences found in consoles with the functionality and portability of a tablet. How is this possible? The attachable dual-analog controller gives that feeling like you are playing on your console.
Specs
You want to talk about power. The tablet offers a premium 7″ IPS screen small enough to game comfortable with out the bulky and clunky feeling you would get with a 10 inch screen, 16 GB memory with micro SD slot to support an additional 32 GB of storage so you won’t be limited to the games you would like to download, ultra-light and thin chassis, is powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core mobile processor will give you graphics of a console system on the go and it gets better the Wikipad also has cloud gaming. With an aspect ratio of 16:10, the Wikipad tablet offers true widescreen HD display.
Android
This is not like any other gaming tablet, not only can you game, but you can also enjoy watching your favorite films, listen to music. Just like any other Android Tablet you will have Google Play, which gives you all your favorite apps (Facebook, Skype, and Twitter) you come a custom to. The tablet will be shipped with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Not bad at all.
Gaming Apps
I’m sure you haven’t seen apps like this on any tablet before. Big Fish games has teamed up the Wikipad to give you guys will allow Wikipad customers to instantly play hundreds of Big Fish’s high-quality casual
games anytime, anywhere. Big Fish Unlimited is a streaming service that features a growing catalog of games 150 today with new games added every week. Not into the hard core gaming? Well don’t worry they also have a section for casual gaming, these games included Hidden Object, Puzzle Adventure, Match 3, Time Management, and more. Because games are streamed, progress is saved in the cloud, allowing you to easily pick up your game session on any supported device. PlayStation Mobile and Onlive have been added as well. Now you have every game in reach.
Best of Both Worlds
Not only can you game, but do work as well. Just detached from the controller, and the Wikipad becomes an enterprise tablet with the blazing power of a Quad core CPU and 12 core GPU. Need business apps? Look no further you have access to DocumentsToGo, OfficeSuite Pro, GoTo Meeting, and Splashtop Remote Desktop. Checking emails will be a snap Wikipad is Microsoft Exchange account ready, with secure out-of-the-box access to your email and attachments, calendars, along with your contacts, it’s like you never left the office. Thw Wikipad will be released this Spring.
First released back in 2008 for the Nintendo DS, Professor Layton and The Curious Village became a hit with owners in America, and since then, has released a subsequent game every year with great success, and after 4 games on the original DS, the series finally moves to the Nintendo 3DS.
Professor Layton and The Miracle Mask is the latest game in the series, and with the move to the 3DS, the presentation has taken an obvious upgrade/downgrade depending of the point of view of the person.
The game begins when the Professor himself , accompanied by self-appointed assistants Luke Triton and Emmy Altava, visit the desert oasis of Monte d’Or, where strange incidents have been occurring. Soon after their arrival, they are greeted by the mysterious Masked Gentleman, who apparently has turned many of the carnival attendants into stone, he soon flees and is followed by the trio, only managing to escape in a cloud of smoke, this puts everyone on a journey for the truth, where even the past might have some answers.
The presentation in the Professor Layton games is always top notch, right from the opening anime video sequence (the game contains many of them for your viewing pleasure) the art style is very distinct and charming, the music in the game (just as before) is some of the most “classy” sounding from any videogame, it’s soothing and can help you concentrate on the puzzles, and even it can be downright beautiful at times, as shown in this video.
The gameplay in this game is simple, yet difficult. You spend your time touching things on the screen, finding characters to talk to, searching for collectable items and hint coins (more on that later), and finding puzzles. The hard part (to many) comes from the puzzles themselves, and this is the meat and bones of the game, there are over 150 different puzzles that are found at different points in the game, some are optional, and many are required to advance, the puzzles are varied, and range from arithmetic problems, to use of logic, to observational puzzles that when solved, give out points.
Speaking of points, puzzles are given rank with points dubbed “picarats“, the more picarats it’s worth, the more difficult it is, the value of the picarats decreases if the player gets it wrong, but you can get a hint in the form of “Hint Coins” that give tips ranging from minor, to “this is the answer” in order to conserve picarats. And some may ask; what is the point of picarats? Well, picarats are used for post-game content, ranging from character profiles to in-game movies.
The game adds variety to the mix by introducing some minigames in the form of a Robot (lead it to the right spot using a limited assorted of movements) a Shop (arrange items in the correct pattern to make an efficient sale) and finally, Rabbit, (help a rabbit become a great actor in order to be allowed back on the circus). These mini-games aren’t necessary for game completion, but each can give bonuses, one of such is the rabbit, which helps you find Hint Coins, Treasures, and even Hidden Puzzles in other areas.
The story keeps you immersed, switching between the past version of Layton and his present self in order unlock the mysteries surrounding the Masked Gentleman, the mask, and the city of Monte d’Or itself, as the Professor, the player will come across many colorful characters that may help, or most of the time, hinder you, not with violence mind you, but with puzzles, since that seems to be the answer to 90% of your problems in this game.
This game also has some replay value, that’s right, replay value, because from the day of release for one year, players will be able to download a different puzzle a day, testing the limits of your intelligence each and every day, the difficulty varies from puzzle to puzzle, but some might leave you stomped.
One of the complaints in the game comes from the graphics, while not my personal complaint (this comes more from other fans) is one of the most controversial to longtime fans. The character designs being changed from static images to all out 3D models was a low blow to purists, who think it makes the characters to be clunky looking and somehow removes the charm found in the previous games.
Another complaint personally, is that the series has not shied away from the usual fare, it still works mind you, but there will be a time when it just won’t cut it, thankfully, Level 5 is a dependable company and I’m confident they will give us gamers something new in the future..
I give this game an 8 out of 10. It is a great game that will appeal to those who enjoy text based games with an interesting story, or those who enjoy a good puzzle. But those who are trigger happy keep away, most of the gameplay involves poiningt and clicking.
To those whose interest has been piqued, here is a video with the first 15 minutes of the game.
I have played games created specifically for phones before, and I have found at least some form of entertainment on them, minor, sure, but entertaining nonetheless.
DeadGrind is an on-rails shooter, you are tasked to just shoot zombies, that’s it. There is no story, no actual motivation, and no endearing elements that would make you come back to it again, let me explain by telling you about the game in detail.
You control an unnamed character who is tasked with shooting zombies, shooting them fast is a must, because if you get hit at least once, you become infected and start losing health, you regain health by shooting zombies quickly and efficiently; in the head of course, you can also regain health by shooting crows flying about.
The visuals in DeadGrind are gritty, stylish cel-shaded graphics, everything is, and it feels a lot like a zombie film as you move forward, that’s probably the best thing, unfortunately, everything is forgettable, it gets stale, and it will become uninteresting, so coming back for more is out of the question.
The music is composed by 3 different tracks, the title screen, the main game, and of course, the game over guitar riff, I have to admit they aren’t half bad, tracks soundbut the tracks are forgettable either way, so you won’t remember much about them.
The worst part of this game is the gameplay, you have one gun (M16) and you can unlock a total of 6 guns by getting money from the main game, the thing is the main game gets old quickly, shooting zombies can be a bit fun the first time, but repeatedly, it gets dull, and getting the money needed to unlock the rest of the guns can be a huge drag, since you get a measly amount from killing each zombie, oh, and if you die, that’s it, game over, no going forward for you, the only way to get more enjoyment is by purchasing the premium version along with the gun packs, but once you do that, what’s the point?
All in all, I cannot recommend this game at all, it would be a waste of space on your phone, there was no fun to be had here, the game is free, but unless you like to mindlessly shoot stuff, you shouldn’t waste your time with this.
Well, if you want to spend some space for a game that you‘ll probably forget after the first few playthroughs, be my guest, you have been warned.
It’s a portmanteau that has been going around the internet for a while, and a term that the variety of fans of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic show want to be labeled as, and yes, variety of fans, from little girls to grown adults enjoy this show, and its appeal and fame is something to behold in this day and age, and now, an official game has been released for them to enjoy.
Gameloft was put in charge of creating a game that could appeal to the mass fan base, and surprisingly, they came up with one decent free product, it isn’t as much of a game, in fact it’s more of building city-sim with minigames, and it even has a story, go figure.
You begin with a purple unicorn pony called ‘Twilight Sparkle’ your mission consists of getting all of the ponies who fled because of another evil pony called ‘Nightmare Moon’ and in order to accomplish this, you need to gain all 6 ‘Elements of Harmony’, and as well as getting rid of the darkness covering most of the land.
From here, you have to basically build places for the ponies to work (by buying them from a menu), and in turn, gain coins, gems, and experience that allows you to expand the land by getting rid of some of the darkness covering it, purchase more things in-game, such as more jobs, as well as even more ponies, including the main characters that are needed to access quests that allow you to gain even more coins, gems, and experience.
Calling this a “game” doesn’t really cut it at this point, but there is some sort of gaming that can be done. 2 minigames are available from the start and are alternated with each pony, one involves catching apples as they fall, and the other involves keeping a ball bouncing in rhythm to get more points, the points gained give the pony itself experience that in turn allows them to gain a star that in order to be obtained, needs to play another bonus minigame, which involves flying while getting coins. Getting more stars allow them to do jobs that require certain levels..
The game’s music isn’t much, but it’s there for the sake of having some, it contains basic sound effects as well, but surprisingly, it has voice acting from the actual actresses from the main show, which came as a surprise when I booted up the game, it’s surprising when actors actually voice their characters on games like this instead of stand-ins, listening to Tara Strong’s voice was certainly nice.
The visuals are the thing that impressed me the most, all of the characters are 3D models, and some have specific animations for each that can be “d’aww” inducing at times, the production values visually are actually a treat, most them are simple, but it gives the game a calm atmosphere, although with so many things on-screen, the game can slow down to a crawl.
All in all, this is a simple city simulator game, a free one for that matter, you can easily get it for Android devices and Apple devices such as IPhones, it has its problems with some slowdown, and it can get annoying, but many can look past that. I was reluctant of this game but I enjoyed it enough in small bursts, and isn’t that what mobile games are supposed to do?
Surprisingly, I actually would recommend this to the bronies themselves, if only because small children might not enjoy waiting for the minigames or want to build the city at a snail’s pace in order to see everything that it offers, dedication is at hand here, and the big fans will be very dedicated for a while.
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is the upcoming sequel to Epic Mickey. Unlike its predecessor, the game will not just be available on the Wii, but also on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows.
At PAX Prime 2012, I decided to play it on the Wii to get a feel for the game on its native console. That turned out to be a bit of a mistake, as my lack of familiarity with the Wii made me look a little foolish as I struggled with simple tasks. Once I got over the awkwardness of holding two controllers instead of one, I started to have a lot of fun. Waving your paintbrush around while hanging out with Mickey and the gang is sure to delight any child. I think the control scheme will appeal less to older gamers, but if they’re fans of the Disney universe they’ll still be able to get into the game.
In the last game, Oswald was one of the characters that needed Mickey’s help against the Blot. This time, Oswald actually teams up with Mickey as a co-op player, and is voiced by Optimus Prime. . . I mean Frank Welker. Additionally, Oswald’s helper, Gus the Gremlin, is voiced by Westley. . . I mean Cary Elwes. The other characters are voiced by their actual voice actors ie: Mickey is voiced by the same actor he is voiced by in the cartoons, Goofy is Goofy, etc.
As I played, the booth hunk (He was a creative director or something I’m sure, but I was totally distracted by the dimples. I will strive to be a better journalist next time, I promise.) mentioned some interesting ideas for the new game. Although Mickey would visit many of the same places, the focus would be on the musical elements and on the story of Oswald and Mickey as brothers.
I asked him why they chose to go with Oswald, a relative unknown, for the co-op partner instead of a character like Minnie Mouse. He said that Epic Mickey 2 is really a redemption story for Oswald, an awesome character that many people in our generation are completely unaware of, since he debuted in the 20s. I will accept that answer, though I really would have liked the opportunity to play a female character in the game.
Another nice aspect of the game is the choice system. It was interesting to see such an RPG dynamic in what felt like an action game. Mickey can choose whether to use thinner or paint, and those choices will affect both the gameplay and the reactions of the NPCs around him.
As my demo came to a close, I asked him the question I know we’ve all been pondering (by “all” I mean AxlCalrissian): Where is Epic DuckTales?!!!
The answer was pretty awesome. They don’t have anything planned but the creators are excited about the thought of expanding into the other shows. So maybe, one day, my little children will get to play Epic DuckTales. A-whoo ooh!
As a Disney fan and PS3 owner, I’m really looking forward to trying out Epic Mickey 2 when it is released on November 18th. The game is priced at $49.99 on the Wii, $39.99 on the PC, $34.99 on 3DS and $59.99 on the PS3 or 360.
Sony Computer Entertainment will release nasne in Japan on August 30 of this year as a networked recorder and media storage device retailing at 16,980 ¥ (about $207, includes tax). To put it simply, it’s a network where you can watch or record live television from several Sony devices and store data such as photos and music. With a 500GB hard disk drive and access to digital terrestrial and satellite television broadcast, it packs a lot of memory other devices do not have. As Sony’s president and CEO Kazuo Hirai says, it ” will give users more freedom to enjoy television in new ways by enabling them to watch programs on various Sony products through dedicated applications.” A weakness of the product is devices can only be used with the same home network as nasne, giving not much space for on-the-go entertainment. Also, one nasne device can only record one television program at once, not distinguishing it much from other DVRs. One will be able to use nasne with Sony computers, smart phones, and gaming consoles. Below are Sony devices that can be used with nasne.
PlayStation 3
PS3 users can watch and record television via a LAN cable using an upgraded version of ”torne” which will come bundled with nasne. Up to 4 nasne units can be used at once on the PS3.
Playstation Vita
PS Vita will use an application that will allow watching and recording via Wi-Fi connection. The application will be available sometime this year.
VAIO PC
“VAIO TV with nasne” will allow watching and recording live TV via Wi-Fi or LAN cable, the application will come out concurrently with nasne and be available to Windows 7 PCs via “VAIO Update,” a free update service for VAIO users. Many other things can be done via the PC. The recorded programs can be transfered to DVD or Blu-ray disc or stored in the PC’s HDD or SSD. A maximum of 8 nasne devices can be connected to VAIO PC and keywords can be used to look up television programs.
Sony Tablet/XPeria
Television can be watched via Wi-Fi. The application “G GUIDE TV OUKOKU CHAN-TORU” will allow to schedule recordings.
No word yet on whether it will be available in countries other than Japan.
is the upcoming sequel to Epic Mickey. Unlike its predecessor, the game will not just be available on the Wii, but also on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows.
