Joystiq

Joystiq hands-on: Boingz (WiiWare)

Randy Nelson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:45:00 EST

The unlikely pairing of Real Networks (you know, the RealPlayer folks) and Ninja Bee (you, uh, might know - they've done Outpost Kaloki X, Band of Bugs, and the upcoming A Kingdom for Keflings for XBLA), Boingz is a spring-physics-based puzzle-platformer for WiiWare reminiscent of a slower-paced Lemmings.

In this case, the Boingz - stretchy, sleepy creatures - need to be directly maneuvered to various exits in the level, rather than just mindlessly marching forward. In addition to using the Wiimote to "pinch" their heads and snap them skyward at various angles, we were able to pin them to the environment in order to create bridges, or to rocks so that we might pick up sparkly underwater treasure.

Gallery: Boingz

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New Games This Month: October 2008

Justin McElroy — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Features, PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360

OK, video game publishers, we know we said we weren't complaining about the torrent of new releases last month, but now, we totally are. Do you know how long this features takes to write now? Do you know how broke we're going to be by month's end? (Answer key: Too long; very.)

Watch a visual representation of your wallet getting thinner right here.

Gallery: New Games This Month: October 2008

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Silicon Knights lays off 26 employees 'temporarily'

James Ransom-Wiley — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Business

We'll spare the "too human" jokes and get right to it: Silicon Knights laid off 26 employees today as the studio reshuffled its size in preparation for "several new and exciting" projects. Before the "temporary" cutback, the company totaled just over 180 employees.

"These 26 individuals are hard-working and valued team members that we hope to bring back as we ramp up on our future projects," head knight Denis Dyack said in a statement. The layoffs are consistent with typical development cycles in the industry, but do come at a time when global markets are wavering. Silicon Knights has not yet named any of the individuals affected by today's downsizing, but a tipster suggests the group includes "a few long-tenured ones."

Read the full statement from Silicon Knights after the break.

[Thanks Bob!]

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This Wednesday: MLB Stickball on XBLA

James Ransom-Wiley — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Sports

It's October and many of you are still reeling from late-season collapses (hey Mets!) or more recent ones (was it the curse?). But a few of us have waited fifteen years to feel this high heading into the league championship series (and happily distracted from the Eagles' sinking record), and what better way to align our collective karma than to play a game of stickball? No, no, not actual stickball (by all means, stay seated), but 2K Sports new Xbox Live Arcade game-cum-reliable-prediction-simulator MLB Stickball (800 / $10), featuring 120 players from all 30 teams.

So head out to the back-alley ballpark, Dodgers vs. Phillies, and see to it the right team wins. Seriously people: Don't. Jinx. Anything!

Gallery: MLB Stickball

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Joystiq hands-on: Tetris Party (WiiWare)

Zack Stern — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Nintendo Wii, Puzzle, Galleries

We've soaked up Tetris on countless platforms. There's a balance to strike between versions that retain enough of the core game to be authentically Tetris, and adding new puzzle elements. Tetris Party for WiiWare nails this demand, providing about a dozen game modes, many of which, are all-new. Call it "yet another Tetris?" Maybe. But this is a Tetris on which we'll gladly spend 1,200 Wii points with its release sometime this month.

Nintendo claims there are 18 modes, 10 of which are new, but we only agree technically; the company counts some modes twice as single- and multi-player games. (Most modes support up to four players on one system, and a few work with up to six online.) We tore into as many as we could before overloading like a kid on a Halloween sugar-high. Here's how they stand up.

Gallery: Tetris Party (WiiWare, 10-06-08)

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Tomb Raider: Underworld getting 'exclusive' DLC on Xbox 360

Jason Dobson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

Xbox 360 players planning to lace up in Lara Croft's skin-tight boots this November can look forward to a double helping of new content even after the final credits roll by. Eidos announced that it has inked a deal with Microsoft to release two additional chapters to Tomb Raider: Underworld, offering some six additional hours of raiding tombs, or at least what passes for tombs these days.

The first bit of DLC, ominously titled Beneath the Ashes, will debut this Christmas, adding a new area and enemies as well as a continuation of Underworld's story. The second, dubbed Lara's Shadow, promises "a new kind of playable character," leaving us wondering if Lara been drinking from the Phazon pool again? Eidos bills the new content as "exclusive" to Xbox Live Marketplace, though we'll at least try to feign surprise should similar content make its way to other platforms as well.

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Joystiq impressions: Cave Story (WiiWare)

Zack Stern — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Mac, PC, Nintendo Wii, Adventure, Galleries

click to enlarge

We played Cave Story at the Nintendo Media Summit, and other than controlling the game with the Wii Remote - old-school sideways, natch' - it's nearly the same as the free PC and Mac game. The retro look and gameplay make this seem like an overlooked garage-sale find, for good or bad. (Usually good.)

Gallery: Cave Story (WiiWare)

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Mario Golf, Shining Force II swing their armaments on Virtual Console

Ross Miller — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Retro, Nintendo Wii

What's better than playing golf with your favorite Nintendo characters in the comfort of your own imagination? Wielding a sword and playing a character named "Bowie," of course!

Mario Golf (Nintendo 64, 1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points): Arguably the best in the Mario Golf series and certainly one of the cheapest. It just makes us wonder why Nintendo hasn't slapped together its cast of characters into a Wii golf game yet.
Shining Force II (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): You've got a sword in a fantasy medieval setting that rewards you for swinging said blade at others. Also, did we mention your main character is named Bowie?

To jog your memory, we've embedded videos of each title after the break.

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Video and screens: Mario and Luigi (and Bowser make) 3

Randy Nelson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Action, Adventure, RPGs

Another of the games shown in video-only form at Nintendo's recent North American media summit, Mario and Luigi 3 (or Mario and Luigi RPG 3, depending on who you ask) is the latest chapter in Intelligent Systems' superb action-RPG series, and the second on DS.

This outing adds Bowser as a playable character, and, from what we saw (and you can see in the above video), Mario's long-time nemesis brings some nasty power-moves to the party. It also looks like players will control him solo, rather than throwing him into a three-character combat system. That's okay with us; as long as IS keeps coming up with cool gameplay mechanics using both Mario bros. and crafting a zany story to compliment them, we're there.

Gallery: Mario and Luigi 3

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PSP Brite box art shows Wi-Fi Store

Ross Miller — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PSP

Sony has already confirmed the PSP Wi-Fi store is coming this Fall for Japan. The official box art for a November 30 US PSP Brite (a.k.a. PSP-3000) bundle also shows store functionality (via Amazon), indicating that the fall launch will be global and just in time to keep yourself distracted during Thanksgiving dinner. It was previously rumored that the store would be coming with firmware 5.00.

In other PSP Brite news, the gang at Eurogamer spent the weekend with the upgraded handheld as well as firmware 4.20, featuring a Color Space option that, "If you set to [Wide], the system's display will appear more vivid."

[Via PSP Fanboy]

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Wii Music 'games' within the 'game' detailed

Randy Nelson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Rhythm

On Friday we had our final hands-on session with Wii Music before its October 20 release. Our feelings about it remain more or less unchanged from our time with it at E3. It's not a "gamer's game;" it's not even really a game in the traditional sense. Its novel mechanics will be best appreciated by young children or groups of non-gamers. Nintendo itself has said as much.

Still, we wanted to finally see the "games" of Wii Music - the three modes where players are actually scored. The first is conducting with the Wiimote as a baton, which was demo'd by Nintendo back at the system's unveiling. The gist of this game is staying true to the tempo of the original work. How close you maintain the flow determines your score.

There's also a choir bell game for up to four players, which involves "ringing" your two bells as ones matching their colors scroll past. Finally, there's the most simple of the games, which tests you ability to hear different pitches. There are 10 "levels," where you are asked to place the Mii that's producing a specific tone onto a platform - match and win.

Simple stuff indeed.

Gallery: Wii Music (10-06-2008)

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DSi-only software is region locked

Ross Miller — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS

Nintendo's decades-long streak of region-free handhelds is coming to a close. In a statement to CVG, the company confirmed that Nintendo DSi-only cartridges and downloadable content will be locked to the region where you buy the Nintendo DSi. Web browsing, photo sharing and playing DS games will be region free, but US gamers hoping to import the console between now and "well into 2009" will probably have to brush up on their Japanese to enjoy the best new features.

We're not too worried, though. Something in our gut tells us that SD card slot will give region-unlocking ninjas in the homebrew community an easy "in."

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Joystiq impressions: Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop

Zack Stern — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Nintendo Wii, Action, Galleries

click to enlarge

Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop thins components from the 360 original into a Wii port. And that's not always a bad thing. As much as we liked the original, we were frustrated by losing track of side missions and the unforgiving save system. The Wii remake addresses both issues, running players through a condensed, linear story with more frequent save- and restore-points. And Wii controls often feel good, especially for pointing and shooting, although we're still uncertain about some of the motion additions, such as shaking off zombies.

But after playing at the Nintendo Media Summit, we're apprehensive about what's being lost. There's no photojournalism, many weapons have been cut, and we're just not sure if the Wii can push enough zombies-per-second to create the ambling masses of the first. The Wii version seems suited to gamers who never tried the original; it'll hold up better without any direct comparison to the 360 game.

Gallery: Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop (10-06-2008)

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WiiWare goes Midnight Bowling with MadStone

Justin McElroy — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo Wii

You know the great thing about writing about WiiWare every week? Often, the comedy writes itself. Let's take a look at the description for Midnight Bowling (Gameloft, 1-4 players, 800 Wii Points) shall we? "Plunge directly into the trendy and electric atmosphere of Midnight Bowling. With awesome playing sensations, prepare for ultra-fun gaming thanks to a new physics engine that lets you control your throws precisely and easily with your Wii Remote." Controlling bowling ball throws with the WiiMote? Let us be the first to say: Finally. (Comedy bonus: The description also boasts you'll be playing in "the trendiest bowling spots on the planet" which is a little like bragging that you give the world's most pleasurable spinal tap.)

Also, there's MadStone (Riverman Media, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points), the true glory of which you can only appreciate with the post-break video.

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Joystiq impressions: Animal Crossing: City Folk

Zack Stern — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Nintendo Wii, Online, Casual, Galleries

Animal Crossing is a one-hit-wonder. You might like it and play it forever, hate it and avoid it completely, or think it was catchy and then just get tired of the tune. Animal Crossing: City Folk does little to change our perception. This is Animal Crossing, again; go fishing, pull weeds, repeat. Some love it, some hate it, and some just want something new.

From what we saw at the Nintendo Media Summit, the city is just another place to go. Instead of Tom Nook's shop in your own town, you can buy from an upscale store. Instead of waiting for the fortune teller to visit, you can see her in the city. A few minor additions include a city-based auction house and theater where you see shows.

The rest of the updates seem equally subtle. You can play with your Mii face. Up to four players can meet in one of their towns or the city. Gamer can talk over the WiiSpeak microphone (sold separately). You can type messages by plugging in any USB HID keyboard. Otherwise, it's Animal Crossing again.

Gallery: Animal Crossing: City Folk (10-6-08)

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Rumorong: Sega not releasing portable game hardware

Justin McElroy — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Portable, Sony PSP

Despite what you may have heard from Register Hardware or various and sundry other media outlets over the weekend, Sega isn't getting back into the hardware business. Yes, the company's releasing a portable device that can "play games," in addition to playing music and movies as well as serving as a digital camera. But those games are Java-based, just like the ones you're playing on your cell phone right now. Well, not right now. But you get the idea.

To really drive home the point, Sega told Unofficial RPG Site, "The Vision is primarily an MP4 video player with some basic games functionality, and not a new handheld gaming machine" (emphasis RPG Site). RPG Site goes on to add, "the Sega Vision isn't actually a Sega-developed device at all, and in fact a cheap Chinese iPod-style alternative."

We know, we know. We're upset too.

Source -- Sega to launch PSP beater in Japan [Register Hardware]
Source -- SEGA: "Vision" is real, not a PSP rival [Unofficial RPG Site]

[Thanks to everyone who tipped us to this!]

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Joystiq hands-on: Call of Duty: World at War (Wii)

Randy Nelson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, First Person Shooters

click to enlarge

Was it mere coincidence that Activision's latest Wii FPS was situated right next to The Conduit at Nintendo's SF media event? You know, as if to say, "You want first-person shooters? Wii has you covered." Surely not. One thing's for certain: The situation certainly made it easier for us to transition from one game to the other in order to gauge how different developers are putting motion-control to use in the genre.

In the case of Treyarch, its Wii team has obviously played plenty of Metroid Prime 3; Call of Duty: World at War is pratically a play-alike (without the Morph Ball, grapple beam, and ... er, all that other sci-fi stuff). We were pleasantly surprised to find that the game is also similar to another FPS ... Call of Duty: World at War - the "HD" version.

Gallery: Call of Duty: World at War (Wii)

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New games this week: Fracture edition

Justin McElroy — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360

LucasArts' big farewell to game development continues this week with the release of terraforming actioner Fracture. Is it as exciting as a terraforming motorcycle? It is not. But if you're looking for action this week, it's pretty much the best you're going to do.

If you're a sports fan though, you've got a double dribble of b-ball action with NBA Live 2009 and NBA 2K9 (thank goodness they're in the same week too, because we just used up all of the basketball lingo at our disposal). Check out the full list after the break.

Gallery: Fracture

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Neopets Puzzle Adventure gets October release window

Zack Stern — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Nintendo Wii, Puzzle, Casual

When we raved about the Othello-based, Neopets Puzzle Adventure, we couldn't scrub away the sadness of endorsing something built on a Tomagotchi-knock-off. We name-dropped how it's being developed by Infinite Interactive, creators of Puzzle Quest, but that wasn't enough. We shivered for weeks.

Capcom let us know that the PC and DS versions are due by the end of October, while a Wii edition is coming later. So you'll soon be able to share our love of the puzzler (and self-loathing). Check out our original impressions again for the full details.

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Sega re-working MadWorld controls, game still looks awesome

Randy Nelson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Action

Excitement quickly turned to disappointment when we realized that Sega and Platinum Games' super-stylized Wii action title, MadWorld, was up-and-running on two kiosks at Nintendo's Fall Media Summit ... but wasn't actually playable by the media. Instead, Sega reps informed us that the game is currently undergoing some fundamental changes to its control scheme and that, well, they basically didn't want us to play it in its current state.

It sure looked bloody fun (emphasis, of course, on the "bloody"). We watched those around us slowly back away as we giggled with child-like glee at the on-screen ultra-violence (hey, we'd had a very bad morning in traffic). Someone urged Sega's testers to show off the most over-the-top move they could think of, so we were treated to a gameplay sequence wherein an enemy was restrained with a tire, skewered through the head with a stopsign post, then cleaved in twain by the main character's chainsaw.

We also got a peek at the chainsaw in action while riding a motorcycle down the side of a building and along a highway at innapropriate speeds. A sequence which, again, made us even more steamed that we couldn't grab the controls and try it ourselves. Not mad enough to run anyone through with a signpost, mind you, but most definitely irked.

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