Nintendophiles 03.08.07
Posted by Theo Fraser on 03.08.2007
Rare gives you answers, SEGA gives you a choice, Square Enix gives you a brand new DS title and Manhunt 2 gives you a nasty low blow! Check out this week’s Nintendophiles for all the big news to keep you sane over the weekend.
Hello everybody, and welcome to Nintendophiles! I am coming off of a huge high from the weekend, back home from the Liverpool ROH shows. Check out my thoughts on the incredible weekend in the Wrestling section…but then come back here, OK?
In my absence, there's been quite a lot happening in the crazy world of all things Nintendoo, and with the Game Developers Conference already among us, it's about to get a whole lot crazier. So let's jump straight in the deep end!
Manhunt 2: Testicle protection not included
Credit: Gamesradar, Official Playstation Magazine (!)
The first solid details regarding Manhunt 2 were revealed earlier this week, and the source is certainly surprising (for Nintendophiles, at least). Yes, this information comes straight from the UK's Official Playstation Magazine! And to break it all down into bite-sized chunks, I'm gonna put it all in a lovely bullet-pointed layout. Being a Sony-related magazine, obviously there was nothing directly mentioned about the specifics of the Wii version, but these are general details covering all versions.
The game looks to maintain the controversial tone set by the original with horrific and gruesome deaths
One such kill involves the act of stomping an enemy to the ground before plunging a syringe straight into his eye
At a later stage in the game, a member of the Project has his testicles forcibly ripped off (!!!) AND two vertebrae discs taken out using a pair of pliers
The premise of the game will be completely new, as the Director, CCTV cameras, gangs, and James Earl Cash (the protagonist of the first game) will reportedly not feature at any time
The Project are a body of people backing a top-secret drugs-based weapons program, of which scientist (and main character) Daniel Lamb was assisting with.
Much like the original, kills are orchestrated in one of three manners; Hasty, Violent, and Gruesome
Environmental/Context-sensitive kills have been introduced. Think "The Punisher" and you'll have an idea of how this will work
In order to stay hidden in the shadows, the player will have to copy an on-screen button combo (a la Resident Evil 4) in order to regulate Daniel Lamb's breathing
To drown out your own noise, Lamb can create loud ambient noises to distract and/or divert the attention of his enemies
The ability to climb and crawl has been introduced to Manhunt 2; abilities which weren't available in the original.
For my reaction to all that, I turn to my trusty colleague, Mr Eugene Levy.
The face says it all!
Goldeneye on the Virtual Console- "It's possible"
Credit: CVG, Rareware
I think it's safe to say that Goldeneye on the N64 is generally agreed to be one of the best games of all time. Personal preferences aside (I still favour Perfect Dark), you've gotta admit that it would make a terrific Virtual Console download. But that would never happen, because Rare are now affiliated with Mr Gates and his band of merry men at Microsoft…right? Well, maybe not…
On Rare's official webpage, a Q&A section features a Rare fan asking the team if any of Rare's franchises could appear on the Virtual Console. Obviously, Donkey Kong Country has already been released on the VC, but that is because it is a Nintendo property starring an established Nintendo character. So what can we expect from Rare regarding the Wii's Virtual Console? Here's what Rare had to say in full.
"This is where we finally edge into territory that could see Scribes neutron bombed from management level. The only Rare-developed title on Virtual Console right now is the original Donkey Kong Country, and unofficially there's a strong likelihood that its sequels will follow."
YES! MORE DIXIE KONG!!!!
Rare then went on to say:
"But the Donkey Kong series of games is a Nintendo-owned franchise starring an established Nintendo character, whereas something like Banjo isn't (and even Diddy Kong Racing is less clear-cut), so it's nowhere near as easy to call.
"Especially when you also consider the existence of Xbox Live Arcade. So right now, the best answer we can offer (for either download service) is 'it's possible'."
Goldeneye was specifically mentioned elsewhere on the page, as the spokesperson for Rare explained that it's "caught up in a convoluted web of rights", but that this "doesn't mean it won't happen, just that a lot of people with a lot of different perspectives are involved."
So… "it's possible" and "this doesn't mean it won't happen" are the official answers? Hell, that's good enough for me! But if Goldeneye IS to be brought to the Wii, I'd venture to say that it certainly won't be this year. The ‘convoluted web of rights' the Rare spokesperson mentioned was in reference to EA owning the Bond license, and I'd imagine that as Pierce Brosnan is now out of the Bond scene, New Line Cinema are likely going to have to be approached to try and work something out. But "Never say never" is the old adage, and I would be inclined to agree on that matter. Let's just cross our fingers and wait.
Super Paper Mario US Boxart Revealed
Yep, there it is. No, I haven't got anything else interesting to say here. I just felt like showing you the boxart. Looks nice, you will agree? OK, time to move along now…
SEGA interested in reviving a forgotten franchise?
Credit: SEGA
Right now on SEGA's homepage there is a poll for the public that looks like it could shape what project SEGA takes on in the near future.
The poll in question asks SEGA fans which game/character/franchise they'd like to see return. The five choices are as follows:
Nights
Streets of Rage
Samba de Amigo
Virtua Cop
Flicky
Currently, Nights leads with over 50% of the votes. So make your voice heard! Of the five, I'd say Nights, Streets of Rage and Virtua Cop are the ones that could be great on the next/current-gen consoles (I really have no idea what we refer to them as right now). A couple of months ago there were a few rumours going round about a Nights sequel hitting the Wii, so perhaps SEGA are testing the water, checking that there is still a fan following for that game. Judging by the feedback, it would seem that there are plenty of gamers out there who crave the return of one of the Sega Saturn's finest.
To Mii, To You
Credit: CVG, Cubed3, Next-gen.biz
Earlier in the week, the news broke that third-party developers were currently unable to incorporate Mii characters into their own games, despite what Nintendo had promised upon revealing the system. According to the EA producer Eric Chartrand, Nintendo have yet to supply them with the necessary tools needed to integrate the Miis into their games. This comes as a blow to those who thought their Miis could be featured in some way in EA's upcoming MySims game for the Wii.
However, in an update from Cubed3, Sega Sammy's Wii Pachinko game has been confirmed as incorporating Mii characters into it as well as utilising the Wi-Fi functionality of the system. Which pretty much ends those rumours, doesn't it?
Square Enix take you to school!
Credit: IGN, Cubed3
Back in 2006, Square Enix announced the formation of Serious Games, which was designed with the idea of creating games that would bring the virtual and real world closer together. To kick off this week's Game Developers Conference, Serious Games announced its first project, currently titled "Project GB" for the Nintendo DS.
Project GB aims to teach your average gamer how to make video games. There are 10 staff involved in the project, and production was undertaken one month ago.
At the GDC presentation, the game was demonstrated to the media, where the demo involved adding modifications and alterations to a basic game of Space Invaders. Customisation options seen were visual things like the appearance of the player's ship, the option to edit all the visible sprites, as well as the ability to adjust gameplay parameters such as the balance in the game.
Once this presentation had ended, Square Enix revealed the Project GB will teach basic game development from a beginner's perspective, hopefully giving the game a wide audience. Network functionality (not necessarily Wifi, but that hasn't been ruled out) will be included, and players will be able to use this to exchange data.
Square Enix's Chief Strategist Ichiro Otobe said:
"There's a huge huge potential that games can become mainstream media, but without active involvement from the developer community, it will stay niche."
And I wholeheartedly agree. This is a huge step for the gaming community, as it means that before long we'll no doubt see amateur games cropping up, much like you find those crappy 5 minute films on Youtube that someone's filmed at the back of their garden. If Project GB turns out to be a solid introduction to the methods used in developing a video game, Square Enix could be onto a winner.
Viable Candidates for the Virtual Console
Excite Truck saw its UK release a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I'd take a look back at it's ‘older cousin,' if you will, a brilliant N64 game that got overlooked due to its late arrival in the N64's life cycle; Excitebike 64.
Like the original NES game, this didn't pretend to be overly realistic. It glorified the speed and the bumps and the physics, making each race an exhilarating experience, hence the prefix of "Excite."
I tend to think of Excitebike 64 in the same way as 1080 Snowboarding, in that whilst you are basically racing from start to finish (and can only win by coming first in the race), there is a tricks system to keep you entertained towards to the final stretch. As you launch into the sky off of various ramps and jumps, you can pull off over a dozen original tricks, and the trick buttons are all intuitively mapped to the controller to make life a lot easier for you. Of course, it's not all for show, as some tricks can substantially help you out, momentarily giving you a short boost, which can be vital in later, more difficult stages.
Season Mode should keep you occupied for a while with 20 unique tracks, including six stadium tracks and six outdoor rally tracks. The changes in locations help to alter the pace and keep things fresh. Of course, should you find yourself growing bored of these pre-made tracks, then why not dip into the awesome Track Editor (which you'll also find in the NES original) in which you can create a track to suit your needs.
Excitebike 64 also includes a big array of unlockables, from Special Tracks to a working version of the original NES game. The Special Tracks all come with their own scenarios, such as Steep Hill Climb, which requires you to battle gravity to climb up a series of tall hills, Stunt Course, allowing you the space to practice your tricks and try for those high scores, and my personal favourite, the brilliant multiplayer Soccer mini-game, which is basically a game of soccer, except of course you are on your motorbikes, and drive into the ball to ‘kick' it around.
Multiplayer supports up to 4 players, and you have access to all the Special Tracks, which will most likely be what you come back to time and time again.
Excitebike is a famed Nintendo franchise, and the original is up for download as we speak on the Virtual Console, so it's highly likely that we see this again one day. Using the Expansion Pak, Excitebike 64 looked great back in its day, so on the higher resolution Wii, it could look very pretty indeed. With options such as Time Trial mode and the Track Editor, I could see this sitting on your Wii homepage for a long time, as you'll constantly come back to it for one more play. It was one of the best racers on the Nintendo 64, right up there with Wave Race and 1080 Snowboarding, and with its late arrival, it's fair to assume that many missed out on this. So come on, Nintendo, don't make us all suffer. Bring Excitebike 64 to the Virtual Console, and I'll be one happy bunny.
Reader Feedback!
I absolutely had to include this email from AREYES34929 as it legitimately made me laugh out loud.
Hey, I really appreciate your shout out to the "Donkey Kong 64" rap.
Definitely my favorite game intro. I just wanted to pass the
knowledge that if you were to mute the game while the intro was
playing, and replace the music with Eminem's track "Bitch Please II"
from the Marshal Mathers LP, it surprisingly synchs well ala "The Dark Side of the Rainbow" (and no, I wasn't on any narcotics when I discovered this). Keep up the good work.
Brilliant! And on that note, I shall wrap up the news report!
The 411 Games Crew
Up first is the 411 Games March Roundtable! In Part 1, the gang get together to discuss such topics as Biggest Winner of the Month, Best Game of Last Month, and what the staff are currently gaming. The Roundtable wraps up with Part 2, in which we talk about all the games that you'll be seeing on the shelves this month.
Shawn Struck brings you the Code Games News Report with all the crazy goings-on from last week, including Konami cancelling MGS3: Subsistence's online server, the brilliant Anti-PS3 song, and Post-cyberpocalyptic basketball! Oh, the insanity of it all!
The Select and Start News Report by Vincent Chiucchi covers issues such as Sony winning its lawsuit against Immersion, more news on the PAL PS3 launch, and other little news titbits. Well, what are you waiting for? Check it out, pronto!
The Bowser to my Mario, Andrew Mellick weighs in with The SIXAXIS, with unfortunately more bad news for European Sony fans. Check out what's going on in the world of Sony in the full column.
Tommy Coloma has the Negative Edge News Report for you to feast your eyes on, including a snippet of an awesome South Park episode. Read the column, watch the clip, sit back and enjoy!
No, your eyes do not deceive you! Unlockable Content has returned! You may be overjoyed to hear this news, but Will Scott is not so joyous, as his Xbox 360 has crashed. Read all about it in the full column!
In Gaming Trends, Vincent Chiucchi looks at why the arcades failed. Whose to blame? Why did it happen? Click the link and find out!
Shawn Struck has an exclusive sit-down interview with the Localisation Lead for Atlus' upcoming hit "Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja," Nich Maragos.
Steve McHugh has a Flashback, with more on Comic Book Video Games, this time turning to DC Comics.
Vincent Chiucchi and the 411 Games staff present the Top 5 People in the Games Industry in this week's Top 5: Games Edition.
Angry Gaming prepares us for the future as Damian Sarcuni explores what the games industry has in store for us in the coming year.
Cory Moore presents The Fun Factor, looking at NCAA March Madness 2004 for PS2 and Xbox.
And finally a special pimpage goes out to the 411 Myspace page at www.myspace.com/411mania and our very own brand new 411 Games page! Go to http://www.myspace.com/164604475 and add us as a friend! And yeah, we'll send you all those annoying bulletins about our sex lives. Wait…411mania has a sex life and I don't? Man, I feel bad…
