Nintendophiles 04.12.07
Posted by Theo Fraser on 04.12.2007
Let’s hope the Easter Bunny has run back to safety, as we’ve got zombies, madmen, and killers on the loose, all inside this week’s Nintendophiles!
Hello everyone, welcome back to Nintendophiles! I hope your Easter was better than mine, as I had the cumulative time of about 5 minutes to myself, due to it being incredibly busy at my pub. Big thanks goes out to the other local pub that decided to close for no apparent reason on one of the busiest weekends of the year. *Thumbs up*
Before we get started, I'd just like to say one thing. Go buy Super Paper Mario. That is all.
In-game trailer for Umbrella Chronicles!
Check out Capcom's official Japanese Umbrella Chronicles site for a first look at the on-rails shooter. As we've come to expect from recent Resident Evil iterations, it looks beautiful, but I'm still not convinced how well it will play. If it really is just run-and-gun gameplay, I fear it may be too formulaic. And from some of the scenes shown in the trailer, it looks like they're actually rehashing some of the scenarios from the previous games. That's great for newcomers to the series…but will Resi diehards who have likely played those sections countless times before be swayed into playing them again…on-rails? Watch the trailer and see for yourself. And please, all Resident Evil fans, email me with your thoughts and opinions on this new direction for Resident Evil on the Wii. I think we could get some good debate going on this.
Fans interested in the Wii-make of Resident Evil 4 may also be interested in Capcom's official page for the game, where you can see screenshots of how the Wii-mote will be implemented, and…lots of Japanese text. Here's a sneak peak at some of the pics!
The interactive cutscenes now include motion-sensitive prompts, and an on-screen target/cursor has been applied to the proceedings to help with aiming. Aside from this, and of course the bonus modes found in the PS2 version, there isn't a whole lot else the game has to offer. Capcom will need to get the controls incredibly slick and tight to convince gamers to purchase this Wii update, especially seeing as how the Wii can play the GC version perfectly, and at a fraction of the cost.
More Manhunt 2 details uncovered
Credit: CVG
Since its initial announcement, things have been pretty quiet from Rockstar concerning their upcoming brutalise-‘em-up, Manhunt 2. However, new details have started to trickle out concerning the general plot of the game, as well as a few nuggets of info concerning gameplay mechanics.
Daniel Lamb, the main character of the game (he was the one who did the voice-over in the first official trailer…looks a bit like Gordon Freeman), is a doctor that escapes an asylum with inmate Leo Kasper (the secondary character, mentioned in further memos from Rockstar) after a science experiment at a top secret research facility goes wrong. The main storyline follows their story as they are pursued by The Pickman Project, who are out to silence the two men and prevent the truth about the experiment from leaking out to the press.
The UK's Edge magazine this month talks about some of the gameplay additions, such as the "environmental executions," which has a rather endearing name, wouldn't you say? Much like in The Punisher, these context-sensitive hotspots will allow you to kill your foes in imaginative and creative ways, utilising various bits of scenery and stuff lying around you on the floor. Examples quoted include exposed electronics (which I always find works perfectly well), and toilets (presumably to flush someone's head down, as opposed to just urinating on them), which you can interact with and lure enemies towards to meet their doom.
Stealth looks to be playing a bigger role in the Manhunt sequel, as Daniel Lamb will go a bit Sam Fisher, shooting out the lights to give you more shadow so that you can hopefully avoid confrontation with those Pickman Project followers. The game's pace won't suffer, however, as these situations/areas will be balanced with faster, more in-your-face sections, planting a whacking great gun in your arms for you to blow your foe's face off at point-blank range. There will be four weapon sets for this game, ranging from one-hit-kill types such as syringes and pens, to the more familiar (and destructive) types such as a shotgun.
That's not a whole lot of information for you to mull over, but I personally always enjoy getting these little snippets to see how a game is progressing, and help build the hype at this early stage.
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon special features revealed
Credit: CVG
And about time too! The game goes on sale in Europe at the end of this month, with it reaching American shores on May 15th, and finally Ed Boon, co-creator of the Mortal Kombat franchise, has revealed exactly what kind of features the Wii Armageddon will come packaged with.
Of course, we all know by now that the Wii version comes with a motion-activated control system (with simple movements chained together to replicate a character's trademark moves), but what of the other modes and offerings the game has to give us?
One great addition to the list of options is an Endurance Mode, which allows you to compete indefinitely, against as many opponents as possible using just one life bar. A similar mode of play was included in the Gamecube's Soul Calibur II, which turned out to be a heck of a lot of fun. Alongside this is a Training Mode, where you can practise with characters you aren't so familiar with, or test out a new combo or what have you.
Armageddon's Wii roster has finally been determined at 64 playable characters (!!!)- every possible character from the franchise's storied history. The Wii version gets the bonus of secret character Khameleon, who appeared in Mortal Kombat Trilogy as a secret character on the N64. My Mortal Kombat days were on the SNES, so I'm not familiar with Khameleon, but she's a female ninja, so she's cool in my book.
There's certainly quite a lot on offer, but the PS2/Xbox 360 versions were released back in October. Will there be enough to justify the wait on the Wii? I can't see why Mortal Kombat fans would be disappointed, so I'd advise you to start saving those pennies for May 15.
Finished Twilight Princess? You've got more Zelda coming your way soon!
Hot off the press from the Japanese gaming magazine, Famitsu, is the news that the brand new DS Zelda adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, will launch in Japan on June 23rd!
This came totally unexpectedly, as it was previously thought that Phantom Hourglass had been put back towards the end of the year, so it's great to see it boosted back up the release schedule. Now we've just got that unenviable wait for the Western release!
Project O sounds Oh so cool!
Credit: C3
Project O, the as-of-yet unofficially titled game being developed by an all-star lineup of guys from the Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Harvest Moon series, has been revealed to be a single-player life-sim, set in a historical incarnation of Europe.
The game looks to play like your usual Sim City or Sim World, albeit with a twist. In the Sims games, you (the player) play God, and the citizens you command about pay relatively little attention to you. In Project O, you will play amongst other people/villagers and create a world around them, in which you interact with, as opposed to being detached as a ‘god' in the Sims games. In that way, it seems like it will be more like Animal Crossing; you control a character in that world, but your actions affect not only yourself, but all of your fellow villagers as well.
The plot looks to focus around one central character, set in a past era of Europe (unspecified at this time). Much like Harvest Moon, building relationships with your neighbours and townsfolk will be crucial as you expand your community.
One particularly interesting feature to note is that whilst the game at this time does not support any kind of multiplayer, you will be able to download new content wirelessly when connected to the internet. Life sims have near-endless longevity as it is, but this additional feature could prolong Project O's shelf life even further.
If any of that information has got you gasping for a copy of the game, unfortunately it looks like you'll be waiting until early next year, considering how there isn't even an official title for the game yet. It's still in its conceptual stage at present, but the concept certainly seems intriguing, and if the "seven samurai" (as they supposedly like to be referred to) can live up to the undoubtedly high expectations (what would you expect with FF, DQ and HM developers on board?), Project O could be the next big hit for the Wii.
Short and sweet
Allow me to apologise for the relative shortness of the news report this week, but I'm actually in the process of moving house right now, so I'm typing away whilst being engulfed by boxes of all shapes and sizes. Early next week is the official move, but unfortunately I won't be getting full internet access that quickly, so Nintendophiles will take a hiatus next week. Fear not, my loyal fans (all three of you), as I'll hopefully be back in two weeks, with a bumper edition to make up for the absence. This weekend is the big Square Enix Party event in Japan, so when I do eventually get round to writing my next report, there will undoubtedly be tons to talk about, so keep an eye on 411 Games at the usual time for your next dose of Nintendophiles!
The 411 Games Crew
Andrew Mellick's THE SIXAXIS brings you all that Sony goodness you crave! Ha, I'm sure there's an oxymoron in that statement somewhere.
Fact or Fiction: Games, brought to you by Tommy Coloma, featuring Greg Bruno and Damian Sarcuni.
Cory Moore's The Fun Factor takes a look at Animal Crossing: Wild World on the DS!
The Hate Master, Damian Sarcuni, brings you another edition of Angry Gaming
Joshua Richey presents The Digital Pulse, which tackles the ins and outs of the Xbox 360 Elite!
And James McGee debuts on 411 Games with The Game Plan! The first edition of this brand new column looks at the Purpose Driven Gamer, and what they might need to fully enjoy and appreciate a game.
As always, be sure to check out www.myspace.com/411games and the mother site, www.myspace.com/411mania.
