Nintendophiles 07.26.07
Posted by Theo Fraser on 07.26.2007
RPG fans rejoice as Bandai Namco announce two brand new Tales Of titles heading to Wii and DS! Plus, check out the latest on the Halo DS rumours, and why Mario Kart Wii was pushed back into 2008.
You lucky people. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say you VERY lucky people. Because you oh so nearly didn't get an edition of Nintendophiles this week, and as I'm sure you're well aware, that would be a complete disaster which would probably bring about the Apocalypse! I don't know if it's reached ‘World News' status, but the UK has been suffering from some severe flooding (MORE severe flooding, I should say. And this is Summer?). I moved house last week, and unfortunately moved straight into one of the affected areas. I'm just outside the ‘danger zone', but having only been here a few days, I've yet to get internet sorted out, thus having to once again resort to the joy of internet cafes. Thing is, the only nearby internet cafes are in a town that's partially submerged in water, hence they're not open. Dilemma! Fortunately, the local library is still active, and despite the fact I'm limited to a strict one-hour time limit (don't tell anyone, but I have a strong suspicion this place is run by new-age Nazis), I'm here and at your service to bring you another adrenaline-fuelled dose of Nintendo goodness. Why I said adrenaline-fuelled I have no idea. I'll blame it on the water.
Halo on DS? "Highly Likely"…but not from Bungie
Credit: Cubed3
For months and months, gaming circles have whispered about the possibilities of Halo coming to the DS. This all came about after a high-end Microsoft executive commented on bringing some of their more well-known franchises to portable formats, even going so far as to praise the DS. It's not a totally whacky idea; after all, Rare are under the Microsoft umbrella, and yet they've brought Banjo Pilot to the GBA in recent years, proving that Microsoft isn't against utilising Nintendo's handheld systems. They'd be a fool not to, seeing as how the DS is so popular worldwide.
The Halo rumours continued, but nothing official has been heard. Until now. Halo developer Bungie has caved in and spoken to the gaming press regarding a DS version of their prized franchise. And they've shot down the rumours of a Bungie-produced Halo DS game. That's not to say we won't see Halo on our DS, however.
Whilst Halo is technically the property of Bungie, Microsoft own the rights to it. So they can do as they please. This is what happened with Age of Empires, where Microsoft approached THQ, asking them to develop a DS version of the game, the end result of which was Age of Empires: Age of Kings. So it's not unheard of. In fact, Bungie said that it is "highly likely" that another developer has created a (most likely bastardized) version of Halo for DS. They went on to say that the DS isn't suited to the FPS genre (my fingers are probably inclined to agree after contracting severe arthritis from playing Metroid Prime: Hunters), hence why there are no plans for them to bring Halo to the DS at the moment.
But rather conveniently (in my opinion), Bungie seem to be ignoring/skirting round the issue of one key factor; Halo Wars. For those otherwise unaware, the Halo franchise is currently venturing into the RTS market with Xbox 360's Halo Wars. And real-time strategies are certainly a good fit on the DS, as will be proven in November by the spectacular Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. Hey, I'm no expert, but Halo Wars seems like a natural fit, should anyone wish to bring Halo to the DS in a format other than the FPS genre.
I'd like to think this was all part of some elaborate hushed-up plan, but Bungie firmly stated that "There is nothing going on right now," which is pretty black and white. So whether we get the ‘real' Halo or a version of Halo Wars aside, it's unlikely we'll see anything come of it very soon. But keep your ears peeled for any more whisperings!
Rockstar bring Table Tennis to the Wii
Credit: CVG
Whilst Rockstar have been plastered across newsboards this year thanks to the Manhunt 2 controversy, last year they were making waves with the fantastic Table Tennis on Xbox 360. I've only had a quick burst of play on the 360 version, but it's pretty sweet, and rivals Virtua Tennis in its intuitiveness and simplicity. It's one of those "easy to play, hard to master" games that quickly become a multiplayer favourite. Which is why it comes as great news that Rockstar are porting the game across to the Wii, motion control et all.
Those of you who own Wii Play have already had a taste (albeit very limited) of table tennis on the Wii, but you haven't had the chance to experience it in full. If you liked what you saw there, you'll go crazy for Rockstar's Table Tennis. The graphics will have to be adjusted to fit the Wii's capabilities, but the added bonus of motion control instantly makes this a hundred times more accessible than the 360 iteration. Rockstar certainly seem excited about it, stating that, "By bringing Table Tennis to the Wii and utilizing the motion-sensitive Wii Remote, a new audience can now experience a game that is beautifully designed and impossible to put down."
Rockstar Leeds are in charge of the project (who usually undertake PSP developments), with production being overseen by Rockstar San Diego. You can expect to see the game on store shelves this Autumn.
Mario Kart Wii set for 2008, Nintendo explain why
Credit: CVG
Nintendo's E3 press conference two weeks ago was highlighted by the announcement of Mario Kart Wii (still no word on an official title), and Kart fans jumped for joy…until they got word that the game wasn't being released until early 2008. This came as a blow to those expecting it around Christmas, as had been rumoured in the weeks leading up to the show.
Nintendo recently spoke out on the matter, however, and there reasoning seems very fair. Whilst the game itself could easily be ready for a Christmas launch, Nintendo have decided to hold it off until early 2008 so as to fill the drought of games that usually follows the Christmas rush.
"For the holidays we have a huge line-up of Wii games already, including Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Super Mario Galaxy, Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles and Pokémon Battle Revolution. Fans will not be hurting for great games to play."
Quite so. And I have to personally thank Nintendo on that front, as otherwise my wallet would be seriously hurting come New Year! I remember the Gamecube's first Christmas, and the gaping hole it left in my funds; Resident Evil Remake, Super Mario Sunshine, Timesplitters 2, Wrestlemania X8 (Ermm…) and Eternal Darkness, all within the space of about 3 months (in the UK). So I heartily applaud Nintendo's decision to space out their top-tier title release dates so as not to overwhelm gamers this Christmas. Plus, seeing as how the Wii has brought about many new gamers thanks to its broad appeal, it's almost certain that there are people out there who are new to these franchises and will want to play them at a leisurely pace, instead of having to rush to complete them in two weeks before the next big game comes out. Nintendo are being very smart in this respect.
Nintendo will reportedly release some major news regarding Mario Kart Wii in the near future, so stay tuned!
Dreams DO come true…Tales of Symphonia gets a sequel!
Credit: IGN, Cubed3
Glorious news! Tales of Symphonia, originally released on Gamecube and then ported across to the PS2, is the most successful Tales game yet in regards to Western releases. Much like Dragon Quest VIII on PS2, this was the game that popularised the series in the Western world. So presumably as a thank you to fans, Bandai Namco have decided to release a sequel to Symphonia, exclusively for the Wii, entitled Tales of Symphonia: Knights of Ratatoskr. Expect the ‘Ratatoskr' part to change in translation.
Set three years after the thrilling events of the original, Knights of Ratatoskr centres around Emil and Malta, the hero and heroine of the game, respectively. No firm storyline details have been set, but I'd expect a brand new enemy, as the original didn't really leave anything unsolved. All loose ends seemed to be tied up, from what I can remember. Bandai Namco have confirmed, however, that characters from the original will feature in the game, including Symphonia's hero, Lloyd (voiced by the Michael J Fox sound-a-like). Symphonia had quite a few different paths, resulting in two wildly diverse endings, so it will be interesting to see which ending Namco go with as the ‘definitive' ending, as it wasn't clear in the original. Without giving too much away, let's just say that in one ending, the greatest RPG character of all time (that's possibly a bit of a stretch, but hey, it's my column), Zelos, isn't around any longer. I pray for a resurrection, as that guy RULES! Anyway…
Visually, the game will be a step up from its Gamecube ancestor, and the developers claim to have utilised a higher texture resolution. Symphonia looked absolutely beautiful thanks to the wonderfully bright cel-shaded style, but the background textures often looked a little shabby, and cutscenes were sometimes plagued by out-of-focus characters. A higher resolution should do the trick to correct this problem. And whilst we're at it, let's work on the World Map, as that always seemed a little bland.
Gameplay-wise, the only piece of information we know regarding motion control is that the game will employ "Wii remote direct control," which involves you pointing with the remote and clicking where you want your character to move, much like the kind of control you see in typical PC RTS titles. Whether this is just on the World map or not remains to be seen, so the jury's out until then. It will, however, be used for menu selection, which is a nice addition.
Also new is a vague homage to Pokemon, as you'll be able to catch the various creatures and monsters you encounter in a special new battle command that allows you to enlist their help in battle, presumably akin to the Summons/Guardian Forces/Espers in Final Fantasy games. This takes it one step further, however, as you'll actually be able to train up and raise the abilities of these summons by calling them into battle. Sounds like a fun excursion from the main quest. Gotta catch ‘em all!
The Japanese release date is set for Spring 2008, and these things take aaaaaaages to translate, so I'm afraid we've got a bit of a wait on our hands. I really wouldn't expect this until next Autumn, maybe even Christmas 08. Still, it's on the way, and I'm absolutely ecstatic about it.
But there's more!
Oh yes, hold your horses, Tales fans, the good news doesn't end there. PSP owners may be enjoying Tales of the World: Radiant Mythologies, but DS owners have been rather left in the dark in regards to Tales releases. Fear not, however, as Bandai Namco have been secretly working on a Tales title for the DS alongside Radiant Mythologies, entitled Tales of Innocence, due for release in Japan by the end of the year!
Developer Alfa System are really busting their asses on this one, and the game will be in proper 3D, featuring detailed cutscenes and an impressive opening movie, which will be displayed in September at the Tokyo Game Show. Alongside Square Enix, these guys are proving that the DS is THE place to get your old school RPG fix.
Innocence is set in the peaceful capital city of Regnam. Which naturally spells trouble, as any time a place is described as ‘peaceful' in an RPG, you instantly know it's going to be blown up by the bad guys. Luca, the protagonist of the adventure, discovers that he has very special abilities, but it turns out he's not the only one, as other citizens of Regnam start coming forward with similar powers. What's going on? It's up to you to find out! It's not much, but it's already got me hooked! Joining Luca will be Iria, who is the more typical heroine of the game. I say ‘more typical' as apparently Luca isn't your standard RPG character, perhaps somewhat more of an anti-hero? Count me in the ‘intrigued' category!
I've always been a huge supporter of the Tales battle system, and Innocence uses the ‘Dimension Stride' linear motion battle system. This will apparently be a mix of elements of the Flex Range LMBS from Tales of the Abyss and the Aerial LMBS from the PS2 version of Tales of Destiny. I haven't played either of those games, so that doesn't mean very much to me, but it sounds like that's good news for Tales fans.
Here in Nintendophiles, we always pull out all the stops, so for your enjoyment, here's the stunning first trailer for Tales of Innocence so you can see the thing in motion. Check it out and weep at the beauty of it.
The 411 Games Crew
Mike Minotti and The SIXAXIS bring you the news that the PS2 is not dead with two brand-spanking-new titles. Plus, keep up on all those Metal Gear Solid announcements! *Quietly sobs, wishing for a Wii MGS*
It's the debut edition of the Hall of Shame! See who gets the honour of being first inductee, presented by Vincent Chiucchi.
