Nintendophiles 11.22.07
Posted by Theo Fraser on 11.22.2007
SEGA resurrect an old arcade shooter for the Wii, Namco Bandai start work on a brand new RPG, the UK gets its own games convention, and id Software hint at the Wolfenstein franchise joining Quake Arena on the DS!
The Wii celebrated its one year anniversary this week, and what possible better way is there to celebrate it than with the release of arguably its finest game to date; Super Mario Galaxy. Work has prevented me from giving it quite as much attention as I would have liked, but so far I've nabbed 27 stars and have loved every second of it! Of course, I'm likely just preaching to the choir, as I can't see there being all that many Wii owners who won't have bought this, but nevertheless, it's nice to wax lyrical about such a fantastic game, in every aspect. I will say that it hasn't been all that challenging thus far, but I'll reserve judgement until I'm much further along in the adventure.
But enough of Super Mario Galaxy for now. That's the present, and here at Nintendophiles, we look to the future and what games developers have in store for us.
Prepare for a fright...SEGA bring House of the Dead 2 & 3 to the Wii!
Credit: IGN
SEGA made the official announcement earlier this week after it had been rumored for a little while, and now we can confirm that the team are bringing House of the Dead 2 and 3 to the Wii in a special all-in-one package, and both titles will be compatible with the Wii Zapper, bringing the original arcade experience straight to your living room.
As you can see, there's clearly been no attempt at a graphical update, and that's a little disheartening to be honest. Yes, you could argue the whole "you're getting two games for the price of one" matter, but really, this just screams "cheap cash in". It's especially insulting coming from SEGA, who have been avid supporters of the Wii thus far, and it's a shame to see them ‘stoop' to these levels to make a quick buck.
As always, I'll give the benefit of the doubt at this early stage. SEGA are at least packing in the gameplay modes, with Arcade and Time Attack modes as well as co-operative play and 4 other options of some sort. If the controls are ultra-responsive, and the game gives good feedback for gunshots that hit their targets (i.e. unlike the Umbrella Chronicles format of "6 shotgun blasts to the face before zombie flinches"), then I'll consider it as a worthy addition to the Wii's budget lineup. But I'm just not convinced.
Namco Bandai show the Wii's Fragile side
Credit: IGN, Famitsu
Late last week, Namco Bandai announced a new RPG IP for the Wii, entitled Fragile. Famitsu magazine recently scored the exclusive first look at the game, so let's take a look at what we now know about the project.
Fragile is set in the near future, in a world covered in thick fog where the entire population has mysteriously disappeared. You take control of a boy named Seto, who wanders the world, searching for clues as to why civilization has seemingly vanished. Exploration will play a big part, and you'll use the Wii remote to command an on-screen flashlight, which you can direct in any portion of the screen to light up derelict areas. Also on offer will be a metal detector, which will function in a similar way. Ghosts will appear around various ruins, and naturally this will form the combat part of the game. Details are still sketchy on that front, but it looks as if Seto will utilise a stick of some kind. Hopefully this will be initiated by swings of the Wii remote.
Namco Bandai aren't particularly renowned as being an RPG company, but it's very worth noting that the project is being developed by Tri Crescendo, who were responsible for the stellar Baten Katios games on Gamecube, as well as the more recent Eternal Sonata for Xbox 360. It's certainly in capable hands, that's for sure. A vague 2008 Japanese release date has been set (presumably late 2008, so we're unlikely to see it on these shores this side of next Christmas), but fear not, as we'll be seeing a lot of the game probably this time next week! The game's official website is set to launch later this week, and Namco Bandai are preparing a proper press release on the title this weekend, so hopefully we'll have even more details for you the next time you check back in with Nintendophiles! For now though, how about you whet your appetite with the first piece of official artwork for the game!
UK gets its own ‘proper' games show
Credit: CVG, Play.com
UK retailer Play.com have revealed plans to hold a games show this coming March in England; an E3 of sorts for PAL gamers.
March 15th-16th 2008 is the date to put in your diaries, and the event will be held in the recently refurbished Wembley Stadium, open to the public, but only through ticket purchase. Tickets go on sale December 3rd (at Play.com, naturally), but no prices have been set just yet. Entitled "Play.com Live", the event is being heralded as "a brand new consumer gaming, entertainment and lifestyle show", and it's sure to be a big hit this side of the pond, with there being little else of this scale on offer.
Of course, there's no guarantee at this point in time how seriously developers will take it, especially the Big Three. Seeing as Nintendo failed to show anything new at the already established Leipzig Games Convention this year, I wouldn't expect them to make any groundbreaking announcements. More likely, it'll simply be a venue for them to demo their latest first party titles, and there's nothing wrong with that. But hopefully a few of the bigger developers recognise this as an opportunity to expand the gaming media market, ensuring that UK gamers don't just get ‘recycled' news from US territories.
Play.com certainly seem eager to make the event successful, reportedly having big plans in store, and I wish them all the best, as the UK is long overdue for a games convention of this nature. March 15th, I'll be there, you can count on that!
Quake Arena AND Wolfenstein franchises brought to the DS
Credit: CVG
I brought to you news of Quake Arena DS a month or two ago now, but recent talks with John Carmack of id Software has revealed that a Wolfenstein title is also in the pipeline. Talking about potential future projects, Carmack mentioned that next year will likely see development of two more DS titles; Wolfenstein and Quake Arena. Quake Arena will be built from the ground up specifically for the DS (tremendous news!), whilst the Wolfenstein title is being made in conjunction with a version for mobile phones and seems as if it will be a remake of the original Wolfenstein game.
I can't give you any more information than those little tidbits, but sometimes it's just nice to see what's out there on the gaming horizon.
The Epic Column by Nathan Greyson returns with a look at the history of Western RPGs.
Right, well it's an early night for me this evening. I went to a Joseph Arthur gig in London last night, and had to get the 5am train back to Exeter in order to make it to my morning lectures on time, so I had to pull an all-nighter. I've been fine all day, but the lack of sleep is finally catching up with me. Normally, going straight to bed wouldn't be such a big deal, but come on...my Wii is right next to me, and Super Mario Galaxy is in the disc slot. Surely I can play for a little while? Just one...more...star... *zzzzzzzzzzzzzz*
