Nintendophiles 08.13.08

Posted by Theo Fraser on 08.13.2008

In an unprecedented revelation, BioWare are considering Mass Effect for the DS! Elsewhere, top stories include TNA iMPACT being delayed for the Wii, Mad World sparking controversy in the UK, the possibility of Resident Evil 5 on Wii, and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars details are leaked in an online survey. That’s all covered inside this week’s edition of Nintendophiles!





This past week, I discovered the pure, unadulterated awesomeness that is Psychonauts. It's one of those games I've heard so much about and always meant to buy, but never quite got round to it. Well, we've all got no excuse anymore, as the game has now been made available as a FREE download at Gametap. How ridiculously cool is that? One of the most original platformers in gaming history, yours for ZERO CENTS! ZILCH PENNIES! Uh...ZIPPO RUPEES! You owe it to yourself to play it if you've never done so. After 3 minutes I was absolutely hooked as it is so utterly charming and endearing. Sure, this is Nintendophiles, the place to come to gush about all things great in the world of Nintendo, but hey, we can all appreciate a classic game, no matter what platform it appears on, right?



Delay for Wii version causes an iMPACT!
Credit: IGN





We are less than a month from TNA iMPACT's multi-format launch, and yet we still haven't seen ANY sign of the Wii version. No screenshots, no video footage…not even an idea of how the game controls! And so it's not much of a surprise to find out that the title's release on Wii has most likely been postponed by approximately a month or so. Midway haven't confirmed anything as of yet, but the word from major retailers is that the game will see a delay. I'd love to say "I told you so", as I really didn't think the Wii iteration would make the September release date that had been pencilled in for a while, but then I realised that I've never actually publicly said it. Alas, there goes my chance at gloating for the week.

So the question we have to ask is, *why* exactly is there the need for the delay? *Why* haven't we seen anything of the game yet? It really doesn't bode well, and I kind of get the vibe Midway may be embarrassed by their offering. Why else wouldn't you be keen to show it off? Midway have lost a lot of money in recent years and are counting very heavily on TNA iMPACT selling well, so they can't purely rely on the 360, PS3 and PS2 market. Surely they'd jump at any opportunity to advertise the title?

Those hoping that the delay allows Midway to make improvements on the Wii version, such as updated rosters etc, are sadly misguided, as a single month is only enough time to touch up glitches and make sure everything runs smoothly. In theory, this implies we'll be in store for a more polished finished product, but whether or not they follow through with this will not become apparent until the game's release.




Mass Effect on DS? I think I just had a stroke...
Credit: Eurogamer, CVG, IGN

RPG powerhouse BioWare are currently putting the finishing touches to Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Sonic's first foray into the role-playing genre, and apparently this won't be the last we'll see of BioWare on the DS. Upon completion of Sonic's highly-touted turn-based affair, the development team are looking to bring another of their recognised IPs/franchises to Nintendo's handheld, with Jade Empire, Dragon Age and Mass Effect all being considered.





Lead designer on the Sonic project, Miles Holmes, recently stated that one of the aims of Sonic Chronicles was to allow the team to familiarise themselves with the DS hardware, with the idea being that they'd eventually be able to support their console behemoths with a handheld counterpart.


Holmes: Basically anything that reinforces the franchises. We have a lot of big plans for Mass Effect. Having a DS version would be an awesome way to keep interest alive and keep it going in addition to the next one [Mass Effect 2]. I'll tell you which one I would want. I want the Mass Effect one.

I would NEVER have expected anything like this. Mass Effect on DS? You've gotta be kidding, right? And if something like Jade Empire is at all possible, considering it's based on the same engine, surely that means Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic would be possible? It's a tantalising concept. Don't get me wrong; drastic alterations would have to be made. But we can see from Sonic Chronicles how issues regarding combat (as it would be pretty complex for the kind of combat found in KOTOR & Jade Empire to be played out in real-time on the DS) can be overcome, and the upcoming horror/FPS title Moon shows how open environments can still be grand despite appearing on the small screen. This is, of course, all down to speculation, so I'll refrain from commenting further on the matter until BioWare reveal their future plans for the system. Aside from the fact that Mass Effect is a brilliant game, I'm simply ecstatic over the thought of more mature, core gamer-oriented titles coming our way.

But what I really want to know is...does this mean I can play through an alien lesbian sex scene on the bus??!




Capcom looking at Resi Evil 5 for Wii?
Credit: GoNintendo

An online survey focusing on the 360/PS3 killer app Resident Evil 5 is currently being passed out to various Capcom affiliates and mailing list members, and one particular line of questioning caught my eye, as it relates to the possibility of seeing the title on the Wii.




As you can see, the question revolves around what Capcom could do to make the game more appealing to the consumer. The highlighted response shows that one option is "the release of a Wii version." Surely, if Capcom themselves have sent this survey out, they're going to be interested in the results and are likely going to respond in kind. If the response is overwhelmingly in favour of a Wii iteration seeing the light of day, I'd say it's almost a done thing that Chris Redfield and co. will be returning to a Nintendo home console. We have no way of knowing how seriously Capcom have previously thought about bringing Resi 5 to the Wii, but it's at least reassuring that they've mentioned it for consideration.

Let's pray that the good people who have undertaken the survey thus far have had the decency and common sense to vote in our favor.




GTA: Chinatown Wars details revealed in online survey?
Credit: CVG, Destructoid

Chinatown Wars is the brand new Grand Theft Auto title developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS, announced during Nintendo's keynote speech at this year's E3. And when I say ‘announced,' that was literally it. All we saw was the game's logo, accompanied by the confirmation that it will retain the series' trademark sandbox gameplay. Aside from that, we know relatively nothing, and considering the fact that GTA is one of the world's most popular gaming franchises, I'd wager there's a fair few of you out there who would sell their Grandma to find out just what we can expect from the title. Well hold on a second; wheel poor old Grandma back in front of the TV and pay attention! Rockstar Games recently sent out a survey to consumers, asking them to rate the following features with regards to their importance for an ‘upcoming Nintendo DS game'. Judging by the content, it's a pretty safe bet to say that this almost certainly refers to Chinatown Wars. Let's take a look, shall we?


16.) Please grade each of the following game features on how interesting they'd be for a Nintendo DS game.

OPEN WORLD: It takes place within an open, real world environment. You will have the freedom to navigate a massive map, explore a world with changing weather and traffic patterns, smart Police and pedestrian AI, and choose different missions to play at any given point in time.

MATURE STORYLINE: This is the story of an outsider navigating the criminal underworld of a major city. You play as a young gang soldier involved in the internal power struggle for control of his gang.

AD HOC MULTIPLAYER: With wi-fi connectivity, players can play each other head to head in four different game modes, including a race (seven different race maps, can race with all the game vehicles), and play co-op modes.

LENGTH OF GAMEPLAY: 70+ missions, 20+ hours of straight gameplay—with significant replayability on top of those 20+ hours.

STYLUS BASED MINI GAMES: Missions include a wide variety of contextual mini-games, such as assembling a sniper rifle to complete an assassination mission, and smashing locks and hotwiring cars to steal them.

REPLAYABLE MISSIONS: A feature that allows you to jump to any completed mission from a convenient menu and play them again.


Now this is, of course, by no means an indication of what's officially making it into the game, but it gives us an idea of what Rockstar are planning for the title and where their focus lies. Criminal underworld, 20+ hours of gameplay, open environment, mission-based gameplay…yep, sounds like the GTA we all know and love! The stylus-based mini games particularly intrigue me, mostly because I can't quite work out if they're an ingenious idea that will really further the type of gameplay we're used to from the GTA franchise, or if it's simply a case of someone at Rockstar saying, "Ah shit, a DS game, better chuck some stylus controls in there somewhere!" If you had to fiddle about hotwiring a car EVERY time you tried to steal one…well, that would suck a bit.

The question now is, when will we see our first proper glimpse of GTA:CW? The answer to that really depends on how Rockstar are using this survey. Are they testing the water, finding out what consumers think about the features they've already started implementing into the game and whether or not they should stay on that track? Or is this the first stage of development, with Rockstar utilising the survey responses to create the GTA that DS owners really want? I wouldn't have thought the latter option to be the case, as the game is scheduled for a Winter 2008 release, but we can't assume it's been in development for long. There's a slim chance Rockstar could show us something at the Leipzig Games Conference later next week, although that's probably more wishful thinking than anything else.




Daily Mail strikes again! Target: Mad World
Credit: Daily Mail, IGN

It was only a matter of time before one particular right-wing media outlet caught wind of the uber-violent, film noir-esque Wii title Mad World, and Britain's Daily Mail (who consistently have an axe to grind against violent video games, pretty much linking Manhunt to the very concept of human sin) were the first to throw the stone, publishing an article with the headline:

"Parents horrified as most violent video game ever to launch on 'family friendly' Wii".





I'm going to attempt to keep my cool throughout this, so allow me to relay the story before I comment myself.

According to the article, "Nintendo will dramatically transform Wii's image with the release of ultra violent video game MadWorld", apparently due to concerns from MediaWatch-UK director John Beyer. What does Mr Beyer himself have to say?

"This game sounds very unsavoury." [And I emphasise the word *sounds* there. He clearly hasn't seen anything of the game] "It seems a shame that the game's manufacturer has decided to exclusively release this game on the Wii. I believe it will spoil the family fun image of the Wii. I hope the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) will view this with concern and decide it should not be granted a classification [...] We need to ensure that modern and civilised values take priority rather than killing and maiming people".

OK, everyone got that? Good. Now it's my turn to take the soap box. I'll keep this brief...


Dear Daily Mail,

Please kindly shut the fuck up.

Regards,
Theo Fraser's Waning Sanity


To end on a lighter note, Nintendo's response is just plain FANTASTIC.

"The game is not made by Nintendo but by SEGA".

HAHAHAHA!! "BOO-URN!" as the kids would say.




The 411 Games Crew

Joe Roche presents another edition of The Full Circle: 360 News Report, focusing on Mass Effect DLC, Xbox Live Marketplace making money, a toned down version of Gears of War 2, Goldeneye not making it to XBLA, and more! Call yourself a 360 fan? You're nothing unless you check this out each week!

Vincent Chiucchi looks at Mega Man 9 having glitches included on *purpose*, the banning of GTA IV in Thailand, console price cuts, developers losing money, amongst a whole host of other topics in this week's instalment of The Select and Start News Report.

Tommy Coloma and the Negative Edge News Report looks at the iPhone challenging the DS and PSP, pre-order goodness for LittleBigPlanet, Street Fighter IV and much more.

Chris Evans looks back on Battlefield 2 as well as PC Gamer's Top 100 PC Games in the latest PC Centric Extravaganza.

Dan Owen takes charge of B3yond the Report to bring you this week's Sony news, including getting your hands on the SOCOM beta, Call of Duty: World at War, and whether or not we have come close to seeing the best the PS3 has to offer.

The 10th Hour this week is all about Derek Robbins' Top 10 Favorite Games!

Screenshots
All 1 Nintendophile Screenshots