The Release List 01.27.09
Posted by Tommy Coloma on 01.27.2009
A 2D platformer that's geared towards girls and the hardcore, a rhythm game that gives you an excuse to dust off your PSP, and a "Cinematic Actioner" from the developers of the Otogi series.
I was on a tight schedule today so I wasn't able to talk about all of the games that I thought were worth getting into. If time permits, I'll add more info on the games that I missed (MLB Front Office Manager and Nobunaga's Ambition: Iron Triangle) later.
Despite still being in pre-alpha, the glimpse that I got of The Chase at last year's E3 was already looking pretty good. Unfortunately, more high-profile 2D platformers like Mega Man 9, Bionic Commando, and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia were getting most of the attention. So, it's understandable that this game was overlooked. Well... that and the fact that nobody gave Atari a chance back then. Of course, I saw the potential, so I asked about the game while I was visiting Atari's room. Here's what I learned from producer David Geudelekian -
The Story:
Two messengers named Felix and Felicity need you to get them to their dates on time. This may be harder than you think, as destructive rain clouds, NPCs, cops, and many more obstacles are just waiting to ruin their day.
The Gameplay:
You can play as either Felix or Felicity - Felix is fast while Felicity has a higher jump. To get to the goal on time you're going to have to keep your momentum going. To accomplish this, you will need to make use of rush lines - lines that you draw on the screen that help you to get to otherwise inaccessible places (think Kirby Canvas Curse and Yoshi Touch and Go). Knowing that "all the best video games have fruit in them," the developers added the need to collect fruit in order to use the rush lines. You can also draw lines to keep people away or slide into them to knock them out. Success requires players to balance out exploration, collection, combat, and experimentation.
The game contains several different types of levels -
Normal - Try to get to the end of the level with the highest number of points.
Race - Race different characters and get rewarded with some love advice.
Rescue - Carry animals across levels.
Heart Grab - Find five hidden hearts by exploring the area.
Vertical - Climb up by using the touch screen to create a grappling hook. David explained that this play mechanic was borrowed from an old game called Wire Hang. They actually got in touch with the person who developed the original Wire Hang (or one of its variants) to get permission to use it.
The Target Audience:
Early in the development process it became apparent that Felicity was a stronger character. As a result, the developers decided to put her in the spotlight. They also went with an art style that was more in the vein of Nintendo first-party games (i.e. not gender specific). The goal was to create a high quality GAME - a real action platformer - that is geared towards girls in terms of marketing, but also something that platforming fans are going to look at and say - "that's cool." David knows that a lot of girl games out there are of the "shit-quality" variety. "There's lots of offensive stuff all around." That's something he hopes to change with Felix Meets Felicity.
Atari already got me at E3 and I'm pretty sure that fans of 2D platformers will at least do a double-take once they see the game in action. We'll just have to see if it catches on with its other intended audience.
Release info: While I was told that the game was going to be released by Valentine's day but various sites say that it is supposed to come out this week. If you don't see it on the shelves in the next few days, expect it next week or the week after.
The Chase trailer
The Chase walkthrough 1
The Chase walkthrough 2
DJ Max Fever (PSP)
This is essentially a mixture of DJ Max Portable 1 & 2. Since it is the first game in the series to get an official US release, newcomers are pretty much getting a "best of" compilation right off the bat. What's surprising is that PM Studios decided not to follow in Konami's footsteps by bastardizing the series with crappy songs from 2nd-tier US bands that nobody has ever heard of. Granted, most of the people who pick this up will not have heard of any of its songs either, but one of the game's main strengths is its song selection, and changing what works would kill the series before it has a chance to plant its feet. Just look at what happened to Beatmania in the US.
Here's the song list that I got directly from PM Studios:
1. A.I
2. Whisper to the wind
3. Luv Flow
4. Blythe
5. On
6. Brand New days
7. Bye Bye Love
8. Cherokee
9. Chain of Gravity
10. Divine Service
11. End of the Moonlight
12. Fallen Angel
13. For Seasons
14. Get on Top
15. Goodbye
16. Higher
17. Extreme Z4
18. Lady made Star
19. NB POWER
20. FTR
21. Mess it Up
22. Miles
23. Your Own miracle
24. Jupiter Driving
25. Rock or Die
26. piano concerto 1
27. NB RANGER
28. NB RANGER : Returns
29. Fear
30. OBLIVION
31. Out Law
32. Catch me
33. KUDA
34. Plastic method
35. Sunny Side
36. Brain Storm
37. Wonder Love
38. Seeker
39. Syriana
40. So Much in Luv
41. SQUEEZE
42. Sunset Rider
43. Long Vacation
44. Starfish
45. Stay with me
46. taekownburi
47. Whiteblue
48. Save my Dream
49. Yo Creo Que Si
50. Ray of Illuminati
51. Enemy Storm
52. Naver Say
53. morning person
54. Let's Go baby
55. Elastic Star
56. Memory of beach
57. Hamsin
58. Sin
59. JBG
60. hip hop goo jo dae
DJ Max Fever trailer
Ninja Blade (360 Import) Ninja Blade is a "Cinematic Action" game developed by the people who brought us the Otogi series. If the videos down below are any indication, it looks to be a cross between Ninja Gaiden, Shinobi, Heavenly Sword, God of War, and Onimusha. If you have a Japanese account (Silver or Gold) you can download the demo on Live.
Release info: No release date for the US has been announced, but given the fact that the publisher is Microsoft Game Studios, you can expect it to come out some time this year.
Ninja Blade endurance gameplay
Ninja Blade dodge gameplay
The other US releases Afro Samurai (PS3, 360) Coraline (PS2, Wii, DS) MLB Front Office Manager (PC, PS3, 360) Mystery P.I.: The Vegas Heist (PC) Nobunaga's Ambition: Iron Triangle (PS2) SimAnimals (Wii, DS)
The Import Scene Dance Dance Revolution X (PS2) Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (Wii, DS) Fukakutei Sekai no Tantei Shinshi: Akugyou Futaasa no Jiken File (PS2) Harukanaru Toki no Naka de Yumenoukihashi Special (PS2) Hirameki Action: Chibikko Wagyan no Daiki na Bouken (DS) Memories Off #5: Togireta Film (PSP) Soul Eater: Battle Resonance (PS2, PSP) Taiheiyou no Arashi DS Tales of The World: Radiant Mythology 2 (PSP) Tomoyo After: It's a Wonderful Life - CS Edition (PC) Vampire Kishi DS Winning Eleven Ubiquitous Evolution 2009 (PSP) World Soccer Winning Eleven 2009 (PS2)
