The Release List 02.03.09
Posted by Tommy Coloma on 02.03.2009
A ninja game that emphasizes stealth over confrontation, an RPG that dares to challenge our view of the genre, and a sequel to one of the best adventure games on the DS.
Wii and DS owners should be happy to know that they are the only ones getting new games this week (OK, so PC gamers get Burnout). Too bad most are of the shovelware variety. But don't worry - both systems have at least one good title to keep us busy until things start getting crazy next week. Xbox 360 and PS3 owners? Well, you guys get Street Fighter IV in two weeks...
This week's highlights
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins (Wii)
As with the other games in the series, Tenchu: Shadow Assassins allows you to play as either the strong but slow Rikimaru or the weak but fast Ayame. Those new to Tenchu should note that the games emphasize stealth - confronting enemies head-on and killing everything in sight is never the best option. Instead, working your way around enemies and only killing when necessary make completing missions much easier. New to the series is a feature called "Mind's Eye" which allows you to quickly and easily find your enemies on screen and also see what's in their current field of vision. This makes it easier to gauge where you can safely go to avoid discovery while creeping up on your unsuspecting victims. You can also use "Mind's Eye" to find out what can be manipulated in the area, which means you no longer have to play the guessing game when it comes to finding which flames can be blown out, what objects can be moved, which doors can be opened, etc. With ten mission levels and fifty side-missions, this sequel is supposedly on par with previous Tenchu games as far as length is concerned.
Judging by the walkthroughs down below, this looks to be a pretty competent action game for the Wii and possibly a return to form for the series.
Buyer's guide: If you're a Wii owner that's desperate for a new action game this month, your other options are Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers (2/10), Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop (2/24), and maybe House of the Dead: OVERKILL (2/24). If you aren't into zombie-killing mayhem, your choice is clear.
Gameplay walkthrough (TGS 2008) 1/3
Gameplay walkthrough (TGS 2008) 2/3
Gameplay walkthrough (TGS 2008) 3/3
My World, My Way (DS) My World, My Way is a turn-based RPG that stars Elise, a princess who had recently confessed her love to an adventurer and was subsequently rejected. The only way for her to get said adventurer's attention is to become an adventurer herself. By getting a certain number of experience points, she hopes to prove her worth in the eyes of her soulmate.
One of the unique features of this game is Elise's ability to change the world around her by pouting. Many objects in the world such as landscapes, shop items, monster stats, and drops are subject to her wants and desires. Of course, you need special points to use the power of the pout, so don't expect to be bossing everything around without limit. You can also look forward to a lot of humor relating to many of the RPG clichés that fans of the genre have had to put up with over the years. Check out the following rant by Elise to get a taste of what you can expect -
"Attention, please! I am sick of RPGs with gender-confused boy heroes with their spikey hair and ginormous swords living out an absurd ultimate fantasy. Is having your village burn down all you really need to be a champion? And a scar on your face is supposed to make you... What, dark and brooding? Try uncoordinated.
"My name is Elise, and I can change things. No, seriously. When I travel, I expect things around me to go my way. If they don't, I can make them!
"In My World, My Way, I can change the landscape when it doesn't suit me, make monsters give me more money, and always take the first turn in battle. I can also make enemies go away if I don't feel like fighting, shut down their magic abilities, and even make quests solve themselves. Sure, other RPGs let you explore lands and fight monsters, but how many of them let you change the world around you?
"If those walking, talking manchild clichés can leave their farms and their tiny villages - saying tearful goodbyes to their uncles or surrogate parents - and save the universe in the course of a few hours, I'm sure a resourceful girl like me will have the world wrapped around my finger in no time."
My World, My Way trailer
Another Code: R - Kioku no Tobira (Wii Import)
Two years have passed since the end of the original Another Code (Trace Memory in the US). Though Ashley has been living with her father for some time, they are still emotionally distant. Realizing this, her father invites her to hang out at a lake that's situated right next to his research lab. While there, Ashley tries to find out about how her mother died.
The first Trace Memory is one of the more memorable first-run DS games thanks to its original and engaging story, decent puzzles, and good use of the DS' features. If history repeats itself, the sequel will be one of the few Nintendo published Wii games that makes good use of the Wii's many unique features without having that "tacked-on waggle" feel that we've come to expect from most of the system's games.
Import possibilities: Lots of reading will be necessary to figure out how to approach the many puzzles that the game will throw at you. So, it probably won't be very fun unless you don't mind using guides. Word around the campfire is that the game is tentatively set for a Summer release in Europe. Hopefully, it won't get the Fatal Frame 4/Day of Crisis treatment here in the US.
A look at how navigation works
Testing chemicals
Moving from place to place
The other US releases Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box (PC) Drivers' Ed Portable (DS) Jojo's Fashion Show (DS) Petz Horseshoe Ranch (DS) Phineas and Ferb (DS) Rygar: The Battle of Argus (Wii)
The Import Scene Demon's Souls (PS3) Destiny Links (DS) Chibi Maruko-Chan DS: Maru-Chan no Machi (DS) Enkaku Sousa: Sana e no 23 Hiai (PSP) Meitantei Conan & Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbou: Meguri au 2-Jin no Meitantei (DS)
