Nintendophiles 03.18.09: Resident Evil, Dead Space, GTA for the DS Releases

Posted by Theo Fraser on 03.18.2009

Capcom unveil Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles, bringing the popular zombie franchise back to the Wii. Plus, a double USB drive could end those Wii storage woes, an update on Dragon Quest IX, and, once again, more Dead Space: Extraction news! Don’t miss all that inside this week’s edition of Nintendophiles!




Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars sees a national release this week, and that's cause for celebration in anyone's book. By all accounts so far, the game is absolutely terrific, so you need to do yourself a favor and go buy it pronto. Assuming you're of legal age, of course (that's my disclaimer to Jack Thompson right there). I've had it on pre-order for a while now and managed to pick it up for £18/$25 which is pretty damn awesome for a brand new game. I'll admit that I'm feeling rather smug about it, in fact! I'll be putting the money towards MadWorld, naturally, so I'll still be eating cat food on toast until Christmas like the poor student that I am, but it's nice to know I saved where I could. And hey, it's GTA...it's always worth it.

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Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles debuts
Credit: Famitsu




Hot on the heels of the launch of SEGA's House of the Dead: Overkill, Capcom fired back with the announcement that a brand new Wii Resident Evil title would follow at some point in the not too distant future. Whilst many had hoped for an instalment from the ‘proper' Resi series, it cannot be deemed a disappointment that Wii owners will receive a follow-up to the commercially-successful on-rails Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. This time round, Umbrella is dead, and the story revolves around the ‘Darkside', whatever that may be. Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles stars Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, and begins with the events of Resident Evil 2, although many other scenarios outside of the ones in that particular title will be explored during the course of the title. Capcom aim to ramp up the scares in this one and make it more of a horror title than a straight-forward on-rails shooter, so expect lots of zombies popping up out of nowhere.

Early details bode well for the game. The Havoc physics engine is being utilised, which should allow enemies to react to being shot in a more life-like manner (slightly ironic, as we're talking about the Undead, but work with me here...) and various effects will be used to really draw the player into the proceedings. In the trailer below, you'll see a slick blurring effect when running for cover, as well as the more dynamic camera system in action. Plus, you'll constantly see your partner character on-screen, providing a visual reminder that you're not alone in Raccoon City.

Capcom are supposedly emphasising the concept of replayability, which is key for a title such as this, so I really hope they chuck in numerous game modes and some strong incentive for multiple play-throughs. Now, let's take this opportunity to check out the debut trailer for Darkside Chronicles...






It's looking very nice indeed, with a distinctly improved graphical sheen over Umbrella Chronicles. The logo shown at the end interests me greatly. Cast your minds waaaaay back to when Resident Evil 4 was first revealed. Remember the *original* trailer, before the overhaul to the version we all know and love today? Leon had been infected by some kind of black mist thing, and a ghostly entity chased him round with an iron hook. The name ‘Darkside' is certainly reminiscent of some kind of spectral being, and the logo uses the same blue/black smoke that appeared in the RE4 trailer. Could Capcom be revisiting this idea? Darkside Chronicles partly follows the career of Leon Kennedy, so it's entirely possible. I could be completely clutching at straws, but it struck me the minute I watched the clip, and thought I'd throw it out there. If I'm right, I expect at least 4 comments detailing how incredibly awesome my sense of perception is. I'll take sexual favors as well, I'm not picky.

With the original being more than adequate and the bar set high by HotD: Overkill (not to mention Dead Space: Extraction looming on the horizon), Capcom will have to pull their finger out to make this one stand out above the rest. Fortunately, Capcom seem aware of the challenge and appear determined to make this the definitive on-rails shooter to satiate the Wii's hardcore fanbase. No release date or scheduled window has been mentioned, but the game is approximately 35% complete. With that in mind, I'd say we're looking at an early 2010 launch. But we can safely expect some kind of playable version at E3. Stay tuned for more on this in the coming weeks.

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The Latest Storage Solution Rumor: Double USB drive
Credit: QJ.net

Time to bring out this old chestnut again! The last we heard in relation to the Wii's on-going storage problems was the fact that Nintendo were improving SD-card functionality, allowing you to play Virtual Console/WiiWare titles directly off of SD cards, as opposed to using them purely as a storage device, still requiring you to transfer back and forth between the card and the Wii's 512mb built-in memory.

Now, however, a brand new rumor states that a ‘double USB hard drive' is Nintendo's next plan of action to combat the storage issues. This additional storage attachment would fit snugly on the back of the Wii, taking up both USB slots, and would be designed to look like a natural extension to the main console, rather than a bulky accessory. Whilst the SD card solution can only store up to 2GB of data (due to the Wii not being able to read SDHC cards), the double USB hard drives will supposedly come in two sizes; 32GB and 64GB. Which you could probably fit the entire Virtual Console catalogue onto, if you so desired. A firmware update is apparently planned to enable the Wii to recognise the device, and then you'll be able to freely use the extra storage however you wish.

Of course, Nintendo towed the party line and declined to comment on the matter, as they never deal with ‘rumor and speculation'. The source hasn't been proven to be reliable, but the rumor has garnered quite a bit of attention, so I imagine we'll see soon enough if anything comes of it. I sincerely hope there is some truth to this, as a 32GB+ hard drive will instantly quell any concerns regarding the Wii's storage, and for once would be a sign of Nintendo catering to the hardcore gamers. No word on how much the device would retail for, but these things are never all that cheap. If you're a VC/WiiWare aficionado and need hundreds of titles at your disposal, expect to pay a fair bit to be able to enjoy them all being stored in one place.

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Your Weekly Dead Space Update
Credit: IGN

Yeah I think I may have to make this a regular feature for the time being! Another week, another slice of Dead Space goodness. This week's news came in the form of a developer interview, where the game's executive producer Steve Papoutsis spoke about the game in relation to its progress and the decision making process along the way. Allow me to dissect some of the highlights...


IGN: When you unveiled Dead Space Extraction, you revealed it is an on-rails shooter – a truth that disappointed some fans. What would you say to skeptics fearful that the end experience will be less interactive than Dead Space was on 360?

Papoutsis: When we announced the game I was amazed at the passion Dead Space fans had for the franchise. I would tell the Skeptics that our team is passionate about innovation. Extraction is going to include all of the mechanics that made Dead Space a memorable experience: Stasis, Telekinesis, Strategic Dismemberment, and Zero-G. Our game is going to also deliver on some all new features like Co-op that really involves both players for example cooperative puzzles, brand new weapons, new characters, new enemies, new bosses, new story, and new locations. Our goal is to create an all new experience on the Nintendo Wii that feels custom built for that platform, and I think we are on track to do that.

~I'd agree, I'd much rather have a custom-built title than a shoddy port that simply highlights the Wii's inferiorities. Co-op is a nice little bonus, and I'm pleased to see Capcom (EDIT: EA. Wow I must have been tired!) so enthusiastic about offering a rich experience that goes deep into the Dead Space universe.





IGN: Tell us some more about the main character.

Papoutsis: I'd like to keep Lexine a bit of a mystery for a while longer. I will say that she plays an important role in the game, she is in her early 20's, and you are introduced to her pretty quickly in the game.

~"Plays an important role" clearly indicates that we'll be controlling other characters at times. This gimmick is intriguing for a first-person title, as you'll rarely see the character, except for cutscenes etc. Could this indicate different stats/abilities depending on which character you're playing with?


IGN: How do the stasis and dismemberment systems work in the game?

Papoutsis: To use Stasis the player will point their Wii Remote at an approaching enemy or object then hit the Stasis button to fire the Stasis projectile at the threat. Dismemberment works as you would expect, aim your Wii Remote at an enemies limb and fire, pop goes the Necromorph.

~Self-explanatory really. Should be pretty cool ripping off limbs with the Wii remote! It was always really satisfying wrenching away a Space Pirate's shield in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption with a nunchuk flick, so hopefully a similar mechanic is used here.





IGN: Just how bloody does the experience get? Can you give us a couple examples.

Papoutsis: Well Extraction is a Dead Space game, so players can expect just as much gore and blood as they saw in the original game.

~OH NOES!! But the Wii is a FAMILY console! *Shock horror* I give it two months before the UK tabloids condemn it.

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Dragon Quest IX: Skills, Jobs, Creatures
Credit: IGN

I freely admit to not being a Dragon Quest buff, purely because up until now I've never really had the opportunity to play them. Still, there's no denying that Dragon Quest IX on the DS is shaping up to be superb, and I for one am very excited about it. With Japan receiving the game in July, details have finally begun to be uncovered. Let's check out some of the more recent findings.


Creatures/Monsters

• Slime Knight


• Meda


• Black Tanu


• White Lancer


• Totsugeki Horn


• Gamegon

Those names don't mean anything to me but a whole host of returning characters/monsters are making their way into the game, so DQ fans will more than likely recognise a few names there.







Job-specific Moves

Giga Slash - Jobs that use swords as weapons.

Kyushozuki - Jobs that use spears and lances (soldiers and monks).

Vampire Edge - Used by soldiers and thieves with short swords and daggers, absorbs HP from its victims.

Hyouketsu Rangeki - Martial Artists, who can use a long bow as their weapon. It does damage to a large number of enemies. Ice attack, effective on fire creatures.

Shibari Uchi - Characters who use whips as a weapon, translated as ‘Bind Strike'.

Hamon Enbu - "The Ripple Dance", learned by those who can equip fans.

Tiger Claw - Thieves and Martial Artist jobs can equip claw weapons.


The stat-building part of the game should be extremely addictive, especially when you know some of these awesome moves are only gained as a result of reaching a certain level or fulfilling a command. Now I just really want to see more of the game in motion. Square Enix are usually brilliant at releasing teaser clips and extended trailers, so let's hope they get the word out early for DQIX. There's no doubt it'll sell insanely well in Japan, but this game needs a lot more publicity in the West if it is to make an impact in the charts.

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The 411 Games Crew

The Full Circle: 360 News Report is presented by Joe Roche.

The 411 Games team run down their most memorable boss fights in this week's 411 Games Top 5.

It's the 13th edition of Living LIVE, brought to you by Trace Aber.

Derek Robbins has the latest instalment of B3yond the Report for your perusal.

Ramon Aranda and Joe Roche take center stage in this week's 411 Games Fact or Fiction.


This time next week, I'll be stealing cars, dealing drugs, knocking down prostitutes and assembling sniper rifles with a stylus. Chinatown Wars, I love you already. See you guys next week for another instalment of Nintendophiles! Take care now.

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