Posted by David Craig in Nintendo DS | Comments Off

Cooking Mama: First Impressions

I know I’m a little late to the whole Cooking Mama thing, but when I found the original DS title on Amazon for ten bucks, I decided to bite the bullet and give it a shot. After all, I’m no cook, but I am a fan of minigames and unlocking things. Unfortunately, while Cooking Mama has no shortage of either of these things, it’s just not as addicting as I had hoped it would be.

I started out by cooking boiled rice. Simple enough, right? Well yeah, but also pretty boring. After earning a silver medal on that recipe, I decided to try something a little harder: potato salad. It was here that I made an unfortunate discovery – not all of the minigames are fun, yet you’re required to do them sometimes more than once in one recipe. The game also doesn’t require you to pass a minigame to move on. In fact, you could fail an entire recipe and still get through it. Mama just fixes it for you.

At least unlocking new recipes isn’t difficult. However, when half of the recipes aren’t fun, this is kind of bittersweet. The game offers the (seemingly pointless) ability to mix recipes, along with minigames that require you to do a task over and over as it gets more challenging. Neither of these modes have much substance, nor do they unlock anything anywhere else in the game.

Overall, I’m glad I didn’t pay more than i did for this. it’s a fun time waster, and I’ve heard the sequel is much better. But I think in the future I’ll stay out of this kitchen.

Posted by Andrea Campton in General News, Nintendo Wii | 1 Comment

How Much Is Duck Hunt Wii Worth To You?

Although Black Friday was yesterday, many stores are continuing sale prices through Monday.  Bargains can be found for many games and consoles.  Newegg.com however has one rather pricey game available on their website for pre-order.

At the time of posting, the above listing read, "Duck Hunt Wii Game Nintendo" and could be had for the cool sum of $999,999.  This is most likely a posting error by Newegg.com and may eventually change to more reasonable amounts of money.

I think they should have at least posted a picture for even more amusement value!

Posted by David Craig in Nintendo Wii | Comments Off

RE’s City Folk Journal: Day 2

Today was a busy day, so I’ll jump right into it. I started things out by going to the city for the first time. Now I never owned Wild World, so while apparently most of these characters showed up in that game from time to time, most of what was there was completely new to me. The city is actually a fantastic addition to the game, as there’s only so much you can do in your town before becoming bored of it. Here in the city you can find more places to shop, a fortune teller, an auction house, and more. I only stayed for fifteen minutes, but it’s definitely a place I’ll be visiting often.

When I got back I realized I still didn’t have any tools. So I went to Nook’s and picked up a shovel, a net, and a fishing rod. The tools can be used with motion control, but luckily you can also just press a button. You can also scroll through them without going back into the menu, which is  godsend.

I wanted to try out the wifi, so i added some friend codes and opened my doors. After a little while, forum member Sturm arrived, and brought me oranges from his town. We ran around for a little while, fished, hit each other with nets, etc.

I was kinda disappointed that I had to fall back on the old ways of making money from the Gamecube game. Raiding the Lost and Found, finding the money rock, etc. Though i did notice that this time around, your neighbors are a LOT more reluctant to send you on a fetch quest. This could be seen as a good thing or a bad thing, since these quests, while tedious and bothersome, were often the best way to get new items for your house or wardrobe.

I topped off the night with a visit to the Coffee House where K.K. Slider serenaded me with a few songs. He even gave me a copy of one to keep!

Overall, I do still have that feeling that I’m playing the same game with a fresh coat of paint on it, but the city felt entirely new, and letting people come and go from your town as they please is nice. Tomorrow, I hope to get turnips.

Goodnight!

Posted by David Craig in Nintendo Wii | 3 Comments

RE’s City Folk Journal: Day 1

Ah, Animal Crossing. Starting up City Folk almost feels like coming home. Sure, the game is telling me that I’m starting a whole new life, but after my first day in Ganymede (my town), I’m feeling more nostalgic than excited.

After arriving, I was told to go to City Hall, where I would choose a house. Before doing so though, I explored my town. Hoping for peaches, I was dismayed to find apples growing in my village, but c’est la vie. My neighbors seem to be mostly friendly. A large hippo(?) named Harry was a bit rough around the edges, but the friendliness of Maple the bear and others were welcome.

After wandering around for a little while, I finally went to City Hall. I chose a cute little house right next to the river and a bridge, though I was tempted by the house on the beach… I always wanted a beachhouse. Afterwards, Nook put me to work, and after writing and delivering lewd letters, planting some trees, and making a delivery or two, I was free. Free to do whatever I wished… except it was 12:30 at night, I had no money, and no tools. So whatever I wished turned into having no choice pretty quickly.

I went to bed wishing I had started the day earlier, but at least I’ll have plenty to do tomorrow.

Goodnight!

Posted by Andrea Campton in Miscellaneous, Reviews | Comments Off

Gear Review: Logitech Cordless Keyboard For Wii

Logitech, known for their computer accessories including mice, keyboards, and web cams has thrown their hat into the Wii ring.  One of the products for the console is the Cordless Keyboard for Wii.  Is it up to par with the rest of their products or does it simply not measure up?

Right off the bat when opening the Cordless Keyboard for Wii, it was noticeably small.  In fact it reminded me of my Averatec 2150 laptop keyboard which I have no problems typing on.  The build quality is strong and the keyboard looks nice with a white polish that matches the Wii nicely.  It would be a good coffee table keyboard because of the size.  While holding it, I barely noticed the weight of it at all. When batteries were inserted, it added a bit of weight which Logitech claims puts the overall weight at 1.5 lbs.  In the back of the keyboard is the battery compartment along with a slot for the wireless USB transmitter.  There’s also a switch to turn the keyboard on, a small green power indicator LED, and a sync button.

Setting up the keyboard is simple and is done by plugging in the USB transmitter to one of the USB ports in the back of the Wii.  Unfortunately the sync button is on one particular side.  If you own another USB device such as the WiiSpeak peripheral then you’ll need to make sure it’s on the right side so the button faces outward.  This only needs to be done once however since once the keyboard is synced, you’ll never have to push either of the sync buttons again.  I synced up the keyboard to my system and was off to the typing races.

The keys while typing have a flat but springy feel to them.  Not quite the bounce my G11 keyboard gives, but enough where your fingers aren’t wanting to keep keys depressed.  A few keys seem too small for certain hands, namely the directional, FN, OK, and Page keys.  If you have large hands you may accidentally hit two keys at once, but other than that the keys seem to be sized for most hands.  The only real concern I see is the fact the function (FN) key is to the bottom right of the number pad.  Due to the size there’s no room for a traditional 10-key so using the FN key provides that.  To activate the keys however it’s an odd reach with your pinky or opposite hand if you wish to 10-key type.  This is a minor concern however considering the limited usage of Wii browsing.

After I concluded with a few typing tests, I decided to check the range. I went approximately 25 feet away into the kitchen and the keyboard was still responsive.  This is probably due to the 2.4GHZ wireless transceiver which is the same technology as a Wavebird controller for the GameCube.  Unless you’ve got a rather large home theater that seats fifty, I don’t see range ever becoming an issue with the keyboard.

When surfing the web in Internet Channel, it was a much easier experience with text entry than simply the Wii Remote.  Being able to type made surfing quicker and was no longer a tedious task.  The zoom keys worked without a hitch along with the arrow, back/forth, and OK buttons. You’ll have to keep the Wii Remote close by for certain operations such as clicking a link, but considering you’d be performing close to the same maneuvers on a PC, it’s not so foreign.

While exploring Animal Crossing: City Folk, gone were the letters written to the village folk that had a few characters of gibberish.  Now I wrote them long amusing bits of advise that I know they’ll never understand but will always cherish.  Communicating with someone while they’re in your town via Wi-Fi Connection is also easier, but be aware of the game’s 20 character text limit for each line.

If you’re looking for a stylish peripheral that’s actually useful for your Wii, I’d say the Logitech Cordless Keyboard for Wii is a good fit.  The few minor quirks aren’t enough to detract from the overall package that you’re getting in this keyboard.  For some the price tag may be a bit steep, but the product is officially licensed, is quite sturdy (even after a few rough drops it functioned perfectly), and looks simple and elegant.

Posted by Jim Avery in General News, Nintendo Wii, Reviews | Comments Off

Strong Bad Review Blowout

NintendoGal.com recently got a chance to play the remaining games in the Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People series, and produced a different review for each one. Check out the ones you may have missed.

Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner – Strong Bad sets out to completely ruin Homestar Runner’s day, only to have his plans backfire. As all of these games contain similar gameplay, graphics, and presentation, this is the only review that goes into depth on these subjects.

Episode 2: Strong Badia the Free – After being taxed unfairly, Strong Bad must lead the citizens of Free Country USA in revolt against the King of Town.

Episode 3: Baddest of the Bands – In order to fund repairs to his broken Fun Machine, Strong Bad decides to host a Battle of the Bands.

Episode 4: Dangeresque 3: the Criminal Projective – The long-awaited next entry in Strong Bad’s series of "bad cop" action movies has him searching for a serum to save the rainforest.

Posted by Josh Beebe in General News, Nintendo DS | Comments Off

Hot And Cold Nintendo DS’ On Their Way!

This holiday season Nintendo is releasing two new Nintendo DS colors for your buying pleasure. As you can view up above the first one in a slick new red Nintendo DS Lite, it’s red with the signature M located in the corner that represents Mario. Packaged in with this new color comes the game New Super Mario Bros. ready for you to play right out of the box.

The second color as you’ll notice up above is a shiny blue color labeled "Ice Blue". It too comes with a game. Brain Age: Train Your Brain In Minutes A Day, the fun brain exerciser. Along side the game and system comes an ice blue carrying case.

Both colors will be released November 28th, the day after Thanksgiving and will sell for $149.99 each.

Posted by Andrea Campton in General News, Nintendo DS | Comments Off

Animal Boxing New Media

Destineer released a new trailer for their upcoming Animal Boxing DS game.  The trailer shows how the game will be played by flipping the DS upside down and using the touch screen as the main boxing area.

Also released were nearly fifty screenshots of all the animals in the game which can be seen here.

Posted by Jim Avery in Nintendo Wii, Reviews | Comments Off

Review: Strong Bad Episode 4: Dangeresque 3

For the uninitiated, the Dangeresque series is a series of low-budget movies created by Strong Bad for the Homestar Runner website, about a crooked cop and his two partners; the original Dangeresque and its sequel are already out, and fans have been clamoring for the third entry for some time. After a rather lengthy wait, the title has finally arrived as the next downloadable Wiiware episode, and I can confidently say it was worth the wait. Dangeresque 3: the Criminal Projective is the best episode in the SBCG4AP series yet, with humor coming out of his ears, not to mention excellent gameplay as usual.

Dangeresque 3 places you in the shoes of Dangeresque, as he works with his partners, Renaldo and Dangeresque, to retrieve a serum for saving the rainforest, at the request of Cutesy Buttons. The story is full of silly plot twists and movie clichés, and while there won’t be too much that comes as a surprise, the entire thing strikes a whole new level of "so bad it’s good" that’s sure to keep you entertained. Not only that, but evidence of the film’s incredibly low budget can be seen everywhere, from the terribly-done backgrounds, to the iffy and hilarious editing job, even in the way the camera isn’t quite steady when giving a close-up on a character. It’s the little things that make these games truly funny, and in Dangeresque 3, these little things are everywhere. This is the funniest episode thus far, to be certain.

The puzzles, while largely the same as usual, have been adjusted a little bit in fitting with the script of the movie. While you may end up pondering puzzles over a larger period of time in previous Strong Bad games, Dangeresque 3 takes things scene-by-scene, which means you’ll be presented with puzzles much more directly, and they’ll be solved much more quickly. Some scenes use this to great effect, presenting you with very clever situational puzzles, my personal favorite being the chase scene. It’s a change that I’m sure isn’t going to stay, but this entry is a very welcome change of pace for both humor and gameplay. Another interesting change of pace is the music; while the previous episodes have taken to utilizing 8-bit, minimalist tracks for the most part, Dangeresque 3 breaks this trend with a full-blown spy movie soundtrack that straddles the line between appropriate and over the top. It’s definitely a treat for the ears.

The replay value, however, is one thing that hasn’t changed much. Teen Girl Squad is once again absent, and the bulk of your post-story activities are going to consist of collecting. Luckily, the Videlectrix game included this month is also one of the best. Flying through space, you’re challenged to capture and save circus workers, destroy the evil clowns, and avoid the giant floating circus foods, in an addicting and enjoyable mini-game. Replayability has never been the high point of episodic gaming, especially the story-based kind, so this is coming as less and less of a surprise; this story, though, is one that I just might end up playing through a few more times, due to its sheer quality. Like the others, this title is going to run you about three to four hours, depending on your puzzle aptitude, and your tendency to explore everything ever.

If you’re going to get any game in the SBCG4AP series, you should make it this one. Dangeresque 3: the Criminal Projective takes a very smart change of pace and uses it to great effect, improving the story, the humor, and the general gameplay experience. This episode gets a Yay!, and I can recommend this to almost anybody with a sense of humor. Let’s hope the season closes on a high note like this one.

Posted by Jim Avery in Nintendo Wii, Reviews | Comments Off

Review: Strong Bad Episode 3: Baddest Of The Bands

After playing through the excellent Strong Badia the Free, and hearing great reviews for the third episode in the SBCG4AP series, I was a bit disappointed when I actually made my way through this new entry. There’s nothing horribly wrong with Baddest of the Bands, to be sure; the puzzles and humor remain intact, and it’s worth playing through if you enjoyed the previous titles, but something about the story managed to not stick very well with me. It feels like a bit of a missed opportunity; I think the Brothers Chaps could have made a great storyline based more around music, but this just failed to hook me like the other games.

In this installment, Strong Bad’s precious Fun Machine has bit the dust, and in order to get Bubs to fix it, he needs exactly one fat sack of cash; instead of getting a job, though, he decides to host a Battle of the Bands and use the bands’ entry fees to fix his Fun Machine. I had anticipated a greater emphasis on actual music for this entry, especially given referenecs to Journey and Judas Priest on the title screen, but this game is more of Strong Bad running around trying to get the battle actually organized, more similar to what he was doing in Homestar Ruiner, and it feels a little like a missed opportunity. The game certainly could have been much WORSE, though, and it still holds up rather well on its own.

The two things that matter in a Strong Bad game, of course, are humor and puzzles, and this game still has both in abundance. While music-related gags are oddly sparse, you’ll still get yourself some laugh-out-loud moments, and general entertainment from the goings-on of the citizens of Free Country USA. However, I’ve always thought it’s the little things that really make the humor in these games, and this title didn’t seem to have quite as many minor additions that make it shine, unlike Strong Badia the Free or the fantastic Dangeresque 3. The puzzles are also there, and they’re good, though closer to the end of the game the solutions got more and more esoteric. The final scene, however, is definitely one to remember.

Replay value also suffers a little bit with this title. As you may expect, the Fun Machine is only available after you complete the game, and the included game (Limozeen: Hot Babelian Odyssey) is a schmup that I found a little bit too slow-paced to be addicting like the other two titles were. Also, due to a scripted game event, there is no way to create your own Teen Girl Squad comic; this is something I personally didn’t miss horribly, but others might. Unfortunately, it’s starting to look like a lot of the game’s replay value comes from finding collectibles with the Metal Detector, and this is starting to grow rather old. This is something that’s unlikely to change with this season of SBCG4AP, but could possibly change if other seasons are to come around.

Taken altogether, while Baddest of the Bands is a bit disappointing when compared with the other available episodes, it’s still a great piece of adventure gaming, and includes lots of the Strong Badian humor fans will be hoping for. This title gets a Yay! from me, though I offer the fact that there are better ones out there, if it comes down to picking and choosing. If you’re looking to get all the Strong Bad episodes, though, you have no good reason to pass this one up.

Posted by Jim Avery in Nintendo Wii, Reviews | Comments Off

Review: Strong Bad Episode 2: Strong Badia the Free

True to their word, Telltale Games and the Brothers Chaps are continuing to deliver monthly doses of Strong Bad goodness, though they’re surprisingly able to keep things fresh from entry to entry. Episode 2: Strong Badia the Free is strong evidence from this, as while the gameplay remains generally unchanged, the story has a new face to it that’s sure to intrigue, and the humor has been updated to reflect this. In this episode, Strong Bad finds himself unfairly imprisoned by the King of Town for not paying the new e-mail tax; having had enough of the tyrant’s rule, he decides to take his nation of Strong Badia and secede from the town of Free Country USA, prompting all the citizens of town to create their own countries as well. As you play, you’ll be tasked with convincing, or coercing, the various factions to join you under the Strong Badian flag, in order to usurp the King of Town.

The humor is, of course, the main feature of this title, and once again the Brothers Chaps deliver. If you’re like me and investigate every square inch of everything, you’re going to run into a few lines re-used from the previous title, but these are negligible in the face of the new quips and surprises you’ll find in this entry. There are several laugh-out-loud moments in this game, as well as some unique elements that are sure to delight; my favorite part of the game was seeing the old-timey news clips whenever you acquire another nation, accompanied by a newscaster with a very obvious, and hilarious, pro-Strong Badia bias. It’s the little things that really make this game a delight. And if you’ve never seen a Strong Bad game before, don’t worry too much; while the game doesn’t try and ease you into the Homestar Runner universe in any way, you’re not going to be left horribly confused in any way, and you should still understand this title just fine, though an inside joke or two may pass you by.

The other important gameplay element is the puzzles, and there’s no lack of those either. Luckily, difficulty has not been compromised for this title, and you’ll come across some rather simple puzzles in addition to a couple of head-scratchers. Some of the things you have to do in order to progress are very clever and entertaining, notably one I’m thinking of near the end of the three-to-four-hour adventure that incenses the King of Town. The hint system still exists in case you find yourself stuck, but some of Strong Bad’s hints can be admittedly vague, and there may be plenty of trial and error involved, but luckily not so much as to be frustrating.

Aside from the main quests, there are a few things you can do to keep yourself entertained in Strong Badia the Free, though I’m not sure how long they’ll keep you occupied. Teen Girl Squad returns in the form of Cave Girl Squad, though to get the best results you’ll have to find extra ideas to use with the Metal Detector. It seems that most of the non-story gameplay elements revolve around collecting, which is a bit of a bummer in my opinion. The exception, of course, is this month’s Videlectrix title, Math Kickers: Featuring the Algebros, a send-up of Double Dragon-esque beat-’em-ups that challenges you to solve math problems by punching enemies in proper proportions.

Strong Badia the Free is a worthy successor to the first Homestar Ruiner, and if you enjoyed the first title, you’re going to like this second one just as much. This game gets a Yay! from me, for anyone who enjoys good humor or point-and-click adventure titles, and is definitely worth your $10.

Posted by Jim Avery in General News, Nintendo Wii | Comments Off

Wiikly Update: 11/24/08

WiiWare: Boingz, 1,000 Wii Points

Boings is a puzzle platformer that challenges you to get the Boingz back home, using your Wii Remote to stretch and fling them across the environment. As you explore the game’s 30 levels, you’ll have to find dormant Boingz and collect the Twinklies in order to get everyody home.

WiiWare: Sudoku Challenge!, 500 Wii Points

This Sudoku game includes over 100 million Sudoku puzzles for you to strain your brain solving. In addition to normal Sudoku puzzles, this game also introduces Grand Sudoku, which challenges you to solve five intersecting boards at once.

Genesis: Boogerman: a Pick and Flick Adventure, 800 Wii Points

This unorthodox platformer from Interplay puts you in the shoes of Boogerman, a hero who has found his way into another dimension full of strange worlds and enemies. Flick, belch and stomp your way through the game’s levels as you encounter bosses such as Deodor Ant or Fly Boy.

I’ve heard many good things about Boogerman, so I may try that. As for Sudoku, I’m going to have to wait on reviews, which I don’t think I should have to do; I can’t imagine a Sudoku interface should be so hard to make as DS developers make it out to be.

Posted by Andrea Campton in General News, Nintendo Wii | Comments Off

Tetris Party Tournament

Players who want to put their skills to the test will be able to do so in an official Tetris Party tournament coming soon.  There will be four rounds to the tourney which will feature different modes of the WiiWare game.  Details of each round were revealed:

Round One: Marathon
Playing Marathon mode (Endless option OFF), try to obtain the highest score possible.
•       Starts:  0:00 (GMT) on December 1, 2008.
•       Ends:   23:59 (GMT) on December 15, 2008.

Round Two: Field Climber
Playing Field Climber mode, try to get the climber to the goal in the least amount of time.
•       Starts:  0:00 (GMT) on December 16, 2008.
•       Ends:    23:59 (GMT) on December 31, 2008.

Round Three: Shadow
Playing Shadow mode (Stage 7—Bomberman), try to solve the puzzle in the shortest total time and with 100 percent completion.
•       Starts:  0:00 (GMT) on January 1, 2009.
•       Ends:    23:59 (GMT) on January 15, 2009.

Round Four: Stage Racer
Playing Stage Racer mode (Route T—Beginner), try to cross the finish line in the least amount of time.
•       Starts:  0:00 (GMT) on January 16, 2009.
•       Ends:    23:59 (GMT) on January 31, 2009.

The tournament will begin December 1st and those interested in participating will need to register at TetrisParty.com in order to be eligible to receive one of five hundred prizes being given away.  Additional details will also be posted at that site including official rules and prize information.

I really have the urge to enter this, but I have a feeling I’ll get slaughtered by the competition.

Posted by Andrea Campton in General News, Nintendo DS | Comments Off

Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force

Disney Interactive Studios has revealed a special code that will be included in their DS exclusive game Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force.  The code that comes with each copy of the game will enable players to be able to bypass the thirty day training period at ClubPenguin.com and become a secret agent.  Numerous screenshots were also released for general consumption, more can be found by clicking the Media bar above.

Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force will be infiltrating stores on November 25th.

I’m getting a Neopets/Webkin vibe from this game and I’m not sure why.

Posted by Andrea Campton in Nintendo Wii | 1 Comment

Animal Crossing City Folk Diary Day 1

I eagerly awaited my play time Animal Crossing: City Folk, mostly due to the fact I loved the previous versions.  Instead of start a town however, I opted to let my husband start character and name it.  He transferred over his character from Wild World and started in. 

Yes, he’s wearing a Tuxedo strangely.

After dinner was made and our plates were emptied, I managed to wrangle the controller from his hands and create NintyGal.  She does seem to stare off into the distance with wide eyes, but overall her look was appropriate for me.  Nintendo should think of another solution to showing folks around the town for the sake of veteran players.  Going through the motions of being Nook’s slave was mind numbingly boring due to the restrictions on my actions.When the jobs were over I was more than happy to become his indentured servant if it meant I had my freedom.

I made Power Ranger outfits because I’m a nerd. Oh and yes we changed the time so I could make money that night.

So to start out and make some Bells, I did my normal combing of the coastline for shells to sell to Nook.  When I had the small sum needed for a fishing pole I was off to smell the salt water once again.  Looking around, I noticed a lack of fish swimming around in the ocean.  The population seemed to dwindle the longer I stuck around.  With a fairly good haul I returned to Nook to seek a reward.  This cycle continued for quite awhile during the first day with a bit of apple gathering thrown in the mix for good measure.  With all the gathering and selling I did, I was able to pay off the first of many debts I’d owe to Nook.

Posted by Jim Avery in Nintendo Wii, Reviews | Comments Off

Review: Line Rider 2: Unbound (Wii)

Line Rider 2: Unbound is a rare breed of game indeed, one that can alternately have me deriving immense satisfaction, and, within 5 minutes, have me desiring to hurl the game disc into the sun. The concept of physics-based line puzzles is definitely entertaining, but unfortunately in this particular, the implementation comes up a bit short. It’s really quite unfortunate, because when this game is on, it’s really, really on; by contrast, when it’s off, it’s really, really off.

If you’ve read Nintendo Gal’s review of the DS version, there are no real differences between the basic gameplay. You are still drawing lines in restricted areas in order to try and get Bosh, or Bailey, to the goal while collecting a variety of coins. How specifically you want to go about this is up to you; you can go the basic route to get through the level with minimal incident, or you can be like me and go for maximum challenge, trying to obtain all the gold coins as well. Maximum challenge, by the way, can be absurdly challenging. This game is going to require a lot of trial and error.

This is generally the major fault in the game’s implementation. This game is four-fifths trial and error on an incredibly picky scale; far more than I thought was appropriate, I found myself adjusting the tiniest portions of my lines, in order to try and get them exactly right, because there was not very much room for error. Line Rider’s physics are harsh and unforgiving, and you are going to see your little sledder crash in a multitude of hilarious ways as you progress through story mode because of nearly undetectable imperfections in your lines. Later on in the story mode, things get even worse, as you’ll end up trying to get two different sledders to the goal, and the challenge ramps up even worse. What doesn’t help at all is that the camera will stay fixed on one rider, with absolutely no way to switch; as a result, as you’re testing out your levels, you’ll often find yourself unable to see the second rider at all until he plummets to his doom suddenly, immediately ending the test. An unfortunate omission, as Nintendo Gal also stated, is any sort of function to save replays; for some of the more difficult puzzles, you may devise some highly clever solution that you’ll be very proud of, but there will be no way to save it.

Though physics and tough puzzles will hinder your progress, your controls won’t, for the most part. As you may have guessed, you’ll be drawing lines with the Wii Remote; there is an option to directly draw the lines according to where your pointer is with the Pencil, and I’d like to meet the impeded fellow who thought this was a good idea, out of curiosity. Much more useful is the Curve Pen; with this tool, you’ll designate a start and stop point for the line, then adjust the curve with markers until it’s to your liking. Though there was a bit of a learning curve to this tool, after a few acts I was makig curves like a pro, almost every line perfectly synced up to the specific curvature I wanted or needed.

Unfortunately, not all of the control elements work out so well. Adjusting a line you’ve already set is difficult, and more often than not, instead of selecting a line, you’ll move it out of its very specific place, most likely screwing it up forever and requiring you to remake it. Additionally, there is a mechanism in place that will automatically link your line to another if you hold the ends close enough, but I personally found it to be not sensitive enough, and often times I was unable to end a line where I wanted because it would keep attaching itself to another. Most frustratingly, though, is one thing that you’re not even told by the game: if you draw a line from left to right, the top is rideable, but if you draw it right to left, the bottom is rideable, and your character will end up falling through if he tries to ride on top. This frustrated me for over an hour before I actually had to go online and ask for help.

All of these elements combine for a gaming experience that presents an extremely steep difficulty curve. As the story mode starts out, you’ll be having a rather easy time making your lines and reaching the goal, but as the difficulty progresses, the imperfections in the game’s implementation will become more obvious and frustrating. As a result, you’ll not only be facing a more difficult puzzle later on, but imperfect controls will hinder you even more. While I enjoyed myself for the first four acts or so, near the end of the game I was practically tearing my hair out at the difficulty presented to me, just wanting the game to be over with.

There are also two other modes, both of which are basically creation modes akin to the original Line Rider. One of them is more or less a freestyle creation mode, allowing you to make whatever you like, complete with scenery, and watch your sledder go. The other is a puzzle creator mode, allowing you to create challenges similar to those you’ll find in the story mode. For both of these modes, you can save your work and upload it to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, for others to download. I tried to check out the online functions, but was unable to find anything to download. Either I wasn’t doing it properly, or nobody has created a single thing for the Wii version yet.

Presentation-wise, the game manages to do itself alright. The story mode is peppered with various self-contained cutscenes, telling silly stories pitting the good Bosh against the mean Chad; these are done in 3D, unlike the rest of the game, and while they’re not spectacular, they’re not offensively bad. More interesting is the music, which is a bit of an eclectic mix; most of it has a pop/techno influence, with some odd sound clips thrown in and looped, like a banjo or a fiddle. The sound can vary a fair amount from level to level, and like the cutscenes, it won’t stand out as exceptional, but isn’t terrible. Your sledder will also make the occasional sound effect, like a yell, but unfortunately there aren’t many of these to go around; these will get rather old before too long.

Overall, Line Rider 2: Unbound is a good concept executed poorly. The story mode unfortunately becomes too difficult too fast, and after a while the reward of satisfaction is no longer worth the mind-numbing effort you’ll have to put into some of these levels in Story mode. If you’re a Line Rider fan, or someone who could use the creation modes to great effect, you’ll probably find enjoyment in this game; if you’re neither of these things, I’m hard-pressed to recommend it. Maybe give it a rental; the length of time you’ll be able to play it then is roughly as long as it takes for it to become old, that is to say, not very long.

Posted by Josh Beebe in General News, Nintendo Wii | Comments Off

Plain White T’s And Disney’s Ultimate Band Working Together

In the newly released game Ultimate Band (Wii and DS) the pop-punk band Plain White T’s have more to do with the game than just having a song in it for your playing pleasure. Part of the inclusion includes some exclusive video’s of song performances, the inclusion of the song "Our Time Now" and allowing players, as they progress through the story mode, to unlock Plain White T designed characters that they’ll use while playing "Our Time Now" and then later be able to use while playing any other song.

On the DS version, the only notable inclusion appears to be the ability to play the song "Our Time Now".

Ultimate Band is out in stores now.

Posted by Andrea Campton in General News, Miscellaneous | Comments Off

Nyko Charge Station Gets Upgraded

Nyko Technologies today announced a new version of their popular Charge Station.  Dubbed the Charge Station Quad, the package will include four batteries and it will allow for four Wii Remotes to be charged simultaneously.  It has a 6ft. power cord and the same LEDs from the previous product that tell the user when their controller is charged.

If you’re looking to purchase the Charge Station Quad, this is what you’ll be searching for:

The Charge Station Quad will be available at retailers for $49.99.

I did a review of the Charge Station before this site changed over to the current layout, but unfortuately that’s not available at the current time.  However those who did read it may remember I did find it a useful product which I still use in my home today.

Posted by Andrea Campton in General News, Nintendo Wii | Comments Off

Fishing Master World Tour New Teaser

Hudson Entertainment revealed a new trailer for Fishing Master World Tour. The trailer shows a brief glimpse at the gameplay involved as well as an overview of a few different areas to fish.

Posted by Andrea Campton in General News, Nintendo DS | Comments Off

Big Bang Mini Hong Kong

SouthPeak released a few more screenshots of the upcoming firework dazzler, Big Bang Mini.  The shots are of the Hong Kong level as seen in the game.  Also released was information concerning the level:

HONG KONG: Viewed from an aerial perspective of Hong Kong’s nighttime skyline, the bright neon lights of the city create a futuristic setting. The skills you learned in the tutorial are all you need to progress through stages and defeat the Chinese Statue boss. Watch for clouds that can block your shots. Aim for the balloons that the enemies hang on to. The end boss has four forms, watch out for the homing bullets he fires.

Posted by Andrea Campton in General News, Nintendo Wii | Comments Off

High Voltage Software’s New Game

High Voltage Software is working on another Wii title, this time Evasive Space for WiiWare.  YUKE’S Company of America who will be publishing the game has released over one-hundred screenshots. 

In Evasive Space, players guide Konki through collection and time based missions.  Levels will feature a number of obstacles and mazes and have a variety of environments including planetary rings, astro-caves, and asteroid belts.  It will also feature local multiplayer.  A brief overview of Acts 1 & 2 was provided by YUKE’s:

Act 1: Crystal World
-Scene 1: The Gobo Caverns – Timed run through a cave maze
-Scene 2: The Terradyne Asteroid – Open space play; collect “spacemen” while avoiding the asteroids
-Scene 3: The Pirate Nagumo’s Space Cruiser – Timed run through a ship maze
-Scene 4: The Galdonia Nebula – Open space play with rotating level; collect energy cells while avoiding gas clouds from the sun
-Scene 5: The Gobo Caverns 2 – Timed run through new areas of the caverns with additional upgrades to collect

Act 2: Fire World
-Scene 1: The Rings of Minot IV – Open space play with rotating level; collect energy cells while avoiding asteroids
-Scene 2: The Lava Fields of Ikaku – Timed run through a cave maze
-Scene 3: The Mugavi Belt – Open space play; avoid asteroids while collecting “spacers” and returning them to their ships
-Scene 4: The Lava Fields of Ikaku Part 2 – Timed run through new areas of the caverns while avoiding shooting steam hazards
-Scene 5: Velkor’s Pyroclasitc Ship of Doom – Maze run; collect energy cells and find the exit portal

Evasive Space will be available in the Wii Shop Channel for 1,000 Wii Points sometime in January 2009.

It makes me think of Geometry Wars meets a game similar to Bangai-O Spirits.

Posted by Andrea Campton in General News, Nintendo DS | Comments Off

Neopets Online Demo

Capcom has released an online demo of the upcoming Neopets Puzzle Adventure game for DS. The game can be seen below and has instructions for play.

Posted by Jim Avery in Miscellaneous | 1 Comment

Darn It Bulma Stop Running Away

Dragon Ball Origins arrived in my mailbox this afternoon, so I took it for a quick spin for about an hour, and as far as I’ve played it’s not that bad. While the game’s pretty much ugly as sin, the controls work themselves pretty well and are clearly inspired by Phantom Hourglass. Combat is fairly quick and intuitive, though the early enemies aren’t exactly a challenge. I’m looking forward to playing more once I get Dangeresque 3 out of the way.

The major frustration that I’ve run into is that I have to look after Bulma as well as myself, but her favorite thing to do is charge headfirst into danger. This means that instead of going around and exploring the level and maybe getting some treasure chests, I have to run to help her all the time against a trio of pigs and bats, after which she runs off again to who knows where, clearly oblivious to the fact that everything in the game world, including myself, wants to kill her. And I thought she was annoying on the actual show.

I’ll get a review out for this game once I finish it, as well as my other reviews (including the Strong Bad series).

Posted by Josh Beebe in General News, Nintendo Wii | Comments Off

Johnny Rockets & Namco Bandai Team Up For One Cool Promotion

Starting on Monday November 24, 2008, Johnny Rockets will start their promotional period-cleverly named "Rock the Slopes"- for the Nintendo Wii game: We Ski. During this promotional period Johnny Rockets plans to draw attention to Namco Bandai’s Skiing game by giving the game dedicated server space on their website, limited television and radio advertising and hosting a sweepstakes.

How the sweepstakes will work is not yet known, but you may enter by participating at Johnny Rockets restaurant or at www.johnnyrockets.com.

The Grand Prize for the sweepstakes is not named specifically but is said to be cash and prizes that, "appeal to Ski and game enthusiasts alike."

This promotional period is planned to end January 4, 2009.

We Ski is available now for the Nintendo Wii and sells for $29.99. Using the intuitive Wii Balance board (or the Nunchuck + Wii Remote) you can strap on some Skii’s and hit the slopes all without having to leave your house, or the warmth of it. Up to four players supported for even more fun.

Posted by Andrea Campton in General News, Nintendo Wii | Comments Off

Ultimate Band Conference Call

Today I had an opportunity to listen in and record a conference call for Ultimate Band with a few of the developers.  Present to talk about both versions of the game were Tim Huntsman (senior producer), Mark McArthur (development director) and Mike Thompson (art director).  During the call they answered questions that the media had about the game and went in depth in areas about the development. 

Audio of the conference is available below by clicking the play button.  

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I’ve also transcribed a brief overview of the discussion:

00:01 – Introductions
00:01 – Tim comes on to introduce things Focus on boys When they pitched, no Rock Band, Wii still called Revolution
00:02 – Ultimate Band story behind it, your band in the game head to head play Wii/DS connectivity
00:04 – Is Rock Band/Guitar Hero competition?  No, different type of game, peripheral.  Accessibility, fun for casuals but also for hardcore.
00:06 – No Disney show songs, no unique to the franchise songs.  Classic rock with mainstream.  Songs from bands just starting to break.
00:07 – DLC? Was too late during development to add it in when Nintendo announced their online plan.  Hard drive space issue.
00:08 – Will Disney properties show up in the game?  Some bands will show up, but no Mickey Mouse.  Boys like instrument type games according to focus testing.
00:09 – Gameplay modes are talked about in detail including the game mechanic flourishes.
00:11 – What kind of instruments: Basic band stuff, drums, guitar, bass, vocal.
00:12 – What does the frontman do without a microphone: Didn’t want to do singing (sanity reasons because not everyone can sin).  Wanted to get people of the couch.  Thought went into what a frontman does and how to implement it.
00:14 – Why the huge deal about male/female versions of the song?  Came out of the character creator, makes it so you feel it’s YOUR band.  In the cinematics it’s YOUR band as well, so to fit it better it they went that way.
00:15 – How does the storymode enhance the game?  More experience for the gamer, not just playing through set lists.  Didn’t want to get on a bandwagon while making it, wanted it to be unique.
00:17 – Mark comes on to fill a question about how UB DS will work.  City Map used to go places.  Stylus controls.
00:18 – Hannah Montana with a different skin?  Boy version of the game.  Base with the game but enhanced quite a bit with features like the DS/Wii connectivity.
00:19 – DGamer explained.
00:20 – Mic on DS/Wii Mic coming out – Chance of microphone?  "There’s always a chance" with laughter
00:21 – Will there be WFC for duels?  No, not this time (for either version).
00:21 – Studio mode for the DS is explained in detail.
00:22 – Art question: Where did the influence for the art styles come from? Started out too old/too realistic, then too fantasy, then they found a happy medium.
00:23 – What would the art bring to the game explained.
00:24 – Process of the models used in the game and any outside sources gone into detail.
00:25 – Music section: How long did it take to narrow down the set list?  Time on YouTube, shared iTunes accounts looked at.  Took tons of time. Over 450 songs looked like.
00:27 – Design of the instruments: How long did it take to get the feel of them?
00:28 – Would the sequel be in the future? Out of his hands, but they’re hoping it does well.  They’d love to do another if asked.
00:29 – Closing thoughts before the line is opened up to media.
00:30 – Media lines have been opened.
00:31 – DS: Animations, were the visuals really looked at? Mo-cap and hand animations were used for both versions.
00:33 – Visual cues, are they there?  HUD was paid close attention to in both versions.  Crowd reaction tells you about your performance.
00:35 – Scoring system explained.
00:37 – What do they think of Wii Music due to it being similar talked about.
00:39 – Is there single card DS play?  No.
00:40 – Wrap up.