It’s gray, and very little of anything else visually.  Granted, graphics aren’t everything, but seeing one bland throughout most of the game is pretty strange.  After all, I’m sure there were some buildings in Germany during WWII that had some paint on them, or perhaps the sky was at least blue.  Perhaps somebody should tell game designers that the photographs from that time only came in black and white, and there actually was color.  That’s not to say that Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 is the only offender though…

It’s all over the place.  Gears of War, one of 2006′s biggest titles touted for it’s great visuals, is gray.  Maybe it’s just me, but that is not a good looking game to me.  On a technical aspect, it’s impressive, but the lack of color makes my eyes bleed.  Epic was going for a bleak future, but really, when there’s foliage, I expect to see some sort of green.  Not gray-brown-barf.

So we arrive at Unreal Tournament 3.  Earlier Epic Games said the game had a much richer color palette than Gears of War did, and, well, it does.  There’s now richer grays and browns.  Playing the game on my PC, I noticed gray environments, dully colored weapons (for the most part), and then you have brown characters.  Maybe you’ll get some dark red blood in there, but, really, it’s a fairly black and white game.  I don’t really understand this art direction for the series, as in the past it at least had what looked like the game trying to look like the real world, if not a bit futuristic.

The games above are all great games, but what’s with the lack of color?  It can’t be the engine for the last two, as Bioshock proved to have a very rich look to it.  The one positive I can see for Medal of Honor is that it looks pretty clean (unlike the muddy mess that was CoD3 on the Wii), but it seems pretty plausible that they could do that with color to me.  Maybe others don’t care about it as much as I do, but the lack of color just turns me off, and I know I’d enjoy these games so much more if there was a larger color scale.

So, for those games that decide to go colorful, here’s a shout out.  Thank you Clover Studios for Okami and Viewtiful Joe.  Thanks Grasshopper for Killer7 and No More Heroes.  Heck, thank you Valve for Team Fortress 2 and Half Life (Hey, at least Half Life looks realistic in it’s color).  Thank you for putting some color and style into your games.

I had delved into the treasure trove; I had obtained its secrets. At that moment, I knew everything that it could ever provide me. It was clever, but It couldn’t hold on forever. I knew that one day it’s secrets would be disclosed to the public. This was my moment of triumph. Ladies and Gentlemen, at this point in time I, Smeags, know all there is to know about Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

There they were: The Events! The Music! The Stages! The Bosses! But there was one thing I wanted, one thing I wanted more than anything else: the unveiling of the hidden characters. And what an unveiling it was! The characters were unique and dripping with potential. Sure, there are some characters that I feel got left behind, and some details that were left out of the overall game plan. But that was the past. This is the future! The future.

The future…

Wait a minute… Today’s January 30. Hold on one second… Super Smash Bros. Brawl comes out in North America March 9.

Oh no.

Oh no oh no oh no. What have I done?! I can’t do this! I know everything! I can’t just go on playing some waiting game for 38 days… wait, make that 39, this year’s a leap year. What am I going to do now? Watch YouTube videos while snacking on Cheez-Its yearning for that glorious day to come? I need action! I need adventure! I need Smash Bros.!

What is the point of knowing everything… when it will mean absolutely nothing for the next month? Sure, I felt like I was king of the world at first, but now… now that I think of it, the surprise is gone, the mystery and the speculation are kaput! Out the window! I’ve tainted the magic of Super Smash Bros. and there is no going back. I know everything… but in all actuality, I really know nothing at all.

So all in all, I think I’ve learned my lesson. Live and learn. That’s life I suppose. In all of this, I think I’ve grown up a little. Yeah, things are definitely looking up. Look out world, cause there’s a new me!

Now if you excuse me, I hear there are some new Mario Kart Wii rumors…

It’s a darn good game. From the beginning you can tell that it’s going to be interesting with it’s first few cutscenes. You’ve probably seen them before, but in case you haven’t, there are a few decapitations mixed with some profanity and insane amounts of blood. Now, that right there will probably turn a few people away, but if they so choose, they’ll be missing out on one of the best action games in years.

Alright, lets start it off with the storyline. So you’re some anime nerd who buys a beam katana on an online auction. You go to the video store (Beef Head Videos, of course) and you don’t have enough money to buy a videogame. So, you hit the bar and hit on a chick,Sylvia Christel. She makes you kill some drifter, which you do, and then you’re in a mess where assassins kill each other off to be the best one. First on your hit list is Death Metal, whom you can find info on in my Hype Center. After that, take on the rest to become number 1…and maybe Travis will get to “score” with Sylvia.

Really, the story isn’t that complicated, but it still is very enjoyable thus far. Every main character (assassins in this case) really has their own distinct personality coupled with fantastic voice-work. Add that to the strange supporting roles and you have some very strange conversations, that quite frankly, will actually make you laugh out loud. Meeting Thunder Ryu (a personal trainer) for the first time is hilarious because of the things that come out of his mouth. I suppose the same can be said for a few others though too.

If you haven’t been keeping up on how to play this game, it’s pretty easy to learn. Pressing A will slash your beam katana, B will punch or kick them. Pointing the Wii remote up or down determines if you’ll hit high or low (high is fast, low is strong) with either attack. After a few slashes, you’ll be met with an arrow telling you which way to move your Wii remote, and chances are soon after the enemy will either lose his head or be cut in half…vertically. It’s a bloodbath really. It doesn’t HAVE to be though, as enemies are sometimes stunned, and then you can perform a wrestling move with the Wii remote and nunchuck after pressing B. These always leave a sliver of health left for you to just finish them off while they’re still on the ground. Occasionally the slot machine device on the bottom will hit the right icons and you’ll have a crazy powerup too. Something to note though, I’m about 5 hours in, and it hasn’t gotten old at all. Heck, it’s even fun to watch a friend play!

Assassin fights are probably the best part of the entire game. They all have a unique style of fighting, and in a way it follows a bit of the Punch Out!! formula. Waiting for the key moment and then striking with the right barrage of attacks. It feels great, and they’re finished with over-the-top deaths. I don’t want to spoil anything, but thus far, none of them have been the same. Different tactics, different moves, different fight. Good stuff.

To get to the assassin’s you’ll have to go do odd jobs such as collecting coconuts or mowing lawns. They’re basically 2-3 minute long minigames that get you money and a way into K-ENTERTAINMENT, a shady business that pays you to assassinate others. Whether it’s the CEO of Pizza Butt or just 100 people some guy doesn’t like, since they incorporate the game’s combat, they’re a blast.

To get to them is another story. You may have heard about the free roaming world of Santa Destroy, California from other reviews. Chances are, they weren’t so positive. Essentially you can basically check out your mini-map to find the icon telling you where to go, and then hop on your motorcycle to get there. Along the way you’ll notice textures pop in, trees appear in front of you (not RIGHT in front of you, but you can see them appear), and a stuttering framerate throughout. Really, it isn’t as polished as the rest of the game, but at the same time, it isn’t really something that should keep you away from the game.

The rest of the game is visually a mixed bag. It has a great sense of style, and unlike most Wii games, it actually has shadows (shocker). The framerate doesn’t get in the way at all, but it can range from roughy 25-60 fps…which is a pretty huge scale. In fact, sometimes when it dips, it somehow enhances the crazy carnage going on screen. Really just makes it seem like even more is going on at times, though it’s usually pretty crazy anyway. Overall, I’d say it looks pretty darn good, if you can forgive a few framerate hiccups.

The music and voice acting rules…just going to say it now It’s cheesy, it can be 8-bit, and it’s awesome. Definitely adds to the experience, and it’s a game that instead of making you cringe at the voice acting, you’ll laugh because it’s so over-the-top. It’s meant to be funny, and it pulls it off nicely.

Alright, so those are my impressions from the first 5-6 hours of the game or so. I wrote more than I thought I would, and right now I’ll tell you that this is the type of game to buy, not rent. We’re planning on having a full review later, so, until then, definitely check it out.

Sherlock – Hotel Dusk: Room 215: Although it slipped under the radar, Hotel Dusk had a fantastic mystery story that quite simply had me hooked from beginning to end. It had well developed and mature storytelling and characters, a unique visual style, and it did some interesting things with the DS’ technology. Hopefully Cing will bless us with another mystery like this in the future.

Runner Up: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Jonny The Pie King – Super Mario Galaxy: An obvious choice, but Super Mario Galaxy is my game of the year. Honestly, I played a lot of games over my life, but very few match up to the excellence of Galaxy. It made me want to play Mario games and platformers in general again. The game just feels so close to perfection, and with its old school charms made new again (ie: the soundtrack), it hits the perfect spot of nostalgia and feeling fresh at the same time.

Runner Ups: Call of Duty 4, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Dementium: The Ward

Smeags – Super Mario Galaxy: I must admit, this has been quite the year to be a gamer. So many amazing games, yet there can only be one. And that one I chose was Super Mario Galaxy. Now many of you saw this coming, but that’s exactly the point. Super Mario Galaxy has been embraced as a masterpiece by the gaming community for its mastery of imagination and quality. In an age of an ever growing realistic, morally grey video game world, Galaxy reminds us all of what’s truly important: having fun. My hat’s off to you Mario and here’s to a bright future.

Runner Ups: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Bioshock, The Orange Box

AZN_INC – Skate: Surprised? Sure it’s no Super Mario Galaxy or Mass Effect, but it was really the only game this year that changed a genre so much without really changing it at all. It was challenging, showed that gameplay really does make a game, and most of all it was fun. Spending more than 10 hours on a single game other than an RPG is really a difficult task for me these days and Skate somehow managed to suck me back each and every time I loaded up my 360.

Runner Ups: Portal, Rock Band, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Soren – Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn: Galaxy amazed me and everything, and is one of the most fun games I’ve ever played, but Fire Emblem is probably one of my favorite series’ of all time, and this is by far the best entry in the series to date. Needless to say…

Runner Up: Super Mario Galaxy

Shvitzel – Super Mario Galaxy: This game had a major impact on me as a gamer. It reminded me of what game introduced me to this world of gaming and it reminded me why I play games. The game may have been easy at times, but I don’t think anyone can deny that there were some definite challenges. What’s so beautiful about those challenges is that at the end, you aren’t sighing with relief that you’ll never have to do that again; you’re sighing because you feel like you’ve accomplished something. The graphics and art style are brilliant by any game’s standard, to me at least, and the music is among some of the best music I’ve heard in a long time from any game, movie, or band. This is truly a king among games.

Runner Ups: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2

The game has you playing as the great Professor Layton and Luke as they trek around St. Mystere solving the varying mysteries that have called you there and occur after your arrival. You move by directing yourself by clicking on arrows and clicking in the background where secrets may be hidden. The citizens of this quaint little town love puzzles and before they confess any information over, you’re going to have to solve their riddles. Often deceptively simple, the puzzles range from variations on classic logic challenges to clever geometry tricks. Often the touch screen comes into play as you use it to drag pieces of puzzles around or write directly onto the puzzle.

The puzzles, as I said, are deceptively simple, but begin to ramp up in difficulty along the way. Often, stepping away from the puzzle and looking at it from a different perspective isn’t enough and you may have to use a hint token, which you can find in St. Mystere. Unfortunately, you have a limited amount of hint tokens, so it’s best to really look and think about a puzzle before unlocking one of three hints and subsequently smacking your head because of how obvious the solution is. Additionally, downloadable puzzles will be coming from WiFi each and every week so you can continually access new and unique puzzles to keep you playing for a long time.

One of the more appealing aspects to Professor Layton is the art style. The game has a very European style to it, both it its color pallet and the buildings’ architecture. The music itself sounds extremely beautiful itself with a very distinctive style. The characters all look very unique and as if they live in a hidden village somewhere in the hills of France. When I first saw some of the characters’ designs, I immediately had flashbacks to a unique film called The Triplets of Belleville (picture below). In movement, the style looks similar to Studio Ghibli’s work. Believe me, the fact that a game conjures up such memories of these prestigious movies is extremely good and can’t mean anything but good for the game.

This game comes from Japanese developer Factor 5 and is extremely successful in Japan, with a sequel already out and a third entry on its way. With any luck, the other two will make their way over here in due time. Nintendo Power, with an advanced review, scored the game as an 8.5, explaining that you always want to solve just one more puzzle.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village launches February 10th, 2008 for the Nintendo DS. This game is perfect if you’re looking for something to spend 28 days on before Brawl comes out. Below is the official trailer of the game, which shows off some of the puzzles and especially the art style and make sure you visit the official website to hear some of that amazing music.

But there is one among us tonight who is particularly angry. He knows how you feel, and he is ready to articulate it. He is Sherlock. I am Sherlock, and I might as well be comfortable while I speak for the world.

I am comfortable and furious.

I love the Mario franchise. I remember sitting as a young child watching in awe as my neighbors played all summer long. I was incredibly excited, and satisfied, when I got my very first Mario game, Super Mario Bros Deluxe for the Gameboy Color. However, in recent times I have noticed a change in my favourite plumber.

There was a time years ago when we saw multiple Mario platforming games per generation. On the NES there was Super Mario Bros 1, 2, and 3, which were both commercially and critically successful and continue to place well on many people’s lists of best games of all time. The SNES had Super Mario World and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. The first Mario World was, and still is, hailed as a masterpiece, and Yoshi’s Island, while a bit different from previous Mario games (Baby Mario?), was still noted for exceptionally strong gameplay and creative visuals. Then there came a time for Mario that was both a rebirth and somewhat of a mudslide with the N64. Super Mario 64 reinvented Mario in 3D while keeping the feeling of the 2D games fans loved. However, there was never a sequel on the N64. Instead gamers say a boom of spin-off games. Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, Mario Party, Paper Mario, Mario Kart, there were a lot of new games coming out based on the Mushroom Kingdom, but no true Mario platformer to be found. Yes, spin-offs had been around since the NES, but never had they gathered this much attention to the point they arguably overshadowed Super Mario 64. With the Gamecube and the DS, we saw even more spin-off games! Soccer, baseball, basketball, sequels to the previously mentioned spin-offs. Probably the lowest Nintendo ever went was putting Mario in SSX On Tour just to sell copies. Clearly Mario did not belong in that game, but they did it anyway.

We need more platformers. Can you imagine if we got twoMario Galaxy’s this generation? Can you imagine another New Super Mario Bros? Its possible. If Nintendo takes funds away from some of the spin-offs (preferably some of the more mediocre ones like Golf, Tennis, and some of the Mario Party games) and uses them to create more platformers, we could have it. Does every spin-off need to cease? No, but I believe there should at least be an equal, if not, greater number of platformers to spin-offs.

People criticize EA for releasing a new Madden game every year, saying there is little innovation or improvement from game to game. Although that is essentially true, I find little issue in that because each game stays true to the franchise. Nintendo has deviated from the essence of the Mario franchise. Even if ultimately, both releasing a new Madden clone every year with little improvement and making Mario do everything but prostitution (but that will come up by the end of the decade in “Super Mario Sex Trade”) are done to increase revenue, Madden is more honorable because it keeps the franchise’s integrity in tact.

Sales is not the mark of excellence. If it were, both Mario and Madden would be the best games ever. The mark of excellence for a franchise is having consistently strong gameplay from game to game. It is also innovation, meaning the game grows and expands. But it is also staying true to it’s roots, when a game has a familiar feeling, linking it to past games in a deep way. This is a delicate balance, but also a recipe for true success.

And guess what else happens when you do this?! THE GAME SELLS. Whats the perfect example of this? Well… Super Mario Bros 3. It is the biggest selling game of all time, and it also combines the gameplay style of the previous Mario games and innovates it to new depth, adding new levels that feel congruent with levels of the past while expanding their possibilities. It was made back when Nintendo still respected Mario. Remember, Nintendo’s past success was based on one idea and one idea alone.

If you have good software, the hardware will sell itself.

Nintendo could keep Mario Kart, they could keep Paper Mario/Mario and Luigi (which seem like more or less the same series as far as I’m concerned), and maybe even get away with one Mario Party, but we need to see Nintendo treat it’s finest franchise with respect and dignity.

Bottom Line:

Mario is not just a way for Nintendo to cash in, it is a franchise worthy of respect and dignity. Arguably, it is in great part responsible for the revival of games after the industry almost collapsed. The generation of the quickly made, cheap and slick, quick to sell McMario game must end. Nintendo, we need to see more platforming games and less unworthy spin-offs.

Stay strong, my brothers.

MISSING

SYNOPSIS: It all began in the winter of 1990. The Super Mario Bros. were once again saving the world from the evil clutches of King Bowser. This time, however, things were a little different than before. This time, the mustached heroes faced a new nemesis: The Koopalings. Questions ensued: Who were these new adversaries, and where did they come from? Our top researchers show that these koopalings are in fact the legitimate children of King Bowser himself. The mother has yet to be identified. Why Bowser would not reveal these seven children until that point in time has yet to be confirmed.

However, the Mario Bros. latest adventure wouldn’t the last time we’d see these mischievous children. Insiders have informed us that Larry, Wendy O., Ludwig Von, Morton Jr., Iggy, Lemmy, and Roy were also seen in Dinosaur Land in the Summer of 1991, on a Safari in 1993, when Mario was missing in the Summer of 1994, and in Hotel Mario sometime later that year. This, ladies and gentlemen, is where the mystery really begins.

The Koopalings during happier times.

1995 started out like any other year would, but something was different. The Koopalings were absent from their usual duties of villainy. Not much was thought of it, as they had been on vacation in the Galapagos Islands 3 years prior, according to trusted witnesses. 1996 went by with no sign of the children, as did ’97 and ’98. Many were worried, what had happened to Bowser’s Children? When asked for questioning, King Bowser declined, telling us that he had nothing to say about the subject. The absence grew even as the millennium approached. In fact, it would be a full 9 years until we would see them again.

The summer of 2002 was similar to the past 8 years in that the Koopalings were yet to be seen. Yet something happened that year that would turn this mystery from a minor conundrum into a full-fledged enigma. 2002 was the appearance of Bowser Jr., the newest revealed child of King Bowser (blood samples confirm this assumption to be correct). It was quickly announced by Bowser Jr. himself that Princess Peach was the mother. Headlines ensued, but in the end King Bowser himself revealed that she was not the legitimate mother. The search for the real mother continues to this day.

Later that year, while the Mario Bros. were having their 4th annual Mario Party with their closest friends, they stumbled across a couple of despicable characters who called themselves the “Koopa Kids”. To the party goer’s surprise they all resembled a certain Koopa King, and caused as much havoc and discord as Bowser himself. In fact, Bowser’s fatherhood was again confirmed by blood sampling. And once again the mother is still in question.

The newest additions to the family.

In the fall of 2003, The Mario Bros. set out to once again save the world. They were to take on a new enemy, Cackletta, in the land of the BeanBean Kingdom. As the brothers cornered the fiend to the very ends of the land, they came upon a familiar sight in the dungeons of Bowser’s Castle: the long lost Koopalings. It had been 9 years since their last confrontation, and so many questions needed to be asked. Where had they been? Why show up now? Who were they really working for? However, the confrontation ended as quickly as it had begun, as The Mario Bros. saved the day, Cackletta was defeated, and the Koopalings once again disappeared into the darkness.

It has been five years since their most recent appearance. After all of our evidence was scrutinized, the only connection to Bowser’s making of a new family and the missing Koopalings is Cackletta, the former evil sorceress. Since her defeat by the Mario Bros., informants disclosed the location of her loyal subordinate, Fawful. When we questioned him about the relationship between the two parties all we got was something about mustard, doom, and rage dressing on the salad of evil. Unfortunately, that was where the trail ended. That was where we met our dead end. To this day, the fate of the Koopalings remains an Unsolved Mystery.

What secrets do these suspects hide?

CONTACT: If you have any information concearning the whereabouts of the Koopalings or have any leads that may help in the investigation, please comment in the area below. Your help is unprecedented and could be the key to solving this mystery.

I do not want to have to keep paying more and more every console generation, especially if the price does not justify what I’m paying for. I do not want to spend 50 or 60 dollars on a game. I do not like the increasing price of hardware and accessories. I don’t want a couple generations down the road to be spending $1000+ for a console alone. I seriously doubt that we will be seeing too many more $600+ consoles, since we can see how that was working out for Sony.

What is it that we can do about this? Nothing really, but Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft can, and they are. However, they are small efforts that most people would not think of as a money saving technique. Even then, they all have to adopt these techniques for it to have a serious effect. I’ll explain the strides all of these companies are taking to help us have cheap, fun, gaming.

Technology

Nintendo has showed us all what you can do with a little money and a lot of innovation. They did not see any reason to add High Definition or the fastest GPU/CPU/PPU onto their system, and that seems to work for them. A lot of people are willing to buy a Wii over an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 because of price alone. The price of their console did not increase too much from last generation, unlike Microsoft and Sony who jumped many hurdles just to make sure their console was the most powerful, and most expensive.

Old technology never paid off so well.

I believe that the future of technology in consoles lies in not making them so damn powerful. I expect Nintendo’s next console to be at least as powerful, if not a little more than the Xbox 360. The arcade 360 is already at $279.99 MSRP, which means that all the extras that drives it’s cost up to $350 is the hard drive and wireless controllers and such. Nintendo would probably be able to crank out a system as innovative as the Wii and as powerful as the 360 for the same price as the Wii this generation, and still make that profit they are after.

Digital Distribution

Microsoft has been leading the way in digitally distributed content, Sony coming in second and Nintendo sadly trailing behind. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 offers original games one can purchase for approximately $10. They’re not Crackdowns or Halos, but they’re smaller games that are fun and do just what they’re meant to do. Games like Band of Bugs, Geometry Wars, and Cloning Clyde are going to be a big part of the future once digital distribution really kicks off and more small time developers like Ninjabee can get their product on a platform.

Xbox Live Arcade opened the future of digital distribution.

Sony’s Playstation 3 does have it’s own collection of downloadable games as well. Calling All Cars, Blast Factor, flOw, and Everyday Shooter are all examples of how Sony plans on taking digital distribution to heart and setting off a new standard for what a downloadable game should be. Action packed games like Calling All Cars will have you calling back. Setting the mood for relaxing is exactly what flOw achieves. Everyday Shooter demonstrates what one indie developer can do on their own with musical talent and inspiration.

Calling All Cars

Nintendo has recently introduced Wii Ware, which will consist of small puzzle and edutainment games when it kicks off in early 2008. Nintendo currently offers the Virtual Console, where one can download classic games on older consoles. Spanning 3 Nintendo consoles and 3 others, offering retro games for download has been an extremely lucrative business for Nintendo. They have guaranteed sales due to the fact that many will buy a game for nostalgic reasons alone. More of their big name games will surely reach high sales, and some of their more cult games can have their time again. Prices range from $5-12, which can either be a good deal or a rip off from user to user.

Nintendo’s best and worst come together on the Virtual Console.

Just Lower The Damn Prices!

Digital Distribution and not using the most high end technology is going to help lower prices, but there’s only so much it can do. The games that are hitting the shelves simply MUST come down.

Nintendo has their game pricing down on the DS. You can buy certain games at 20 dollars, and some at 35, and some in the middle. It’s clear why the DS sells so much. People are less intimidated buying DS games because it is at a much cheaper.

Is there any reason not to buy this? The games are dirt cheap.

Even though it is a handheld system, the way it’s pricing is set up, I hope, will translate over to the console market one day. Similar to how the DS has a price range from 20-35 dollars, not every game is worth $50-60. I would like to see more of the crappy releases (i.e. licensed games) to be more around the 30-35 dollar range, and then the bigger releases right at 50-60.

All in all, it is going to take a lot of effort that I’m not sure companies are willing to make to bring prices down. The simple fact is this: The more expensive things get, the more crappy games we’re going to see. Ubisoft did say that they used their terrible Wii efforts to fund their bigger games on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. I can’t say I blame them, it’s not their fault that it takes so much to develop games, but I don’t like the direction this is all going.

Shvitzel: Obviously, there’s a lot that could come out of this. We could see a long wanted sequel, something not that great, or merely an epic game that has yet to be localized. What are your thoughts?

Jonny the Pie King: Personally, I think of a few games that come to mind when I hear this. The first one is the Mother franchise, which its followers have so eagerly awaited a sequel to hit US shores.

Smeags: Well, it has been a long time since Nintendo Power has had an exclusive (I think it was the showing of Portrait of Ruin) so I think that this will indeed be a big one. However, right now I’m not seeing anything earth shattering. What I would like to see? Well, Bioware’s Sonic RPG is enough for me, but what would really tickle my fancy would be another Paper Mario. But Jonny’s could be spot on with Earthbound (Mother).

LinxAwakening: Well Jonny, the only problem I have with this being a Mother game is the fact that it has taken so long for it to happen. It seems that if Nintendo wanted to bring this game to the Americas they would have done it a lot sooner. But I have to say it is really about time. I haven’t really ever been much of an RPG player, but I know enough to say that Nintendo has been lacking in this area for a while.

Jonny the Pie King: Good point Linx, but there are several reasons why it could be Mother. For one, rumors have been floating around IGN that a classic franchise is returning. Surfergirl has reported in her blog that Mother will finally be localized, and well, this certainly would fit those reports.

Shvitzel: I really think that we could see some sort of all-encompassing Earthbound cartridge show up on the DS that features Mothers 1, 2, and 3. Following on the heels could be announcements of a Mother 4 for Wii since Mother 3 did start off as an N64 game, if I recall correctly.

LinxAwakening: Well here is something to consider. We don’t even know where this RPG is coming from. For all we could know, it could be a Virtual Console game. That would definitely be a return of the classics, but to me that isn’t something amazing. So, let me first just say that if this has anything to do with Golden Sun I will be the happiest man alive. Oh and don’t forget that ever since the Wii came out, Camelot has had a RPG in the words apparently.

Jonny the Pie King: I will say that Golden Sun is another good possibility. Camelot has shown great interest in creating another game in the franchise, and they’ve started Wii development with their new game, Wii Love Golf.

Smeags: Well Jonny, right now I really don’t see a Golden Sun game being announced from Camelot. They’re finishing up We Love Golf and I’d be surprised to see them go with another Wii exclusive before seeing how well Golf does.

Shvitzel: I’m with Smeags; Golden Sun is virtually out I think. In an interview a few months ago, Camelot confirmed that they were not working on a Golden Sun game. They’ve been busy with Wii Love Golf and Nintendo HAS given them the go ahead for another Golden Sun game, but it isn’t something they are reportedly pursuing right now. So, I’d love it if it’s true, but I highly doubt it.

Jonny the Pie King: Forgetting the Game Informer interview Shvitzel? Camelot had said that they feel they MUST make a new Golden Sun game, and that was as recent as a few months ago.

Shvitzel: Same interview that says they aren’t working on one Jonny. And given development times and that interview coming out only in October, I doubt that NP would be ready to reveal such a game to the public already.

Jonny the Pie King: Very true. Perhaps if it isn’t Golden Sun and Camelot, it could potentially be Monolith Soft finally getting a stab at the RPG genre with their new relationship with Nintendo. Multiple projects would explain why Disaster hasn’t been released yet, and Nintendo Power could be referring to the little known DS RPG, Soma Bringer, by Monolith Soft.

Smeags: Well you guys know a lot more about this than I do, especially concerning things like Mother and Golden Sun. However, seeing the success of Super Paper Mario, I’m thinking that Mario may have another RPG adventure coming sooner than we think. However, seeing the way NP has covered this, I’m thinking that this exclusive is going to be a straight up RPG. So, my longing for Paper Bowser continues.

Shvitzel: Now, I initially didn’t consider this game as an option when reading this news. But the more I think about it, it seems like this game could definitely be what the blurb is alluding to. Some people may or may not remember a Vanillaware-developed title called Oboro Muramasa Youtouden that has been revealed in Japan, but nothing has been revealed about it for months. Now, people have said that a hint may be hidden in the blurb, and the more likely one deals with memories being erased. Now, Oboro features an amnesiac main character who is searching for his memories. What initially reminded me of this was also the fact that a more recent Nintendo Power alluded to a ninja game being developed for a Nintendo console that Nintendo Power couldn’t talk much on yet.

Jonny the Pie King: Fantastic idea there! I had forgotten all about NP referring to another Ninja game, and Vanillaware is famous for RPGs; perhaps they are referring to Oboro Muramasa Youtouden. On the other hand, how likely is it that Nintendo Power has an exclusive on a JRPG that might not even make it to the US though?

Smeags: OK, well now you guys are getting into areas that I’m just clueless about (yes readers, I am a RPG noob).

Shvitzel: Sorry about that Smeags. But why don’t you share some ideas about other RPGs you’d like to see return? How would you feel about a Super Mario RPG showing up?

Smeags: Well, as you already know I’m really excited to see Bioware handling the blue blur. I’m confident that Sonic will make a great impression. But in all honesty, I’m seeing the commercial successes of Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi and I’m wondering when we will see these iconic stars return. You know, we do complain about how the Mario franchise is being milked but I’m still seeing innovation and artistry in those two franchises.

LinxAwakening: Oh man, I would love to see a console Mario & Luigi! To tell you the truth, I simply feel it is way too early for another Paper Mario. We recently received Paper Mario for the Virtual Console, and Super Paper Mario came out fairly recently too. To me, adding in another Paper Mario, while it might be true to its roots again, would be too much for the series. Mario & Luigi on the other hand is a face we haven’t seen for a while, and bringing it to the Wii might be just the opportunity that Nintendo needs to bring back one of the funniest franchises I’ve played in a while.

Shvitzel: Milking of the Mario franchise is a whole different subject, but I agree, I think Nintendo fans take those two franchises for granted amongst complains of Mario losing his platforming roots. Nintendo hit on something amazing with those two titles. They are funny, amazing stories, everything a Nintendo fan can dream about. At the same time, I 100% agree with Linx that we’ve gotten a lot of Paper Mario recently and it feels too soon for a new entry into the franchise. Mario and Luigi showed up earlier on the DS and I could see a new entry sometime soon, and my god, a console version would be….mind-blowing. It just doesn’t feel right for this time though. I think it may be too soon for that franchise too, or Mario in general, so I feel like it’s something outside of that realm.

LinxAwakening: Who knows?! We could be seeing Retro’s first entry outside of Metroid. Too bad that’s probably a huge stretch! But yeah Shvitzel, I do think we are dealing with something outside of Nintendo’s usual.

Jonny the Pie King: Sure the games were great, and funny, but I have to agree with Linx here. I don’t see Nintendo Power hyping up a Mario RPG (unless it’s another Super Mario RPG…). Nintendo Power does still have roots with Nintendo even after getting moved to FutureUS, and Retro Studios’ new project could very well be the RPG they’re talking about.

Smeags: Gonna agree with you on that one. Merely tooting the ol’ horn back there. But whatever it is, I think Nintendo fans are going to be extremely impressed. Add another one to the hype list fellas.

LinxAwakening: Exactly, if anything because it might be something that gets us AWAY from Nintendo. I’m not going to be the first or the last person to tell you, but there is only so much Nintendo one can handle. I’d be excited for anything really!

Shvitzel: This is the best kind of hype, guys. We have no idea what it is, but we love games so much we all have our dreams. Sure, some will be disappointed. But I think that this game will be sure to please a lot. I know I can’t wait for my NP and I have yet to start on the one with this blurb in it!

Jonny the Pie King: Well, I say we can only wait and see. In another 6 weeks or so we’ll find out what this mysterious game is. Hopefully it turns out to be a great moment when we crack open that mail box and find the game of our dreams (hopefully) sitting right on the cover.

And we’re done with roundtable number two! We went about making this one in a significantly different manner, so we’d appreciate some comments about what you thought of the conversation, how it flowed, etc.

Also, we realize that we basically focused on four possible options, but it should be clear that there are hundreds of games that could come out of this. Of course there are IPs, from discussed developers or others, and we didn’t even get a chance to mention Square Enix. But the conversation flowed well and dwindled at the end, so we decided to leave it as is.

Stay tuned for more from Mom’s Basement!

Japanese Release- December 6th, 2007
US Release- January 22nd, 2008
Publisher- US: Ubisoft Japan: Marvelous
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture (independent)

Hello Gamers everywhere! I’ve created this blog post to essentially tell you guys about a Wii game coming out fairly soon that looks to be very promising for the hardcore gamer. Even more promising now that Super Smash Brothers Brawl has been delayed. No More Heroes is a game created from the brilliant mind behind Killer7, Suda 51. Developed by his studio, Grasshopper Manufacturer. There are a few common misconceptions about the game though, and I’ll be clearing those out of the way right now.

This isn’t a GTA clone. I’ve seen a few comments about how it’s basically “The Wii’s GTA”, or “GTA with lightsabers”. This isn’t the case at all. While you can freely roam the environments, Suda 51 has said that out of respect to Rockstar, you can’t steal cars and you most likely won’t be able to just kill anybody you want and have the cops chase after you. In fact, the town of Santa Destroy and the free roaming ability isn’t a major focus of the game, just a way of getting from point A to point B.

This isn’t Killer7. While the game was either considered a masterpiece to some (me for example), it was also hated by others because of its on-rails movement. No More Heroes allows free movement, a story that isn’t quite as complex, and if you hated Killer7, you won’t automatically hate this game because it’s different. Instead of an extremely serious story such as the one in Killer7, No More Heroes is meant to be a breath of fresh air and make you laugh.

This game aims to be different, to separate itself from the pack. It’s not a clone, and it’s story and gameplay won’t be the same thing you’ve played over and over again. This isn’t Madden *insert year here*; this is punk, this is….No More Heroes.

So, what is this game about? How does it play? Well, I’m here to tell you. Essentially this is the story, or at least what we know of it so far. An anime nerd named Travis Touchdown living in Santa Destroy finds a “Beam Katana” on eBay. Being the nerd that he is, he bids on it and wins. Now that he has it, he kills Helter Skelter, an assassin ranked 11th in the UAA, and Travis takes his spot. UAA agent Sylvia Crystal of course tells him that he has been ranked number 11, and it appears she tells him where the others are. Meanwhile, Sylvia looks to be an interesting character, as it isn’t known if her intentions are to help Travis, or if she has other things planned. More on the characters later.

Now, one important thing about Wii games are that, well, the controls need to work. Recently gamers have been kind of ticked off at developers for simply introducing waggle to replace a button press on Wii games. Not so in No More Heroes. It doesn’t have waggle to replace the A button, it just…uses the A button. That’s right, just simply pressing A will do your average sword strike. However, aiming could result to be pretty darn key to combos, so you have three positions to aim your sword. Up (tilt the controller up), or down (tilt it down, of course). Finishing moves will be done with motions guided by cues (for example, an arrow will tell you to move the Wiimote upward quickly, thus cutting your enemy in half…vertically) that because they are so context sensitive, always work. There won’t be times where you’ll try to do them, and they won’t. Though hey, sometimes your beam katana runs out of juice, so occasionally you might have to charge it up by shaking the controller up and down quickly, and you can imagine what this looks like. Funny? Yes.Oh, did I forget to mention that Travis takes lessons from a former Professional Wrestler? I did? Well, you can do wrestling moves by approaching an enemy and pressing the B button, then on screen icons will pop up and tell you what to do with the Wiimote and nunchuck to do a variety of wrestling moves, such as the videogame popular Suplex.

You might be wonder what you’ll be doing in between slicing and dicing up those assassins, and well, there’s a lot to be done. One thing you can do is hang out at your apartment, customize it a bit, change clothes, play some N64, or you could save by sitting on the toilet and, erm, release waste.That’s not to say that you can’t do anything in Santa Destroy, your hometown near the boarder of Mexico. Remember how I said you could change clothes? Well, where do you think you’d be getting those clothes? Well, you COULD go look in a dumpster (no seriously, you can), but maybe the store would be a better option. Hey, you could pick up a mask or two while you’re there as well. But how do you get the money? Well, it’s time to work…but hey, at least it can be fun.

Naturally, if you’re going to buy anything, whether it’s clothes or a new beam katana, you’re going to need some serious cash. Now, you have some options here, but to get to them you can ride your motorcycle, the Shpel Tiger. You can participate in motorcycle races, get a metal detector and search the beach, fight some assassins and see if they’ll give you cash, pick up trash, stamp things, be a human bowling ball, pump gas, or heck, some screenshots are making it look like you might even be able to work at a burger joint. How’s that for variety? So, there you have the basics of gameplay down for you, at least from what we know already. Let’s meet the characters in a closer look.

Main Characters

Travis Touchdown-
Travis is the main character of No More Heroes. However, he isn’t your average character in quite a few ways. First off, he isn’t off to save the world, not going to save a princess or authority figure, and well, he’s a nerd.An anime nerd in fact. He has an obsession for it, and so he wears clothes with anime characters on them. Which of course leads to him buying a “Beam Katana” on a website similar to eBay. Now in some freakish way he ends up killing Helter Skelter, and he is automatically ranked in the UAA.

Sylvia Christel-
Wearing suggestive clothing and speaking with a French accent Sylvia is essentially a person from the UAA that helps set up the fights, or rather she tells Travis where the other assassins are.

Assassins

Helter Skelter-
Helter, deceased holder of rank #11, is seemingly what we in the business call a cut scene death. He shows up in the intro for the first time, engages in battle, and gets killed. However, wouldn’t some people find it a bit conspicuous that Suda would spend so much time introducing this character just to kill him off? Is it possible this extremely blue gunslinger may return? Unlikely will you have to battle him, but it is possible that he’ll show up to give Travis some advice or some odd action.

Holly Summers-
Holly is one of the games bosses, and she specializes in explosives. The first three videos on the official website are dedicated to her level and fight. The obvious thing that is different about her is the rocket launcher that replaces her leg. Homage to Grindhouse anyone?

Shinobu-
Shinobu is somewhat of a female samurai, even though she is only still in high school. Wielding a sword, she is in the UAA and Travis must take her down. Unfortunately, not much is known about her.

Destroyman-
Destroyman is also one of the game’s revealed bosses. Seemingly a parody of video game bosses in general, he yells out generic attack names of his attack, while using shock powers to harm Travis. Also something interesting is his oddly placed laser cannon…hmmm…. Recently through TGS, it has been revealed that before he goes all violent on you, he’s actually a mailman.

Death Metal-
An assassin that lives the fine life. Large mansion by the beach, fine wine, beautiful women, he seems to have it all. Underneath the life he shows you’ll see a body covered in tattoos, a cleaver of a beam katana, and rank number 10 in the UAA.

Bad Girl-
Not much is known about Bad Girl, other than that she is ranked by the UAA. Dressed in a too-too and swinging a bloody bat, she’s one crazy chick.

Supporting Cast

Doctor Naomi-
Doctor Naomi creates new beam katanas and sells them when she isn’t doing construction work (or so it seems to be her cover-up anyway, perhaps it is her profession). However they don’t come cheap, so Travis definitely has to save up some money if he wants to buy a new one.

Thunder Ryu-
Thunder Ryu is an ex-Yakuza member who also at one point was a professional wrestler. Not much else is known about him other than that Travis can visit him at his Dojo and learn new moves.

Randall Lovikov-
An alcoholic man from Russia, Randall Lovikov is actually of use to Travis. If Mr. Touchdown collects Lovikov balls that are scattered around the city, Randall will teach Travis a variety of special skills that seem to be based on those of the Killer7.

This is of course the area in which reviews will be posted as they come out, however, at the moment we do have a few import reviews, which the scores will be posted here.

Famitsu: 9, 8, 8, 9 (out of 10)
Another Japanese gaming magazine (sorry for not recalling the name): 90%, 90%, 75%
EDGE: 9 (out of 10)
CVG (Computer and Videogames): 9.4 (out of 10)

NOTE: I am planning on giving hands on impressions and likely a review of the game as soon as possible.

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4 Color Rebellion hands on- “I was very hyped for this game before I came to TGS, and now after playing it, I can say most, if not all of my hype, was justified. I still have a lot of questions about how fun this game will be after the one level I played, but as long as Suda 51 keeps the pace going and the story interesting, this is a must-buy game for me.”
http://www.4colorrebellion.com/archives/20…roes/#more-5298

Jobs of No More Heroes
http://wii.ign.com/articles/839/839844p1.html

IGN’s Video Preview
http://media.wii.ign.com/media/827/827358/vid_2224010.html

IGN’s Hands on report of US version
http://wii.ign.com/articles/839/839222p1.html

IGN confirms US release date of February 08, published by Ubisoft, uncensored, and developed by Grasshopper.
http://wii.ign.com/articles/821/821117p1.html

IGN’s first interview with Suda 51
http://wii.ign.com/articles/749/749899p2.html

IGN interviews Suda 51 again, more in-depth informationhttp://wii.ign.com/articles/765/765721p1.html

Suda 51 talks about the game, and his thoughts about the industry
http://wii.ign.com/articles/771/771974p1.html

1up’s video interview with Suda 51, discusses industry, No More Heroes
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=31580831

up previews the game
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3160507

Gamespot previews No More Heroes
http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/heroes/…eatures;title;1

Scan Archive:
http://gonintendo.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/151n.jpg
http://gonintendo.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/150n.jpg
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Special Thanks to…
-Soren 406 for creating the banners.
-Shvitzel for writing up the bit on Helter Skelter and having a masterful understanding of HTML.
-Grasshopper Manufacture for making the game.