Despite what you may have heard from Register Hardware or various and sundry other media outlets over the weekend, Sega isn't getting back into the hardware business. Yes, the company's releasing a portable device that can "play games," in addition to playing music and movies as well as serving as a digital camera. But those games are Java-based, just like the ones you're playing on your cell phone right now. Well, not right now. But you get the idea.
To really drive home the point, Sega told Unofficial RPG Site, "The Vision is primarily an MP4 video player with some basic games functionality, and not a new handheld gaming machine" (emphasis RPG Site). RPG Site goes on to add, "the Sega Vision isn't actually a Sega-developed device at all, and in fact a cheap Chinese iPod-style alternative."
We know, we know. We're upset too.
Source -- Sega to launch PSP beater in Japan [Register Hardware] Source -- SEGA: "Vision" is real, not a PSP rival [Unofficial RPG Site]
While it looks like one helluva Wiimote attachment, this gangly peripheral is actually a portable Rock Band (or more appropriately, Rock Band 2) drum kit made by Mad Catz for Xbox 360. So no, we won't be flailing the loose ends about as we race our karts through Moo Moo Meadows. We're told the pads must be laid flat, like on a sturdy coffee table (best not glass) -- or in our case: the unpaid intern's back, or better, draped over his neck like some gaudy Jesus piece -- and repeatedly smashed to the beat of the on-screen cues. We're currently testing the "designed to withstand over 1 million strikes" certification, though the same intern has begun to complain that his wrist hurts. To which we reply: "Dude, stop hitting yourself." (Yeah, we're evil like that.)
The "Official Rock Band Portable Drum Kit for Xbox 360" is currently in limbo on GameShark for $59.99 (and Buy.com for $10 less).
Classic 2D Castlevania is here to stay. At least, that's how we feel after playing the latest in the series to hit the Nintendo DS, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. While the game stays true to the flat-faced games we've seen in the past, there's enough here in this little square cartridge to make things feel fresh ... blood fresh.
One of the elements that stands out the most in this new Castlevania is the glyph system. In order to carry out actions, characters absorb glyphs (which are usually either weapons, i.e. a rapier, or magic, i.e. flying fire balls) and assign them to the X and Y buttons. You can equip the same glyph more than once, making things slightly more economical. You have a green bar under your red health bar -- this is a magic gauge. This depletes as you use your glyphs, but refills quickly as soon as you stop performing any actions with them; it basically regulates your attacks, so you won't be able to mindlessly breeze through the game.
Want even more proof that everything Nintendo touches turns to gold? There's a new hot, impossible-to-find toy in the United Arab Emirates, and it's ... the Virtual Boy. That's right, even Nintendo's poorly conceived, poorly executed leavings are flying off the shelves.
OK, so the box of 100 of the ill-fated consoles, recently unearthed in a Dubai warehouse, is probably so popular thanks to rabid collectors wanting to snap them up, and not because the children of the UAE want to finally experience Teleroboxer for themselves. Just don't be surprised to see Nintendo including them in its NPDs next month.
Oh Myst, whatever happened to you? We loved you when you were original, and we loved you even more when Riven came out. Then we were rudely slapped in the face when the game left Cyan and Ubisoft released Myst III: Exile and later Myst IV: Ages of Revelation. We tried to be chipper when you went back to Cyan and Myst V: End of Ages came out, but honestly too much water had passed under the bridge. Maybe because of the Uru: Ages Beyond Myst / Myst Online: Uru Live debacle.
We know you might be too busy and Hollywood now, with your movie deal and iPhone announcement. But, we're still smarting from our past experiences. We'll give you another chance, but you'll need to hurry along while we're still smitten with the iPhone. And please, don't call it iMyst. Myst will do just fine. You wouldn't want us to get Pyst all over again.
[Update: We just heard from one of the gents working on the game (Yeah, that's the kind of pull we have) and they tell us "I'm pretty darn sure we're only calling it iMyst internally as a goofy moniker. I really doubt you've got anything to worry about with regards to rebranding of the game. Who knows, maybe if it does well, other Cyan games will follow." Good news all around!]
One of the most surprising films in the sort of "Holy crap? What the heck?! This is cool!" vein to come out of SXSW film festival earlier this year was Blip Festival: Reformat The Planet. It's all about chiptune music and the performers, and is beautifully shot. It's hard to imagine Nintendo thinking people would be hacking into their Game Boys in order to create full-fledged concerts, concerts that would one day spark a feature documentary and an entire genre of music.
For one week, you can watch the impressive documentary at Pitchfork.tv. It's even broken up into bite-sized chapters for you. Give it a looksee and you'll find yourself toe-tapping along to the addictive 8-bit music throughout the film. It's beaten Wizard Rock as our current favorite geek music of choice.
The gaming community doesn't typically put a lot of stock in what media outlets such as Time have to say about our collective hobby. But these publications do tend to have their fingers on the pulse of the mainstream, providing perspective on and to that other, oh, baziliion or so consumers who aren't "enthusiasts." So, when they tell their audience that Apple's iPhone could be big for gaming, it's definitely worth taking notice.
In its article, "Can the iPhone Rule Gaming?," Time makes some compelling points. One quarter of all currently available iPhone app store titles are games, and, further to that, seven out of the top 10 paid app downloads are games. Also, as the article points out, a third of the iPhone userbase is in the game industry's hottest demographic, aged 26 and under. The article spotlights the ease of downloading games to the device directly as a key advantage over DS and PSP. These factors, combined with titles such as Spore: Origins, could, in Time's words, "Bring the iPhone into the same league as the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP."
Still, there are questions raised, particularly regarding software quality. The piece's author, Anita Hamilton, states, "Key to the iPhone's success as a gaming platform is a deep portfolio of titles that take advantage of the device's coolest attributes, such as its tilt sensor," adding that, "It remains to be seen ... whether iPhone games actually evolve beyond the amusing, lightweight titles available now."
When he isn't dabbling in rocket science, id Software's John Carmack is one of the world authorities on 3D graphics programming. Carmack, who recently revealed that he is turning his talents to Apple's iPhone (the graphics ones, not the rocketry smarts) for a "graphical tour de force," has provided his two cents on just how powerful the cell phone personal media device really is.
During an on-stage appearance at QuakeCon 2008, the man who's tinkered with every graphics tech under the sun likened the polygon-pushing capabilities of iPhone to that of Sega's late, great Dreamcast. Taking the comparison to more current game hardware, he stated that iPhone is "more powerful than a Nintendo DS and Sony PSP combined," perhaps even nearing the capabilities of the PS2 and original Xbox. Given his statements, we're even more eager to see the two projects id is developing for the device, a "conventional mobile game" and the aforementioned visual show stopper.
While, for the most part, Chrono Trigger on the DS looks just like Chrono Trigger on the SNES, some liberties have been taken to make the use of the new, screenier hardware. I snapped this control scheme diagram from the Chrono Trigger demo station, figuring there may be someone out there interested in how it would play on the DS.
Oh, and I played it. The big revelation here is the touchscreen movement. The touchscreen (which displays an automap of the room you're in) basically acts as a big analog stick: hold the stylus toward the right of the screen and Crono moves right; hold it farther toward the edge and Crono moves faster. Tap, or run into something, to make Crono interact.
It's awesome if you want to have a really hard time performing basic movement operations in Chrono Trigger. But the traditional button controls remain more than adequate. It doesn't really mar the fact that it's OMG CHRONO TRIGGER. And battling on the touchscreen is perfectly fine -- you just touch buttons on a menu.
In other Chrono news, an SE rep told me that the translation (yes, it was the English version!) was new! And according to a statement given to Spencer Yip, the single-screen version just as it appeared on the SNES will be added to the cart before release.
The Apogee website has been updated with a few more details regarding Duke Nukem Trilogy, which was announced today. Both the DS and the PSP will be getting versions of the game, which will each offer "a totally different gaming experience on each system while staying true to the storyline." The three chapters, Critical Mass, Chain Reaction and Proving Ground will be released sequentially, starting Summer 2009. Almost certainly before Duke Nukem Forever sees the light of day.
Other various tidbits are included on the website and give a very vague idea of what to expect, such as 3D graphics and multiplayer gameplay. We still have no idea how Duke Nukem Trilogy will play, but we're expecting to see something like the sidescrollers of the early 90s. Hopefully Apogee will release some screenshots soon so we can see exactly what they have in mind.
Apogee Software, a one-time forerunner of shareware titles, is back. According to a press release, the company has reached an "exclusive agreement" with 3D Realms and MachineWorks Northwest LLC to release Duke Nukem Trilogy to the "handheld console market." The brand new game includes episodes Critical Mass, Chain Reaction and Proving Grounds.
Square Enix has a surprise RPG for the handheld gamer. No, it's not on the PSP or DS. Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes is an iPod exclusive RPG with a rather unique twist. You'll be able to transform your music collection into "Tune Troopers" that you can use in battle. Even cooler: you'll be able to level up your "Tune Troopers" simply by listening to the same song you created them on your iPod. You'll need the help of all your best MP3s, as you fight the Mechanical Militia and save your brother.
The iTunes download, available today, will retail for $4.99. The game will be controlled exclusively through the iPod click wheel and will be compatible with iPod nano with video, iPod classic and fifth generation iPod. While we haven't had a chance to play the game ourselves, we're certainly itching to give it a try. If you download Song Summoner, tell us what you think. Update: Trailer embedded, after the cut.
Our first thought upon seeing this very cool hack was "that's awesome." Our second thought was "do you have to blow on it to make it work?"
BenHeck.com forum member "darkeru" created this inventive new take on a home made NES portable, which manages to squeeze all of the 8-bit dynamo's guts into a 4.1" by 5.5" space ... with a backlit LCD display. We just had a third thought: what happens when you connect it to this portable NES?
Alan R. Moon's Ticket to Ride has only been out for four years, but it has picked up several prestigious board gaming awards, and is quickly becoming a popular "haul it out of the closet and get yer game on" addition to game night. Last week, the Xbox Live Arcade version was released, joining Catan, Carcassonne, and Lost Cities as games that have breached the digital divide. But how does it stack up against the freebie Java version, and the board game itself? Read on, ticket holders, and find out.
The PlayStation Phone? Not quite. But it's clear that Sony is keen to get in on the growing mobile gaming business, especially in the wake of Apple's recent iPhone game announcements.
Speaking of the iPhone, take a look, if you will, at the Sony Ericsson F305. Sure, it's sporting some decidedly old-school graphics on-screen, but what you can't see are motion controls under the hood. Our pals at Engadget report that the (officially) yet-unannounced phone contains an accelerometer to facilitate motion-based control, a la the iPhone. Plus, if you look at the right side of the handset (turned horizontally) you'll notice two familiar buttons: "X" and "O." There's also a prominent D-Pad on the phone's face, along with a distintive PlayStation-controller-iconified button.
The phone will reportedly come with three pre-installed games – Bowling, Bass Fishing, and Jockey – which all make use of the accelerometer. Not quite God of War, or even Super Monkey Ball, but it could signal a proverbial testing of the waters for Sony.
