Thanks to Wii’s motion control and Wii Balance Board’s wild success, controlling games with your body is all the rage. Latest to jump on this trend is the Tony Hawk franchise as the new game simply titled The Ride will feature a motion sensitive controller that looks just like a skateboard. More details will be released during E3 in just a few weeks.
Patapons are back and if you didn’t like the original, the sequel doesn’t offer enough improvements to convert you. The original attaction of Patapon was its unique control style. You control a bunch of very cute eyeball creatures with the use of PSP’s face buttons. By using combination of 4 drums conveniently mapped to the 4 buttons, you can order your army to march, attack and defend against enemies small and big alike. Even though the battles happen in real time, the biggest problem (that hasn’t been fixed in the sequel) is the delay between when you start to input the command and when your army actually does it. You always need to be one step ahead of the enemies and predict their movements - or, in the alternative, just memorize them - in order to survive this difficult game. Although the difficulty has been reduced since the original outing, it is still a brutal game and the difficulty is compounded by the fact that there is no pause. For a portable game, that is unforgivable as once you start a pretty lengthy mission, you must see it through without stopping.
Another issue that returns is grinding for equipment. There is no easy way to create armour or weapons: you must revisit cleared levels, beat cleared bosses in order for them to drop. This inefficient system forces you to go through the same battles over and over again - albeat with difficulty increased. This sort of forced level grinding is simply unacceptable as it doesn’t give you an alternative.
In the end, if you enjoyed Patapon, you will enjoy Patapon 2. If you didn’t like the original, don’t be surprised if you find the sequel to be lacking.
Rating: 60%
1up: Patapon 2 melts the time away and before you know it your PSP will need some juice.
Giant Bomb: Patapon 2 hits the same notes, and it hits them just as hard, though as a mildly iterative sequel, it might not have the same impact on returning players. If you haven’t played Patapon before, though, this is arguably a more approachable game, and a more attractive package in general.
Destructoid: If you’re a fan of the series, then this should be an easy get. If you’re not, then it might be best to consider if the frustration with backtracking and boss battles is worth your time.
With increasing number of home entertainment devices, universal remotes simplify control of all these devices and I have been using Harmony remotes to accomplish this. My latest remote that I’ve now been using for the past few months is Harmony One (which is a pretty impressive device), and I have a problem: Sony decided to make PS3 without an infrared port. And since I am not aware of any universal remote that can control Bluetooth devices, PS3 has always been beyond the control of my now-not-so-universal remote. Thankfully Logitech has a solution in the form of an adapter for PS3.
This device, priced at $60, will convert IR signals from your Harmony remotes into Bluetooth commands that can be recognized by PS3. The best thing is, since it is not plugged into the PS3’s USB port directly, it can even turn it on! $60 seems a bit pricy but if you use your PS3 as a Blu-Ray player and don’t want to have to deal with the game controller and a remote separately, this will be a well justified convenience.
The latest entry in The House of the Dead franchise is different from the previous games as Overkill becomes even sillier and even more fun. Opting for the Grindhouse movie stylistics, the game is as hardcore as you can get. Script is silly as you’d expect, full of swearings (the game is even recognized by the Guiness folks for being the most vulgar game ever made) and action is violent full of splattering blood and body parts. The action is simple as the game controls where you move: all you have to do is shoot waves after waves of zombies with various guns at your disposal.
The gameplay is typical of rail shooter, but what sets this game apart from other entries in the genre is the over-the-top action and script. The game is pretty short (clocking in at about 3 hours on a regular play session), but you will enjoy the game more than you’d think. Overkill is better enjoyed with friends as all you need is extra Wiimotes. There are technical issues, such as severe frame rate drops that can cause the game to not register commands but these could be overlooked by the fact that you are having fun shooting and decapitating zombies.
Rating: 80%
IGN: The House of the Dead: Overkill blends some great gameplay with an impressive style, some great humor, and enough violence and vulgarity to confuse the hell out of soccer moms looking for a new Sims game or Petz title. I wouldn’t put the overall production value or difficulty up there with WoW’s offerings just yet, but for a relaunch of the series on Wii, Overkill is off to a very nice start.
Eurogamer: Incredibly for such a simple and strictly limited game, it almost never tries your patience, and it’s made with such infectious and irreverent glee and such obvious pride, you can’t help but join in.
Gamespot: Even though it suffers from technical flaws, The House of the Dead: Overkill offers tons of entertainment with plenty of style.
Rhythm Heaven, as the name implies, is a music game that is more akin to Warioware with its short but delightful collection of stages. All you need to know is how to tap and flick on the DS’ touch screen in order to control the game. The game mechanics are incredibly simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s not challenging. Unless you have an almost perfect sense of rhythm, this game will be tough. Thankfully the game allows you to skip stages if you fail them too many times.
There are 24 stages in the game and each requires you to only do 2 things: either tap according to the visual and audio cues or flick the stylus. The music in the game is pretty fun and catchy, although the lyrics are pretty atrocious. Whoever localized the lyrics from the original Japanese must think brilliant songwriting includes phrases such as “Yeah, yeah, yeah” and “No, no, no” ad nauseum. Each stage is fun and imaginative such as a ping pong match, filling up robots at a factory building, well of course, robots or even three storks singing in unison.
In the end, if you enjoy music and rhythm games, this is a must play as the quirky collection of stages will surely put a smile on your face.
Rating: 85%
Wired: Rhythm Heaven is exactly the sort of novel, deep, challenging game that people accuse Nintendo of not creating anymore. Play it.
Game Revolution: Though Rhythm Heaven hits a smattering of flat notes, its composition and concept are simply divine.
GameDaily: Ultimately, its poor music and one note gameplay mar the experience, but players in search of something off the wall will probably dig Rhythm Heaven’s imaginative design.
Microsoft’s latest advertising for the Xbox 360 is narrated in the point of view of an Avatar and introduces the viewer to the new Xbox 360 interface as well as the social things (such as Photo Party) that it allows. This video is wonderfully produced and doesn’t solely rely on the basic human urge to fight and scream at everyone.
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure describes the concept very well: it’s an adventure platforming game complete with melee, ranged and super power attacks coupled with a puzzle game where the goal is to match 3 or more same colored blocks. This would have been possible only on Nintendo’s DS with dual screen. You control Henry Hatsworth on the top screen in the usual manner, using the directional pad and face buttons to jump and attack.
What’s innovative about this title is the use of the bottom screen with the puzzle element. Different colored blocks will rise from the bottom to the top and your goal is to make sure it doesn’t reach the top. You do this by moving blocks horizontally in order to form a horizontal or vertical line of 3 or more blocks. In the puzzle game, matching special blocks will give you a boost in the platforming game, such as replenishing health, paralyzing enemies and more. You constantly need to match the blocks in order to power up the meter that fuels your ranged attacks. Fill up the boost bar to maximum and you can transform into a giant indestructible robot that will plough through all enemies.
A warning before you proceed further: the game is pretty difficult. Platforming is pretty tight and Henry Hatsworth controls very well but the constant need to switch back and forth between the puzzle game and platforming game isn’t easy at the beginning. Once you begin to familiarize yourself with the concept, you will find a great platformer and puzzle game in one convenient and stylish package. The world of Henry Hatsworth is not inventive but its characters are charming and the visuals are pretty good. It is too bad that they couldn’t provide voice acting, as the default gibberish gets annoying really quickly, but it doesn’t blemish the overall package.
Rating: 80%
IGN: There isn’t much more that can be said about Hatsworth without coming right out and telling you to buy it, which is exactly what I’m doing. The game blends the action/patforming genre with traditional puzzle gaming very well, the music, visuals, character design, and story is all completely over the top, and the action elements are a total love letter to dozens of different games spanning a handful of different schools of design.
EuroGamer: While the platformer and the puzzler in Henry Hatsworth are perfectly competent, they’re nothing special. Neither could be described as classic examples of their genre, and neither offer anything new. The switching mechanic does add interest, but not quite enough to make Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure a great game.
Puzzle games are (literally) dime a dozen on Nintendo DS, and Big Bang Mini offers a pretty new mechanics to distinguish itself from the pack. Using the stylus, the goal is to pop balloons on the top screen by launching fireworks from the bottom screen. If you hit the balloon, then a star will drop which you then have to collect in order to score points. The difficulty comes in making sure you hit the balloons as much as possible because, if you miss, debris will fall down and you will need to avoid those. The mechanic sounds simple enough, and it is so in the early stages: however once you factor in obstacles such as clouds that eat your firework and the frantically moving balloons, dodging becomes a significant challenge.
Visuals are crisp and the music is very catchy, making this puzzle game something you can enjoy in short bursts. At just $19.99 retail, it won’t even put a severe dent in your wallet.
Rating: 85%
GameSpot: Beautiful visuals, great music, exciting gameplay, and an innovative control scheme make Big Bang Mini one of the best DS games out there.
IGN: The touch screen shooting and dodging controls feel great, and over 90 levels the game always has a new trick up its sleeve. On top of that, there are fun multiplayer modes and a no-fail “relax” mode where you can just enjoy the fireworks display.
1up: Like so many games that try to straddle a balance between mass market and fervent gaming enthusiasts, what Big Bang does well and what it does bad are both incredibly noticeable. Yet, on the whole, it’s worth a try. Weird.
I really wanted to complete Prinny: Can I Really Be The Hero? featuring the cute little explosive talking penguin from the Disgaea series in a platforming adventure. The visuals are gorgeous, and it’s always fun to hear the penguin say “Dood!” as it goes on a search for the Ultra Dessert. Unfortunately I had to give up playing on this game since I was on the verge of breaking my PSP in half out of anguish and frustration. Here’s what other critics have said about this game:
IGN: If you think you can handle the absurd difficulty of Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?, you’ll have fun with it. The charming sprites and modest 3D backgrounds work well with the PSP and the music and voice acting is commendable.
Eurogamer: This collect-’em-all compulsion will see a certain type of gamer through, as will the charm and comedy of the Nippon Ichi fanboy. But for many gamers the infuriating platforming and a combat system that rewards pattern-learning and slow progression over fast, reaction-based advancement of Nippon Ichi’s off-kilter design decisions will be insurmountable obstacles to true enjoyment.
Destructoid: So, is Prinny worth it? Perhaps if you’re into this hard-to-be-hard sort of thing. You masochist. But for the rest of us, the game is going to be too much of a pain to really enjoy.
There are plenty of tower defence games out there, and at first glance, Ninjatown doesn’t do much to stray from the formula. You must prevent enemies from crossing the map and reaching the other side by placing defensive structures. What sets the game apart is its charm.
Ninjatown for DS
As the name suggests, the game involves ninja. Very cute, adorable ninjas who have to defend their village from Devils. To do so you must place defensive structures such as melee attacks and ranged attacks and other support structures that will give your ninjas an edge. The gameplay is pretty standard and the difficulty curve is gentle (unlike the PixelJunk Monsters): however younger gamers may find latter levels really challenging and getting A on all levels won’t be automatically a given.
adorable ninjas fighting demons
With adorable visuals and witty dialogs that involve ninja consultants, yes, consulting ninjas equiped with pie charts are in the game, Ninjatown gives you something more than a generic tower defence game. If you can get past the charm, you will still find a deeply strategic game with upgradeable structures and superpowers such as sunlight and wind. It’s a fun title that’s perfect on the DS.
Rating: 80%
