What is This?!

“Sega has announced a new Sonic game for the Wii called Sonic and the Black Knight.“

“Developed by the same team as Sonic and the Secret Rings“

“This time, a sorceress named Merlina summons Sonic to the mythical realm of King Arthur, but it seems the fabled monarch has somehow been corrupted and now rules the land as the tyranical Black Knight.”

“As Sonic runs along, a simple flick of the Wii remote will execute a basic slash, which is enough to dispatch most low-level grunts.”

” [The] team behind Sonic and the Black Knight is keenly aware of the franchise’s past missteps, and their enthusiasm for doing right by the series is infections.”

If this team wants to make a Sonic game that “does the series right” they would not include things such as: swords, mystic faries, Shadow, or swords. They are clearly unaware of the past misteps (i.e. the last eight or nine years of Sonic titles), and should feel bad for creating yet another ‘misstep’. Sonic with a sword fighting a corrupted King Aurthur, did anyone stop and think that out? Did anyone think, “hey, maybe that’s an absolutely terrible idea?” Nope. I forgot this is the same company that greenlit a project that has Sonic transforming into a “werehog”. Fucking Sega, what have you become?

Here’s a link to *sigh* Sonic and the Black Knight information: LINK!

Platforming Resurrection

Right now, for most gamers, Wii isn’t a worth while venture. It’s been this way, well, since launch. The games are different, the control is different, and the intended auidence is different. Nintendo fans are sticking it out though, as they have since the days of the N64. Nintendo’s games are the only games worth a damn, and they’re not even particularly concerned with the ‘core’ gamers desires any more. I’ve discussed both sides of that issue here numerous times; this article isn’t really about that. It’s about Nintendo’s newest “bone throwing”.

Completely out of nowhere Nintendo up and decides they’re going to release a brand new 2D platforming game. Not via WiiWare either, this is a straight up, full on, retail game. It’s a new installment in the Wario Land franchise.

I have little knowledge about the Wario Land series, but after watching the slick animations and incredibly detailed environments feated in Wario Land: Shake It! I just don’t think it would be wise to ignore it. I generally dispise Wario, but I love the genre and 2D platformers are a rariety these days. If your into the genre, I suggest checking out this trailer, becuase the still shots really don’t do the game that much justice, it’s something that should be seen in motion. This has a July release for Japan, and I would only assume that a game like this wouldn’t be to hard to localize, so, I’d expect it before the summer ends.

The other game I’d like to mention is Mega Man 9, whose announcemnt was a complete shock to most of the gaming community. The most intresting aspect of Mega Man 9 is that it’s going to, basically, be an NES game. It’s being developed for Wii (distributed via WiiWare) and the team decided the best way to honestly take the series “back to its roots”. That phrase is such a tired line in the industry, except now Capcom can actually claim it (however, at this point, I don’t think they’ve made a statement like that yet, which is odd because that overused tagline actually holds water here).

The idea of a “new-retro” title is very appealing to me. Mega Man, like Wario, was never really something I was into but I strongly support the direction this game is going. Making a game like this is risky, simply because of modern expectations. It’s hard to believe making a modern NES game is risky, but it’s also easy to understand why it is a risk. It’s very bold, and I really hope it has some kind of effect on the indusrty. I enjoy my retro sidescrolling games; those are my favorite kind of games. It would be wonderful if suddenly this kind of thing caught on.

On another note, MM9 kind of ties in with my last article, about how I think gaming is going to change. MM9 is surely an example of the possibilities that have opened up this generation. I doubt Capcom would have green-lit this project if digital distribution weren’t an option. The development team is very small, and in that sense it’s “indie” (for lack of a better term, becuase it’s not really inide at all).  Small teams with low budgets making really awesome games, that’s the future. I like that future, especially if it means titles like this and all the other crazy experiemtal type games that have made it out recently.

Here’s a screenshot from MM9 and a link to a really intresting article on MM9.

Totally retro, totally cool. I just hope I’m man enough for it.

Final Fantasy Tactics is Intimidating

A while ago I bought Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions (the PSP port of the Playstation original). I had decided to get it thinking that I’ve always kind of enjoyed turn based strategy games. I’ve played things like the Advance Wars series, the Metal Gear Acid games, etc. I figured I’d turn up the heat by trying an SRPG. I went in expecting that this would be a more difficult game. Well, I found that it’s not difficult per say. There just a lot of things to keep track of.

My mistake was going to a message board devoted to the game. The community still playing this game is fanatical. There’s a whole world of terminology that barely made sense to me. Plus, they tore this one guy to shreds after he posted his ‘lame’ team. That kind of put me off. I’m always wondering if I’m playing this game wrong.

But the game is about customization, and trial and error tactics. So, I can’t be playing it wrong if I win battles, right?

What I do know about the game is that the job system is neat, and I want my characters to be different things. I’m working towards a certain team I have in mind. It’s difficult work, because I don’t have much knowledge about the game. I don’t know how to really apply experience points and all this gibberish. I’ve been using tutorials and it’s still this very foreign thing to me.

I like using my black mage to set dudes on fire. That’s what I know.

It’s rough, but I’m hoping that I’ll be able to comprehend this game at some point.

Post Modernism; The World Ends With You

I am a post modern thinker. Well, I want to be. Or rather, I want to embody the concept more than I am already. The concept is utterly undefinable, much like the term ‘poetry’ is undefinable. There are only things about each concept that people can agree on. For poetry, well, it’s things like verse and meter and the styling of the language. But! You see, even these things are debatable. For post modernism, as I understand it, it’s just a huge concept that is still being furthered today. There’s an idea there, and it’s hard to conceive, but yet it’s growing, making it damn near impossible to understand. Yet, I am beginning, finally, after quite some time, beginning to grasp it.

In my last entry I wrote about Coetzee’s Disgrace. Since then I have learned of his other novels. Coetzee is a post modernist writer. He is exactly what I want to be. I have since gathered a few of his novels, and am expecting nothing short of brilliance. From what I hear, I will not be disappointed.

Secondly, The World Ends With You. A DS game. A little game by a company most should be familiar with, Square-Enix, famous for classics such as the Final Fantasy series, the Kingdom Hearts series, and the Dragon Quest series, as well as many others. This is their latest game; it shares no ties with any of their former series, save for some artistic resemblance and genre type.

It is an RPG. And, from what I have gathered, the characters are whiny, at least at first. But the story has me intrigued; I detect a trace a bit of metaphysical exploration hidden within the story, plus there’s a dual screened combat system that is very intriguing. I am not expecting a story on par with something like Metal Gear Solid, but perhaps this might be another example of a ‘deeper’ narrative. I am hoping it will be enjoyable from both the narrative and gameplay standpoints.

Note: This is the Japanese Box Art. The North American version uses the same background, but with English fonts.

Sonic Unleashed

Sonic won’t die, at least not yet. If the series must continue then I would hope the Sega takes a good look at the series history and make games that show they remember what Sonic used to be. I don’t mean remake or retread familiar waters, I mean stay true to your source material. No wonky stories with aliens, no rouge genies, no clones, no pirates, etc, etc. That goes for gameplay additions too. Shooting? Fishing? Driving? Not in a Sonic game. Ok? Thanks Sega.

Recently, Sega announced Sonic Unleashed. Along with this uninspired name, Sega released some screen shots and a trailer. Both the screens and the video seemed to take into account all the things I had been thinking. It was a mix of 2D and 3D gameplay (although the 3D segments seem to be in the same vein as Secret Rings, boo). The environments have a unique styling, but it still looks like a Sonic game. There were loops and platforms, and it looks amazing. I’ve included only one screen below, but it’s a really nice looking one (I’ll have some links at the bottom of this entry).

Sweet, right? Sonic with a bit of a European vibe? That’s pretty cool. So I saw all these things, and it made me happy to see them. But, I had to sprinkle some salt on all of this sweetness, because with everything Sega has released in the last five years, virtually none of it has been worthwhile. This looks great, but will it be great? Will there be something revealed later that could totally ruin what I see here? What could ruin a most 2D experience?

Well, as I mentioned earlier, the Secret Rings part might. But, what if it wasn’t on rails? Or what if those portions were rather limited? That would be ok. But what if everything was on rails, even the 2D parts? That would be terrible.

But even those things, as hindering as they might be, didn’t prepare me for the other bit of information that I stumbled across, which is pictured below.

Were-Sonic.

Upon seeing this nearly all of my interest in the title fled my conscious. The levels will be divided up into day and night segments. Presumably you will “unleash” Were-Sonic in the latter segments. These sections will also be combat heavy. And we have another poor, poor, choice by the fine folks at Sega. One of the CG screens also had a Sonic 360/PS3 styled monster in it.

These ideas don’t mix with the rest of what Sega has shown of the title. 2D goodness + non-robotic monsters + Were-Sonic? What kind of prick thinks this shit up?

I’ll reserve judgment until Sega shows more of it, but I remain very skeptical. If the game has a vast emphasis on 2D gameplay, defeating Eggman’s robots, and the Were-Sonic parts are actually playable and enjoyable then this will be a worthwhile endeavor. I can get over Were-Sonic, like I’m sure Zelda fans quickly adjusted to Were-Link (which turned out quite well I might add, but that was a Nintendo game from a studio known for amazing games, not a Sega team known for missing the mark with every game they make). However on-rail segments, mosters, aliens, and whatever else Sega might add would ruin this for me, and would make it a prime example as to why the series should end.

Make the right choice Sega. Make the classic fans happy, not the furries who enjoyed your last few efforts.

Links:

Screens:

http://www.seganerds.com/2008/03/22/sonic-unleashed-artwork/

http://www.seganerds.com/2008/03/22/more-sonic-unleashed-screenshots/

Trailer:

http://www.seganerds.com/2008/04/04/check-out-this-new-sonic-unleashed-trailer/

Waiting for Super Mario Galaxy

If you’re a friend of mine I’m sure it’s no secret that I’m obsessed with Super Mario Galaxy, to the point that it’s taken over my life. It’s about a day away from being in my hands, and over the course of the last few weeks I’m sure nearly every conversation and thought I’ve had has turned to the game, somehow. Truth be told, the game has been in the back of my mind since it’s announcement nearly a year and a half ago at E3 2006. Yes, I have had Galaxy on my mind for a year and a half. There was just something about the concept that even an early demo made me love.

Every bit of information since it’s announcement has only increased my anticipation for the game. Early this year Nintendo began to show off the sheer variety of the levels, and at E3 they reacquainted us with an old time Mario tradition, suits. Suits, amazing levels, new control methods, it took over me. I couldn’t help but count the days until I had it. Here we are a day before I can get it, and it’s almost as if it’s still intangible, like it’s not real. at least that’s how it feels. Maybe that’s what happens when you obsess, things become unreal. Which makes me worry, will this live up to what I expect? Actually, I already know it will. I gave the demo a shot, it was only the first level, but even that put a giant smile on my face. Even the first level of the game was everything I had hoped for. It’s going to be one of the greatest game I’ll ever buy, and will undoubtedly become one of if not my favorite game.

I don’t think it would be wise for me to review Galaxy. That’s the message here. It would be a completely biased review, as there would be no metaphorical ‘red ink’. I’m convinced of it’s perfection, and I am completely aware that I’m suffering from a severe case of fanboyism. But, I’d like to think that at least I’m sensible enough to not subject anyone to a completely biased review. I may post some impressions, but SMG will not get the critical treatment. At least, not for a while. Maybe if my fanboysim levels off I’ll be able to criticize the game. I’m not sure if I would expect that from me though.

Anyway for those who get a copy this week or anytime I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I plan to!