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TUAW's Daily App: HYBRID 2: Saga of Nostalgia
Gamevil's new action RPG HYBRID 2 is an excellent game, but it's not one that I would recommend for just anyone to pick up. We've spotlighted plenty of great casual games and apps here on the Daily App, but HYBRID 2 doesn't fit in that category. If you've never played a Japanese-style action RPG, you'll probably get lost right away. There is a pretty solid tutorial for the combos, but soon after that, the game quickly falls into the kinds of tropes that only someone who loves old school RPGs can deal with; there's a convoluted plot in which the world has to be saved from a supernatural threat (again), jerky controls with lots of stats to oversee and upgrade, and even lots of typos and some Engrish in the menus. Don't get me wrong -- HYBRID 2 is actually a lot of fun. If you've played the first one, you'll automatically know what to do, and even if not, you can skip right past the cutscenes and get right into the excellently stylish 2D fighting and rewarding level grinding. Once you actually wrap your head around it (and your fingers around the less than trustworthy D-pad and virtual buttons), there's some great hacking-and-slashing action to be had, with hundred-hit combos earning XP and loot all the way through the quest-based storyline. The game is worth the US$4.99 for the right person. If the action sounds good to you and you aren't about to let a cluttered interface and clumsy story get in the way, have at it. Everyone else will probably have to wait for Dungeon Hunter 2 to get their action RPG on.
Super Wings: Download this game NOW
"Mount your SUPER WINGS!"Releases like Super Wings prove the old adage that limitations breed creativity. Programmer Mukunda "eKid" Johnson created this polished GBA shoot'em up specifically for PDRoms' recent coding competition, a homebrew contest constrained to child-friendly games using a maximum of only four colors.eKid took those restrictions as an opportunity to relive the Game Boy experience with his shmup, packing the title with genre standbys like floating weapon power-ups, listless tanks, and rock-out music. Super Wings' humor is tops, too -- each stage begins with a campy briefing and silly, generic objectives, all in hilariously terrible Engrish. Make sure you hit the Game Over screen at least once in each level to catch the encouraging Continue messages. Though it's a short game with only three stages -- the last of which will blow your mind -- Super Wings already looks to be one of 2008's best original homebrew titles. It's a free download, and you can play it on a flashcart or pretty much any GBA emulator, so there's no reason for you to miss this one!
Final Fantasy IV gently mocked by Ace Attorney
The Ace Attorney games have always sported first-class localized dialogue, managing to be witty and original in whatever language they choose. What's more, some of the references are delightful -- check out this oh-so-subtle nod* to Final Fantasy IV's dodgy Engrish translation, as it appears in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations. Blink and you'd miss it.If you're currently staring at your screen, slack-jawed and with a look of utter befuddlement, then head here for an explanation, so that you can feel as geeky superior as we do for getting it.* Our apologies for the rather blurry pic, but it gets the point across.
Zu Online alpha test goes live with 'big rewards'
Zu Online, a new, free fantasy MMO being developed by Onwind Digital and brought to the 'states by IGG, has entered its alpha test. Sporting a unique and surprisingly stylistic hand-drawn style, Zu is heavily-steeped in Chinese mythology, shirking the typical elves and orcs fare for a focus on Buddhist monastic tradition.Their website, which is curiously hard to navigate and chock full of good old fashioned engrish, claims that "hundreds of thousands" of people applied to be part of the alpha, and only five hundred made it in. Those lucky few will get an added treat from Onwind and crew this weekend, as all alpha testers will receive a princely 30 gold!And hey, for a free game, it sure is pretty. If they work on localization a little bit more, Zu Online could very well be a hit . We'll see.
Talkman for Kids makes learning Engrish fun
Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan is continuing their PSP casual gaming initiative. They targeted golfers with their GPS promo, and now they're targeting kids and parents with Talkman for Kids, software that will train children how to speak English.It's an adorable ad, featuring some cute Engrish. "You need to speak more clearly," the game will tell the child, pictured above. Don't listen to the mean Talkman! Your Engrish is fine just the way it is. Check out the ad, after the cut.
Translate! Ultimate Stars
Jump Ultimate Stars is one of the most popular DS games with importers. Since it's a fighting game, it's not a huge deal to play Jump without knowing Japanese, but there are a lot of missions that may be difficult to figure out. Also, the game actually tries to tell a story, which is rare for a fighting game. Abel Tamayo wrote in to tell us about a wonderful wiki project he's managing, called, appropriately enough, the Jump Ultimate Stars Translation Project. We've seen amazing fan translation projects from single translators, but never a project done in a collaborative wiki format. It's a great idea, one that will allow tragically busy people to help out. If you know Japanese, why not sign up? Translating a fighting game-- that's another rarity. SNK never bothered to do it.
It's not a dream, DJ Max turns into a "live miracle"
American gamers may be destroying their PSPs in frustration over DJ Max Portable 2, but Korean gamers are absolutely bonkers for the music title. A live concert called "Live Miracle" will take advantage of the growing popularity of the game, and give fans the rare opportunity to hear their favorite songs from the game performed live. Too bad other games don't get the same kind of treatment. Imagine: a Gitaroo-Man concert. ::swoons::Make sure to check out Ruliweb for the complete poster, filled with some hilarious Engrish. Live MIRACLE, It's not a DREAM![Via PSP-Vault]
Survey reveals new direction for PSP ads
We reported a few weeks ago that Sony was going to change and revamp their marketing efforts. Well, it looks like the transformation is slowly happening. Gamer Advisory Panel members were sent a survey to vote for new endings to PSP ads. In Japan, all PSP ads end with a very Engrish-sounding "PlayStation Portable" quip by some Japanese females. It looks like this quirky auditory form of brand identification is being considered for the US (I personally voted for this one). The other two choices featured more generic, less memorable techno voices (one felt very similar to this fan-created ad).Voting is already closed, and Sony should be tabulating the entries as you read this. Hopefully, we'll see new (and better) ads soon.
