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Renegade Kid takes DS on an ATV Wild Ride
Now we get to see what Renegade Kid's "Renegade Engine," used for the Dementium games and Moon, can do with a game that isn't a first-person shooter. The developer has announced ATV Wild Ride, its new decidedly non-spooky DS game for publisher Destineer. ATV Wild Ride is a racing game featuring 24 courses in six countries, a trick system and wireless multi-card multiplayer. It's like an extreme racing game, but shrunk down to manageable DS size. Destineer announced plans to take it on the wild ride to retail in early 2011 -- but the trailer after the break (courtesy of Destructoid) further specifies January.%Gallery-109511%
Dragon's Lair Trilogy for Wii: one step closer to porting Dragon's Lair to everything
Hey, Mad Dog McCree: Gunslinger Pack, there's a new sheriff in town -- the "town" in this case being the set of "Collections of Three Laserdisc Games on Wii." Digital Leisure and publisher Destineer are partnering to release Dragon's Lair Trilogy on Wii this fall. Despite the name, the "Trilogy" is only two-thirds Dragon's Lair: in addition to Dragon's Lair and Dragon's Lair 2: Time Warp, the disc will include Space Ace. And for those of you who want to watch the remastered animation, but who firmly insist that these aren't video games, you can remove any vestige of interactivity and just enjoy the games in "Watch Mode." The collection will retail for $30, which is relatively good news for this guy.
Atomic turns to Wii FPS port, not giving up on Fallujah
You'd be forgiven for taking Atomic Games' announcement of a Wii FPS as the final nail in the coffin for semi-documentary game Six Days in Fallujah. Atomic says that, even though it's releasing a ported and renamed version of 2005's Close Combat: First to Fight for Wii (through publisher Destineer), it's not giving up on its original project, which was axed by Konami in April. The news that Marines: Modern Urban Combat -- huh, what do you mean that subtitle sounds familiar? -- will arrive November 10 comes after rumors that layoffs had all but shuttered the studio. Though Atomic's on to other projects, Gamasutra reports that the developer's president, Peter Tamte, still insists it "remains committed" to Fallujah. We're happy to see that Atomic's still plugging along, but if you're expecting to see Six Days in Fallujah anytime soon ... well, just don't.
Japanese create new Fullmetal Alchemist game for PSP
The popular anime series is getting a brand new action game on the PSP. Fullmetal Alchemist: Senaka wo Takuseshi Mono is what Siliconera is calling a "bonds battle game," where players use two-man teams in battle against other teams. For example, Edward and Alphonse may fight against Hawkeye and Mustang. Teammates will need to work together to unleash co-op attacks by building their bond.The Fullmetal Alchemist games have originally been released by Square Enix in the States, but the franchise has since moved to a smaller publisher, Destineer. We're not sure if this game will see Stateside release -- let's not forget all those Bleach games that have never seen a US release.
WordJong Party: Gettin' Jongy Wit It
There ain't no party like a WordJong Party 'cause a WordJong Party's ... got ... jongs? Hey, Destineer knows how much harmless enjoyment can be derived from making fun of their own game's name -- witness "Jongy" here in this new set of screens on IGN.For the most part, Party seems to be a multiplayer Wii version of last year's WordJong, which is not a bad thing at all given that game's fond reception. It retains the daily challenges in that game and adds a series of powerups in the multiplayer mode. And while the online play in WordJong was great, it feels very right to have this Scrabble-influenced word game available for parties.
Gaming to Go: WordJong
I like words. I even go so far to fancy myself as one of those indomitable writer types, wielding a pen for all things mighty and righteous and incredibly nerdy. It is with great reluctance that I write this particular column, however, for one simple fact: I suck at WordJong.It's a simple game: clean interface, smooth gameplay, and a surprisingly entertaining mixture of classics Mahjong and Scrabble. The unholy union of these two titles brought about a gem of a game largely ignored by the DS-playing populace, though its relative obscurity might prove to be an advantage. It makes WordJong easier for all of you to track down, for one, but it also provides fewer people to compare my pathetic scores with. And that, my friends, is sweet.Interested? Grab your handy dictionary and come along with this week's edition of Gaming to Go, wherein this columnist's crippling shame manifests itself in an overabundance of big words.%Gallery-6955%
Your daily dose of Alton Brown (oh, and that Iron Chef game)
If you wanted a dose of Alton Brown on your Wii -- as some of you unashamedly admitted -- then know that today will be the very best Sunday you'll experience all week long. Why? Observe the superior visage above ... the thoughtful pose and noble brow. Yes, dear reader, it is he: Alton Brown. Destineer released character portraits for some of Iron Chef America's key players as part of the promotion for the upcoming Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine, and Alton Brown has his place there, along with three of the chefs.The excitement doesn't end there, either -- if they've got a portrait in our gallery below, then they'll be fully voiced in the game, so you'll get to hear Brown calling the shots (and hear Mario Batali and others describing their dishes) when the game is released this fall.%Gallery-30277%[Via press release]
Fanswag: USA Today Crossword Challenge
You know what gets taken for granted a lot? The morning crossword. Seriously, it seems like nobody opens up the paper anymore and sits down with their breakfast and enjoys a crossword puzzle. It seems everyone is nuts for this Sudoku thing. Well, we're trying to bring back the crossword, baby!This week, we're unloading USA Today Crossword Challenge onto 5 lucky readers. That's right, we've got 5 copies (each valued at $20) of the game. How can you enter for a chance at one of these? Easy, leave a comment telling us the last time you sat down and did a crossword!You can leave one comment per day and the contest will be closing on Sunday, August 17th at 11:59PM ET. The giveaway is open to folks 18 years of age or older and all entrants must be current and legal residents of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). Before you enter, give the official rules a read by clicking here.Best of luck to you all and, as always, thank you for reading DS Fanboy!
Bury the Shovelware: Homie Rollerz
Bury the Shovelware is a new weekly feature in which DS Fanboy dives deep into the mounds of gaming abominations dumped upon the unsuspecting public by various developers. Like a stool sample collected from a heap of animal dung in order to learn more about its creator, we'll be dissecting, studying and testing our subjects. We will record our findings, and mark how long the title can be endured. Every Wednesday, we'll take a closer look at the proletariat of the DS's vast library. For this first installment, I sought something that epitomizes shovelware: a game that shows too little inspiration (or too much from one blockbuster title) and/or is virtually unplayable. These attributes are all well represented in Homie Rollerz. In an attempt to feed off the momentum of the "Homies" craze (of many years ago), developer Webfoot Technologies created a racing title that aspired to capture the invigorating frenzy of Mario Kart DS, but instead leaves the user bored, frustrated, and robbed of their time. How long could I stand Homie Rollerz? Roll on to find out. %Gallery-17245%
Wii invited to the WordJong Party
WordJong on the DS is unique among the system's puzzle games: a Scrabble-type game in which you build words onto existing stacks of letters in order to clear stages. It's even got an online mode and Achievement-like trophies. There aren't enough language-based puzzle games, and even fewer good ones.That's why we're thrilled to see a new game listed on GameStop.com called WordJong Party. According to the listing, it'll be out October 21 for $40. If, uh, it's real, a multiplayer, scaled-up WordJong is definitely something to be excited about. Although, of course, it'll have to be particularly feature-rich to avoid the calls of "should be WiiWare" that haunt all 2D, puzzle, or shooting games.
Ubisoft announces Play Zone, we die a little inside
Ubisoft has continued on its quest to make us sneer at almost everything it attempts by announcing "Play Zone," a new Wii-exclusive division focused on "party games." Hey, we hear it's what's hot nowadays! Ubisoft's first contribution to this festival of mediocrity is Sports Party or, as North American readers will know it, Digital Embryo's Summer Sports: Paradise Island, which Ubisoft has snapped up the European publishing rights to.Says Ubisoft marketing director John Parkes: "With our new Play Zone party titles, the Wii gamers who like to spend time with friends and family will have fun with the Wii through innovative and involving mini-games." Join us in the gallery and we'll all hold each other and cry.%Gallery-25559%[Via press release]
DS Fanboy Review: USA Today Crossword Challenge
Despite the fact that Nintendo's own Crosswords DS will no doubt outsell USA Today Crossword Challenge, due to the "Nintendo" on the front (and the Gamestop-exclusive release of USA Today), Destineer, developer Mercury Games and original engine developer Sanuk Games should feel very lucky that Nintendo released their own crossword game when they did. It means that, in the DS crossword genre at least, Destineer can claim superiority over Nintendo. It may not have the extra modes that Crosswords DS does, but it is a much more pleasant crossword experience.
Wii Fanboy Review: Summer Sports: Paradise Island
Destineer's Summer Sports: Paradise Island follows the same idea as Wii Sports: an assortment of casual sporting events to be played in multiplayer, with simple, representative motion-based controls. While it's obvious that this is where the money is on the Wii (to the point that even Game Party is a hit), Destineer smartly chose not to imitate Wii Sports outright.Summer Sports seems to be an attempt not just to cash in on the Wii Sports phenomenon, but to serve as a companion to Nintendo's remarkably popular Wii pack-in. To that end, it features eight games that Wii Sports does not, and a surprisingly effective island theme. Some of the minigames are total clunkers that make a compelling argument against motion controls, but some manage to deliver on the promise of Wii minigame collections: simple-to-understand controls in unique, fun games.
Summer Sports on the Wii > summer sports in the winter
Destineer's bold new ad campaign says what we're all afraid to: playing croquet in the snow is pretty terrible. The latest trailers for Summer Sports: Paradise Island use a bleak, desolate winter environment (sorry if you live wherever that was filmed!) to draw a contrast between the real world, where it is sometimes cold, and the game world, where it's always a lovely time to play some badminton. We must admit, we're a lot more enthused about fake croquet after seeing it next to real snow croquet. Two more trailers follow after the break! Let them out into the light (by watching them!)
Summer Sports reminds us how weird sports are
Badminton: it's like tennis, except the racquet is smaller and the ball doesn't work. What is the deal with badminton? Who decided that a racquetball would be better with a tail?Horseshoes is an equally bizarre game. At some point in history, someone saw a pile of metal things made to nailed to horses' hooves and thought "Hey, I bet it would be fun to throw those at a pole!" Now, specialized horseshoes are made specifically for being thrown at a pole.Summer Sports includes both of these freaky pastimes. A video of the horseshoes game in action follows.
Samurai Deep Discount Kyo
Remember Samurai Deeper Kyo, that anime-based game released with the Samurai Deeper Kyo DVD set earlier this year? It's a rare cart due to its limited availability with the expensive "Complete Series" collection, and it has the added allure of also providing a solid action experience, despite having been originally released in Japan back in 2002.Well, those of you who saw the DVD set's exorbitant mark up and resigned yourself to never owning this gem might want to reconsider with Best Buy's sale price: $29.99. While that might seem like a lot to pay for a GBA game these days, that's less than half of its usual list price of $79.99! Plus, you'll also get a heap of episodes from an anime which may or may not be worth watching![Via GoNintendo]
Summer Sports is irresponsibly violent
We were willing to support Manhunt 2, because Rockstar Games used graphic violence as a storytelling tool. Even if it didn't turn out for the best, Manhunt 2 was artistic expression. But Summer Sports: Paradise Island is just unconscionable. Children are going to play this, and they're going to get the message from this game that it is okay to play lawn darts -- one of the deadliest activities thought up by our demented, amoral culture. Companies like Destineer need to take some responsibility when this generation's children grow up to be remorseless lawn dart players. Talk to your children about lawn darts -- before it's too late.
Plushees gives kids an inaccurate view of the animal kingdom
Maybe things are different within communities of alive stuffed animals, but every time we've seen groups of exotic wild animals (said experiences limited to zoo environments, of course, and TV specials), we seem to have just missed the balloon-popping events. Our understanding of bears was that most of their days are spent sleeping, eating, or totally mauling stuff, which leaves limited time for presiding over Ka-Plinko games.Similarly, we know that other animals do often play a hide-and-seek-like game against tigers, but those games rarely end in hugs. Well, except for the hug of the tiger's teeth against its opponent's throat. Plushees may be a cute minigame collection, but it completely fails to teach kids the lesson about the importance of not hugging tigers.
DS Fanboy Review: Spitfire Heroes: Tales of the Royal Air Force
Big John Games' Spitfire Heroes: Tales of the Royal Air Force is a simple game -- and I mean that in a good way. I'm not saying it's an easy game (far from it) or that there isn't enough to do. Spitfire Heroes is simple in the way that arcade games are: the controls are intuitive and easy to pick up quickly, and the objectives are clear. Despite its appearance as a flight sim (one of the most complex genres of all), Spitfire Heroes is an action game through and through, more After Burner than Microsoft Flight Simulator.Unfortunately, some fairly major issues prevent Spitfire Heroes from an unqualified recommendation. Right up front: the game is too hard, which may prevent you from seeing the majority of the content. While it's easy to understand how to play, it is remarkably difficult to play.%Gallery-18462%
Sharpen your Wiimote for Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine
Destineer has officially announced the Iron Chef game that showed up on Gamestop.com a while back. Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine will be released this summer for Wii and DS, and puts players through "a series fast-paced and intense culinary challenges." Host Mark Dacascos has (obviously) signed on to provide his voice and likeness to the show, and the press release indicates that more of the show's talent will also appear. We're hoping we'll get to virtually humiliate Bobby Flay.We expect the game to be a more pompous version of Cooking Mama with disgusting ingredients -- which sounds like a good time. Destineer CEO Paul Rinde said that "the ultimate 'secret ingredient' to these games will be family fun." "Family fun," huh? Is that some kind of sea creature?[Via Joystiq]
