monster-lab
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E308: Monster Lab blinded me with science
Backbone Entertainment's Monster Lab, published by Eidos, seems better every time I see it. I don't think that this is a function of improvements being made to the game so much as it is a matter of me understanding it a little better and getting more into the gameplay. I hope this game doesn't end up as overlooked as I think it will!My demo at E3 took me through most of the steps to monster-fighting success: creating parts, building a creature, and fighting. Parts for the monster are made in minigames, and come in three categories of mad science: mechanical, alchemical, and biological. Mechanical parts range from gear-covered steampunk-looking stuff to futuristic robot parts; biological parts are your basic gross monster stuff, and alchemical parts are magic-themed. %Gallery-15038%
Joystiq E3 eyes-on: Monster Lab
Monster Lab for the Wii is one of those games that is clearly designed for a kid, but could grab hold of many adults. The head of development studio Backbone Entertainment walked us through the RPG with turn-based combat and told us the title is designed for 10- 15-year-olds, but if he'd known in advance the response from the press during E3, the company would have upped its demographic target.As it stands now, Monster Lab, which will be out this Halloween, has the player taking control of a monster that they'll upgrade over the course of the game. Various items will be collected in battles and can be fused together to form new parts for the monster back at the lab. There are mechanical, biological and chemical parts; each type being more or less susceptible to the others (mechanical > biological > chemical >mechanical). Also, the quality of new parts added to the monster will be determined through several minigames.%Gallery-28241%
Eidos showing four titles at E3; Lady Croft will attend
Eidos has announced it'll be showing at least four titles at E3 this year, including Tomb Raider Underworld. IGN reports that the other titles expected to be in attendance are Battlestations: Pacific, Just Cause 2 and Monster Lab.Sadly, we don't see Agent 47 on this list, which would break the company's trend of releasing a new Hitman every two years, but hopefully that's something Eidos is just saving to announce later.%Gallery-15158%
Monster Lab videos for aspiring mad scientists
Those of us who aren't JC got our first extended look at Backbone Entertainment's Monster Lab earlier today, including a combat sequence and a couple of minigames from the title. To this blogger, the minigames looked a touch simplistic (more of which in a moment), but the combat, as seen in the video above, is slightly more interesting. Producer Kelly Teinton demonstrates how we'll be able to target individual parts (head, left arm, right arm, legs) of enemy monsters, and how knocking certain appendages from monsters will affect the outcome of battles.We're less enamored by the minigames. The example above sees players having to smash open crates with swings of the nunchuk, while another (viewable past the break, along with a brief interview) is based on a basic shape-matching exercise. Neither look particularly taxing or engaging, and would pose little challenge to even the youngest of gamers.%Gallery-15038%
GDC08: Monster Lab: it's a lab -- for monsters
I was able to catch a demo of Backbone Entertainment's Monster Lab at the GDC Career Pavilion, which is mostly involved with game company recruiting, but features some game demos as a function of games being what game developers do. The game is almost completely different than previously assumed, and, in a way, more interesting. What may look like an online fighting game is in fact turn-based. It's important to note this, because the game looks so strongly fighter-like. Monster Lab puts the player in the role of a new assistant mad scientist, who has to help her boss in a power struggle against other mad scientists -- by gathering and creating monster parts. The story is presented in a '50's sci-fi-movie opening and an introduction from your mad scientist boss (and his giant robot arm).
Super Street Fighter II HD Remix developers now remixing monsters
Backbone Entertainment, the developers of the Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo and Super Street Fighter II remakes, as well as the DS Death Jr. game and various other projects, have announced a new original Wii game to be published by Eidos. Monster Lab takes place in the hilariously-named Uncanny Valley, in which the player, as a mad scientist's apprentice, mixes and matches monster parts to create original creations. The gameplay involves finding parts out in the wild, then taking them back to the lab and performing alchemical, mechanical, and biological experiments on them to augment them.Once you've built a monster, you then take it out into the world and control it in battles! Monster Lab even features online battling and trading. With millions of possible combinations, this game could have some serious long-term replayability. Or you could just make monsters over and over.%Gallery-15038%[Via press release]
Anniversary aftermath: Next year's awesome games that you forgot about
We spent yesterday going through the big releases that've been announced for next year so far -- Smash Bros. Brawl and/or Wii Fit likely topping your personal "must get" list -- but what about the second-tier games that don't usually receive much press or attention? Though we haven't forgotten about the low-key releases, we've collected a selection of games and media to ensure that these titles stay on your mind too! Read on for our top ten list of awesome 2008 games that you totally forgot about!
