philip larsen
Articles by philip larsen
Dead Rising website awakens
The atomic bomb of a few days past has had enough time to send shivers of excitement over the entire Wii community, and now a groin-grabbingly atmospheric website has been delivered by Capcom, adding fuel to the fire of Dead Rising. Details are scant at present, but a number of Wii screens have popped up that look mighty fine.We were hesitant to report the rumor of an over-the-shoulder, RE4-esque viewpoint being added to the Wii version, as the more "worldy" members of the Fanboy team didn't consider such a camera angle would be effective with Dead Rising's gameplay. However, a couple of screens in the new gallery show exactly that, with an on-screen aiming cursor and everything. Hey, it's a zombie-killing game, what could possibly go wrong?%Gallery-28028%[Via Vooks]
Riccitiello: 'I hate E3 like this'
Another day, another E3 complaint. Yesterday, Alain Corre of Ubisoft commented on the size and location of this year's E3, wanting it bigger and better. Today, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello joined the party, outright stating "I hate E3 like this." Hate is such an ugly word. Dislike?Ubisoft's Laurent Detoc also jumped into the fray. Instead of taking a subtle approach, he laid it out straight and said "E3 this year is terrible. The world used to come to E3. Now it's like a pipe-fitters show in the basement." There is a debate on whether E3 should be a show for the world or an exclusive media-only event, and the difference between the two is massive. This year, only 5,000 media representatives attended, where in the past 60,000 eager gamers would cover the show floor.With EA (and Ubisoft) having the resources to put on a bigger display than pretty much anyone in the world, it's no wonder they want as much room and as big an audience as physically possible. Again, what are your thoughts on this? Are you happy to be bombarded with booth babes explosive gaming news and excitement in May every year, or do you enjoy the lower-key, need-to-know approach of this year's event?[Via Gamesindustry.biz]
Underneath Underworld
With the Tomb Raider series really delivering the goods in Legend and Anniversary, hopes are at an all-time high for the upcoming Tomb Raider: Underworld. Lara Croft can't seem to stay out of trouble, and all logic suggests she should settle in to a nice teaching job or a part-time psychology course. Of course, the biggest adventuring badass since Indiana Jones can't sit still for long, and Eidos has kindly given us a behind-the-scenes look at the development team's goals for Underworld.The epic music and snappy camerawork make Creative Director Eric Lindstrom and Lead Artist Eric Neuburger out to be some kind of big time nerds superheroes, and we will support this theory if Underworld turns out to be any good. If past precedent is to be relied upon, it will be.
Ubisoft: E3 timing 'not appropriate'
Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, Ubisoft's Alain Corre said that the location and timing of this year's E3 was "not appropriate" for the event -- he wants it earlier (as in, back in May) and bigger. Basically, back the way it was, where Ubisoft could get a spot on the massive show floor and put on a glorious gaming spectacle. The overemphasis on glitz and glamour is pretty much why they ditched the old format in the first place.Corre doesn't delve into specifics about what exactly the show should be, beyond being bigger and earlier. However, he does mention the lack of retail presence, which publishers would use to establish plans for the remainder of the year. According to Corre, having the event in July digs too deep into the year, and holiday plans can't be made as effectively. However, there still needs to be "reasonable limits as to noise, attendees or whatever."What do you think? Has E3 settled into a nice groove this year, or do you wish the "funfair" atmosphere made a return in some form?
All videos and no play makes Tales a wanted game
You don't have time to be reading this. In fact, by spending valuable seconds reading this very sentence, you have wasted enough time to insult these new Dawn of the New World trailers by not giving them your undivided attention. This massive RPG loves spamming fans with countless videos, and we don't like it. It's a tease. Still, we keep coming back and absorbing everything associated with the sequel to the best RPG on the GameCube. Anyway, what are you still doing here? Hit the jump for plenty more Tales goodness right now!%Gallery-5354%
Goo-d news for Roogoo gurus
What is a Roogoo, exactly? Well, it's not quite a kangaroo, not quite a pile of goo, but ... we have no idea. While everyone stumbles around trying to figure out these mysterious things, SouthPeak Games had an idea of its own -- bring the colorful puzzler to Wii and DS!Previously available on XBLA, the Wii version will naturally use motion controls for its core gameplay. You'll be tasked with guiding meteors through rotating platforms, which will apparently stop the evil Meemoos from draining the energy of the planet. Pffft. That doesn't sound very realistic, does it? What are games coming to?Roogoo will feature multiplayer action for up to four players, in co-op, competitive and "party" modes. Additions to the Wii version are evident, but explained only as "gameplay twists." Well, if you say so. We're actually looking forward to it, because the recent round of puzzle games have been top-notch. Check out the XBLA trailer at DS Fanboy for Roogoo in motion.[Via press release]
E308: Korg DS-10 makes cool people cooler
If you've been waiting for Korg DS-10 to come out -- wait a little longer. In the meantime, we have the next best thing: a video of a badass Japanese dude rocking out with the portable synthesizer. This guy has a cool shirt, cool hair and an attitude of all-out righteousness. Unsurprisingly, he knows how to make Korg DS-10 really sing, especially since he's been hard at work before.The less musically-inclined of us won't really have any clue how to use the thing, but we're sure all musos out there will know exactly how to configure an impressive array of blips and bloops into something worth listening to.%Gallery-27318%
Zack and Wiki still need your help ... for only $10
You know what you've forgotten to do this week? Amidst all that hustle and bustle of E3, you haven't had time for anything else except a few rounds of Smash Bros, possibly to let off some steam after getting all distraught over Nintendo's press conference. You haven't had time to buy any games! It just so happens that Toys R Us has one of the absolute best Wii games ever at a corking price. We originally thought $19.99 was a bargain for Zack and Wiki, but that price is old news. It's now time to contribute to the Buy Zack and Wiki Campaign by picking this excellent adventure up for $10. You can't afford not to. %Gallery-3283% [Thanks, Mike!]
E308: Naruto believes in this new trailer
If all-out battle royales are your thing, you might want to check out the above trailer for Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2. It seems to meld the finesse of a fighting game with the brutality of a brawler, and evidently does a pretty good job of it. Hopefully, the key to winning battles won't just be spamming the Shadow Clone Jutsu over and over again -- we are looking for a nice, balanced fighting experience. If you look closely, you'll be able to see a few on-screen indicators of particular Wiimote movements in combat. Gone are the days of pushing complex sequences of buttons rapidly to execute attacks -- fighting games have evolved somewhat to recognize fluid movements as a valid form of control. It works -- believe it.
E308: What an awful, awful Duke Nukem trailer
So ... huh? After sitting through the above four minutes of explosions, nuclear symbols and flashing lights, we have learned nothing about the upcoming Duke Nukem Trilogy for the DS. Quite frankly, this isnt the kind of trailer you want to show at E3, when countless other videos opt to show gameplay footage and new details. Also, four minutes long? Sure, there's a bit of metal rocking out there, but wouldn't we rather watch a music video instead of the words Critical Mass and Proving Grounds blasting all over the screen? You bet.The rest of the Fanboy team thinks this irritable blogger is missing the joke of the (clearly satirical) trailer. They are probably right.
E308: N+ media leaps deftly into our grasp
In the spirit of N+ featuring hundreds of levels, we've received hundreds (well, lots anyway) of screenshots and two new gameplay videos (head past the break for the second). If there is a limit to how long we can watch a little stick figure bouncing off walls and performing gravity-defying stunts, we haven't yet reached the critical threshold. You can start learning about the mind-bending N+ experience with our hands-on preview, effectively taking "the best platforming engine in Flash, ever," for a ride. The thing is, no matter how many screens and videos you ogle, there's plenty more brand new levels being created constantly. Best of all, the DS version is just as full-featured as any other installment, including a full level creator and Wi-Fi multiplayer. N+ should be a sure-fire hit when it's released in August.%Gallery-14818%
Naruto: Clash of the Screens ... 2
As a plucky young ninja, Naruto does heaps of fighting. More fighting than a mob of pre-teens looking to grab that last copy of Pokemon Rangers 2. The difference here is that Naruto -- the anime -- is pretty cool, and occasionally spawns a few decent products -- the games. Today's Naruto game is none other than Clash of Ninja Revolution -- the sequel.We heard about Clash of Nnja Revolution 2 a while back, and it was better-than-bad news, considering the original isn't too shabby. It's not amazing, but hey -- sequels are designed for improvement ... right? If you think the screens in the new gallery below show a promising future for Naruto games on the Wii, let the public know. As a Pokemon-esque anime phenomenon, it's pretty gosh darn entertaining -- and we want awesome games to come along for the ride. Believe it!%Gallery-27866%[Via press release]
E308: Giant LEGO Batman questions everything you ever believed in
There's something incredibly unsettling about a giant Batman (and Robin), made out of LEGO, designed to promote a LEGO Batman game. First LEGO, then Batman, then Batman as LEGO, then Batman in a LEGO game, then a giant LEGO Batman made out of LEGO ... as we said -- it's unsettling.The Joystiq team at E3 happened upon these giant plastic surprises while checking out the Warner Interactive booth. We're no strangers to bizarre LEGO creations, but these structures defy all conventional logic and will probably create a rip in the space-time continuum. In short, we want them. Badly.%Gallery-13236%
Blue Dragon Plus website adds a new trailer
Blue Dragon Plus is only a few months away (if you happen to live in Japan). It's not too much of a stretch to expect a delay in North America, despite the vague "fiscal year" confirmations we've been hearing about. The artwork of Akira Toriyama must be acknowledged on a tiny screen real soon, or RPG fans are going to start dishing out angry mob justice.The "promise" we experienced with the Blue Dragon Plus website has been somewhat fulfilled, after being updated with a new Japanese trailer. While this isn't especially handy for English speakers, it does run for over three minutes, giving fans a good deal of gameplay footage, CG cutscenes and character art. We've managed to circumvent the awkward media player on the website and rustle up the trailer in all of its YouTube glory, so check it out and get your Blue Dragon nerve twitching.%Gallery-15148%[Via videogaming247]
Quantum of Solace screens look pretty bad
Yep, pretty much. Bond games have never lived up to the astronomical heights of GoldenEye 007, and we weren't really expecting a DS game to pull through and take the crown. Action games in general aren't the best for the touchscreen -- but we want to be proven wrong. Will Daniel Craig's portable outing be an exception to the laws of crappiness? Unnnnnlikely.Using your keen spy senses, examine the gallery and predict the fate of Quantum of Solace. The movie will be undoubtedly cool, but that might be all we can hope for.%Gallery-27829%[Via press release]
Pass your Castlevaniastic Judgment on these new screens
The judgment of a Fanboy is brutal, terrifying and often accompanied by various LOLs and ZOMGs. In fact, the revelation that Castlevania: Judgment for the Wii was to be a fighting game resulted in the biggest ZOMG of them all. Hey, Konami may be tampering with a classic formula, and pitting classic characters against each other for no excuse but to witness a violent showdown -- but what the heck is wrong with that?Bring down your gavel of screenshot-hating justice after viewing the latest images in the gallery. An empty excuse for a cash cow Wii title or not -- it looks very pretty.%Gallery-27187%[Via press release]
E308: Miyamoto explains fusion of Wii and DS Zelda teams
If the DS Zelda team is helping out the Wii Zelda team, it could mean either of two things. One -- the next Wii Zelda is going to be beyond awesome. Two -- will the DS successor to Phantom Hourglass be neglected for longer than desired? It could cause longer development cycles, but the overall product will surely benefit from the extra talent.Mitamoto explained that "the DS team is mixing in with the Wii team and working on the Wii version." Possible theory -- instead of a "realistic" Link for Wii and "cartoon" Link for DS, the two games might just be linked by more than just the name. All speculation, but speculation is fun!
Dead Rising to eat brains of Wii gamers
The adventures of photojournalist Frank West have taken him into one of the darkest, filthiest, most vile and disgusting cesspools of scum and villainy in human history -- the Xbox 360 (zzzzzing!). Now it appears he is branching out to the sunny shores of Nintendo, as Dead Rising for the Wii has been revealed in the latest Famitsu! Happy day for humans, bad day for zombies.Dead Rising was Capcom's fresh foray into the survival horror genre, after spending years on the same Resident Evil formula. It was critically acclaimed and a blast to play, despite being criticized for awkward saving mechanics and time constraints. Based on the success of RE4: Wii Edition, Capcom went ahead and pulled Dead Rising up from the grave. And we're glad they did.According to some brief translations, new content in the Wii port includes extra weapons, a brand new (undoubtedly psychotic) boss and motion-controlled attacks. The graphics will look as close as possible to the 360 version, and the gameplay purportedly takes into consideration the needs of casual players. Could this mean a more streamlined save system for ease of use? Possibly.Enter here (if you dare) for the full range of Dead Rising scans.
DS Daily: How about GTA, then?
Nintendo themselves would be the first to praise DS populairty with children and kindly elderly folk -- the polar opposite target markets for anything related to Grand Theft Auto. However, Cammie smiled that big smile of hers on stage at E3, spoke about Animal Crossing, Pokemon and Wii Music -- then casually slipped in the announcement of GTA: Chinatown Wars.Does the DS have a place for GTA? Or, more accurately, should the DS have a place for GTA? With such a family-friendly system, are you at all surprised that Nintendo has opted to include such adult material?
Wii Warm Up: Give us your three cents about E3
You've read the drunken ramblings of the Fanboy team as they stumbled through the revelations of the Nintendo press conference. Now it's time to have your say, and let us know just how impressive the lineup of presentations was. Is Cammie a decent enough public speaker with the whole world watching? Will Wii Music stink out concert halls worldwide, or receive a standing ovation? Is Iwata cooler than you? Absolutely.Go on, Nintendo can take your punishment. If you hated it, let fly with reasons why. If you loved it, gush about your favorite game (aside from the default selection of Animal Crossing). All in all, was E3 2008 a success or a blunder for Nintendo? You decide.