philip larsen
Articles by philip larsen
Crazy Mini Golf is deadly serious
The first gameplay footage of Crazy Mini Golf is in, and it isn't nearly as crazy as Data Design would have us believe. Sure, there's a few loops and tunnels here and there, but where's the emotion? The random strangers running back and forth with arms flailing wildly? Straitjacket as far as the eye can see? Yes, we're afraid Crazy Mini Golf is less crazy than your local Scientology clinic.The level shown above is situated inside a volcano, which is somewhat badass. However, first impressions are not all that great. We were hoping for a smooth, fun mini-golf experience, but the video shows rather awkward controls, a jerky camera and unimpressive ball physics. It seems like the worst possible footage to show with the first trailer, because if a mini-golf game doesn't look like much fun at the outset then there's a serious problem. We'll wait and see -- ultimate judgement shall be reserved until we're whacking the little balls into the clutches of Lord Xenu himself.%Gallery-25247%[Via press release]
And it shall be called ... Bomberman Blast
Has Hudson really not used the name Bomberman Blast before? Seems like a pretty obvious choice -- but the genius of Bomberman cannot be quantified with words, so we assume Hudson knows exactly the right thing to do at exactly the right time. They simply said: "Let there be Bomberman Blast." And it was so.We discovered earlier that the upcoming blast-fest will actually be split into two versions; the WiiWare edition will be a classic Bomberman experience, whereas the full retail edition features Mii support and bonus content. According to a recent interview with Cubed3, Europe will only be receiving the WiiWare version -- so any shopaholics must be confined to the vast expanse of the internet for any purchasing enjoyment. There's no confirmation which versions will be released in other regions, but by using the simple process of elimination, North America will likely receive the retail copies (unless the differences are significant enough to warrant dual versions in the same region). How does that make you feel? Angry? Wanna blow something up?%Gallery-18349%[Via GamerBytes]
The force is with the Wiimote
The DS gets a lightsaber controller (well, stylus, but it's like a controller as you control stuff with it .. whatever) so why is the Wiimote left out in the cold, cold night without bright neon colors and thwong sounds?Useless Wii attachments might be the butt of several chortling jokes, but Star Wars nerds (this blogger included) can't help but think this lightsaber is kinda badass. It actually plugs in to the Wiimote and emits a healthy glow, so the generic white Wii Sports thingys are immediately shamed to oblivion. Of course, the Wii currently lacks any decent Star Wars games, but the aesthetic appeal alone might drive some consumers to pick it up in high hopes that The Force Unleashed won't suck diddly-uck.Buy, or do not buy. There is no try.[Via Wii News; thanks, Craig!]
AMR Racing brightens up the Balance Board
If the cold, hard, infinitely white surface of the Balance Board has you too scared to jump back on the Wii FIt bandwagon, a solution has been found. AMR Racing has thrown together a few snazzy little cover designs, so if you're gonna be staring at the Balance Board while doing pushups, you may as well stare at a Hoochie Mama.Each cover will set you back around US$20, which might just be a small price to pay to cover up the current gross state of your Balance Board. Check out the full range over at Amazon -- or, if you are a British chap or chapette, Amazon UK.%Gallery-4745%
A new you with NuYu, but don't forget about Mii
If the current you isn't really working out, why not try a Mii? If the Mii just doesn't cut it, you'll want another you. A new you. A ... NuYu?As an alternative to the Mii system everyone knows and loves, Data Design Interactive has decided to come up with their own unique character creator. Officially titled NuYu Editor, it lets you build little buddies to play with -- exclusively in Data Design's range of Popcorn Arcade games. The first game to include the editor will be Crazy Mini Golf, which looks to be a pretty solid casual fun-fest.NuYu has the usual stuff for building a boppy lil' gamer -- hair, eyes, glasses, makeup -- and the screens in our gallery appear to be pretty comprehensive with more options than the standard Mii creator. Is that a good thing? We can't pretend the NuYus in the gallery look all that great, whereas some Miis look outrageously cool. In any case, the NuYus have no impact on gameplay, and if a Popcorn Arcade game comes your way there might be a few worthy little critters just waiting to be created by your artistic genius.%Gallery-27275%[Via press release]
Prophecize this: Nostradamus on DS
Haven't we been down this road before? This "old PC adventure game coming to DS" road? Well, yeah -- but it's one of the best roads ever. It's even better than Cool Street or Badass Lane. This time around, we'll be driving towards Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy, from old hat adventurers Microids. You'll be playing as Madeleine, the young daughter of the chick-magnet prophet Nostradamus. He's too old and crotchety to solve the mystery of a curse and the royal family, so Prophet Jr. takes to the streets and begins solving puzzles and unravelling intrigue all over the place. A large element of gameplay will require stealth and different disguises to successfully investigate the old-tyme goings-on. The control will be standard point-and-click gameplay, which is totally suited for the DS touchscreen. We have no official DS media as yet, but Elektrogames has made a brief announcement on their official website, and you can check out the teaser for the original PC version in the video above.[Via Wiiz]
Fatal Frame IV is scarily pretty
After reaching for the lightswitch and squinting over Fatal Frame IV media, Nintendo has updated the official website by adding new screens and character profiles. It seems Fatal Frame just isn't scary unless it stars tiny, innocent-looking girls, and this latest installment has three of them. The only prominent male is wearing a tight shirt with a neck that's a little too big, so he could be classified as the fourth girl in the ghostbusting team. Fatal Frame IV is hiding in the shadows, ready to pounch on unsuspecting customers when it hits the shelves in Japan on July 31st. Hit up the website to examine the rather impressive character renders. One question - why is it always night time, and why are they always holding torches? %Gallery-14901% [Via NeoGAF]
ELSPA wants pirates stranded without R4
Otherwise known as the Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association (an organization working within the British games industry), the ELSPA isn't happy about the abundance of R4 flash carts in the hands of DS owners. Nor is it happy about the availability of these little devices, which -- homebrew applications aside -- people are using to play pirated DS ROMS. If you want an R4, it's easy to buy one from Amazon, eBay, or a wealth of independent online retailers.According to the ELSPA, "The supply of these items is an infringement and an offence under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the Trade Marks Act 1994." So, how did they get onto shelves in the first place? Clearly the yawn-inducing law behind it all is more complex than simply "they are illegal," otherwise the shops wouldn't still be selling them. Which they are.Long story short, it's a mess of regulations and red tape, and we've heard it all before. It's hardly a crystal-clear situation where legal teams "will take action where and when appropriate." If a blanket ban of selling flash carts suddenly falls over England, and police start breaking down doors of R4 traders, we'll let you know. Until then, get out there and buy some good games, and use any external device responsibly.
E308: The Conduit is ready for a show
We sort of thought this would be the case, but confirmation always helps one sleep better at night. Especially when The Conduit is involved. In an interview with IGN, Eric Nosfinger of High Voltage stated outright that The Conduit will definitely be at E3 -- in an exclusive capacity.E3 is only a few days away, and Nosfinger riles up the public by announcing plans of "private showings and leaving playable demos with a few select folks." Are we select folks? You better believe it. There is no better place for Conduit information than Wii Fanboy -- check out our exclusive High Voltage interview along with the dev team's plans for the future. The above video is a fresh piece of gameplay footage, and it's outright stunning.Best of all, Nosfinger also mentions that the team has achieved successful 16-man online multiplayer matches. If there's anything the Wii needs, it's a smooth online FPS experience. The Conduit looks set to deliver on all counts, so stay tuned for our E3 coverage!%Gallery-25003%[Via videogaming247]
Rock Band makes it to Australia, forgets luggage
For those of you who don't know, Australia is still waiting on Rock Band -- for any console. In fact, Australia is waiting without a release date ... until sort of now. Despite the fact that local online store DVD Crave lists Rock Band for an October 10th release, nothing is set in stone until we actually see it on the shelves. In fact, it appears Rock Band is only listed as a "game only" item. You can't exactly start a band with no instruments.DVD Crave is known for selling imported games, but the region says PAL right there. We're not sure how they plan to sell the game without instruments, unless it's a special version -- saucepan and air guitar compatible. Still, the release window is the important part, so we'll soon have all the details on how to buy the full Rock Band bundle in the country Harmonix forgot.%Gallery-19119%[Via Go Nintendo]
Gamelion jumps on the Wii development train
Mobile game developer Gamelion has been given the big white tick of approval from Nintendo. According to Gamesindustry.biz, they will be branching out from numbered keypads and making the Wii a mane focus. Lions? Mane? Forget it.After a bit of hunting and gathering, it appears Gamelion is behind many big names in the mobile market, including the FIFA series, Puzzle Bobble and Namco Bandai projects. The team will expand horizons with "new and innovative titles" on both WiiWare and the DS, and you'll be seeing the first project coming to WiiWare in early 2009. Best of luck to the team -- the more chances for awesome games, the better!
Captain Rainbow questions your sexual orientation
Riiiight. If you ever wanted to play a game as a nerdy dweeb who runs happily along beaches and fields, occasionally transforming into a Captain America lookalike named Captain Rainbow, all while receiving running commentary from Birdo -- then this is the game for you. Just, watch.According to some of the GAF regulars, the main character (ie. nerd version of the Captain) is named Nick, he's an American hero, and the game is scheduled for a Japanese release in summer 2008. More details can also be found at Hatena, where we learn the game is a registered trademark of Nintendo, and it's an "orgy of high tension." One word for that -- LOL.[Via NeoGAF]
Fire Emblem DS wants website visitors to get over initial disgust
What better way to judge the aesthetic appeal of a game than by seeing it in action? If you thought the "it might not be good" style of Fire Emblem DS wasn't up to your impeccable standards, you can now get up close and personal with the official Japanese website -- and make some critical decisions regarding the fate of that cash roll in your pocket. Despite the incomprehensible script, the artwork and snazzy designs are easy on the eyes. Head on over to the official page for the standard introductory animations, and the page filled with extra information and videos can be found here. On top of that, extra pieces of charcters artwork are ready for staring at here -- though they won't be official in-game models of any kind. So, what to do now? Hope that the classic Fire Emblem gameplay holds up against the villified art direction? Pretty much. Besides, we all went crazy for ugly, ugly Advance Wars, so why should this be any different? %Gallery-8394% [Via NeoGAF]
Animal Crossing Wii @ E3 FTW ZOMG ... maybe
Tom West of Official Nintendo Magazine went ahead and stated in his blog that "Animal Crossing Wii wil be unveiled at the conference." Referring to E3, of course. Top brass probably had an issue with this particular choice of words, and the blog entry now reads "everyone is hoping that Animal Crossing Wii will be there." Too late, hot plate! You can't outrun the internet, don't even try.Adding even more fuel to the fire, GAF'ers discovered Nintendo Norway has listed Animal Crossing on its 2008 release list, meaning we see game --> wait a short period of time for game --> buy game. Not a bad sequence of events, don't you think?Our rapid-fire E3 coverage will be starting very soon, so stick around for all the latest on Animal Crossing Wii and other games featuring utopian societies of anthropomorphic creatures.
Adventuring with Saihai no Yukue scans
We know. The DS handles storybook adventure games extremely well, so it's no problem hearing announcements for new additions to the genre. The latest Famitsu has revealed a number of new images for Koei's new anime-style adventure, Saihai no Yukue.The problem here is that it looks a little too eccentric for the American market, where our good friend Phoenix Wright just managed to sneak in and cause a stir. It's scheduled for a Japanese release in Q3 2008, so any news of localization should be heard relatively soon. Looks interesting and/or rad.[Thanks, Anticrawl!]
Cradle of Rome is puzzlius maximus
Forget all about the brutality and violence of ancient Rome by playing a happy chappy puzzle game! It used to be a PC game (no surprise there), but Cradle of Rome now wants to invade the DS, build an empire and bask in the magnificence of togas and sandals. It's a standard "swap colored tiles around to match three colors" puzzle game, but the goal is to collect resources from each tile in order to build Rome itself.A unique twist on a formula everyone is familiar with can't be all bad. You'll eventually be able to build, several historical monuments, including the Arch of Titus, the Temples of Venus and Saturn and everyone's favorite bloodbath, the Coliseum. Cradle of Rome is set for an October 10th release in Europe, but on account of Rome being a Europe-exclusive city and all, there's no word of a release in other regions. Well, that's probably not the reason it isn't coming to America, but it should be import-friendly all the same. The first screenies are awaiting a thumbs-up or thumbs-down in the gallery. Make your decision heard!%Gallery-27079%[Via press release]
'Tales of a series' event births new footage
At a promotional event in Japan for all things Tales, a number of guest speakers showcased plenty of new ideas and media for the groin-grabbingly popular RPG franchise. Some footage from the upcoming Tales of Hearts was featured along with running commentary, but our general stupidness prevents any translation. However, you can still see the game in action, as the charming little sprite characters duke it out in a beautifully detailed world.This is self-inflicted pain. If you allow yourself to get excited over each superb entry in the Tales series, you'll wind up cold and alone. There's nothing more depressing than a neglected RPG.[Via NeoGAF]
Development in the UK is the most expensive in the world
Says industry veteran (and longtime D&D nerd) Ian Livingstone. He's speaking from the Eidos camp, and isn't happy about the UK government's approach to building a sustainable development industry.In an interiew with Develop, he stated that "The Government should address the issues of skills and costs for the UK to remain competitive." Basically, it's costing way too many quid to train the young'uns up in the ways of development, and the rising costs of tea and crumpets aren't helping none too much either.While cheaper labor markets are blitzing the competition, the UK is slowing down and becoming more expensive. It's up to the developers themselves to manage their own projects and create strong IPs, but according to Livingstone, "The Government needs to invest in this valuable Creative Industries asset or suffer the consequences."Publishers go to where the action is, picking up the best games at the best prices, and they are shying away from the UK in this regard. Canada is apparently leading the way for the bargain basement publisher deal, and "it is up to Government to make it attractive for them to operate in the UK." No financially viable investments for publishers + no new talent = industry in trouble. Make link go now for the full interview with Livingstone.
Nintendo sued over touch-screen technology
Another day, another lawsuit for Nintendo. Their wacky ideas have probably been done in some form or another over the years, and now everyone wants a profitable piece of the action. The latest candidate for a chunk of Nintendo's payroll is John R. Martin, who claims to have patented touch-screen and pointing gaming technology in 2005. One year after the DS was released. Despite being a bit late, the origins of the patent date back to 1995, so it's fair game for the courts now.This image was submitted with the patent filing, apparently showing a device "switchable between an amusement mode and a gaming or gambling mode." The whole touching thing can be found under "operating a touch screen on a CRT or ICD." But gambling? Looks like that diagram is for someone who hides stuff under the table to cheat at blackjack or roulette.Nintendo has denied the infringement, while Martin is pursuing another suit against Apple.
Larger than tiny Tales of Hearts screens
Scavenging for screens of rare and awesome DS games in the making is a tedious yet rewarding task. Oftentimes one will be granted a tiny sample of media from an upcoming RPG, while sometimes being rewarded with decent scans from the best game ever. What's the second-best game ever? Tales of Hearts, that's what -- and we have a couple of new screens that fit right around the middle size-wise.Along with the rather colorful display right here, you can check out another dialogue shot after the jump. The Japanese has us scratching our heads stupidly, but the game itself looks good. Tales of Hearts is scheduled for a Q4 2008 release date in Japan, and we want it. In the meantime, check out the empty, pretty official site.