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Virtually Overlooked: Wily & Right no Rockboard: That's Paradise
Welcome to our weekly feature, Virtually Overlooked, wherein we talk about games that aren't on the Virtual Console yet, but should be. Call it a retro-speculative.We were driven into a melancholy by the news that Australia (and probably Europe) was getting a Virtual Console version of Mega Man 2 while we have yet to see a download of the first game. Many of you correctly noted that it was stupid to wait for a VC version with the Mega Man Anniversary Collection disc available so cheaply and plentifully. But we actually have the disc and the cartridge. It's a simple matter of wanting every game we like to be available through as many conduits as possible, to get into the most hands as possible. A Virtual Console release, as well, allows a game to come back to the attention of the gaming community, sparking discussion once again. We want that for Mega Man 2 forever. Our memories of Mega Man 2 are 110 million, after all.The existence of the Mega Man Anniversary Collection still makes any included game too easy to play on the Wii to be Virtually Overlooked material, even if, by doing so, it limits discussion. There's no real reason to wish for a game that you can just go buy for less money. That renders Mega Man 1-8 off limits (good luck playing 8 on a Nintendo system any other way!) as well as The Power Battle and The Power Fighters. But we still want to talk Mega Man, so we went scrambling for an appropriate game. Mega Man X? No, it is also available on a compilation. Rockman Battle & Chase? No, it's on the same compilation! Rockboard will have to do, then. It's got the benefit of being the weirdest Mega Man game yet, and we can keep Mega Man Soccer saved up for a bit.
Famitsu deals out Culdcept scans and info
Almost a month since Sega announced it'll be publishing a Nintendo DS version of OmiyaSoft's Culdcept Expansion, Famitsu has revealed the first screenshots and details for the CCG/boardgame hybrid. Far from a straight port, all of Culdcept Expansion's cards have been reviewed for balance, and every returning character has been redrawn. Culdcept DS will also receive new cards (now over 370 in total), Cepter symbols, and an achievement system. Since this will be the first portable version of the game, more focus will be placed on its versus options, nixing out any hopes for a new story mode.The big question now is, "Will there be any support for online matches?" It would be a terrible decision to ship this sort of title without it, in our opinion. Roll the dice and hop past the post break for the scanned magazine pages and to see how this Monopoly-meets-Magic-the-Gathering title plays out.
Dragon Quest board game out in Japan, looks like good times
Fans of the Dragon Quest franchise who enjoy a good game of Battleship every now and then might also enjoy this Japanese board game called Dragon Quest Dungeon R.There are three different modes of play, but all incorporate the same Battleship-esque structure. The goal is to reach your opponent's Dragon Lord while blindly navigating about his or her gridded dungeon. Your opponent will place walls in different places to try to hinder your progress, and you can choose whether or not to play with chests, cards, and combat.Of course, this is one of those "only in Japan" things (those Japanese folks just love their Dragon Quest), so if you fancied getting the game you'd have to import the 5800 yen ($53 USD!) item from somewhere. You would probably also need to have a good understanding of Japanese to read the rules and cards. Or, you could always just wait for the video game based on this board game that was based on a video game to come out. And yes, that's just crazy talk. Check after the break to see if you've sunk my Dragon Lord. Oh, and there's more board game pictures, too.
Sega dealing Culdcept to DS
As champions of hybrid-genre games (e.g. Puzzle Quest), we've ached for a portable version of Culdcept ever since Penny Arcade's Tycho began touting Culdcept II for the PS2. That was over four years ago, but good things come to those who wait, as Sega announced today that it will publish Culdcept for the Nintendo DS in 2008. With Namco Bandai planning to bring Culdcept Saga for the Xbox 360 to North America early next year, there's actually a sliver of a chance that this DS entry to the niche series will also see localization.For those of you unfamiliar with Culdcept, and we assume that's pretty much all of you, it's a board game/collectible-card-game mix that would be best-described as Monopoly meets Magic: The Gathering. Players roll a die to travel around the game board, summoning creatures to defend their property. Other players who've landed on your property can pay a toll or battle your monster to win the square. Of course, there are spells and items which can also be brought to play. Slap some online functionality on this bad boy, and this will be a day one purchase for us. [Via Famitsu]
E307: Mario Party DS media explosion
Well, call it a controlled explosion, kinda like a smart bomb -- but we're still pretty pleased to see some sweet new media from a brand new DS game. Er, mostly new, considering it's a franchise title. Still, Mario Party on the DS sounds like a winner, though we would prefer more than just local wireless play. Mario Party could only make Game Night that much more fun, amirite? Oh well, enough complaining -- check out the images in our gallery and the spankin' new trailer after the jump. %Gallery-4736%
Wii Warm Up: Tabletop style
With the news that Jenga is coming to the Wii, and with the Wii so perfect for certain other games (DS/Wii Pictionary, maybe?), we're curious what else you might possibly be interested in. One of the best parts about board games on XBLA, for example, is the lack of setup or cleanup (which is always nice), but how many games really translate well? Also, are such games better suited for download services or budget titles?
A road map of Itadaki Street
Having never come out in the US, the Itadaki Street franchise is somewhat of a mystery. But the series has been thrust into our attention with its entry on the DS and the included Mario and Dragon Quest characters. We know we like the characters, and we are vaguely aware of a board game of some kind, but how exactly does the game play?Siliconera, who previously helped us identify all the Dragon Quest folks, has a piece up now about the game that's half review, half tutorial. It's an excellent resource for the Itadaki curious, and should help you in your soul-searching about whether or not you're interested in a Japanese board game about property.
Carcassonne finishes building before June release
If you're one of people who's been enjoying what Catan brought to XBLA, then get ready for Carcassonne, another European board game powerhouse landing next month. Carcassonne is more about tile and villager placement than Catan's resource management and diplomacy. The game, which premieres in June, had some more details released onto the villagers before the big unveil.IGN reports that the visual style is very similar to Catan, however players will not by able to rotate the playing field, only zoom in and out and pan. Games are under 20 minutes in two-player and under 10 for five-player and includes Vision camera support. The XBLA version of Carcassonne also includes the "River I & II" expansion packs that were apparently released later for the board game. Players lay the river to begin the match in this version instead of starting with the basic castle/road starter tile of the original game. Sierra says other add-ons to the board game like Inns & Cathedral and The Tower will be released through Xbox Live. We hope the transaction ends up being truly micro. Carcassonne is expected to cost 800 MS points ($10 USD). We can only hope the Carcassonne gamers are as civilized as the Catan crew.
Dragon Quest, Super Mario, Boy and Girl in Itadaki Street DS
Itadaki Street DS apparently didn't have enough characters to choose from-- the entire Mario and Dragon Quest casts are just too limiting, you know? Besides, nobody can relate to wacky characters like a plumber and a plumber's brother, who is also a plumber. Square Enix has nicely included some characters who will do less to draw players' attention away from the serious business of strategic board game play: "Boy" and "Girl." They look just like we would if we were three feet tall and didn't have noses!We've got some screens of Boy and Girl, and of Itadaki Street in general, after the break. And check the link for character art and a few board layouts.
Joystiq impressions: HP's Misto
HP showed off another research and development project, Misto, at its recent game media event. Misto is basically a coffee table with a touch-sensitive display rigged underneath its glass. That's not to say it's not impressive for a coffee table or a display; we've just seen similar projects, and other creative, homebrew game tables.Misto's demos relied on a few simple applications to prove its touch sensitivity. I moved puzzle pieces around the screen. I browsed through photos. I looked at houses I couldn't afford; Misto is currently in-use with at least one realtor although not available for general consumers.While a coffee table interface would be fun for certain games, Misto's current version misses big by only recognizing one touch at a time. Sure, there are technical reasons why it and many other devices can't juggle multiple users. But for the table to have the social gaming applications HP mentioned, that untouchability is a major oversight. If Misto ever makes it to market -- perhaps for virtual/actual Settlers of Catan or other social board games -- it needs to accept two or more touches at a time before we want one.
Monopoly ditches cash, goes plastic
While Monopoly is the paragon of good 'ole fashioned board game fun, the "old fashioned" part had to go. Parker Brothers is phasing out the cash-based version's funmoney and replacing it with an "Electronic Banking" flavor that could leave Mr. Moneybags turning his pockets inside out as his stash is replaced by a magnetic strip. New kits are completely devoid of the famous multi-colored bills; instead, you'll find phoney Visa debit cards and a calculator / reader which keeps a running tabulation of your riches -- or lack thereof. A deal was struck with Visa to design the mock cards and readers, presumably after surveys showed that 70% of adults used cash less often now than they did a decade ago (no surprise there). When asked about the dramatic change, Parker said replacing cash with plastic "showed the game was moving with the times." For those anxious to get their swipe on, or if you've simply forgotten how to use bills, the new version will set you back £24.99, while the now "antiquated" cash version can be had for £12.99, but only while supplies last.
WoW Board Game Review
For any of you out there looking to get your hands on the new World of Warcraft Board Game, a fellow blogger has posted a review of the game over at her site. The game sounds like it may be fairly enjoyable, from the review, but one thing leapt out at me: an $80 price tag? I don't know if this is correct or if these are the prices in some remote corner of Zanzibar, but if that's the case, then I think I'll stick with the video version. It's cheaper, and I don't have to expend the energy to pick up all those dang cards....
More Blizzard Board Games on the Way
Fantasy Flight Games, the makers of the World of Warcraft line of board games, are apparently happy enough with the franchise to announce two expansions for the game, to be released later this year. One will be a smaller add-on with some new card sets to be released in July, with a full-blown expansion to follow in the fall. A Starcraft game is also planned for release, and you can read more details about the games in the full story here at ICV2 News.I haven't played a board game since the last time I set up my nephew's Mouse Trap set just to watch it go off, but I have fond memories of playing the old TSR Dungeon board game, that was sort of a D&D lite that your parents might actually play with you. I might should check one of these out sometime...if I can find anyone else geeky enough to play with me...
