Boom-Blox
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Raging Thunder races onto the iPhone (unofficially for now)
The iPhone continues to impress in terms of gaming possibility. Raging Thunder isn't actually done yet on the iPhone (obviously -- judging by this video there are more glitches on this thing than a Matrix full of black cats), but once it gets rolling, the award-winning game, put together by Polarbit, looks like a pretty sweet racing experience. The accelerometer actually serves as a nice wheel (with a little help from the Wii wheel), and the graphics aren't too shabby, either.We've already seen a few different games like this floating around at TUAW (including one from a big developer that we can't tell you about), but with a little bug fixing and optimization, the right tuning, and a horizontal mode, the iPhone could easily have a great accelerometer-controlled racing game available at launch. And that's just launch -- we can't wait to see what happens when a game like the Wii's latest Boom Blox (which lets you push and pull Jenga-type block structures around -- multitouch, anyone?) makes its way over to our little Apple handheld.Racing Thunder is available right now on Installer.app, but this kind of stuff is what we're really looking for in the SDK when it comes out in June.
Metareview -- Boom Blox (Wii)
They're tiny, they're toony, they're all a little looney, and in this video game they're exploding your TV. Steven Spielberg's first foray into video games brings us Boom Blox for the Wii. Reviews have been pretty glowing or just good. Don't expect some Spielberg epic here, it's definitely a casual title designed for the Wii, which apparently uses the Wiimote quite competently. 1Up (100/100): "Boom Blox is simply a laundry list of great features and options wrapped around an incredibly fun, expertly designed, and well-tuned puzzle game. Sure, its cute veneer won't do it any favors with the more intense console crowd, but I found it charming and refreshingly cheery. It's a casual game made for a casual crowd, but it's far and away the best one I've ever played. Buy this game." IGN (81/100): " If you're looking for a game you can play with friends and family - - one that everybody will be able to pick up and enjoy in a matter of minutes -- look no further than EA Boom Blox. It's a fun puzzler and also a game that really puts Nintendo's controller to great use." GameTap (80/100): "In Boom Blox, however, you might complete one level that is pretty challenging only to unlock a new level that's strangely simple, which is particularly odd in a game that requires you to finish one level in order to move on to the next. ... Nevertheless, Boom Blox is still a worthy purchase for Wii owners. It's one of those rare family games that doesn't fall into the genres of minigame collection or rhythm title, and your seven-year-old kid will have as much fun as you do." %Gallery-15449%
Metareview: Boom Blox
Gamers these days seem to be obsessed with the divide between what's "casual" and what's "hardcore." Often, software is immediately labeled for one group or the other. That's why it's nice to see games that bridge this gap, like Steven Spielberg's Boom Blox. There's nothing better than a title that everyone can enjoy. Did people enjoy it, though?The answer to that question is a resounding yes: 1UP (100/100) loved the game so much that they gave it an A+: "Boom Blox is simply a laundry list of great features and options wrapped around an incredibly fun, expertly designed, and well-tuned puzzle game. Sure, its cute veneer won't do it any favors with the more intense console crowd, but I found it charming and refreshingly cheery. It's a casual game made for a casual crowd, but it's far and away the best one I've ever played." IGN (81/100) enjoyed a lot of the game's features, but felt that the title's biggest strength was its addictive multiplayer: "EA has really capitalized on the Wii remote to give you pinpoint accuracy as you make throws with real, calculated velocity -- throws that interact with block formations encased in genuine physics. You will find the single-player offering robust and varied, but the multiplayer mode -- compatible for up to four gamers -- is tantamount to crack cocaine in its ability to addict. And while there are hundreds of levels to keep you busy, there's also a full-blown stage creator that works hand-in-hand with WiiConnect24." Wired (80/100) praises the game's mass appeal: "Boom Blox does what so many Wii titles wish they could, by splitting the difference between casual players and lifelong gamers. You can pass the Wiimote to your grandma or a 5-year-old and they'll have a ball with its clever mix of brainy puzzles and satisfying explosions. But hard-core players like me will find a surprising amount of depth to the gameplay and a satisfying, addictive challenge." Gallery: BOOM BLOX
Penny Arcade's eyeful of Boom Blox
Much like we were, Penny Arcade was driven into a frenzy of Blox-booming desire by the recent Boom Blox preview video. What sounded at first like a mildly diverting concept has become the kind of thing we'd basically want to play all the time.Tycho's enthusiasm for Steven Spielberg's latest (thing he's attached to in some unclear way) goes beyond wanting to play the game constantly. The fictional character based on the Penny Arcade writer wants to play Boom Blox not just while the Wii's on, but the rest of the time -- and meets with a somewhat unpleasant user experience with the "tabletop version" of the game. They're called Boom Blox and not Tumble Harmlessly Blox, after all.
Wii releases this week: Boom Blox edition
Wow, it seems like it was just a short while ago we were talking about Boom Blox for the first time. Actually, it wasn't too long ago. But, the game has come a long way since then and we know many of you are looking forward to it. As for the rest of this week's games, well, we're pretty sure that they're not going to win any popularity contests. This week's releases are: The Dog Island Boom Blox Speed Racer Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk Are you picking up Boom Blox? Maybe one of these other games?%Gallery-15446%
New games this week: Boom Blox edition
After the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii, this week's release of Boom Blox completes a hat-trick of really solid recent Wii releases (or, as we like to call it, the "Sorry You Can't Play GTA IV 3-Pack"). Perhaps even more so than the previous two, Boom Blox seems to be an experience perfectly suited to the console, despite the opportunities for it to go elsewhere.The other big two are (by far) getting the shorter end of the stick this week, with nothing on the Xbox 360 and just the Call of Duty 4: Game of the Year edition on PS3. Check out the full list after the break.%Gallery-15449%
Friday Video: Boom Blox video explosion
Well now, we know our Friday Video feature is usually for the more, uh, let's say interesting videos out there on the net, but we just couldn't pass up this pile of videos from upcoming EA title Boom Blox. They all show off the content creator at work, as well as some fruits from the labor of creation. So hit up the video above, then head past the break for loads more.%Gallery-15446%
A huge Block of Boom [update]
Update: Moved video to past the break. It had a nasty habit of auto-starting and we know how annoying that can be.Are you ready for twelve minutes of Boom Blox? If not, go listen to P.O.D.'s "Boom" a couple of times to get yourself psyched up.* The above video features the first twelve minutes of (a demo version of) the Spielberg-inspired puzzle action game about knocking over piles of blocks. It's actually quite a nice way to get introduced to the game, as the beginning naturally contains the tutorial.You'll see how to aim and toss balls using Blox's imperfect but convenient control scheme (normally, when throwing a ball, you don't get to "lock on" first, but we're happy for the help), and what the different kinds of "Blox" are and how they can be "boomed." The "Chemical Blox" certainly look like a good time -- they explode upon contact with each other. The video also features one of the multiplayer modes: a game in which each player knocks over a tower of numbered blocks, with the numbers representing point values.*No, don't do that.%Gallery-15446%
Spielberg's Boom Blox could be headed to 360
Sure, the Xbox 360 gets Peter Jackson to helm its games, but EA nabbed Steven Spielberg, which is nothing to sneeze at. Undoubtedly one of the biggest stories in gaming over the last year is his involvement with Electronic Arts to produce Boom Blox for the Wii. Inspired by good old-fashioned toy blocks, the game has players manipulating blocks in a 3D environment complete with impressive physics ... and explosions apparently. It's a puzzle game, see? Anywho, word on the street, according to VideoGamer.com, is that Boom Blox -- which began solely as a Wii project -- may find its way onto other consoles as well. The news comes from the game's senior producer Amir Rahimi, who said at a recent event in London, "there's definitely the possibility of going to other consoles."Sure, it's not an explicit confirmation of a 360 version, but given EA's history, we'd say it's a safe bet assuming the game actually does go multiplatform at some point. The only question now is how the game would work without a motion controller ... oh wait.[Via Joystiq]
Boom Blox could go multi-platform
We know that, if you haven't played it, the charms of Boom Blox don't immediately reveal themselves. But trust us when we say that to play this "tangible actualization of what Wii games are supposed to be" is to love it. So it should come as good news that Amir Rahimi, senior producer on the game, recently told VideoGamer that "there's definitely the possibility of going to other consoles."Though it might be passable with the SixAxis/DualShock 3, we're concerned with how the package would translate to the 360. Unless of course, you work for EA and you know that Microsoft is developing a motion control device ... Not that Amir Rahimi knows that, of course. We're just saying.
NMS08: Joystiq hands-on with the future of Wii
Big-brother blog Joystiq's own Zack Stern got a little face time with some of the biggest games of your fanboy future at last week's Nintendo Media Summit, and mostly, the verdict is good, even in some surprising places. We've linked all of the hands-on impressions below, but will offer a quick recap here: Rock Band for Wii is not quite a complete travesty; improvements made to the original Rock Bands are present here, and apparently, there is at least discussion of how to handle the online play/DLC problem, but whether or not that will be managed as a later add-on or reserved for a sequel was not said. But it's not all sunshine and rainbows .... Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the opposite of Rock Band, however, in that it sounds even better than we expected. Zack spent some time in the Wii-specific multiplayer duel mode, and it sounds as though the level of depth (and sheer fun!) to be found there will make Wii owners and Star Wars fans very happy. We're looking forward to it! BOOM BLOX may seem like a simple game, but while we're on the subject of depth, this is another title with a lot to explore and discover, and we know a lot of you are excited about it -- so much so that you'll challenge the bloggers to steel cage matches and all. It's cool. We like to know you care. Samba de Amigo both is and ain't the original. It looks and feels like the Dreamcast game, but Wii remotes just aren't maracas. We did get our wish, though you can use two Wiimotes instead of a Wiimote and a nunchuk if you want, to get your samba on. Wii Fit is fun, with a lot of enjoyable mini-games, but Zack felt they might get repetitive after a while. Then again, what exercise routine doesn't? That's why they call it a routine, amirite? Read: Joystiq hands-on with BOOM BLOX Read: Joystiq hands-on with Rock Band Wii Read: Joystiq hands-on with Samba de Amigo Read: Joystiq hands-on with Star Wars: The Force UnleashedRead: Joystiq hands-on with Wii Fit
Joystiq impressions: Boom Blox (Wii)
In our previous coverage of Boom Blox, we highlighted the basic way you toss baseballs, bowling balls, and other objects at the blocks. But this casual game has even more game modes that have gotten less coverage. I sampled some of the lesser-know variants at the Nintendo Media Summit.The game's adventure mode introduces other mechanics. Players move through successive levels, trying to initially knock down structures with as few throws as possible. But following levels give gamers unlimited baseballs to toss at a pack of bears, for example; these cranky creatures try to amble off with your gem blocks, and you have to knock them down. Another change on later levels forces you to protect an advancing group of sheep. Monkeys throw items from their own block-built castle, and you need to knock them all down before the sheep are wiped out.%Gallery-15449%
NMS08: Head-tracking disappears from EA's Boom Blox
Remember how awesome it was when we found out that BOOM BLOX was going to incorporate Johnny Chung Lee's incredible head-tracking 3D demo? There was dancing in the streets (and an extra helping of crow for the staff here). Well, put away the maracas and forget the confetti: EA has cut the Easter egg from the title. Guess that means the device we rigged from a beer helmet, swim goggles, and an old bag of Cheetos is now completely useless, and we're denied the chance to try out the most amazing development for the Wii that we've seen -- and in a game that would have been perfect for it, too. What happened? EA is mum on the whys and wherefores, stating only that the Easter egg was never confirmed for inclusion.%Gallery-15446%
Head-tracking feature pulled from Boom Blox
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Head_tracking_feature_pulled_from_Boom_Blox'; At the Nintendo Media Summit, Boom Blox senior producer Amir Rahimi confirmed that the final version of the game will lack the head-tracking mode. We understand that it was always an Easter egg, requiring gamers to set up Wii Remotes as cameras, and hacking together their own IR LED glasses. But you didn't have to go to TED to see the promise, and we're disappointed to see it removed.EA wouldn't go on-record to say exactly why the mode was cut, only just confirming it again through public-relations channels. An email statement noted, "Head-tracking was something we considered including as an Easter egg in BOOM BLOX however, we did not end up including it in the final version of the game. ..."Perhaps EA feared that we'd hack together a candelabra helmet as an IR emitter. They should have; we totally would.
Johnny Lee's Wii-nnovations blow TED's collective mind
We've all witnessed the incredible ways that technomancer Johnny Lee can put a Wiimote to good use, but apparently, attendees of the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference were unaware of the handheld peripheral's vast potential. You can actually hear their minds crackle, then implode as Lee shows off two of his cost-efficient tech demos -- the multi-touch whiteboard, and 3-D head tracking (which was further confirmed to be in EA/Speilburg's Boom Blox as an easter egg). Like all Johnny Lee videos, we can guarantee this to be the coolest thing you've seen today -- unless, of course, you've just watched the entire "American Ninja" quintology.
Boom Blox dated May 6th
EA previously had the entire month of May blocked off for the release of its Steven Spielberg collaboration Boom Blox. They put a finer point on things during a presentation at Nintendo's Media Summit in San Francisco today, knocking 30 blocks off their May calendar, leaving a proud May 6th standing tall. We'll be checking out the game in, what we can only assume is, a near final state and have our impressions up as soon as we can, okay?%Gallery-15449%
Trick or treat or BOOM BLOX [update]
[Update: EA announced the official release date at the Nintendo Media Summit: May 6th.]Wow, those little rectangular kittens are adorable. How could you not love little fuzzy (and sharp-cornered) kittens in bows? They're just out trick-or-treating in the creepy woods. They're just so cute that we want to ... throw stuff at them. We're pretty sure that they would wobble and fall down. Can they has stuff being thrown at them?The latest screens of Steven Spielberg's weird Wii project also reveal that -- we think -- Boom Blox is using the "paper" look (like Paper Mario or, in a more dramatic example, Defend Your Castle) for at least one of its locations. Well, it's either supposed to look like paper or the backgrounds are just really flat.%Gallery-15446%
Revolutionary: Playing. Creating? Sharing!
Every (other) Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities. Custom level creation in console games has come a long way. It used to be, if you wanted to share a track that you built in Excitebike, you had to invite friends over to play your creation on your cartridge, until you powered off your NES and the track was lost forever. Nowadays our levels can be saved to internal storage, and shared by removable media, or across the internet to survive for posterity. It's a feature that's fully supported by all consoles this generation, and big games are highlighting it amongst their bullet points. System sellers like Halo 3, LittleBigPlanet, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl are trojan-horsing the concept of custom level creation into the consciousness of the console-consuming collective. Former Sony exec Phil Harrison popularized the term "Game 3.0," but we'll be taking a look at how it is playing out on Nintendo's platform.
BOOM BLOX boxart ensures the game's success
What's a genius marketing strategy for EA's upcoming puzzle game, BOOM BLOX? Putting Steven Spielberg's name on the box, of course. Casual gamers have no doubt heard of Spielberg (he's the guy who did that jewel thief movie, right?), and will flock to this video game box that so shamelessly flaunts his name. Brilliant move, EA.We're actually surprised that they didn't make Spielberg's name bigger. The thin white text kind of gets swallowed up in the loudness of the box. Maybe they should have put "Steven Spielberg" in big letters and "BOOM BLOX" in small text, to be safe.The boxart is quite eye catching (although -- dare we say it -- not exactly nice looking), and will certainly help the game to rack up some big numbers. It looks like EA has already won the sales war before it even began.%Gallery-15446% [Via Joystiq]
Spielberg's name outshines EA on Boom Blox box art
Electronic Arts has released the final box art for Stephen Spielberg's upcoming very first-party title Boom Blox. Take note at Spielberg's full name, more prominent than the behemoth publisher's abbreviated title. We're pretty sure the famous director is more recognizable to the mainstream crowd and wonder if the order will be swapped for the as-of-yet unknown Xbox 360 / PS3 Spielberg games. Boom Blox, with head tracking, is due out this May.%Gallery-15449%
