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A trio of Boogie videos come out from hiding
You know, it's been quite some time since we've seen or heard anything on Boogie for the DS. While the game might have flopped on the Wii, we're hopeful it can provide us with so much more on the DS. Looks like we'll find out soon enough, as the title releases later on this month.Check past the break for some more videos.
Around Azeroth: Dance!
Reader Emir sends us this shot whose location I am not entirely certain of... though if I were to guess I'd say it were the Aliance-side Arathi Basin battleground entrance. (Anyone out there have any suggestions for certain?) However, it's not the location that makes this shot worthwhile: it's the conversation going on within!Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing a copy to aroundazeroth@wow.com, with as much or as little detail as you'd like to share with the world! %Gallery-1816%
Joystiq impressions: Boogie (DS)
The dancing-puppet game, Boogie, launches on the DS this "holiday" season. The portable version of the title has more game in it (read: objectives and losing conditions). But after briefly playing, it still seems aimed close at the casual market Boogie (Wii) courted; rhythm fans might want to pass.Boogie (DS) copies rhythm game techniques, but it comes off as a casual, unfocused Elite Beat Agents. Maybe after hours of playing -- or a better fit with a gamer who's never tried a rhythm title -- it would feel more unique.%Gallery-7889%
Game Boys, ice cream, and Crip-walking chefs
The reviews that have been coming in for MySims make sure to point out the EA-developed title's lack of depth and polish, but we're sure it'll sell just fine with casual gamers based on its cheerful cuteness alone. This latest video preview shows off all the fun you can have when you're not busy gentrifying your MySims town -- play pranks on unsuspecting goth kids, DJ at the local discotheque, and straight-up mack on some pink-haired honeys.Apparently, you can even have a dance-off with restaurant-owner Gino Delicioso! How did an Italian chef learn to Crip walk like that?
Boogie DS taken for a turn around the floor
We puzzled out the basic mechanics of the DS edition of Boogie by watching a gameplay video, and we'd heard about the 3D-glasses gimmick (worked for The 3-D Battles of WorldRunner, right?) along with the first confirmation we received of the game. But there's plenty to Boogie DS that we didn't know, and this Pocket Gamer hands-on covers a lot of that information. Except for the big question of so is the game any good, but that's not really the jurisdiction of the preview. For example, the minigames. We knew they were coming. The minigames described in the preview include tambourine-playing, spotlight-chasing, and a very special one that makes us laugh heartily: moving a slider back and forth to control your dancer's mouth movements, for the purpose of lip-syncing. Magical! You can also create clothing decals for your character's shirts, should you desire to advertise yourself or your interests on a big pink Earl-looking thing.
Boogie DS video reveals a much more traditional rhythm game
On the Wii, Boogie was half karaoke game, half waggle-dance game. Obviously the DS version doesn't allow you to wave your arms around to dance, which means that the game had to be adapted for the handheld format. Luckily for us, it's been adapted into what looks like a much more familiar rhythm game. For each motion or instrument (headbanging, tambourine, etc.) you touch the screen in a different manner, but always in response to onscreen cues, and always in a location indicated by an icon. The different icons are just window dressing, basically, since you're now tapping the screen to the rhythm. It's less whatever-you-want-to-call-Boogie and a little more Ouendan. This short video shows some of the motions involved in playing Boogie on the go, accompanied by a Commodores cover.[Via GoNintendo]
Keepon dancing robot featured in Spoon's latest music video
Step off those treadmills OK GO, there's a new indie music video on YouTube ready to help us nerds locate our groove muscle. Spoon's "Don't You Evah" features the toxically cute Keepon dancing robot developed by Carnegie Mellon and Japan's National Institute of Communications Technology. Be sure to hang in 'til the end for the robot dance party which features Manoi, RB2000 and a Johnny Five wannabe getting tore-up from the floor-up in that mad servo style. Full vid after the break.
Alvin and the gang to stir up trouble on the DS
Based on the new movie coming this holiday starring Jason Lee, Brash Entertainment's Alvin and the Chipmunks will feature rhythm-based gameplay. The game will feature challenges set to 40 different songs, including "All the Small Things" by Blink 182, "It's Tricky" by Run-D.M.C., "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley, "All Star" by Smashmouth, and "Shiny Happy People" by R.E.M. No screens on the game as of now, but expect it to grace store shelves alongside the release of the film on December 14th.
Humanoid robots could still do the twist in 2193
If no one's complaining when the Rock-afire Explosion busts out a Bubba Sparxxx jam, we doubt the future alien population of this here planet will have any beef with an android cousin doing the Tango. In a bizarre feat of preservation, a team from the University of Tokyo, Japan has used "video motion-capture systems to record the movement of a dancer performing a Japanese folk routine called the Aizu-Bandaisan." Rather than just filing it on a DVD, however, they are teaching Kawada Industries' HRP-2 to mimic the moves, which could open the door (wider) for robotic dance teachers of the future. If you think it sounds weird, just wait 'til you catch the thing on video.[Thanks, Eileen]
Beyond Northrend: WoW's beauty and dance school
If there is anything that the World of Warcraft trailer pretty much said outright, it's that hair styles and new dances are important to many in the WoW community. The fact that Wrath of the Lich King would have new hairstyles and new dances were bullet points number five and six after some major game changing information. Having been witness to people getting rid of characters they've been working on due to their hairstyle, a little trip to the beauty shop to see Miss Latifah could have prevented such needless deletion. WoW Insider opens up the creepy questions like wondering if there will be quests for dances and hairdos. We fear the idea of an epic hairdo quest. All that grinding for reputation with some faction just to have that '80s punk hairstyle we've always wanted. Although, an epic hairdo would probably stand out just as much as an armor set without all that pesky raiding. We're just happy to know that no more senseless toons will be dipped because their owner got tired of their hairstyle.
Tell me now, how do I feel about the DDR: Hottest Party track list
We remember when US-released Dance Dance Revolution games had no licensed music whatsoever, filling their track lists with selections from in-house Konami artists. We soon learned to get over the lack of Captain Jack in our home games; and, in fact, grew to appreciate the work of Konami's composers, especially when they started putting music from other Konami games into rotation.Now that music games are actually popular, Konami can afford to license some recognizable music, which means that your Hottest Parties will be accompanied by appropriately hot music, including the tracks named by Siliconera's Spencer Yip. During his time with the game at E3, he wrote down all the track titles he could. Highlights include C&C Music Factory's Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now), Dead or Alive's You Spin Me Round (Like A Record), and, of course, New Order's Blue Monday, the in-game remix of which had better be shortened significantly.
Dance Dance Revolution: Biggest Heads
Konami has released some screens of their new Wii-style Dance Dance Revolution, entitled Dance Dance Revolution HOTTEST PARTY. And it mostly looks like a DDR game, with some small adjustments. Hottest Party (we're going to stop with the caps, if that's all right) includes the same Free Play and Diet Modes as other DDR games, but also includes simultaneous four-player mode for people with really big living rooms.The most noticeable adjustment is head size. That's funny, and a little weird, but totally cosmetic and won't get in the way of anyone's Dance Dance Revolving. What's a little more interesting than cranial embiggening is the Wiimote/Nunchuk usage. There seem to be special arrows that instruct players to point their hands in a certain direction, much like Samba de Amigo. Sometimes even the on-screen characters hold Wiimotes and Nunchuks.The dance pad has made it to the Wii pretty much unscathed, with no Wiimote-shaped cavities or anything. It's a basic dance pad in a Wii color scheme. It appears to be wired, probably USB. We didn't need more-- with the extra waggling, this game seems complicated enough!
Five handheld accessories you should continue to live without
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/Five_of_the_worst_handheld_accessories_ever_PICS'; Portable game systems are completely self-contained. Unlike home systems, which require a TV, multiple outlets, and a separate controller unit, handhelds contain everything you need to play games, built right in to the unit. They are self-reliant. They are also-- and this goes without saying-- portable. They're designed to be small so you can carry them around.Why, then, do jackasses feel the need to make accessories for handhelds? Accessories needlessly add bulk to Game Boys, effectively exiling them from casual pocket-drops. Here are five of the most pointless things you could ever graft onto a handheld system. We're giving a lot of attention to the Game Boy Color, as it turned out to be a focal point for idiotic doodads. Hopefully, these companies are still tired from their furious crap-assembling, and will largely pass over the DS.
Get your Boogie on, save it for posterity
Boogie just looks like good, clean dancin' fun and we're really excited about giving it a try, particularly after seeing this new video of ... well, video! Specifically, the video-making function in the forthcoming EA title. Looks very easy to use, and the results are pretty spiffy. Seems that impressions from the Nintendo Media Summit were on target -- Boogie is ready to get down. Now if only we could speed ahead to August!
Today's finally understandable video: Boogie
Even though some of us have played Boogie, the title continues to confuse others. Today's video pick is the first time it made sense for this writer: instead of a dancing-and-singing game, it's a game where you control a dancing-and-singing puppet. Finally, the lack of direct correlation between controllers and avatars -- like left controller for left arm -- makes sense.It's still too early to predict Boogie's success, but at least we finally understand the basics. And it took us long enough -- the title is close to shipping, with an August 9, 2007 release. See the video after the break.
WoW Moviewatch: The Murloc Dance
I'm not sure how I missed out on this Myndflame video, now nearly a year old. As with all of their music videos, it's expertly edited with some catchy tunes in the background -- and, best of all, this video features everyone's favorite Azerothian character, the Murloc! Dance on my Murloc brothers, dance on!Previously on Moviewatch...
WoW Moviewatch: Dranei Tunak Tunak Tun
Anything you can do we can do better! Sure, we've seen the source of the draenei's dance and we've even seen draenei dancing along with the original. But why insert draenei into a real world music video when you can make a great version of the Tunak Tunak Tun video entirely in World of Warcraft? Well, that's clearly what the makers of this machinima asked themselves -- how do you think it compares to the original?Previously on Moviewatch...
WoW Moviewatch: Starcraft 2 boogies down WoW style
Reading through WarCry I came across this fun little morsel. Evidently, it looks like the devs for Starcraft 2 are having a little fun with their game play, at least in pre-alpha. I knew that the WoW dances are infectious, but I didn't know they bridged genres. In this video, note the dancing figure on top of the building to the right. It's WoW's own Night Elf female making a cameo appearance. The caption might be slightly off, but they are right about the figure being an elf, though not a Blood Elf. I imagine that this image will eventually be replaced by unique animation, but for the moment the placeholder certainly looks familiar. Previously on Moviewatch... [via WarCry]
WoW Moviewatch: So that's where that dance came from!
We've all seen the videos of different dances. We've had ones where they all dance together, ones where the original source is cited. We've even seen video of a guy dancing like a Night Elf Female. Now we have another dance movie. There's one thing about this one that sets it apart, however. This is the first one I've seen that does a really good job of putting the dances side-by-side with their inspirations. As Bowzerblack on the WoW LJ said: "I didn't know that about ogres!" All I can say is that I didn't either. And yes, I know it's the Boomkin dance too, but you don't see a lot of (completely-bare) topless Boomkins running about. Which, now that I think about it, is probably a good thing.Previously, on MovieWatch...[via the WoW LJ community]
GM says "Mailbox piccolo concerts are right out!"
A forum thread about a player and a GM talking about the Piccolo of the Flaming Fire popped up yesterday. As usual it was deleted, but the image was saved by Neuroxin on the WoW LJ community -- where I saw this. While GM threads are nothing new, the reason that this player was contacted by a GM is a new one on me. Were you aware that using the Piccolo of the Flaming Fire when you are AFK on top of a mailbox can get you in trouble with the GMs?While I totally appreciate that the piccolo can be annoying over a long period of time, does it truly interrupt the ability to play? Is it on the same level as ganking someone over and over as someone suggested? I'll admit that I totally hate that item, but not because it makes me dance. I hate it because a small flute should not sound like a harp. (and yes, that's nitpicky of me)
