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E308: Wii Fanboy sets records in Guinness World Records: The Videogame
Aside from knowing the game exists, I didn't have anything else to go on when I came across Guinness World Records: The Videogame at my closed-door session in the back of the Warner Bros. meeting room at E3. When the game was revealed, I figured it would just be another cookie-cutter mini-game compilation that didn't hold much value. Actually, I was wrong, as Guiness World Records is a pretty fun title.
Fanpoll: How was Microsoft's E308 showing?
After being privy to everything we heard, saw and played at E3 2008 we'd like to hear what you thought of Microsoft's overall performance. With suitable OMG-megatons like Final Fantasy XIII, awesome exclusivity announcements like DLC in Fallout 3 and rad showings of games like Gears of War 2 -- it seems like it was a great show! But ... noticeable absences like Alan Wake, the controversy surrounding the Bungie announcement and debatable decisions like the dashboard revamp this poll could go either way. So, X3F Army we ask you. How did Microsoft do overall?%Poll-17216%
Hands-on: Bionic Commando
Click for high-resolution image. Disclaimer: This preview is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game. Developers have told us the PS3 version will be identical to the Xbox 360 version. Within moments of picking up the controller, this thought will ring immediately in your mind: this isn't Spider-man. Capcom's upcoming Bionic Commando may have you swinging from place to place, but the effect is completely different from Activision's Spider-man games. Unlike those movie franchise titles, this title demands real skill out of players -- so much so, in fact, that it was difficult for us to come to grip with the game's unique controls (sorry for the pun). Don't expect to simply hold a trigger and jump around from place to place. You must actually aim where your bionic arm will extend to. You'll have an extra reticule on-screen which shows what you can and cannot attach to. What surprised us the most was how short the bionic arm actually is: don't expect to jump over large canyons in a single swing. %Gallery-9695%
E308: Mega Man 9 video lets you start memorizing a level now
Our operative (me) couldn't even get through the Plug Man level featured in the E3 Mega Man 9 demo. The heroes at Gamersyde, however, succeeded in that task, and recorded the event as well. That means a whole level of Mega Man 9 for your viewing pleasure, in only slightly shaky cam-vision. Or at least as much of a level as was available: the bosses were not present in the demo, with only a "Coming Soon" window in their place.We can't embed the video, but we think seeing Mega Man 9 in action is worth having to click on a link.
Joystiq E3 hands-on: Tomb Raider: Underworld
click to embiggen The room is stuffed with a handful of game journalists. It's dark. Drifting from the (very nice) speaker system are the sounds of ocean waves lapping against a boat. On screen, Lara Croft stands on the wooden deck wearing scuba gear. Thrifty girl that she is, it looks like Lara didn't want to spring for a wetsuit with legs in it. Apparently not worried by the deep cold of the ocean, she dives into the water. It's time for me to play Tomb Raider Underworld. %Gallery-28391%
Scoring the Massively E3 bingo card
If you missed it, prior to heading in the direction of E3 we joined Joystiq and the other network sites in pulling together a predictive Bingo card for the big event. We jotted down a number of things that we thought for sure would make an appearance, and laid out a number of news tidbits that we were almost sure wouldn't get covered at the event. As it turns out, we did okay despite some major upsets. We'll own up – this was a pretty different event from a lot of others. Concepts and games we were sure would get talked up didn't get mentioned, while some out-of-left field announcements hit during the week. Read on below the cut to see how we faired from A to ... well, F.
E308: Wii Fanboy survives Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked
Click to embiggen While cruising around Konami's booth at E3, I saw Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked and, honestly, wasn't too excited to play it. Once the demo person showed me exactly what was up with the demo (a variety of minigames and the main Survivor mode), the title grew on me a tad, but, overall, failed to leave me with the impression that it could provide a lengthy, worthwhile experience.%Gallery-22949%
Joystiq E3 Hands-on: Novint's Falcon controller
You make your way down the hallway in City 17, and push open the door into the bright sunlight reflected off of concrete. A Combine soldier stands before you, so you life your semiautomatic weapon, and as you pull the trigger and fire, the gun recoils in your hand. Another Combine stands across the viaduct, and when he fires at you, you feel the bullet strike you from the left, so you turn, and feel the gun jump in your hand again as you take him out.That's the ideal experience with Novint's Falcon controller. The controller itself is about an eight inch orb that sits on your table, with a three-inch sphere sitting on the end of three arms coming off of it -- like a Soviet satellite sticking out of the globe. The idea is that you push the little sphere around to move your cursor, and the three arms provide resistance against whatever you bump up against. We got to use the controller at E3, and the verdict is that while it does provide a nice experience, the costs might be a little overwhelming for most players. More after the jump.%Gallery-27989%
E308: Circling in on Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
I had never played the original Pokémon Ranger, mostly because I'm extremely wary of Pokémon spinoffs. But I read enough to know that, for better or worse, the sequel, Shadows of Almia, is more of the same, with slight tweaks. Before I talk about the game, I'd like to offer my impressions-within-impressions of the title: I'm disappointed that NOA decided to use such a generic fantasy-game subtitle over the jaunty "Batonnage," though I understand the reasoning (the reasoning being what the hell is "batonnage"). It's not as if anyone was ever going to call this anything but Pokémon Ranger 2 anyway. %Gallery-17838%
One real (low-res) pic of MAG
Well, here it is. The very first real-time screenshot of Zipper's upcoming massively multiplayer PS3 game, MAG. The creators of SOCOM up the ante for their first PS3 game, creating a battlefield that supports 256 players. For now, that's all the info we have. Undoubtedly, we'll find out more before its 2009 debut.
PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Crash Commando
Click for high resolution image. Sony's excellent lineup of PSN games continues with the, sadly overlooked, Crash Commando. This online-only side-scrolling shooter looks like a cross between Warhawk and Soldat and promises some pick-up-and-play shooty fun when it releases at the end of the year. A five-man development team in Sweden has been working for over a year, so far, to develop Crash Commando. The game will release with eight maps, trophy support and downloadable content is already being planned. Deathmatch and team deathmatch are already included in the game and a capture the flag mode is aiming to be included for launch or post-launch DLC. Every map is "double sided," meaning that there's a front and a back and walking through doors will allow you to switch at any time. On the map we played, we could see our enemies moving around in the background, on the "other side," which gave a nice sense of depth. Movement is very free, as every character is equipped with a jetpack, allowing more time to be spent on fast paced combat. %Gallery-28077%
E308: A closer look at The Agency's factions
Espionage. Spies. High-tech weaponry. All of it sounds great to us, but what's the deal with the two factions in the upcoming Sony Online Entertainment title The Agency? We got a chance to talk to Matt Wilson at E3, who gave us all the news on how the two factions, ParaGON and UNITE are progressing through the alpha. We also asked about how these agencies will shake out in terms of cooperative (and not-so-cooperative) play. So tell us a bit about the two sides for those who are unfamiliar with The Agency. We have ParaGON and UNITE, red and blue -- well, orangish red -- and the idea behind it is kind of uptown versus downtown. It's Jack Daniels versus Grey Goose. It's the coolest gadgets versus duct-tape and bailing wire. It's the attitude you choose as a player when you come into the game. ParaGON is more the mercenary for hire. They will work for anyone who can afford to pay them. UNITE is all about staying within a code of conduct, and working with the global authority. Eventually, they will wind up working together. We're hoping that the cross-faction game will bring in an interesting dynamic into play. We want to create areas where both factions really have to work together to solve problems.%Gallery-12934%
Keighley walks a fine line with Reggie, Dunaway defends herself
Geoff Keighley, you have bigger stones than us. The GameTrailers TV presenter grabbed super-sized Nintendo executive Reggie Fils-Aime immediately after he left stage at Nintendo's infamous E3 2008 keynote, and subsequently gave him a grilling that Paxman would be proud of.While Reggie was mostly gracious about Keighley's constant enquiries into the new Mario and Zelda titles, he did show the odd sign of irritation, at one point protesting, "Geoff, you keep trying to date me, you know. My girlfriend's going to get upset. You keep trying to date me. You can't do that." Protip, Geoff: when the vein starts bulging in the side of Reggie's head, that's the time to stop asking about Mario and Zelda.In a totally different interview, Reggie's conference co-presenter Cammie "Smiler" Dunaway has defended herself from (rather absurd, if you ask us) accusations that she was feigning enthusiasm during Nintendo's keynote. "Tell your blog that I'm really a genuinely smiley, nice person," she instructed Wired's Chris Kohler. "Because people think I'm fake, smiling up there. I'm just not! It's just me! I am who I am."Ah, the hard-hitting drama of the post-E3 analysis![Reggie carefully concealing his annoyance here, via videogaming247][Cammie Dunaway defending her right to smile here]
E308: Massively goes back to WAR
Last week was our chance to check back with the Mythic Entertainment staff, touch base with the makers of Warhammer Online. We managed to walk away with a few new interesting insights into the game, and wanted to make sure you had the chance to check them out below: E308: Warhammer's designers explain the career/city removalCareers lead Adam Gershowitz and Associate Producer Josh Drescher were instrumental in making our Massively goes to WAR series a success. Our lengthy discussion with the two Warhammer Online designers resulted in our in-depth analysis of (at that point) every class slated for the game. Last week at E3 our discussion with the two gentlemen turned to the removal of four of those classes, as well as four of the slated endgame capital cities. E308: 'Open Party' system to encourage grouping in Warhammer OnlineOur epic-level talk with Josh Drescher and Adam Gershowitz delved into a number of interesting topics. Warhammer Online is essentially feature complete, they said, and will offer players a level of UI customization we haven't seen in most previous MMOs. They also, interestingly, are working to take care of the looking for group problem with a new tactic: the Open Party. E308: Exploring an improved Inevitable City in Warhammer OnlineOur discussion of Warhammer Online as seen at last week's E3 event continues, with a look at an improved Inevitable City. During our huge Massively goes to WAR feature spread earlier this year, we had the chance to tour the Chaos home base, and came away impressed.
PS3 version of BioShock 'looks no different'
Click for high-resolution image. Uh-oh, looks like that dreaded four-letter word is about to strike again. Y'know the one that PS3 fans fear: P-O-R-T. It appears that the upcoming PS3 version of BioShock isn't doing much to take advantage of the PS3, at least from a visual standpoint. According to both Joystiq and Videogamer.com, the PS3 version of BioShock looks identical to the original Xbox 360 version. 2K Games senior producer Melissa Miller told Videogamer.com that "we're looking to match the quality of the original version. We want to make sure that the water is just as great, and I think you can see from the demonstration, that it looks no different from the 360 version."News that BioShock's PS3 Trophies may be identical to Xbox 360's Achievements came as a sign that this would be a pretty straight port, with little enhancement to make up for the one year delay on PS3. At the very least, the PS3 version of BioShock will have access to exclusive DLC and will have Home support.%Gallery-24319%
Hands-on: Rag Doll Kung-Fu: Fists of Plastic
Click for high-resolution image. When we saw a new Rag Doll Kung-Fu game announced at Sony's E3 keynote, we jumped up a bit in excitement. The original Rag Doll Kung-Fu for PC was an innovative quirky game that helped launched Media Molecule become what it is today. When we first saw Fists of Plastic, we assumed that the LittleBigPlanet devs were going back to Mark's very first independent game. Guess we were wrong.Unfortunately, Fists of Plastic has almost no connection to the original Rag Doll Kung-Fu. It's not being developed by Media Molecule and worst of all, it doesn't really take advantage of rag dolls at all. The original PC game featured an innovative control scheme, which involved dragging different parts of the rag doll around and creating motions with physics to unleash attacks. The core concept of Rag Doll Kung-Fu is absent in this PSN download. Instead of dealing with rag doll physics, players simply control these awarkdly animated dolls with the face buttons. Yes, there's a punch and kick button, making this feel like a poor man's fighting game.%Gallery-27901%
E308: Wii Fanboy leads the band in Major Minor's Majestic March
Click for larger image Ever since it's been rumored, the whole team has been patiently awaiting PaRappa creator Masaya Matsuura's next project. Once it was revealed, I found myself puzzled as to what to expect. Would it be as good as PaRappa? Has Matsuura lost it? Well, that confusion is gone now that I've had time to play the game at E3. Is it good? Well, read on and find out!%Gallery-15020%
E308: Massively's chat with DCUO's Jim Lee
Reading back through a list of comic book artist Jim Lee's work is like a "best of" list from DC comics history. Arguably best known for his art in the series Batman: Hush, Lee's credits include the X-Men, Punisher, Superman, and several titles from the comic label Wildstorm. The Authority, the cult classic dark superhero series, bore his penmanship in several places. He was at E3 last week with the folks from Sony Online Entertainment, because Jim is also the executive creative director on the DC Universe Online project.We had the chance to sit down with Mr. Lee for a short interview, to get a feel for what his role on the project is. We chat with him about his work on the project, find out about his love for talking apes, and delve into his past as an MMO gamer. It's great to hear such a noted artist talking about his love for the massive genre - read on to find out about Mr. Lee's past as a guild officer in the world of Norrath and much, much more.
E308: DS Fanboy rocks out to Rock Revolution DS
Oh, poor Konami. You're a little too late to your own party. Actually, more like way too late. With the company finally trying to grab a slice of the delicious music game pie, they're not only pushing Rock Revolution on home consoles, but also on the DS. After having some play time with the title at E3, I feel safe in saying that the handheld game is pretty much going to be the best of the bunch.
PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Killzone 2
Click for higher resolution What can be said about Killzone 2? I'm not sure whether people are looking forward to it for its gameplay, or because it's a graphical powerhouse. If the latter, then people are going to be pleased -- this game is the most graphically impressive I have seen. Sure, the levels we've seen so far are very grey, with a hint of green, but this is permeated by the bright orange of the Helghasts' eyes and those glorious, glorious explosions.What impressed me the most was the attention to detail in the animation and modelling throughout Killzone 2. It's completely cosmetic, but this is the first game where I felt that the gun pointing into the screen belonged to me. That the arm swinging to-and-fro as I run across the battlefield was an extension of my own. When I reload, the animation is so detailed and the attention to weight almost allows you feel how heavy your gun is. All of this, coupled with the graphic style and quality makes Killzone 2 incredibly atmospheric and immersive. Does this add to the gameplay? Of course not. Does it add to the game? Substantially.%Gallery-4722%
