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Realistic Zapper mod is impressive, also sort of scary
Say hello to your new little friend, the "WeeP 5 Advanced Zapper," a mash-up of a toy MP5 gun and Wiimote innards (you can see the painted IR sensor just below the muzzle). The WeeP 5 is the work of Instructables user THeOReos, who was left disappointed by the range of gun shells available for the Wii (WHAAAT?!). It's just the ticket if you want your Zapper-compatible games to feel extra authentic, and we'd rather enjoy using it to drop bad dudes in Ghost Squad (though it may not suit Link's Crossbow Training).THeOReos is confident this works well, and has posted a full step-by-step of the building process here. We lack the patience or skillz to make our own, but don't let that put you off building one and sending it to us!%Gallery-35024%[Via Hack A Day]
Steering blobs and dropping dudes with Costco's $10.99 sale
Is Mercury Meltdown Revolution a part of your Wii collection? If not, it absolutely should be, for Ignition's addictive puzzler must be one of the most criminally overlooked gems on the platform. And now Costco has it for $10.99, along with a bunch of other titles that range from pretty damn good to shovelware (oh, hai Pool Party). Angelina Jolie favorite Ghost Squad is also on sale, giving you a chance to knock terrorists from their speeding, swan-shaped jet skis, and save money in the process. If a better offer has come along this century, we've yet to see it.Below are the six titles that most stood out to us (the full list is past the jump); we expect at least two of these to be in your house by June 22nd, when the sale ends: Ghost Squad Sonic and the Secret Rings Sega Bass Fishing Mercury Meltdown: Revolution Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz SSX Blur %Gallery-24906%%Gallery-5667%
German ad brings Resistance: Fall of Mandy to Wii
Sega's German division wants you to think that playing Ghost Squad on Wii will be like the PS3 award-winning shooter, Resistance: Fall of Man. With Wii Zapper in hand, you'll take down hordes of criminals and terrorists in this rail shooter. Sure, it's not a FPS, nor is it about a sci-fi flavored WWII, nor does it even have aliens. But trust Sega. It's just as good as Resistance. They swear.[Via NeoGAF]
Anthony Bourdain loves Ghost Squad, chicken feet
Ghost Squad is rapidly becoming the game of choice among celebrities. We don't really have much in common with chef/writer/crazy person Anthony Bourdain. He's a vocal grump about food: it either has to be fine cuisine or prohibitively authentic regional dishes (i.e. gross Fear Factor stuff) or it's garbage; our lunch today was first frozen and then microwaved. But Bourdain revealed a commonality between the famous food nerd and game nerds when, during a stay in Korea as part of his No Reservations show, he went to an arcade with his guide and made a beeline for the Ghost Squad machine, going so far as to declare it "my favorite game in the world." Of course, being No Reservations, the rest of the clip involves eating disgusting stuff. Skip to around the 8 minute mark for the arcade trip, and enjoy Bourdain's genuine enthusiasm for Ghost Squad. The segment continues into the first few seconds of the next clip of the show, when Bourdain has a mock fit over being forced to walk away from the game. [Thanks, Jim!]
Angelina Jolie buys Ghost Squad, promotes violence
We'd like to be envious of Angelina Jolie's vast wealth and movie star looks, but heck, we just can't muster up the hate -- not when she has the nous to buy games like Ghost Squad.Alas, not everybody appreciates Ms. Jolie's discerning taste in Wii Zapper titles. Brad Pitt's own sister, for example, was less than pleased that her children received a copy of the T-rated game from the actress for Christmas, and apparently sent it back with a slightly indignant note, explaining to Auntie that "We don't promote violence in our home."This apparently trivial celebrity tale probably raises lots of important questions concerning violent video game content and the role of parents. But we have our own questions -- vital questions -- that need answers. Questions such as: Did Jolie get the game cheap? Does she have her own dolphin-shaped Zapper? And if so ... does she read us?! Hai Angelina![Via Game Politics]
Ghost Squad advert has PS3 shooter in its sights
Ghost Squad, as we've already seen, is not afraid of being different. It's also not afraid of standing up for itself and picking on bigger games, when the need arises; games such as the PlayStation 3's Resistance: Fall of Man. The print advert above, for example, has been seen in various German magazines in recent weeks. And if we were being completely honest, we'd totally buy Resistance: Fall of Mandy.[Via Go Nintendo]
Get your Shopping Squad together for possible Ghost Squad deal
A few NeoGAFfers are reporting that their local Target stores have started clearing out the excellent Ghost Squad for around ten bucks. That's terrible news for Sega, and awesome news for you. To put it bluntly: holy crap go buy the game. You can use the (ridiculous) savings to build your own Zapper/Perfect Shot/shark gun bundle.A word of warning, though: Target's clearances are rather tricky. Not all stores participate, and sometimes it's quite a battle to actually convince the employees that the game is on sale. Sometimes their clearanced games are removed from the system, meaning that you have to convince the employees that it's an item Target sells.
Joys be thine: Three discounted games
Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus Lane, breakin' you off something proper. The old saint has brought in a trio of video game deals from Amazon, and not crap games, either. Hang your stockings and take out your credit cards because these bargains can be pulled at any moment. Ghost Squad - $19.99 Puzzle Quest - $14.99 Trauma Center: New Blood - $39.99 Speaking of Santa, have you kids heard that new Ludacris song, "Ludacrismas," from the Fred Claus soundtrack? It is all the way live. Fill your hearts with Christmas cheer and join us past the break for a listen.[Update: Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles - $34.99 -- grab it while it lasts!]
Inspect the Zapper even more closely
Seeing as it's (kind of) the next upcoming major Wii peripheral, we think it's worth our time to look at lots of hardware pictures of the thing and scrutinize its design. GAME Watch felt the same way as we do, except they got one.Luckily for us, they took a bunch of detailed pictures from different angles, of the peripheral alone and in use. We thought the picture above was interesting, because we don't usually see the two-handed approach in Zapper demonstrations. We think you'll agree-- it's nice to have the option, but it looks totally goofy with this gun shell design. If only they would give us such a detailed overview of the shark gun!
A suitable substitute for a dolphin-shaped Zapper
We have lamented the lack of a hilarious themed Zapper to enhance our enjoyment of the ridiculous bonus mode in Ghost Squad, but now it seems that our troubles have come to an end thanks to Pega, whose silly gun shells we've enjoyed in the past. They're still playing easily, and playing happily!Sure, the gun actually represents a shark shape, but it's close enough to a Wii-white version of the Ghost Squad dolphin squirt gun for our purposes. Isn't it amazing that Pega and other third-rate peripheral companies have graduated to outlandish gun shell designs while Nintendo has yet to release their own Zapper worldwide?
The president has been kidnapped by Ghost Squad's unlockable mode
We apologize in advance for dropping more Ghost Squad media onto your lap, but this newest video features ninjas, and our love for ninjas is outstripped only by our zeal for zombies ... and Batman.While this unlockable mode for Sega's rail shooter doesn't have any bikini-clad women or porpoise pistols, it does have plenty of ninjas, ninjas, and more frickin' ninjas. Specifically, ninjas with submachine guns. What sort of stealth assassins need firearms? And what ever happened to Michael Dudikoff? We may never know ...
Dolphintastic video of Ghost Squad
We continue to love the unlockable bonus modes in Ghost Squad. The extra dose of craziness elevates the game above "somewhat notable port" status into "Zapper killer app" and "Thing we want to buy" categories. A shooting game in which you squirt water at bikini-clad "terrorists" with a dolphin-shaped water gun, then disarm them of their banana knives, may be all we need in life. You can see all the hilarity in action in this video, including the swan jet skis. But what you may not yet know about Ghost Squad is that it looks really fun for reasons not entirely related to silly swapped items and characters. It features unique gameplay twists, such as segments in which you use the Zapper to simulate knife fighting and hand-to-hand combat. And, of course, the game carries the Sega name, which we think still means something, at least in relation to light gun games. Check after the break for another video without the bonus stuff, to prove that the game looks like loads of fun. This is one port we can definitely live with.[Via Game|Life]
Point-blank shots of the Ghost Squad Zapper bundle
We're not linking to Siliconera's coverage of the Japan-exclusive Ghost Squad Zapper bundle because we're jealous-- after all, with Ghost Squad at $30, we're actually getting a better deal on the Zapper and the game. All we're missing is the huge box, and that's no loss. But what we do care about (in a professional capacity) are the close-up pictures and details of the Zapper. Spencer Yip opened the thing up and provided detailed pictures of its setup. The process, including opening a panel and coiling the Nunchuk cord inside the compartment, seems well-thought-out and well-designed, with the intention of holding everything in place. However, we can spot two obvious problems.First, the process appears to take a long time. This may dissuade the more casual players from using the Wii, as it renders the whole thing a lot less pick-up-and-play. Second, use of the Zapper, like the Guitar Hero III controller, necessitates removal of the Wii remote jacket that Nintendo seems so intent on having us all use.There is actually a third problem, and it's the one that weighs most heavily on us: the gun shell is, disappointingly, not dolphin-shaped.
Ghost Squad gets a new bundle-friendly price
We're technically calling this a rumor, since prices change all the time on online stores and don't represent the final sale prices. But with Amazon and GameStop both making the same change on the same day, we feel confident that Ghost Squad will actually retail for $29.99 when it comes out on November 20th. That means that we can now approximate a Ghost Squad Zapper bundle. Buying Ghost Squad and a Zapper now would set you back $50-- the cost of most new games-- and would get you Link's Crossbow Training as a bonus. Or you could just save money and hold your controllers yourself!We think that releasing the game simultaneously with the Zapper, and at a price that encourages buying it with the 'hardware', is a good move on Sega's part. We hope somebody manages to notice this move a week after Super Mario Galaxy's release.[Via GoNintendo]
Ghost Squad stands out from the crowd
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles may have the power of a big series behind it, and Link's Crossbow Training has that and the whole pack-in thing, but Sega's Ghost Squad has something very important that none of the other Zapper titles can claim: swan-shaped jet skis. We won't know for sure until the games come out, but we feel confident about predicting a lack of swan-shaped jet skis in Crossbow Training and Umbrella Chronicles.Between these, the dolphin squirt guns, and the be-swimsuited antagonists, Ghost Squad's bonus mode is starting to become very aquatic-themed. It's also becoming very hilariously surreal, and we can't wait to see what else pops up. Oh, Sega. You've already earned our admiration. You had us at dolphin-shaped guns. It's strange, but even more than the Sega fan dream of a NiGHTS sequel, a port is bringing back our long-dormant feelings of Sega fandom.
Sega gives up the Ghost Squad site
We've already seen dozens of screenshots and videos for Ghost Squad, Sega's arcade on-rails shooter adapted for the Wii, so what else can its newly-released official website offer? Well, uh, not much.If you've yet to see any media for the game, though, it's all collected at the site for you to preview. Other than that, the only interesting item of note is the target reticule that replaces your mouse pointer, mimicking the in-game crosshair. There aren't any enemies for you to shoot at, but several menu buttons are available for you to aim and click. Pew pew!Ghost Squad goes on sale this November 20th in the states -- that leaves plenty of time for Sega to fill the site with desktop wallpapers, AIM buddy icons, and other trivial "bonuses."
IGN demonstrates dual wielding in Ghost Squad, sort of
Yes, Ghost Squad has a dual wielding feature, if you accept 'just playing the two-player game by yourself' as a kind of dual wielding. It looks fun, however it's achieved. It also has a number of other newly-announced features that may be of interest to light-gun game enthusiasts.For example, you can turn the cursor off. Since the Wiimote is not exactly a light gun and its pointer doesn't always move as quickly as your hand, the game displays a cursor by default. But you can turn it off for point bonuses and a more authentic gun game feeling. Second, to combat the extreme brevity of the arcade game (as with all arcade gun games), Ghost Squad features a level system that changes the appearance and enemy layout of the levels as you replay them, gradually increasing the difficulty of the game.
Plenty of Sega screens to go around
Sega is releasing a lot of potentially awesome stuff in the near future (in Japan), including NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, Ghost Squad, and Mysterious Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer 3. They showed these products (and some stuff for other systems or whatever) to some lucky Japanese gamers at a consumer conference, and sent some new screens out to the rest of us poor folks.We're happy just to stare at some screens, however, as they are all filled with excellence! Except for this one from NiGHTS. The screens from Shiren the Wanderer are old, but still nice-looking. NiGHTS is actually looking good, and Ghost Squad's got ninjas and bikini girls in it. The only thing that could have made this bounty of screens any more exciting would have been new Mibri & Tebri content. Next time, maybe.
This Squad ain't afraid of no ghost
Of course, that's of little use when fighting terrorists. This trailer for the Wii version of Ghost Squad shows not only the game in action (revealing the fact that there's a constant on-screen crosshair, which may be annoying to light-gun game fans), but it shows what you may look like playing the game in a Hawaiian shirt. Or at a party! Or not at a party-- poor single-player guy.For our money, this is the real Zapper killer app, if a controller holder can be said to have a killer app. We'd be perfectly happy with a bundle like Japan is getting, with a Zapper and a real gun game. Of course, you could get a Ghost Squad bundle plus the regular package with Link's Crossbow Training and have (nearly) two games and two guns!%Gallery-5667%[Via GoNintendo]
Sega haunts the Wii with Ghost Squad
Much to our disappointment, Ghost Squad bears no relation to either the Ghost Busters series or the Wu-Tang Clansman, Ghostface Killah. No, it is merely a light-gun arcade game that Sega has decided to port to our fair console.If you've never had the fortune to come across Ghost Squad's arcade cabinet, it's an on-rails shooter that comes armed with plastic assault rifles for you to aim with. Playing without the modeled weaponry sounds like a downgraded experience, so hopefully there will be optional controller shells for us to equip by the time Sega releases the game this holiday season.This port will feature Wii-specific game modes, new ways to use the Wii remote as a "multi-purpose tool," and four-player co-op support. We've got a few screenshots that we grabbed from Jeux-France past the post break, but uh ... they're not very flattering. We think we'll stick with Umbrella Chronicles for all our light gun needs for now.
