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Konami walks in a top-hatted shadow with 'Zack & Ombra'
Konami's Zack & Ombra: The Phantom Amusement Park reminds us of a certain other DS series starring a smartly-dressed protagonist and his young apprentice in creepy, mysterious villages. We're just puzzled as to which one we're thinking of. Zack & Ombra, though similar in style, bears one major difference from ... that top-hat guy's games. Instead of strictly puzzles, magician Zack and his pal Polly take part in around 180 minigames to clear away the "pranks" left on Delphino Island by the eggplant-looking Ombra creatures, who threaten to ruin the island's festival. This game is being directed by Junko Kawano, best known for her work on the Suikoden games, but also as the designer of Time Hollow and Shadow of Destiny. It also features animation by Studio 4°C (which reminds us of some other DS game with anime-style cutscenes ... ) It'll be released in Japan on October 28.
The Daily Grind: How do you like your PvP?
Ah, PvP. Personally I kinda hate it, even on those rare occasions when I manage to emerge victorious. In small doses it's OK, but usually it consists of getting face-rolled by a player who knows the game systems much better than I do. That said, minigame PvP is quite enjoyable, particularly Age of Conan's variety, as well as the scenarios in Warhammer Online. For a carebear like me, the only way to make PvP even semi-palatable is to grant control over when and if it happens. Sure, we may still lose and provide a good belly-laugh to the seasoned killers who view us as their game content, but at least they're not barging in on an otherwise productive session of questing, crafting, or exploring. What about you, Massively readers? Do you prefer your PvP in spurts such as minigame instances or battlegrounds, or do you like the open-world FFA option common in games like Darkfall and Mortal Online?
The Daily Grind: Do you like minigames in MMOs?
Quick: What does cooking in Free Realms, diplomacy in Vanguard, fishing in World of Warcraft and horse racing in Lord of the Rings Online have in common? Other than being fantastic wastes of time (I kid, I kid), they're all types of minigames added to our MMOs by ambitious developers who were looking for ways other than "smash with club" to accomplish tasks in game. Some minigames are little more than whimsical diversions, set out for players looking to blow a few minutes on a cute activity. Other minigames are crucial to achieving goals, as players engage in them to get money, level up professions or even succeed at a raid. So how do you feel about minigames in MMOs? Are they too "kiddy" and should best be left for Nintendo DS players and Flash game fanatics? Do you like the variety and spice they add to the game? Do you even want to see more of them as alternate ways to advance other than combat?
STO celebrates six months of interstellar conflict in the latest State of the Game
While Captain Kirk and the original crew of the Enterprise had an initial five-year mission to explore the cosmos, Star Trek Online players have had a mere six months to do the same. In this span of time, a lot has happened for STO -- some good, some bad, some controversial, and some radically different. As the game heads into its second six-month tour of duty, executive producer Dan Stahl threw open the doors for STO's Season 2.0 update, entitled "Ancient Enemies." In the latest State of the Game report, Stahl looks back at the additions, changes and accomplishments of the STO team since launch. The bullet point list he lays out is impressive indeed, listing 32 big ticket items that have been implemented into the game. He then looks at the immediate present with the launch of Season 2.0, which Stahl sees as a direct response to player requests and demands. "Season Two is filled with additional features and updates that you asked for, and in some cases even helped us design, specifically minigames," Stahl writes. Finally, the State of the Game looks at the future of the title and the many improvements that are slated for delivery, including an upgrade to ground combat, more ship options for both factions and rethinking exploration. You can read Dan Stahl's full State of the Game report over at Star Trek Online's site.
Preview: Active Life Explorer
It's pretty much a Wii version of Uncharted 2. Okay, that's a bit of a stretch. However, one of the levels of Namco Bandai's Active Life Explorer has you running down a train, jumping from car to car, as you try to make your way to the front. Along the way, you'll be dodging overhead lights, in a frantic rush to stop the train from meeting a fiery end. But, unlike Naughty Dog's PS3 game, you're not shooting your way through. Instead, you use a DDR-esque mat to literally run through the game. The Wii is no stranger to fitness games (the Active Life franchise already has multiple iterations on Nintendo's console). However, what makes Explorer so charming is that it actually feels like a game. The game's Treasure Adventure mode features a world map and story, and has you traveling through the map, talking to NPCs and activating challenges to progress in a quest to find treasures. Although simplistic, the narrative does a good enough job of giving some context to the various mini-games you play.%Gallery-97638%
Preview made available for Star Trek Online's Season 2
If the Season 1 patch for Star Trek Online pushed forward huge improvements to the game's engine, Season 2 looks to expand into several areas players have complained were lacking. Cryptic has just released a preview page detailing several additions, including added Klingon PvE play and six additional levels. The new levels let players reach the coveted rank of Vice Admiral in the Federation and Lieutenant General in the Klingon Empire, bringing improved versions of Tier 5 ships to coincide with the new maximum ranks. While it's not explicitly stated, it's implied that the new ships won't be mandatory upgrades, but rather options for players who want to fly some of the most iconic ships in the franchise's long history. Even with no other additions, the changes would bring new aspects of play, but the update also sees the launch of the Federation Diplomatic Corps (a separate leveling track of negotiation and social interaction) and a new minigame associated with anomaly scanning. Currently a passive form of resource gathering, scanning will be changed into a simple wave-matching game to help gather additional resources -- making it somewhat more interesting than walking to a node and pressing a button. That's still not getting into the special weekly content due to start arriving in August... there's a good reason Cryptic has made a large page to summarize it at a glance. Star Trek Online's second major patch is targeted to hit later this month, with a first impression from testing available from West Karana.
Guild Wars 2 unveils the game's lighter side
We've learned a lot of core news about Guild Wars 2 lately -- everything from class reveals to character creation has been served up to eager fans. The latest batch of new information about Guild Wars 2 takes a look at some of the lighter aspects of gameplay. IGN spent some time chatting with the developers and came away with a wealth of new information on events outside the central storyline. Bar brawls, daily achievements, kill counts, and interaction with NPCs were all covered. We even got hints of some possible side games or minigames, such as a shooting gallery. Check out the full interview at IGN.
Funcom wants your PvP feedback for Age of Conan
Funcom's Craig "Silirrion" Morrison has been a whirlwind on the official forums of late, whether it's chatting with disgruntled players or soliciting feedback. In a new post published this week, he does a bit more of the latter, calling for suggestions and wish-lists in the form of Age of Conan PvP tweaks. "Now that the expansion is out, and we will get through the summer holiday period relatively soon, I wanted to hear a little about which area of PVP you folk might want us to focus on. We have a number of things 'on the drawing board' and I am interested in hearing [...] your opinion on what you would consider the most important to focus on," he writes. Morrison goes on to mention that two oft-requested PvP fixes are already in the works, in the form of siege performance and cross-server minigame queuing. "So those two things are being investigated further anyway, and we know they need to be looked at further so they will be, so this topic isn't to discuss them. We all agree I think those would be great additions (hence the further tech investigation into them). Likewise, class issues and concerns are always ongoing, and discussion of class concerns isn't the point of this post," he says. All that said, everything else is on the table for discussion, whether it be new minigame settings, open-world objectives, Khitai PvP, or even the return of Drunken Brawling. Check out the post on the official boards to make your voice heard.
E3 2010: Hands-on with Clone Wars Adventures
Arriving at the SOE booth at E3, one is assaulted with the shininess of their latest upcoming titles, DC Universe Online and The Agency. But scattered about the booth were demo stations for many of their other upcoming games including the recently announced Clone Wars Adventures. We haven't heard much about this game since it was announced (and our subsequent interview with the lead designer), but we got to sit down at E3 and find out what's involved. As a quick refresher, CWA is less a traditional MMORPG and more a virtual lobby where players can access a number of minigames. There's no leveling or quests or equipment with stats. It's more Free Realms and less EverQuest. It will be free-to-play as a Flash-based browser title when it arrives this fall. But how does all this actually play? Click past the jump for more info.
Pac-Man Party partying on Wii this fall
We now know one of the things Namco Bandai is likely to announce at its Pac-Man party ... Pac-Man Party. USA Today revealed the new Wii game starring the yellow sphere and his incorporeal enemies: a minigame collection with over 45 assorted games, including curling, tennis and more Pac-Man-esque ghost-chasing games. Essentially, it's Mario Party with Pac-Man in Mario's place. Namco will also include -- as just as a little bonus -- the original Pac-Man, along with Galaga and Dig Dug. Pac-Man Party will be out this fall. [Thanks Zach!]
New Star Trek Online patch structure looks forward
While you can fault the team behind Star Trek Online for some things, failure to plan is certainly not one of them. The development team has been very public about their plans for testing and release, which made a few people rather curious when Season 1.2 launched in early June rather than late May. What would that mean for Season 1.3 and the following Season 2 patch? The most recent Engineering Report on the official forums tackles precisely that, explaining that the team has adjusted their schedule slightly and will roll 1.3 straight into the Season 2 patch. That leaves us with an enormous list of features for Season 2, which is aimed at July. Ship interiors and a raise in level cap to 51 are the two most obvious changes, with the former offering a choice from several layouts and the latter promoting a player to the rank of Vice Admiral or Lieutenant General. There's also the addition of minigames, weekly episodes, officer trading, new episodes for the high-level band, a new fleet action, and a general surfeit of improvements to the game. Star Trek Online players are encouraged to check out the official thread and offer any feedback to the proposed changes.
Disney Guilty Party flees into August
A new video for Disney Guilty Party offers some insight from Wideload Games staff about the flow of gameplay in the mystery-solving title. It includes footage of several of the activities, including fingerprint analysis, lockpicking, and ... suspect tickling ... as well as a bit of information about some of the personalities involved, including our first look at the villainous Mr. Valentine. It also serves as the vehicle for an announcement of a delay. Along with this trailer, Disney revealed that the release date has been bumped from July 27 to August 31, where it "now kicks off the holiday season on August 31st, 2010." We've got our first mystery to solve: finding the person who moved the holiday season to August.
Retailer reveals three Wii Party minigames
Retailer HMV has listed descriptions for three of the minigames in Nintendo's upcoming Wii Party. It turns out that when Iwata said the "Living Party" mode involved "unique game play only available with the Wii Remote," it was referring to the Wiimote's ability to generate sounds. These three minigames all involve sounds coming from the Wiimote. "Wan Wan Card Game" plays animal sounds, and asks players to identify which on-screen animal makes the sound. Remote Control Hide and Seek has one player hide the Wiimote, and other players find it by listening to the sounds it emits. "Sensitive Bomb" tasks players with passing the Wiimote around. If it is jostled too much, it explodes! Or, at least, probably plays an "explosion" sound effect. According to Nintendo's release calendar, Wii Party will be out in Japan on July 8. That means it's definitely complete enough for Nintendo of America to show it at E3. [Via Siliconera]
The Anvil of Crom: Delving into PvP minis
There's a lot to like about Funcom's Age of Conan MMORPG, whether you're into the lush visuals, the lore, or the laid back progression. If you're anything like me, with combat and competitive sensibilities that lean toward the carebear side of the fence, you'll also likely appreciate the game's approach to PvP. For starters you have two major options: the free-for-all PvP servers or the PvE-focused realms that give you a bit more control over the ganking experience. On the former, you've got your standard kill-everything-that-moves mentality, which, while fun in spurts, ultimately gets in the way of Age of Conan's top-notch PvE experience. On the latter, you can kill or be killed on your own terms, either in the Border Kingdom zones or in the game's mini-PvP scenarios. Hit the jump for some minigame impressions.
Pokepark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure opening in Europe this July
The latest Pokemon spinoff game, Poképark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure, is being localized for Europe, according to a press release from Nintendo. As you might have surmised from the title, the game stars Pikachu and takes place in a Pokémon theme park. As Pikachu attempts to collect the shards of the "Sky Prism" that protects the park, he and new Pokémon friends take part in the park's various attractions. Yes, Pikachu's idea of "helping" is to have fun on all the park's rides. Pikachu is kind of a hedonist. The attractions include Poke-themed activities like Rhyperior's Bumper Burn, Bulbasaur's Daring Dash, Salamence's Air Ace, Venusaur's Vine Swing, and Gyarados' Aqua Dash. Poképark Wii will be released in Europe on July 9. We don't want to ruin the surprise, but if we had to guess, we'd say this game will be announced in North America at some kind of large industry event being held soon.
Majesco's Babysitting Mama includes your very own baby
The "WiiWaa" doll introduced us to the concept of cramming a Wiimote into a doll's mouth and using that to interact with a game. Majesco is bringing that same idea to a much more mainstream game: the previously trademarked Babysitting Mama. Using a plush baby into which you have tucked a Wiimote -- and also using the Nunchuk that is somehow hanging out of this plush baby or something -- you play 40 minigames in the usual Cooking Mama style; representing tasks like feeding and changing a baby, or rocking it to sleep. The game will feature six different virtual babies with unique personalities, though you'll be using the same proxy doll to manipulate all the e-babies. Babysitting Mama is due out this holiday. Unfortunately, Majesco has yet to release an image of the doll, so we can't yet gauge how creeped out we're going to be by this game. %Gallery-93595%
Interview: Wideload Games' Patrick Curry talks Disney Guilty Party, life after 'Stubbs'
Some of the most fun to be had during multiplayer video games isn't actually in the game itself -- it's outside of the games, where players chat with each other for fun, break down a strategy during co-op, or trash talk in-between deathmatches. You don't usually get XP for taunting over voicechat or telling your team where the enemy is, but there's a reward nevertheless, a social bonus completely independent of the code that developers write. Wideload Games has done a great job of focusing on that gameplay in Disney Guilty Party. I got to play the same co-op Party Mode as Randy at a pre-E3 event this week, and while it's definitely a family game, it competently serves up custom-made mysteries for families to take on. In hunting down and accusing various colorful suspects, that out-of-game conversation and interaction becomes just as important and fun as the in-game button pressing and Wiimote waggling. Game Director Patrick Curry was my partner-in-crime-solving, and since we have common roots in Chicago (I used to work in the same building, one floor below Wideload's studios), we had a quick chat about the studio's direction towards family games, and its acquisition by Disney Interactive.
TUAW's Daily App: Crazy Test
Some of the best apps are born from the wackiest ideas, and while Crazy Test probably isn't one of the best apps on the App Store, it is a wacky idea. Tactile Entertainment has been working on their Pocket Creatures title, but while goofing off (I suppose), they've put together this WarioWare-inspired bit of silliness. Basically, Crazy Test consists of a series of absurd mini games; some of them have you swiping the touchscreen in various ways, some of them have you tapping in certain places, and some even have you shaking the iPhone or iPod touch. Each "test" gives you a goal and then only a quick few seconds to figure out how to do it correctly. The only caveat I'd put on this one is that Crazy Test really is crazy, so come with a sense of humor. The app has quite a bit of silly, nonsensical violence and various bathroom-related jokes. There's nothing you couldn't see on TV these days, but if you're easily offended by childish jokes, steer clear (Tactile's Denmark-based European sensibilities probably play a factor as well). Otherwise, Crazy Test is an amusing time. While it seems like there might not be too much variety at first, the mini games eventually start showing off new wrinkles the more you play with them. It's not for everybody, but if you enjoy a little absurdity with your iPhone gaming, you'll find it's well worth the buck.
'Wii Party' revealed by Iwata (think: Mario Party with Miis)
Screenshot party in the gallery!During his financial results briefing to investors, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed the next game in the company's flagship "Wii" series: Wii Party. The game, Iwata said, is designed to be a "marquee party game for Wii" -- akin to Mario Party minus some of the frills, like the board-game framing or the Waluigi. You could also think of it like any of the dozens of minigame collections already available for the Wii, but with the potential to be good. Wii Party joins Wii Sports and sequel Resort, Wii Play, the Wii Fits, and (cough) Wii Music in the Wii-branded game series. The party game stars player-created Miis (instead of Mario characters) and includes a "Living Party" mode that uses just the Wiimote. 1–4-player games shown in screenshots include sugoroku (the Japanese board game that's also the basis for WiiWare's Family Pirate Party), "International Vacation Game," "Mii Jyan," roulette, and bingo; and 1–2-player games, filed in the "Pair Party" category, include Mii compatibility check, "Balance Ship" and Mii Match. "Nintendo has not launched a marquee party game since Mario Party 8, launched in summer 2007," Iwata told investors (through translation). "However, since Wii is usually being played by several people at once and the global sales of Mario Party have reached 7.6 million units, a party title has great potential. This is one of the titles which, we hope, will play an important role for this fiscal year." In other words, Wii Party will be released, at least in Japan, before the end of March 2011. The best thing about Wii Party? It'll allow Nyko to bring back the canceled Party Station as a game-specific accessory. %Gallery-92519% [Via Kotaku]
The Behemoth serves new Castle Crashers PS3 screens and video
The Behemoth has sent out an update about the status of the PS3 version of Castle Crashers. No, there's no release date yet. But at least the game is still in development! That's good news. "We have now sent the title off to a 3rd party vendor for final testing before we begin the submission process with Sony," The Behemoth's Kelly Revak reports. Two new Trophies have been added to the as-yet theoretical PSN game, in addition to those being ported over from the XBLA game's Achievements. "Social Networker" is earned for an "impressive" number of volleys in the new volleyball game, and "You are insane" is awarded to those who complete the game on Insane difficulty. See how that works? While you (continue to) to wait for the game, enjoy some footage of a volleyball match after the break, and some volleyball screenshots in the gallery. %Gallery-92301%
