Next Level Games
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Nintendo is buying the developer of Luigi's Mansion 3
Nintendo has agreed to buy Next Level Games, the developer of the Luigi’s Mansion series.
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon dev now Nintendo-only studio
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and Super Mario Strikers developer Next Level Games is now making games for Nintendo exclusively, co-founder Jason Carr revealed during an interview with Gamasutra. Next Level previously helmed a 2009 Wii remake of Nintendo's classic NES boxing game Punch-Out!!, following up with the multiplatform Captain America: Super Soldier in 2011 before releasing Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon last year. Dark Moon went on to sell more than three million units worldwide, emerging as one of the biggest-selling 3DS releases to date. Dark Moon producer Ken Yeeloy cites studio stability and a good working relationship with Nintendo as the driving factors behind the company's decision to develop games for Nintendo exclusively. "When we work with [Nintendo], it is strictly about the game, throughout the entire process," Yeeloy told Gamasutra. "The focus is driven by the quality of the game, and what is cool, and what feels good -- not how much money it's going to cost or how long is it going to take."
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon review: Ghouls' Gold
Ghost busting is a lucrative job. I don't know how much money Luigi makes as a plumber, but it can't be as much as he gets for vacuuming up ghosts. The spectres of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon are positively stuffed with coins, cash and gold bars. (And so is the furniture – the mansion's owners won't notice if you pilfer an ingot or two, right?) Granted, it's terrifying work, but it's got to be better than playing second fiddle to the world-renowned Mario every day of your life.As with most jobs, however, the problem isn't really the money. It's the grind. How many houses can you de-spook before supernatural elimination loses its luster? The answer, I've discovered, is right around five.%Gallery-177411%
The multiplayer Scarescraper of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
It was rather disappointing when Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon was delayed out of last year into the increasingly crowded early 2013 timeframe, but if there's any company that wants its headline products to be top-notch, it's Nintendo. (After all, it was Miyamoto who uttered the now-famous "A delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is forever bad" quote.) Plus, every time I've had a chance with some hands-on with the game, I've come away more and more impressed with how much it builds on the concepts of the original GameCube game. Now there's a brand-new multiplayer element in the mix, and it's not what you might expect.The multiplayer mode is separate from the single-player campaign, and supports up to four players either locally or online. (Players without the game can also join in with limited-function download play.) Rather than retreading the Luigi's Mansion inspired minigame in Nintendo Land, the Dark Moon multiplayer mode has more in common with a roguelike than the simple hide-and-seek of Nintendo Land's adaptation.%Gallery-177167%
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier screens reconnoitered
The futuristic apparitions of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier can indeed be photographed. Ubi shared a fresh batch of assets this morning, and we'll have a full preview of the game for you later this week.
Captain America injected with savings serum, $30 on Amazon
Captain America: Super Soldier, which isn't too bad as it turns out, has seen its price significantly reduced on Amazon. The Xbox 360 and PS3 version can be had for $30, and the Wii version for $25. Try not to get too immersed -- if you throw the disc at something, it won't come back.
Luigi's Mansion 2 preview: Creepy, crawly
Attendees of Nintendo's E3 2011 press conference seemed surprised by the announcement of Luigi's Mansion 2, though probably not as surprised as they were by the fact that they actually missed the heck out of the original. It's not that the game's loveable, suction-powered Gamecube predecessor was particularly forgettable, it's just that we've seen quite a few years (and a number of entries in Nintendo's other first-party franchises) since the franchise's inception. Playing the new 3DS title stirred up even more nostalgia than the announcement trailer elicited. It's hard not to sympathize with Luigi, who shivers and creeps his way through countless palatial estates in search of mischievous phantasms. It's also hard to ignore the fact that Luigi's characteristically slow ghost hunt seems to have gotten even slower over the years. %Gallery-125668%
Captain America: Super Soldier taking aim at July release date
With the Captain America film hitting theaters on July 22, it makes a lot of sense that the game will arrive around the same time -- July 19, actually, as revealed this morning by Sega. Alongside the new release date, Sega handed over several new screens of the Captain in action on Xbox 360/PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, and Wii. There's also the totally sweet shot of Cap hanging out in an airplane -- straight chillin' -- as seen above. You just know that any second he's gonna totally flip out. Aaaaany second now ...%Gallery-119407%
Captain America: Super Soldier preview: Hydra Asylum
Iron Man and Iron Man 2 haven't inspired much confidence in Sega's ability to make good Marvel games; however, its approach to Captain America: Super Soldier might just have a fighting chance. Why? It takes heavy inspiration from the comic game to beat: Batman Arkham Asylum. While the early, pre-Alpha preview we saw at New York Comic Con felt derivative, there are far worse games to aspire to. The comparisons between Super Soldier and Rocksteady's brawler will be immediately evident during combat. Like Batman, Captain America isn't a particularly fast fighter. Instead of relying on fast multi-hit combos, you'll perform heavy punches, and use enemies to your advantage. The Captain is quite adept at countering enemies, disarming them, and jumping over them. By timing your dodges correctly, you'll be able to string together various acrobatic moves around enemies, attacking them in context-sensitive ways. You can even throw the Shield, much like Batman would his Batarang. It looks almost entirely like the "FreeFlow" system implemented in Arkham Asylum. Combat isn't the only more-than-familiar facet of the game. Captain America has access to his very own version of "Detective Mode." Tactical Vision will paint the scene in a blue filter and will highlight important interactive objects throughout the environment. The psuedo cel-shaded look coupled with the color palette make no effort to hide its inspiration -- although developer Next Level Games assures us the current visual implementation is simply placeholder. %Gallery-104314%
Punch-Out!! exclusive to one retailer in Australia, Excitebots excluded entirely
Demand for upcoming first-party Wii games doesn't seem to be high in Australia -- and if it is, it just means a lot of people are about to be disappointed. Nintendo Australia managing director Rose Lappin told Kotaku AU that Aussie gamers can expect Punch-Out!! in stores late August, but only if those stores are JB Hi-Fi locations."To be honest we didn't have a lot of requests for the game," Lappin said. "There's a few people ... there's a lot of noise but not a lot of sales, that sort of thing." JB Hi-Fi, Lappin suggested, was the only retailer that showed significant interest.But at least Punch-Out!! is getting some kind of release. Not so for Excitebots, which won't come out in Australia at all. Lappin told Kotaku AU that there just wasn't enough demand for the game from retailers or consumers.
Super heroes duke it out in Punch-Out!!
It's tough being a super hero. If you're Dr. Doom and you're feeling down, you can just blow something up. If you're The Thing, well, all you can really do is look in a mirror and cry to yourself.That was before Punch-Out!!, though, with a new ad (courtesy of Gamervision) popping up in comics showing two beefy brawlers finding a proper outlet for their stress. Oh, we really wouldn't suggest playing with the Wiimote and Nunchuk, super guys. The game is way better with the classic controls.%Gallery-33381%[Via Kotaku]
Metareview - Punch-Out!! (Wii)
It may not be a TKO, but Punch-Out!! on the Wii is certainly a knock-out. We've already entered the ring of public opinion with our review, but let's find out what the others in the peanut gallery have to say about it. It appears that -- much like Little Mac -- the series has aged gracefully and found a nice fit on the Wii. Gamespy (90/100): "Punch-Out!! is destined to become one of this generation's top classics, right up there with Super Mario Galaxy. It's one heckuva peace offering for Nintendo's jilted lifers, an elaborate brainteaser for everyone who picks it up, and absolutely the best Punch-Out!! to date. If you're still fishing for a reason to own a Wii, this is it." Game Informer (90/100): "Despite these complaints, the single-player has always been the focus of Punch-Out, and Next Level delivers. What better way to show your buddy up than to totally annihilate the boxer that just KO'd him?" GamePro (90/100): "There's no denying it: Punch-Out!! is some of the most fun I've had on the Wii in quite some time. A spectacular trip down memory lane, Punch-Out!! manages to capture the old-school essence that made the 1987 original such a success, all the while integrating just enough new material to help it hold its own. While Punch-Out!! is by no means perfect, it's undoubtedly one of the finest arcade-inspired titles to grace store shelves in this "next gen" era, and is without a doubt worth any hardcore fight-fan's hard-earned cash." GameTrailers (85/100): "It's disappointing that the motion controls are more a novelty than an effective way to play, but the personality, nostalgic nods, hidden goodies, and battle-tested, edge-of-your-seat gameplay demonstrate that some things never go out of style." %Gallery-33783%
Joystiq Review: Punch-Out!! (Wii)
It's been over 10 years since the last game in the Punch-Out!! series -- Super Punch-Out!! on the SNES -- was released with a new visual style, a host of new boxers, and some new moves in Little Mac's repertoire. Nintendo has finally provided us with another installment in the series, now with motion-based controls, Balance Board support, and multiplayer. While it ultimately feels like the same game we've played before, it's hard to peg that as a bad thing.[Note: If you don't feel like battling a whole bunch of text, feel free to enjoy our video synopsis of Punch-Out!! by using your mouse bicep to punch-click this handy link.]%Gallery-33381%
Star punch $10 off Punch-Out's retail price at Amazon
You know what's better than reliving your childhood by picking up Nintendo's new Punch-Out!!? Doing it for $10 less than the suggested retail price, that's what. If you agree, you'll be happy to know that Amazon is currently offering the game for a mere $40. Looking at it purely from a punch-to-dollar ratio, that's a tremendous value. If you've yet to pre-order the game, head over to Amazon and lay your money down. Unless, of course, you're Bald Bull, in which case you'll probably just charge it.
Authentic pink sweatshirts for Nintendo World Store Punch-Out!! pugilists
If you're in the New York City area and happen to be a Punch-Out!! fan, but, for some reason, weren't planning to attend the launch event at the Nintendo World Store, perhaps some... swag would change your mind. An unspecified number of participants in the Punch-Out!! Challenge will receive some of these awesome pink sweatshirts, just like the one Little Mac wears while training! Except that they have Punch-Out!! logos on them, which would be really weird and meta on Little Mac. In fact, now that we think about it, if you just bought a pink sweatshirt elsewhere, it would be more authentic.It wouldn't, however, be nearly as rare: the sweatshirts won't be made available for sale, according to the Punch-Out!! Twitter account. They'll only be available at this event. Speaking of exclusive swag, you can get a free poster if you purchase the game at Target.%Gallery-33381%[Via GoNintendo]
See some new Punch-Out!! boxers if you want to
We don't know how sensitive you guys are about Punch-Out!! spoilers. The game doesn't really have a story that you don't already know (Little Mac punches guys out), but we've been wrong before about what you would consider spoilers, and GoNintendo was spoiler-conscious in its link to this French trailer, so we're going to be judicious.After the break, we've embedded the trailer, which contains new footage of the new Punch-Out!! Some guys appear in it that haven't appeared in videos for this game yet. They are from old Punch-Out!! games. You can look if you want to, or don't look if you'd prefer to be surprised by the identity of the boxers you meet.%Gallery-33381%[Via GoNintendo]
This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Punch-Out!! Developers
This week on the Nintendo Channel brings us the first developer's voice video for the upcoming Punch-Out!!. The folks at Next Level Games discuss not only the series' roots, but what they brought to the table in reviving this classic for a new audience of gamers. Oh, and we get to hear Doc Louis talk! Head past the break for this week's DS demos and video content.
New Punch-Out!! in Europe May 22, Super Punch-Out!! on Virtual Console tomorrow
Nintendo recently announced a May release in Europe for Next Level Games' updated Punch-Out!!, and now we are pleased to say we have a specific release date. PAL gamers will be knocking croissants out of Glass Joe as soon as May 22!However, if that isn't soon enough for you to start uppercutting giant stereotypes, the press release also announces that Super Punch-Out!! for the SNES will be released on the PAL Virtual Console tomorrow! This is the first Virtual Console release for the SNES sequel in the world, and we hope it signals a worldwide release as soon as possible.%Gallery-33381%
VC Friday: Tabletop Time
This week's PAL WiiWare update features two games that have already come out in North America, one of which has been out for pretty much forever -- fossil record indicates dinosaurs playing it, T-Rex buried in the midst of awkwardly trying to waggle with its useless forelegs. According to WiiWare World's review, Next Level Games' Jungle Speed actually seems to be a good time, and a much more energetic experience than might be expected from a card game.As for Family Table Tennis -- we still like the game, but we're a bit sad to say it's up to 800 points now. First, Nintendo says it's going to raise Wii prices, and now a moderate price hike on cheap WiiWare games? Lousy worldwide economic crisis ... Jungle Speed -- WiiWare -- 1,000 Wii Points Family Table Tennis -- WiiWare -- 800 Wii Points As usual, enjoy videos of both games after the break.
Punch-Out!! doesn't force motion control
Nintendo sent out just a bit of info about the upcoming Punch-Out!! that finally (partially) answers the biggest question we had about Next Level Games' delightful-looking refresh of the NES game: how do the controls work? Are we to use motions to simulate punching King Hippo in his gelatinous core, or will it hew more closely to the classic control scheme of the NES game?Both! Here's how the control schemes work, according to Nintendo's press site: "Punch-Out!! uses the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers to simulate throwing punches. Use the Nunchuk to throw a left punch and the Wii Remote to throw a right punch." And for people who care too much to throw their hands in the air, "Fans of the NES version and core gamers will be excited to see Nintendo has also included the option to play Punch-Out!! using the classic layout from the original NES controller. Use the 1 and 2 buttons along with the cross pad to throw hooks and jabs or to dodge." Unsurprisingly, it sounds like the whole game will be closely modeled on the NES Punch-Out!! The press site describes the ability to earn "Star Punches" that, when used, take more health away from the opposing boxer. And trainer Doc Louis is back! Get out your pink sweatsuit!%Gallery-33381%
