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Promotional Consideration: Real-life ninjas flippin' out
Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out. Our featured item for this Easter Sunday, the North American commercial for Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, already made the rounds earlier this week, but if, like us, you're a fan of stealth assassins, that's probably of little concern to you. Put on your cleanest black jumpsuit -- make sure to run a lint-roller on it first to pull off all that cat hair -- and sneak past the post break for the video. %Gallery-4937%
N+ developers rail against glut of bad XBLA games
Here at Joystiq, we think Metanet's sadistic platformer N+ is one of the best original games we've seen on Xbox Live Arcade for a while. So maybe it's not too surprising that the game's developers feel the same way. What is surprising is their willingness to diss the entire download service in public.Talking to Gamasutra, N+ creators Raigan Burns and Mare Sheppard railed against Xbox Live Arcade's bloated catalog of copycat games. "The real problem, I think, is that the same people who are deciding what retail games get greenlit are deciding what Live Arcade games get greenlit," Burns said. "Those decisions that are ruining Live Arcade... it's like, who greenlit Word Puzzle? Who greenlit that hoverboard game that's just shit?" It wasn't always like this, according to Burns. "When we started out ... there were 30 games on Live Arcade. If N was one of them, it would stand out. Now there's like a hundred games, and they're all shit. ... If I was a consumer, I could see not even looking at Live Arcade games anymore if I had downloaded 10 or 20 demos, because at a certain point, you're like, 'Whatever. Maybe there's a good game in here.'"The full interview contains more thoughts on the Xbox Live certification process, the effect of game demos on buzz, and the stupidity of charging for gamerpics and themes. A word of warning: Microsoft fanboys should take their heart medicine before clicking the read link.
The Legend of Kage 2 may surprise you
Chances are that if you've played The Legend of Kage for any significant amount of time, the last game you'd buy would be something called The Legend of Kage 2. But this gameplay video for the sequel shows that while they've kept the ninja-in-the-forest theme, Taito has all but tossed out the floaty tree-to-tree jumping and being killed by shurikens in favor of a much faster, much more sword-combat-based game. It's more Shinobi than Kage, and even more fighting-heavy than that.Why would Taito choose to deliberately reference a game that seems to be almost universally hated? They could have called their ninja action game anything they wanted. We hope that enough Japanese gamers see past the name to make Kage 2 a success.
Breakfast Topic: How do you distribute 5-man loot?
I've noticed something a bit unexpected and confusing over the last few months: apparently, the way my server generally deals with loot in 5-mans is strange. Rather than rely on the in-game roller, we pass on all loot, and let people call need on a piece. Then we all roll need or greed on the stuff. If there's an enchanter in group, they can disenchant the loot for the winner on a greed roll and hand over a shard. Lately, though, since Blizzard started allowing server transfers, it seems a lot of the new 70s have come in and told us that this method is a bit weird. Why don't we just use the in-game rolling system? Why should enchanters be expected to automatically be willing to shard gear for non-enchanters without compensation? These are questions that are really alien to most of our server community, but there they are. So, I thought I'd ask you, dear readers. How do you deal with 5-man loot on your servers or groups? Do you just use the built in roll system? Do you use Master loot? Do you pass and discuss? Is it generally expected that an Enchanter will gladly shard loot for everyone in the group, or is it expected that an Enchanter only need shard his own loot?
Legend of Kage 2 sneaks out into Japanese stores
Taito's surprisingly awesome-looking Legend of Kage 2 comes out tomorrow in Japan, and we remain hopeful for a localization announcement. We feel confident that it'll happen, too, since parent company Square Enix has decided to release its contemporary retro sequels, Arkanoid DS and Space Invaders Extreme. For now, we can enjoy these new screens from Dengeki and wonder which way we'll end up disappointed: news that it won't be localized, or the actual quality of Kage 2. We won't be disappointed with the number of kunoichi battles, at least -- it seems that female ninja just hate this guy.
Guildwatch drinks your milkshake
There will be drama, and when there is, Guildwatch is there to ridicule and call out all parties involved. Because WoW is serious business! I've abandoned my main tank! I've abandoned my boy! I am the Third Revelation!Whoops, got a little carried away there. Meanwhile, this week's look at guild drama, downed and recruiting from across the realms starts right after the jump. And be sure to send your tips to wowguildwatch@gmail.com -- this column flows directly from them like so much black, slick oil.
WRUP: a ninja's destiny edition
Looking over this week's releases, the only title that really piques our interest is Naruto: Ninja Destiny. JC got his hands on it at GDC and confirmed that we weren't crazy when we gushed about how beautiful the game is. We're not Naruto fans at all, but we are fans of fighting games.What are you all planning on picking up? New game? Playing through an older title? What will you be playing this weekend?%Gallery-15479%
Well Fed Buff: Savory Deviate Delight
Every Thursday, Well Fed Buff will be serving up the tastiest dishes to boost your HP and stats, just in time for your weekend gaming. Hands down, the best recipe in all of World of Warcraft is Savory Deviate Delight. I will hear no arguments or opinions on this. I decided to try making it for dinner. I don't know what happened. All of a sudden there was a loud "Yaaarrr!" And my friend turned into a pirate in a puff of smoke. It was absolutely incredible. Your results may vary. Savory Deviate Delight is always in demand. It can turn players into a Human pirate or a ninja for an hour. It doesn't really benefit the player in anyway, but who wouldn't want to be a pirate or a ninja. The Savory Deviate Delight Recipe randomly drops in the Barrens. The materials for the in-game version are Deviate Fish which can be caught in pools in the Barrens Oases and Mild Spices which can be purchased from cooking and trade vendors. Wowhead lists auction house buyout prices of 36 gold for the recipe and 63 silver for the individual consumables. The real-life version is somewhat more complicated than the in-game rendition. Read on for my Savory Deviate Delight recipe. Get it while it's hot!
N+ coming to Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday
We've known it was coming for about a month now ... now we know exactly when it's coming. Metanet Software announced via their blog this morning that the Xbox Live Arcade version of 2D Ninja platformer N+ will be available for 800 MS points at 9 a.m. GMT (1 a.m. Pacific) on Wednesday, Feb. 20.The Wednesday release will come with the obligatory Gamerpics and Dashboard themes which, unfortunately, will cost even more of your hard earned Microsoft points. Metanet also announced "one or two level packs coming in the future," although, really, if you manage to beat all 450 levels included in the main game, it's probably time to move on to another title. We're just saying ...[Thank Robber Tom]
VC Monday Madness: Ninja Gaiden III and Phantasy Star II
Well, the Virtual Console releases have hit our inbox and we're pleased to see two fan-favorites hitting the download circuit. With one of the most beloved RPG franchises depositing an installment, as well as the third title in the Ninja Gaiden releasing, we're sure going to enjoy giving these a play later on.This week's Virtual Console releases are: Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Phantasy Star II (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) As always, be sure to stop back later for our video wrap-up of this week's content.
N+ video is jaw-dropping
Atari knows how much we love N+, so they sent us some brand-new gameplay footage. We have played the game (though in a much earlier stage) and we still found ourselves arrested by the unexpected beauty of the footage. YouTube isn't the best medium to get the crispness of the video across, but the 60-frames-per-second animation is still there, as is the quick, precise movement of the ninja character. The music is also catchy and retro-techno-awesome.In addition to the new video, we've updated the gallery with 15 screenshots, each showing off a different level. The levels are crazily varied, showing the strength of the editor (and of Metanet's imaginations).See also: 2008's Biggest Blips: N+%Gallery-14818%
What's going down in Ninjatown
We're confident in our belief that Ninjatown is the only ninja game in history to feature cartoon hearts on its box. It's all due to the super-cute style created by Shawn Smith that the bizarre dichotomy between cute and cold-heartedly murderous can be maintained. For example: the game is a strategy game, which means war. The black-suited ninja is less than one second away from committing an act of violence on the boxart, and yet the ninjas' Smurf-Village-like dwellings overpower that and elicit an "awwww." We've got the first direct-feed screens of the game in our new gallery, and the same feeling applies: yes, these are people who primarily identify as ruthless assassins, but ... we want to huggle them.%Gallery-15839%[Via press release]
Virtually Overlooked: Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi
Welcome to our weekly feature, Virtually Overlooked, wherein we talk about games that aren't on the Virtual Console yet, but should be. Call it a retro-speculative.This game isn't particularly obscure, being a first-party Sega release in one of its major (at the time) franchises. But it doesn't matter, because this game is also the most awesome release in that franchise. Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi answers the question of what could possibly be cooler than a ninja stalking around a gritty urban landscape: that ninja's dog. Seriously, you'd have to be a pretty cool dog to keep up with Joe Musashi (or his son, depending on the region).This game violates an implicit Virtually Overlooked rule by having been released on the Virtual Console in Japan. This happened way back in December of 2006, so we actually feel more than justified in whining about its current unavailability outside of Japan on the Virtual Console. It would be incredibly easy to release it, since it's already been released on the Virtual Console, and Sega just refuses to get around to it.
What does a four-player game need? Five players, of course!
Not one, not five, but ... well, actually it is five. Five ninja; no more, no less for this trailer from upcoming game Ninja Reflex. And doesn't that strike you as odd? With a four-player game, it seems the odd-man-out isn't so much a friend of the four enjoying the game, but the group whipping boy, there only to serve drinks to thirsty players and watch them enjoy their Wii from afar, silent longing for a day when he too can experience the pleasure of motion-based gameplay. And, dude: what is up with the kid with the chopsticks? Seriously?%Gallery-11356%
2008's Biggest Blips: N+
Developer: Silverbirch StudiosPublisher: AtariRelease: April The physics-based platformer N was a unique PC release. While platform games are a staple of the medium, N distinguished itself with its sophisticated physics-engine, minimalist presentation, parkour-like movement and, especially, a level editor that allows fans to design levels with every feature of the official ones. The game has been updated and remade for release on the DS (and other systems). A bunch of new levels have been added, including contest-winning fan levels. The game features a dual-view in which the bottom screen zooms in on the player and the top screen shows the full level. New enemies and obstacles have been added. A DS-specific level editor has been created that allows for online level sharing just like in the PC version. The question, then, for original developer Metanet and console publisher Atari, is how to convey this in the game's title. N, being so short, brings minimal information about the content of the game. And even gamers familiar with the PC game wouldn't guess from the name N that so much had been added. Thus, it was important to come up with a name that clues gamers into both the inherent ninja-ness of the base game and the updated material in the console version. And, well, it was a long process.Rejected titles for the DS remake of the PC freeware physics-based puzzle-platformer, N: The Island of Secret Jumping Jump: The Jumpening Platformia: A Synaesthetic Vertical Experience Jumpster! The Jumping Ant in: Big Day Out The Player Dies From Falling Or Being Hit By Some Kinda Robot Quest for Gold Coins: The Tale of a Ninja A+ B+ You Probably Get That Particular Joke By Now Taco Hunt USA Get Killed By A Thing Large Levels, Small Guy: The Journey of a Lifetime Dr. Platformatic's Ninjadventure Desperation Gymnastics IMPERIUM-X 2088: HUMANITY'S LAST LEAP John Madden's Guitar Halo Platforming Training: Learn Precision Video Game Playing in Minutes a Day Ninja Legend: A Ninja's Legend Legendary Ninja: Birth of a Ninja Legend Gold Quest: Lost Coins of the Realm My Pet Ninja Run Run Run Run Jump Extreme Oreo Run: Savor the Action (Atari was exploring possible licenses) In the end, Atari decided that the best way to get the message of "N plus stuff" across was to give it the obvious name: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. But copyright prevented that, so they went with N+.%Gallery-14818% Bangai-O Spirits Back But can you farm?
NARUTO: Ninja Destiny gets beefed up for North America
Even though Japanese gamers know their way around a video game, it would seem that Tomy and D3 are doing all they can to make sure NARUTO: Ninja Destiny is better than its Japanese cousin when it arrives in North America. What they've done is smoothed out the framerate, increasing the tension of combat. Nobby Matsuo, the associate producer from Tomy , says "the gameplay experience markedly different is what you would be used to if you played the Japanese version in terms of the button responses, attacks and the speed of the combat. It's a lot more frantic, it's a lot faster." Hey, we're all for fast combat in a ninja-based game!Other improvements include an overhauled story mode, where the North American storyline is completely different from the Japanese version of the game. The single player campaign will take place between episodes 100 and 140.%Gallery-15479%
EGM visits Ninjatown
Shawnimals creator and Electronic Gaming Monthly alum Shawn Smith finally broke his silence on Ninjatown, sitting with EGM to talk about the game and share a couple screenshots. We knew to expect plenty of characters from the Shawnimals plush toy line when the Ninjatown trailer debuted, but, until now, we've been left in the dark on how the "action-strategy" title would play.According to Shawn, battles will be split into two phases, building and combat, the first of which allows you to drop in structures and create/upgrade the different ninjas at your disposal. While combat hasn't been finalized, it's expected to include a "puzzle element." We're not sure how that would work with the two screens shown so far, but it certainly sounds interesting!
Watch out for Ritual of Refreshment ninjas
I've heard about this multiple times since Ritual of Refreshment was first introduced in 2.3: Mages are a little combusted over casting this food creation spell in the battlegrounds. Their first complaint was the reagent cost-- even though casting buffs is free in BGs, the reagent cost is still there for mages, and so lots of them haven't bothered casting it at all (I ran an AB to research this story-- tough work, but someone's got to do it-- and though we had two mages, I didn't see a table at all).But now, the other problem arising is actually ninja looters-- people are joining the battlegrounds, grabbing all the food from the table, and then afk-ing out. It seems crazy to me, but it's happening, and Neth says (as per Blizzard's rules) that stealing items from other players in this way isn't actually a violation of game policies. But it is dumb. Never mind why you would need all that food, but it seems like the issue would be easy enough to fix-- either make food conjured in BGs stay in BGs, or just make the food unique to 100 (apparently people are sometimes stealing all 50 stacks right off the table). Of course, that doesn't fix the other RoR problems-- a few mages are also wondering why they get to lay a great spread, while only getting crumbs and water themselves, but that's a problem for another day. Have you had your Manna biscuits ganked in the BGs?
Guildwatch: Too much holiday cheer
Well, our Christmas wishes haven't come true so far-- the drama we've seen in 2008 has so far been pretty undramatic. But hey, there's still 364 days left, and that leaves a lot of time for ninjas, guildleader meltdowns, and drama bombs, so we'll be patient and see what comes.And if you see it before we do, be sure to tip off GW about it-- send an email with drama, downed, or recruiting news to wowguildwatch@gmail.com. The very first GW of 2008 starts right after the jump.
Ninja Reflex boxart screams, 'No ninja, no ninja, no'
What game will win the title of "Worst Ninja Boxart" this year? The battle is fierce, and only the most specially trained in the art of the bad box will prevail. In one corner is the stealthy Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for the DS. So stealthy, in fact, that it remained hidden during its November release date. The challenger is Ninja Reflex, a game involving the most sacred of ninjitsu techniques: partying. What box will reign supreme in the sacred art of fail? And will there be any newcomers brave enough to enter such a grueling competition? Patience, young student, will reveal the answers to these questions.[Via GoNintendo]
