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More than one level in Red Steel after all
We were pleased to learn that Red Steel is actually a full length game (shocking!) and not just the same level we've seen dozens of times, with dozens of guys bouncing around a set and waving the Wiimote. Can't they find a woman for one of these? Where are your Frag Dolls now, Ubisoft? Or please, get the intense guy again. He was our favorite. And while this new video is quite the sizzler, we're insulted by the fact that the actor left perfectly good sushi just sitting there in favor of picking the game back up. Find the pause button, son. It's all about priorities.Keep going to check out the video.
Japanese launch list unveiled
Nintendo of Japan's website offers a list of those purported sixteen launch titles...and they're not all necessarily what you would have expected. Take a look! The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Wii Sports (including boxing and bowling to round out tennis, golf, and baseball) WarioWare Wii Play Red Steel SD Gundam Revolution Tamagotchi Ennichi no Tastsujin (a drum game, along the lines of Taiko Drum Master) Trauma Center: Second Opinion Elebits Necro-nesia Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz Super Swing Golf Pangya Wing Island (demoed at E3 2006, the "plane game") Kororinpa (a Marble Madness-type game of some sort) Machariku Domino (a domino game) Interesting! It's good to see a rhythm/music game so early, and we'll post details on some of the more mysterious entries as we receive information.
Wii: last minute rumors [update 1]
It's almost time, fanboys and girls, for the big announcement that is almost certain to bring us the launch details on the Wii. What does that mean for Wii Fanboy?Rumor roundup time! Yee-haw!After the jump, we not only bring you a rumor compendium, but we also offer the official (!) Wii Fanboy predictions on launch and release date.
Ridiculously long Red Steel video
Eight minutes with Red Steel ... sounds like a party game involving a closet. It's the same footage we've seen of the first level, but instead of seeing it in a trailer, we get to see IGN's Fran Mirabella play through the level ... and even die! [Thanks to Velvet Kennedy who originally sent this in.]
Red Steel: better things to come
Yesterday, we told you about a nasty, nasty rumor concerning the graphics of the Wii games we've seen so far. Could it be true that the "real" versions of some of the most anticipated games were being withheld so that the Wii, when revealed in full at last, could make a bigger splash than even we could hope for?Seems silly ... but according to an IGN blog, that could be the case. After they posted videos of Red Steel from Leipzig, Ubisoft apparently contacted IGN to let them know that the footage still didn't reflect the latest build of the game. What we saw at E3 was version 1.0. Let's call LGC v1.5, then, with the amorphous v2.0 still unseen. Why haven't we seen it?If this is true -- and according to the same post, other tweaks are being considered for Activision's Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam as well -- then this begs the question of what, exactly, is going on with the Wii? Here, in the tag end of August, with Nintendo's Fusion Tour just around the corner, and the event on the 14th, as well as the release date coming in November at the latest ... isn't it time to let us know what the real deal is?[Thanks, vidGuy!]
All your (German) questions answered
A reader dropped us an interesting tip today -- German online gaming hub Nintendo-LAN.de took reader questions to Leipzig as part of a feature. Google mangles the translation ('hi' becomes 'rear ones' -- how's that for a neat trick?), but as James tipped us off, one of the questioners posted a partial translation to the IGN boards. It's not all hot news, as it seems the questions were e-mailed to the online mag rather before the Games Convention (as one fan asks about using the GCN controller for Twilight Princess), but some of it is interesting. Red Steel is reported to have no load times and movements with the Wiimote are no longer predetermined, but are converted directly from player input. Sounds like we better brush up on our swordplay. What else is there? Well, Nintendo's not confirming a Mario Kart for the Wii yet, but if there is one (wink, wink), it's very likely going to feature full online play. [Thanks, James B.!]
More Red Steel media goodness
Following the recent impressive-yet-slightly-silly trailer for Red Steel, IGN has obtained a large quantity of artwork for the game. While the character models and environments have been criticized for being bland and graphically unimpressive, the art style of the game is undeniably beautiful. Well, I guess you could deny it. If you do so, however, please click here.Please do your best to ignore the ugly watermark.
Smokin' hot new Red Steel trailer
Fresh from Leipzig, this new Red Steel trailer makes us wanna grab a shotty and get our vengeance on. Still, we are a little disappointed ... this new ad follows the same format of this older Red Steel trailer. We get it already -- it's immersive. And there's a guy on a roof with a sword. But all grumbling aside, we're ready to get into the game. Just watch that aquarium.
A closer look at Red Steel
So how did a game like Red Steel come about? IGN has the answers, in a new in-depth feature that covers the artistic side of the development process. There's some discussion as well of the power of the console, and the artistic director, Stephane Bachelet, reports that while the graphical capabilities of the Wii were somewhat limiting, it spurred them to create a slick 'game noir' style that is heavy with shadows and framed in bright neon lights. Artistically, Bachelet says, they were shooting for something that would communicate the culture shock of a Western man thrust into a foreign environment, and how that shaped the atmosphere and setting. Look for a lot of traditional Japanese symbols not from a Japanese perspective, but from a Western perspective. Sounds a lot like what we've come to expect from Hollywood -- which is perfect for an action game so obviously inspired by action films.
Red Steel info from down under
Thanks to a truly dedicated poster over at the Nintendo forums, we get some new information from Australian game magazine Hyper on how Red Steel is progressing as it nears Wii launch time. Most notable of the facts revealed were how things have changed since a so-so E3 debut.The Wii controls are changing a lot especially since the E3 version ... The system needs a little time to recognize your move (This I'm worried about...) but at the end this is your move that is performed on screen. Besides, today on the current version, we have some movement being mapped and some not. Some will stay mapped at the end so that with an accessible move you can unleash and impressive action you would never be able to perform in real life.Also, the representative admits that the Red Steel team is pushing an improved Unreal engine to "its limits."Red Steel is running on the improved version Unreal engine for the Wii system. A large portion of our team has already worked with the Unreal engine. They are already well aware of its strengths and weaknesses. We have pushed the engine to its limits to offer a rich, colored and different setting to the player.Check out the full interview after the break.
Wii to launch in November, according to transitive property
Much like the recent Activision release schedule that featured three probable Wii launch titles, Ubisoft UK has confirmed a general release month for its high profile, day one shooter Red Steel. A press email sent out today clearly states: "Red Steel is set for release on the Nintendo Wii in November 2006."So, following the logic: if a = b and b = c, then a = c, Wii will launch in November. There. We solved it! And whadaya know, that crabby ninth grade algebra teacher was actually right, math is applicable in the 'real world' -- even for video game blogging. Imagine that.
Ubisoft finds speaker on Wiimote
So, uh, how 'bout that speaker in the Wiimote? According to an interview exclusive to Nintendo Europe, the Red Steel development team didn't even know it existed until E3. Of course, the speaker itself was a late addition to the ever-evolving Wiimote, so if pressed, we can forgive Ubisoft. But they'd better send cookies.Word from producer Marie-Sol Beaudry is that Ubisoft is working double time to make good use of the speaker for both the single and multiplayer modes in Red Steel. And that's great, because we're certainly all for sound effects. But how about those gameplay issues, eh? Where's the news on getting those fixed pre-launch?
Red Steel split-screen multiplayer: "the fight will not be only on screen"
An intriguing Red Steel multiplayer detail recently surfaced during GamePro's interview with Ubisoft creative director Nicolas Eypert. When asked about the game's multiplayer, Eypert had this to say:"[You'll] have up to four players. If they play together in split screens we can only say that the fight will not be only on screen."While the 4-player figure is underwhelming by today's standards, we're certainly curious about the off-screen activity Eypert has hinted at. Cross-room shootouts? Mock swordfights? Could be groundbreaking ... could be awful -- it will most certainly be embarrassing.Can Ubisoft resuscitate the current state of 'couch' co-op?
Red Steel Promo Trailer
A promotional trailer for launch game Red Steel has recently surfaced, with absolutely no gameplay footage or revealing details shown. So why do we post it?Because it's really, really slick.[via GoNintendo]
Ubisoft confirms Red Steel redesign in the works
Despite confusion over Game Informer's latest Red Steel impression, Ubisoft has revealed that a redesign of the game's mechanics is in development. The E3 build of the game was harshly criticized for its poor swordplay controls, and Ubisoft Paris has appeared to take notice of those complaints.According to French press sources, the development team is hard at work refining a number of Red Steel's elements, specifically the sword-fighting, which Ubisoft admitted was difficult to program. Thankfully, the team likely has several months before Nintendo comes calling for the final build, unless the title slips out of the Wii launch window -- in that case, Ubisoft would have all the time in the world...
The FPS conundrum
When the Wii controller was first revealed to the world, it seemed as though it would be the end-all-be-all for first-person shooter controls. Many even claimed it would be superior to the industry standard mouse and keyboard (causing many PC gamers to violently explode). After countless debates in message boards and chatrooms between legions of fanboy armies, E3 2006 rolled around. Surely, this would put our doubts and fears to rest. The show was all about the Wii: hardware, software, and six hour lines. Perhaps the greatest desire of all, however, was to finally feel how wonderfully games like Red Steel and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption handled.
Red Steel improved, reports Game Informer [update 2]
According to the July issue of Game Informer, the latest build of Ubisoft's Red Steel seems to feature markedly improved controls over the much-maligned version that was playable at E3. GI reports:"Not only did the remote replicate our actual sword-slashes, but the recently unveiled motion sensor in the Nunchuck could be thrust forward for parry attacks ... [It] felt just like the mock-saber duels nearly everyone had as kids."[Update 1: It turns out the GI impressions are, shockingly, from the E3 build. Were these guys playing the same game we were? 'Cause the Red Steel we tested was broke.][Update 2: Ubisoft apparently told "the French press" they would be tweaking the gameplay based on the E3 showing, specifically the much-maligned swordplay.]
Partial Wii launch lineup revealed
According to numerous reports, Nintendo Power has confirmed six Wii launch titles: Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors (Square Enix) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo) Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Nintendo) Rayman Raving Rabbits (Ubisoft) Red Steel (Ubisoft) Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Sega) While this list will surely double -- or even triple -- in size as we draw closer to the console's launch, one game that will likely slip out of the launch window is Super Mario Galaxy. Link and Samus will just have to hold it down until the plumber returns in 2007.
Footage of every Wii game at E3
Gameworld Network (which is either a network of gameworlds or a gameworld of networks) has posted an epic collection of streaming E3 videos which clearly depicts each and every playable Wii game and how exactly one has to swing, wave, shake, point, wiggle and/or jostle the Wiimote in order to play. Feel free to grab a nearby TV remote and mimic the action. Sure, you'll get absolutely no response, but in the case of Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, that's a pretty good approximation.[Via Infendo]
Ubisoft on Wii: A good place to put our money
The good folks at Infendo have posted an interview with Ubisoft president, Laurent Detoc, taken from the June 2006 issue of Fast Money. In it, Mr. Detoc justifies Ubisoft's decision to give Nintendo a Wii exclusive in the form of first-person shoot 'n slash, Red Steel. Detoc points out that this year, "we'll be the only publisher besides Nintendo that'll have an exclusive title--Red Steel, a first-person shooter game--released for the new Wii console when it debuts [in November]. People think this is crazy. Nobody is paying attention to Nintendo. Everyone has been obsessed with the Xbox 360 and Sony's [upcoming] PlayStation 3."He praises the system's unique controller and its ability to create new ways of playing games, and indicates that being first out of the gate will give them a major advantage. "It seemed like a good place to put our money. For my competition, it's too late to have a game out for the Wii by Christmas. They can't do it. But we did it. We will be there. Maybe Wii will fail, and I'll look like an idiot. But if it succeeds, then we will have a new brand on our hands that could be worth up to $100 million"We think that Mr. Detoc might be making a mistake by directly connecting the success of Red Steel to the success of the Wii. After all, the game's E3 showing, for lack of a better expression, just didn't cut mustard. Pass the Metroid Prime 3, please.[Note: According to Infendo, all instances of "Revolution" have been changed to "Wii". What a relief.]
