sequel
Latest
DS Daily: Down the line
Nintendo has absolutely dominated handheld gaming since ... well ... forever. They've been slow to upgrade technology (just look at how long the original 4-shade Game Boy lasted) due to this success, but eventually, it has to happen. But exactly how does one upgrade from the Nintendo DS? Backward compatibility has been a general mainstay for Nintendo in the handheld scene, but that would require the same dual-screened approach as before. Should they resurrect the revered Game Boy name, or stick with their new franchise title?Certainly, the next handheld from Nintendo is quite a ways off; Japanese people still need several more for conveniently playable doorstops. But how would you do it?
Touch Detective 2 on the way?
We can't decide if this is surprising or not, but from the new page at the Success site, it looks like Mackenzie will be back (with her funny-shaped pal) for another round of quirky mysteries. Considering the mixed reviews, we can't say we expected another Touch Detective game immediately, but hey! What fun would it be if the industry didn't offer up a few surprises here and there, amirite?For now, we'll hope that they focus on the things they got right with the first installment -- like the humor, art style, and characters -- and work a little on the opaque mysteries that were, at times, somewhat like pounding one's face with a sledgehammer. [Via 4cr]
More LocoRoco games, confirms Sony
After spewing some mumbo jumbo, Sony's Phil Harrison moved on to a more finite announcement in his conversation with MTV. Harrison talked LocoRoco sequels: "We're going to bring LocoRoco back in a couple of new ways with some new friends in the future."A PSP sequel is the obvious direction to take, but don't rule out a downloadable PS3 game with motion controls. As for these new friends? That implies a cannibalization of the franchise. You know, enough characters to put together a 'kart racer' and 'zany sports' spin-offs -- with a LocoRoco 'puzzler' and 'mini-game collection' on deck. Hey, it works for the other guy...[Via PSP Fanboy]
Havok to power Fable 2 physics & animation
Havok announced today that Molyneux and company have licensed Havok Complete for Fable 2. 'Complete' rolls Havok Physics and Havok Animation into one integrated package.As Molyneux iterated, relying on Havok allows Lionhead developers to focus on the team's lofty aspirations, most-simply defined as dynamic regions, unconditional love, wealth accumulation, constrained combat, and an as of yet undisclosed uber-feature. As with the original Fable, at this stage it's hard to distinguish fantasy from reality (what gameplay elements will and won't make it into Fable 2's final release). But there is now at least one certainty: ragdolls.[Via 1UP]
Red Steel 2 semi-confirmed
Sorta kinda maybe. Everyone's favorite overly-hyped-shooter-with-glitchy-aiming-mechanisms-and-unintuitive-combat seems to be gearing up for another go. Ubisoft's Paris division has posted a big digital "Help Wanted" ad on the internet, whose transcript shall be withheld to save the reader from silly BabelFish translation errors. In any case, it asks for a game designer for the "continuation of the Red Steel franchise". There is no direct confirmation that the sequel will be on the Wii, but come on. It's pretty damn obvious.One must wonder if the world really wants this. If they can iron out the bugs, improve level design, and add more realistic melee combat, maybe they'll have a winner. If not, we'll always have Super Smash Bros. Brawl to fall back on, right?
New Revenant Wings details uncovered
The Japanese magazine Dengeki recently conducted an interview with some of the development team of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. Details on the game have been scarce at best, confirming only that the game features FFXII protagonist Vaan and his sky pirate-y adventures. That's all well and good, but many were concerned about the apparent "prequel" nature of the game. Worry not, stalwart fans! Revenant Wings will be a true sequel, taking place shortly after the events of Final Fantasy XII. In addition to Vaan, the dynamic duo of Fran and Balthier will also be returning, as well as a promised host of new characters. The game will take place on the floating landmass of Puruvama (if it's in the original game, we haven't reached it yet), and apparently, a large portion of locations from the PS2 title will be playable. The battle system has also undergone some changes: combat will feature stylus control and a simplified version of the Gambit system. Also, summoning will be completely overhauled and used in a rather unique way, say the developers. Both screens will be properly utilized, and finally, there are no current plans for Wi-Fi functionality. Though be it ever rare to see from us heaping praise upon a Playstation 2 game, Final Fantasy XII is a veritable masterpiece, and the sequel can't come soon enough.
Death, Jr. 2 producer starts a blog, reveals game details
Death, Jr. 2: Root of Evil producer James Stanley has recently created his own blog, which is hosted on IGN, and plans to start delivering regular updates on the game's progress.In his first post, Stanley admits the camera and lighting in the original title made the game too hard and has said he's on a mission to rectify the problems."One of the first responsibilities I had as the producer was to make sure the feedback from critics and fans was gathered from the message boards and reviews to help us identify the major issues that needed to be addressed in the sequel," he wrote. "One of the first responsibilities I had as the producer was to make sure the feedback from critics and fans was gathered from the message boards and reviews to help us identify the major issues that needed to be addressed in the sequel."Stanley also wrote about two other problems (not the evil llamas and chickens) he hopes to rectify and how he plans to do it. Check it out after the jump.
Hands-on with God of War II
IGN got an early hands-on preview of God of War II, and they're lovin' what Sony's Santa Monica studio has come up with so far.Without revealing too much of the sequel's plot, our hairless hero now sports some new magical attacks and context-sensitive finishing moves. Needless to say, prominent Greek mythological figures will also be showing up to keep Kratos company, and there will certainly be a lot of flashy slashing-first-ask-questions-later kind of action to fill the hours.For more spoilers on "an early section of the sequel," simply follow the image link above or Read link below, where you can find a few more details on the new power-up system and annoying enemy combatants (otherwise known as smarter fodder for your sharper blades). A practical explanation goes into the reasons for keeping things on the PS2 rather than the PS3, and hopefully less frustrating puzzles are revealed as well. More will likely be revealed at Sony's big E3 press conference today.See also: New God of War 2 director speaks God of War's Jaffe inspired by Britney vs. Christina God of War 2 GDC video leaked online
Preview of new Guitar Hero II co-op mode
In case you missed it on Friday, IGN posted a pre-E3 hands-on preview of Guitar Hero II's new co-op mode. It's a departure from the first game's multiplayer mode in that the two players have to depend on each other a lot more to pass each song and thereby make beautiful music together.While the old multiplayer option will still be around in the sequel, the new mode mixes distinct lead guitar and bass or rhythm parts where each player affects the other in various ways, whether by failing if either performance slips (as in DDR), sharing the same Rock Meter (with mistakes from either player resetting the score multiplier), and needing to both go vertical at the same time to activate the shared Star Power. Thankfully, different difficulty levels can be assigned to each player.The Joystiq team out in L.A. will probably find something to do until they get their sweaty paws on a guitar controller or two on the E3 show floor (maybe one of those wacky press conferences will help pass the time), but we're sure the wait to try the latest build of this rockin' series will be worth it. The seven songs available at E3 are listed below.[Thanks, murph]
Call of Duty 3 announced; leak confirmed [update 1]
Call of Duty 3's just been confirmed, and it looks like we were right on the money with our early leak of the WWII-related game.Back in early March, we printed the following information (and a whole lot more) on the focus of an upcoming sequel: "'CoD 3' ... is being produced by Big Red One dev Treyarch. ... The next Call of Duty World War II-based title will return gamers to the battlefields of Normandy as the Allies take on Nazi Germany to drive them out of France once and for all. This time around, American and British forces are joined by Canadian troops, Polish tanks, and French freedom fighters in a reenactment of the bloody Normandy Breakout campaign spearheaded during the summer of 1944. In the push to Paris, you'll get to choose how you approach each mission, free of menu screens and jarring non-interactive cut-scenes."Here's what IGN quoted from Activision for the announcement yesterday: "Through the eyes of four Allied soldiers, Call of Duty 3 brings players closer to the fury of combat as they fight through the Normandy Breakout, the harrowing offensive that liberated Paris and changed the fate of the world. Developed by Treyarch, Call of Duty 3 is the follow up to the #1 next-generation game and is scheduled for a 2006 release." Fingering the developer and the setting? Not too shabby -- while Joystiq pats itself on the back.Check out the IGN trailer below for a first-person look somewhat reminiscent of the FPS sequence in the Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer from TGS. At the end of the "official E3 teaser" trailer, a number of platforms are listed, with the major manufacturers (including a small "Nintendo Revolution" in text) and publisher/developer combo listed. We suspect that versions for the PC and possibly the current-gen consoles will be covered with ports as well. Now all we have to do is wait for the word on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. (Infinity Ward, we're looking at you!) More info obviously hitting at E3.[Thanks, icemorebutts, jason, & Hiro Protagonist][Update 1: Had to fix a verb. Thanks, Hiro Protagonist, John Q, & Jiiiiihad!]See also: Official E3 teaser trailer for Call of Duty 3 Next Call of Duty leaked: Modern Warfare tackles terrorists Rumor: Call of Duty joining the Revolution Kojima interacts in real-time with MGS4 trailer at TGS
