Shmup
Latest
Kohler: GeoWars is better on the Wii, should've been Wii Ware
Chris Kohler over at Wired took time to check out the Wii game Geometry Wars: Galaxies while at PAX07 and came away with the opinion that it was better than that of its original Xbox Live Arcade game. Even though we're huge Nintendo fans, we can't say we actually believe him, because the dual-analog control scheme of the original is just about perfect. Still, he sticks to his guns. Not only does he comment that the control setup of the Wii game is more intuitive, he also comments that there isn't any reason why the game couldn't have been a download on Wii Ware. We have to agree, because even though the game is almost guaranteed to be fun, we doubt it'll ever warrant a price tag of more than twenty dollars.
Blast Works developer seems to care about the game
We must admit that we're very impressed with Budcat Creations so far. We assumed that they were just some guys to whom Majesco farmed out the development of Blast Works (to replace the one guy responsible for the PC version), but an interview with Siliconera paints a different picture-- or assembles a different ship from discarded blocks, to use a more thematically appropriate metaphor.It seems that Budcat was the catalyst for the remake: they originally pitched the idea as an Xbox Live Arcade game, and then hooked up with Majesco for a PSP release, which became a Wii release instead. In addition, they approached Kenta Cho independently for his blessing before Majesco did so. It's very comforting to have a team of real fans of the game working on the remake. Despite its apparent budget status, there is the possibility of real thought going into it, rather than just hasty porting.
Hudson preps sequel to Star Soldier A - Q
Hudson, in the midst of its Caravan Tour through Japan's major cities, has been hosting a high-score tournament for its two-minute demo of Star Soldier R. Shoot-em-up fans should recognize the name, as the Virtual Console has played host to the series several times over. Japan Gaming Guide attended the event and grabbed some shaky-cam footage of the title in action, which you can view above.Much to our relief, Hudson hasn't implemented any motion-sensing mechanics, offering gamers the chance to play with either a Wii remote or a classic controller, many choosing the latter. Also, Star Soldier R eschews any arbitrary gimmicks, favoring a straightforward, blast-em-all-and-let-God-sort-em-out approach. We're just happy to hear about another release that could be compatible with Hori's arcade stick!
Nibris: 'nothing happens twice'
Cubed3, continuing with their exclusive Nibris coverage, interviewed the enigmatic Polish developer about their possibly-upcoming projects. Apparently, Raid over the River and Double Bloob both have publishers and vague release dates, but "not for all territories." Optimistic DS fans (presumably those in Europe) should look forward to Double Bloob in "Q4 2007" and Raid over the River (now possibly called Ride over the River or simply ROTR) in "Q1 2008".Some gameplay details about both games are revealed in the interview, including touchscreen integration for ROTR that, if real, sounds like fun: the game contains a slow motion mode in which you draw on enemies to target them for a special attack. They're considering bringing a version of ROTR to the Wii Ware download channel as well. Let's hope they release something, somewhere. The title quote may be referring to Nibris's non-plans for a Sadness sequel, but we'd like to see something happen once.
Check out some footage of Geometry Wars on the DS
Chris Hardin over at Nintendo Players managed to snag some video of Geometry Wars for the DS, taking two different videos of the game's promised interplanetary conflicts between geometric shapes. For those who've been foaming at the mouth for Bizarre Creations' casual title, there is no better endorsement than the embedded videos. So, head past the break and check them out.
Nibris does something, has proof
What's this? New video of a Nibris game? And it looks like somebody's really playing it? We're cautiously optimistic. Despite our skepticism, we can't deny the visual evidence of at least one level of their vertical shooter Raid Over the River. And we doubt that Nibris would stoop to faking gameplay for a demonstration. So that's two real-looking gameplay videos for this game.Nibris's other hypothetical DS game, Double Bloob, exists in a similar state of having some gameplay footage. The major update with Double Bloob is that it's no longer a total Pang clone, but also, alternately, a total Bust a Move/Puzzle Bobble clone. Which is apparently fine for casual games!
Geometry Wars Galaxies might be giant
When you decide to use what is arguably the most well-known song ("Particle Man") by what is inarguably the greatest band ever (They Might Be Giants) in your game's trailer, you've got to be hoping for a healthy dose of geek cred. A new promo for Geometry Wars Galaxies almost gets it right before failing tragically in one regard: They forget to use They Might Be Giants. It's sad, really. A great marriage of product and song, marred by an overly-Devo, accordion-free rendition of the tune. Sorry, advertisers: No John and John, no sale. This does make us wonder, though: Is Geometry Wars Galaxies secretly a metaphor for the Holy Trinity? [Via NWF]
What's Geometry Wars Galaxies like? It's not important
We're a little suspicious about the use of both They Might Be Giants' "Particle Man" and wacky costumed characters in this promotional video for Geometry Wars Galaxies. Rather than reinforcing the geometry theme of the game, it all seems to be aimed at distracting us from the actual game footage. The game itself looks fine, but all the silliness going on in the video is actually putting us off the whole thing. It's a shame: the trailer would have been better and cheaper without the "actors" or "costumes." If nothing else, it's a lot more memorable now. You won't be able to hear the name Geometry Wars without thinking of people in black Spandex bothering some teenagers. [Via NeoGAF]
Blast Works almost as cheap as the PC version
If Gamestop's listing is to be believed, Blast Works is scheduled for an October 10th release at a lovely $19.99. While that's still roughly infinity times more expensive than the original PC TUMIKI Fighters (which was cheap as free), it's quite cheap for a Wii game. Some people may have a problem with Majesco charging anything for even an updated version of freeware, but we'll admit it-- we were expecting Majesco to go for the $50 price tag with this one.A shooter creation system plus a load of awesome shovelware for $20? We think we can do that.
GeoWars producer chats up the game
Roger Carpenter, Sierra Entertainment producer, sat down with Modojo to discuss the Xbox Live port of Geometry Wars. They talk about all things, including the ability for DS owners to download a trial version of the game from the Wii (through the Wii game, natch), as well as the ability for the DS to download from another DS in the same manner. The remainder of the interview focuses more on adapting a bite-sized, $5 download into a much more fuller product, worthy of a higher price tag. Any of you looking forward to this on the DS? %Gallery-4777% [Thanks, Cody!]
Kenta Cho talks Blast Works
ABA Games' Kenta Cho, who has nothing to do with Majesco's Blast Works other than originally creating TUMIKI Fighters, is apparently more positive about the whole deal than previous reports made it sound. Speaking with Siliconera's Spencer Yip, he allowed himself to briefly stop being aloof, a little: "I'm glad that I was able to see my game working on the Wii. I hope it would be released also in Japan."He went on to say that he's interested in the new editor features, but worries about ruining the game's simplicity. And, to be clear, Cho is referring here to intuitiveness rather than low difficulty level-- as a shmup fan and creator, we assume he has a lifelong addiction to cripplingly difficult games.
E307: Joystiq goes hands-on with Geometry Wars
Those lucky Joystiq folk got their hands on the DS adaptation of the Xbox Live Arcade hit Geometry Wars during the recently-concluded E3. After running it through their rigorous gauntlet of tests, Joystiq came to the conclusion that the game was sloppy and hard to handle. More like hard to swallow for all of those looking forward to playing the game on the DS, we imagine. Even with the ability to guide your attack ship with the d-pad, or exclusive use of the stylus, the game is harder to play than on the Xbox 360, according to Joystiq. With 60 levels to play, we imagine even a little bit of time with the game won't help correct this error. Guess the game just needs analog sticks ... %Gallery-4777%
Joystiq impressions: Geometry Wars Galaxies
Despite what developers Kuju tell us, we don't think fans of previous Geometry Wars games will necessarily enjoy Galaxies for the Wii. Though it may have been more enjoyable with the classic controller, our playtime with the Wii remote and nunchuk proved needlessly hard to use. Movement is done with then nunchuk's joystick, and the direction of your fire is determined by where you point on screen and is shown via a thin red line shooting out of your ship. Given the sheer necessity to be accurate in more difficult phases, having to deal with Wii remote's imprecise pointing proves detrimental. Compensating for the control issues is your little drone buddy that will team up with you against the Shapes of Evil. By collecting geoms, the game's currency dropped by the bad guys, you can upgrade your drone. We couldn't get a descriptive answer as to what upgrades will be available, but a representative gave us the example of buying an upgrade that tells the drone to target a specific type of foe. %Gallery-4889%
Why not throw a bunch of freeware games in with Blast Works?
That's what Majesco and Budcat thought, anyway. They were already making a game based on a Kenta Cho freeware shooter, with no legal hoops to jump through. There's basically no reason for them not to throw a bunch more Cho games on there! It works out well for them, because it's bonus content, and it works out nicely for us, because we'll be able to play more great abstract shooters on our television, using our Wiimote!Siliconera played Blast Works at E3, and realized very quickly that they were just playing the original TUMIKI Fighters. The Budcat rep explained that it was an early build and that Blast Works would indeed be a new game. He also revealed that not only will TUMIKI Fighters be on the disc in its original form, but rRootage and possibly Gunroar and Torus Trooper will be bonus content as well.This means that you can go preview some Blast Works bonus content right now! It's like being at E3. Just like it. We recommend rRootage especially-- it's a parade of randomly-generated bosses.%Gallery-4821%
E307: Geometry Wars Galaxies gets new screens and very busy boxart
Geometry Wars Galaxies, besides being a baffling display of brightly-colored sparks, is also a pretty neat shooting game. It's somewhat easier to tell what's going on in screenshots than to be dropped right in the middle of gameplay like in the video. If, like us, you couldn't really figure it out, we recommend the screens. That boxart is just a swirly mess of sparks, though. It's like someone superimposed five Rez boxarts together. Galaxies has some exciting features in store, like co-op play and online leaderboards. We checked with Sierra to inquire about online co-op, and learned that, unfortunately, the online aspect was limited to leaderboards. But the bottom line is that this third-party Wii game uses the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for something, and that is very promising news. Owners of both the DS and Wii versions can connect the two and unlock mysterious bonus content. Connecting the games also allows access to the Elite Leaderboard for people who are really good at playing the same game on two systems! %Gallery-4795%
E307: Geometry Wars: Galaxies gets slightly online
The Xbox 360's best launch game, Geometry Wars, is heading to the much-less-HD screens of the DS, and we've got the first screens of Geometry Wars: Galaxies. It appears to have been adapted to a touch-screen-based method of control, but we're sure that's the first thing you thought of when you heard about, well, a DS game. More interestingly, the DS version of Geometry Wars has online leaderboards! And if you happen to end up with both the DS and Wii versions of the game, you can combine your high scores and compete on the Elite Leaderboards. An apt name for something that basically requires more money to use. Publisher Sierra Entertainment says that Galaxies contains the full version of the Xbox 360's Retro Evolved as well as a new single-player campaign. %Gallery-4777% [Via press release]
E307: Karous dodges bullets, makes it to Wii
We were tunneling out of our pile of press releases, and found something interesting: a game called Crow from O3 Entertainment with a release date of TBA. O3 Entertainment was the publisher of Chaos Field and the cancelled Radio Allergy, both of which are Milestone shooters. Milestone's followup, Karasu (often transliterated as Karous) has a title that means "Crow." Karasu was announced for the Wii in Japan.Putting it together, we can only arrive at one conclusion: REPLY HAZY TRY AGAIN. Wait, hold on. Stupid Magic 8-Ball. Oh, right-- O3 is localizing Karous for US release. That's better.
Geometry Wars video hurts
We think we've underestimated Xbox 360 gamers. Not that we didn't hold them in high regard, but we just assumed that they were all humans. We don't know how anyone can play Geometry Wars and see what's going on through all the sparks and particle effects. It must require a feat of concentration just to track your own ship on the screen. We could barely play Bangai-O on the Dreamcast, and this is like Bangai-O with everything made of sparks. Wii gamers are going to get extra complexity in Geometry Wars: Galaxies, since we'll have to track not only our ship but also the Wiimote-controlled aiming reticle. It's like training your brain! Also, oooooh pretty. [Via Joystiq]
Geometry Wars Galaxies confirms Wii particles possible
Remember when you paid $5 for this game on Xbox Live Arcade? Or maybe just $2.50? You ready to drop $40? Sure, you'll get the level structure and wireless downloading features -- and a sidekick drone! But isn't Galaxies better suited for Wii Ware? At least visually, Geometry Wars Galaxies appears to be a worthy sequel to the Xbox 360 money-maker. Apparently, Wii really does produce results that are "very close" to Xbox 360 ... an Xbox 360 XBLA game. We'll bring you our hands-on later in the week.
Conjecture Countdown: 4 days to go
Even with a diminished E3, there's no controlling the wave of rumors that hit the Internet every year before the show. Why fight it? From now until E3 hits, we'll be posting one piece of wild speculation every day. Some may be patently ridiculous, and others just might turn out to be true. Even some of the ridiculous ones might turn out to be true! Rest assured, everything will be totally made-up and unfounded. Except, of course, when we speak about all the ass Reggie is going to kick. That part? Totally true.Rumor: Hoping to get in on the non-game bonanza, a small Japanese developer will reveal their new brain training game. However, it'll just be a hasty reworking of the shooter they were working on, with a quiz at the end of every level asking you how many shots were fired.
