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Spelunker HD brings the fragile explorer to PSN November 23
We know of at least one weirdo who has been patiently waiting for the North American release of Spelunker HD -- because he's writing this post. Those of you who, like me, are looking forward to joining up with five friends and exploring ghost-filled caves as an adventurer who can't fall more than about five feet without dying, will be able to do so on November 23. That's when the long-awaited (again, by me) Spelunker HD arrives on PSN for $9.99. It features both new, updated HD graphics and a "retro mode" which displays the new game in authentic 8-bit style. Check out a trailer after the break -- a trailer that features surprisingly long stretches of death-free gameplay.
3D Dot Game Heroes looks delightfully familiar
If the frequent comparisons between From Software's upcoming blocky adventure title 3D Dot Game Heroes and The Legend of Zelda have been completely lost on you, then apparently you haven't seen the gameplay videos. The game does more than slyly reference the mainstays of Miyamoto's Triforce-hunting classic; it more or less recreates them. We're definitely not saying that's a bad thing -- we're just worried that Nintendo will eventually catch wise, and somehow prevent this charming little game from ever making it westward. Check after the jump for three gameplay clips; the first showing off the game's best Zelda impression; the second just how gargantuan the player's sword can become; and the third suggesting the perils of playing through the game as the vertigo-plagued hero from Spelunker. [Via GameSetWatch]
Spelunker HD explores PSN in America
The PSN remake of Spelunker is ready to explore the dark, cavernous recesses of your console when it makes its way to America, courtesy of Tozai. GamerBytes reports that the NES game has been updated with "new graphics, and a 6-player online cooperative mode." Spelunker HD can be played with both classic and updated graphics.If you're curious about Spelunker HD, you can read through the game's Trophy list. Unlike most PSN games, the game includes a Platinum Trophy. Depending on how Tozai prices the US release, this may be one of the cheapest Platinums ever. But, if playing video games isn't "your thing" and you're still curious, check out the many, many YouTube videos on the game. Also ... does this post seem familiar?
Trophies: Spelunkers
Like WipEout HD, this downloadable title is large enough to warrant its own Platinum Trophy. View Trophy List | Visit Trophy Portal
TGS 08 hands-on: Spelunker (PSN)
Click to make it bigger, okay? Spelunker is a remake of the NES classic from Irem. Does it look familiar to you? Do you remember the game from way back in the day, 20 years ago? If you do, it's probably because the aesthetics haven't changed much. Though boasting updated, modern graphics, the game's visuals retain a retro-stylized feel. The 2D characters are still there. The lifts and ladders are still in the places they would've been. Overall, it looks like an interesting title for those old-school gamers looking for a blast from the past. Of course, the question is: How does it play? First off, the controls are simple enough. It's a 2D game with a focus on platform jumping, with other actions including: riding down elevators; leaping over pits; climbing ladders; and dodging fire, steam, and toxic liquids. You can collect items such as bombs to demolish obstacles in your way, or keys in order to progress through locked sections of a stage. It all sounds very simple, familiar and arcadey -- in other words, a perfect fit for a PSN game. Right? Gallery: Spelunker
VC Friday: 250
People, say hello to the 250th title on the combined PAL Virtual Consoles: it's ... one of the below. Woohoo! Let's say Ys Book I and II, as that's the one this blogger is most looking forward to trying out. On a sadder note, this is the last week of the current Hanabi Festival; we shall remember it fondly! Mainly because of, you know. Ys Book I & II -- Turbografx-16 -- 800 Wii Points Spelunker -- NES -- 600 Wii Points Chase H.Q. -- Turbografx-16 -- 600 Wii Points DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's DokiDoki Adventure -- SNES -- 900 Wii Points Make the jump for videos of all four.
Top 5: Games for your Day Off
Gaming is a hobby, but sometimes it can feel like a job. As developers try to boost replayability, your gaming commitments can become anxiety-inducing. Just ask anyone who dared to attempt achieving 100% of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. At first, it's a fun and wonderful romp through a vivid world that's just oozing with life and character. By the end, you wish you'd never left Vice City. Did anyone here complete all of Super Smash Bros Brawl? I'm talking Classic Mode with every character, all of the Event matches, the target smashes, and every trophy and sticker available. At a certain point, some games can become an obligation rather than a means to entertainment. Today being Labor Day in the US, let's take a break from completing every mission, collecting every star, and unlocking all bonus content. Sometime between your 11 AM rise from bed and your evening consumption of copious amounts of hot dogs at your family barbeque, take some time to truly enjoy gaming. Here's our Top 5 recommendations. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.
Nintendo of Europe rubs it in with Hanabi Festival video
The strangest thing about this Hanabi Festival video, found on the Dutch Nintendo Channel, is seeing Nintendo promoting the Virtual Console at all. Nintendo of America grudgingly allows the bare minimum of content to be released to the (apparently) hated service, and would never dream of going so far as to have a special event like the Hanabi Festival or talk about it outside of that one press release every Monday morning. The trailer features video footage of all of the games in the latest Hanabi Festival, from the celebrated (Super Mario RPG) to the ... celebrated for some reason (Spelunker). We may have most of these particular games, but we want our own Hanabi Festival![Via GoNintendo]
Taiko Drum Master: So many guests
Taiko no Tatsujin: 7-tsu no Shima is turning into the Love Boat of DS rhythm games: a massive confluence of guest stars at various levels of notoriety. Also, much like The Love Boat, the music is great.Not only will Doraemon, the Oshiri Kajiri Mushi, and characters from Namco Bandai's own The Idolm@ster be popping in, but the seven titular islands will play host to even more game characters. Adorable little animate tiles from Mojipittan (a version of which is launching on WiiWare today) will dance, presumably to "Futari no Mojipittan," the game's signature tune. Characters from the horror/comedy manga (and, of course, DS game) GeGeGe no Kitarou spook it up, as do characters from the similarly gothy-cute Fukoumori. The Spelunker (of Spelunker) is no doubt happy to get a break from heights for a while.Finally, yes, those are the Power Rangers -- sort of. Our Power Rangers have undergone countless team, costume, and even show changes, because the Japanese shows from which they use footage (pretty much everything in costume) change. The latest such Japanese show, and the one represented here, is Engine Sentai Go-Onger.
The VC Advantage: A Field Guide to Psychological Hazards in Spelunker
Today's VC Advantage breaks with the exploit coverage and veers -- however tenuously -- into strategy territory. Sort of. Talking about how the game works is a little bit like discussing how to play the game. Right? Right? The title character of Spelunker is beset by obstacles and dangers in his quest to, well, spelunk (get used to the word "spelunker" and its variants). Bats, steam vents, and even ghosts put his life in danger as he searches for treasure. He also has to deal with high explosives, not to mention the danger of equipment failure. But the deadliest adversary in Spelunker is one that you can't avoid: moderate heights. If you fall any farther than the height of your own body, you'll die, blinking out of existence, and a surprisingly pleasant little "you died!" jingle plays that, despite its upbeat adorableness, still manages to be painfully annoying due to the magic of repetition.It seems incongruous for someone who has chosen such a dangerous vocation to have such a weak constitution when it comes to falls. We imagine spelunkers as rugged types who are used to braving inhospitable conditions in their zeal for cave exploration. Why would someone so tough not be able to survive a little tumble?
VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 3/17/08
This week shows another pair of titles hitting the Wii's Virtual Console service, providing gamers with some NES and SNES action. Sadly, we get another shooter, but the other title on offer is a fairly unique title. Hit up the video above, then head past the break for some more.
Spelunker and Super R-Type added to Virtual Console
We've got another pair on the Virtual Console (will we never return to the three-game glory days of yore?) and they don't seem to have too much in common. Let's just skip to the talking about them, what do you say? Spelunker (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): In Spelunker, you play an adventurer who travels to the world's most junk-littered caves to do a little clean up to try to impress a girl he likes who's also a Greenpeace member. Meanwhile, bats (which love cave junk, because of how much easier it makes echolocation) try to kill you. ... Or something like that. Super R-Type (Super NES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): If you don't want to put your fist through a wall, you'd probably best avoiding Super R-Type, known for its high difficulty and lack of check points. But maybe you want to put your fist through a wall. Maybe you have a dilapidated wall that needs removing, or are considering adding some new fist-shaped windows. If so, Super R-Type is there for you.
NES heroes vs. 1-1
var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/nintendo/NES_heroes_vs_1_1'; In this video, made using the M.U.G.E.N. fighting game creation engine, some of gaming's best and brightest (and most cheetah/man hybrid-like) indulge in a little tourism, taking on the iconic first level of Super Mario Bros. As each of them (except for Arthur) learns, Mario's job isn't as easy as he makes it look! Each character in turn, from the Spelunker to the Vic Viper, attempts the level, and fails due to the rules governing their own abilities. All the while, the streaming comments from Niconico (Japan's Youtube equivalent) users fill the top of the screen with "wwwwwwwwww" (equivalent to "lol"). It's hilarious until a bizarre Internet meme intrudes -- at which point it becomes hilarious and kind of baffling.[Via NeoGAF]
Zack and Wiki inspired by Princess Tomato
That's not the entire message of Chris Kohler's interview with Hironobu Takeshita, producer of Zack and Wiki: Quest for etc., but it's the part that makes us grin the most. When Takeshita mentioned that the game was indeed inspired by classic adventure games, Kohler asked which games in particular were most influential. Apparently this has been the subject of some conversation between Takeshita and the game's director, Eiichiro Sasaki (who did Power Stone!). He cited the following games: " Princess Tomato In The Salad Kingdom, and (obscure, horrible-looking Japanese adventure game) Dezeniland. Also Spelunker, which is that game where you die really quickly." Spelunker, it would seem, got the team to consider how death would work in the game; Takeshita goes on to talk about the system of buying continues with tokens, and restarting at a particular puzzle. It's comforting to know that the guys in charge of this title have some experience with classic adventure games-- maybe they'll have learned what works in an adventure game, and what kind of illogical puzzles and game-ending mistakes don't work. The interview also covers We Love Golf, and gives some information about how swinging the club actually works in that game. As expected, it's significantly more complicated than Wii Sports Golf.
VC Tuesday: Caves and stories
This week's Japanese Virtual Console update is a little weird. It's got a Japanese-developed console adaptation of a European computer game, a 16-bit "sound novel", a Breakout clone that we have already decided is terrible, and .. well, ESWAT isn't really that weird. In fact, ESWAT is pretty cool. But the rest of them? Spelunker getting ported all over the place? Totally weird, right? Right? Spelunker (Famicom, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Otogirisou (Super Famicom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) ESWAT (Mega Drive, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Drop Rock Hora Hora (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
