Spider-man
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DS releases for the week of November 13th
Big week for handheld gaming! As we creep closer to the end of the year, release dates are just more and more packed with must-have titles. If this keeps up, we may have to consider undertaking a life of crime in order to afford everything we want. What are you picking up this week, and how much ramen are you gonna munch to compensate?DS releases: Asphalt: Urban GT 2 Bionicle Heroes Bomberman Land: Touch! Brain Boost: Beta Wave Brain Boost: Gamma Wave Charlotte's Web Digimon World DS Eragon Final Fantasy III Gunpey Happy Feet Monster Bomber Rayman Raving Rabbids Spider-Man: Battle for New York Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 2 Tomb Raider: Legend Totally Spies! 2: Undercover Yoshi's Island 2 GBA releases: Bionicle Heroes Charlotte's Web Eragon F-24: Stealth Fighter Happy Feet March of the Penguins Polarium Advanced Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis Spider-Man: Battle for New York Super Robot Taisen 2 Tomb Raider: Legend Tonka on the Job Totally Spies! 2: Undercover Yggdra Union And don't forget (like you were going to!) -- next week is the first of the global launch dates for the Wii! Then we'll really be awash in Nintendo goodness. As for this week's games, as ever, supplies are subject to manufacturer delivery.[Big ups to whoever the games in the picture belong to!]
Metareview - Marvel Ultimate Alliance
The ongoing debate over which superhero universe reigns supreme may never be settled, but Marvel Comics is looking like the clear winner in the gaming space with Activision's release of Marvel Ultimate Alliance. There's no Incredible Hulk (he's in Vivendi's game), but just about everyone else from the House of Ideas makes an appearance, which amounts to at least 20 playable characters on each platform. Where Ultimate Alliance really shines over Justice League Heroes is in the stronger focus on teamwork, not to mention a more impressive cast of villains. <Your team name here>, assemble! Game Informer (93/100) likes the new transparent rejuvenation system: "In this game, you no longer need to stock potions. When an enemy is slain, there's a chance that the fallen will gift you with a cluster of healing orbs that automatically zoom to your character. This change not only removes the clunky system of healing, it makes you feel more like a hero. Your focus is always on the battlefield, not a meter." GamePro (90/100) appreciates the challenging enemy AI: "The major boss battles are head and shoulders above anything you've seen in the past. The roster of villains changes with such frequency that you never get a chance to get sick of them. Stronger ones boast talents like healing and immunity to certain attacks, while others carry shields that force your active crew of four to work as a team." TeamXbox (88/100) was dazzled by the production quality: "The opening cinematic by Blur Studios is perhaps the finest I have witnessed in a videogame...but it's worth mentioning that the in-game footage cut scenes by Raven are no slouches either. Raven's in-game work is really nice too. Characters all have that comic book look, but have been updated to have their own edge. The backgrounds are just as sweet, flexing a bunch of post-production effects and lots of animations."
Joystiq hands-on: Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
After previewing Call of Duty 3 and seeing the trailer for Flags of our Fathers for the umpteenth time, we wanted a diversion from the battlefields. Returning to Activision in search of something that would allow us to shed our daily mundane identities and to become heroes that weren't dressed in fatigues, we encountered our friend the receptionist again, still holding a grudge from our earlier victory. She led us into a dark room that had the villainous look of a secret lair. We had entered the realm of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.The green glow of Xbox 360 rings of light around the room looked like laser-activated booby traps, but we managed to evade them and press on. After a short briefing we were off to hand pick our four fellow heroes. You pick from tons of playable characters, although some of them are unlocked as you explore areas and find more heroes. Putting The Thing, Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, and the Human Torch on our team got us a Fantastic Four bonus (it was a no-brainer, we admit it), but we couldn't figure out any of the other combinations. We spied Deadpool and Spider-Woman on the Wii version -- which are probably the two unique characters that only the next-gen systems will be serving up. There is an extremely Nick Fury-esque shoulder holster on one of the silhouetted locked characters, and our fingers are itching to play the cigar-chomping, insult-hurling leader of the Howling Commandos.
Marvel Universe Online trailer update
Marvel Universe Online caught the attention of many true believers at X06, and now the MMO's trailer is available on the web. Microsoft and Cryptic Studios haven't included any gameplay sequences, but the extended CGI clip teases us with the usual suspects from the House of Ideas. Everyone seems to be grabbing a piece of the Marvel pie these days, with Activision handling the Spider-Man, X-Men Legends and Ultimate Alliance games, and EA attempting to rebound from the dreadful Nemesis fighter. Read more about how Marvel and City of Heroes developer Cryptic decided to play nice in the IP sandbox.
Screenshot explosion: Spider-Man: Battle for NY
In the latest adventure starring everyone's favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, the web-head finds himself up against several baddies in the shadows of New York skyscrapers. With an unlikely ally in the Green Goblin, having recently escaped the clutches of S.H.I.E.L.D. and hooked up with the Kingpin for cash and mayhem. Playing as Spidey, you must stop them, naturally causing as much chaos and destruction as you can with the Green Goblin.
Wii game testers wanted: must have flailing arms
An article on MTV News delves into the process of creating and testing gestures for the Wii version of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (the one without hyper-realistic graphics) and highlights how videogame testing is affected by Nintendo's unique approach to gaming. Unlike traditional games that might pose challenging requirements such as pressing the A-button to jump or the X-button to attack, Wii games may ask players to perform more elaborate motions. The wide range of movement detected by the controller means that the gestures used in gameplay require a lot fine-tuning, lest your arm's attack thrust becomes misinterpreted and your character instead chooses to hug the mutant abomination attacking your party. Associate designer on the project, Mike Chrzanowski, points out that the game initially started with over 20 different gestures but was eventually simplified to include only five. With players constantly shooting webbing and tossing patriotic shields about, it was vital that the game could successfully recognize and distinguish between the various gestures. Tasking testers with repeating various swipes and stabs, the Vicarious Visions team carefully monitored the motions that resulted and how different players interpreted and reacted to the on-screen instructions. After countless coding and tweaking, they claim to have constructed an interface that is 97 percent reliable. While Marvel: Ultimate Alliance doesn't make the most extensive use of the Wii's controls, it does illustrate how game testing and control mechanics need to be adapted for the platform. It remains to be seen whether or not other developers will go through as much trouble as Vicarious Visions did to differentiate between specific arm motions and mindless flailing (there will likely be several games that count on the latter). More interesting is the recurring issue of shoehorning game actions into motion-sensitive controls. There's a fine line between taking advantage of a platform's capabilities and tacking on new mechanics. After all, is it really better that you twist your wrist in order to open a door as opposed to merely pressing a button? [Via Game|Life]
Interview indulges Marvel: Ultimate Hype
We're regular readers of Superhero Hype!, a fact rendered unsurprising given our unhealthy obsession with gravity-defying men and women in brightly colored garb. The site recently posted a drab interview with Matthew Paul, producer of the upcoming altruistic all-stars adventure, Marvel: Ulltimate Alliance. Little did we know that the article would contain such a high volume of fluff, reading it would be akin to getting smothered by a pillow in your sleep. Locking an Activision PR person in a room and having them read a press release aloud would likely have resulted in a more intriguing investigation into the game's features. Features like unbelievable, hyper-real graphics!When queried about the game's graphics on next-generation systems, Mr. Paul points out the "life-like" textures on Captain America and The Thing, commenting that there are times when "you feel more like you're watching a blockbuster Super Hero movie as opposed to a video game because it looks so real." Right. Ignoring the fact that the official PS3 screenshot above flamboyantly contradicts such a claim (and such acclaim), it's unbelievable that the interview doesn't change course when it suddenly finds itself covering the "real" nature of comic book characters and movies. It looks so real it's like watching a movie? That must be the one directed by Hyper Boll -- we've seen it far too many times already.
Ultimate Alliance producer interviewed
UGO recently interviewed Activision producer Matthew Paul to get some background details on Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Paul discussed the creative process he and Marvel games writer C. B. Cebulski used to craft the Alliance plot, and also talked about how the reworked X-Men Legends technology allows for a greater range of combat moves. Look for alternate costumes and unique gameplay with the Wii controller when Alliance ships in October.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance to feature unexciting controls
Though the many Marvel characters duking it out in Ultimate Alliance frequently find themselves doing somersaults, hurling punches and generally super-spazzing out, it's not an accurate expectation for the players of the game to perform similar feats. Speaking at the recently concluded Comic-Con, Activision's Chris Palmisano commented that the Wii version of the game would not have major changes implemented to its control system."The basic game controls like the camera and the movement and stuff like that -- you can do that on the Wii with left side in most cases. Then there are standard combo moves, which you can also do with the Wii controller." After this rather vague statement (do combo moves with the controller, you say?!), Palmisano goes on to curtail the level of input you might have expected from a Wii game. "I don't know how many games you're going to see where people are jumping around -- our game is an RPG so it's really hard to require that much physical energy to play a game for 30 hours." Though we have yet to think of any Wii game that actively requires you to jump around, we suspect the lack of physical energy required to play Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is tied into a lack of mental energy when attempting to explain why your game will have a bog-standard control scheme. This is an issue that will come up again and again: a multi-platform game that fails to take advantage of the Wii's controller risks not only being surpassed by graphically superior versions (why buy the Wii version?), but the rest of the games in the Wii lineup (why buy this game that doesn't use my system fully?). Of course, shoehorning a game into an inappropriate controller scheme is just as undesirable, as is certainly the case with an action RPG largely built upon repetition. We'd rather just press the A-button, thanks.
Spider Man: Battle for New York details
The two Spider-Man movies (and upcoming third, certainly) are lauded for their excellent direction and production values. However, despite the critical and commercial success, the Spider Man/Green Goblin storyline in the first movie was a far cry from the depth it had in the original comic book series (especially the legendary Amazing Spider-Man #121 and #122, involving Gwen Stacy). Feel the same way? Well, get excited for the upcoming DS game, Spider Man: Battle for New York. According to a press release: "Spider-Man: Battle for New York allows gamers to take on the role of their favorite Super Hero, Spider-Man, and one of his famed nemeses, Green Goblin, in an original storyline which builds upon their legendary comic book rivalry. For the first time in a handheld Spider-Man game, players can personalize their gaming experiences by choosing what abilities and powers to upgrade and when, as they progress through the game. Playing as both good and evil, gamers will experience levels packed with frenzied action, in-depth combat and a host of unique super moves as they embark on the ultimate quest to save New York City from almost certain disaster." Sure sounds good to us. Comic books FTW!
Treyarch developing Bond game
Those already picturing the mesmerizing possibilities of an action/adventure set in the world of financial loans will have to face disappointment yet again, as Ultimate Spider-Man developer Treyarch has been tapped by Activision to create a game starring the other and recently less valuable Bond. James Bond. Likely based on the upcoming film franchise reboot, Casino Royale, the game is targeting next-generation platforms and the general consensus that Bond games aren't worth a (Money) penny.Having rescued the Bond license from the metallic hands that programmed Goldeneye: Rogue Agent, Activision will no doubt attempt to do right by Fleming fans if they wish to reap the rewards from their investment. Giving Treyarch the job seems like a good decision, certainly superior to that of placing a permanently disgruntled, blond man into the suave spy's shoes. Indeed, it seems preferable to place the gamer in those rocket-propelled shoes instead. Who wouldn't want to be a man of mystery (like, which STD does he have?) traipsing across the world, bedding foreign beauties and then killing said foreign beauties when they inevitably betray you? Also -- casino minigames!
City Climber rover: Spider-Man minus the drama
Sure, Spider-Man is great and all, but is all the emotional, moral and relational drama really worth it when you could just spend a few thousand on this here City Climber which does about the same thing? The robot, being developed by Jizhong Xiao and his team at the City College of New York, is targeted at New York City's mandate that requires building facades to be inspected every five years. Manual inspection usually involves suspended scaffolding and costs around $5000 a day, more than Jizhong hopes to sell his City Climber for outright. The bot clings to all sorts of surfaces using a vacuum motor to create the pressure it needs to hold on. Weighing in at 2.2 pounds, the device can carry a payload up to four times its own weight, so it shouldn't have much trouble towing along a camera or two for building inspections. By linking dual Climber modules with a hinged arm, the bot is capable of rounding 90 degree corners, or moving from a wall to the roof. Test runs should be happening this summer, spidey sense to follow next year.[Thanks, William]
Insane Spider-Man DDR dance routine
What do you get when you mix a DDR machine with the plot of Spider-Man? A very entertaining performance, that's what. Watch as Bruce Leroy performs Peter Parker's transformation into Spider-Man -- complete with camera and "spidey sense" -- through the medium of Dance Dance Revolution. We agree with our tipster: the best part is when the crowd suddenly realizes what hell he's doing. [Thanks, Fallon]
