starwars
Latest
Star Wars: Delay Unleashed
The Death Star wasn't build in a day and apparently Star Wars: The Force Unleashed won't be either. The game did have an official release date of November 2007, but now its release date has switched to "TBD" and the rumor is that it won't be out until sometime in 2008. Much like the Star Wars universe, game delays are both good and bad because while the extra time usually helps make the game better, it tortures fans awaiting that particular title. Let's hope that like cookies in the oven, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is worth the wait. Mmmmm cookies. [ Via Games Radar ]
Star Wars: Force Unleashed shows some emotion
Whether you're a Star Wars fan or not, you probably know the basics of the story behind that galaxy far, far away in events taking place a long time ago. That's where the newest game enters based on that galaxy: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed takes place after Episode III, involving Darth Vader nominating you as his apprentice. Since this is supposed to be the "next big thing" in the Star Wars story, George Lucas himself is getting his grubby paws into the game as much as possible.Anyway, the game is shaping up to be pretty brilliant. Fantastic lighting (and lightning) effects, incredibly emotional characters (above and beyond anything achieved in the latest three movies!), gorgeous worlds... this game is looking damn good. Hopefully the story will hold up, too. We're not going to go into what IGN covers in their preview -- it's simply too long and everything too important to summarize, but if you take the time to read it, you'll get pumped too. Might be the first Star Wars game I'll actually purchase since the N64 Shadows of the Empire. That game was awesome.
Force Unleashed to get novel and comic series
Star Wars fans who have been watching our coverage of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will be pleased to hear that the game will be getting both a novelization as well as a graphic novel series. It will be written by Sean Williams, who is a New York Times bestseller and has published eighteen novels, including the Force Heretic series, and co-writing The New Jedi Order series. This will give readers additional insight into the storyline taking place between Episodes III and IV than that found in the game. Also, due to the multiple endings possible in Force Unleashed, the novel will be shedding light on the true canonical ending. So, after playing through the game, are you going to hit your local library to read the book?[Via QJ.net]
Clone Wars coming to PSP
There is an upcoming CG Star Wars Clone Wars TV series coming in 2008. LucasArts must have lots of confidence in the property because their making a game based on it and Clone Wars will be their first internally developed handheld title. LucasArts Shanghai is doing the honers and has Feargus Carroll as the project lead. He previously worked on such popular games as Freedom Fighters, Black & White 2 and Battlefield: Modern Combat. If both the game and and the new TV show are as good as the previous Cartoon Network Clone Wars than I'll be a huge fan of both. [Via DCEmu]
PSP Fanboy Theatre: Volume 7
PSP Fanboy offers the latest and greatest movie and game trailers, formatted for the PSP in this new weekly feature. Check it out every Saturday. PSP owners can download files wirelessly via m.pspfanboy.com.Instructions: Save all movie and thumbnail files to MP_ROOT/101ANV01/. Requires firmware 2.00 or above. Do NOT place in "VIDEO" folder. Firmware 2.80 or above do not need to download thumbnails. The Hills Have Eyes 2Download MP4 (7.47MB) | Download THM The following videos are featured after the break: Knocked Up, Tekken 6 [PS3], Motorstorm Behind the Scenes [PS3], Star Wars: Force Unleashed.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed art and videos
Game Daily has 13 concept art images for the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed as well as details to add on top of what we reported earlier. Since the subtitle "The Force Unleashed", your destructive character will have at least these four powers at his disposal: Force Lightning, Grip, Repulse and Push. The decisions made throughout the game will have an impact on the ending, which takes a few pages out of KOTOR's book, but that's a good thing. Enviroments will vary from Raxus Prime to a TIE-Fighter construction site, and even Chewbacca's neck of the woods, Kashyyyk. As for the game's engines, we've got some videos for you to have a look at after the break.
More Star Wars Unleashed on PSP
LucasArts has finally officially announced their next Star Wars game. It will be called Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. It's coming out to nearly every system around and luckily that means our PSP will be able to unzip ... errr unleash the force. While the last Star Wars PSP game was the gaming equivalent of a car accident, hopes are still high for this newest Star Wars outing. The game's storyline is being overseen by George Lucas himself and will take place between the events of the new and old trilogy. Interestingly you'll assume the role of Darth Vader's apprentice, who's goal is to hunt down the remaining Jedi Knights. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed hunts down PSP Jedi this fall. [Via Gamespot]
Next Star Wars game details Unleashed
The latest issue of Game Informer brought forth information on the latest Star Wars game. Titled Star Wars: Force Unleashed, it is set to help bridge the 19 year gap between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. You get to play as Darth Vader's apprentice, as he wants to overthrow the Emperor and rule the galaxy with you at his side. At the same time, there is a galaxy wide hunt to exterminate the remaining Jedi from existence. Force Unleashed also boasts LucasArts' Eurphoria engine, capable of real-time environmental damage. For instance, when using Force powers on steel, it will dent appropriately. Another example includes a tree either splintering or breaking in two, dependent on the type of impact. You may be concerned that given the title is taking place between the two trilogies that your actions aren't going to have a huge impact, as the events are set in stone. That's not the case, as LucasArts is saying that there will be multiple endings that can really shake up the Star Wars Universe. At least you have a shot of taking down Palpatine before the first Death Star is fully operational. Does this pique your interest, or does any (finished) Star Wars game without the word "Knights" and "Republic" in the title get ignored?[Via QJ.net]
Lego Star Wars producer unlocks secret of gaming success
Gamespot had a chat with Lego Star Wars producer Jonathan Smith and learned nothing about the upcoming Lego titles, except that they are working on more. What Gamespot did learn was something far more precious: How to ultimately design and test games. One of the more interesting things Smith talks about is that game developers should create games and test them on 8-year-old-boys. Smith says, "They like moving forward in a game. They like funny things happening in a game when they press buttons. They love, more than you can possibly believe, cheats. ... They dislike waiting for anything, and the universal phrase is that if something is too difficult, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's too challenging, it means that they don't understand what they're being asked to do ... the game designer is asking something from them, but they're not asking the kids clearly enough and not giving appropriate feedback to their attempts to overcome the challenge. It's rarely a skill difficulty."We tip our hat to Mr. Smith. He's absolutely right. The clarity and genius of that statement is incredible. Do the sales of Lego Star Wars prove Smith knows thirty-something-year-old video game players are the same as 8-year-olds? The only real difference being puberty, a driver's license, bank account and the ability not to ask mom if they can get an M rated title -- well, most of them anyway.
Fan cooks up Wii Star Wars simulation
Do you wile away the hours, dreaming of a Wii Star Wars game? Oh, the fun that could be had with your Wiimote lightsaber, swinging back and forth, stabbing and thrusting, and the beautiful sounds emanating from the controller. Maybe you don't spend Saturday afternoons that way, but one Go Nintendo reader did, and he decided to make his vision a reality ... or at least, a reality on YouTube. Unfortunately, we're without a Star Wars game at this time. Check out the fan-made notion of what could be after the jump.
Star Wars TSG, because everyone wants to be George Lucas
Grubs (that's what I call Daring Fireball's John Gruber, we're cool like that) posted Star Wars TSG to his Linked List and it is a winner. And by winner I mean a small, free application that wastes far more of your time than it should, but for some reason you're not upset about all that lost time.Star Wars TSG does one thing: lets you create your very own 'Star Wars title crawl.' If you don't know your Ewoks from your Klingons you might not be aware that the opening title sequence to each Star Wars movie follows the same basic format. This is the format that Star Wars TSG allows you to create for yourself. It even outputs your creation in a number of different sizes. One word of caution: this application renders a sequence of bitmaps that you can stitch together using QuickTime (or another movie editing suite). This means that you should be careful where you point the 'Destination Folder' in the Generate section. You're going to be generating around 800 images to create your masterpiece, and something tells me you don't want them all cluttering up your desktop.
The bottom of the barrel
What's this -- a list? Cue the frothing fanboys! But this latest list of the top ten worst DS games, as decided by the folks at Pocket Gamer, is definitely filled with some of the poorest examples of DS gaming. We're not sure if they're really the ten worst ever, though. Let's call them the "Ten Worst Titles Masquerading as Games You Might Almost Want to Play." Well, except for Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. We actually did want to play that, but y'know, we need it to function.Check out the full list after the jump.
Video: R2D2 projector, webcam and lightsabre Skype phone
This could be reaching out to our geek audience a bit too much, but the combo media dock-cum-projector housed in the Nikko Electronics R2D2's guts has to get at least a look. Besides the fact that it's the iconic little droid, the projector's remote is housed in a Millennium Falcon Hyperdrive, adding to the geek cred. Granted, the $2,500 price tag could be a bit prohibitive for your 12-year-old Star Wars obsessed nephew, but maybe he could give the wireless R2D2 webcam, or the Anakin Skywalker Lightsabre Skype phone a go. Regardless, check out the gallery below and the video after the break (or get your download on, if that's your thing).[MP4] Download the video Video: R2D2 projector, webcam and lightsabre Skype phone
Nikko's R2-D2 Skype callin' and media playin' oddities
It's hard to tell if this is some sort of elaborate hoax or just hasn't hit the wires yet, but a certain nikkor2d2.com purports to detail some rather decked RC R2-D2 bots, and who are we to stand in the way of awesome? Both bots look to be fully capable of rolling themselves around, and even feature edge detection sensors a la Roomba to keep from any nasty falls. But that's par for the course for RC-centric Nikko, what's much more interesting is the Skype and webcam functionality built into the R2-D2 C.S, thanks to a handy lightsaber remote that plugs into your PC and allows for wireless bot operation. The lightsaber seems to double as the Skype handset, and of course lightsaber sound effects are a given. R2-D2 M.E.S takes the Star Wars geekery to a whole new level, featuring a projector for repeat viewings of cute princesses in dire straits (you know, "help me Obi Whosit, you're my only yada yada"). R2 can even tilt back for ceiling projection, if that's more your style. In lieu of a lightsaber, you get an odd Millenium Falcon remote, and M.E.S Artoo houses a memory card slot, USB plug and iPod dock in addition to the usual DVD slot and video inputs that you'd expect for your video playback experience. We're completely in the dark when it comes to price and availability on these things, but perhaps we'll be spotting 'em this upcoming week in Vegas.[Thanks, Erwin]
Santa vs. Sith in Star Wars
Santa is a jedi knight, which explains how he makes it through the chimneys ... he just force pushes himself through. By following these easy steps you'll be able to play as jolly St. Nick in LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. Step 1: At the Mos Eisley Cantina, enter the following two codes: CL4U5H (for Santa hat and red clothes) and TYH319 (for white beard Extra) Step 2: Go to the Character Customizer and create the proper costume. Use a human head, the appropriate red clothing ... and don't forget the red cap! Santa can wield the weapon of your choice -- we recommend the green or red lightsaber to seasonally complement his shiny red duds. (Remember, the color of his lightsaber decides whether his Force powers are naughty or nice.) Step 3: In the Extras menu, activate Disguise 3. Step 4: Enter the character-based level of your choice in Free Play. A cute little thing for the holiday season. Now it's time for Santa Miis, Santa Sims and whatever else you creative people out there can come up with. Tis the season.
A Wii, a Mac, and a lightsaber walk into a bar
The following idea was birthed from what could only be described as a drunken orgy between a Wii-mote, a Mac, and a Star Wars geek. The program's creator took his existing app that uses the MacBook's built-in tilt sensor to transform your computer into a lightsaber, and took it one step further. Coupling that functionality with the data retrieved by the recently released DarwiinRemote, WiiSaber was born. Pair your Wii-mote with your Bluetooth-enabled Mac and swing it around to make authentic lightsaber sounds so you can finally live out your Star Wars kid Stephen Colbert fantasies.ps- Yeah, we tried it. It works great ... just be sure you're alone.[Via plasticbag.org]
DS releases for the week of December 11th
Still playing Castlevania and Kirby from last week? We hope so, because there's not much this week to tempt you away from last week's winners. Only a bare few new releases are set to brighten up shelves this week, and franchise licenses abound. DS: Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy Lionel Trains: On Track Star Wars: Lethal Alliance GBA:None!Of course, supplies depend upon manufacturer delivery.
Metareview: Star Wars Lethal Alliance
There's something lethal about this game. How bad it is. When a publisher decides not to hype a game, and let it silently release to the masses, you know something's going on. Let's see what went wrong, according to the critics: Gamespot (71/100) enjoyed the game quite a bit, noting good ideas marred by poor controls - "The analog stick isn't conducive to subtle movement, so most of your "mission failed" screens are the result of control struggles. The shooting portions are standard fare" Games Radar (50/100) thought the game was a bore - "Star Wars: Lethal Alliance is the very definition of mediocre. The storyline isn't integral enough to the gameplay experience to really snag fans, and the gameplay won't do much for anyone else. It's cool to finally play a Twi'lek, but if Lethal Alliance is any indication, they should really stick to dancing." GameDaily (50/100) notes the game's poor controls as well - "Unfortunately, the poor mission design keeps this game from being a must buy. Ubisoft relied on old game ideas, such as not being able to leave a room until all enemies have been killed, or back tracking through the same bland looking environment instead of throwing the player something new. On top of that, Rianna's targeting system sucks." Star Wars games have been notorious for being either amazing or merely mediocre. It's unfortunate to see that we got the latter.
IGN takes a look at Star Wars: Lethal Alliance
Egad! It seems like Star Wars: Lethal Alliance is coming out next week. It's usually not a good sign when a game sneaks past everyone's radar until right before it ships. Maybe Ubisoft isn't too confident in their first PSP Star Wars offering? (Anyone know why Ubisoft, and not LucasArts is publishing this?) The new videos that IGN have put up showcase a weird mix of the Star Wars and Matrix universes, with the main character being far more nimble and acrobatic than I'm accustomed to. Unfortunately, it appears that the game looks nowhere as nice as it does in the still shots (shown above). The textures seem a lot worse, and the framerate appears to barely chug along.Maybe I'm wrong (and I hope I am!). I'd love to see a decent Star Wars game on our platform. Read IGN's impressions to find out more.
Star Wars HD for Sky on New Years Day
Great news for our "other-than-American" customers who turned tridactyl green with envy at the news that Cinemax would be showing Star Wars in high definition. Sky has announced they'll be showing all of the sextology -- say that in mixed company! -- not once but two times on New Years Day on Sky HD, and in standard def as well. The first run will be in plotline order (I - VI) starting at 6am, with the theatrical release schedule (IV V VI I II III) starting after lunch. So grab your Stormtrooper costume, your Yoda slippers, and sit down in front of the telly for an entire day of HD goodness! And let the people without HD satellite be jealous of you for once.
