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Beat City screens are nice and confusing
We suggested our enthusiasm for THQ's Beat City may be reduced upon seeing actual screenshots of the rhythm-based minigame collection. We're delighted to report that in addition to sounding like a neat idea, we think it looks pretty interesting as well! It's got an unusual geometric art style. You can inspect the style of Beat City for yourself in our gallery, and even see storyboard-style sequences that are ... intended to explain the gameplay. We see an assembly line of crows being turned into parrots. We see a loving couple wearing outfits that grow spontaneously more ren-faire. We don't feel illuminated. %Gallery-86760%
Nintendo patents inflatable cushion -- you know, for horseback riding
Siliconera discovered a European patent filed by Nintendo for ... that thing. It's an "inflatable air cushion or other type seat" with a pocket for the Wii Remote. It's for simulating horseback riding, or, as the patent description notes, to simulate the riding of other animals, real or imagined, or even vehicles. A Nunchuk (or another Wii Remote) is used as the reins of the beast, and the Wii Remote in the pocket detects the player's movement on the seat, which can be used either for balance or, in one example, to indicate the gait of the horse: "gentle forward/backward motion = walking, fast forward/backward rocking motion = gallop."While we don't feel any particular pull to play a game by bouncing on a cushion, we really want this controller idea to come to fruition -- because we know that every time we get to write about the Nintendo Bouncy Seat is going to be like Christmas morning. Seriously, Nintendo, thank you.%Gallery-69761%
D3 loses their minds in Detroit Metal City
Detroit Metal City is a manga series about a mild-mannered Japanese teacher who joins a metal band and instantly becomes totally metal (in the KISS style, not in the Scandinavian killing-people style). D3 Publisher has wisely decided to take the manga, which we've never seen, and make it into an insane kabuki-rock music minigame RPG thing called Detroit Metal City DS: Death Shout.The performance modes seem (from the comic/3D style and the single screen we have of the interface) to rip off Ouendan pretty openly, but we can't bring ourselves to get outraged. The minigames range from lyric-writing to whatever the hell this is, and that can't be described as anything but original. Besides, we want to play an Ouendan game about decadent hair-metal performance. We desperately want this RPG about defeating rival bands to be awesome.
Super Smash Betrothal Brawl
Brian Klima decided to propose to his girlfriend -- if not in style, then at least in a style. Rather than doing something as silly as speaking words to her, he designed a Super Smash Bros. Brawl stage in the shape of the words "MARRY ME?" He left the game running, then turned the TV off so the stage would be the first thing his girlfriend saw when she turned it back on.Luckily for Brian, he happens to be with the one woman in the world who would find this charming, as she accepted the proposal. They haven't picked a location for the wedding yet, but we're thinking Skyworld. The registry will be set up with a "very high" item drop percentage.
