E3 ‘09: Nyko Peripherals Preview

Sir-G says it best, “E3 is all about new games, but it’s also about new peripherals,” and Nyko is always at the front of that pack. Check out some of the interesting additions to their lineup that they were showing off at their booth at this year’s E3, including the Pistol Grip and Type Pad Pro for the Wii, the Charge Grip Flex for the PSP, and the Zoom Case for the DSi. Sure, those might not be the best names, but that doesn’t mean the products aren’t pretty interesting. [Continue Reading]

Top 10 Overlooked Games of 2008

It’s bound to happen every year; there’s always going to be a handful of great games that get overlooked by the general gaming population. It can happen for a variety of different reasons – bad release date, not enough buzz, or it simply just slips through the cracks. While it’s sometimes a good thing that gamers missed out on some of the crap that was shoveled this past year, there are some quality titles in the mix that that didn’t even land on most gamer’s radars, and that’s why I’ve put together my list of the top 10 games of 2008 that were overlooked – from least to most disregarded.

10. de blob

“de blob” was the little game that couldn’t this year. One of the Wii’s most unique and inspired games this year was lost to the fact that it was the Wii’s most unique and inspired games this year. While the gaming press really loved the game, it seemed that your average Wii owner would rather buy a balance board and not use it, instead of playing a quality game.

9. Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen

Square Enix’s remakes are getting to be a dime a dozen lately, but the release of “Dragon Quest 4” went off with barely a blip on the radar. Maybe that was because it came out the same week as “Rock Band 2” and “The Force Unleashed” but that’s still not a good reason to pass on this DS update of a PS1 update of a classic NES title; especially since it was the first time the game hit American shores. [Continue Reading]

Tokyo Game Show 2008 Video Showcase

The Tokyo Game Show is in full effect! And you know what that means, GAMES! GAMES! and more GAMES! Here we’ll compile all the latest new footage of upcoming games dropping in the near future. So check back often for all the latest videos while the show goes on. [Continue Reading]

Suikoden:Tierkreis Anime Intro (no sound)

On Monday we posted some gameplay footage of the upoming DS rpg Suikoden:Tierkreis. Today we have the full anime intro to the game. Unfortunately there’s no audio, but you can get a taste of what the cut scenes will be like. They’re def’ well done and pretty lengthy with full voice overs and musical scores. And as I said before, developers are getting real good at squeezing all this stuff onto them tiny DS carts, impressively with little to no compression at all. Check out the video and we’ll keep you updated on the latest with Suikoden:Tierkreis.

New Footage of Suikoden DS + Hands On play

 

 

Konami recently held a hands on event in NYC for some of their upcoming games. And to my surprise and many others, there was the latest installment to the Suikoden series. And it wasn’t for the PS3, Wii or Xbox360, it was on that little beast of a system the Nintendo DS. After waiting for what seemed like hours to finally get my hands on Suikoden:Tierkreis, I immediately turned the DS off then back on. Call me a freak but i wanted to see this game right from the beginning, opening logo credits and all. Once the credits were finished your treated to a nearly 2 min anime intro with an excellent score to back it up. Now I don’t know about you guys but it still amazes me to this day how much video plus the full game these guys manage to squeeze onto them little ds carts. Especially when the videos aren’t compressed to high hell.

After the intro is done and you input your desired name the game starts you out (or atleast in this demo) as the main character in a hut talking with your friend at which you’ll notice is fully voiced over with crystal clear sound. The characters are 3d polygon models layered on top of 2d hand drawn backgrounds, a technique not uncommon with rpgs. These backgrounds are beautifully drawn and detailed as hell. So far what I’m seeing I’m liking, good job Konami! You can control movement of the main character by either using the d-pad or stylus. Both control well and will just be a matter of user preference.

Now on to the nitty gritty of every rpg, the battle mode. Just like traditional rpg’s you don’t see the enemies on screen instead as you walk about the environments you’ll encounter random battles at which the screen will flash a bright white light and then the battle screen would show. Your parties level, HP and MP stats are conveniently displayed on the top screen of the ds. On the bottom half you’ll have the choice of using your stylus or d-pad to enter your commands. Which at first seems like a lot of inputs. Thankfully there’s an auto fight button you can press which will help speed up those fights when grinding for higher levels. The character models during the battles are on point and the animations are tight. From some hands on time with this demo it looks like Konami is in the right direction for delivering another solid rpg to the Nintendo DS. And it also got me thinking about something, why is the ds getting all these good rpgs? This system has more rpg’s on it than all the bigger consoles have combined. Not that i’m hating on the DS or anything, i just thought it was worth mentioning. Anyways will keep you posted on the latest info for Suikoden:Tierkreis.

Bangai-O Spirits Review: Processor Overload

The phrase “hell in a handbag” would be appropriate for anyone that carries their copy of “Bangai-O Spirits” around in a handbag. It’s a spastic, frantic 2D shooter, designed by the legendary Treasure, that sets a whole new standard of frustration for DS users, but that isn’t to say it’s a really great little game.

I never had the privilege to play the original “Bangai-O” on the Dreamcast, but, if it offers as much challenge as “Spirits” does, my thumbs may be better off. The basics of the game are explained through one of the most entertaining tutorials I have ever been through. The basic gist of the game is to take out the designated targets in each level. To do so you control your Bangai-O (read: mech) is equipped with a variety of different weapons, ranging from napalm to a freeze attack – certain attacks are better suited for different kinds of enemies. You also have the option of going out with a bat or a sword for close contact melee hits, as well as a dash move that can help you speed through levels. Most of the weapons can be mixed with other ones to create a stronger, multipurpose shot – pairing a homing gun with a bounce gun creates bouncing homing missiles. As if that wasn’t enough firepower to take down your enemies, there is a whole other set of EX weapons that can be charged to release an increased number of shots fired. To mix things up even more, those shots fired increase in power if you are getting shot at. I realize as you’re reading this, you’re getting more and more confused, but that’s why there is a 17 stage tutorial, and one of the reasons that I generally shy away from mech games.

This game isn’t for everybody, mostly because its controls are on a level twitchiness that only young children hopped up on Mountain Dew and Pixie Stix can achieve. You have to be fast to survive in “Bangai-O Spirits.” If you can’t pull the right trigger fast enough you’ll be bound to repeating the same level over and over again. On the up side, if you get too frustrated with one level you can just opt to play one of the other 160 plus levels that are unlocked from the very beginning of the game. The downside, of course being that there’s a very good chance that the new level you choose will be just as hard. The thing is, that’s one of the spots where the game really shines. Repeating a level over and over, in order to get the right weapon combo, mixed with the right timing, as well as figuring our which order to kill the enemies in really puts even hardcore gamers to the test.

The main game comes with a variety of different levels that can be selected, ranging in difficulty and creativity. There are puzzle levels that challenge your skills at figuring out just how to make it to the end. The evil geniuses at Treasure have included their own selection of levels that really demonstrate just how ruthless they are, barely allowing the player to breathe before they are inundated with hundreds of bullets. Again, there are over 160 levels to choose from, there’s going to be something for everyone. Even if there isn’t, “Bangai-O Spirits” has you covered.

Let’s say there’s a level where you are having trouble getting past one spot, “Spirits” includes an in-game level editor, which essentially allows you to change the board around on the fly. Add or remove enemies, walls, targets, and power ups, to make your life easier, or harder, whichever you prefer. You also have the option to create levels from scratch, which should appeal to both the creative and sadistic gamers out there.

It’s really quite impressive how much freedom the game gives you, and it even allows you to share your creations via an innovative sound load feature. If you have a level that you want your friend to check out, all they need to be able to do is hear the sound file that contains the data for that level. It’s essentially how a modem works, but it allows for creations to be shared with ease.

As I mentioned, “Bangai-O Spirits” is not for the faint of heart. The level of timing perfection that is needed to beat some of these levels has not been seen in a long time… pretty much since Treasure released their last game. As long as you’re willing to deal with the repetition and frustration that come along with this game, as well as the fairly complex controls, it’s a bit of a gem. “Bangai-O Spirits” get’s a 26 out of $30*.

*TrueGameHeadz reviews are based on a sliding scale to help you, the gamer, make better purchasing decisions. The review ratings are based on the cost of the game, so, if an Xbox 360 or PS3 game costs $60, they can get a rating of what the game should cost, somewhere in the range of 0-60. So for this review, “Bangai-O Spirits” received a 26 out of $30, meaning the price that seems appropriate is $26, and if it is ever priced $26 it is a definite purchase. In more traditional terms, 26 out of $30 equals 8.6.

Castlevania Order of Ecclesia trailer

You knew it was coming! That’s right, a new Castlevania has been announced for the Nintendo DS. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia will have for the first time a female protagonist as the lead character. This will be the third Castlevania game released on the DS and in this version you’ll once again hunt for Dracula. At your disposal you’ll have all sorts of magic based weapons with a twist, all your weapon attacks consume mp! No longer will you be able to consistenly mash buttons to attack, you’ll have to watch your MP bar to make sure it doesn’t deplite, otherwise your attacks will have no effect on your opponents.

But before you yell wtf! all is not lost as your MP bar will instantly regain its energy back the moment you stop attacking. Konami stated that there will be weapons in the game that don’t deplite MP when used. And for those that bitched about the anime styled art from the previous games, you’ll be happy to know that konami has gone back to the more painterly styled art.  Gamers will be happy that Konami choose to keep these games 2d and on the ds, the dual screen is a blessing! You can have your map displayed at all times on the top and that helps out a hella lot in my book! This new Castlevania drops this fall in Japan and proably won’t hit stateside until the Winter 2008-09. For now, peep the trailer below and get ready for another trip to that ol’ castle.

World Of Destruction

Here’s a new RPG to keep an eye out for on the NDS; whenever they decide to release it over here because we all know how long that takes. The title of the game tells us exactly what the game is about: two main characters Kyrie and Morute joins an underground organization called “Destruction of the World”. Now you’re probably thinking, “Why the heck would they want to accomplish that?” Well, the reason is simple: monsters are over running the entire planet and humans are slaves, so the premise is to destroy them all and start over. Another thing that drew me to the game besides the ill story is the graphics: it reminds me of Grandia for the PS1 and being that I loved that game so much I’m willing to give this one a try.