E3 recap
– Metroid: Other M, Galaxy 2, new Zelda mentioned, Red Steel 2, Grinder, Gladiator A.D., Silent Hill, Sin and Punishment 2, Endless Ocean 2, Scribblenauts were at E3
– Everyone loves Scribblenauts
– Don’t really expect game on the DS to be game of the show, Bozon was blown away that it was
– IGN not the only site giving Scribblenauts game of the show award
– Warner Bros. didn’t really feature the game prominently at E3
Metroid: Other M
– Optimistic with Sakamoto leading
– Not the same Team Ninja we knew
– Game that is all about exploration, seems to be heavy emphasis on combat/melee combat
– Matt has some reservations, but up with Metroid game with backstory + cinematic
– Bozon thinks only game that holds up against Other M in terms of presentation is Smash Bros.
– Someone mentioned that sequence with Samus running in trailer looks like it was ripped right out of Ninja Gaiden
Galaxy 2
– Matt initially thought it was cool but then started to think much would be changed
– Now that he has dissected the trailer, there is quite a bit new in there
– Yoshi can latch onto objects with tongue via pointer
– Screw attack, new levels (classicly designed but made bigger/based on musical instruments)
– Yoshi can inflate
– Speed boost
– Fly with Yoshi too
– Graphics look good
– Matt disappointed that trailer had MIDI music, hopes that final game will have orchestrated music
– Story dumbed down a bit, Matt happy with that
– Bozon still worried that it will be a level pack
– One of the rare games where Matt is happy with a straight sequel and make everything more dramatic
– Have great foundation from first game, just need to take it to the next level
– Bozon thinks no old levels should return
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
– Based on DS game (obviously influenced)
– Almost ported over to Wii (has that look)
– 4 player support
– Miyamoto said there is so much going on that it can’t handle online since it’s taxing the hardware too much
– Craig understands what Miyamoto meant with the online statement
– 10 levels were really fun
– Misrepresented the game, made it seem like it’s 4 players competitive but it’s co-op
– Great addition to the library, predictable/expected, Matt will definitely play it and enjoy
– Would have been bad if this was Nintendo’s only announcement
– It’s pretty but could be way prettier
Wii Sports Resort
– Frisbee golf and disc golf feel different, frisbee golf feeling better
– Craig liked playing frisbee golf
– Didn’t know about archery, shows different use of MotionPlus, Craig liked it
– Making archery look really nice, using depth of field blur, scope, clean/crisp look
– One of their most anticipated games
– Craig nervous about sword fighting – 100 fighters – MotionPlus needs a lot of calibration so it was getting thrown off
Sin and Punishment
– Bozon thinks it’s cool but simple
– Online leaderboards
– With Wii IR feels just like another on-rails shooter
– Still really fun
– Doesn’t quite feel like how the game felt on N64
Endless Ocean 2
– Was all in Japanese
– Looks a little better
– Marine life in water – aquatic life swimming around
– More life swimming in background
– Danger situations
– Have tranquilizer gun
– Co-op mode, go online with Wii Speak support
– New boat
– Can go in non-ocean (lakes)
Zelda Wii
– Didn’t get much about it
– Saved it for Miyamoto’s roundtable
– Showed piece of art
– Said Link isn’t holding a sword
– Speculation: Maybe lost his sword/character is a weapon/has a gun
– Want to use MotionPlus
Overall
– Nintendo has a decent showing
– Just enough to satisfy fans but didn’t blow anyone away
– Biggest surprise was Metroid
Red Steel 2
– Played the hell out of it
– Just thinks Metroid
– Very smooth, customizable controls (influenced by High Voltage), controls vast improvement
– Great art style
– Surprised, contemplated that for game of the show (competing with Silent Hill)
Silent Hill
– Wii version is the one to get obviously
– Picked Silent Hill as game of the show
– E3 demo more of a complete package
– Go through full stage, great vertical slice
– Exploration elements, interactive characters, psyc profiles, flashlight
– Hear Wii remote speaker in the game
– Run system is not only cool for Wii but a cool gaming mechanic in general – really intense
– Really well done
– Twists to come
– Should put it on your radar along with Red Steel 2
The Grinder
– Impressive
– Basically Wii version of Left for Dead (not exactly)
– Online co-op with 4 players
– Deathmatch component which High Voltage isn’t discussing yet
– Wii Speak support
– Blast zombies, vampires, werewolves, other things including slashers
– Engine has improved over The Conduit
– Visuals look more stylized
– Frame rate holding up with a lot of enemies
– Game not even coming out until next year
– Should be looking out for this game
– Looking to do whole thing with deathmatch – playing as zombie, werewolf, etc.
Gladiator A.D.
– Fighting game
– A little less impressed, not from visual standpoint
– Really impressed with technology – can push character models, lighting, texture effects – looks really nice but some stiff animation
– Didn’t feel bad but slow at points
– Hope they tinker around with MotionPlus support, 1:1 would change everything
– A lot of potential, not dismissing it
Scribblenauts
– Puzzle game
– Star in a level, figure a way to get it by calling up items
– Many ways to solve a puzzle
– Rewarded by creativity
– Bozon thinks it will be a massive success
– Impressive that there are tens of thousands of items on the cartridge
– Very deep game – 200 levels, level editor, can spend an hour+ on the title screen
– Must-own title, pre-order it right now and buy 5 copies for your friends
– If Matt reviewed what he played at E3, it would get a high score
The Conduit
– Review coming shortly
– Matt finished the game, run-time was 5 hours, 30 minutes
– Only tracks only livable play time
– Probably sunk 8 hours into the game
– Decent-sized game but not huge
– All about the multiplayer
– Achievements, unlockables, cheats
– Matt had a good time with the game
– Feels like Perfect Dark
– Overall was pleasantly surprised
– A lot of the same characters/weapons but didn’t bug Matt
– Some repeating level design
– Will be a solid review
– Haven’t played multiplayer yet
– Will be pleased if you’ve been looking forward to it
– Craig saw a commercial for it yesterday, was pretty engaging
– This is the third mature game from SEGA and the first two bombed
Virtua Tennis vs. Grand Slam
– Should go with Grand Slam Tennis
– Virtua Tennis feels like a PS2 port
– Slow/laggy in Virtua Tennis
– Grand Slam Tennis not perfect but it becomes a blast with practice
Reader questions
– Matt recommends Tiger Woods PGA Tour over The Conduit, can’t go wrong with either game, MotionPlus done well in Tiger (reader asked, said he likes FPS games)
– Mighty Flip Champs! will be released in Europe, working on final localization – Game is doing well
– Possible that figure in Zelda concept art is the sword, we’ll have to see
– Scribblenauts a contender for game of the year if it holds up
– High Voltage talking about possibly bringing their games to 360/PS3 because they are an independent developer
– Matt will recommend The Conduit
