Punch-Out Comes To Nintendo Wii

Believe it or not, Punch-Out!! For the Wii has been a very highly anticipated game. The originals are considered boxing game classics, and some of the finest games of the NES generation. In reality, as shown by positive reviews of the NES version of Punch-out!! downloaded on the Wii, it's still as much of a blast to play as ever.

The graphics have an amazing cell-shaded look to them, like Windwaker only a little more realistic. They exhibit a very strange yet somehow familiar style. When you strike an opponent hard in the face, he's shocked for a second and small birds flutter around his head. Not just that, but had such a far-out visual style manifested itself in any other of today's fighting games it would have been shunned. This extends to the opponents themselves, all of which are pretty wacky ; from Disco Boy, a self-absorbed disco fanatic who enjoys doing a little dance in the ring before the match, to King Hippo, who...well, I'm really not quite sure what he is, except big, has almost no neck, and is maybe totally daft.

At first look, Punch-Out!!'s gameplay seems something similar to a far more stylized version of Wii Sports Boxing. While a NES-style form of play is available by turning the Wii remote on it's side, the standard practice is to use both the Wiimote and the nunchuk. Move them forward and backward to perform different punches, and move them both to the side to avoid. When knocked down, shake the mote and chuk to rise and re-enter the fight, at which point a new round begins.

As for the sound department, you can think how superior the sound is in comparison to how it was on the NES. The punch-induced smacks and taunts from opponents come across just realistically enough for you to engaged in what's happening.

The original look and feel of the game has been incredibly well re-imagined, Nintendo having clearly put a lot of care into rendering this game. Punch-Out!! may seem like an incredibly simplistic title, but then, that doesn't mean it isn't incredibly fun!

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Boom Blox: Bash Party

Boom Blox was, in a number of ways, one of the biggest Wii games of 2008; not so much in terms of it's quality as a game, but rather it's popularity and hype. Of course, it was a game that, weirdly enough, Steven Spielberg himself had partnered with Electronic Arts to make. It was an intricate puzzle game drawing some inspiration from Jenga, and featuring almost 400 levels of gameplay and it's own advanced level editor. Now that it's time for the sequel, EA has been working hard to both expand what worked well and eliminate or solve what didn't.

Boom Blox is a game of "strategic destruction". Each explosion and crash should be clear and streamlined, and that is precisely what EA has been going for by fully overhauling the game's graphics engine. The bulk of the backround 2D characters and animations are now absolutely 3D, running smoothly and in better detail. There are all types of detailed stuff in the backround that can actually interact with the gameplay.

This time around there should be between 400 and six hundred new and unique levels to play with. It's clear that often the blox are just set up like a game of Jenga, but other times there are all sorts of different kinds of formations and you have to solve ways to most effectively make them collapse. For example, some levels occur underwater, or even hovering in zero-g space. Elements like this, as well as others such as surroundings and characters, can bring a whole new twist to the game.

One interesting new mechanic is the item called the slingshot. With the slingshot you can pick up any item in the level, pull back, and "slingshot" it into the blox structure. There are numerous levels in the game that make use of this mechanic, and to great effect.

Boom Blox has proved to be great fun both as a singleplayer puzzler and a competitive multi player game in the past, so as the advent of it's sequel Boom Blox Bash Party approaches, it's little wonder folks are wild with excitement. Boom Blox isn't just some cheap, casual offering. It's a core game and deserves to be treated that way, and many folks who have considered themselves to be hardcore gamers have enjoyed it enormously. This time around, EA is to be applauded.

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Wii Ports Final Fantasy: Echoes of Time!

The Nintendo Wii continues to bow to fan requests by porting popular games from the company's other consoles onto that system.The latest in this line is a fresh port of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time, originally released on the DS. Owners of the Wii version will be able to play online alongside DS users in an impressive display of cross-console interactivity. One major downside is that the Wii port will not be making any graphics enhancements to the title. Echoes of Time plays like a classic RPG, bringing all elements of the genre to bear in a world-spanning adventure. Expect to level up, expand your party and train for new skills as your quest grows ever more perillous.

Both the single player and multiplayer versions of this game bring great playability. Those interested in focussing on the storyline are betest off sticking to the immersive and epic single player, whilst players wanting to pit their skills in the online arena will be catered for accordingly.

But one thing you may be curious about is how they solved the problem of the two screens that are required to play the DS version. There are still two screens in the Wii version, side by side. You can customize each screen's size, navigating the various options by using the pointer rather than a stylus; it's as simple as that. The Wii version also irons out a few creases in the general flow and gameplay areas, along with almost cutting out any load times.

Many thought that porting a dual screen, handheld game to a console would pose too many problems to be a success, but Square Enix have proved them wrong yet again. Despite a lack of graphical edge, Final Fantasy: Echoes of Time on the Wii brings the same great RPG experience from the handheld arena and offers it to the wider gaming community.

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NinjaBread Man: Just Say No!

Here at Videogamenewsblog, we like to focus on the positive, bringing you reviews of the games we liked and exciting news of upcoming titles. However, from time to time we like to take the opportunity to warn you of certain gaming disasters, to spare you the anguish that a rubbish game can bring. This time around we have NinjaBread Man from developers Data Design, a game that has sold way more copies than it ever had the right to sell! Now, this is not a new game, so our warnings are a little too late, but hopefully we can deter any gamers from picking this up if they haven't already done so.

The game falls at the first hurdle with vastly miscalculating the gameplay. For a platformer, the controls in NinjaBread Man are frustratingly misjudged. But in NinjaBread Man, jumping is handled by shaking the Nunchuk, a task that requires coordination that I doubt many human beings consistently possess. Combat is also greatly frustrating, with the enemies you encounter being overly powerful. Normally this could be overcome with skill, but the Wii remote is so unresponsive in this game that most of your attacks go unregistered.

In NinjaBread Man, you either walk (which is excruciatingly slow) or you can run, which makes your character very hard to control. Losing your character off the edge of a platform is a common occurance due to the low quality controls. Story and plot are almost non existant, with the game lacking any cut scenes, although with only three stages, there's not a lot of time to get used to the game anyway.

All this would be almost forgiveable if Data Design were a young, up and coming producer with much to learn, but these guys have been around for years, and they really should know better. NinjaBread Man is another example of just how poor the Wii games can be - avoid it at all costs!

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Upcoming Nintendo DS RPGs

The Nintendo DS has always ruled the roost when it comes to handheld RPGs, with the developer prioritizing this genre in view of their more wholesome gaming outlook. Great RPGs such as Etrian Odyssey go hand in hand with amazing remakes of old classics such as Final Fantasy IV to mention but a couple of a diverse and popular genre. And since you can never have too much of a good thing, here we list three upcoming RPGs that are sure to join the impressive pantheon;

#3: The Dark Spire

Developers Atlus are harking back to the classic days of the RPG with Dark Spire, bringing us the original first person action adventure format in a whole new package. For fans of the classic RPG Wizardry, this will be like coming home. The controls and menu systems are designed to imitate the function of old classics, and so this game is definitely an acquired taste. To many of today's gamers, the format and gameplay will seem alien and outdated, but this will be the exact attraction to many hardcore gamers. This stylised approach is a large gamble from Atlus, and while it's sure to turn many people off, you can guarantee that hundreds of thousands of people are going to absolutely love it.

#2: Blue Dragon Plus

Blue Dragon was originally released to the XBox 360 to wide critical acclaim. Famed for bringing back the classic turn based system which seems to rapidly be in decline, Blue Dragon was a favourite to those more diehard RPG fans. While Blue Dragon Plus will feature the same Akira Toriyama inspired style and the concept of characters, the game comes across as more of a real-time strategy. This perfectly compliments the style to create an awesome gaming experience.

#1: Dragon Quest V

it often surprises us Westerners to hear that, in Japan, Dragon Quest is even more famous than the Final Fantasy franchise. From developers Square Enix, Dragon Quest is simply one of the best RPG series of all time, and this installment on the DS (a port of the original SNES version) is no exception. First of all, it's got some of the series' greatest combat, featuring adjustments and changes that stayed on until much later in the series. Secondly, Akira Toriyama's signature artistic touches enhance the game's appeal greatly. Add to this an impressively large and detailed world for it's time, and you'll soon see why Dragon Quest is as respected as it is.

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Upcoming Wii Greats

Word of mouth is stating that 2009 is going to be the year of the Wii. Developers are promising a range of impressive games that are going to push the console to its limits in terms of graphics and gameplay. Spring has already witnessed a steady stream of impressive games, such as Boom Blox Party, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Guitar Hero: Metallica, Virtua Tennis 2009 and Puzzle Kingdom. All great games, but here we give a quick list of the three games we're most looking forward to;

Excitebots: This is the eagerly anticipated sequel to Excite Truck, one of the most popular launch titles for the Wii. This time around, players are promised an even quicker pace and a more technical reflection of high speed racing. Instead of racing a mere truck, players take control of mechanical bots that mimic both the abilities and attributes of specific animals and insects. While the turtle is slow, it's also heavy and steady, in contrast to the bat, who is extremely fast and can jump far, but lacks weight, and can be easily knocked aside. Also, an innovative addition has been added, allowing mini games to be played whilst driving, to give players an edge in the race proper. Sounds complicated, but the way it works is very impressive.

Klonoa: We've spoken of our excitement for Klonoa already over here, so we'll just say that this promises to be a highly innovative and successful game, if the original is anything to go by!

Punch-Out! is also a remake, and the first installment in the series in about 20 years. It's a style of boxing gameplay that has been revisioned in 3D by many developers, in games such as Ready 2 Rumble and Wii Sports Boxing. The series has always been a sure hit with fans and continues to deliver the goods, and so any further installment is always going to be a good thing!

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Dead Space: Wii Style

Released last year on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Dead Space became an instant hit across the market, lauded for its suspenseful gameplay and stylised, immensely frightening setting. Taking control of Isaac Clarke, a deep space engineer, the player had to fight their way through claustrophobic corridors and blood spattered rooms whilst being attacked by monstrous alien hybrids known as Necromorphs. Implementing a Resident Evil style over-the-shoulder control system, Dead Space played smoothly and delivered the goods. The recent announcement of a Wii version, Dead Space: Extraction, has been met with heightened excitement.

However, Extraction will play a lot differently to the other Next gen Dead Space game. Specifically, the Wii version will be played on rails, meaning that the camera and actual movement of your character is controlled by the computer. All the player has to do is shoot out on-screen enemies, making for an arcade style gameplay. Now, this isn't exactly the news Wii owners were hoping for, but early footage of the game still reveals the same attention to detail and immersive atmosphere experienced in the original.
According to the developers, Extraction implements every mechanic the original was known for, not just the strategic dismemberment used to defeat the Necromorphs, but also stasis, telekinesis, and zero gravity. Simply aim and press the Stasis button to use that feature.

Extraction is actually a prequel, telling the stories of the dawning of the Necromorph contagion. Centering around a small mining colony, you follow a small group of survivors desperately trying to escape an outbreak. aswell as introducing a new female protagonist, there are said to be a number of new weapons found in Extraction, but the only one revealed so far is the Arc Welder, used to fire an electrical charge which arcs between enemies, therefore used to great effect whilst facing multiple enemies at once.

The jury is still out on this one. On the one hand, the original Dead Space was a tremendous hit, with a lot of love and care put into the game to create a perfect survival horror title. If the same effort has been put into Extraction, then the game should mirror the success of the original. On the other hand, on rail shooters are not very well-liked in the home gaming arena, often accused of being too simple and eschewing freedom and exploration by dumbing down the gameplay. How well will Dead Space Extraction be received? We can only wait and see as release is slated for this coming Autumn.

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Movie adaptations to look out for!

It’s the time of the year when this years blockbuster movies come out in succession. It’s also the time when movie games, based on said movies, come out to coincide with the movie release. Video games based on films tend to sell very well, but don’t tend to be very good. This year, however, the games are looking fantastic. So what is in store for this summer?

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Who wouldn’t like to control a regenerating, virtually indestructible, claw wielding superhero? Well, in X-Men Origins: Wolverine you get to do just that! Developed by Raven Software, Wolverine is the video game companion to Marvel’s summer blockbuster of the same name. The plot for the game is not directly related to the movie, but it does feature Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in both his likeness to the character and his voice.

For a Marvel video game it is quite a bloody affair. Wolverine’s claws rip through Weapon X security guards, leaving pools of blood and dismembered body parts all over the place. This is no surprise, since Raven Software created one of the most bloodiest game series ever, Soldier of Fortune. It seems Raven have took the idea of Wolverine having these claws and put them into context in the real world and in the real world sharp metal claws equals blood, blood and more blood!

Graphics-wise Wolverine looks great, but this is to be expected. Movie video game tie-ins are expected to be as good looking as the films they represent. This usually has a unfortunate effect on the rest of the game as the developers focus on making it look like the movie and sacrifice gameplay, AI and other important aspects. However, in this case Raven Software have managed to not sacrifice the important aspects. The controls are fluid and intuitive with moves being mapped to only a few buttons and AI is generally good with the usual inclusion of cannon fodder.

In essence, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is just like its main protagonist, a raw, animalistic beast, and that’s what makes it so good. Wolverine is available on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Terminator: Salvation

The new Terminator Salvation movie looks awesome. Many people doubted whether another film should be done especially after Terminator 3. The same could be said for the games. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was a poor game at best with the only cool thing about it was it had terminators in it. Then again most movie based video games generally aren’t that great, but there are a few exceptions, and Terminator: Salvation is looking to be one of those games that will buck the trend.

The main reason for this is the inclusion of two-player co-operative play. While only limited to split screen, co-operative play has been a big hook since its inclusion in Gears of War. Not only that, GRIN the developers have put a lot of time and effort into creating a believable post-apocalyptic world and its shows.

In this post-apocalyptic world you, as John Conner, and your team carry out specific missions to take the fight to the machines. Conner can take cover behind various objects and trade fire whist behind them. But GRIN have designed the combat system to allow you to flank the enemy by exploiting the environment. This is a neat feature and adds another dynamic to the gameplay.

The games story takes place two years before the film when John Connor is in the military. It follows you as John Connor on his missions before the events of the film and his development into the heroic leader most fans know him as in the first couple of films. GRIN seem to have nailed the post-apocalyptic world of the Terminator universe, co-operative play and have developed a combat system that allows for various ways of taking down the machines. Terminator: Salvation looks like a movie video game worthy of the attention. Terminator: Salvation will be available on the PS3 and Xbox 360 when released.

Ghostbusters:

Yes Ghostbusters was released in the 80’s but this is a game based on a movie franchise worth writing about. In essence the Ghostbusters game is the third film in the series (even though a third film has been announced). The story is written by the writers of the original film, Dan Acykroyd and Harold Ramis, so already it’s a must!

The original cast has been faithfully recreated to look almost identical to what they looked like in the two films. The game negates having a heads-up-display to show information, like health, and instead opts for a similar system to Dead Space, were your proton pack displays all you vital information.

Now about those proton packs, apart from crossing the streams, you need to also worry about overheating, luckily you don’t need to worry about ammo. The ghost-trapping gameplay works a treat, with you throwing out traps and slamming them with your proton beam, everything feels just as it should. The developers, Terminal Reality, have also managed to create an atmosphere that borders between scary and humorous. As you walk down spooky corridors you comrades start making fun of you or crack a joke of and occasionally shout out advice.

The graphics of Ghostbusters depends on which version you purchase, the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions have very realistic, shiny graphics that the owners almost expect to see these days, where as the Wii version has a more cartoony look to it. This maybe due to the lack of powerful hardware in the Wii, but it the chosen graphics work extremely well. You could go as far as saying it makes it feel that more Ghostbusters-y. Rumours have been flying around about co-operative play being included then taken out. If this is the truth it would be the only negative in what looks to be a great game. Hopefully, there is co-operative play as there would be nothing better than playing this game with three of your friends.

Which ever version you pick up, Ghostbusters looks to be a video game treat. Many fans have been waiting for a Ghostbusters game like this, me included. Ghostbusters will be released 16/06/2009 for the DS, PS3, PC, Xbox 360 and Wii.

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Wii Want Spectrobes!

Spectrobes was initially released to the Nintendo DSi to a rather nonplussed set of reviews. The game, which is simular enough to concepts such as Pokemon, sees a galaxy strewn with tiny fossilized creatures (the Spectrobes) which can be discovered and trained, their skills and abilities utilized in battle. This would sound like a dead cert to appeal to younger players and fans of RPGs alike, but the game has so far been viewed to be repetitive and uninspired in its gameplay. However, Nintendo are not ready to rule out this franchise just yet, and have further plans for the Spectrobes.

Spectrobes: Origins sees the first home release for the franchise, bringing it onto the Wii. Viewed as a reboot, or retelling of the beginning of the series; the titular "Origins" bringing us closer to the dawning of this saga. It's rather fitting that the new game is literally a new start for the series because, though it may be a little too soon to tell, it seems that Origins may completely surpass all other Specrobes installments before it.

Heading in the direction of other RPGs lately, random encounters have been dropped in favour of an open field of vision, allowing players to see their enemies and thus choose to attack or evade accordingly. The remote and nunchuk are used to perform a variety of on screen functions, with menus juggled with the C button. Spectrobes are discovered progressively throughout the game, and upto six can be carried at any given time.

Though the Spectrobes will largely attack independently, you can issue further commands to bring forward their devastating abilities. Suffice to say the further you progress along your quest the more impressive your Spectrobes will become. Main character Rallen is not pushover either, and can be commanded to atack using various weapons and skills at disposal.

Theres still a long way to go for Spectrobes, and though the visuals look original and inspired, a further polish is still required. Disney haven't stated a confirmed release date yet, although we're expecting to see it around the end of the year. Until then, lets just hope that the Wii version can bring this franchise, which has so far seen a lot of squandered potential, to the forefront of home gaming.

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Nintendo DSi

The next incarnation of the hugely popular Nintendo DS is here. With an added vowel to the name, the Nintendo DSi brings with a host of new feature, such as the two DSi Cameras. As well as this Nintendo have created the Nintendo DSi Shop. Similar to the WiiWare shop for the Nintendo Wii and the App Shop for the iPhone, the DSiShop allows owners to buy DSiWare games and applications.

The main feature of the new DSi are its two new VGA 0.3 megapixel digital cameras. One on the outer casing and one pointing to the user on the internal hinge. To accompany the two cameras is an SD card slot, allowing you to save your photos and transport them onto a computer so they don’t clog the memory of your DSi.

The Nintendo DSi also has multimedia capabilities. An SD card can be used not just for storing pictures, but for downloaded software from the DSiStore and to store AAC encoded music, which is played using the Nintendo DSi Sound feature and also acts as a voice recorder in conjunction with the microphone. The player also allows you to edit what ever audio is playing, by allowing you to add filters, adjust the pitch etc.

On the looks side, the DSi is pretty much the same apart from the accommodation of the two cameras and SD card. Nintendo have again managed to strip a bit more weight from the already thin previous model, the DS Lite. Specs-wise all is the same, apart from the increase in RAM – up from 4mb to 16mb. Storage can be increased by 32gb with the addition of an SD card. Lastly, the new DSi has upgradeable firmware, like the Wii and Sony’s PSP so any bugs found on release can be fixed as well as new features being incorporated as time goes on.

Overall the Nintendo DSi is a worthy update to the previous DS Lite. It incorporates new features that are natural in the DS’s evolution and will hopefully produce some new and interesting games, which use these features. IF you haven’t checked out the Nintendo DS yet, then this is a great entry point, and if you have a DS Lite, just think of all those new features and you’ll see why this is a must have!

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