Cammie Dunaway apparently is a scapegoat for Nintendo's press conference. I honestly wouldn't know, because I spent the last week in Destin, Florida, burning my skin on the beach while occasionally going into the seaweed infested ocean. Good times indeed. But! I did get to watch two of the three press conferences, and one of those conferences happened to be Nintendo. As someone who was looking to be wowed by Nintendo with announcements for the "core gamer", I was underwhelmed. Did you know Animal Crossing was for core gamers? Seriously? Ha. Might has well throw in the meh fest known as Wii Music in there as well. Why get Wii Music when you can get Guitar Hero World Tour?
Anyways, Nintendo's conference was underwhelming, and some of you apparently have been hateful towards Cammie Dunaway, saying that she is a fake. Well, to be honest, she did seem a bit fake at the conference. Fake smiles and actions, she did in fact seem staged, unlike "Kicking ass and taking names" Reggie Fils-Aime. So, some of you have been berating her, sort of like I just did, and she has some news for you.
Turns out, she's for real. At least, that's what she told Wired. She is apparently a generally nice person, with genuinely nice smiles. Do you believe that? After watching her presentation, I call bullshit, but she claims otherwise. Do you give her the benefit of the doubt?
Well, Nintendo has just gave "hardcore" gamers something to get excited for! In a Developer Roundtable at E3, Shigeru Miyamoto was asked if they were considering to revisit Pikmin, he dropped a little bombshell announcement:
Quote
"We continue investigating all types of games," Miyamoto responded. "When it's time to announce such a title, I'll announce it." Then he did. "We're making Pikmin."
OH HELL YES! Still not quite enough to make up for the atrocious press conference yesterday, but it bandages the wound a little bit.
Details about the upcoming Pikmin are not known as of right now. Hopefully Shiggy has something to say about it soon.
Nintendo has made their first announcement of E3. It comes in the form of yet another Wii accessory, Wii MotionPlus.
The device plugs right into the bottom of the Wii Remote and will deliver "more comprehensive tracking of a player’s arm position and orientation, providing players with an unmatched level of precision and immersion." The press release continues: "Every slight movement players make with their wrist or arm is rendered identically in real time on the screen, providing a true 1:1 response in their game play."
Little is known about MotionPlus outside of the very brief press release issued by Nintendo earlier today, but this accessory sounds quite intriguing. Could it actually make a real swordfighting game possible on the Wii? What is Nintendo planning to do with MotionPlus? Check RF Generation for details on MotionPlus and everything else unveiled at Nintendo's press conference.
Probably the worst week in quite a while...unless you happen to like college football, then more power to you.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•NCAA Football 2009
•NCAA Football 2009 •Space Chimps
•NCAA Football 2009 •Rock Band Track Pack Vol. 1 •Space Chimps •We Love Golf
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity •NCAA Football 2009
•Mister Slime •Nancy Drew: Clue Bender Society •Space Chimps
•NCAA Football 2009 •Rock Band Track Pack Vol. 1 •Spce Chimps
Honestly, I don't care about any of the games this week. Rock Band track pack could be neat for all you owners of the gimped editions of the game and seems fairly priced. NCAA 09 is by far the biggest game of the week, but again, I don't care about sports. Soooo...stay tuned for exciting E3 news!
[img align=right width=150]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/63014CG7.jpg[/img] As you may or may not know, I tend to be skewed towards the world of Nintendo. I grew up on Nintendo, I supported Nintendo up to the Wii, and once the Wii was released Nintendo decided to defecate on every member of the Nintendo old guard and try to appeal to that elusive casual gamer. They’re doing a great job, they really are. Meanwhile, I really, really want LittleBigPlanet, and well, we all know what system that is on. But yes! The Nintendo Connection! You see, the Wii has the dubious distinction of being home to more crap than one can shake a finger at. Strike that, one hundred billion fingers. The more depressing thing is that people are buying this stuff. It’s really, really disappointing, and I’ll tell you why.
•Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon •Purr Pals (if you buy this, you are part of the problem, not the solution) •Wonder World Amusement Park
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
...
•Carnival Games •Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution
...
Apparently Civ Rev is coming out this week instead of last week. Again, it's my pick of the week because the demo I played on the PS3 is pretty fun if you're a strategy game fan. The PC versions of the game are better, yes, but there's really nothing else like it on a console right now. Give it a shot by downloading the demo on your 360 or PS3 and see what you think.
Also of note this week, Unreal Tournament 3, the latest installment in Epic's long-running shooter franchise, hits the Xbox 360. The game came out about 7 or 8 months ago on the PS3 and PC...and didn't sell verry many copies on either system. Now Epic is going to try their luck on the Xbox 360 where it might do better since shooters sell very well on that system and they already have a huge fanbase from Gears of War. Hopefully it does well enough for Epic to consider supporting the game even more on the other platforms. Even though the 360 edition is lacking custom mod support and mouse/keyboard control, I highly recommend picking it up if you're looking for a fun, fast-paced, old-school shooter.
Light week. Nothing very good at all really. One game might be pretty cool but that's about it really.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•Hail to the Chimp •Guitar Hero: Aerosmith •Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution
•Hail to the Chimp •Gears of War Refresh •Guitar Hero: Aerosmith •Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution
•Guitar Hero: Aerosmith •Purr Pals (if you buy this, you are part of the problem, not the solution)
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
...
•1 VS. 100 •AMF Bowling Pinbusters •Ducati Moto •Smart Kids Game Club •Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2
•Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
It's the 4th of July. Go buy some fireworks instead of games. But Civilization Revolution looks cool if you're into that kind of thing. Not sure if it is? Download the demo from the Playstation Store or Xbox Live. I did it, and I must say it was pretty nifty. Didn't get a chance to play much of it, but it I liked what I played. Oh and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith comes out this week for all two people that care. Enjoy your game with effing Aerosmith (uggghhh). For the rest of us, Rock Band 2 has been announced.
*Note: the views of Tony are those of himself and do not represent the views of anyone else. If you have a problem with it, please direct complaints to the OH NOOOO Otter.*
What the hell happened this week? Is it last fall again? Goddamn...
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•Battlefield: Bad Company •Hail to the Chimp •Hellboy: Science of Evil •Overlord Raising Hell •Top Spin 3 •Wall-E
•Alone in the Dark •Battlefield: Bad Company •Hail to the Chimp •Hellboy: Science of Evil •Operation Darkness •Supreme Commander •Top Spin 3 •Wall-E
•Big Beach Sports •Rock Band (This is actually out already. I think I missed it on last week's list.) •Top Spin 3 •Wall-E
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•Hellboy: Science of Evil •Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2: The Phantom Fortress •Wall-E
•American Girl: Kit Mystery Challenge •Cake Mania 2 •Code Lyoko: Fall of XANA •Final Fantasy Tactics A2 •Gourmet Chef •Guitar Hero: On Tour •Mega Man Star Force 2 Zerker X Ninja •Mega Man Star Force 2 Zerker X Saurian •Midnight Play Pack •My Weight Loss Coach •Smart Kids Game Club •Top Spin 3 •Wall-E
•Wall-E
There's far too many games coming out this week, but what's worth checking out? Alone in the Dark and Overlord Raising Hell look pretty neat. Final Fantasy Tactics A2, Top Spin 3, and Supreme Commander have been getting great reviews, but I would recommend Battlefield: Bad Company above all the other games this week. If you haven't seen anything about the game it's basically a wartime FPS, but unlike most other games of this type (Call of Duty 4 for example) it is actually pretty lighthearted in tone and contains a good amount of humor. The gameplay is like many other FPS games, so it's nothing completely new, but it's still very fun. If you're interested, give the demo a chance on either the Playstation Network or Xbox Live.
Pretty light week for consoles, but a great week for handhelds.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
... Go buy MGS4 you tool.
•Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm
•Wacky Races: Crash and Dash
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•Secret Agent Clank •Space Invaders Extreme
•Arkanoid •Code Lyoko: Fall of XANA •Imagine: Rock Star •Petz Dogz Fashion •Space Invaders Extreme •Tamagotchi Connection Corner 3 •Wacky Races: Crash and Dash
...
Secret Agent Clank seems good enough based on the demo, but sort of lacking the heart and soul of the Insomniac developed games. However, there is one game that each and every one of you must buy and that is Space Invaders Extreme. I don't care if you hate buying games for full price, this is one that you need to buy. I've played the Japanese demo for the PSP, and it is a STUNNING update of the classic. The game is just like the original but now there's boss stages, bonus stages, colored enemy matching, and a new remixed techno soundtrack. Just go buy it dammit! It's only $20 on your platform of choice.
Quick update: The US edition of Space Invaders Extreme does not have support for the DS rotor controller. If you want to play this game with the rotor controller, import it.
[img align=right width=200]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/77287cg6.jpg[/img] You know, I happen to live in Cincinnati. It’s sort of an advertising / marketing Mecca. That’s bound to happen when Procter and Gamble happens to be based in your city. You know, Ivory Soap, Tide, Pringles, Gillette, Old Spice, Febreeze, etc… that company. Not to mention all of their recent divestures, we are home to the company who spends lots of money on their brands. In fact, they spend the most money of any company. So, certainly, we in Cincinnati have a company who knows how to do things right. God bless P&G. They make Cincinnati proud.
Some companies try very hard to be good at advertising. They try very hard to project an image. They’re so good that they do so at the expense of royally ticking off their old fan base. Nintendo seems to be that brand. It’s sad though, as they try to be just like Apple, but that’s hard when you have people like Laurent Fischer.
Oh and Blast Works for the Wii looks great as well.
There's also Nascar 09 (PS3, 360, PS2), Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit (PS3, 360), Don King Presents Prizefighter (360), Backyard Baseball '09 (Wii), Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles (DS), and more crappy DS shovelware, but who cares? There's only one game that TRULY matters this week.
Yo, sup homies? After outgrowing our previous server and temporarily moving operations to WordPress, we are finally back in action on our home base right here at RFGeneration.com. In celebration of our triumphant return, the game companies have dumped a massive load of (hopefully) great games for you to look at this week.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•The Bourne Conspiracy •GRiD •The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones
•The Bourne Conspiracy •GRiD •The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones •Ninja Gaiden 2
•Cabela's Trophy Bucks •The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•Lego Indiana Jones •Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2
•The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones •Paws and Claws Pet: Healing Hands •Summon Night: Twin Age
•The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones
In a week with so many games, it's tough to give out a pick of the week. However, I've got to go with GRiD. The game is made by Codemasters, the same team behind last year's awesome rally racer DiRT, and attempts to bring the style of racing game presented in that game onto the streets. GRiD stands apart from most other racers in that it is neither a simulation like Forza or Gran Turismo nor an arcade style game like Burnout or Project Gotham, but somewhere in the between. It definitely has some great physics, but it isn't too overbearing for casual racing fans. Better yet, it carries over the amazing menu design philosophy as seen in DiRT, which is arguably the greatest interface ever seen in a video game. The game is available now on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC. If you're interested in the game, be sure to download the demo for it on your platform of choice...it's definitely worth your time.
Check back next week where there will undoubtedly be a ton of games for me to cover.
[img align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/61613CG5.jpg[/img]So, believe it or not, but I am actually a gamer. I know, wow! The cynical gamer is a gamer! It may frighten you to know then that I do not own a 360 or PS3. Rather, I own that technologically inferior Wii. I used to think that was a bad deal, but then I realized that when I do play the system I am absolutely enthralled. Who’d a thunk it? Thanks, Okami! (and NMH, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Paper Mario, Metroid Corruption, and Twilight Princess). Truly, in the mounds of shovel ware, there are some winners.
WiiWare – how I am excited for this downloadable medium. Games like Eternity’s Child and World of Goo, in addition to Strongbad’s Game for Cool and Attractive People, certainly have my interest. On launch day (well, the day after actually), I decided to by Lost Winds. It was a gamble for me, for it was developed by Frontier. Ugh. They developed RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, and that game crushed by top of the line laptop. (at least it was 4 years ago) So, I had low, and at the same time high expectations for the game. Turns out that the game is pretty darn good, but then, I noticed something, and it made me rather unhappy.
On the download screen, Lost Winds takes up about 250 blocks on the Wii. It was then I saw how much space I had left on my internal memory, about 500 blocks. Ouch. I guess I can download one or two more games before Nintendo, in their infinite wisdom, decides that I should start deleting things in order to obtain newer releases. I only have a few Virtual Console games on my Wii, and Lost Winds, so, this development has my head scratching.
What the hell, Nintendo? Do you really want to stifle people from spending money on your wares? Do you really wish to not utilize the SD card slot or USB for additional storage? Do you really think 512MB of internal memory is enough? If you did, then you certainly must have a clearer idea of what people like me want. I guess that I don’t actually know what I want. But, thankfully, you do, and you’re limiting me to 512MB of downloads. Bravo, Nintendo! Bravo!
So, Nintendo, is your head so far up your ass that you can’t see that people are willing to spend money to populate more than 512MB worth of space? Do you really think that everyone is going to only by NES games to populate the Wii Channel list that is horizontally expansive? Do you think people are going to want to constantly delete and re-add games whenever they want to play something? I sure hope not.
512MB is a miniscule chunk of space to bestow on a console with downloadable content. Perhaps it’s time for a larger storage solution for the Wii. Certainly, we gamers hope that Nintendo is doing what is necessary to afford us more space. Until that time, we gamers will continue to be frustrated by the prospect that we’ll have to delete something to add something new. On a console that tries to reach out to the elusive “casual gamer”, ease of operation should be paramount. It’s clear though that the ease of dealing with downloadable content is not. It’s time for that to change.
Nintendo seems to be creating a niche market for ultra violent games, or at least games more violent than would have been seen on the GameCube. No More Heroes was amazing, and if you haven't played it you should check it out. Blueberry Cheese Brownie, anyone? What about Manhunt 2? Sure, it's (apparent) crap, but it's still super violent. Other violent games? Well, I can't think of any, except for one more that was just announced.
Turns out Platinum Games has a Wii title coming out called Mad World. Platinum Games, does that ring a bell to anyone? No? How about Clover Studios? In the mighty progression of development houses, it goes Clover -> Seeds -> Platinum Games. So, Platinum Games essentially created amazing games like Okami and Viewtiful Joe. I hope that you've played those games, especially Okami. Okami is everything that Zelda should have been. Too bad the Wii version of Okami doesn't make any references to the original developers, since one should always give credit where it is due, and well, Clover Studios created a masterpiece.
So, yes, I digress. There is a new game coming out from Platinum Games fort the Wii. It's called Mad World. Styled much like Sin City. It looks beautiful, and very violent. I urge you to do yourself a favor and check the game, after the jump. Be Warned, it's very violent.
Nintendo has made their first announcement of E3. It comes in the form of yet another Wii accessory, Wii MotionPlus.
Probably the worst week in quite a while...unless you happen to like college football, then more power to you.
Apparently Civ Rev is coming out this week instead of last week. Again, it's my pick of the week because the demo I played on the PS3 is pretty fun if you're a strategy game fan. The PC versions of the game are better, yes, but there's really nothing else like it on a console right now. Give it a shot by downloading the demo on your 360 or PS3 and see what you think.
There's far too many games coming out this week, but what's worth checking out? Alone in the Dark and Overlord Raising Hell look pretty neat. Final Fantasy Tactics A2, Top Spin 3, and Supreme Commander have been getting great reviews, but I would recommend Battlefield: Bad Company above all the other games this week. If you haven't seen anything about the game it's basically a wartime FPS, but unlike most other games of this type (Call of Duty 4 for example) it is actually pretty lighthearted in tone and contains a good amount of humor. The gameplay is like many other FPS games, so it's nothing completely new, but it's still very fun. If you're interested, give the demo a chance on either the Playstation Network or Xbox Live.
Secret Agent Clank seems good enough based on the demo, but sort of lacking the heart and soul of the Insomniac developed games. However, there is one game that each and every one of you must buy and that is Space Invaders Extreme. I don't care if you hate buying games for full price, this is one that you need to buy. I've played the Japanese demo for the PSP, and it is a STUNNING update of the classic. The game is just like the original but now there's boss stages, bonus stages, colored enemy matching, and a new remixed techno soundtrack. Just go buy it dammit! It's only $20 on your platform of choice.
METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS
In a week with so many games, it's tough to give out a pick of the week. However, I've got to go with GRiD. The game is made by Codemasters, the same team behind last year's awesome rally racer DiRT, and attempts to bring the style of racing game presented in that game onto the streets. GRiD stands apart from most other racers in that it is neither a simulation like Forza or Gran Turismo nor an arcade style game like Burnout or Project Gotham, but somewhere in the between. It definitely has some great physics, but it isn't too overbearing for casual racing fans. Better yet, it carries over the 
