Who we want to see in Super Smash Bros. Strife May 25, 2011

No, fear not; you have not accidentally wandered into the list-littered minefield of Kotaku, fortunately for you. However, it is with a certain sense of disappointment and guilt that I present to you, my readers, a list of sorts. Inevitably, a new Smash Bros. game attracts a ridiculous amount of hype, speculation and sheer fanboy-founded fervour, and we couldn’t help but get the train rolling – in no particular order, here is our character wishlist for the rumoured Super Smash Bros. Strife.

Super Smash Bros. is the industry’s best example of pure, unadulterated fan service, and it all starts with the characters. The game works because it’s a miraculous montage of some of the world’s most recognised faces, mixed with a myriad of lesser-known, but still just-as-loved characters, all united by one common interest – kicking the living daylights out of each other. So, who, other than the 35-man-roster from Brawl, would we like to see occupy all that extra disc space? Remember, variety is the spice of life.

Don’t be fooled by his nerdy demeanour; armed with a positively badass katana beam, a badass hairdo and a pair of badass shades, this Otaku badass means business. Badass business. From the brilliant mind of Suda 51, Travis Touchdown of No More Heroes fame is our number one contender. With an awesome art style, Travis would not only look right at home in the frantic free-for-all that is Super Smash Bros., but he’d also give those other pesky swordsmen a run for their money as well.

Did we mention he’s a total badass? We did? Oh. Okay then.

Another one that fits right into the badass category is Jack from MadWorld. Look at him. He’s smoking a cigarette. In black and white. That’s not only cool in France, people; it’s cool everywhere. Do you know where else it’d be cool? In Super Smash Bros. He’s got a chainsaw strapped to his arm. Even Fred Durst wouldn’t mess with this geezer in fear of having his arse skinned raw. Again, this Capcom creation boasts a unique art style that would add a bit of visual splendour to proceedings – if any more was needed – while also bringing something to the table that the series arguably lacks. Brutality.

Did we mention he’s got a chainsaw strapped to his arm? We did? Oh. Okay then.

She’s a Goddess, she’s a wolf and she’s from Okami. Enough said. What? You want more? Tough crowd. Well then, apart from being another aesthetically gorgeous piece from that artistic bunch at Capcom, Amaterasu is at once a gentle and caring soul, a benevolent Goddess and, most importantly, a fearsome warrior. With her inclusion, she would present the opportunity for a genuinely beautiful and creative stage, and some of the best music ever burned to disc.

Did we mention she’s a Goddess? We did? Oh. Okay then.

Another one for fans of brilliant videogame music; Blob, from THQ’s 2008 quirky Wii platformer de Blob, may, at first glance, appear to simply be a blob of paint. Look deeper though, and you’ll find tha-. Okay, no, he really is just a conscious, sentient blob of mastic composition, but he’s still a pretty awesome chap. He has the ability to change the physical appearance – namely, the colour – of anything he touches, which could make for some pretty cool-looking effects.

Did we mention he’s a blob of paint? We did? Well then, I appear to be suffering from some form of anterograde amnesia.

Another character from Capcom, another character from an AAA game – that is, Aesthetically and Artistically Awesome. With this little guy, the clue is in the name. Would you really want to battle against Mega Man? Really? For those of you who are out of the loop, ‘Mega’ falls somewhere between ‘Super’ and ‘Uber’ in the Official Adjectives Rankings 2011. Do you understand what that means? It means Mega Man is more of a badass than Superman. If that isn’t reason enough, then frankly, you’re batshit insane.

That about wraps it up for characters. In hindsight, I guess I’m just a sucker for some quality art design, but after all, Super Smash Bros. is definitely a clash of wildly varying styles, so shaking it up a bit further surely can’t hurt.

And no, we don’t want Cloud fucking Strife.

– Rory

New York Comic Con; lots of new footage February 7, 2009

The Comic Con kicked off earlier this week in New York, and there’s been a plethora of Wii games showcased, showing off new footage with developers showcasing the latest builds of their titles.

We’ve got the best of it here.

Overlord: Dark Legend

The Conduit

Sonic and the Black Knight

MadWorld

And there you have it, some of the most anticipated Wii titles all playable at one event, and all looking pretty awesome, and in the case of Overlord, surprisingly awesome. Anybody else getting a Fable 2 vibe?

–Rory–

 

‘Winter’ announced, fanbase campaign for publisher within hours January 21, 2009

A new title under the name of Winter was announced today by developer n-Space (Call of Duty DS, Geist). The survival-horror is aimed at the more adult crowd, akin to something like MadWorld or Cursed Mountain.

The game had been hinted at and was the point of much speculation for months, touted by the IGN Nintendo team as “the dark game”, and today they finally made good on their word and posted it to IGN’s front page.

The accompanying footage showcases the game running on Wi hardware, in real time. Perhaps most impressive of all though, is the fact that the said demo was created by the team in a little over 6 weeks.

So, it’s all sounding very nice, yes? Well, it would be if it weren’t for the fact that the game doesn’t yet have a publisher. But fear not, n-Space have said that if the demand is there, and a publisher is willing to snap the title up, they still have every intention of getting the game to retail.

In an attempt to attract a would-be developer, Wii fan Ryan Delbage has created a petition (we know, we know), and, despite the fact that it was only published a matter of hours ago, it’s got over 1,000 signatures to its name.

On this petition, you’ll find the names of many well-respected and highly-regarded figures, including GoNintendo’s Kevin Cassidy, IGN’s Matt Cassamassina, and OWiiLY’s illustrious Rory Cocker.

Matt had this to say –

I’m glad to see that you’re as psyched about the title as I’ve been for months and months. Perhaps the time is finally right for publishers to remove their heads from their asses and help broaden the Wii demographic beyond the perceived market of mini-game-fest-loving casuals. The hardcore that grew up playing Mario, Metroid and Zelda still exists — we’re all just waiting for the right games to throw our support behind. At any rate, yes, I’m completely down to use IGN’s influence to back Winter in the same way we hyped The Conduit and tried desperately to get people to pay attention to Zack & Wiki.

Whilst we found Matt’s casual/hardcore perception comment pain-stakingly cringe inducing, we fully agree with his approach; this game deserves to make it to retail.

Kevin Cassidy posted this on GoNintendo:

This is the title that doesn’t have a publisher. This is the new game that GoNintendo and its readers are going to help get a publisher…I’m ready to do all I can.

Whilst it’s good to see the Nintendo fanbase coming together like this in the name of solid, 3rd party software, I’m slightly worried; what if n-Space continue to develop the game for another year or two, go to the work of getting a publisher, release the game in all territories, sit back and watch it fall flat on its face.

When things like this happen, it almost breaks my heart (in a manly way). I look at Clover’s Okami, I look at Monolith Soft’s Disaster: Day of Crisis – one of which was a solid, unique diversion, and one that was an absolutely sensational masterpiece of modern gaming – I see the hard work and dedication these teams put into their titles, and then I see them being thwarted in the charts by quick cash-ins, all of which are put to shame by efforts such as Okami and Disaster. It’s truly a crying shame.

The game is very early in development; 6 weeks in, in fact, and it’s already looking pretty nice. It’s no show-stopper, but with a competent budget and development time, it definitely could be. Original games like this should be supported.

It looks like there is a market for this game, and with the right advertising, it could easily make a tidy profit for n-Space and the publisher, assuming it gains an adequate fanbase, and with Matt and Kevin on board, I’m sure it will; just look at The Conduit and The House of the Dead: OVERKILL.

SEGA? Where are you?

Trailer (What’s with the Lord of the Rings music?)

Petition

–Rory–

MadWorld avoids the chop, gets 18+ rating January 15, 2009

There was an air of uncertainty a few months back when an editor of the Daily Mail campaigned against the release of SEGA’s violent MadWorld, as he believed it would ruin the Wii’s “family-friendly” image.
Uh, yeah…

But the air has now cleared and Wii fans everywhere can rejoice as the BBFC has awarded the title an 18+ rating, meaning it has the green light to retail in Britain with no cuts or censorship made whatsoever.

“We clearly had no problems with MadWorld. If we had, we wouldn’t have classified it; it’s as simple as that.”

MadWorld is expected to launch this year, courtesy of SEGA and Platinum Games.

Source

–Rory–

SEGA publishing The Conduit October 29, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON, Oct 29, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — SEGA(R) of America, Inc. and SEGA(R) of Europe Ltd. today announced a worldwide partnership with High Voltage Software to publish and distribute the Wii(TM) home video game system-exclusive title, The Conduit. The first-person shooter garnered multiple awards at E3 2008, including Best Wii Game by GameTrailers and three awards from IGN: Best Shooting Game (Wii), Best Graphics Technology (Wii) and Best Overall Wii Game. The Conduit is a stunning, futuristic title powered by a new game engine technology that delivers remarkable visuals and effects, as well as a rich interactive experience that is unlike any other title on the Wii.

“The Conduit is one of the most talked-about Wii games this year and High Voltage Software has only scratched the surface of the game in terms of what they have shown so far,” says Simon Jeffery, President of SEGA of America, Inc. “They have proven that graphical and technological innovation can be exciting to the Wii market, and SEGA is thrilled to partner with a team that truly shares our belief in the Wii’s gaming potential beyond the casual market.”

“High Voltage Software’s partnership with SEGA to publish The Conduit represents an important milestone for this studio,” said Kerry Ganofsky, CEO and founder of High Voltage Software, Inc. “SEGA shares our vision for the title and its tremendous potential, which is why we chose them from a long list of potential partners. With their support, we are confident that The Conduit will deliver the definitive shooter experience that Wii fans have been waiting for.”

The Conduit takes players into a dark story in Washington D.C. after a vicious alien invasion has rocked the country. An organization called the Trust has sent in Secret Service agent, Mr. Ford, to go up against the insect-like alien race known as “The Drudge.” Armed with an array of futuristic weaponry and an intelligence-gathering device simply called the “All-Seeing Eye,” players follow an intricate storyline filled with conspiracy, shady government activity and terrifying aliens.

The Conduit’s detailed control system allows players to customize and configure look sensitivity, turning speed, the dead zone and much more. As players delve further into the mystery behind the extraterrestrial invasion, shocking details reveal that the invasion may have been brought on with help from the government itself.

Powered by High Voltage Software’s groundbreaking Quantum 3 engine, The Conduit ensures that players will experience single and multiplayer gameplay with graphical fidelity never seen before on the Wii. The Conduit will also support the recently announced Wii Speak peripheral, allowing online multiplayer gamers the ability to chat as they destroy aliens in each terrifying level. Additionally, the game will take advantage of the Wii MotionPlus for optimal control.

The Conduit, exclusively for the Wii, is slated to ship in spring 2009. For more information on the game, please visit http://www.conduitgame.com.

That came as a surprise, actually. Nice choice though HVS; SEGA are dishing up some love for the Wii recently, with MadWorld and The House of the Dead: Overkill.

Game Watch! Wii games you should be excited for. September 5, 2008

Can’t bare the horrible wait for the next Zelda game? Well we reckon you’ve got another two years to go, so hang in there soldier.
These gems should tide you over ’til the next magical adventure, and you should definitely considering purchasing all of them