Archive for the ‘Video Games’ Category

The internet fairly exploded when Capcom announced that it would be updating the classic 8-bit title DuckTales, and I can happily report that WayForward has done right by all the fans. They have taken the basic framework of the game and its levels and redrawn all the art and enhanced all the sound to make DuckTales Remastered.

The hand-drawn sprites are beautifully rendered, but still feel old-school in that as modern as they look, they still retain the old-school animation. The levels are the same structures, but now fully 3D. And to make sure that DuckTales Remastered lives up to the classic ’80s TV series, episodes were used as reference to inspire the backgrounds. And not only did WayForward upgraded the 8-bit chiptunes, but for any new music, they actually went through the effort to first create 8-bit music that they could then upgrade in the same way so the entire game would remain consistent. And many of the actors from the TV series were tapped to provide voicework for the game.

In addition to the original game, there is also some new content. Like a tutorial level and a museum where you can track your progress and leaderboards. And what would Scrooge McDuck be without his Money Bin? Nothing, that’s what. So WayForward has added the Money Bin as a playable level where you can not only track the amount of wealth you’ve accumulated throughout the game, but go for a swim in it!

I played through a level, and even with the modern HD polish, the charm still comes through. Underneath all the stunningly rendered sprites and backgrounds, at its heart it’s a really strong platformer. I have to admit that I had a little trouble getting the hang of Scrooge McDuck’s pogo attack, but by the end of my demo, I was okay. Well, aside from the stupid ghosts that you can’t hurt and have to just avoid. I hated those things. And unfortunately, I was unable to even attempt the boss fight, because I kind of broke the demo. I find that I do that a lot at these press events!

DuckTales Remastered is due out this summer on Xbox LIVE, PlayStation Network and the Wii U eShop. I was told that there’s also the possibility of a PC version, but they can’t confirm anything on that yet.

Dear Diary,

Well, Geneva is turning out to be a wonderful place to live. Of course, whenever you move into a new town, there’s always so much to do. And being mayor keeps you even busier! All the projects and stuff… it never seems to end! So unfortunately, it’s going to be another long one — get ready!

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Ever since Remember Me was announced, I was intrigued. Both by the Neo-Paris 2084 futuristic setting and by its strong, female lead (who actually wears functional clothes that cover her realistically-proportioned body!). But it wasn’t until now that I was able to get my hands on a controller and actually play through some of the game. It was such a lengthy demo that I stopped after a while because I felt like I had been hogging the game for too long, and also because I’d reached a cinematic and I didn’t want to spoil the story. Read on for my impressions…

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I thought Resident Evil Revelations was a great title for the Nintendo 3DS, bringing the series back to its roots and focusing more on being scary than over-the-top combat. Unfortunately, when the game came out, not that many people had 3DSes, so they missed out on what I consider the best Resident Evil title in the past few years. But now that’s all changed, with the game getting an HD makeover and being ported to all the current consoles!

I got my hands on the Xbox 360 version at a Capcom press event in New York City, and can happily report that it has made the transition quite well. The graphics have received a serious upgrade, and the characters and environments look fantastic. Also, the controls are smooth like buttah. I appreciated the old-school RE controls on the 3DS, but putting in that second analog stick… oh, it’s wonderful. The actual game and storyline remain the same, although they have added Infernal Mode which is a punishing difficulty level with more enemies that are seriously harder to kill. So you know, if you’re a glutton for punishment…

Resident Evil Revelations is headed for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC and Wii U (the Wii U version features off-TV play where you can just play directly on the GamePad!) on May 21, so look for it very soon. Don’t miss out on it this time! (Also, if you really need some more incentive, there’s a hot sailor costume to unlock for Chris in the game!)

Nintendo’s Tomodachi Collection is a life simulation series only available in Japan. It can be best described as a mix between The Sims and Animal Crossing. Players control their Miis (which they can transfer over from their Wii consoles) as they go about every day tasks in real time. The newest entry in the popular series, Tomodachi Collection: New Life for the 3DS has been making the internet rounds over the last few days as news spread about the game allowing for same-sex marriages.

Quite the big step coming from the same company that recently saw so much controversy over its treatment of gay marriage and child rearing in Fire Emblem: Awakening, right?

Not really.

Turns out the ability to marry a Mii of the same sex was not only a glitch, but one that was also limited to male characters (sorry lesbians). The glitch also made it possible for male characters to become pregnant. Glitch or not, many Japanese players rejoiced at Tomodachi Collection: New Life‘s accidental equality. The trending topic #homokore, a play on #tomokore (a shortening of Tomodachi Collection), was born and many gamers began tweeting screenshots of their happy little gay Miis living their everyday lives. Some players decided to buy the game because of the glitch. Many news outlets called for Nintendo to embrace the glitch and merely patch it to allow female Miis to get in on the marriage fun.

Well, Nintendo did release a patch….but rather than allow for ladies to marry ladies it just goes ahead eliminates same sex marriage options in the game altogether.

Adding insult to injury, Nintendo said in a statement that players should download the patch if they are experiencing any of the following:

“The inability to boot up the game

Error messages

Human relations that become strange

The inability to save”

Here we go.

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If you’re not familiar with The Hawkeye Initiative, it was created in December of 2012 to use the Marvel Comics super hero Hawkeye to illustrate how ridiculously hyper-sexualized female comics characters are by placing Clint Barton in the same exaggerated contortions. It’s quite hilarious as well as eye-opening. And gaming is another medium with overly-sexualized female characters as well all know, and while the men may be overly-muscular, they’re certainly not sexualized in the same way.

But one anonymous female member in the gaming industry played a Hawkeye Initiative-themed prank on her boss, and it’s pretty awesome. As part of the company who produce Hawken, an online mech game, she admits that the company treats its substantial female staff very well. Especially compared with the gaming industry in general. But there was a particular poster that their CEO just loved that was rankling her. It’s of a female welder who clearly has no sense of personal safety, as she’s brandishing a torch while wearing skimpy cut-off shorts and what looks to be a tank top that doesn’t even come to the bottom of her ample busom.

So this enterprising employee took it upon herself to enlist a co-worker who is a talented artist, and he came up with the male equivalent, who they named Bro-sie The Riveter. They framed it and replaced the original print with theirs and waited to see how their boss reacted. You really should click this link to read her entire story start to finish for the full effect (and to see the full artwork!), but spoiler alert — it ends awesomely.

Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

Often times, I’m quick to write off “retro” elements – be they pixelated graphics, resurrecting old genres, and the like – as fellow residents of the Isle of Misfit Gimmicks: a turgid cesspit where good ideas find no harbor, and mediocrity rules the roost. Yet there’s something strangely compelling about the visual style – grainy textures, slightly malformed character models, and the like – that not only give an organic sort of grit to environments; they somehow give the game a surreal tinge that more “advanced” renderings – however painstakingly adorned with blood and rust they may be – never quite achieved. The same sort of feel applies to The Last Door, the Kickstarter-funded project by The Game Kitchen, a three-man operation based in what no one calls “Merry Olde Spain.”  MORE >>