Sands of Destruction Hands-On

Sega's upcoming Nintendo DS RPG, Sands of Destruction is going to blow you away. With its superb production values, supremely beautiful visuals, and an amazing amount of voice acting for a DS game, this one's a clear candidate for best handheld RPG when it finally reaches stores in early 2010. The Image Epoch-developed epic is in the process of being tweaked to improve game balance and a few other issues with the original Japanese version and based on my short time with a build at Sega's press event last week, things are coming along very well indeed.

My brief hands-on time with the SOD consisted of watching the 5+ minute long, fantastic looking fully-voiced intro sequence and afterward, playing about 20 or so minutes of the main game in a few different areas. While the first thing that's noticeable is how great the game looks, the voice acting is really what dropped my jaw. It's not only clear as a bell coming from the tiny DS speakers, it's about as good as it gets for a JRPG on the system. Yasunori Mitsuda's dynamic score was equally stellar, pacing both the opening movie and gameplay with style. The overall impact of the aural assault makes it seem as if someone's crammed a CD drive onto a DS cartridge.

After that few minutes of near anime-quality camera angles and a bit of plot intrigue, there was a quick battle to be fought that showed of the turn-based combat system and introduced two of the main characters. Let's just say SOD does a solid job of pulling you into its game world by introducing the lead (Kyrie) who has the power to destroy the world and his enemy and soon to be party member (Morte) whose goal is world destruction. They're initially on opposite sides of that particular fence, but we were assured that (in true JRPG fashion) things would get nice and twisty as the story continued.

The classic turn based combat is fast and both screens are used to display battlefields quite nicely. Flying monsters on the top screen can be hit with aerial or other attacks and from what I saw and played, some creatures can be pretty tough to take down. We also got to see a few later battles with more party members chatting it up but good during combat. Morte really enjoys her work as she takes out creatures, but it's Taupy, the tiny, super-cute eye patch and bandanna wearing killer bear that steals the show with his one-liners that make him sound like a cross between Bruce Willis and Duke Nukem.

In towns, there's a great map system on the top screen that makes it impossible to get lost unless you've a really poor sense of direction. The level of detail i everything from character and creatures to backgrounds clearly shows that 2D isn't going anywhere anytime soon. More jaded players might not want to give this game the credit it deserves, but again, squeezing all this onto a DS cart (even an over-sized one with more memory space) just HAS to be commended.

The playable characters you'll come across are quite an interesting mix, to say the least. Here are the official bios for each of them, along with some nice character art:


Kyrie Illunis
Sex: Male
Age: 17,
Height: 5'10"

The protagonist of this story. Gentle and sometimes shy, Kyrie is genuine and honest with anyone and will always keep his promises no matter what lies in his path. He has never seen the world outside of his town of Barni.




Morte Asherah
Sex: Female
Age: 16
Height: 5'6"

Morte is a tomboy and a half. Always cheerful and up beat, she believes that life should be about having fun. She isn't the romantic type, but once she realizes her own feelings she will run head-on towards her love. Childhood friends with Agan.



Agan Mardrus
Sex: Male
Age: 18
Height: 5'11"

Agan is a childhood friend of Morte's and is somehow whisked into traveling with her and Kyrie. Although he is kind and good-natured at heart, he hides behind a sometimes cynical demeanor to prevent from revealing too much of his real self.



Taupy Toplan
Sex: Male
Age: Unknown
Height: 2'8"

Taupy always gets the job done, and is the best of his trade at treasure hunting. The gritty and hard-boiled little bear is the toughest of the team, joining Kyrie's group instinctively - knowing it is the right choice for him. Teaches the pure-hearted and naïve Kyrie the importance of making his own choices.



Rhi'a Dragunel
Sex: Female
Age: 300
Height: 5'3"

As the last scion of the Dragon race, Rhi'a may look 15 but has actually lived for 300 years. Despite her girlish and bubbly features, her comments can be full of wisdom from her long life experiences. However, she tends to keep her comments short, which leads her to seem a little mysterious.



Naja Gref
Sex: Male
Age: 17
Height: 6'1"

Naja is very much an intellectual and is committed to his ideal of "saving the world." Sometimes obstinate, he tends to believe that his ideas are always correct. With a human mother and a feral father, he has grown under unfortunate prejudice from both the humans and the ferals.

We'll certainly be keeping an eye on Sands of Destruction as the game nears completion. With a wealth of RPGs on the handheld, this one is really looking quite memorable indeed.

Konami NYC Gamers' Night Impressions

Konami swung into NYC with a nice selection of upcoming releases that showed off the company's commitment to variety and pure fun with a number of family friendly console and handheld titles. Of course, scaring the crap out of a few folks with two impressive horror games was also on the agenda. I ended up playing most of what was shown and came away impressed with them all, as you'll see below in this quick rundown. I'll also post longer Hands-On previews of a few of these titles shortly.

Reflection (Nintendo DSi) - This download only DSiWare exclusive is one of those genius game ideas that demands to be played. You're tasked with guiding a young girl through a fantasy world using both DS screens to navigate pretty environments that feature some classic platforming and puzzle-solving elements. The catch: the lower screen is a mirror image that's actually with different obstacles and puzzles to solve. You'll need to pay attention to both screens as you run, wall jump, slide, push boxes and more. The cool thing about this one: it was cooked up by a handful USC students that took their award-winning GDC 2009 entry and turned it into a charming soon to be Nintendo classic. Now that's another excellent reason to stay in school, kids.


Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (PS3/Xbox 360) - Best console footy game on the planet? Still. That's my verdict after seeing this one in action and picking up the controller for a quick spin through a match. Stunning graphics, loads of new animations, more commentary, in-depth, customization and more features than you can shake a yellow card at all make this one guaranteed to have soccer fans worldwide never leave the house even in the off season. Madden who? Yeah, it's all that and Konami KNOWS it, folks. Online or off, a whole lot of folks will be logging even more hours than they'd care to admit on this one once it ships.

Puzzle Chronicles (Nintendo DS/DSi) - Yes, it's a Puzzle Quest-inspired game featuring RPG elements with hand-drawn fantasy characters, a large overworld map and even a tutorial mode that's very similar to D3's mega-hit. However, the battle presentation and sideways sliding cubes puzzle system is very different, as you can rotate blocks and shift them as they get close to the target blocks. I finished two boards and had to put it down before I became hooked. Despite the similarities, I liked this one a lot. Hopefully, core PQ fanatics will overlook the obviousness here and be as excited about another puzzle/RPG hybrid.

SAW (PS3, Xbox 360) - Yup, I was skeptical about this one when i initially heard of it, but based on the unsettling demo on display, the Zombie (Shadow Ops: Red Mercury)-developed game makes excellent use of the license. Taking place between the first and second films, as Detective Tapp, players will need to use their eyes and ears as well as wits in order to survive Jigsaw's trap-packed maze of deadly life lessons. The setting is a dilapidated mental hospital Tapp needs to navigate carefully (broken glass, nail bombs and shotgun doors await careless players) and to make matters worse, that exit key sewn inside of him makes him a target for Jigsaw's other victims looking to escape. The demo was tense, gory and great-looking for an early build, capturing the look, feel and editing style of the movies perfectly. Controls were a tiny bit slippery, but we're certain this and one or two other minor kinks will be polished up nicely for the game's October release.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Wii) - As a longtime Silent Hill fan, this re-imagining of the original has been on my radar since it was announced and after playing it, I'm in love all over again and twice as freaked out. The Wii-specific controls are brilliant and yes, innovative, the all-new psychological elements make for near-infinite replay value, the visuals are outstanding and despite the lack of combat, the game is scary as hell. Using the Wiimote as everything from a camera, GPS and cellphone (you actually put your ear to the speaker to listen to calls) is brilliant, which means it'll be copied to death in other Wii games at some point. By the way, filling out that personality profile at the beginning of a new game will really freak out a few too-honest gamers, but you have to laugh at those folks who let this part of the game get to them more than being chased by a small pack of skinless mannequin-things.

Tornado Outbreak (PS3, Xbox 360) - Got an appetite for destruction on a comical scale? Love both Katamari Damacy and old Saturday morning cartoons? Well, this surprisingly addictive, inspired mash-up should fit the bill nicely for the entire family. Simple controls combined with multiple level goals along with plenty of destructible and interactive objects make this one really fun to play. Stylized cartoon graphics reminiscent of Warner Bros. cartoons abound and overall, this looks like one of those sleepers that should have wide appeal. If anything, it's definitely one of the more original character ideas you'll ever see, that's for sure.

Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment (Ps3, Xbox 360) - Stop that whining, hardcore VH fans! Sure, this download-only prequel to the PSOne original doesn't have Japanese character designs nor the tactically thrilling real-time approach Vandal Hearts II took. Nevertheless, the game is extremely addictive, challenging right from the early going and guess what? You'll get used to the character art sooner than you think, thanks to some well-written story sequences. The turn-based combat is definitely going to test your strategic skills, as enemies are set on puree from the moment you enter your first battle. I only played three lengthy missions, but the addictive nature of the gameplay had me coming back to try new strategies on the different maps. I'm excited about this one and definitely looking forward to diving into the final code.

Walk it Out (Nintendo Wii) - Yet another Wii exercise game? I'd initially thought about passing this one over, but after giving in to the beat pumping from the HD setup and actually trying the game, it's actually quite cool (and harder than it looks). Using the DDR Dance Pad, you need to keep the stepping action as precise as possible to rack up points. The beats are hot, the routes are long and the happy-voiced taskmaster chirping out motivational peppyness from the TV should keep those looking for a new way to step up their Wii home gym antics step on up to the cash register when this one ships.

WireWay (Nintendo DS) - Super cute, super challenging puzzle game has you using slingshot-like devices to zip an alien critter back to his home planet in oodles of stages. The game may look overly simplistic, but the easy stages quickly give way to ones with plenty of platform elements and parts where you'll need to draw on the DS screen to create a path. Since your little alien guy is helpless on the ground, your brain will be tingling during these sections as much as your fingers are sliding and flicking away at that touch screen. The blending and bending of familiar gameplay elements from Puzzle Bobble, billiards and pinball (to name a few influences) will test the skills of the most die-hard gamers out there. Strangely addictive doesn't even begin to describe this one...


I'll update this post with info about YU-GI-OH! 5D'sTag Force 4, Zombie Apocalypse, Karaoke Revolution and Pop 'n Music in a few days. Gotta run, as dinner is calling me to cook it. Don't you love it when all that training pays off?

Gallery: Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop

Majesco has revealed the latest portable installment in the popular Cooking Mama franchise along with some nice, juicy details on the new game. Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop for the Nintendo DS will allow players to hit the aisles of different markets in order to purchase a wide variety of ingredients, take them home and whip up tons of tasty worldwide treats.

Mama will be around to grade your culinary skills, of course. So expect plenty more of her helpful advice and amusing faces as she cuts you down to size when you slip up or commends you when you don't burn the house down and prepare a tasty meal. There's even the ability to use items grown in the spin-off, Gardening Mama (if you happen to have that game in your DS collection). Here's what to expect in the new game, which hits retail on October 27, 2009 with a $29.99 MSRP:

Create 80 new recipes including: chili con carne, mushroom quiche, Eggs Benedict, tulip chicken, pumpkin gnocchi, and many more!

Six gameplay modes including new additions to the series:

- Cook with Mama: Cook some delicious meals with Mama’s help.

- Let’s Cook: Treat your friends to a culinary masterpiece. Even if you make mistakes Mama will help you complete the recipe so you can continue cooking for your hard to please friends.

- Let’s Match: Choose your ingredients and start cooking. Mama’s been teaching you for some time now, and she’s decided it’s time for you to exercise your creative muscle. Take steps and ingredients from different recipes and create your very own concoctions.

- Let’s Shop: Did you ever wonder where Mama gets all those fantastic ingredients? Head to the store to pick up the things you’ll need to prepare so many delicious dishes.

- Cooking Contest: Try your hand at different cooking techniques in single or multiplayer mode for up to 4 players. Face-off in 20 different timed cooking challenges to determine who is the fastest chef!

- Write in Diary: Decorate your digital picture diary with animated “stickers” as you cook to keep track of your accomplishments in scrapbook form.

- Let’s Get Fancy!: Dress Mama in fabulous outfits and accessories!

- Change Design: Deck out the game screen in fun, new designs.

Recipes progress from simple to complex, from small to large dishes, so do your best to meet Mama’s expectations and impress your friends. If your friends think your dish is delicious, you’ll unlock another new friend!

Earn bronze, silver, and gold medals from Mama based on the quality of your cooking.

Send items you’ve grown in Gardening Mama to your friends playing Cooking Mama 3 so they can use them in their recipes!

Review: Aliens in the Attic

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Engine Software

Publisher: Playlogic

# of Players: 1

Official Site

Rating: B+

When it comes to licensed movie games scaled down to handheld systems (particularly a licensed game based on a summer movie barely screened for critics) my initial pre-review thoughts about Aliens in the Attic were of a too short, too cute and too easy game geared toward younger players and no one else. Fortunately, I was mostly wrong. Engine Software, a workhorse developer with a long history of portable game expertise was chosen for the task at hand. Engine handled the stellar DS conversion of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords , one of the more addictive games in the DS library. Still, it's a long road from supremely addictive and original puzzle/RPG hybrid to a licensed movie game, but guess what happened? They nailed it and nailed it good.

I'm probably going to break a record here for using the word "surprising" (and variations thereof) in a single review, but that's how surprised I was after completing the game. For a licensed title, it is indeed surprising that the game manages to actually be much better than the film its based on. Instead of focusing on the quartet of alien characters like the PS2, PC and Wii versions, the DS game focuses on the three kids, Tom, Jake and Hannah, as they go up against the invaders. Yes, there's plenty of running, jumping, rescuing and picking up of collectibles to do. However, all those fancy alien robots and big bosses blocking your progress can only be taken down with customized firepower, so you're getting an arcade-style run 'n gun that plays something like Contra...lite.

Sure, it doesn't "innovate" or try to impress you with a shoehorned 3D engine or overly expensive production values. But, surprisingly enough... that's actually a really good (and yes, surprising) thing. The shooting is simple at the outset, yet grows pretty challenging as you clear each part of a level map. The house and exterior are made up of five big stages divided into 25 levels total, so while it's a short cakewalk for experts, this isn't a mere weekender for most kids (or some non-gaming adults for that matter). Jake and Tom can use weapons, Hannah's skill is double jumping (hey, she's only seven years old - cut her some slack!). Jake is the heavy weapons guy and can push blocks, Tom's got lighter guns and as the techie kid, can upgrade all the weapons as the game progresses. You select your character on the fly with the shoulder buttons and can do so even while firing, which is really cool. For example, you can blast a rocket firing robot with Tom, switch out to Hannah to quickly double jump to an out of reach pickup and have Jake push a block onto a switch to unlock a door to a hidden item.

You'll also get to rescue adults scattered around each level who give you some cool weapon upgrades as gifts once you locate them. It's quite amusing to see a kid with what amounts to a tricked out Super Soaker save the bacon of a policeman or parent and get an explosives upgrade or rapid fire attachment. The again kids these days have to take rewards wherever they can get them. Upgrading your guns requires you to have collected a set number of bolts, so even if you have the proper parts, if you're just taking the quickest way through the game, you'll be coming up short when it comes to having more powerful weapons. Interestingly enough, sometimes, the game takes a kid out of the lineup, so you'll be stuck with a less powerful character on purpose. For example, if you're used to using Jake's heavy guns to blast through enemies early on, in one level you'll have to make do with weaker Tom and Hannah until Jake gets back.

To get your stylus action on, there are certain door locks that require some quick spins of a circular dial as you try to match the color in the dial's center with colored balls that appear in random around the dial. These sections are brief and fun, but that's not all, folks. You can actually aim and shoot using the stylus while running and jumping with the D-pad. This would have been a gimmick if it were the sole means to controlling the game, but it's used amazingly (er, surprisingly) well where flying enemies are present and in the game's boss battles that start out super easy but can be (wait for it...) surprisingly tricky in spots. Granted, hardcore arcade fans have seen all of these sorts of "pattern-based" bosses before, but it's a nice addition that just might get a few kids into this sort of "old-school" gaming.

Enemy AI pretty (and surprisingly) persistent in its wish to send you back to the last checkpoint, so it's great that each level has quite a few of them, as well a a nice share of health pick-ups. Boss battles on the other hand, will send you back to the start of the fight, which may frustrate younger players who want to get it over with in one go. Some of the battles are against giant robots the aliens have constructed and some are against the four main aliens, presented here as over-sized, arm slamming, rock dropping brutes that often grimace when hit and sometimes burst into tears when defeated. If you haven't seen the film or its trailer, I won't spoil things and explain why the aliens are so darn huge in the game. On the other hand, if you have seen the film, the game can be seen as sort of loosely following the plot while appealing to kids that like to see angry robots reduced to scrap metal (and a few big aliens reduced to tears).

To deal with the bosses, you'll get a few special powers such as a shield that can bounce projectiles away from you, a stun ray that blinds enemies, stopping them in their tracks or a gravity ray that lets you lift and smash enemies or objects with the D-Pad. There's even some microphone action here with a sonic emitter that has you blowing into the DS (or jamming on the X button if you don't want to look too silly). These devices keep the boss battles entertaining despite the game spelling out what you need to do to take down that big alien trying to bean you. You can also use those special weapons during the main game, although the charge time for the powers slows down considerably. The really fun thing is that all these elements never bog the core gameplay down and actually enhance the experience as the game gets tougher. If you're stuck, it's because you're using the wrong weapon or not using the right power or character for the job.

Visually, still shots don't do the game's animation and level art any justice. While the three leads are tiny sprites, they're animated excellently down to their unique idles. Backgrounds use a mix of flat art, nice lighting and effective coloring along with nicely integrated 3D elements throughout. The 3D scrolling is so convincing that you'll think you can actually go down hallways or into certain other areas thanks to the depth effect. The game camera is scaled in at the beginning of a stage, but as you head into some areas, it pulls back to let you see items or enemies above you before zooming back in for tight spaces or areas with low ceilings. In many of the bigger boss battles, your character is a even tinier (and still well-animated) sprite that's not too hard to keep track of, although you may take a hit or three when things get really hectic. Enemy variety is limited to a few types and color variants, but they tend to get tougher as the games go on - those color changes mean you're facing off against a beefed-up version of a former foe.

Sound production is decent, with the music being the star, particularly the boss theme that (surprisingly) sounds like it comes from an arcade shooter or run 'n gun classic. The sound effects are average game stuff, mostly explosions and things being shot, pushed, opened and the like. There's no voice acting in the game, just plain text boxes to read with none of these sections lasting longer than a few sections. as you get each stage's basic objectives. Still, I can see some folks looking at the game and saying it's not as "flashy"or stylized as other platformers out there, but the team at Engine has cooked up an impressive effort that doesn't need bells and whistles to look and play just fine.

As noted earlier, this isn't a really lengthy game for a simple movie license, but to me, not too long means not too boring for what's basically an arcade run 'n gun. It took me about 7 hours (6:54) to play through the game the first time, as I'm one of those collection hounds that needs to search every nook and cranny while loading up on bolts by replaying stages a few times. My second play through was a respectable 3:49. However, your own play time (and especially the kid you're buying this for, right?) will vary based on your platforming and shooting skills. Other than the brevity, the game has no major flaws other then a bland title screen and dull-looking credits. everything else is (of course) surprisingly good. Of course, now I'll need to play the console versions to see if they live up to what's here, but even if those alien-focused versions of the story fall flat, I can still tell people up and down the pike that the DS version of Aliens in the Attic was one of the more surprising movie based games I've played this year.

ZEN Pinball Street Fighter II Tribute Table Details

Near-final details on Zen Pinball's upcoming Street Fighter II Tribute Table have been announced along with an August 20, 2009 release date over the PlayStation Network. The table, the first expansion for the hit pinball game, just needs a final price point announced. I'm guessing it will no doubt be affordable, as too many hardcore Street Fighter fans outside your door can be a bit... terrifying? Anyway, here's part of the official press release:

“This is our first expansion table for ZEN Pinball and we couldn’t be happier to bring this amazing franchise of Capcom’s over to PSN,” said Zsolt Kigyossy, managing director of ZEN Studios. “The Street Fighter II Tribute table for Pinball FX was one of the most popular XBLA downloads of all time, and with new gameplay features and enhancements we’re confident that we’ll achieve similar if not more success for ZEN Pinball.”

Loaded with the iconic characters that revolutionized the fighting genre, “Street Fighter II” comes alive in ZEN Pinball. With this new table, players will experience the legendary Street Fighter™ franchise combined with the arcade thrills of traditional pinball employing cutting-edge visuals, true-to-life ball and table physics and new innovative features not found in any other pinball game.

ZEN Pinball Street Fighter II Tribute Table Features:

• Enter the World Warrior Championship fighting as Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and Guile and battle against Sagat, Evil Ryu, Vega, and Balrog, then win the final round of the championship against M. Bison!
• Discover combo shots, animated punches, kicks and special moves as you fight against opponents using ramps and a variety of orbit shot
• Multiple in-game challenges featuring objects, art and memorable items from Street Fighter™ II
• Table soundtrack, sound effects and voices from the original Street Fighter II

Muramasa: The Demon Blade Update #2: Momohime!

In this second character profile from Ignition's upcoming Wii exclusive, Muramasa: the Demon Blade, it's ladies night, as we get to meet the lovely yet deadly Momohime, complete with screenshots of her in action.

Additionally, the game's official website is finally live, offering up some cool content that includes an art contest (I'd enter if I had time to sit down and do an illustration, but that's kind of against the rules), media, some great wallpapers and lots more. Pop on over after you check out Momo's profile and screens (of course):

Momohime:

Possessed by the spirit of a foul swordsman, this young kunoichi is forced to carry out its devious plan against her will.

Described by her subjects as “beautiful as a flower and pure as the snow,” Momohime lived her life as the Princess of Narukami.

When a dark spirit comes to visit her castle, Momohime’s idyllic life is changed forever. Forced against her will, she leaves behind everything she knows in a quest for the cursed demon swords…

Remember, Muramasa: The Demon Blade hits stores on September 8, 2009 - we'll be back with more updates as they come in.