Review: Rayman 3D

System: Nintendo 3DS

Deverloper: Ubisoft Casablanca

Publisher: Ubisoft

Score: B

The character of Rayman is nearly coming as synonymous with a new Nintendo hardware launch as Mario himself, with the GameCube being the only console that didn’t have a game starring the limbless wonder day and date with release in the last decade. With Mario nowhere to be found at the arrival of Nintendo’s 3DS handheld, Rayman is the only game in town for those looking for a platforming adventure with their new hardware. Despite essentially being a port of a game that at this point is pushing eleven years of age, Rayman 3D is of the best in the initial 3DS line up and a must for fans of the platforming genre.

Rayman 3D is an update of 1999’s Rayman 2: The Great Escape, which at this point has been ported to everything from Sega’s Dreamcast to the original DS under the name Rayman DS. The game has little in the way of plot, and can be summed up in as little as there are pirates doing evil things and it’s up to Rayman to set things right. Very much of its time, the plot is more or less an excuse to set the player on a grand adventure that involves collecting items (in this case, Lums and breakable cages).

In many respects Rayman 3D shows its age, with a few camera hiccups that really obscure the action, especially in one of the boss fights that involves swinging vertically, but it’s remarkable how well the title has held up. The world Rayman inhabits is still beautiful by today’s standards, further demonstrating that when it comes to graphics, it’s often the games that feature clever art direction that hold up over the test of time.

Rayman repertoire is what you would expect in a game of this type: Over the course of the 18 worlds, you’ll run, jump, swing and swim through a number of creative environments. Combat is fairly limited, with one attack button for shooting Rayman’s fists and little modification, but it’s more or less there to break up the platforming. It must be noted that movement with the 3DS control slider is superb for games of this type, and if Rayman is any indication of how good the control slider can be utilized, it may just be the best 3D movement input on a handheld to date.

What’s a 3DS game without 3D? Even though Rayman 3D was not designed from the ground up for the 3DS, it makes great use of the technology. On the more gimmicky side you’ll see bugs coming out of the screen, but on the more impressive side when in one of the several sliding sections or on a vertical descent the 3D is great. When the 3D slider is turned even part ways up the new found level of depth in the world is pretty impressive. If you’ll pardon the pun, it adds a new dimension to a game that many may have already experienced. For the purpose of review, the title was played with the 3D turned on through a large percentage of the 8-10 hour quest with little discomfort.

While not being created with 3D tech specifically in mind, Rayman 3D is nonetheless a great choice for anyone picking up a 3DS at or around launch. It may not be as special to anyone who has experienced the adventure in one of its many incarnations, but it still stands as a solid platformer even by today’s standards. Rayman has taken a backseat as of late to the nefariously cute Rabbid’s, here’s hoping this is an indication that Ubisoft’s unofficial mascot graces the genre in a new journey soon.

Review: Kingdom Hearts: RE: Coded

System: Nintendo DS

Developer: Square-Enix/ h.a.n.d

Publisher: Square-Enix

Score: C+

 

When Square launched the original Kingdom Hearts close to a decade ago, it’s doubtful they foresaw exactly how lucrative the franchise would be. Since 2002 there have been numerous sequels and remakes in the relatively new series, and at this point each entry has been using the same assets, characters and plots featured in the original KH. The latest entry in the series, Kingdom Hearts: RE: Coded, is quite possibly the laziest chapter produced by Square-Enix. Series fans will play through to get some shreds of franchise lore, but anyone less than the truly devoted may want to pass on this one.

KH: RE: Coded takes place the furthest in the series time line, making it the only game thus far to feature story points after the last numbered entry in the series, 2006’s KH II. During his adventures with Sora and co., Jiminy Cricket tasked himself with documenting the adventures of the group but has found the journal empty, excluding a mysterious message whose origins are unknown. King Mickey decides to get to the bottom of this by digitizing the journal and creating a digital avatar of series protagonist Sora to eliminate the bugs in the data.

Even though it takes place after the events of KHII, RE: Coded has nothing in the way of new content for anyone familiar with the franchise. The worlds players will visit are taken mostly from the original KH (Agrabah, Wonderland, etc). From a new player stand point, it may at the surface seem like a good jumping on point for the curious, but the title does little to introduce new comers to the rather complex lore that has developed in the series.

To make the retread a little less painful,developer h.a.n.d has varied each level in some interesting ways. In certain areas the perspective will change to 2-D scroller (a series first), an on-rails shooter and a Paper Mario-eqsue turn-based RPG in the Olympus Coliseum level. Outside of this players will run around and attack foes with the Keyblade just like other installments. In these sections the developer has placed an emphasis on platforming, which has never been a strong point for the series. An auto-jump off of ledges, similar to the 3-D Zelda games, has been added to assist in the trickier jumps, but expect to repeat several frustrating sections numerous times.

By far KH: RE: Coded’s best feature is the leveling mechanic. Taking a page from Final Fantasy X, chips have to be placed on a data board. By following various paths, upgrades can by applied such as more accessory slots, being able to carry more attacks into battle and cheats than can affect rewards and experience. Going through the board and seeing what is around the corner is something that will keep players going into the 15+ hour quest. Similar to the PSP title KH: Birth By Sleep, KH: RE: Coded also has the ability to craft abilities by leveling up attacks and magics to combine, but it’s nowhere near as interesting or rewarding as that title.

The last KH game for the DS, KH: 358/2 days was one of the best looking games on the system at that time. Never a slouch when it comes to presentation, Square-Enix has made sure KH: RE: Coded not only trumped its predecessor in terms of visual fidelity, but succeeds at nearly looking as good as its console brethren. Fully voiced full motion video is scattered about the title, and the soundtrack is taken from past entries, including the obligatory Utada Hikari ending and closing themes.

KH: RE: Coded is by no means a bad game, and there are some plot developments towards the end of the game that will excite long time fans about what is to come. It’s just at this point Square-Enix needs to stop retreading the past and look towards the future for the KH, or else fear losing any goodwill fans have left.

MegaMan Universe Cancelled

Last year Capcom registered a domain for “MegaMan Universe”. No one knew exactly what it was until they released a teaser that showed absolutely nothing, but was awesome nonetheless:

Details would soon emerge about the title not long after the release of the teaser. MegaMan Universe was to be a play/create/share title similar to Sony’s LittleBigPlanet, only substituting Sackboy for nearly every type of incarnation of MegaMan and other Capcom heroes like Ryu from Street Fighter and Arhtur from Ghosts N’ Goblins. Using assets similar to those seen in MegaMan 2 for the NES, players would be tasked with creating their own MegaMan levels. Demo’s of the game were presented at last year’s TGS, and opinions of the game were not the highest. Critics loved the ability to create levels, but felt the gameplay just didn’t feel “MegaMan” enough.

Today Capcom released a press statement stating that MegaMan Universe has been officially cancelled. Whether it’s due to the unfortunate turn of events that hit Japan this month, the loss of Keiji Inafune or other factors remains to be seen.

As a long time MegaMan fan I’m not that sad to hear of this news. While the teaser for MMU was excellent, I’m not a personal fan of games where it’s up to the players to make the game. People have made astounding levels using mods in games like Left 4 Dead and Sony’s own LBP, but when I buy a game I like to play it as I don’t have the patience to invest in learning the tools for level creation. Maybe with the cancellation of MMU, more assets will be moved to the MML3 3DS project.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Subtitle: I Don’t Care

Last November I posted a rumor from Kotaku that Slant 6, the developers of the SOCOM PSP games and the PS3 outing SOCOM: Confrontation, were developing a squad based Resident Evil title. That particular rumor has been flaring up as of late, and today Capcom officially announced Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Taking place during the events in Raccoon City as seen in RE 2 & 3 on the PSOne, players take on the role of a member of the U.S.S (or Umbrella Security Services, how they differ from the U.B.C.S remains to be seen), as they venture into the ill-fated city to destroy any evidence of the bio-hazard released by Umbrella. Played as a third-person shooter either single player or up to four players co-operatively, the U.S.S not only have to deal with the zombies and BOW’s unleashed in the city, but the US government as well, as they have issued soldiers to secure evidence of Umbrella’s wrong doings.

Classic characters and locations like the police station and Leon S. Kennedy are expected to make an appearance, and players will also have the option to rewrite the series time line by eliminating characters like the above mentioned. RE:OCC will also have a number of competitive modes as well.

As the title was only formally announced today, there is little that anyone knows about the title (screens have yet to be released), but from the description I find it hard to get excited about this game. As ridiculous as the story has gotten in the RE universe, I enjoy and revel in it. Where is the next chapter in the series after 5? Is Capcom so drained of talent that they simply can’t press forward with a new chapter? Instead we get yet another in a lllllloooooonnnnnngggggg list of “me-too” squad based shooters, in environments that series fans have gone over ad nausem in the past. Teaming up with people to kill zombies? Valve cornered that market with Left 4 Dead. Killing main characters? People want to PLAY as these characters, not kill them.

Resident Evil is a horror franchise, it more or less opened the doors for franchises like Silent Hill, Parasite Eve and Dead Space. Now it’s just yet another co-op shooter, competing in an already over crowded space. Capcom needs to either reboot the entire series or be bold enough to push forward with an RE6. Chapter 5 was a bit of a let down, primarily due to poor AI, but it was still enjoyable and sold really well.

Given that the majority of the best selling games on the market today are shooters of one form or another (Halo, Gears, COD, etc.) it’s not surprising that Capcom would like to enter this space, and what better way than with their most popular series? For fans who didn’t “get” RE prior to 4, and for people looking for a jumping on point to the series, this could bring them into the fold. Longtime fans way want to save up and get a 3DS (if they haven’t got one already) for RE:Revelations or download the HD updates of CODE: Veronica and 4 on their console of choice in the fall.

Why The Latest Duke Nukem Forever Delay Is Not A Big Deal

Duke Nukem Forever, announced way back in April 1997, looked like it would never be released and was delegated to more than an industry joke. The final nail in the coffin seemed to come from the closing of original developer 3D Realms back in 2009.

It seemed that Duke Nukem truly was Forever when last September at the Penny Arcade Expo, Randy Pitchford from Gearbox Software announced to the world that they would be finishing development on the long gestating title for an eventual release in 2011.

Early in 2011 the release date for DNF was set at May 3rd/2011. After several playable demos, videos and screenshots it seemed that Gearbox was on track to finally release DNF. Today it was announced that despite their best efforts to meet the release date of early May, the team at Gearbox needed more time to polish the title and pushed the release date to June of 2011:

While it is certainly a blow to the many people waiting to get their hands on the painfully long delayed title, the delay is not that large. The fear that many have at this point is that this will signal a series of delays, missed release dates and a repeat of 3D Realms history.

Given that the title has been in development for 14 years, one month to finally get the game is not that long. Unlike 3D Realms, who kept quiet during most of the games development, Pitchford and Gearbox have taken every opportunity to showcase the game to the press in the form of demos, as well as videos and screens to the public. If this gives the team a little bit more time to make the game even a little bit better, as long as it does not lead to a series of delays, it is ultimately better for both the game and the people who will eventually play it.

DNF publisher 2K Games is a subsidiary of Take Two Interactive, the parent company of GTA/Red Dead Redemption developer Rockstar games. Rockstar is set to publish their period detective game LA Noire two weeks after DNF’s initial release date on May 17^th. LA Noire has been gathering a lot of hype as of late and is being positioned as this year’s RDR, being released in the exact same time frame as the hit western. Even though the main reason cited for the delay in DNF is development, there has to be some publishing pressure from Take Two as well to have one big game for May and then another in June.

There’s no getting around the fact that the delay of DNF for those anticipating it (like those how pre-ordered the Balls of Steel edition for their Birthday, May 18th if your wondering) is disappointing. As long as this delay does not lead to several more, a month out of 14 years is not that much more. As Shigeru Miyamoto says, “a bad game is bad forever, but a delayed game is eventually good”. Just try to stick to a schedule, Randy, okay?

Ghostbusters: Sanctum Of Slime Oozes To Consoles

Having found success with the release of 2009’s Ghostbusters: The Videogame, publisher Atari is releasing the pseudo-sequel this week to both the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles with a pending release for the PC.

Subtitled Sanctum of Slim, the follow up is a download only top down, twin stick shooter that can be played cooperatively both locally and online. Like the 2009 release, players will take the role of rookie Ghostbusters with the role of the original team being delegated to support roles. Unfortunately none of the cast from the film will reprise their roles as the iconic characters.

Once again the story is set after the events of the last film, Ghostbusters II, and involves an increase in paranormal activity in the city of New York after the release of Dr. Janosz Poha from a mental institution, following a mental breakdown after being controlled by Vigo.

Sanctum of Slime is $9.99 CAD on the PSN and 800 MSP on the Xbox 360. No pricing information is yet available for the PC release.

Impending Resident Evil RE-Releases

Yesterday I commented in my Top 10 article about how Capcom had gone dark as of late when it comes to the Resident Evil franchise. Well, it seems I spoke too soon.

Reports are coming in that Capcom is readying a compilation, entitled Resident Evil: Revival Selection. This collection is so far rumored (but unconfirmed) to include both Resident Evil: CODE: Veronica and Resident Evil 4. RE: RS is also rumored to be appearing on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 home consoles. No word on if there will be bonus features added to the games, or Move support for RE4 on the PS3 similar to recent Wii to PS3 conversion Dead Space: Extraction.

Resident Evil: CODE: Veronica was originally released on the Sega Dreamcast in 2000, only to be ported to both the PS2 and GameCube with added content under the name Resident Evil: CODE: Veronica X. Resident Evil 4 needs little introduction, as it was a major turning point in the series and garnered many a Game of the Year nominations in 2005. It was originally released on the Nintendo GameCube, but eventually made its way to the PS2, PC and Wii with added motion controls.

Until an official confirmation is given by Capcom, this can all be taken as speculation, but given most publishers desire to rerelease last gen games with updated HD visuals, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. The two titles are rather odd to group together in a collection, as other than the fact that they both debuted on other consoles and made there way to Sony platforms, story wise they have little in common. Prior to the release of the RE: Umbrella Chronicles, RE: CODE: Veronica was the last “classic” RE story in the series time line before the focus of the gameplay and story changed in RE4 and 5. Despite being a great game in its own right (easily up there with the likes of chapters 1, 2 and 4 as the best in the series), it does little to lead into 4. Maybe it’s an “out with the old, in with the new” theme.

As a fan of the series, I’m anxious to see what Capcom will add to these titles other than upgraded visuals to incentive long time RE fanatics to pay for this collection. These games have been ported and gathered in collections already, so having them bundled is a little less special. Maybe for CODE: Veronica the Wesker report documentary can be added as a bonus, and for PS3 owners who passed on a Wii, a HD update for RE4 with potential Move support could be enough to warrant a purchase. More as it comes in.

 

Actress To Return As Jill Valentine In Resident Evil Film Sequel

Not to be outdone by all the Silent Hill news as of late, actress Sienna Guillory who played Jill Valentine in Resident Evil: Apocalypse and very briefly in an after the credits scene in last fall’s Resident Evil: Afterlife will return for the yet to be titled fifth installment in the film series.

SPOILER’S FOR RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE

News of the fifth installment came shortly after the last installment claimed the #1 spot at the box-office in the opening weekend. It comes as little surprise that Jill would be back, and portrayed by Sienna no less, as after Alice takes care of Wesker and releases the hostages on the Arcadia, it shows Jill (as played by Sienna) in a VTOL with the Umbrella forces. Personally I don’t think she would’ve done the cameo without some confirmation that the character would be returning in some capacity.

While no details on the sequel have been released, other than Milla Jovovich will return as Alice and that they are accepting fan input via twitter account. The film is expected to be released on September 14th, 2012.

News via ComingSoon.net

My Top 10 Most Anticipated 3DS Games

3DS fever is sweeping gaming culture this week in anticipation of its impending release (I have mine pre-ordered for launch). While the launch titles may not be the “Must Have” system sellers, there are a lot of titles to look forward to in the coming months. Here are 10 of mine:

10 ) Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 3D. Estimated Release: April 10th/2011

Splinter Cell as a series is one I’ve appreciated and that I’ve always wanted to like but could never quite get into. That was, until last year’s Splinter Cell: Conviction introduced new play mechanics that made it easier for the less hardcore sneaking fans to enjoy. Splinter Cell 3D is a conversion of the pre-Conviction fan favorite, Chaos Theory with some Conviction elements added in like the scenery based objective markers. Handhelds have not been kind to Splinter Cell, ports of early versions to the GBA, DS and PSP have not been received well. Here’s hoping that Splinter Cell 3D breaks the curse.

9 ) Kid Icarus: Uprising. Estimated Release: 2011.

Let’s face it, the original Kid Icarus for the NES has not aged well. That being said, that hasn’t stopped everyone from clamoring for a sequel every time E3 rolls around. Nintendo granted fans wishes last year when they debuted Kid Icarus: Uprising, marking the decades long absence of Pitt. A combination of both flying and on ground segments, the initial trailer for KI:U was impressive for both fans and non-fans alike. It will be a interesting to see if Nintendo can match the excitement for the debut trailer.

8 ) Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance. Estimated Release: TBA

Portable’s have become the new home for the Kingdom Hearts series. The last time the series graced a console was the late 2008 release of Kingdom Hearts: RE: Chain of Memories for the PS2. This entry looks to be a the closest thing long time fans will get to a Kingdom Hearts III while Tetsuya Nomura finishes up whatever he’s doing with Final Fantasy Versus XIII. The story is set after Kingdom Hearts II and see the return of both Riku and Sora. If KH: BBS for the PSP is any indication of how close a portable KH can be to the console version, this is one game to keep your eye on if your a fan.

7 ) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. Estimated Release: June 2011.

Ocarina of Time was THE game that made me hold on to my N64 back in the late 90’s as opposed to jumping ship to PlayStation (I would do that 2 years later, but nevertheless). Hailed as one of the greatest games of all time, Nintendo seeks to improve on the original design by adding touch screen support for easy equipment access (goodbye Iron Boot swapping in the Water Temple). Combine that with a graphical overhaul from the blurred N64 textures of 1998 and you’ve got a must buy 3DS title and a system seller for a lot of people.

6 ) Ace Attorney Vs. Professor Layton. Estimated Release

Answer: OBJECTION!!!

Question: What word has been seen and screamed into my DS over the past three years?

Starting off as a trilogy of games on Nintendo’s GBA system in Japan only, the Ace Attorney series made its way to North American shores in 2005 and spawned one of the greatest franchises on the handheld due to its great writing, compelling stories and quirky characters. Now it’s being paired with Level 5’s equally successful Professor Layton series in a battle of the wits that sees the two universes collide in a case surrounding a witch trial. This will mark a return for the character of Phoenix Wright (he has not been the main character in the series since 2007’s Trials and Tribulations), as well as a series first in the use of both cut scenes and voice on the Ace Attorney side. This game has not been formally announced for North America, but given the rabid fan base of both series, it’s a good chance we’ll get it.

5 ) StarFox 64 3D. Estimated Release: June 2011

Starting off as a tech demo for Nintendo’s Super FX microchip on the SNES, the original StarFox kicked off one of the big N’s must underrated franchises. The series has gone off the rails (no pun intended) as of late with a fun but pointless Zelda-style adventure and a GameCube sequel that while fun only featured less than one third of what makes StarFox great: Flying. StarFox 64 is considered by many to be the best in the five installment series (and one of Shigeru Miyamoto’s favorite games he’s worked on), and is long overdue for an update. If this sells well, it could send a message to Nintendo that a return to the Lylat behind the cockpit might be a good idea.

4 ) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D. Estimated Release: 2011

A masterpiece. One of the greatest games of all time. The single best Metal Gear Solid. These are some of the phrases I would use to describe 2004’s Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. If it was a simple portable port of the game, that would be enough. The team at Kojima productions is looking to enhance what is already a phenomenal experience. They’ve already proven how great a handheld MGS can be with last year’s Peace Walker on the PSP.A potential use of the touch screen for things like switching items and weapons, and surgery healing is already one feature that is worth picking up this game again. For the Nintendo faithful who never experienced this title, this is a must buy (if your old enough, of course).

3 ) Resident Evil: Revelations. Estimated Release: TBA

One of the most surprising 3DS trailers at last year’s E3 was Capcom’s Resident Evil: Revelations. From the short trailer, which Capcom claims is in-game footage, it looked like the 3DS was capable of producing graphics at the the caliber of the PS3 or 360. The next chapter in the long running Resident Evil franchise is set before the events of RE5 and once again stars Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. Information on the title is scarce, but the setting is an abandoned ship and the control style appears to be similar to the last two installments. The team is looking to bring back the scares for this title and are bringing back some of the series classic elements. As popular as the series is, it has gone somewhat dark since 2009’s RE5. Those looking for a return to the RE universe will find it on the 3DS only for the time being.

2 ) Assassin’s Creed: Lost Legacy. Estimated Release: TBA

Very little is known about the latest chapter in the AC series, other than it’s coming to the 3DS, it will once again star Ezio Auditoire De Firenze as the main assassin, and will focus on him returning to Altair’s home land to find out more about his ancestry. Why so high on the list then? Easy, because Assassin’s Creed is one of gaming’s best IP’s in this console generation, and each of the installments featuring Ezio have only gotten better. The series is running on a very thin tight rope saturation wise, as publisher Ubisoft has been quite adamant about releasing a new chapter on an annual basis, but it will be interesting to see what they will do with the series on the 3DS.

1 ) MegaMan Legends 3. Estimated Release: 2011.

10 years…10 long years. The last chapter in Capcom’s most underrated section of the MegaMan franchise is FINALLY getting a sequel. After years of battle network’s, star force’s and ill-advised X sequels, the fate of MegaMan Trigger and co. will finally be addressed after the cliff hanger ending of MML2 on the PSOne. MegaMan creator and former employee of Capcom, Keiji Inafune has been trying to get this sequel off the ground since the last chapter, but could never convince Capcom to give him the chance. This is a bit bittersweet, as almost directly after Mr. Inafune announced MML3 to the public, he left the company. It remains to be seen just how the team will continue on with his vision after his departure, but in an unprecedented move for a publisher, Capcom is seeking the help of the public in the development in the game through the use of polls and forums on the Capcom Unity website.

 

Ubisoft Jumps The 3DS Gun Five Days Early

This upcoming Sunday, March 27th, marks the North American release of Nintendo’s much talked about 3DS handheld. It seems that in order to tease consumers, or to perhaps given them a chance to look at their software prior to the flood of launch titles hitting on Sunday, Ubisoft will release Rayman 3DS on this coming Tuesday, March 22nd.

Rayman 3DS is an update of the N64/Dreamcast era platformer Rayman 2: The Great Escape. I never got the chance to experience this title back when it was first released and will be one of the two launch titles I’ll be picking up (the other of course being Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition). Having just come off Beyond Good & Evil HD, it will be nice to experience another title from the mind of Michel Ancel.