Playing on the Go

Contra 4’s American box art was quite possibly one of the most bad@$$ pieces of art we at Playing on the Go have ever seen. The main character, Lance Bean, wields an RPG as he sneers at his enemies, most likely aiming to obliterate them in the most painful way as possible. The T for Teen logo emblazons the front, letting every passerby know that this game is not for children or the faint of heart (especially considering this is a sidescroller). His partner has his pistols blazing…OK, I think you get the point.

The Japanese title takes a decidedly more reverent, anime art style to it. The main character wields his rifle close to him, staring off into the distance retrospectively, analyzing his past failures and mourning the memories of the many people he has killed. While the game is of great quality, it’s always interesting to see the different ways companies market to different cultures.

After the mind blowing and baby making release of the newly redesigned PSP, the system gets some huge megaton… Wait. No.

The marketing geniuses at Sony decided to give you absolutely nothing new and fanciful in return for purchasing that new PSP. You know, it may seem at times that I have a bias against Sony, but it’s not that. I wish them nothing more than the best. But I can’t simply sit here and give any praise to the company when there simply isn’t anything to give said praise to. Aside from God of War releasing for the PSP in around a year, there really isn’t much to say of the aging system. Honestly, GoW is mostly a “thank you” to those who have stuck around with the system more so than a game driven to upheave sales. It’s sadly disappointing.

The DS, however, gives us plenty of cheer this week…

* Jam Sessions
* Pet Luv Spa & Resort Tycoon
* Drawn to Life
* Spelling Challenges and More!
* Zoey 101: Field Trip Fiasco

Most of that may seem like kiddie fare, but Drawn to Life is an innovative and immensely fun title worth checking out. My hopes for Sony releasing a new similar game for PSP has not died. Yet.

sony, nintendo, nintendods, psp, newgames, drawntolife

While UK’s Official Nintendo Magazine may be now publishing the retraction, they aren’t fooling anyone. They just let the info slip much too early. The supposed information that should exist, which they claim that doesn’t, is simply this. Mario Kart on the Wii, in addition to hosting sixteen player at a time races, will also feature dramatic recreations of some of the awesomely wicked Mario Kart DS courses. The original article used the wording that “classic DS tracks will be recreated with Wii graphics.”

Considering the fact that some of the DS courses were some of the most creative of the series (think the Pinball stage), no one will be complaining.

mariokart, wii, ds

Not a lot to speak of at all this week. Hopefully we can just consider it the calm before the storm, with bigger and better days coming quickly over the horizon. Nay, there’s not much interest worthy, unless you are interested in picking up Worms or Garfield. That’s it. Although, there’s something to be said of the gross commercialization of what was once an awesome comic cat. Maybe Bill Watterson was really onto something when he refused to let Calvin and Hobbes appear in anything other than a daily comic strip. But that’s a topic for another day and another blog.

PSP
Worms: Open Warfare 2

DS
Worms: Open Warfare 2
Garfield: Nightmares

nintendods, sonypsp, garfield, worms

Last week, I picked up the uber popular title on the day of release, and I’ve only recently felt as if I’ve played through the game enough to give it a coherent review. Word of advice to the wise, many sites reviewing the game have seemingly rushed through the game in order to review it. Not possible with this game, as you may know if you’ve played through the first. One of the largest reasons being because the game opens up puzzles over time, namely over so many given days.

Considering this “game”, of which it can only be loosely defined as, there are a number of qualifiers that you have to fulfill in order for you to really enjoy it. If you don’t pass one of them, it may not be for you. But if you cross these hurdles, it’s awesome. The first barrier that may be in front of you is answered in whether or not you consider yourself to be part of the “casual game” craze that has hit the industry over the past year or so. If you’ve enjoyed games such as Wii Sports or Big Brain Academy, you’ll in all likelihood love the Brain Age series. The second is a little more traditional than that, considering that this game is indeed a sequel. Once you start it up on your DS for the first time, there’s really not a whole lot that’s visually new. The music and sound effects are noticeably different, making me subconscious of the fact that this is actually a different game than the one I am already accustomed to. But aside from the puzzles which we’ll get to next, this is basically the same product. If you tired quickly of the first or found any drawbacks, they aren’t very likely to be addressed in this sequel.

But this isn’t to say that there isn’t new material in Brain Age 2, that’s far from the case. Most of the puzzles are very fresh, not to mention noticeably tougher than those in the first installment of the series. Apparently the development team assumed that you’ve fulfilled the basic requirements of the first and that you are ready for the next level. And that’s very refreshing. One of the hardest of which is a challenge in which you have to constantly subtract a certain number or rush to do math problems that have the last part of the equation marked out in front of you. Seriously, the first game looks like a cakewalk compared to this one.

However, it does suffer in that some of the puzzles are obvious rehashes of previous ones. Such is the case with the game where you have to track the position of the runner. If Brain Age really has taught you to be smarter, you’ll quickly realize that this is the “House Party” game from the first game in a different format. Thankfully though, there are only a few of these are obviously re purposed content. But in fairness, features from the first have been improved. Voice and handwriting recognition still isn’t perfect, but noticeably improved. It’s only certain phrases and characters that the software will have trouble with, but it handles 90% of the input it is given just fine. And honestly, for a twenty dollar hand held game, it does pretty darn well.

If you do fall under the prerequisites of the game and had fun with the first, this is certainly for you. If not, just wait until Phantom Hourglass for your next DS purchase. It’s probably more up your alley if this whole “getting smart” thing just isn’t for you. In the end, it’s only fair to give Brain Age 2 two seperate ratings because there are really two separate audiences. For the first that the game is mainly for, I give it a 8.7 out of 10. For the second that may only have a passing interest, it gets a 7.5. Were this the first game of the series, each rating would get an additional point. Ultimately, it’s up to each individual user to make the decision of the worthiness of this game. As the warning screen that hits you each time you start the game explains, individual results may vary.

nintendods, brainage

Undoubtedly, the stir this week will be caused by the newest Metroid game for Wii. Which, by all accounts, unofficially starts the Holiday publishing rush that all consoles should be seeing the effects of within a short period of time. Hopefully, that wave should reach the handhelds soon, as there really isn’t all that much to report this week aside from yet another incarnation of Tiger Woods PGA Golf. Which, despite how good of a game it probably is, still tends to remind me of the 8 bit golf game that Bart Simpson got in place of the Mortal Kombat ripoff he really wanted. Oh well. All the new ones for the week lie below.

PSP:

* Brunswick Pro Bowling
* Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes
* NHRA Countdown to the Championship
* Dead Head Fred
* Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
* Monster Hunter Freedom 2

Nintendo DS:

* Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
* Garfield: Nightmares
* Turn it Around
* I Spy Funhouse
* Professional Fisherman’s Tour: Northern Hemisphere

newgames, tigerwoods, pga, golf, simpsons, nintendods, psp

Perhaps you’ve seen this commercial airing on prime time TV in the past week or so. I caught it for the first time last night, and quite honestly, it freaked the holy living crap out of me.

I can not really decide if this is genius marketing based on the fact that it gives you a sample puzzle to solve or on the basis that this is quite possibly the most overtly subliminal commercial I’ve ever seen. Whichever is the case, it doesn’t matter. Brain Age 2 is out. As such, it’s my official duty to ensure that you are informed concerning the topic. First, is it good? It looks that way. According to the IGN review, which gave the game a 8.0 (as if it matters), everything good about the first game returns in new form. Not to mention the fact that handwriting and voice recognition is drastically improved. Next, it is entirely possible to get this game for a relatively dirt cheap price. For instance, Circuit City has it for fifteen bucks. If you decide to venture out and browse around online, chances are you might be able to find it even cheaper from an off kilter and attention hungry online retailer.

nintendods, brainage2

After being shown privately time and time again to the ever unappreciative gaming press, Twilight Princess will finally be on display to regular folk and peasants alike on the floor of the Penny Arcade Expo. This will be the first (and probably last) time that the general public will be able to test out the game until it hits retail on October 1st. Of course, not that it matters. Stamp any Zelda related material on any Nintendo box and fans are going to pick it up no matter the content. Case in point, Tingle’s Rupy Colored Flavorland or whatever the hell that fine atrocity is. Further Nintendo showings at PAX rest below. Be sure to pay them a visit if you’ll be visiting the friendly suburbs of Seattle in the coming week.

* The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
* Brain Age 2
* Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol
* DK Jungle Climber
* Flash Focus

[via dsfanboy]

Good Morning! That sun sure is bright, isn’t it? I haven’t seen you in three days! You rascal, you! Now, read what I have to say very closely. I want you to look through all of the games below. They are all coming out this week! And that includes Brain Age 2! Hoo Hoo Ha Ha!

Nintendo DS:

Brain Age 2
Operation Vietnam
The Settlers
I Spy Funhouse
Turn it Around

PSP:

Brunswick Pro Bowling
Ghost Recon 2: Advanced Warfighter
Dragoneer’s Aria
Jeanne D’ Arc

nintendods, psp, newgames, brainage

As the biggest pomp and circumstance of the week is concerned with Madden 08, many handheld owners may be wondering just what the hell is going on when it comes to mainstream media coverage of the yearly incarnation of said football game. It would seem that the portable version of the game is not getting the call the next day, as many of the other honeys on the bigger consoles are seeing all the love in nationwide circulations.

Look no further, player. (And in this context, the term truly is ambiguous.) Reviews of these versions of the game are slim, but they do exist. IGN was one of the first to the gate with the PSP review of the game, giving it a half interested shrug at 7.7. Meanwhile, GameAlmighty and VGT have also taken a look at the DS version, giving it a similar 7.1 and 4/5, respectively. So in summary, it would seem that the game is …. “allright”. Nothing spectacular. The PSP gets the nod of approval by way of offering an almost true portable version of the bigger brother, while the DS is noteworthy in offering some unique modes such as paper football.

Not that any of this really matters. By now, EA is working on ways to telepathically deliver Madden 09 to you so that the console will be your brain.

psp, nintendods, madden, nfl, football

You likely saw the post the other day describing the recent patent applied for by Nintendo, now it seems that this bit of news may have just been the tip of the iceberg to something much bigger. Apparently, the New York Post is reporting that Apple has taken issue with the plans that it looks Nintendo is making, supposedly finding too many similarities with their iPhone. That publication would have you believe that Apple is building a small army of would be gamers by installing similar features as described in the Nintendo patent within the iPhone.

Honestly, this love / hate relationship between the two companies has been a fanboy wet dream in some shape or fashion for around a year or two now. Ever since the DS Lite was released, messageboard and talkback lurkers have compared its design as akin to the iPod. Which, really, in this bloggers opinion is the same as comparing a Ford to a Toyota on the basis that they both have four tires and a steering wheel. Basically, it’s a stretch. Should you have believed similar internet chatter, and should the New York Post have picked up on that meme, Nintendo and Apple would have merged by now. Giving us a lovable and friendly company of technological cuteness.

But it’s not gonna happen. All this amounts to is a sensationalist newspaper digging around on the innerweb for news it can publish to make it seem hip. If it actually does happen, you’ll hear more credible information from a more credible source.

nintendo, apple

Joystiq illustrates it best this week with the above illustration, going to show you that Madden Football is soon to be available on every console known to man. It’s probably even available on things other than consoles. In fact, you can probably purchase Madden 08 for your refrigerator, should you choose to do so. Making the spectacle better is the fact that, apparently, Madden is actually really good this year. The PSP incarnation closely resembles that of its console elder brethren, but the DS version is actually worth a look as well. For instance, it includes a paper football mode. Seriously.

Beyond that, here follows the rest of the handheld releases for this fine week.

PSP:

* Dungeons & Dragons Tactics

Nintendo DS:

* Luminous Arc
* Rune Factory: Fantasy Harvest Moon
* Operation: Vietnam
* Heroes of Mana

Apparently, Square Enix can’t get enough of DS remakes of popular old games. And considering that they keep cranking them out, neither can consumers. They’ve just started a Japanese teaser site advertising the three new titles for that region. These games are incredibly popular in Japan, but have only begun to gain that same sort of power here in the States over the past few years. Don’t be too shocked to see them test the waters by releasing a translated version of the game here.

nintendods, dragonquest, squareenix

While not exactly earth breaking, I wasn’t exactly expecting any shocking announcements concerning any of the hand helds at Comic Con, but indeed it seems as if that has happened. Keep in mind that this game announcement is much deeper than it would seem on the surface, and portrays something that might be far more than what it seems. During a panel at the convention this past weekend, Rare announced that they would be returning “home” to develop and publish (in connection with Microsoft) a Viva Pinata game for Nintendo DS.

To the layman, this may possibly seem like so-so news, and possibly even good business on both the sides of Nintendo, Rare, and Microsoft. But to the veteran who has been around during the SNES and N64 days, this could be seen as a monumental first step. Not only for future Rare or Microsoft published games to appear on the Nintendo DS, but also other possibilities such as Goldeneye on the Wii Virtual Console or even the fabled Halo DS. Matt Casamassina of IGN has still yet to back up his big talk of said game, but you probably will hear himself singing his own praises soon after this announcement.

rare, microsoft, nintendo, nintendods, vivapinata

[image via joystiq, story via shacknews]

As pointed out just a few days ago, the Nintendo DS is selling like crazy. I’d normally insert some ambitiously witty comment here to help demonstrate how well the handheld is truly selling, but there’s nothing that can be said to fully explain it. Should the sell rate continue as it is, there shall be no man, woman or child on the planet without the Nintendo DS. Okay, well maybe that is stretching it a little, but you get the idea.

But here’s the thing. If you were to ask any DS owner who has also been a loyal Nintendo customer of many years as to how Nintendo is utilizing the system and its capabilities, they would likely prefix the answer with the “under” qualifier. While the company has at times tried new things with the system such as DS Download Stations, the DS Browser, and a downloadable kiosk at Seattle Mariners games, the system hasn’t had the extras that past Nintendo portables have. The Game Boy Color actually had a digital camera and a printer that you could buy. It was cheap technology, but technology that was far ahead of the curve at the time. Sadly, Nintendo has yet to really explore truly innovative ideas with the system.

Nintendo fans aren’t really looking for true innovation, however. Plow around on the web concerning the subject and you’ll quickly find that what is most commonly demanded is an equal of the DS Download Station in Wii form. Or a way to play Wii Virtual Console games on the DS. During the early stages of the introduction of the Wii, Nintendo vaguely hinted at these sorts of possibilities. But aside from that, there’s been no indication of when to expect such a thing or even if it will actually exist someday. Given the enormous sell rate of both the Wii and the DS, you’d think that this would be inevitable. The combination of the PSP and PS3 is able to do exactly this. Yet, the combination of DS and Wii is only around three hundred dollars less than that, meaning that the package will already be guaranteed to exist in more homes already. Plus, you’d think that if such a feature were available, Wii owners without a DS would be compelled to purchase one.

To sum it up, it needs to happen. And pretty soon. Nintendo loyalists are getting pretty antsy about getting this type of service, and frankly, Nintendo is running out of reasons to not do it. Nintendo is obviously one to innovate and surprise, given the Wii. But hopefully the company will not forget to think outside the box with the hardware already available to consumers.

nintendo, nintendods, nintendowii