He’s back. New Super Mario Bros Wii takes the updated 2D platforming formula that was such as success when it debuted on the DS and puts it back on the living room TV. There’s a new four player mode, with everyone playing on the one console. This is a riot and really feels like it belongs in the game rather than a tacked on gimmick - in fact Shigeru Miyamoto claimed he wanted to add the feature back in the sixteen-bit days but was held back by the limits of the technology.
By all accounts Mario has toughened up a little since his previous outings; The game is tougher than the DS version, something that will surely please Mario’s more dedicated fans. For the less committed gamer though Nintendo have included a new autoplay feature that allows the game to play itself after failing a level eight times. Though purists will balk at this, it is optional and means younger or occasional players can see the whole game without getting frustrated.
The Japanese are getting the game a couple of weeks late on December 3rd, Europeans get it on November 20th and the rest of you should have it already. If not, what are you waiting for?
Although the game has been a bit hit in Japan since last April, the rest of the world wasn’t privy to the release of MagnaCarta II until a week ago. Earlier this October, the Softmax-developed and Banpresto-published masterwork finally made its way to North America to be released exclusively on Xbox 360.
This is tremendous news for Banpresto and fans of the MagnaCarta role-playing franchise. The game got its start with Magna Carta: The Phantom of Avalanche, released only on Windows. Then the small waves started to create a big splash once Magna Carta: Crimson Stigmata was released on PS2. And now, the game has made its first appearance on a seventh generation console, and it has been very well received.
Banpresto did an incredible job with this game. The Japanese gaming conglomerate, in business since 1977, is best known for their contribution to Sega: Pengo. However, in recent years, Banpresto has been moving toward seventh generating gaming, and the publishing of MagnaCarta II has proven to be a wise move.
MagnaCarta II is a story set on the embattled Lanzheim Continent, following the main male character Juto. Juto cannot remember his past, struck by amnesia, and after the war starts, his days of a simple farmer are over as he sets out to reclaim his identity and protect the people he cares for. Some of the best bonuses of this game have to do with the other characters, however. You’ll find wind and lightning wizards and other warriors and plenty of creatures with spellbinding powers along the journey.
All in all, it’s easy to see why this game has been creating such a buzz. The recent North American release will only help to solidify MagnaCarta and strengthen the line. Be on the lookout for MagnaCarta III in the near future.
Mr Met and Phillie Phanatic are all very well, but did you ever see them perform death defying leaps accross vast chasms, all for the sake of collecting a few rings? No, and that’s why Sega bought Sonic and chums allong to the Toshi Taiko baseball tournament. Ai Ai and Amy Rose joined the blue spiky one in leading the cheerleaders. Go, Sonic go!
Bayonetta hype is starting to build as the game nears its autumn release. Designer Hideki Kamiya has a history that includes Okami and Devil May Cry, so our hopes are very high for this.
Kamiya-san has promised to “blow the doors off the action genre”. The eponymous heroine is a shape shifting witch who backs up her magic attacks with a cornucopia of firearms and heavy weapons. As with Devil May Cry skilled players will be able to rack up the damage with spectacular combos and special moves. Fallen enemies drop halos that can be exchanged for bigger and better weapons.
Bayonetta launches in Japan on October 29th for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, price Y7980. North American and European release is expected to follow in January.
Here’s an interesting new free to download indie game. Exelinya Burst is a wild score oriented game with tons of enemies and chaotic graphics. A bit like a Llamasoft game, but a lot harder to die. It’s now been translated into English.
No More Heroes 2 is sure to be one of next year’s hottest Wii games. Famitsu have posted an intriguing video which shows of some of the crazy characters and the balletic anime combat.
Shin Sangoku Musou Multi Raid, or Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce has been out for a few weeks in Japan, but will debut in the US later this month. It’s based on Dynasty Warriors 6, and looks rather good.
It looks like the arcade version of Blazblue was a hit. Not only is it getting converted to PS3, but also to Xbox 360. Let’s hope the home versions are just as good as the arcade original, keeping the spectacular 2D fighting gameplay intact.
Inside Games has published a few screenshots that it claims are from Tales of VS, the new PSP game, but one of the shots is clearly the logo from Tales of Graces, the forthcoming Wii game. Whatever their origin, they should be of interest to tales fans.
Final Fantasy VII has just been released on the Japanese PSN, and is available for 1500 yen. Naturally the game is Japanese only. If you do speak Japanese then it’s pretty much a must buy. First released almost twelve years ago on the original Playstation, FF7 brought the JRPG into the mainstream and remains one of the great epics in the gaming canon.
