Nintendo Power, ottobre 2009.

[elvis91]

Nota: Nessuna traccia di star fox, ovviamente

News
-- Rabbids Go Home (DS) is a puzzle platformer with 150 puzzles over 15 levels.
-- THQ plans on making UFC games for the Wii and handhelds according to CEO Brian Farrell
-- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized (DS), developed by n-space, will have building to building tactical combat, vehicular hijinx and six player online.

Previews:

James Cameron’s Avatar
-developed by Ubisoft Montreal
-lots of talk about how this will be the movie game that won’t suck… yeah
-each version is crafted specifically for its platform
-each version tells a different story
-the Wii version is set a few years before the movie
-there will be exclusive features both for Wiimotion plus owners and DSi owners
-the Wii version uses the Jade Engine

Tower of Shadow
-developed by the same guys behind Kororinpa
-3-D objects create 2-D shadows that the controlled shadow guy runs on.
-a fairy shadow that accompies the main character can sometimes change the 3-D environment which will alter how the 2-D shadow plane resembles.
-the art style is inspired by the Miyazaki film, Future Boy Conan
-the player can alter the light source to drastically change the gameplay field
-developers plans on incorporating stage structures, hard modes, various enemies and enhanced abilities to keep the game fresh.
-aiming for a 12 hour playtime but they won’t artificially lengthen the game to reach that

Dementium II
-improving combat is a big focus
-you can now carry a flashlight and a weapon at the same time
-there are now carryable items like health kits and adrenaline shots
-there is now a Castlevania-like map on the touch screen
-enemies no longer respawn
-another Metroidvania feature is that there are some areas that you can backtrack to when you get new weapons
-the main character’s past self left his future self such helpful notes as “FOR GOD’S SAKE, GET OUT BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE”
-variety is a big theme with the sequel
-new setting such as a harsh winter’s day
-a new simple save system

Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love
-the largest localization job in NIS America’s history
-Idea Factory is handling the Wii port
-ever spoken line has been recorded with English voices
-the game shares some English casting with Disgaea
-NIS American will be releasing a premium-box version that will come with two disks – one with English voices and the other with Japanese voices.

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010
-motion controls from the last two games have been replaced with more traditional controls
-contains features such as create-a-finishing move, stamina system, individual superstar abilities, and more in-ring actions
-more than 60 characters
-79 match types
-a new feature, the WWE Story Designer, allows the player to create their own wrestling storylines, write the dialogue, cut promos, hold interviews, engage in backstage theatrics, etc.
-like the Wii version, the DS version will ditch touch-screen controls for traditional buttons
-the DS version is being done by TOSE, Wii by Yukes

Interview: Toshihiro Nagoshi

“Ryu Ga Gotoku was successful because we narrowed down the target demographic. We deliberately ignored the global markets, as well as kids and female gamers. This allowed the game to be edgy and compelling in ways it couldn’t have been if we tried to go after all those markets. This was a huge risk, but it was worth the challenge. At the moment, the Japanese video game market is not doing so well. Most titles are pursuing the opposite strategy – trying to recoup high development costs by attempting to expand the market for each title rather than narrowing down and focusing on a specific demographic. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t think this strategy is a mistake. It’s a good thing for games to appeal to consumers in different countries, across generations, and to both men and women. However, I do worry that if everyone follows this strategy, it will reduce the variety of titles in development.”

Reviews
-Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story – 9.5
-NHL 2K10 (Wii) – 8.0
-Cursed Mountain – 7.0
-Muramasa: The Demon Blade – 8.0
-Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga – 4.0
-Fossil Fighters – 8.0
-Bleach: The 3rd Phantom – 4.0
-Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box – 8.0
-The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road – 6.5
-G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Wii) – 5.0
-Spectrobes: Origins – 5.5
-IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey – 4.0

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story

Pros
-“the best RPG-style Mario adventure ever made”
-“it’s very likely that we’re looking at the 2009 Game of the Year for the Nintendo DS system”
-“one of the most interactive role-playing games available”
-unique minigames
-battle system stays fun and fresh
-plenty of engrossing stat management, exploration and storytelling
-keeps the player engaged
-compelling puzzle solving
-fantastic dialogue

Cons
-the mazelike structure of the world can be a little confusing to navigate especially if you were to try and come back to the game after having not played it for a while.

9.5

Muramasa: The Demon Blade

Pros
-gorgeous (like a painting come to life!)
-individual stories are compelling

Cons
-gameplay not as deep as it should be
-little variety in attacks
-sword’s individual skills aren’t varied much despite there being over 100 of them
-the game ends up promoting button mashing over combos, even on the higher of the two difficulty levels. However you can’t get away with that as much on the unlockable 3rd difficulty level and some side missions.
-the two playable characters control the same and play through the same areas
-plot can be confusing when it throws names at you without context

8.0

Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga

Pros
-has some neat ideas

Cons
-slow pace
-clunky interface
-ugly graphics
-sluggish combat
-dumb AI
-lackluster overall presentation
-world is a drab
-it’s not worth the trouble of playing through the game

4.0

Spectrobes: Origins

Pros
-excavating spectrobes with the motion controls is oddly compelling

Cons
-bad pacing
-little strategy involved in battles
-simplistic puzzle elements
-by the numbers story

5.5

NHL 2K10

Pros
-one of the most fully featured sports games on the Wii
-robust franchise mode
-many control options
-10 player online mode
-an impressive amount of modes in the package
-satisfying gameplay

Cons
-AI could use some work
-animation is a bit wonky

8.0

Cursed Mountain

Pros
-interesting story
-good atmosphere

Cons
-dialog and voice acting could be better
-repetition hurts the game’s scare factor

7.0

Fossil Fighters

Pros
-battle grid allows from some interesting strategy
-great beginning RPG for newcomers

Cons
-story and battle system may be too simplistic for some

8.0

Bleach: The 3rd Phantom

Pros
-if you like Bleach you might like the original story

Cons
-to see the story you actually have to play the game
-very slow, very simple turned based combat

4.0

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

Pros
-more of the same
-new brainteasers that make good use of the touch-screen
-new minigames are a fresh addition

Cons
-the story suffers from that “more of the same”

8.0

The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road

Pros
-the bizarre, odd control scheme works
-the game is very accessible

Cons
-the Ai suggestions are often terrible (Fighter go heal, Healer go fight!...?)
-thin story and flat characters
-almost no dialogue
-brief, overly linear quest
-no feeling of discovery or exploration

6.5

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Pros
-diverse selection of playable characters

Cons
-the shooting gets repetitive fast
-little variety
-dull level designs
-unpolished visuals
-uneven difficulty
-glitchy action

5.0

IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey

Pros
-variety of vintage planes

Cons
-virtually impossible to maneuver or engage in combat
-constantly changing and poorly explained objectives

4.0

Next Month
-Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
-“a major DSiWare title that should make many of you very, very happy”



Sulla versione wii di Avatar non so cosa pensare.. addirittura il motion plus, ma ign se non sbaglio ne parlò male, al termine della GC.

Speriamo che Dementiun 2 sia più lungo del precedente.

Voto altissimo ovviamente per mario e luigi 3.

[Pierpazzo]

io voglio giocarmi cursed mountain.

Dei dialoghi e del doppiaggio fottesega. Il fatto che spaventi poco a causa della ripetività, un po' di più.

[kenji1987]

mi sa che su mario & luigi rpg 3 non passerò, questa volta, sembra troppo figo per ignorarlo

[LowGmaN]

voglio muramasa. Punto.

E non per il voto di nintendo power, eh. Lo voglio e basta

[Alboz]

per starfox


per M&L

[hypercube88]

niente di interessante a parte mario e luigi per ds e muramasa per wii dunque

[kenji1987]

niente di interessante a parte mario e luigi per ds e muramasa per wii dunque

ci sarebbe anmche sakura wars, di interessante (o perlomeno, è di spessore )

elvis, conviene che la roba di gdr omessa la inserisci ugualmente

[phantommy]

il nuovo Mario & Luigi sembra interessante, tuttavia l'idea dell'aventura dentro Bowser mi fa cagare, però lo prenderò come da tradizione alla serie

[efestion]

Mi aspettavo di più per cursed mountain e muramasa, uffa

[elvis91]

niente di interessante a parte mario e luigi per ds e muramasa per wii dunque

c'è anche NHL 2010, con tanto di motion plus e wii speak, il problema è che non interesserà a nessuno qui in europa

elvis, conviene che la roba di gdr omessa la inserisci ugualmente

ok, aggiunta.

[-Lupo89-]

oboro muramasa lo prenderei a prescindere dai voti presi, ma tutto sommato sta andando benone un pò da tutte le parti. a penalizzarlo è sicuramente la longevità ridicola.

Cursed Mountain si conferma invece una mezza schifezza, e a dirla tutta credo che il voto di NP sia quello più alto datogli fino ad ora.

[Alexander11]

Immaginavo che spectrobes fosse robaccia. A NRU devono essere tutti ammattiti, hanno anche sprecato un poster ...

[-Lupo89-]

e serviva il voto di Spectrobes per rendersi conto che NRU è inaffidabile?

[Alexander11]

No, ma sprecare un poster... potevano fare RB Beatles o anche Scribblenauts o Starfy o Mario&Luigi VACDB o... tutto tranne spectrobes

[Pierpazzo]

Cursed Mountain si conferma invece una mezza schifezza, e a dirla tutta credo che il voto di NP sia quello più alto datogli fino ad ora.

nah, ti sbagli. E' uno dei più bassi.

C'è da dire che comunque non supera la media del 7,5 per il momento, ma comunque non sono numeri validi per definirlo una mezza schifezza.